The Power of Verbal Spirit

Beautifully done, Chen Guan, An Changqing praised. His longsword never stopped moving, forcing the alpha wolf that was trying to direct the pack into a continuous retreat. The wolf pack's tactics are in disarray. Let's push our advantage and find the Wolf King. To catch the bandits, first catch the ringleader.

Understood, Chen Guan replied. He stopped his passive defense and took a proactive step forward. Wielding his scythe in coordination with the heavy coffin, he acted as a mobile fortress, beginning to press back against the pack.

Although his technique still couldn't be called exquisite, working alongside An Changqing's sharp, precise swordplay and Su Yuehe's perfectly timed sonic support, the trio gradually reversed the disadvantage of being besieged and began to push back.

More and more cries of pain and whimpers began to mix into the roars of the pack. Shadow Wolves were continuously slashed by An Changqing's sword light, struck by Chen Guan's scythe, or sent flying by the coffin. More and more wolf corpses and bloodstains began to appear on the ground of the shadow stone forest.

However, the Wolf King still did not reveal itself.

It's waiting. Waiting for us to show fatigue, An Changqing said in a deep voice. Fine beads of sweat were seeping from his forehead. This time, he wasn't faking it; the continuous, high-intensity combat was taking a significant toll, even on him.

Chen Guan also felt his stamina dropping rapidly. His resilience allowed him to endure more than an ordinary person, but the cold, eroding wounds and constant bursts of energy still brought a considerable burden.

Glancing at his status panel, the series of maneuvers just now had increased his popularity points quite a bit. Gritting his teeth, he directly allocated points, raising his Strength to 10 and his Stamina to 7.

Although his points were wiped out, taking him back to square one, the surging power within his body was completely genuine.

Right at that moment, Su Yuehe suddenly stopped playing. Her expression changed as she pointed deep into the stone forest. Over there. There is a strong concentration of spiritual energy. It's summoning.

Before her voice faded, an aura far more powerful and sinister than that of ordinary Shadow Wolves erupted from that direction.

Accompanied by a long, drawn-out howl, a massive black silhouette slowly stepped out from the darkness.

It was nearly twice the size of a normal Shadow Wolf, with fur as pitch-black as ink, save for a single tuft of silver hair right in the center of its forehead.

Its eyes were not crimson, but a distinct dark gold, making it look completely unlike a common mob.

That was a Tier 3 Shadow Wolf King, and by the looks of it, not an ordinary Tier 3. Its aura was faintly touching the threshold of Tier 4.

Behind it, from the seething shadows, four slightly smaller elites slowly emerged. Their auras far surpassed those of ordinary Shadow Wolves, and they flanked the Wolf King on both sides.

The Wolf King's dark golden eyes swept coldly over Chen Guan and the other two.

Their gazes met for a brief instant before parting.

Humans... die.

The Wolf King actually spoke human language, possessing the ability to communicate.

Careful! It's very strong!

An Changqing's expression grew incredibly solemn. He held his longsword horizontally across his chest as golden light flared up once again, more intensely than ever before. This was not a Rank C mission at all; it was a Rank B mission meant for second-year students.

The piccolo in Su Yuehe's hands had disappeared, replaced by a staff Chen Guan had never seen before. The staff was pure white with a touch of gold at the tip, exuding a noble elegance.

With just one glance, Chen Guan could tell that these two were no longer holding back; they were ready to unleash their true strength.

He always knew An Changqing was holding back, because An Changqing's scores in every subject were always just a tiny bit higher than Long Ao's—an obvious case of controlling his grades.

However, he hadn't expected Su Yuehe to even switch weapons. He had thought she was a support class, but it turned out she was actually a noble mage... or maybe a healing mage?

Chen Guan took a deep breath, stopping his wandering thoughts. He gripped his scythe tightly and firmly planted the coffin in front of him.

The Wolf King let out a low growl, wasting no more words. Its figure suddenly vanished from its spot.

Like a bolt of black lightning, it lunged straight at An Changqing. It had clearly recognized him as the greatest threat of the three.

The four elite guards moved at the same time. Two pounced toward Chen Guan, while the other two bypassed the frontline, aiming straight for Su Yuehe in the rear. Their division of labor was clear, and their tactics were ruthless.

Yuehe!

An Changqing shouted sharply, wanting to fall back and help her, but the Wolf King was already upon him. Its biting jaws and sharp claws, carrying a foul wind, forced him to respond with all his might. Golden sword light and black energy collided violently, erupting with astonishing energy fluctuations.

Chen Guan was also tied down by the two elite Shadow Wolves. These two guards were vastly superior to ordinary Shadow Wolves in speed, strength, and coordination. Attacking from the left and right, their assault was endless, and the corrosive effect attached to their claws was even more severe.

Chen Guan struggled to fend them off. Although his coordination with the scythe and coffin had improved, facing such a synchronized siege, he was still in constant peril, and several new wounds quickly appeared on his body.

The situation on Su Yuehe's side, however, was much better. She lightly raised her staff, and words slipped from her red lips: Split open, ground.

Like the law following her words, the ground suddenly split open without warning. The two Shadow Wolves fell in, caught completely off guard. Afterward, the ground returned to normal, as if the split had never happened.

This was her supernatural ability, Spirit Speech.

After unleashing this attack, Su Yuehe's aura rapidly declined, and the golden light on her staff dimmed.

She barely supported her body, clearly lacking the strength to fight any further. As a Tier 2, wielding a top-tier ability like Spirit Speech consumed far too much mana. Her already depleted spiritual energy was almost completely drained after that single strike.

But this strike also brought a turning point to the battlefield.

The two elite Shadow Wolves besieging Chen Guan were intimidated by the sight of their companions being instantly annihilated, causing their offensive to involuntarily slow down.

Chen Guan seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A fierce light flashed in his eyes as he abandoned his defense and brazenly launched a counterattack.

His left hand shot out, grabbing the incoming claw of the right-side Shadow Wolf with absolute precision, momentarily making it impossible for the beast to break free. At the same time, his right hand swung the scythe with a piercing whistle. No longer seeking finesse, he used the simplest, most violent method, infusing it with all his strength, slashing upward toward the relatively fragile chest and abdomen of the left-side Shadow Wolf.

The left-side Shadow Wolf was greatly alarmed and hastily twisted its body to dodge. But Chen Guan's upward slash was too fast and too powerful; the sharp scythe blade still sliced across its ribs, bringing with it a spray of blood and shattered bone.

Awoo! The left-side Shadow Wolf howled miserably as it retreated.

Meanwhile, using the forward momentum of the right-side Shadow Wolf whose claw he had grabbed, Chen Guan ruthlessly yanked it toward himself. At the same time, he used his shoulder and back muscles to viciously thrust the Black Iron Coffin he carried on his back to the right, followed by a violent spin.

The incredibly heavy corner of the coffin, like a hundred-ton behemoth, slammed solidly into the waist and abdomen of this Shadow Wolf.

Bang!

A muffled crash, louder than any previous impact, erupted.

Under the impact of the Black Iron Coffin, the body of that elite Shadow Wolf deformed instantly, like a ragdoll struck head-on by a heavy battering ram. The sound of its internal organs rupturing and all its bones shattering rang out like popping beans.