Daniel was confused. He was afraid. These spirit beasts should be seem only in the far north, dozens of miles away from where they were. The only exception happened five years ago, when a pack lead by a Silverback Wolf made its way into the region near the Hell's Keeper Mountain, close to the northern walls.

The sect wiped them all out after a dozen disciples were attacked by them. Still, a Silverback Wolf was a class 6 spirit beast. Even if Rebecca was one of the strongest cultivators in the sect, she suffered grievous injuries and ended up crippled protecting her son and stalling until reinforcements arrived.

Even if Direwolves were 'only' class 4, they were still incredibly rare. Daniel didn't know why one of them would leave their territory again, even more so in broad daylight. How bad was their luck?

A creature that seemed to be born from the union of wind and shadows. A creature that could run faster than the wind and crack the earth with a stomp. Direwolves like that could face a cultivator in the Elemental Purification realm and win. Worst of all, they usually moved in packs.

The Direwolf in front of them was at least six meters long and three meters high. A behemoth of a beast, made for the simple purpose of killing.

Daniel knew they had no chance. Rebecca had told him to be careful, but in the end he lowered his guard for but a moment. Still, that moment was enough. This was on him.

He could only hope that the talisman shield would protect them until they made their way back to the raft. Amon was in a daze, as if fighting with something inside of him. Daniel could only carry him over his shoulder as he tried to run away.

The trees were no more than an indistinct blur as Daniel ran like mad. The ground cracked where he took a step, and any tree trunk was utterly decimated if he used it as leverage to jump forward.

Body Tempering cultivators used the Qi to reinforce their bodies. It was a very painful process, where they would hurt themselves over and over and circulate the Qi in their body following the directions of the cultivation manuals they had in hand.

The Qi would not only heal then faster, it would make the flesh and bones being repaired stronger. It was a necessary stage in any cultivator's life, otherwise their bodies wouldn't withstand their own Qi and techniques if they grew too powerful.

Having their bodies being remade and perfected using Qi, Body Tempering cultivators couldn't be compared to normal humans anymore. Their strength, endurance and speed were far above any mortal. Stepping into the Body Tempering realm was the first true step in order to pursue immortality.

The black shadow that had blocked him earlier was a smaller Direwolf, probably in his pubescent years. Daniel used the shield covering him and Amon and smashed through the wolf like a cannon ball, not slowing down a bit.

Alas, it was all for naught. Daniel saw a dark blur passing by his side, and the gigantic wolf surpassed them just like that, coming to a halt in front of them. Daniel tried to change directions but it was too late. The Direwolf brandished its claws, hitting the shield that surrounded Daniel and Amon.

They took no damage, but the shield distorted for a moment when the claw made contact with it, and they were sent flying back. Daniel and Amon smashed through a pair of trees before they finally hit the ground, leaving a long trail of destruction in their path. Splinters and dust flew everywhere, blocking their vision.

The shield lost its luster and started flickering, as if it would go out at any moment. Daniel knew it would only last a few more seconds and it wouldn't protect them from another hit. He hesitated for a moment before continuing his sprint. They shouldn't be too far from it; if he rushed they could make it in time.

He once again sped through the trees without even looking back. Worries would only slow him down, and he had to be as fast as possible.

Amon seemed to have snapped out of his dazed state, as he suddenly started to try to free himself from Daniel's grasp.

"Daniel, you have to let me go!" He screamed with his high-pitched voice, his face flushed while he struggled.

"Now is not the time to throw a tantrum kid! Do you want to die?" Daniel rebuked in a harsh tone. He was not going to put up with this right now.

"You don't understand, that wolf is coming for me! If you don't let me go you will die!" Amon cried out, desperate to break free. Daniel was taken aback. What the hell was Amon talking about? The wolf was after him?

Daniel shook his head to clear up his thoughts. Now was not the time to worry about such things. He continued dashing through the forest while Amon shouted in desperation. Daniel had no idea what had gotten into him, but if he didn't calm down he would make things worse.

Daniel caught sight of the Direwolf surpassing them again. He didn't even think before he launched himself into the nearest tree and used it as foothold. The tree's trunk cracked as he shot like a bullet over the wolf right when it sent another claw strike in their direction.

