The wolf lunged like a gray shadow.
Wu Kai did not retreat. His feet planted firmly on the uneven ground of the clearing, his body slightly leaning forward. The blood within his veins flowed like a full river, hot, violent, and full of life. The Blood Spiritual Physique was completely activated. Even at only the 2nd stage of the Body Refinement Realm, he felt raw strength coursing through his muscles, bones, and tendons. It was as if his body had been forged for something far beyond anything the old Wu Kai had ever dreamed of.
But feeling strength and using it in battle were completely different things.
The wolf leaped. Its white fangs gleamed for an instant before descending toward Wu Kai's shoulder. The movement was fast, fluid, carrying the savage experience of a creature that hunted every day to survive.
Wu Kai twisted his body to the side, trying to dodge. It wasn't perfect. The beast's front paw grazed his left arm, tearing the thin sleeve and opening a shallow cut. The pain came hot and immediate, but he ignored it.
"Damn..."
He didn't have time to curse further. The wolf had already landed and turned in the same motion, its jaws seeking his leg. Wu Kai jumped back awkwardly. His foot slipped on a pool of the dead deer's blood, and he nearly lost his balance.
The wolf gave no respite. Taking advantage of the opening, it lunged again, low and fast.
Wu Kai instinctively raised his left hand. Five blood needles formed at his fingertips, dense and sharp as before. He launched them.
Three hits. One embedded itself in the side of the wolf's neck, another in its shoulder, and the third merely grazed its flank. The animal let out a guttural growl of pain but did not stop. The wound on its neck bled, and Wu Kai felt that familiar attraction, the call of fresh blood.
His body reacted on its own. The blood within him accelerated even further, pulsing against the walls of his veins as if it wanted to burst out.
"Come!" he growled through his teeth.
This time, he did not retreat. He advanced to meet the wolf, dagger in hand. The short blade cut through the air in a descending arc. The wolf tilted its head at the last second, but the dagger still opened a shallow cut on its ear.
The counterattack came too fast.
The wolf twisted its body and slammed into Wu Kai with its shoulder, throwing him aside. He rolled across the ground, feeling damp leaves and dirt stick to his back. Pain throbbed in the shoulder where he had been hit. He got up quickly, panting, his heart hammering.
"Calm down... don't be stupid."
He wasn't a trained warrior. On Earth, he had never truly fought. Here, the memories of the old Wu Kai helped a little, some basic sect training, but nothing compared to the natural ferocity of a beast that lived to kill.
The wolf circled now, more cautious. Blood ran through its gray fur, leaving dark trails on the ground. Its yellow eyes never left Wu Kai for a second.
Wu Kai took a deep breath, trying to control his rapid breathing. His blood continued circulating at extreme speed. Each heartbeat sent waves of strength through his limbs. He felt like he could punch a tree and break it. But his movements were still clumsy, too slow to keep up with what his body was now capable of.
"I have the strength... I just need to learn how to use it properly."
He took a lateral step, testing. The wolf followed the movement. Then Wu Kai feinted to the left. The wolf bit into the air, falling for the partial feint. At the same instant, Wu Kai pivoted to the right and attacked.
The dagger came down with more force this time. The blade cut deep into the side of the wolf's body, tearing skin and muscle. Hot blood burst out.
The animal howled in pain and retaliated with a savage swipe. Its claws tore through the air and struck Wu Kai's chest, opening three shallow red lines. The pain burned, but he did not retreat. Instead, he extended his free hand.
More blood needles. Six now, thicker, denser. He fired at them at point-blank range.
Four hit cleanly, two in the chest, one in the throat, and another in the front leg.
The wolf staggered. Its hind legs faltered for a moment. Wu Kai saw the opening and did not hesitate.
He jumped onto the wolf, partially mounting its back. The dagger came down repeatedly. One strike. Two. Three. Each thrust deeper than the last. Blood splattered across his face, hot and with a strong metallic smell.
The wolf struggled violently, trying to throw him off. Its body twisted, its jaws snapping as it tried to reach Wu Kai's arm. One fang grazed his thigh, tearing his pants and opening another cut.
Wu Kai clenched his teeth and drove the dagger to the hilt into the base of the beast's neck.
"Die!"
The wolf let out one last long, hoarse howl. Its body trembled violently, its paws scratching at the earth. Then, slowly, its strength left it. Its legs gave out. The heavy body collapsed to the side, taking Wu Kai with it.
For a few seconds, the only sound in the clearing was Wu Kai's heavy breathing.
He lay there, half sprawled over the dead wolf, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The beast's blood still trickled slowly across the ground. His own blood pulsed strongly through his veins, still accelerated from the battle.
Finally, he rolled to the side and sat up.
His arms trembled slightly. There were cuts on his arm, chest, and thigh. Nothing deep enough to be dangerous, but it hurt. He looked at his own hands stained with blood, both the wolf's and a bit of his own.
A long sigh escaped his lips.
"I did it..."