Chapter 1: Number Two Sparring Partner
==============================
As night fell, Lin Nan switched her consciousness back to her secondary character located at Cold Wind Cave.
The small character, who had been sleeping soundly after an intense battle with the Tiger Demon, slowly opened her eyes amidst the flickering candlelight. By now, her body had fully recuperated to its peak condition, and at such a critical moment, she refused to waste even a single second.
Torches burned in various places within the fortress during the night. The once pitch-black Chaos Forest now seemed to show signs of life due to the presence of Cold Wind Citadel. Bewildered monsters that had just transformed into their human forms moved toward the fortress, seeking the warmth of its flames. In the distance, the cries of Dark Feather Cranes echoed, as if rejoicing and getting excited at the sight of their master emerging in the dead of the night.
She had indeed neglected the cranes these days, but Lin Nan had faith that Dark Feather Cranes would soon come in handy. Through the system, she issued an order for the cranes to stay hidden, ready to act as surprise forces at critical moments.
She strolled to the central open space of the citadel, where a Wolf Demon was imprisoned in a trap.
“Let me out! Let me out!”
The moment she lifted the iron plate covering the trap, a hoarse roar ascended from underground. The Wolf Demon, who had been leaning against the cold wall, having lost all hope, suddenly saw an opening to the vast starry sky. In a blink, he became agitated, scrambling up the wall with all four limbs. Each stride left deep claw marks in the soil, allowing him to run up the vertical earthen wall as though it were flat ground. In mere moments, he burst out of the trap and howled joyfully under the cold moonlight.
This commotion alerted the guarding Little Demons. Within less than a minute, Little Drill Wind arrived with over a dozen of them.
However, the sight that greeted them was a towering Giant Wolf, standing off against a Black-Clothed Woman wielding a long sword.
“Quick, spread out!” Little Drill Wind immediately realized that these small demons were no match for the immense wolf. Thankfully, during the fortress construction, they had crafted some crossbows, which would be useful right now.
The little demons rushed to fetch their weapons while Little Drill Wind anxiously looked toward the Great King, fearing the wolf might attack at any moment.
“Thus, you are the Cave Master of Cold Wind Cave.”
The wolf’s eyes were now covered in a lurid red, apparently influenced by the bright moonlight, causing visible changes in his form.
“Yes,” Lin Nan replied succinctly. “Defeat me, and Cold Wind Cave will submit to you.”
She slowly drew her long sword, pointing the tip at the poised wolf.
This would be her next sparring partner—a ferocious wolf empowered by the moonlight.
The wolf tilted his head back and let out a thunderous roar that shook the sky. Starved for nearly two days, his stamina was severely depleted, yet the full moon’s glow pouring down on him injected a continuous flow of strength, making his enormous wolf body grow even larger. His sharp claws glimmered, measuring over half a meter.
“Then you shall d*e!”
With a grudge accumulated from being caught in the trap, the woman’s foolish challenge now seemed to be the perfect opportunity for his revenge. No mercy.
No, he would not only k*ll this Black Robed Demoness but also eliminate all the residents of Cold Wind Cave.
The howl still lingering in the air, the wolf suddenly charged at Lin Nan like a cannonball, his sharp claws raised high. In the dim night, five claw marks left streaks in the air, yet the Black-Clothed Woman disappeared without a trace. How could this be? Her speed was faster than his.
The wolf hastily looked up and spotted a slender figure silhouetted against the full moon.
The figure grew larger, and in the next instant, a fatal glint appeared in his line of sight.
Roaring furiously, the wolf extended his claws, attempting to break her sword, but the demoness’s reaction was incredibly swift. Her sword tip, as if alive, repeatedly struck his claws, skillfully defusing his attack.
The woman performed a graceful mid-air spin and landed on the other side.
“Hmm…”
Her right hand still trembled slightly. If it weren’t for her breakthrough to level 7 Sword Intent earlier in the day and mastering the use of short burst techniques, the wolf’s claws would have shattered her ordinary-quality long sword. Without a weapon, how could she fight?
As for the Black Wind Sword, she would not use it unless absolutely necessary.
Frustrated, the wolf pounced again.
From Little Drill Wind’s perspective, the giant wolf, resembling a small mountain, unleashed devastating winds, blowing the Great King, akin to a tiny leaf, perilously close to being capsized.
Yet, the Great King was like an experienced old sailor, navigating through the dangerous waves at the very edge.
Little Drill Wind’s heart raced. Fortunately, the little demons had armed themselves with crossbows aimed at the wolf, ready to fire dozens of arrows upon his command. But with the Great King engaged, a misstep could lead to accidental injuries.
