Chapter 44

The mountain breeze blew, but it seemed to freeze.

The atmosphere was bleak.

A terrifying aura of brutality and killing intent surged from the Iron-Backed Green Wolf, locking onto Chen Zong with no escape, making his blood and qi power run slightly obstructed. Fortunately, he had cultivated the Fierce Tiger Technique to the second level, reaching the fifth layer of the Blood Qi Realm, which allowed him to resist. Otherwise, if he were at the fourth layer of the Blood Qi Realm or the first level of the Fierce Tiger Technique, he would hardly be able to unleash his full strength.

With the sword in hand, he adopted the Crouching Sword Stance. Chen Zong's aura continuously condensed, and the tiger roars seemed to become sharper, possessing a sharpness that could pierce through metal and stone.

A first-class superior demon beast, in terms of level, was equivalent to the sixth layer of the Blood Qi Realm, comparable to an elite martial artist at the same level. Its power was extremely formidable. Chen Zong dared not and could not turn his back; he could only gather all his strength, guard himself tightly, and face it without any vulnerabilities.

His racing heart gradually calmed down, his eyes sharp and piercing, staring at the Iron-Backed Green Wolf as if he could see every single hair on its body.

His right hand fingers spread out, moving slightly subconsciously.

A hint of human-like mockery seemed to flash in the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's eyes. After a few dozen breaths of standoff, it slowly approached Chen Zong, each step seemingly meticulously calculated, its aura rising, increasing the pressure on Chen Zong.

The Fierce Tiger Technique at the second level was pushed to its limit, resisting the increasingly powerful aura from the Iron-Backed Green Wolf. A bead of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, slowly trickling down.

"The sword, a sharp blade."

"Holding the sword, not for decoration, but to protect oneself and slay the enemy."

"Practicing the sword is not like eating or drinking; it cannot be so casual. It is not like strolling or chatting; it cannot be so relaxed."

"Having the sword in hand, one must be sincere, fearless in the face of obstacles, and ready to cut through thorns."

"Drawing the sword, decisively, and striking, without the slightest hesitation."

Unconsciously, the preface of the Small Sword Canon surfaced in his mind.

"Sword, sharp, piercing, straight, resilient, fearless..."

Murmuring softly to himself, the aura around him changed, the tiger roars gradually turning into sword whistles. The precious iron sword in the scabbard seemed to tremble, eager to leave the scabbard and show its sharpness.

The Iron-Backed Green Wolf seemed to sense something, pausing its steps, a hint of suspicion flashing in its eyes. Then, it took another step, but at a much slower pace.

Closer, closer.

Suddenly, the Iron-Backed Green Wolf leaped, like a bolt of green lightning, striking Chen Zong. Chen Zong only saw a flash of green, a gust of foul wind rushing towards him, and a cold light that seemed to pierce his eyes, too sharp to look at directly.

Draw the sword!

Like the collision of divine iron from the heavens, the sword light resembled a crescent moon, slicing through the air, striking the green shadow. The sound of metal clashing rang out, the long sword trembling. Chen Zong immediately felt an overwhelming force bending the sword, surging into his arm, and he quickly retreated to dissipate it.

That strike was deflected by the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's sharp claws.

The Iron-Backed Green Wolf's forward momentum also paused, landing and leaping again for a second attack.

Its speed was extremely fast, and its strength was very formidable, putting Chen Zong in great danger.

Light Splitting Shadow!

A sword strike split the air, eight sword lights sweeping and shooting out, each one astonishingly sharp. The Iron-Backed Green Wolf dared not resist directly, shattering two with its claws, then quickly flipping back to land and swiftly moving to the side to avoid, charging again with its sharp mouth aiming for Chen Zong's legs.

Its fangs were sharp and cold, the foul smell like a gust of wind.

Using the Wind Step, he took a step to the right, his blood qi surging, his body moving like the wind, narrowly avoiding the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's bite. Then, he took another step, appearing behind the Iron-Backed Green Wolf, raising his sword to strike.

Eight sword lights followed, all aiming to kill the Iron-Backed Green Wolf.

Chen Zong was confident that if this strike hit, even a first-class superior demon beast like the Iron-Backed Green Wolf would surely die.

Chen Zong was fast, but the Iron-Backed Green Wolf was faster. The eight sword lights left three-meter-long slashes on the ground but failed to hit the Iron-Backed Green Wolf. A gust of foul wind surged from above, and a green shadow leaped, its claws tearing the air and striking down.

Chaotic Sword Style!

With three thousand pounds of arm strength, the precious iron sword was wielded like a butterfly among flowers, difficult to see clearly, not only obstructing the view but also forming a defense.

The sword and claws clashed multiple times, his arms trembling, Chen Zong almost losing his grip.

Fortunately, during this time, he had consumed a lot of demon beast flesh and bone glue, making his tendons and bones stronger.

Suddenly, a swift sword light pierced through, shooting towards the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's left eye.

Swift Sword Style!

The Iron-Backed Green Wolf's claws deflected the sword, and another claw lunged at Chen Zong.

Wind Step!

Unfortunately, the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's strength and speed were too great. Chen Zong's evasion was slightly insufficient, and his left shoulder was grazed by the claws, his sleeve torn, blood flowing.

Chen Zong's brows furrowed slightly, the pain in his left shoulder burning intensely, but he had no time to stop the bleeding.

