paranoianovel Chapter 13 Devouring the Demon Wolf Core
Chapter 13 Devouring the Demon Wolf Core
The winds of Canglang Mountain, already carrying the chill of pine trees and the damp cold of deep ravines year-round, were now churned into a foul stench by the sudden attack of the three green-haired demon wolves. The stench was so intense it was almost impenetrable, unlike the smell of ordinary wild beasts; it was more like the stench of rotting flesh mixed with soaked mud, carried by the mountain wind and forced straight into the nasal cavity, causing a sharp, stinging pain deep within. Lin Yan had just held his longsword horizontally before him, the blade reflecting the few slivers of pale light filtering through the leaves, when he saw three hazy shadows flicker before him. Even the already meager light was blocked, and the surroundings suddenly darkened.
At this critical moment, there was no time for hesitation. Lin Yan's feet moved erratically, his left foot slamming backward, his heel sinking into the soft, humus-covered soil with such force that several pebbles beneath the grass crunched. His body moved like an arrow shot from a taut bow suddenly released, advancing instead of retreating. He didn't confront the largest wolf, its fangs dripping with saliva, which was pouncing on him head-on—the beast's eyes gleamed with the brightest red light, and the stench it generated during its attack was the most intense, clearly indicating its immense strength and ferocity. Instead, he twisted his waist with remarkable flexibility, as if lifted by an invisible current, glide sideways, just barely missing the wolf's head. The force of the wind it generated stung Lin Yan's ears. At the same time, he used the strength of his waist to flick his wrist with his right hand, and the blade drew a cold gray-black arc in the air. With the true essence poured in, the blade cut through the air and made a thin and sharp "hiss" sound like tearing silk, and was about to slash at the second demon wolf that was attacking from the left.
The demonic wolf, perhaps accustomed to seeing its prey panic and flee, was startled by Lin Yan's unpredictable and swift movements. A flicker of human-like astonishment and confusion flashed in its amber eyes, dotted with crimson. In haste, it raised a muscular forepaw, its tip gleaming black, attempting to block. The moment the blade clashed with the wolf's claw, a deafening clang—a metallic sound, far more piercing and violent than an ancient temple bell—startled the crows perched on the surrounding branches, sending them scattering in a flurry, and causing several withered pine needles to fall nearby. The demonic wolf let out a short, painful howl, staggering back three or four steps, its heavy body carving deep furrows in the mud. On its raised forepaw, a deep, bone-revealing wound gaped open, from which thick, blackish-red demonic blood, exuding a foul stench, gushed out, dripping onto withered grass and fallen leaves, instantly staining the soil a dark brown and emitting a soft, sizzling corrosion sound.
However, in the blink of an eye, a third, smaller but more agile wolf had silently circled behind Lin Yan like a ghost. Lin Yan felt the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stand on end, and a hot, damp breath mixed with the stench of blood and wild beast saliva sprayed onto his collar. He could even feel the sharp, cold tips of the fangs almost touching his skin. "Watch out behind you!" Su Qingyao's urgent cry came from behind, her voice trembling slightly without her own awareness, clearly indicating that she had seen it clearly and her heart was in her throat.
Lin Yan, however, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. At the critical moment, he suddenly exerted force in his waist and abdomen, his whole body snapping forward as if broken, almost touching the ground. At the same time, his right wrist flipped inward at an incredible angle, and the long sword, using the momentum of the forward thrust, transformed into a venomous dragon thrusting backward, its angle cunning and vicious, aimed directly at the relatively soft area where the wolf's chest and abdomen had been exposed during the pounce. The wolf was in mid-air, its forward momentum at its peak. Seeing its prey suddenly lower its body, it was too late to stop its attack or twist its body. It could only rely on instinct to twist its waist as hard as it could. "Thud!" The blade pierced into the side of the wolf's abdomen without any resistance, but the wolf's muscles were exceptionally tough, and its ribs were also blocking the way. It only penetrated about three inches into the flesh before feeling a resistance, as if it had been firmly stuck.