Thus, Little Drill Wind closely observed the battle, waiting for the right moment to act.
The wolf’s rapid wind-like attacks were significantly faster than the tiger’s from earlier. Lin Nan concentrated wholeheartedly, not allowing a moment’s hesitation.
The sound of “ting ting dang dang” filled the air as weapons clashed with claws, the sparks adding a surreal glow to the night.
Although torches provided light, they could not help in pinpointing the wolf’s exact location.
Lin Nan seemed to have entered a deeply subtle state. The wolf’s claws seemed like the hard carrots on a cutting board, except they moved.
All she needed to do was strike them with her long sword at the opportune moment. With her heightened Sword Intent, her control was smooth and fluid, further enhanced by her “Flowing Wind” technique, allowing her to barely withstand the wolf’s relentless assault.
As time passed, the wolf grew restless. He was acutely aware of his current state. While his strength was derived from the full moon, his physical constitution could not sustain such an intense battle for long.
d*mn it, quick victory was needed—no more delays.
“Hoo!”
The wolf bellowed and turned to flee, ignoring Lin Nan altogether.
Since capturing her outright was impossible, he decided to retreat while still retaining some strength.
After all, wolves were adaptable creatures.
Lowering himself, the wolf dashed toward the fortress walls.
“Fire!”
Little Drill Wind screamed at the top of his lungs.
Most arrows narrowly missed, and some even failed to keep up with the wolf’s speed, landing harmlessly behind him.
Moments before the wolf would have escaped, Lin Nan vanished from her original position, reappearing in front of him.
“Teleportation!”
The wolf’s eyes widened in terror. As they were about to collide, his claws slashed down toward her head. His aim was to split the woman in two.
What he hadn’t anticipated was her agile flip, which landed her firmly on his neck. A pitch-black sword suddenly emerged, paralyzing him for a brief moment.
She leaned down and whispered in his furry ear, “Either d*e or surrender.”
The wolf was overwhelmed with fear.
This woman had the ability to k*ll him effortlessly and yet had toyed with him. Why?
Was she merely testing her own abilities?
[High Cold Value +50]
Even after regaining control of his body, he couldn’t summon the courage to fight her again.
The wolf lowered his head as his form shrank back to normal.
“I… I surrender.”
Lin Nan dismounted the wolf and gave him a cold look. “Good.”
The wolf watched as her black silhouette disappeared into the fire-lit distance, a thought crossing his mind.
Could… could she be the female demon the Evil Merman Great King sought?
No wonder she could emit such oppressive aura. Only a great demon like her would gain the Evil Merman Great King’s attention.
Cold Wind Old Demon’s demise was not in vain.
Thankfully, he had surrendered in time, or his fate would have been similar.
[High Cold Value +50]
The next morning,
Cool Moon was astonished upon discovering the wolf’s presence in the citadel’s rudimentary dining hall.
All the little demons kept their distance, except for Old Drill Wind who acted like a familiar friend, sitting next to the wolf while boasting with a bun in hand.
“Listen up, buddy. In this place, besides the Great King and the Second Great King, I, Old Drill Wind, am the most powerful. No kidding, the Great King trusts me immensely, always personally assigning me tasks. Stick with me, and you’ll find great prospects. But beware of one guy, Little Drill Wind. Not my younger brother, mind you, just sounds similar. That guy loves to flatter, always following the Second Great King. Just stay away from him.”
“Cough…Old Drill Wind, what nonsense are you talking about?”
Old Drill Wind nearly choked on his bun, coughing for a while before replying, “Second Great King, I was just chatting with our newly recruited wolf… hehe, just idle chatter, don’t take it seriously.”
The wolf seemed to still be somewhat dispirited.
After all, in Tiger Wolf Cave, he was the Second Great King, yet here in Cold Wind Cave, his status was inferior to even the average little demon.
Cool Moon gazed at him, genuinely startled. She reflected for a moment and concluded that in this Cold Wind Cave, only the Great King could have subdued him overnight.
However, she still harbored doubts about the wolf. How could such a powerful demon yield so quickly and submit obediently? Cold Wind Cave needed to remain cautious against any possibility of his surrender being a pretense.
As she was thinking, the fortress was once again disturbed by the roar of the Tiger Demon.
“d*mn woman! Hand over my second brother! Today, uncle here won’t let you off!”
The wolf abruptly stood up.
Cool Moon watched him coldly, her electric sparks poised to fire.
PS: Second update today, celebrating the book’s first Fire Elf.
Thanks to “Qian Hanshanye” for the support.
