As Tang Yan scanned the wolf pack, he noticed a few larger wolves among them.

This unsettling discovery made him tighten his focus. These second-tier wolves weren’t the wolf king, but could the one directing the pack, who had yet to appear, be a third-tier spirit beast?

Moreover, the wolf king's ability to command the pack and organize the formation to climb a tree with "wolf ladders" showed an alarming level of intelligence.

"Awoooo—"

Five wolves charged at him rapidly, with even more wolves following behind. The pressure of the continuous assault would soon become overwhelming.

Tang Yan knew he couldn’t stay on this tree forever.

Just as he had anticipated, after five first-tier giant wolves attacked, three second-tier wolves charged at him. The sheer number of wolves made it a war of attrition, and even with his speed and strength, he couldn't keep up forever.

The wolves were relentless, and with each wave of attacks, his exhaustion grew. His body was covered in wounds, his black clothes torn and bloodied, and he had no time to consume healing pills.

"Run!" Realizing that if he kept fighting, he might lose his life here, Tang Yan decided to flee. He jumped, using the force from the branch to leap to another tree.

After jumping from several trees, he finally escaped the center of the wolf pack and landed on the ground, where he continued to fight.

The wolf king, still hiding in the shadows, issued a call, and the wolves immediately surged after Tang Yan.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Boom! Boom!" Tang Yan fought with pure instinct and his martial skills, constantly switching positions with his Phantom Shadow Step to avoid being surrounded.

After an hour of intense fighting, Tang Yan was nearly exhausted. He was covered in injuries, his clothes in tatters, and he couldn't even find a moment to take a healing pill. The pack's continuous attacks left him with no time to breathe.

"Run!" Knowing that he might lose his life here, Tang Yan decided to make a break for it. He stomped on a first-tier giant wolf's head, crushing it, before leaping with all his strength, using his Phantom Shadow Step to sprint away.

"Awoooo—" Tang Yan could hear the wolf king’s call in the distance. The wolf pack’s howls echoed across the mountain. Even some high-tier spirit beasts, hearing the wolves, crouched down in fear.

Tang Yan, however, was faster with his Phantom Shadow Step. After about a quarter of an hour, the wolves gave up the chase, unable to catch him.

He ran for over twenty miles and eventually stopped near a small river. There, he washed his wounds and applied some hemostatic ointment, wincing at the sting.

Looking at his bloodstained clothes, he quickly tossed them into the river, fearing that the smell of blood might attract more beasts.

He reflected on how close he had come to danger. Without his Phantom Shadow Step, he might have ended up dead that first day on the mountain.

"Although it was a desperate fight, it exposed my weaknesses in combat. But the progress I made in blending martial techniques and hand-to-hand combat was astonishing—much more than several days of practice. From now on, I will follow the wolf pack until I’ve perfected this combination!" Tang Yan resolved.

He found a large tree, jumped up, and began to meditate, letting his body recover.

The medicinal supplies he had prepared were extraordinary, and by the next day, the wounds had already scabbed over. He quickly hunted a wild rabbit, cooked it by the river, and ate.

As he ate, he heard a rumbling sound from the distance.

Tang Yan, curious, quickly finished his meal and followed the noise. Soon, he found the source—a massive waterfall crashing down from a cliff over twenty meters high.

The immense power of the falling water gave Tang Yan a wide grin.

His decision to leave Tang Family was proving to be extremely wise. The energy contained in the waterfall made it the perfect training ground—something he could never find at home.