The excruciating pain instantly ignited the wolf's ferocity. A low, guttural growl rumbled from its throat, like the beating of a broken bellows. Its crimson eyes blazed with bloodlust. Ignoring the blade still embedded in its belly, it raised its other intact forepaw, lashing out with a tearing, whistling sound as it aimed for Lin Yan's head. If that paw landed, it would shatter not only a skull but even solid rock. Lin Yan reacted instantly, loosening his grip on the hilt of his sword and using the momentum of his dive to roll forward, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. The wolf's powerful claw grazed his left shoulder, tearing a foot-long gash in his already rough indigo cloth shirt. The flesh beneath was torn open, and blood gushed out, instantly staining half his sleeve crimson.
A thick, fresh scent of living blood permeated the mountain forest, like cold water being poured into boiling oil. The three demonic wolves, including the one with the injured front paw, simultaneously blazed with a crimson light in their eyes, their growls growing increasingly ferocious. They no longer fought individually, but subtly formed an encirclement—the least injured and largest wolf crouched low, baring its teeth menacingly; the wolf with the injured paw on its left moved slowly, blocking the way; the one behind, though its belly was pierced by a long knife and its movements were slightly unsteady due to pain, still blocked the retreat with a fierce glint in its eye. The shadows cast by the three massive, furry bodies overlapped, almost completely enveloping Lin Yan's isolated figure. The mountain wind rustled through their bristling manes, adding to the chilling atmosphere.
Lin Yan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as his fingertips swiftly traced the burning wound on his shoulder. The warm, bloody touch made his mind even clearer and colder. To directly confront three Body Tempering Realm demon wolves, especially one whose aura was clearly stronger, was far from wise. Although his Soul Devouring Body could absorb demonic power to nourish himself, it still needed moments of respite to convert and absorb it. His gaze, sharp as lightning, quickly swept across the surrounding terrain. A short distance away, a gray-brown rock, about half a person's height, with sharp edges and covered in moss and wind erosion, suddenly came into view.
The thought had barely formed in his mind when he shot towards the rock like an arrow. The wolf, the first to be wounded and seemingly the most ferocious, growled, its four paws digging into the ground, relentlessly pursuing him. Its foul breath almost reached the back of Lin Yan's neck, its massive claws lashing out towards his back. Lin Yan, however, didn't turn back. Instead, just before he touched the rock, he abruptly stopped, twisted his waist, and pressed his entire back against the cold stone surface, simultaneously crossing his arms to protect his chest. "Boom—!" A dull, resounding crash, like striking heavy leather, followed as the wolf's claws slammed solidly into the rock. Shards of rock and moss mixed with dust splattered all over Lin Yan, causing the entire boulder to shake violently, leaving several deep claw marks on its surface. Using this immense force, Lin Yan slid backward more than ten feet with his back pressed against the stone surface, carving two shallow furrows under his feet, finally managing to create some distance between himself and the ferocious wolf.
But the chance to catch his breath was fleeting. Another wolf, which had been moving more slowly but had been waiting for an opportunity, seized the moment and pounced from the flank. Its blood-red maw was wide open, emitting a foul stench, and its fangs were aimed straight at Lin Yan's throat, determined to kill him with one blow.
At this critical juncture of life and death, Su Qingyao's clear, cold voice pierced the stagnant air once more: "Demon-Locking Needles, go!" Three needles, as thin as cow's hair yet shimmering with a cold silver light, shot out from her joined fingertips, tracing three streaks of light barely perceptible to the naked eye, precisely piercing the joints of the wolf's two hind legs and the tip of its tailbone. The wolf's body, pouncing in mid-air, suddenly stiffened, as if bound by invisible ropes. A strange numbness and weakness came from the joints between its hind limbs and hips, and its pouncing momentum immediately faltered. Its massive body even staggered forward, somewhat losing its balance.
