Three hundred miles from Leeds City, in the Wasteland, the howls of Blood Moon Werewolves rose and fell, tearing through the silent night sky, chilling the bone.
Zhao Yun, who had just accepted his first Mercenary mission, was currently standing atop a jagged rock face, his pupils reflecting the billowing black smoke rising several miles away.
Ten Blood Moon Werewolves formed a circle, besieging a Merchant Caravan. The Armor of the besieged caravan guards was covered in Claw Marks; some of the Swordsmen on the outer perimeter had already suffered ruptured intestines, groaning in pain as they struggled on the ground.
"Hold the formation!"
The voice of the guard leader, Ruer, rang out like a great bell, echoing across the Wasteland. He swung his Heavy Sword, and every chop carried immense Strength, with dark gold Battle Qi exploding into sparks on the blade.
The breastplate bearing the Griffin Mark of this Advanced Warrior was largely dented, and the blood-soaked cloth strip tied around his left arm was clearly torn from his cloak; the crimson bloodstain was particularly conspicuous under the moonlight.
The Wolf King fighting him stood three meters tall, towering like a mountain before them. The crescent-shaped white fur on its forehead shimmered with a metallic luster, and every pounce cracked the ground into a Spider Web pattern; the immense Strength caused the surrounding air to tremble.
"Awoo!"
The Wolf King suddenly stood upright on its hind legs and brought its crossed Claws down in a slash.
Ruer blocked with his sword, and instantly, the blade was forcibly bent into an arc. The immense pressure caused the veins in his arms to bulge, his muscles taut. His heels plowed two Deep Trenches into the ground, kicking up dirt that diffused like smoke.
The Carriage behind him exploded with a crash. Amidst flying wood splinters, the merchant huddled behind the cargo box was revealed, tightly clutching a gem-encrusted ledger—his entire fortune—his eyes filled with terror.
Seeing this, Zhao Yun lightly tapped a protrusion on the rock face with his toe and shot toward the battlefield like a black lightning bolt. His dark green Close-fitting Garment merged with the night, and the strong wind brushing past the Azure Scales moving on his left arm created a rustling sound.
At this moment, three Werewolves were baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, pouncing on a young guard who had fallen. The young guard was still waving his Broken Sword in vain, his eyes full of panic.
"Slash!"
Zhao Yun's sharp shout exploded like thunder, echoing across the Wasteland. Although the Azure Gown Sword was wrapped in cloth, the Sword Qi condensed into a tangible white dragon Phantom Image. The white dragon was lifelike, letting out a long roar toward the sky, carrying infinite majesty and Strength as it lunged toward the foremost Werewolf.
With a "crack," the Werewolf was cut in half at the waist, its body falling like two pieces of wood. Fresh Blood gushed out like a Fountain, splashing onto the surrounding ground. The other two Werewolves didn't even have time to react before blood lines bloomed simultaneously on their throats.
Zhao Yun spun and landed. The moment the cloth strip scattered, the sword edge pierced the heart of the fourth Werewolf.
His movements were fluid and seamless, every action filled with Strength and aesthetic beauty.
The Werewolf let out a muffled scream and slowly fell, Zhao Yun lightly drew his sword, shaking off the bloodstains.
"Reinforcements!"
The cheers of the guards turned into gasps of alarm.
The Wolf King's Claws suddenly grew half a foot longer, and bloody Incantations appeared on its nails. The Incantations flickered with a strange light, as if summoning an even more powerful evil force.
Ruer's Heavy Sword was instantly knocked away and embedded in the rock face. The massive impact left his arms numb, his hand split open, and Fresh Blood streamed down. The Wolf King's foul-smelling maw lunged directly for his throat; its sharp Fangs glittered with Cold Light under the moonlight, resembling the Scythe of Death.
Zhao Yun's eyes sharpened. He clenched his left hand into a fist, and Inner Qi surged from the Dragon Mark into his palm. Fragments of the Broken Sword falling in the air suddenly changed direction, piercing the Wolf King's right eye, wrapped in an Azure flow of fire.
The Wolf King howled and shook its head, Fresh Blood scattering like raindrops. Zhao Yun had already flashed behind it like a Ghostly figure, his sword-finger slicing across its Spine.
A crisp bone-cracking sound, "Crack!", echoed clearly in the silent Wasteland, yet this sound was drowned out by the Wolf King's enraged roar.
The Wolf King tried to turn and slash, but Zhao Yun's Inner Qi had already sealed the surrounding vital points, making the Wolf King seem trapped in an invisible Mire.
The Azure Gown Broken Sword slashed upward from below, and the Wolf King's head flew high into the air, a pillar of blood spraying thirty feet, soaking the Wasteland. The remaining Werewolves, seeing their leader dead, fled into the wilderness with their tails tucked.
Zhao Yun did not pursue. He threw five pieces of Crushed Stones backward, and the stones, infused with Inner Qi, pierced the Werewolves' backs like powerful crossbow bolts. The Werewolves let out miserable cries and fell one after another.
Ruer leaned on his sword and struggled to stand. Witnessing the last Werewolf killed, his Adam's apple bobbed: "Is Lord a Earth-rank Swordsman?" He had never seen anyone dispatch a high-level Wolf King so cleanly and swiftly.
The Merchant Guild boss, Gies, crawled out from behind the cargo box and tremblingly presented a bag of Gold Coins.
"Hero! Here are fifty Gold Coins."
"No need."
Zhao Yun had already cut off the Wolf King's head, rewrapping the blood-stained cloth strip tightly around the Azure Gown Sword.
Moonlight shone on the white fur on the Wolf King's forehead. Zhao Yun suddenly frowned; deep within the crescent mark, Black Mist was vaguely swirling. When he used the tip of his sword to peel back the Furs, a pitch-black Magic Crystal embedded in the skull was revealed, its surface covered in bloody veins.
"What is this?" Gies leaned closer to look, and his face suddenly turned pale.
"An Dark Corrosion Magic Crystal! No wonder the Werewolves went berserk! This is the masterpiece of the Undead Race."
His voice was filled with terror; the name of the Undead Race had always struck fear into the hearts of people on this continent.
Zhao Yun put the Magic Crystal into his Backpack. As he turned, he glimpsed the words "Dru Merchant Guild" written on the caravan's banner. The rumbling of wheels sounded from the horizon; the surviving guards were reorganizing the convoy.
"My Lord, would you care to travel with us?"
Gies glanced painfully at the damaged cargo. "We can return to Leeds City before dawn."
"How many days does it take to travel from Leeds City to Emerald City?"
Zhao Yun suddenly asked. The Dragon Mark in his sleeve felt slightly warm, and the Jade Pendant transmitted a pulse through his clothes; since slaying the Wolf King, the sound of its heartbeat had become clearer.
"Emerald City is north of Leeds City; even riding a Swift Wind Horse takes ten days."
Gies's eyes lit up.
"I also have some resources in Emerald City. If you need them, My Lord, I am willing to help."
In the evening, the convoy rolled over the Werewolf corpses and headed toward Leeds City.
Zhao Yun sat cross-legged on a cargo cart loaded with goods. The Black Mist from the Dark Corrosion Magic Crystal in his palm attempted to erode the Dragon Mark but was shredded by Azure Light. He looked toward the east where the sky was turning pale, which should have been the direction of the sunrise over Changban Slope.