That enormous claw grazed right past his leg, colliding with the shield. The shield shattered like glass, sending speckles of light everywhere as they made it past the wolf and Daniel continued his mad escape towards the raft.

They heard another howl coming from the wolf, making Daniel's ears hurt and Amon's bleed even more. Amon covered his ears with a scream of pain before he started mumbling to himself, saying "I'm sorry" over and over again.

Daniel was about to knock him out when he saw the raft in the riverbank ahead. They had finally made it back. When they were about to reach it, Daniel's blood froze. He heard another howl coming from the right, but this one was weaker than the ones from the wolf pursuing them.

Then, another howl echoed from the back, followed by another from the front. From the shadows, three more wolves made their way into Daniel and Amon's direction. They had the same burning eyes and black fur, but were half the size of the Direwolf following them. One of them was the same wolf Daniel had smashed away before, seemingly unhurt at all.

Despair filled Daniel when he saw this. They were surrounded, there was no way for them to escape. Amon started crying in his shoulder, drenching Daniel's clothes in tears. Then he looked over Daniel's back and went silent.

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Daniel didn't need to guess why. He heard the rustling of the bushes behind him. He slowly turned around, prepared to face the Direwolf they first ran into. Its eyes were like gateways to hell, burning with a rage that could make any grown man shiver.

Daniel gripped the sword in his hand tightly. The sword made clinging noises as his hand trembled in fear. The gigantic wolf got closer in closer. Eventually it came so close that Daniel could feel its hot breath in his face, bringing together a foul stench of blood and rotten meat.

Daniel could clearly see pieces of meat and bones stuck between the fangs of the beast. His mind raced, trying to figure a way to get out of this situation. He discovered he had no hope. He would never leave Amon and try to run by himself. He would never be able to face this small pack of Direwolves and live to tell the story. He could only distract them and somehow send Amon away.

He closed his eyes for but a moment before making a decision. When he opened them again, they shone with determination. He suddenly spun, turning his back to the Alpha Direwolf. He held Amon up and looked past the wolves in front of them. The raft was about thirty meters away. For any normal human, it would be an impossible feat, but Daniel was not a normal human. He was a cultivator.

He took aim and mustered every ounce of the strength his tempered body could produce, before throwing the crying Amon over the trees, in the direction of the river. Before he could see if his aim was on point, he spun again, sword in hand.

This lustrous sword was the first gift his father ever gave him, and was by far the best. It was a high quality artifact. It wouldn't rust and the edge would never go dull. In the right hands, this sword could pierce through a rock. In Daniel's hands, this sword could pierce through an adult's Direwolf fur. It was enough.

The sword shone brightly while it drew a beautiful arc in air, propelled by Daniel's momentum as he spun. The blade hit the enormous Direwolf behind him, cutting its fur and flesh. The sword had opened a deep gash in the Direwolf's head, almost hitting an eye and partially blinding him.

The Direwolf stood in place, its eyes burning while dark blood dripped from its face. He didn't howl and he didn't growl. He simply opened its mouth and jumped at Daniel, baring its fangs. It didn't feel like it was hunting a prey or fighting for its territory. It felt more like it was crushing an annoying ant.

Daniel saw those knife-like fangs approaching his head and he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it. When he was about to be ripped in pieces the sound of a heavy object hitting something made its way from the river. Amon had finally fallen in the raft after a few moments airborne.

The Direwolf suddenly stopped and turned its hellish gaze from Daniel and looked past him, into the Red River and its raging waters. It paid Daniel no mind and started making its way past the trees.

Amon was squirming in pain atop the raft. He somehow managed to not fall into the river and stay in the raft after the initial impact. Daniel throwing him to safety came at a price, though, as he was clearly hurt.

Daniel used all his willpower to focus for a moment. He had no more than a second to gain control over a huge ammount of Qi that was far away from him. A very difficult feat even for talented people. Yet, he somehow managed to accomplish it in his desperation.

He used the Qi to blast the raft away from the riverbank, pushing it into the river. The raft hit the waters and soon the waves started dragging it away at a fast pace.

There was but one problem: the river was dragging the raft towards them.

The Direwolf had its gaze fixed on it, and slightly bend its hind legs, as if preparing to jump.