This pause was the decisive moment between life and death! A cold glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes. Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, gliding like a hawk across the ground into the gaping hole in front of the demon wolf. The demon wolf's eyes flashed with shock, anger, and panic. It struggled to raise its front paws, but the joints of its hind legs were sealed by the Demon-Locking Needles, its movements slow and stiff, as if stuck in mud. Lin Yan's hands shot out like iron pincers, his ten fingers digging deep into the thick, tough fur above the demon wolf's forelimbs, touching its throbbing, hot tendons and bones. His dark gray Devouring Spirit True Essence surged wildly through his meridians at an unprecedented speed, flowing along his arms and into his ten fingers, even the edges of his nails faintly glowing with a dark, eerie light.
Without the slightest hesitation, he activated his will—"Soul-devouring body, devour!"
An invisible, intangible yet overwhelmingly terrifying suction force suddenly erupted from the Laogong acupoint in his palm. The amber pupils of the demon wolf abruptly shrank to the size of pinpoints, filled with a human-like, incomprehensible, extreme terror. It could clearly "feel" that the boiling blood and qi throughout its body, the pure demonic power hidden in its muscles, bones, and flesh, and even the very life force that sustained it, were being swallowed up as if by the gaping maw of an abyss, turning into torrents of scalding heat or icy cold, surging wildly towards the human's hands that were gripping its forelimbs! The power in its limbs and bones was rapidly drained away, its muscles felt indescribably weak and empty, and even the depths of its bone marrow began to feel a chilling cold. "Roar—!!!" It let out a mournful howl, a mixture of excruciating pain, fear, and resentment, twisting its body with its last ounce of strength. Its remaining demonic power surged into its forepaws, adding several deep, bone-revealing gashes to Lin Yan's tightly gripping arms, tearing flesh and dripping with blood. However, those hands remained firmly planted on the bone like red-hot irons, unmoving. The devouring power, instead, surged even more fiercely with its struggles.
Lin Yan felt two vastly different yet equally powerful energies surge into his body through the meridians of his arms. One was scorching and violent, carrying the wildness and ferocity unique to demon wolves; the other was relatively cold and pure, the demonic power condensed by the demon wolf over many years by absorbing the spiritual energy of the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers. The Devouring Spirit True Essence, like the most efficient furnace and millstone, roared through his body, firmly grasping these two mixed and violent energies, forcibly crushing, purifying, and transforming them. The warm and cold currents intertwined and washed over his meridians, bringing a strange sensation of both swelling pain and comfort, ultimately converging into a purer and thicker gray-black energy, continuously flowing into his dantian.
At his dantian, the slowly rotating, gray-black vortex, already at the peak of the late-stage Body Tempering realm, now greedily devoured this newly generated nourishment, like a long-starved beast. The vortex expanded and solidified at a visible speed, its rotation becoming increasingly clear and rapid, its edges even emitting a subtle, low-pitched hum, like wind and thunder. Lin Yan could clearly "inner see" that the cultivation bottleneck, originally as tough as parchment, which stood between the late-stage and peak of Body Tempering, was now creaking under the continuous impact of this abundant energy, cracking as it began to appear.
The entire process, seemingly lengthy, actually took only five or six breaths. When Lin Yan released his hands, the once robust, calf-like blue-furred wolf before him was completely lifeless. Its steel-needle-like bluish-gray fur had lost all its luster, becoming withered and gray; its once bulging, full muscles and thick layers of fat rapidly shrank and shriveled, clinging tightly to its skeleton, making the jagged outline of its bones clearly discernible; its beastly eyes, which had once gleamed with a ferocious crimson light, were now just two empty, deathly gray holes. The entire corpse lay lightly on the ground, seemingly devoid even of the strength to stir up dust, with only the hilt of the long sword stuck in its abdomen trembling slightly.
Having landed a successful blow, Lin Yan dared not pause for a moment. The energy he had just absorbed and transformed, though powerful, had also caused his meridians to feel slightly swollen, requiring time to fully digest. However, the remaining two demonic wolves were thoroughly enraged by their companion's bizarre and miserable state, especially the largest and strongest alpha wolf, whose eyes were practically bursting with crimson light, its deep roar shaking the falling leaves. It waited no longer, and together with the other demonic wolf, whose front paw was injured, they pounced simultaneously from the left and right, determined to tear Lin Yan to shreds!
