Beyond Virtue

The battle raged on, the clearing a chaotic blur of flashing qi and snarling wolves. The ground was littered with fallen disciples and beast corpses alike, the scent of blood thick in the air. Screams, growls, and the clash of weapons against claws echoed through the forest as each sect fought desperately to hold their ground.

Then, cutting through the cacophony, a deep and guttural howl resounded, shaking the very air. It was unlike the others, more powerful, more commanding. The howling ceased, replaced by a suffocating silence that sent chills through every disciple present.

From the darkness beyond the clearing, glowing eyes began to emerge, more wolves, their forms materializing from the shadows. They moved with deliberate slowness, their presence exuding a predatory confidence. These were no ordinary Nightfang Wolves; their auras were denser, their forms larger, and their eyes gleamed with a malevolent intelligence.

And then it appeared.

Behind the advancing wolves, a massive figure stepped into the clearing. Its jet-black fur was sleek, and its piercing crimson eyes glowed like burning embers. It radiated an unmistakable bloodthirsty aura, its sheer presence paralyzing some of the weaker disciples. The oppressive power rolling off its form was suffocating, unmistakably different from the others.

Jian Yi's eyes widened as he pointed toward the beast. "It's a mutated Nightfang Wolf!" he shouted, his voice sharp and urgent. "The leader of the pack—and it's in the early stage of the Awakened Soul Realm!"

Wei Feng's expression hardened instantly, his gaze darting toward the disciples of the Blood Fang Sect. "All Blood Fang Sect disciples, retreat now!" he roared, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Panic rippled through the clearing as disciples began to pull back, their formations breaking. The other sects hesitated only a moment before coming to the same conclusion.

"Fall back!" Jian Yi ordered, his tone commanding as he led the Azure Sky Sect disciples in a controlled retreat.

Mei Rong of the Rose Cloud Palace followed suit, her fan snapping open as she used a wave of qi to shield her disciples from an advancing wolf. "Move, now!" she called, her voice urgent but composed.

But the retreat was anything but orderly. As the wolves surged forward, their bloodthirsty howls filled the air, and chaos broke out. Disciples scrambled to flee, but the wolves' relentless attacks turned the clearing into a slaughter. Their sharp claws and glowing fangs struck with deadly precision, cutting down anyone who faltered.

Amid the chaos, the massive wolf at the rear stood still, watching with an almost regal authority as its pack carried out its will. Its crimson eyes scanned the retreating disciples, as if deciding its next prey. 

Xu Yan glanced back toward the way he had come, his sharp eyes narrowing as he saw it was now blocked by a wall of snarling wolves, their glowing eyes locking onto him like predators closing in on prey. His fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth, his mind racing.

The only way to escape was forward: deeper into the forest.

Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted, the oppressive mist swallowing him as he disappeared into the dark unknown.

Xu Yan ran through the dense forest, his breaths steady but labored, his feet pounding against the uneven ground. The crimson mist seemed endless, twisting and curling around him like a living entity. Time blurred as he pushed forward, every step fueled by the primal need to survive. It felt like hours before he finally slowed, his chest heaving as he leaned against a gnarled tree to catch his breath.

The oppressive silence of the forest was broken by faint voices in the distance.

A girl and a boy.

Xu Yan's sharp gaze snapped in the direction of the sound, his body tensing as he crept closer. Through the thinning mist, he caught sight of two figures. The first was the beautiful girl he had noticed earlier from the Azure Sky Sect, her light blue robes now torn and stained with blood. She was seated on the ground, her hand pressed against her side as though trying to stem an injury.

Beside her stood another disciple, his posture rigid and defensive. The boy's aura radiated strength, marking him as a cultivator at the peak of the early stage of Qi Awakening. In contrast, the girl's qi felt unsteady, her cultivation level at the middle stage of Qi Awakening, but weakened from her injury.

Xu Yan crouched low, his sharp eyes scanning the scene carefully, his mind calculating the situation as he stayed hidden within the shadows.