C6 Second Rank Demonic Beast!

At that moment, Ye Han and Jiang Xiaoxiao had left Medicine City behind and ventured into the Haunted Forest, a name that struck fear into the hearts of those who heard it. The forest earned its eerie moniker because at night, the trees would emit ghostly wails, and most crucially, no one who entered had ever returned alive.

"Why did we have to come here, stinky Ye Han?" Jiang Xiaoxiao tugged at Ye Han's clothes and whispered.

"Ever heard the saying 'the more dangerous the place, the safer it is'?" Ye Han replied with a smile.

His point was clear—if they were bold enough to enter the Haunted Forest, then the Lei Clan would likely think twice before following.

"Okay... okay, I get it," Jiang Xiaoxiao's voice faded to a near whisper, audible only to herself.

Ye Han could tell she was scared and gently patted her head to reassure her. "Don't worry, I've got your back."

Those simple words were enough to settle Jiang Xiaoxiao's nerves. Then something occurred to her. "Wait, you can cultivate now?!" she asked.

"Yes, I've just reached the pinnacle of the Body Refining stage," Ye Han replied nonchalantly, leaving Jiang Xiaoxiao utterly astonished.

Just a few days earlier, Ye Han had been unable to even start on the path of martial arts, and now he was at the peak of Body Refining—a feat that seemed nothing short of miraculous. For most, it would take over a decade to reach this stage, and even the gifted would need several years. Ye Han had done it in mere days.

"How... how did you manage that?" she asked, amazed.

"Would you believe me if I said Lei Hao struck me?" he teased.

"I believe you!" Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded emphatically, ready to believe anything Ye Han said, her worries melting away.

But just as she found her peace, a series of earth-shattering roars burst forth from the depths of the Haunted Forest.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Before they could even register what was happening, a blur of shadows swept toward them like the wind, swiftly encircling them.

"Wolves... A wolf pack?"

"We're... We're done for!"

Jiang Xiaoxiao's mind was in turmoil, unsure of how to proceed. Ye Han, on the other hand, saw this as an opportunity. Confronted by the encroaching wolf pack, he was eager to test his current abilities.

Wolves! Naturally pack animals, they possess a slightly higher intelligence than the average beast. The wolves didn't immediately attack Ye Han but instead kept shifting their positions.

Ye Han understood that this was typical of a wolf pack's hunting strategy—a combination of probing and encircling. They had become the hunted!

"It seems a fierce battle is unavoidable," he concluded.

With a swift motion, Ye Han drew his sword, unleashing several beams of white light that exploded above the wolves.

There was no escape; he had to seize the initiative and fight!

Suddenly, mournful howls echoed through the forest.

"Awoo!"

"Awoo!"

"Awoo! Awoo!"

"Roar!"

Amidst the dwindling cries, a thunderous roar burst forth beside Ye Han's ear.

"The Wolf King has arrived!"

At the distinct roar, Ye Han narrowed his eyes. The terror of wolves lay in their leader, the Wolf King, and now it had made its entrance.

A snow-white wolf, with limbs as thick as tree trunks, emerged. Its piercing gaze fell upon Ye Han.

Wolves were cunning, but the Wolf King was on another level. It didn't strike immediately, instead sizing up Ye Han's strength.

With a contemptuous snort, Ye Han's hands crackled with lightning, and the number of wolf carcasses around him steadily increased.

If you won't attack, then I'll wipe out your entire pack!

Enraged by the slaughter of its pack, the Wolf King could wait no longer. Its eyes ablaze with ferocity, it lunged at Ye Han, stirring up a vicious gale.

The Wolf King was a colossus, three times the size of an ordinary wolf, with two fangs each a foot long protruding from its massive head. Its blood-red eyes only added to its imposing presence.

As it pounced, an unspoken pressure filled the air. Before Ye Han could even react, the behemoth crashed down upon him with the weight of a mountain.

Confronted with such a forceful strike, Ye Han advanced instead of retreating, his long sword aimed directly at the Wolf King.

Yet, just as the blade nearly pierced the Wolf King's critical points, the massive creature subtly shifted its frame, evading Ye Han's thrust with an inconceivable twist and landing gracefully on the ground.

The Wolf King gave Ye Han a look and the corner of its mouth curled into a profound smirk.

At that moment, Ye Han recognized that the Wolf King was no ordinary adversary. Intelligence in wolves was one thing, but this was extraordinary!

If it wasn't a spiritual beast, then it certainly had to be a demonic beast with significant cultivation.

Demonic beasts!

They were beings as revered as spiritual beasts on the Tian Yuan Continent.

Demonic beasts were categorized into nine tiers. A first-tier demonic beast could match a Body Refining martial artist, while a second-tier was on par with a martial artist at the pinnacle of the Body Refining realm.

There were exceptional cases, however, where even a first-tier demonic beast could effortlessly overpower a Martial Spirit Realm martial artist, or even annihilate them in an instant!

As for a ninth-tier demonic beast, such creatures were not even chronicled in the compendium of exotic beasts.

While spiritual beasts and demonic beasts were alike, the latter were notoriously difficult to tame due to their long-standing diet of blood and flesh.

Nevertheless, some thrill-seeking beast tamers aspired to subdue demonic beasts, often meeting their demise in the jaws of these creatures, or returning, if lucky, as broken individuals.

It was said that demonic beasts had a particular appetite for martial artists, whose blood and flesh were considered potent nourishment for their own bodily cultivation.

With this in mind, Ye Han tightened his grip on the steel sword, realizing that intimidating the pack into retreat was futile. He had to slay the Wolf King!

It was a fight to the death!

With a thunderous cry, Ye Han launched an assault with the swiftness of a storm, swiftly closing the distance to confront the Wolf King.

"Roar!"

Simultaneously, the Wolf King, sensing the impending threat, emitted a deep growl.

In an instant, a One-eyed Black Wolf leaped from the underbrush, pinning Ye Han to the ground.

Beyond the Wolf King, there lurked another second-tier demonic beast!

"Roar!"

The black wolf erupted with a roar, its eyes alight with the thrill of a feast, drooling disgustingly onto the ground.

Ye Han faced the one-eyed black wolf without a trace of fear, sneering, "You're underestimating me!"

With those words, Ye Han's wrist flicked subtly as he channeled a secret art, sending a surge of refined energy along his steel sword, cleaving the wolf's head in two with a swift strike!

"Thud!"

Blood gushed out, drenching both Ye Han and the surrounding wolves.

Drenched in wolf blood, Ye Han rose like a warrior returning from hell, his eyes filled with a murderous aura that sent the wolves scattering in fear.

"Phew."

"Now it's your turn!"

Gasping for air, Ye Han knew the secret art was taxing on his body; he needed to finish this fight quickly.

With a pointed sword, Ye Han's figure shuddered and vanished into thin air.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind the Wolf King, his steel sword thrusting straight into the beast's chest!

"Clang!"

The sound of metal striking metal echoed!

Ye Han's strike failed to inflict any damage on the Wolf King, barely causing its fur to bristle.

"It seems I've underestimated you as well."

The gray wolf from before was merely a beginner in the second tier, but this Wolf King was evidently on the cusp of ascending to the third tier!

"Roar!"

The Wolf King retorted with a sweep of its steel tail, sending Ye Han flying sideways.

Without giving Ye Han a chance to land, the Wolf King transformed into a blur of white light, charging at him with ferocious speed!

Its claws aimed a vicious swipe at Ye Han's neck!