Entrapment

More Shadow Wolves surged from the shadows. They were in no rush to launch a full assault; instead, they utilized the complex terrain of the stone forest and the cover of darkness to constantly carry out probing ambushes. The sound of sharp claws tearing through the air and low growls echoed from all directions, deeply unsettling the mind.

"They are wearing us down."

An Changqing said in a deep voice as he swung his sword to repel another wave of attacks. His swordsmanship remained as fierce as ever, but the speed and stealth capabilities of the Shadow Wolves caused him quite a bit of trouble, preventing him from dispatching them as quickly as he did the Rock Beetles.

After all, he couldn't waste his ultimate moves on mere minions, especially when the Wolf King hadn't even shown itself yet.

Su Yuehe's flute playing became rapid and sharp. The sound waves spread like invisible ripples, disrupting the stealth state of the Shadow Wolves and forcing their blurry outlines to be revealed from the darkness.

However, there were simply too many Shadow Wolves, and they seemed to possess a certain degree of resistance to sonic interference. The effect was not as obvious as it was against the Rock Beetles.

Chen Guan was under even greater pressure. He had to guard against attacks from multiple directions simultaneously. Although his scythe had a more flexible attack range than his coffin, it was difficult to inflict effective damage against these extremely fast, hit-and-run shadows.

Most of the time, he was using the scythe to block and drive them away. The real threats were neutralized by the flawless defense of his Black Iron Coffin.

A Shadow Wolf suddenly pounced from the shadow of a bizarre rock overhead, its sharp claws aiming straight for the top of Chen Guan's head. Unable to swing his scythe in time, Chen Guan abruptly dodged to the side and thrust the coffin upward.

Clang!

The claws scraped against the coffin lid, letting out an ear-piercing screech of friction as sparks flew. The Shadow Wolf was repelled by the rebound force, while Chen Guan also felt his shoulder sink under the heavy impact.

Seizing the opportunity, another Shadow Wolf lunged at his calf from the rear flank. Unable to turn around in time, Chen Guan could only raise a foot and kick out viciously, simultaneously sweeping his scythe backward.

Bang!

The Shadow Wolf was kicked in the waist and sent flying backward. However, Chen Guan's calf was also slashed open by the wolf's claws. His combat suit tore, and blood seeped out. A chilling aura immediately spread from the wound, causing a bout of numbness in his leg.

His Tenacity trait kicked in, and the numbness quickly faded, but the chilling sensation from the wound remained, continuously draining his stamina.

"This can't go on..."

Chen Guan's heart turned cold. The wolf pack's tactics were crystal clear: use their advantage in speed and numbers to constantly wear them down, harass them, and inflict wounds. Once their stamina was exhausted and they were full of openings, the wolves would deliver the fatal blow.

He had to break this stalemate.

His gaze swept over the black silhouettes constantly flashing around them, then glanced at An Changqing and Su Yuehe.

Although An Changqing remained steady, his breathing seemed slightly hurried. Su Yuehe's face had also paled; maintaining the continuous sonic interference placed a massive burden on her.

I need to find a way to lure them out, or... create an opportunity for a one-hit kill.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Guan's eyes as a risky plan quickly formed in his mind.

Now is the time.

Chen Guan's figure suddenly paused, as if his stamina was failing, and his movements showed an almost imperceptible sluggishness.

He let out a muffled groan and staggered half a step. His center of gravity seemed unstable, exposing a fleeting opening between the coffin on his back and his left ribs.

This opening was instantly magnified in the keen hunting instincts and compound vision of the Shadow Wolves.

Swish!

Two black silhouettes, almost completely blended into the shadows, shot out from the dark crevices on the left and right like sharks smelling blood, moving at a speed far exceeding their previous pace.

Their sharp claws aimed straight for Chen Guan's exposed ribs. The angle was tricky, and the timing was ruthless striking exactly at the moment when Chen Guan's old strength was spent, his new strength had yet to be generated, and his center of gravity had shifted.

