The wolf was sent flying, and as it fell down, it went for a last-ditch effort. Its pupils shifted, landing on Zixin's leg and lunging, touching the tree's bark and pushing itself across. It opened its wide jaw, ready to bite the moment it closed the gap, and it did, its fierce force causing Zixin to let out a muffled groan.
"Ugh!" Zixin gritted his teeth whilst blood dripped from his leg. The wolf hung on, its bite becoming stronger by the second. Zixin bit his lips, tightening his grip on the branch.
Zixin took a deep breath, pulling himself up and launching himself. Once he was shot up, he started waving his leg around mid-air, but it only made the wolf's bite stronger.
The wolf raised its paws, swiping them about on Zixin's chest, tearing through his clothes, revealing his pale chest.
A second later, they stopped rising, and then–blood began dripping, they had begun falling! The wolf released Zixin's leg, which had already gone numb, and used the opportunity to climb him mid-air. It lunged ahead, its fangs dripping with blood.
As the wolf's head drew closer, its neck wide open, Zixin shouted in his mind: There it is!
Zixin opened his palm, slamming on the wolf's defenseless neck, knocking it back several meters.
Silver light flashed past the wolf's eyes as its body returned to its original shape, leaving its Berserk state. The wolf howled mid-air, awakening the other two wolves.
Zixin's pupils shrank, watching the wolves beneath rush below them.
Zixin shifted his gaze, searching for a nearby branch to latch on to, but found none. The area was as clear as moonlight. A cold metallic taste filled his mouth, momentarily distracting him.
He crossed his arms, curling up into a ball whilst his thoughts ran like wildfire: Since there's no way to stop the fall, I can only embrace it.
The winds tore through his body, scratching his chest and arms. Sounds of ruthless winds tore through his ears, stretching the descent.
Moments later, the wolf, which was mid-air, landed safely on top of the two wolves, standing right up a second later. The wolves quickly left the spot wide open, letting Zixin fall on the ground.
The wolves howled, salivating in excitement. They licked their lips, casting Zixin an ominous gaze.
Zixin crashed on the ground, creating dust clouds. A groan escaped his lips as blood spilled from his lips on impact.
He held his head, his vision a blurry sight with colors blending in with one another. After taking a deep breath, he dug his bloody fingers into the ground, noticing the blood seep through his hair. He dismissed the thought, feeling the wolves' hungry gazes.
Think, think, think… There has to be a way–no, I already figured it out. Zixin's lips curled up into a plain smile, his vision returning to normal.
Zixin raised his dirt-filled hand, tossing the dirt at the other two wolves' eyes, causing them to flinch.
In a split second, Zixin rose to his feet, dashing and grabbing the wolf that he had fought a minute ago by the neck. Its body was weak and covered in injuries, having lost most of its strength after crashing down with him; it was the perfect target.
Zixin concentrated his strength on his legs, dashing several meters with each step, passing by tens of trees.
Once the wolves regained their clarity, they rushed, following Zixin's footsteps, only to be led to a dead end.
Time flew by as they searched endlessly, following every drip of blood they found, but it all led to a dead end–Zixin and the wolf had vanished.
The wolves howled one last time in a desperate attempt, only to be met with silence. The wolves left, their injuries recovering by the second.
The serene moon fell, taking the shade of night along with it, whilst the shade of light shone across. The sun slowly rose as Dawn arrived.
Zixin sighed, covering his mouth with his hand and throwing up blood. With his blurry vision and dizziness, he held the wolf's corpse tightly. It had long since collapsed after Zixin's forceful grabbing of it several hours before.
His strength began to give in, and his body plopped on the ground. He gritted his teeth, enduring the array of pebbles that wounded him. He pushed himself, lying down with a dazed expression.
The sun's warm radiance was cast upon the forest, passing through the trees and reaching him. However, he felt no warmth, but instead—
"Cold, it feels too cold. Has winter… arrived?" Zixin muttered under his breath, only to be proven wrong.
I see, it's still too early. Zixin thought, beginning to stand back up, but his legs soon gave in; his strength was barely enough to pull himself together.
He shifted his gaze at the blazing red sun, but it felt no different even as he stared. A second later, his gaze drifted, noticing the numbness. His limbs and arms were numb as a rock; he even nearly forgot that he had fingers.
How many times does this make now? The fifth time I've faced danger, right? But this time… I was the cause… but I learned. That's more than enough. Zixin's thoughts moved while his body remained motionless.
He bit his lips and closed his eyes. Inside his mind, his thoughts drifted apart into several groups, but this wasn't his concern. He willed his mind, sucking all his thoughts into a whirlpool right before splitting it into two smaller whirlpools.
Suddenly, he felt a pulling force, and when he opened his eyes, half his mind had been sent into the White Palace.
Strength surged throughout his body, granting him the ability to walk. He stood back up, dragging along the wolf corpse, but not without pain. An intense surge of pain assaulted him; his legs trembled, ready to give in at any moment, but he endured, raising his foot and taking a step. With this, he took one step after another, with each step raising the pain.
Time seemed to have slowed down; each second seemed to have been stretched like infinity.
As time passed, he felt that he was starting to feel better. Perhaps his wounds were healing, or perhaps he had fallen into a delusion; whatever it was, he chose not to question it, taking it as his good fortune.
On his way, he noticed a long branch. He stopped his tracks, hurriedly grabbing it and using it to stabilize his movement.
He continued to walk, passing through the wolves' footsteps.
This must be this wolf's comrade from last night… I see, my true fortune was losing them. Zixin nodded, a light smile forming on his lips.
I wonder how well my training on 'Lending' would go because this wolf should have felt immense hatred towards me. After all, I killed it. It might not tolerate me; this is a problem that I must solve. Zixin quickened his steps, leaving behind the wolves' tracks.
With each step taken, the corpse would sway, like the lifeless husk that it was. And with each sway, it would remind him of the danger he faced the night before.
Half an hour later, he found the stone formation. A glimmer of light flashed past his eyes, his steps enlarging until he entered the formation.
White light appeared out of nowhere before abruptly condensing, forming a humanoid figure. The light faded, and soon, Zixin's bloody appearance caught Fang Hau's attention.
Fang Hau frowned, his expression unreadable. He spoke, his tone mixed with curiosity and concern, "Oh? What did you do? Did you hunt this wolf? Sigh, Hunters exist for this reason; let them be the ones to suffer the hunt and not you. You have only made it harder for yourself."
Zixin said, his body collapsing to the ground, "After our conversation a day before, I tried to 'Lend' to a cup, but its will was far too weak, so I decided to take a stroll. Unfortunately, I encountered a small wolf pack and came up with the idea to use a wolf corpse to experiment with 'Lending,' since, in theory, a wolf has a stronger will than a cup."
Fang Hau shook his head, speaking firmly, "That was an unnecessary risk. You could have perhaps bought suitable materials instead. Nothing is ever without cost. Free things cost the most. However, I will commend you on your decisiveness and quick thinking, coming up with this idea."
He stretched his hand, grabbing Zixin's arm and helping him stand up. After which, he walked with him and said, "This is simply another lesson to be learned."
He paused, momentarily shifting his gaze to the wolf before returning his gaze to him, "But I suppose fresh material is not the worst idea."
Zixin's gaze flickered for a moment before he muttered, "Can I… ask for a favor?"
Fang Hau's gaze shone, nodding immediately.
Zixin spoke, his eyes closing on their own, "Cut the dyed hair. It's too troublesome to fix it when blood has already seeped through them."