Moreover, a lone wolf is even more cunning than those in a pack, because a lone wolf is often wounded—even after the wounds have healed, the memory remains. That’s why they are cunning and deadly, the most terrifying hunters of all. They are also extremely patient, able to endure for an entire day or even several days just for a morsel of food.

All this information flashed through Henry Clark’s mind, and his face gradually turned ashen. By the campfire, the giant wolf glanced warily at the flames, then began sniffing the ground, inch by inch, its figure slowly moving toward the tree where Henry Clark was hiding.

Henry Clark immediately looked at his own fingers. Because he had started the fire by friction, blisters had formed on his fingers. One of the blisters had already burst, and fresh blood was oozing out. Although there wasn’t much blood and it had already begun to scab, there was no doubt that this blood had given away his position.

Gradually, the giant wolf drew closer and closer to Henry Clark. The more dangerous the situation became, the calmer Henry Clark felt. He was even surprised by his own composure, which had reached a level of cold ruthlessness. He stared coldly at the approaching giant wolf. His heart was filled with fear, but his eyes were brimming with murderous intent.

Finally, the giant wolf arrived beneath the tree. At the very moment it looked up, Henry Clark suddenly leapt straight down from the treetop, holding his wooden spear, the tip aimed directly at—

—the very tooth-marked hole on the giant wolf’s skull!

In an instant, the giant wolf’s startled eyes met Henry Clark’s cold, murderous gaze. Hunter and prey became indistinguishable, impossible to tell who was which.

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Chapter 5: The Main God Space Opens (Part 1)

Henry Clark had learned the Shangqing Fist, one of the Shangqing martial arts. Although it was the most basic of the Shangqing martial arts, it was still an orthodox discipline—balanced and steady. With long-term practice, as long as one wasn’t exceptionally dull, one could generally develop internal energy. Of course, in a world without magic, that would be impossible, but at the very least, it could strengthen the body.

Internal energy was also one of the extraordinary powers of humans on the Great Desolation Continent, though its upper limit was very low. Even at its peak—the so-called Innate Grandmaster level—it was only equivalent to the foundation-building stage of cultivation, which was nothing special on the Great Desolation Continent.

Among the three mainstream martial arts of the Great Desolation Continent, the Taiqing style was best for physical fitness and longevity, the Yuqing style was best for calming the mind and dispelling inner demons, while the Shangqing style, though also mainstream, contained a hint of true killing intent that could unsettle those who understood it.

Henry Clark didn’t know why his original self had chosen the Shangqing style. Generally, high school students would choose the Yuqing style to calm their anxiety, while the Taiqing style was more popular among adults and the elderly. The Shangqing style, aside from a few soldiers, had little market on the Great Desolation Continent.

But it was precisely because of this Shangqing style that, even though he no longer had true energy or a gene lock, he still had excellent control over his body. Especially now, in his state of near-cold-blooded calm, he was able to leap down from the treetop and aim the spear precisely at the wound on the giant wolf’s head.

The leap was completely unexpected, and the giant wolf happened to be in the firelight—half in light, half in shadow. The wolf itself was injured, and the attack was sudden, a reversal by the weak against the strong. For a moment, the giant wolf didn’t even react. It wasn’t until Henry Clark was right in front of it, those eyes full of murderous intent reflected in the wolf’s own, that it suddenly woke in shock and fury. But it was too late. All it could do was watch as the spear pierced into the wound on its head, following the tooth-marked hole straight into its skull.

With that thrust, Henry Clark felt the force only penetrate about a third of the way in—the tip of the spear hadn’t gone all the way through. After all, the tooth-marked hole wasn’t very large, and the spearhead got stuck on the bone. At the same time, a tremendous force traveled up the spear, and Henry Clark couldn’t hold on. He was flung away, rolling several times across the grass before coming to a stop.

“Damn it!”

Henry Clark shouted in his heart, immediately using the momentum of his roll to spring to his feet. He saw the giant wolf by the fire howling madly, crashing and rolling around. The very tree Henry Clark had been hiding in was snapped in half by the wolf’s impact, dirt and stones flying everywhere. The sight made Henry Clark feel as if his soul had left his body—this wolf’s strength was just too much!

This was already at a supernatural level, far beyond any ordinary beast. The tree he had climbed was as thick as an adult’s waist. Ordinary predators—unless they were elephants or rhinos—could never break it, not even tigers or lions. Yet this wolf had snapped it with ease. It was simply unbelievable!

But there was no time to think. The giant wolf, in the midst of its thrashing, half-raised its body and fixed Henry Clark with a gaze that would make any ordinary person’s legs go weak. It was a kind of intimidation—someone timid might not even be able to move. At the same time, the giant wolf lunged at Henry Clark. The distance between them was about ten meters, but with a single leap, the wolf was already upon him.