The sky was covered with dark clouds, and distant thunder rumbled ominously, occasionally revealing flashes of lightning as thick as giant pythons dancing wildly among the clouds.
In the dense forest below, a giant wolf was running at full speed. Upon closer inspection, a person was riding on its back.
The man was covered in blood, his hair disheveled, and beneath his tattered clothes, gruesome wounds could be seen where flesh and skin were turned inside out.
Despite his severe injuries, he remained upright, firmly protecting the swaddled bundle in his arms.
The swaddle was soaked, whether with the man's blood or someone else's was unclear. The baby's small face was half-exposed, rosy and sleeping soundly.
The man lowered his head and kissed the baby's forehead, "My son, I have failed your mother, and I have failed you."
The giant wolf suddenly halted; there was no path ahead, only a cliff towering hundreds of meters high. Below the cliff lay the tumultuous Rakshasa Sea, one of the four forbidden lands of the Myriad Spirits Continent.
"Spirit Master, there's no road ahead."
Behind them, the relentless lightning drew closer, and the man's eyes were filled with determination.
He dismounted from the giant wolf, embraced its neck, and hugged it tightly.
"Frostmoon, I entrust my son to you."
The giant wolf's blue eyes were filled with sorrow; it knew what the man intended to do. This was their only choice now.
It lowered its head, bent its forelimbs, and performed a bow, "I swear to protect the young master with my life."
The man used spiritual power to bind the swaddle to the giant wolf's chest, then tore off his upper garment.
On his chest was a majestic and powerful Beast Mark of a giant wolf, clearly resembling the giant wolf named Frostmoon before him.
As he moved, a massive and intricate silver magic array unfolded beneath their feet.
The man placed his hand on the giant wolf's head and roared, "Break the contract!"
The silver magic array trembled violently, finally shattering abruptly and dispersing into specks of silver light.
The man spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and the Beast Mark on his chest was replaced by deep, bone-exposing wounds.
The giant wolf's eyes were filled with tears, "Spirit Master!"
The man drew out a long spear and used it to support his wavering body.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he said to the giant wolf, "Go quickly!"
The lightning in the sky was now right upon them, and the sounds of lions roaring and eagles screeching could faintly be heard.
The giant wolf gave the man a deep look, then leapt off the cliff with the swaddle.
Ice patterns formed step-like beneath its feet, and upon reaching the sea's surface, it conjured an ice path and ran towards the depths of the Rakshasa Sea.
The man watched its figure disappear into the distance, then pulled out the long spear and turned to face the advancing pursuers.
The dark clouds were torn apart, and an army of Thunder Vultures, all Tier 5 and above Spirit Masters, dove towards the man, turning the world into a blinding white with their lightning.
The man spat out a mouthful of blood, swung the long spear in his hand, "Let me show you what it means to be a Semi-Saint!"
The snake pattern on his back writhed and moved, and a golden magic array with a radius of a thousand meters appeared in mid-air, suppressing the silver lightning of the Thunder Vulture army.
A Thunder-Striped Sky-Overturning Python, a hundred meters long, leapt out from the array, opening its mouth to swallow the dozen or so Thunder Vultures at the forefront.
"Tier 9, his Natal Spirit Pet has actually broken through to Tier 9!"
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Sunlight was blocked by the lush foliage, with only a small portion filtering through the gaps in the leaves, casting patches of light on the ground covered in thick fallen leaves.
In the underbrush below the canopy, there was a rapid rustling sound, as if something was moving quickly through the forest.
The tall grass, half a person's height, was suddenly parted, and a tall and slender young man leapt out, running swiftly forward, as if something was chasing him.
With a loud "crack," a large tree was knocked down, and a massive black shadow chased the young man out of the forest.
It was an adult male wild boar, robust and strong, weighing at least four to five hundred pounds. Its dense, glossy black bristles were thick and solid, and its protruding tusks were as long as a forearm, clearly not to be trifled with.
The trees in its path were all forcibly knocked down, and the wild boar's blood-red eyes were fixed on the running young man ahead, determined to gore this human who dared to provoke it.
The young man ran extremely fast, his movements agile and nimble, weaving through the forest, deftly avoiding each of the wild boar's charges without a trace of panic on his face.
He seemed to be deliberately leading the wild boar to a certain place, and when he reached a flat clearing, the young man suddenly stopped abruptly, turning to face the wild boar.
The wild boar, which had been charging headlong, was momentarily stunned, somewhat confused as to why the person had suddenly stopped running. Was he seeking death?
The large wild boar skidded to a cautious stop, its front hooves impatiently pawing the ground, hot breath snorting from its nostrils, as if contemplating whether the human before it had some trick up his sleeve.
