C11 The Fierce Battle with the Four Wolves!

Kuan Feifei's voice carried a note of helplessness that, when combined with the nervous and fearful look on her face, could easily trigger a protective instinct in any man. Sadly for her, Ke Dong's mind was elsewhere.

Ke Dong was intensely focused on the surrounding noises, on high alert for an attack from the four wolves. These creatures could reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, a staggering 16.6 meters per second!

With only two meters of visibility, a wolf could close the distance in a mere 0.12 seconds. The average human reaction time is between 0.2 and 0.3 seconds, while those with specialized training might manage between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds.

To put it plainly, even a well-trained individual would struggle to react in time. The 0.12 seconds it took for a wolf to pounce was nearly beyond human limits.

Despite Ke Dong's enhanced physical condition and superior reaction time compared to trained professionals, he wasn't confident he could fend off an attack from four wolves.

He was regretting bringing Kuan Feifei along; had he been alone, he might only be facing two wolves, halving the threat. But there was no turning back now. He had to find a way to defeat the four wolves.

The wolves, however, weren't attacking outright. They continued to howl, either to intimidate Ke Dong or to bide their time for the perfect moment to strike.

As the howls echoed from every direction, Kuan Feifei's breathing quickened. Her grip on the wooden stick tightened, her knuckles turning white. Yet, she remained composed amidst the chaos, which was more than could be said for many.

"Stay close to me!" Ke Dong commanded.

Seeing that the wolves weren't advancing, he trusted his instincts and moved forward. Escaping the room meant escaping the danger, and he had no desire to engage with the wolves unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, the blizzard conditions were a factor. Even at the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Stage, Ke Dong knew he couldn't endure the harsh environment for long. The longer they lingered, the worse their situation became.

Ke Dong advanced with caution, the Coldsteel Sword gripped in his right hand and a sharp stone shard in his left, while Kuan Feifei followed closely behind, scarcely daring to draw a breath.

They had only covered a few meters when Ke Dong came to an abrupt halt, alerted by the faintest crunch of snow underfoot—a sure sign that a wolf lurked nearby.

His instincts were spot on; no sooner had he paused than a gray blur burst from the blizzard, its lethal claws and fangs glinting with icy menace as it lunged at Ke Dong with astonishing speed.

Ke Dong's heart raced as he swiftly raised his sword to defend himself. Had he not detected the subtle sound earlier, he might not have been quick enough to respond.

The wolf, airborne in its attack, could not alter its trajectory, relying instead on the snowstorm to conceal its form and exploit its speed to the fullest. But against Ke Dong, whose reflexes negated the creature's velocity, the wolf's assault turned deadly—for itself.

In an instant, the wolf smashed into the Coldsteel Sword, which, with its razor edge, cleaved the wolf's head effortlessly. Blood sprayed into the air, carrying the scent of iron before being whisked away by the biting wind, its destination unknown.

Kuan Feifei, witnessing the gruesome sight from behind Ke Dong, froze in shock. Despite her status as the youngest empress, she had never been exposed to such brutality and let out an involuntary shriek.

Her scream set off the remaining three wolves, their pawsteps now a rapid cadence from every direction. Ke Dong, sensing the imminent peril, channeled his enhanced senses and Spiritual Qi, flinging the stone shard to his left—not to kill, but to delay.

In the same fluid motion, he kicked the slain wolf's carcass to the right, aiming to create a momentary barrier. Ke Dong's actions were swift, yet as he executed his plan, the wolf ahead emerged, charging with relentless speed.

The wolf had already picked up on Ke Dong's earlier movements, so instead of leaping during its attack, it kept running on the ground, constantly shifting its approach to keep Ke Dong from getting a bead on it.

Ke Dong, newly initiated into the cultivation world and only at the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Stage, lacked depth in combat techniques. Facing this predicament, he was at a loss, resorting to his Coldsteel Sword to guard his vital points and waiting for an opportunity to strike back when the wolf lunged.

He was, after all, fortified by his Immortal Body.

As expected, the wolf charged at Ke Dong, then suddenly sprang for his throat. Ke Dong threw up his left hand to fend off the attack while his right hand drove the Coldsteel Sword deep into the beast, delivering a fatal blow.

The victory came at a cost: Ke Dong's left arm bore a deep set of tooth marks, from which blood steadily seeped. Without the protection of his Immortal Body, his arm might well have been severed.

Having dispatched the second wolf, Ke Dong, gritting through the pain, retrieved the remaining sharp stone shards from his backpack and flung them to his left. Without a moment's pause, he charged to the right.

He couldn't afford to wait for the other two wolves to make their move; he had to strike first.

Caught off guard, the wolf on the right had barely sidestepped the carcass of the first when a gleaming arc of the Coldsteel Sword came down upon it. It was too late to evade; its front legs were severed, and it collapsed with a mournful howl, its struggles futile.

A wolf without its front legs was no longer a threat to Ke Dong.

Temporarily leaving the disabled wolf behind, Ke Dong pressed on to the left. Tracking the scent of blood, he found the last wolf already dead, its skull punctured by two distinct holes – the work of his sharp stone shards.

Seeing this, Ke Dong finally allowed himself a breath of relief, only then registering the piercing pain in his left arm. In the heat of battle, he hadn't felt it, but now, with the fight behind him, the pain surged to the forefront.

Just as Ke Dong breathed a sigh of relief, Kuan Feifei's piercing scream echoed once more. His heart clenched—what now? Could there possibly be a fifth wolf?

Without a second thought, he dashed toward Kuan Feifei, only to find the wolf he had crippled dragging itself toward her. Her wooden stick was no match for the wolf's assault; it had even clamped down on her left calf, prompting her scream.

Ke Dong acted swiftly, hurling his Coldsteel Sword with his right hand, pinning the wolf to the ground. After a few futile twitches, the wolf lay still.

He yanked out the sword and pried open the wolf's jaws. "How about it? Can you walk?"

Kuan Feifei's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Clenching her lips, she managed to say, "Help me up, I'll give it a try."

Ke Dong took hold of her arm, and as Kuan Feifei braved the pain to lift her right foot, she stumbled and collapsed into Ke Dong's embrace.

"It hurts!"

Tears sprang to Kuan Feifei's eyes. In her more than twenty years of life, when had she ever endured such agony?