The Iron-Backed Green Wolf landed, its eyes flashing red at the scent of blood, becoming even more brutal. A low roar filled the air, and it charged at Chen Zong again.

Wind Step!

Taking two steps in quick succession, he evaded and struck.

Residual Image, Willow Sweep, Eagle Strike!

Charging Sword Style!

The sword light flickered continuously, each strike aimed at the Iron-Backed Green Wolf. The Iron-Backed Green Wolf's body turned, avoiding Chen Zong's sword, and it bit out fiercely, almost catching his leg.

"With my fifth-layer Blood Qi Realm cultivation and my blood qi power, I can only use the Light Splitting Shadow technique ten times or the Wind Step twenty times. I have already used it twice and the Wind Step three times..."

The sense of danger grew.

His steps quickened, changing his fighting style, circling around the Iron-Backed Green Wolf, continuously striking. The Iron-Backed Green Wolf also quickly turned, its claws continuously slashing.

If this continued, he could only hold out for a short while. After all, demon beasts' stamina often surpassed that of martial artists, especially higher-level demon beasts.

Suddenly, Chen Zong paused, quickly thrusting his sword.

Swift Sword Style!

The Iron-Backed Green Wolf's body flickered, almost brushing against the sword, lunging at Chen Zong with a vicious bite. Chen Zong raised his left arm into the wolf's mouth, feeling the heavy iron guard on his left arm shatter instantly. He raised his precious iron sword and struck down forcefully.

Light Splitting Shadow!

Eight sword lights struck in succession, their sharpness astonishing, piercing through the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's fur and cutting into its body, blood spurting out.

The intense pain made the Iron-Backed Green Wolf release its bite, its claws shattering the last two sword lights. Chen Zong quickly used the Wind Step to retreat, but his chest was still torn open, blood flowing.

Landing, large amounts of foul-smelling blood gushed from the wound, staining half of his body. The Iron-Backed Green Wolf, however, did not fall, its skin, muscles, and bones far tougher than Chen Zong had expected. That strike had not directly killed it.

Both man and beast were injured.

Chen Zong endured the pain, raised his sword, and used the Wind Step again, his body moving like the wind towards the Iron-Backed Green Wolf.

Light Splitting Shadow!

Eight sharp sword lights struck, the Iron-Backed Green Wolf immediately retreating, turning and rushing into the forest, quickly disappearing.

"It fled..." Chen Zong retracted his gaze and quickly retreated.

Now injured and with a strong scent of blood, he might attract other demon beasts. In his current injured state and with his blood qi power nearly depleted, even a first-class mid-level demon beast could be a serious threat.

As he quickly left, he reached into his chest to grab some hemostatic powder but first grabbed a gray ball with tiger patterns.

"A distress signal flare..." Chen Zong couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.

Every miner martial artist must carry a distress signal flare. Perhaps because he had recently killed many demon beasts and things had been going smoothly, Chen Zong had long forgotten about the distress signal flare.

However, during the standoff with the Iron-Backed Green Wolf, any movement could have directly triggered its violent attack. Chen Zong's attention was entirely on the Iron-Backed Green Wolf, and he never thought about the distress signal flare.

Fortunately, they both ended up injured, and the Iron-Backed Green Wolf was driven off. Otherwise, it would have been dangerous.

Although he had neglected the distress signal flare and was injured, Chen Zong was very pleased. This battle had given him significant gains, and he believed that after some reflection, it would greatly help his sword practice.

Moreover, the intense battle had proven his current strength, surpassing most fifth-layer Blood Qi Realm martial artists. He might even be able to contend with a typical sixth-layer Blood Qi Realm martial artist.

"Clan brother, how did you get so injured?" When Chen Chong saw him return to the base, he immediately exclaimed, very worried.

"I encountered a demon beast with considerable strength," Chen Zong smiled. "Clan brother, don't worry. It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

"Given your ability to kill a first-class mid-level demon beast, you must have encountered a first-class superior demon beast, right?" Chen Chong was shocked.

By now, he knew that Chen Zong's cultivation had reached the fifth layer of the Blood Qi Realm. He was both surprised and impressed because Chen Chong had entered the clan hall a year earlier than Chen Zong, and his current cultivation was also at the fifth layer of the Blood Qi Realm.

Although their cultivation levels were the same, Chen Chong was confident that his strength was above Chen Zong's. Now, it seemed he was wrong again.

"Um." Chen Zong did not deny it.

He had only hastily sprinkled some hemostatic powder to stop the bleeding. Now back, he needed to clean the wounds and apply other powders, such as disinfectants and wound-healing powders, before bandaging them.

The heavy iron guard on his left forearm was completely shattered, and the Iron-Backed Green Wolf's fangs had left several tooth marks, fortunately not too deep and not damaging the tendons or bones. Otherwise, it would have been more troublesome.

For the next few days, the patrol duty would be handled by Chen Chong, while Chen Zong rested to avoid the wounds reopening. He also rarely practiced his sword techniques.

Without practicing, he did not idle. Instead, he used this time to reflect on his life-and-death battles with demon beasts, especially the final one against the Iron-Backed Green Wolf. The experience of narrowly escaping death deepened his understanding in various aspects, especially of the sword and sword techniques.

"Perhaps, when my injuries are almost healed, the True Sword Eight Styles can also break through to the Subtle Realm," Chen Zong thought, feeling this very strongly.