The last rays of the setting sun struggled to pierce the dense canopy, casting final scattered, broken golden lights on the forest floor, followed by rapidly spreading gloom. Tang Xiao Qi was cautiously approaching the natural stone hollow formed by piled-up huge rocks, intending to use it as his shelter for the night.
Just as he was about ten zhang away from the stone hollow, a sudden foul wind carrying a strong fishy smell assaulted him from the shrubbery on his left without any warning!
Xiao Qi's hair stood on end; his long-alert body reacted before his consciousness! Almost by instinct, he rolled clumsily to the right like a lazy donkey—though the posture was extremely awkward, it narrowly avoided the fatal pounce!
Swish! A bluish-gray shadow with afterimages brushed past him; sharp claws left several deep gouges on the ground where he had stood moments before.
Xiao Qi quickly flipped up and leaped to his feet, his heart pounding like a drum. He held the frying pan horizontally in front of him, his gaze firmly locked on the landed figure.
It was a massive bluish-gray giant wolf, robust as a small calf, with long, powerful limbs, claws and fangs gleaming coldly. A pair of dark green wolf eyes glowed with cruelty and hunger in the dimness, fixedly staring at Xiao Qi, emitting low, threatening growls from its throat.
"Swiftwind Wolf! Peak first-grade!" Xiao Qi instantly recognized this demon beast, his heart sinking. Swiftwind Wolf is known for its speed, with swift and fierce attacks; among first-grade demon beasts, it's an extremely troublesome existence, its strength comparable to Qi Refining sixth or even seventh layer cultivators! For him, who had just broken through to Qi Refining fifth layer and lacked life-and-death combat experience, this was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous opponent!
The Swiftwind Wolf, having missed its first strike, was clearly enraged. It slightly crouched its hind limbs, muscles tensed; the next moment, its entire body transformed into a cyan gust of wind again, carrying suffocating pressure as it fiercely pounced toward Xiao Qi, so fast that only an afterimage remained!
Can't take it head-on! This was the only thought in Xiao Qi's mind. He fully circulated the spiritual energy within his body, applying the body movement footwork comprehended from the 'Breeze Brushing Willow Sword Art' to the extreme, his feet stepping rapidly, his figure like willow catkins in the wind, floating backward sideways, attempting to evade its onslaught.
However, the Swiftwind Wolf's speed was truly too fast! Although Xiao Qi's reaction was already extremely quick, the fierce claw wind still grazed past the corner of his robe, tearing a slit in his daoist robe; the cold touch made his skin break out in goosebumps.
The wolf's pounce missed, its sharp claws plowing deep furrows in the ground. Without pause, it twisted its waist, its thick tail like a steel whip, sweeping toward Xiao Qi's lower body with a whistling wind sound!
Xiao Qi had no way to dodge; he could only forcefully block downward with the frying pan!
Clang!!
A dull, ancient bell-like impact sound exploded in the forest! A tremendous force transmitted from the pan body, numbing Xiao Qi's arms and churning his qi and blood; he staggered back uncontrollably seven or eight steps before barely steadying himself. The webbing between his thumb and index finger had already split, oozing blood. The Swiftwind Wolf's tail was also bounced back by the recoil, seemingly in pain, letting out an angry howl.
What formidable strength! Xiao Qi was horrified inwardly. If not for the frying pan's special material, extremely sturdy, that earlier tail sweep would likely have sent both him and his 'weapon' flying together!
The Swiftwind Wolf was thoroughly enraged, its dark green eyes glowing with even fiercer ferocious light. It no longer hurriedly pounced but began circling around him slowly, searching for the best attack angle, drool dripping from its mouth, emitting a nauseating stench.
Xiao Qi tightly gripped the pan handle, breathing rapidly, fully focused on every slight movement of the wolf. He knew that his speed and strength were completely at a disadvantage; a direct confrontation meant certain death. He had to rely on body technique to maneuver, looking for a chance to counterattack!
The artistic conception of 'Willow Catkins Following the Wind' flowed in his heart. He no longer tried to compete with the wolf in speed but instead strove to perceive the airflow changes caused by the wolf's pounce, predicting its trajectory, making small, precise evasions. At the same time, he channeled spiritual energy into his legs, making his steps even lighter and quicker.
Swish! The Swiftwind Wolf transformed into a cyan light again, pouncing, its sharp claws aiming straight for Xiao Qi's throat!