These were the two fastest and most cunning wolves in the pack. They had been waiting for an opportunity just like this.

"Chen Guan, watch out!" Su Yuehe cried out in alarm. The pitch of her flute suddenly spiked in an attempt to interfere, but in her haste, the effect was limited.

An Changqing noticed it too. His wrist tightened, yet he forcefully suppressed the spiritual energy fluctuations on his body. However, his spiritual energy did not dissipate; instead, it locked onto those two Shadow Wolves.

Right at the instant the claws of the two Shadow Wolves were about to tear into Chen Guan's ribs, a cold light exploded in his eyes.

The opening just now was something he had intentionally feigned.

His center of gravity appeared unstable, but in reality, he had already secretly adjusted it. His legs were rooted to the earth, and his core instantly tightened like iron. The scythe that had been passively blocking all this time finally moved.

Riding the momentum of his staggering body returning to an upright posture, Chen Guan released his left hand from the scythe's long handle and thrust it out like lightning. With his five fingers spread wide, he flawlessly clamped down on the wrist of the forelimb swung by the Shadow Wolf attacking from the left.

At the same time, the muscles in his right arm bulged. Using his waist as a pivot, he viciously thrust the heavy end of the scythe handle backward like a battering ram, meeting the Shadow Wolf attacking from the right.

His left hand gripped the wolf's wrist, the touch cold and slippery. Yet, he forcibly halted the immense forward momentum of the Shadow Wolf. His 9 points of Strength fully demonstrated their utility in this moment.

Meanwhile, the scythe handle on his right solidly smashed into the chest and abdomen of the other Shadow Wolf. The muffled sound of shattering bones was clearly audible.

The right Shadow Wolf let out a brief, miserable howl before flying backward and crashing heavily against a black rock, slumping down limply.

With its forelimb restrained by Chen Guan, the left Shadow Wolf's ferocity erupted. It opened its bloody maw full of fangs and twisted its head to bite at his arm.

How could Chen Guan let it succeed? His left hand gripping the wolf's wrist exerted a sudden burst of force, yanking it toward his front. Simultaneously, using his shoulder and back muscles, he violently thrust and spun the Black Iron Coffin he had been carrying on his back toward the left.

The heavy edge of the coffin, like a massive iron ruler carrying unmatched weight and inertia, viciously slammed into the flank of the pulled Shadow Wolf.

Bang!

A thud so heavy it made the heart palpitate echoed out. That Shadow Wolf couldn't even let out a scream. Its entire body deformed and twisted instantly, as if T-boned by a runaway heavy truck. Accompanied by the crackling of shattering bones, it was swatted more than ten meters away, smashing into a pile of rocks and losing all signs of life.

In a flash of lightning, the two most cunning and fastest Shadow Wolves were instantly counter-killed by Chen Guan, relying on a near-suicidal luring tactic, astonishing strength, and perfect timing.

All of this happened so fast that the surrounding pack of Shadow Wolves experienced a brief moment of sluggishness.

"Excellent!" A brilliant light burst from An Changqing's eyes. Chen Guan indeed had a backup plan. He let out a loud shout, and taking advantage of the wolves' momentary chaos, his longsword flared with a dazzling golden light. With a sweeping strike, he forced back several Shadow Wolves in front of him. Then, shifting his sword stance, he aimed straight for a slightly larger alpha wolf not far away.

Chen Guan panted heavily. That explosive burst just now seemed simple, but it had actually consumed a massive amount of energy, demanding the absolute pinnacle of strength and timing control.

The wound on his left arm, slashed by the wolf's claws, was still bleeding, and the chilling sensation continued to erode him. However, his gaze grew even sharper. When facing these beasts, showing fear was absolutely out of the question.

Otherwise, they would swarm over and devour you until nothing remained.

Killing the two elite Shadow Wolves directly broke the rhythm of the pack's war of attrition. He could feel that within those scarlet eyes hidden in the dark, a hint of apprehension had been added to their cruelty.

Although their intelligence wasn't high, they weren't completely brainless.