Brilliant sprays of blood danced through the air as the snow wolf was flung aside like a dead dog, still whimpering and groaning. But with its heart pierced, not even a celestial immortal could save it now.

William Reed didn’t spare it a single glance. With the Thunderbolt Flash movement technique, his figure shot like lightning toward another snow wolf to the left, one that radiated the aura of a black iron–ranked beast. When he pushed his speed to the limit, he could cover nearly four zhang in a single breath. That snow wolf was also charging at him, its speed nearly matching that of an ordinary bronze beginner human.

With both their speeds combined, it took less than two breaths before they collided fiercely. Wolf claws slashed, sword shadows flashed. In just an instant, the two passed by each other. The sturdier snow wolf, exuding a dangerous aura, crashed to the ground with a wail.

But William Reed didn’t come out unscathed either. His high-grade rhinoceros-hide armor was torn open in several places by the sharp wolf claws. No blood flowed out, though—that was because the black iron–ranked snow wolf’s battle energy contained a trace of frost element. In an instant, it froze his wounds. The invasion of the frost battle energy sent a shudder through his whole body, and he staggered as he landed.

Fortunately, his battle energy was far more robust than the snow wolf’s. With a quick circulation of thunder battle energy, he dispelled and neutralized the chill, simultaneously sealing his wounds with battle energy. William Reed’s expression was grim. The snow wolves’ fighting style was indeed direct and brutal—truly formidable. He reckoned that if he wanted to kill that black iron–ranked snow wolf head-on without a scratch, it would take at least seven or eight rounds of entanglement.

The greatest fear when facing a wolf pack was being surrounded and forced to trade injuries for time. But he hadn’t expected to be hurt this badly—the speed of that wolf’s claw strike had exceeded his estimation.

The battle had only lasted a few short breaths, and William Reed had already taken down two. Such was the cruelty of combat—life and death often decided in a single instant. But he had no time to pause for sentiment or thought. Within his line of sight, there were at least three more snow wolves, one of which was black iron–ranked. In addition, there was an alpha wolf of unknown strength lurking in the shadows, watching him intently.

No wonder this was near the Tianji Mountain Range—this wolf pack was truly formidable, with at least three beasts among its members.

William Reed’s next target was the other black iron–ranked snow wolf. As long as he took it down, the remaining two ordinary snow wolves wouldn’t pose much threat, and he’d only have to face the unknown alpha. Wolf packs weren’t as large as people imagined—dozens or even hundreds. In fact, most had four, five, or six members; eight or nine was considered a super pack, and it was rare to see more than ten.

It seemed this pack had six wolves.

William Reed moved swiftly. Just as he was about to pounce on the black iron–ranked snow wolf, a low growl and the sound of something slicing through the air came from his ear. He vaguely sensed a massive white shadow lunging at him from the side, its gleaming fangs reeking of blood and cold, aiming straight for his throat.

“Not good, it’s the alpha.”

The thought flashed through William Reed’s mind in a split second. Clearly, the alpha wolf lurking nearby had seen William Reed so ferociously kill its pack members and, with its not-inconsiderable intelligence, was now enraged—ready to personally take revenge.

It was nearly impossible to change direction in midair; he could only dodge or attack by twisting his body within a small range.

“Spring Thunder Bursts Forth!”

This was also a companion battle technique from the Three Transformations of Heavenly Thunder, but the second form was a fist technique. No competent warrior relied on just one weapon. Even tigers have moments of carelessness—who could guarantee their weapon would never leave their side or be damaged? Likewise, anyone training in martial arts must, after mastering their main weapon, also train in one or two forms of unarmed combat. This is one of the key rules for survival in battle.

“Boom!”

A deafening thunderclap exploded as William Reed threw a punch, shaking the very air and sending snowflakes flying backward in the wake of his fist force.

Unlike the first form, Lightning and Thunder, this move emphasized momentum and ferocity—especially that sudden, violent thunderclap. Enemies often paid a heavy price for it, whether by having their eardrums pierced and going deaf, or by being stunned into a daze.

Wolves have extremely keen senses, which put them at a disadvantage against this move. The massive white wolf in midair actually paused for a split second, its eyes growing dazed and unfocused—its ears likely still ringing with thunder.

At the same time, William Reed’s fist struck its head. The fierce force of the punch halted its leap, sending it crashing to the ground. William Reed used the recoil to flip backward and land, then pushed off with his foot. His longsword, Iceflame, became a bolt of lightning as he slashed at the wolf’s waist. All animals have weak points—beasts are no exception. Wolves’ common weakness is their waist. As the saying goes, “bronze head, iron bones, tofu waist”—even after evolving into a beast, this weakness remains.

Its “bronze head” reputation was well deserved. William Reed’s fist technique wasn’t yet fully mastered, but with his mid-bronze–level battle energy, that punch could shatter a boulder. Yet after the wolf landed, aside from a slight shake of its head, it seemed mostly unharmed—while his own fist throbbed with pain. This showed just how hard the snow wolf’s head was.

……

Chapter 5: On the Edge of Life and Death