Chapter 118: Fierce Battle with the Wolf Guards

Chapter 118: Fierce Battle with the Wild Wolf Guards

Twenty thousand strands of strange energy spewed forth from the twin-headed wolves, forming a long river of true energy that clashed headlong against the true energy surge of the Imperial Guard.

“Rumble—” A mass of black true energy, tinged with murderous intent, collided violently with the bizarre energy bursting from the twin-headed wolves’ mouths.

It was like a boiling river crashing against an icy glacier in the dead of winter—true energy raging uncontrollably.

What surprised Wu Hong was that despite such a massive confrontation, the battle’s shockwaves did not extend beyond the military training ground.

Clearly, an immense formation shielded the entire training ground, a formation of unparalleled power.

Wu Hong was somewhat shaken. He had always believed his martial arts were invincible, his disdain for worldly martial skills absolute, treating them as mere child's play.

His heart yearned for innate martial arts! He vividly remembered that before ascending to the innate realm, the Elder of Ten Thousand Poisons was merely an ordinary postnatal grandmaster.

But once the Elder suddenly attained enlightenment and ascended to the innate realm, a single palm strike could obliterate mountains and dry up lakes—a force that shook heaven and earth.

With his steadily rising cultivation, and the invincible aura he constantly exuded since his debut, Wu Hong’s pride soared sky-high.

Yet now, the royal palace—the Great Qian Palace—was proving far more complex than he had imagined; his arrogance was misplaced.

Wu Hong covertly circulated his true energy, condensing it into a thin thread, then suddenly thrust it into the air. Instantly, the needle-like true energy struck an invisible barrier.

This move triggered a powerful rebound! The entire palace trembled slightly.

“What’s happening? Has their battle affected the palace’s formation?” The officials, all aware of the palace’s protective array, were wide-eyed in shock.

Emperor Yang Wei was equally astonished, puzzled by the situation. The palace formation was legendary; only those close to the innate realm could shake it.

Could it be that the clash between the ten thousand Imperial Guards and the Wild Wolf Guards had truly approached such a level?

Within the training ground, two elite forces fiercely clashed. Black sword qi streaked wildly across the field. The guards riding the twin-headed wolves were frequently struck, tumbling off their mounts.

Yet, no tragic trampling occurred. The twin-headed wolves were exceptionally intelligent and sensitive; each time their massive paws neared a fallen warrior’s abdomen, they deliberately lifted their legs in a strange but deliberate manner.

This gave the fallen guards precious moments to escape.

The towering twin-headed wolves shielded their fallen riders, but in doing so, they themselves sustained injuries.

“Thud—” A black iron sword, dark as night, pierced one wolf’s leg.

“Howl—” The twin-headed wolf let out a painful roar, triggering a surge of primal fury as its two heads—one radiating red energy, the other white—erupted fiercely. The whooshing wind carried this energy straight toward the Imperial Guard who had attacked.

Startled, the guard hastily activated his black protective true energy, summoning a rolling tide of demonic qi to block the assault, but was still flung backward.

Emperor Yang Wei had decreed this was a friendly contest—no matter the outcome, lethality was forbidden. Naturally, the fiercely loyal Imperial Guards held back against the twin-headed demonic wolves, aiming only to subdue them.

As for the riders of these wolf-beasts, the Imperial Guards regarded them with arrogant disdain.

Though most of these Imperial Guards were at the early Refining Marrow stage, with some squad leaders at mid-stage, all cultivated the Demonic Heart Sutra—a profoundly mysterious and formidable demonic art.

Ordinarily, a mid-stage Refining Marrow Imperial Guard could easily challenge an average postnatal grandmaster.

Ten mid-stage Imperial Guards together could force an ordinary postnatal grandmaster to retreat in defeat—a formidable force.

Yet this was only against average postnatal grandmasters; those who practiced special techniques were a different matter.

For example, Xiao Dongfang—if she reached the postnatal grandmaster realm—would be a terrifying presence.

Her true energy was colorless and formless, with barely perceptible fluctuations and fierce penetrative power. Even at mid-stage Refining Marrow, she could subdue Ma Yanwang—a renowned postnatal grandmaster known for his deadly prowess in the martial world.

Clearly, strength was not determined solely by realm; a combination of cultivation method, personal insight into martial arts, talent, and other factors all played a role.

At this moment, most of the Wild Wolf Guards riding twin-headed wolves had been thrown to the ground; the Imperial Guards gave them no chance to remount.

“Shing—shing—” The sharp sound of sword qi continually struck the limbs of the fallen wolf guards who could not defend themselves, spurting fresh blood.

Despite their grim expressions, none cried out in pain, only losing mobility.

The enormous training ground could hold upwards of a million, yet the two forces numbered less than twenty thousand, plus the twin-headed wolves, totaling roughly thirty thousand.

Still, the battlefield spread to every corner of the ground.

If this had been a death match between two forces, the outcome would have long been decided.

But Emperor Yang Wei’s orders mandated a friendly contest, so the Imperial Guards consciously held back.

In the blink of an eye, all the riders were on the ground, their hands and feet bleeding profusely.

These warriors were veterans of countless battles and carried potent medicines; those still able to move immediately began treating their severely wounded comrades.

Though tamed by their riders, the twin-headed wolves went berserk once their masters fell, their dual energies of ice and fire raging like furious dragons as they charged toward the Imperial Guard’s assembly point.

“Ah—ah—” screams pierced the air as several guards, unable to defend in time, were struck by the twin streams of red and white energy. Their golden armor began to melt, revealing the terrifying power of the energy.

Yang Wei’s expression darkened as he cast a covert glance at the mesmerized Wu Hong.

Some Imperial Guards’ armor dissolved, flesh melting away to expose white bones, yet they fought on fiercely, unleashing true fire.

No longer holding back, the Imperial Guards unleashed torrents of black sword qi against the twin-headed wolves.

“Howl—” Several massive wolf heads were severed. Emperor Yang Wei reminded only that human lives must not be taken; there was no prohibition on harming beasts.

The valiant Imperial Guards went into a frenzy, their black sword qi surging like a tidal wave, unstoppable.

Fortunately, though the twin-headed wolves were not demonic beasts at the Refining Marrow stage, their strange cold and hot energies were formidable enough to hold their ground for the moment.

Three burly envoys wore grim expressions, though the shortest and stockiest among them remained calm, his eyes gleaming as he intently observed the training ground.

Finally, the fierce battle claimed casualties among the Imperial Guards. Each fallen guard’s black true energy soared toward the heavens, vanishing into the sky.

Everyone assumed this was the dispersal of power upon death; Refining Marrow experts often unleashed wild true energy in their final moments.

Yet the true energy shooting skyward was unlike any ordinary display; the guards’ cultivation was exceptional, and even in death, their true energy condensed rather than dissipated, rising into the vast sky.

Only Wu Hong’s eyes gleamed gold as he tracked the black energy ascending into the heavens.

To his astonishment, the black true energy of the fallen guards vanished into an unknown place, disappearing without a trace.

Far above the horizon, in a hidden realm, a lone figure sat cross-legged in meditation. Suddenly, several strands of black energy entered his body.

“Hmm—what is happening? So many Imperial Guards have fallen? Could a great event be unfolding below?”

Clad in black robes and enveloped in dense demonic qi, the man’s blood-red eyes scanned the sky as if scrutinizing something, then closed calmly, plunging everything back into darkness.