But ordinary beasts generally have low intelligence, and the wild boar ultimately couldn't suppress its violent temper, pawing the ground twice more before accelerating towards the young man.
The sharp tusks gleamed with a cold, white light; if they struck, they would surely pierce through.
Facing the charging wild boar, the young man's face showed no fear. He focused intently on the wild boar's every move, judging the moment to strike.
Though the wild boar's body was large and cumbersome, its full-speed charge was not slow, reaching the young man's side in just a few breaths.
The young man seized the moment, sidestepping just as the wild boar was about to hit him, simultaneously drawing a forearm-length short knife from his sleeve and stabbing it into the side of the wild boar's neck with precision and force.
The short knife struck true, piercing the wild boar's carotid artery. Hot, crimson blood spurted out, splattering the young man's tanned face with streaks of red.
The intense pain erupted at the neck, and the wild boar let out a sharp squeal, its four hooves kicking wildly, raising a cloud of dust as a large amount of blood sprayed onto the ground.
The young man dared not confront the frenzied wild boar head-on, planning to retreat a bit to avoid its fury. However, the wild boar reacted swiftly, turning its head to gore at the young man.
Everything happened in a flash, and the young man had no time to dodge. He had to reverse his grip on the short knife, pressing it tightly against his forearm, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
With a loud "clang," the wild boar's hard tusks collided with the short knife, emitting a piercing metallic hum.
The young man took the hit head-on, sliding back seven or eight meters from the impact, yet he remained standing firmly.
The short knife in his hand trembled slightly, humming, as most of the impact force was dissipated.
After the head-on clash with the wild boar, the short knife remained intact, clearly not an ordinary weapon.
The young man shook his numbed arm, running his fingers over the knife's blade. The short knife seemed to respond, a sharp gleam of cold light flashing across the blade.
Tiny silver lights appeared, like scattered stars in a clear night sky, just like the name of this short knife—Thousand Stars.
The young man silently thanked his luck, grateful for the short knife his parents left him. Without it, the previous collision would have easily crippled his arms.
The wild boar, having missed its target, continued to roar and charge at the young man, blood frothing at its mouth and spilling from its neck, adopting a do-or-die stance.
The young man did not engage again but turned and began running circles around the clearing with the wild boar.
In its rage, the wild boar's attack power doubled, making close combat an unwise choice. Moreover, the wild boar's major artery had been severed, and it would bleed out soon enough, sparing unnecessary effort.
With the intense movement, the wild boar's blood loss accelerated, and after less than two laps, its speed slowed, its body swayed, and it finally collapsed to the ground.
The entire patch of earth was nearly soaked with the wild boar's blood, reeking of its stench. The young man, unfazed, walked forward through the blood-soaked mud.
The wild boar lay on the ground, breathing its last, clearly beyond saving. The young man swiftly ended its suffering with a clean swipe of his short knife across its throat.
His movements were practiced and efficient, clearly having done this countless times before.
The wild boar breathed its last, its unwilling eyes losing their light. Just as the young man was about to drag the wild boar away, a rustling sound came from the dense forest again.
The young man quickly raised his head, looking towards the source of the sound. This time, however, his eyes showed no wariness, but rather a hint of delight, clearly recognizing what was coming.
Steady footsteps approached, and a giant wolf emerged from the shadows of the trees, walking slowly. Its body was enormous, with shoulder height alone reaching three meters. The wild boar, which had seemed so large before, now appeared small in comparison to the giant wolf.
The giant wolf was snow-white, with a layer of silver fur on its back that shimmered in the sunlight. A silver crescent moon mark adorned its forehead, elegant and noble.
This giant wolf was clearly different from the wild boar, not just in species, but in essence. The wild boar was primitive and wild, while the giant wolf possessed intelligence and emotion, its gaze towards the young man filled with warmth.
Facing the giant wolf, the young man showed no fear, instead smiling and speaking with a hint of seeking praise, "Frostmoon, I caught a big wild boar."
The giant wolf, called Frostmoon, spoke in a mature male voice, "I saw it all, young master has improved again."
The giant wolf approached, lowering its head to lick the bloodstains off the young man's face. The young man hugged the giant wolf's neck, rubbing his face against its thick fur, feeling the fatigue from killing the wild boar melt away.
Listening to the young man's satisfied sigh, the giant wolf's eyes were filled with laughter. The young master was indeed like his master in this regard, both enjoying burying themselves in its fur.
After savoring the wolf's scent, the young man looked up at the giant wolf, "Frostmoon, in three days, I'll be going to town for the Natal Spirit Beast summoning ceremony. When I return, will you finally tell me about my origins?"
The giant wolf did not answer immediately, instead pausing for a moment. However, it eventually agreed with the young man, "I will, young master."