Inside the first-floor lobby of the Hexagon Building.
Bai Li pressed her back against the cold wall, her palms drenched in sweat.
Beside her stood Xiaxia, gripping the Azure Peak Sword, its blade humming with the power of her wind ability.
Jiang Ran, Song Zhiyi, Chen Mo, and two other Tier 1, Level 3 students stood next to Bai Li with their weapons drawn.
Behind them, more than forty citizens huddled in a corner of the lobby.
There were the elderly, children, and the wounded. A young mother held her infant tightly; the baby’s cries echoed through the chaotic lobby.
Only a few minutes ago, they had been waiting quietly at the safe point for the transport planes to return.
As soon as the next flight arrived, they would have been evacuated from Hangzhou.
But for reasons unknown, four Shadow Abyss Wolves and several members of the Blood Eye Cult had suddenly appeared at the safe point camp.
The Tier 3 ability user leading the defense at the safe point had stayed behind to hold off the cultists and the wolves, allowing them to lead the citizens away first.
Bai Li and the others had retreated from the safe point all the way to the Hexagon Building. They were just about to cross the lobby when the Shadow Abyss Wolves caught up.
It wasn't just one wolf, but three.
The three Shadow Abyss Wolves blocked their path in a triangular formation.
They were significantly larger than ordinary Shadow Abyss Wolves, standing over two and a half meters tall at the shoulder. Their dark silver fur was interlaced with fine golden patterns.
Shadow Abyss Wolf Royals, Tier 2, Level 5.
One of the slightly smaller Royals took a step forward.
Its movements were slow, and its emerald-green pupils swept over Bai Li, Xiaxia, and the others with an expression of pure disdain.
Then, it spoke. Its voice was low and raspy, carrying the guttural growl of a beast, yet it spoke the human tongue.
“Is this all?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Li bit her lip, and the veins on the back of Xiaxia’s hand bulged as she tightened her grip on her sword.
They knew that monsters capable of speech were either at an incredibly high realm or possessed noble bloodlines.
The Royal Shadow Abyss Wolf took another step forward.
It didn't even bother to take a combat stance, standing there with casual indifference.
“A bunch of Tier 1s…” it said.
Before it could finish, Xiaxia reached her breaking point and was the first to move.
The Azure Peak Sword let out a clear chime as wind energy completely enveloped the blade, and a pale green arc of blade energy tore through the air.
She didn't hold back, unleashing her strongest strike right from the start.
She knew she was facing a Tier 2, Level 5 Shadow Abyss Wolf Royal; holding back was a death sentence.
The Royal Shadow Abyss Wolf simply tilted its head, allowing the blade energy to strike its left shoulder.
A dull thud followed.
A faint white mark appeared on its fur, but there was no blood, and its defense remained unbroken.
Seeing this, Xiaxia’s pupils shrank violently.
The Shadow Abyss Wolf looked down at the white mark on its shoulder, then raised a claw and swiped casually.
Xiaxia couldn't even see the movement clearly, but she instinctively brought the Azure Peak Sword up to block.
A massive force slammed into the cross-guarded sword, which emitted a sharp crack.
She was sent flying like a baseball, crashing into the wall and sliding to the floor, coughing up a large mouthful of blood.
“Xiaxia!” Bai Li cried out.
Jiang Ran and the other Tier 1, Level 3 student lunged from both sides simultaneously.
With a sweep of its tail, the Shadow Abyss Wolf sent them both tumbling across the ground.
Chen Mo rushed forward with his earth shield, hoping to block it, but a single claw strike shattered the shield’s surface. He slid seven or eight meters back, his arm marked by three deep gashes that revealed the bone.
The Shadow Abyss Wolf stood in the center of the lobby, having barely moved from its spot.
The two other Shadow Abyss Wolf Royals behind it hadn't even joined the fray.
They simply blocked the exits, their emerald eyes scanning the trembling citizens in the corner like they were looking at lambs waiting for the slaughter.
Their mission wasn't to kill everyone, but to ensure that no one disturbed His Highness the Imperial Prince.
The wolf that had attacked flicked its tail, its gaze sweeping over Bai Li and the others once more.
There was no killing intent in its eyes, only the condescending amusement of a cat playing with mice.
“Is there anyone else?” it asked.
In the corner of the lobby, forty-odd citizens huddled together. The infant’s cries continued to echo through the empty space.
Bai Li looked at Xiaxia slumped against the wall, then at Jiang Ran, Chen Mo, and Song Zhiyi who had been knocked aside.
Then, she slowly stepped in front of everyone.
Her summoning ability was A-rank, and her summoned beast was a Shadow Cat.
Although the Shadow Cat was at Tier 2, Level 1, it was nowhere near enough to face a Tier 2, Level 5 Shadow Abyss Wolf Royal.
Even so, Bai Li chose to stand her ground.
The Shadow Abyss Wolf looked down at the human girl who barely reached its chest.
It tilted its head, seemingly curious. Her legs were shaking, so why was she still standing?
The wolf spoke in a flat tone, “Move. Do you want to die?”
Its orders were to contain these humans and prevent anyone from leaving.
These were the orders of the Imperial Prince, who seemed to want to keep these humans for something.
But Bai Li did not move.
Taking a deep breath, she formed a hand seal.
An ink-colored summoning array expanded on the floor, and a lithe Shadow Cat leaped out, its pitch-black fur almost merging with the shadows of the dim lobby.
Summoned Beast: Shadow Cat, Tier 2, Level 1.
The Shadow Cat arched its back and let out a threatening hiss at the Shadow Abyss Wolf.
The Shadow Abyss Wolf looked down at the small black cat and remained silent for a moment.
Then, a faint rumbling sound escaped its throat.
It was laughter.
It raised a claw, swatting at the Shadow Cat as if it were a fly.
Just as the claw was about to descend…
A silver-purple arc of lightning sliced through the air from the direction of the lobby entrance.
The arc was incredibly fast, striking the wolf’s claw with precision.
Lightning exploded, blasting the wolf’s claw to the side and causing its strike to miss. The massive beast stumbled half a step from the momentum.
“Thunder Walk Through Nine Heavens, Second Form: Thunder Arc.”
A voice drifted in from the entrance.
Though the voice wasn't loud, everyone in the silent lobby heard it clearly.
“Bullying a cat? You three huskies really have some nerve.”
Lin Yuan had appeared in the lobby at some unknown point.
His expression was relaxed, and a faint smile even played on his lips, but the knuckles of the hand gripping his spear were slightly white.
Instantly, silence fell over the lobby.
“Senior!” Bai Li’s voice came from the corner, filled with irrepressible joy.
Xiaxia used the Azure Peak Sword to prop herself up, wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her hand as she looked at Lin Yuan.
Her gaze was complex—for a fleeting second, she looked relieved, but that was immediately replaced by a deeper worry.
...
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