Daniel broke in cold sweat. He would never be able to stop the beast from pursuing Amon if he didn't distract it first. Daniel was trembling in fear, but still chose to attack the Direwolf a second time. He was just saved from death, but he had to face it yet again to protect his friend.

"Hell no!" Daniel shouted while brandishing the sword again, jumping in the air and trying to hit the Direwolf's back.

The Direwolf turned around and clawed at him as if swatting a fly. An utter lack of interest. The Direwolf only saw him as an annoyance, never as a threat. Still, a grown Direwolf was a menace even if it didn't take the victim seriously.

That halfhearted strike could still cut Daniel in two. He desperately twisted his body in midair, barely avoiding a hit on his waist. The claws hit his right shoulder and slashed at his arm. Daniel screamed in pain as the sword in his right hand escaped from his grip. He looked at his right arm in shock.

Something was hanging from his shoulder. It was nothing more than an indistinct mass of flesh and blood. Daniel had avoided the brunt of the strike and the claws hit his arm with nowhere near the power they would hit his waist, yet most of his arm had been torn off.

He could see shreds of muscles peeking out from the torn skin, covering the white bones in his upper arm. His hand was somehow intact, but most of his forearm was gone, standing as bloody chunks of flesh in the ground.

Blood flowed from his injuries nonstop and dripped in the ground, forming a dark-red pool that slowly grew, like a blooming flower.

The Direwolf sent him one last glance before turning towards the river and started speeding away with the other three in tow. Daniel grimaced in pain. He knew that he would never be a match for it. But he had to do something or Amon would die. His mind started fading away, as if he was about to lose consciousness.

Daniel gritted his teeth, trying to resist the urge to pass out. His eyes were bloodshot as he started searching for something in his clothes with his left hand. He retrieved a strange piece of jade in the shape of a tiny sword. He didn't want to use something like that, but he had no hope of even leaving alive otherwise.

Daniel held the tiny sword in his finger and madly sent his Qi into it. The jade sword started glowing in a golden light and a terrifying aura burst out from it, as if a wild beast had been uncaged. The Direwolves sensed something and turned around to look at him again. This time, their eyes were full of apprehension. A crazy smile made its way into Daniel's face.

Some people, when facing death, would cower in fear. Some would silently accept it. Some would be resentful of the injustices life imposed to them. Some would be full of regrets, wishing they could start over and better enjoy life. Some would go crazy and deny it to the very end. Some would know what was coming and would still keep fighting with all they had.

No matter what one said in life, only in death would someone show their true self, because only when the fire started waning it would receive attention, even if just because the creeping cold of death was becoming unbearable as the warmth of life slowly vanished. The last flickers of the flame would burn the brightest, revealing what lied in the shadows of a person's mind.

Daniel always saw himself as a failure. He was shunned from his family the very moment his younger brother showed the talent he never had. He walked alone through the depths of despair and all of those that called themselves his friends flew away with the wind the moment he lost all connections to his father.

When he was alone, going mad in that dark and crushing loneliness, only one person extent her hand to him, bringing him back to the warmth of the light. He owed her his life. He owed her his happiness.

Because of that, he would never let her son go through any of the sufferings he experienced, and neither would he let her son die. Because now she needed his help to take care of him, and he refused to let her down, even if it meant dying in this place. And so, the disgraceful Daniel bravely faced his death with a savage look on his face.

"You are all dead!" Daniel shouted as if mad while he slashed at the wolves with the tiny sword from far away.

That jade sword was the last gift his father had given him. You could say it was his somewhat guilty conscience that made his father prepare it, or maybe his wife, Daniel's mother, had forced him to do it. Daniel would never know and he didn't care.

This tiny sword was a one-time use offensive artifact, and his father made it clear that he wouldn't be giving him anything after this. It was, for all intents and purposes, a parting gift for his disappointment of a son.

For the first time in many years, Daniel felt grateful for his father. He could feel how powerful it was, and was actually impressed. Turns out his father didn't hold back when making this for him.

As Daniel's thoughts became nostalgic, the tiny sword drew an arc in the air, leaving behind a trail of golden specs. A blinding light shone from it, as if it contained a blazing sun. All color in the world seemingly vanished for a moment, leaving only the golden light as a gust of wind blew away everything in its path.

Following the wind, there was just a frightening wave of death and destruction.