Lin Yan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the slight swelling in his meridians. Instead of retreating, he advanced, charging towards the wounded wolf. The wolf's forepaw was injured, slowing its movements slightly, and its eyes, besides rage, also held a lingering fear of its companion's gruesome death. Lin Yan's movements were swift and agile. In the blink of an eye, he dodged the wolf's claws, his right hand forming a knife-like shape with his five fingers, gathering dark gray true energy at his fingertips. Using his palm as a blade, he slashed fiercely at the joint of the wolf's injured forepaw!
With a sharp crack, the already injured wolf limb snapped off, and the wolf howled in pain, losing its balance. Lin Yan pressed his advantage, his left hand flashing out to grab the wolf's mane, while his right palm pressed down, slamming heavily onto the top of its head! The Devouring Spirit Power activated again, though not as surging as when both palms struck simultaneously, it still seeped into the wolf's skull like a bone-deep infection. The wolf struggled for a moment, then its eyes quickly dimmed, and its body went limp. Lin Yan swiftly withdrew his hand, feeling another surge of pure energy flow into it, and his dantian qi vortex grew stronger and more solid.
Having killed two wolves, Lin Yan's aura was even stronger, but continuously activating the Soul Devouring Body was also putting a considerable strain on his spirit and meridians. He was slightly out of breath, his gaze sharp as lightning, locking onto the last and strongest alpha wolf.
However, before it could fully savor the thrill of this breakthrough, the largest wolf, whose aura was closest to the peak of the late-stage Body Tempering realm, had completely descended into a frenzy. It had witnessed firsthand the horrific scene of its two companions being drained of their life force and reduced to dried corpses in a short period. The primal fear of the unknown and annihilation, mixed with the rage of losing its comrades, instantly shattered any remaining caution it might have. It abandoned its plan to continue attacking Lin Yan, its crimson eyes locking onto Su Qingyao, whose aura was slightly disordered from throwing the Demon-Locking Needle. A low, thunderous roar rumbled from its throat, its hind leg muscles bulged, and its massive body transformed into a blurry blue afterimage, carrying a stench of blood as it charged towards Su Qingyao at a terrifying speed nearly 30% faster than before!
Su Qingyao's face drained of color. She hastily retreated to the side and back, simultaneously waving her jade-like hands. The remaining demon-locking needles in her sleeve transformed into a rain of silver light, enveloping the demon wolf's vital points. However, the demon wolf's speed suddenly increased, and it seemed to have developed a great fear of the silver needles. Its massive body displayed an agility disproportionate to its size, dodging left and right, managing to avoid all the rain of silver needles. Only one or two grazed its fur, tearing off a few strands. "Awooo—!" It let out a defiant howl, its giant claws slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, already striking in front of Su Qingyao. With nowhere to dodge, Su Qingyao could only grit her teeth, channeling all the remaining true energy in her body into her short sword, parrying horizontally.
"Clang—!" Another ear-piercing explosion rang out. Sparks flew as the short sword clashed with the wolf's claws. Su Qingyao felt an overwhelming force surge through the sword; her tiger's mouth instantly split open, blood gushing out. The short sword flew from her hand, embedding itself deeply into the trunk of a pine tree in the distance with a "thud." She felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, letting out a muffled groan as her delicate body was thrown several feet backward, her back slamming heavily against the trunk of an old pine tree that would require two people to encircle, causing the tree's crown and branches to tremble violently. A sweet taste rose in her throat, and a thin trickle of crimson blood snaked down the corner of her mouth, staining her pale chin.
The wolf, having gained the upper hand, grew even more ferocious. Its four claws dug deep furrows in the ground, and it pounced again without pause. Its gaping maw was wide open, aiming straight for Su Qingyao's fair and delicate neck, determined to kill this human woman who had injured its companion and was in its way!