Xiao Qi flexibly bent his waist backward, almost parallel to the ground, narrowly avoiding the claw attack. Simultaneously, using the momentum of leaning back, he swung the frying pan upward from below in a lifting strike, smashing toward the wolf's abdomen!
The Swiftwind Wolf was extremely agile; it could actually twist its body in mid-air, using its hind paws to kick against the pan bottom!
Bang! Xiao Qi felt a great force transmitted, interrupting his lifting strike; his whole body was kicked into sliding backward. The Swiftwind Wolf also used the force to flip and land, its offensive slightly slowing.
For a time, figures flitted through the forest, wolf howls and dull impacts of pan against body incessant. Xiao Qi pushed his body technique to the limit, like a leaf boat in a storm, struggling to endure under the Swiftwind Wolf's storm-like attacks, with dangers at every turn. His daoist robe was torn in multiple places, and he added several bloody scratches from claw winds on his body, burning with pain.
But the panic in his eyes gradually gave way to a cold focus. He was adapting, learning. He began to predict the wolf's pouncing route earlier, his dodging becoming more effective, occasionally even using the frying pan to block or interfere.
Finally, during an instant when the Swiftwind Wolf's old force was exhausted and new force not yet generated, landing with slight stiffness, Xiao Qi caught that fleeting opportunity!
He didn't retreat; instead, he stomped forward fiercely! Concentrating all his strength and spiritual energy into his right arm, twisting his waist and hips to drive the arm swing! That black, unremarkable frying pan, at this moment, seemed no longer a pan but a warhammer condensing all his essence, spirit, and will, slicing through the air with an indomitable, heavy and fierce momentum, accurately and fiercely slapping toward the Swiftwind Wolf's temple just after landing, before it had fully adjusted its posture!
Thump!!!!!
A sound far duller and louder than any previous collision, like muffled thunder, reverberated through the forest!
The Swiftwind Wolf let out an extremely piercingly miserable howl, its entire head smashed sideways, blood oozing from eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Its massive body, struck by this pan blow containing his full strength, was directly slapped flying away, crashing through several bowl-thick small trees before heavily falling into the rotten leaves, limbs twitching, unable to immediately rise.
Xiao Qi himself, due to the recoil force, stepped back several steps in succession, barely standing steady by propping on the frying pan, his chest heaving violently, breathing heavily in big gasps, cold sweat and sweat mixing together on his forehead, streaming down. That earlier strike had almost drained most of his stamina and spiritual energy.
He stared fixedly at the struggling Swiftwind Wolf trying to stand, gripping the pan handle tightly, preparing to deal with its deathbed counterattack.
However, the Swiftwind Wolf struggled a few times, seemingly with severe skull damage; in the end, it only shot Xiao Qi a glance full of resentment and fear, emitting an unwilling low whine, actually dragging its injured body, stumbling, without looking back, dashing into the depths of the dense forest, soon disappearing.
It chose to retreat.
Only after the wolf's figure completely vanished into the darkness did Xiao Qi completely relax, his whole body softening, nearly collapsing to sit on the ground. Leaning against the tree trunk behind him, feeling his heart still wildly pounding in his chest, the numbness in his arms and the stinging pain on his body coming in waves.
The process was extremely perilous. If not for the frying pan's exceptional sturdiness, if not for the body technique he comprehended at the critical moment playing its role, if not for him seizing that only opportunity... the consequences would be unthinkable.
But in the end, he won! Relying on Qi Refining fifth layer cultivation, alone he repelled a peak first-grade Swiftwind Wolf!
Although he didn't kill it, this was undoubtedly a precious victory. He had truly experienced life-and-death combat for the first time, testing his cultivation results. Whether the sword art body technique or that frying pan, they all proved their value in actual combat.
He looked down at this black pan in his hand that had saved his life, now stained with some wolf blood, his eyes complex, eventually turning into a trace of determination.
Looks like this 'Way of the Pan' really must be walked down to the end.
He dared not stay long at the spot, forcing his tired body, quickly entering that stone hollow, and simply concealing the entrance with broken rocks and vines. Leaning against the cold rock, while treating the wounds on his body, he recalled every detail of the earlier battle, drawing experience and lessons.
The secret realm's first night thus quietly descended after such a sudden, thrilling battle. And Tang Xiao Qi's actual combat ability also received its first true tempering and improvement in this life-and-death struggle with the Swiftwind Wolf.