Lin Yan's eyes widened in horror, and an unnamed rage and anxiety exploded within him! The Devouring Spirit True Essence within his body, which had just absorbed a large amount of demonic wolf blood and was in a highly active state, seemed to sense its master's intense emotional fluctuations and began to circulate wildly on its own. A strange sense of lightness and explosive power burst forth from the depths of his dantian, instantly flowing throughout his limbs and bones.
The thought had barely formed when his body reacted instinctively. Before he could even think it through, he felt the surrounding scenery suddenly blur and stretch, as if space itself had shrunk beneath his feet. The ten-zhang distance seemed to vanish in a single step; his figure, like a ghost, stood between the demon wolf and Su Qingyao, perfectly blocking the wolf's path. Even he himself was secretly alarmed by this sudden surge in speed, far exceeding his usual limits.
The demonic wolf was clearly caught off guard by Lin Yan's swift return. A flicker of surprise and anger flashed in its crimson eyes, but it was too late to change direction or withdraw its force. Lin Yan was unarmed—his longsword was still deeply embedded in the demonic wolf's withered corpse. He simply lowered his stance, clenched his right fist, and concentrated all the surging, roaring gray-black true essence within his body onto his fist. His knuckles turned white from the force, and a faint dark light flowed beneath his skin. There were no fancy moves, no complicated variations; he simply poured all his strength, speed, and the even purer Devouring Spirit True Essence he had just broken through into this simple straight punch, which he unleashed to meet the demonic wolf's lunging chest with a thunderous roar!
The moment the fist clashed violently with the wolf's iron-hard breastbone, a sharp, muffled cracking sound, "Crack—!" resounded, making one's teeth ache. The wolf's massive, charging body stiffened abruptly, as if it had crashed into an invisible iron wall. It let out a short, piercing howl, blackish-red blood gushing from its mouth and nose like a fountain. Its chest and abdomen caved in at an unnatural angle, and a clear cracking sound came from its spine. The overwhelming force of the fist penetrated its body, not only shattering its bones but also churning its internal organs into a mess. The crimson light in the wolf's eyes quickly dimmed, and its massive body, as if all its bones had been removed, collapsed limply to the ground, its limbs twitching, only exhaling breaths, no more inhaling.
Lin Yan stepped forward, expressionless, and delivered a final punch, shattering its skull and ending its pain and ferocity. Then, he activated his Soul-Devouring Body again, placing his palms on the still-warm corpse of the strongest demon wolf. This time, the torrent of demonic power surging into his body was even more vast and pure, containing a trace of primordial power approaching the peak of Body Tempering, causing the vortex in his dantian to hum joyfully. The vortex reached a critical speed, frantically devouring, compressing, and condensing the newly generated energy.
Suddenly, "Pop—"
A faint yet clear, crisp sound echoed deep within my consciousness, like a fledgling bird pecking at its eggshell, or like ice quietly cracking.
At the dantian, the gray-black vortex that had expanded to its limit suddenly contracted inward, then exploded with a deafening roar! It didn't dissipate, but rather underwent a complete reorganization and sublimation. The exploded energy didn't scatter; instead, under the constraint of some mysterious force, it rapidly collapsed and condensed, ultimately transforming into a smaller, yet more solid, gray-black ball of energy, like black jade. This ball of energy slowly rotated, and with each rotation, it emitted a Spirit-Devouring True Essence several times purer and more potent than before, surging like a tide into the limbs and bones, nourishing every inch of muscles, bones, and skin, and even beginning to subtly penetrate deeper into the internal organs.
Body Tempering Realm, Peak!
He was only one step away from the Profound Realm, where he could connect with heaven and earth and undergo a qualitative change in the nature of his true essence. What surprised Lin Yan even more was that he could clearly feel not only an increase in strength, but also a significant improvement in his agility, flexibility, and even his five senses. Especially the incredible speed he had just unleashed, far exceeding his usual limits—looking back now, it wasn't accidental; it seemed… he could trigger it again with a thought?