C15 The Snow Wolf King Great Wall Crisis

The snow wolf pack was eerily silent. Village Chief Gu Ye bellowed, "Where is the Wolf King?" In response, the wolves howled as the blizzard intensified. From the midst of the swirling snow, a two-headed giant wolf emerged, its presence commanding, with wind blades and ice spikes swirling around it. Its eyes glowed with a ghostly green light.

"Awoo!" The howl echoed, stirring up mounds of snow. The creature moved with the speed of lightning. Boom! The Wolf King collided with Gu Ye, the roar of the wind and the thunderous sound waves deafening. Trees toppled and boulders shattered as a giant and the snow wolf engaged in a ferocious fight.

Ye Kong reeled from the shockwave, his ears bleeding. Guta, standing nearby, quickly protected him, wrapping him in a cocoon of green light that eased the pressure. "Why are they fighting?" Ye Kong asked, bewildered.

Guta chuckled, "The Snow Wolf Clan serves as the guardian beasts of our Giant Valley. They've grown restless over the years, eager to test the strength of their master." As he spoke, Guta's other hand clenched with an audible crack, making Ye Kong's heart race with fear of being accidentally crushed.

"Little wolf, you're asking for it, challenging the might of the Giants," Guta said. Ye Kong nodded in understanding. The master had been away for too long, and the 'dog' had grown defiant. Now that the master had returned, the dog needed to be reminded of its place, subdued once more—by force if necessary.

The battle was over before Ye Kong could fully grasp what had happened. The Wolf King let out a wrenching howl of agony. With a gentle swipe of his hand, Village Chief Gu Ye calmed the chaotic snowfall. In the vast crater below, the Wolf King lay limp, its bones shattered, seemingly lifeless.

"Did the Village Chief go too far? The Wolf King looks dead," Ye Kong murmured to himself.

"He's not dead," Guta replied nonchalantly.

Ye Kong shook his head in resignation, silently paying his respects to the Wolf King. There was nothing he could do. The Village Chief's brutality knew no bounds. The Wolf King's heads were crushed, its bones broken, yet the Chief did not relent. Three more punches were thrown, each one shaking the very earth beneath them.

Suddenly, he bellowed, "Open it!"

His fists, large as sandbags, simultaneously struck both heads of the Wolf King.

Blood splattered in all directions.

Ye Kong couldn't bear to watch any longer.

Bardieg, standing nearby, couldn't help but say, "Village Chief, isn't this too harsh? The snow wolf pack has guarded our exit for ten thousand years. They've toiled without recognition. How can we just leave the mountain and kill the Wolf King?"

Guta scoffed, "What do you kids know!"

As Ye Kong and Bardieg looked on in stunned silence, the village chief squeezed out a drop of vital essence.

He let it fall onto the Wolf King's body.

Then, something miraculous happened.

The near-death Snow Wolf King slowly opened its eyes.

The forces of wind and snow from the heavens and earth swiftly converged upon its form.

Its emaciated body filled out once more.

The Wolf King shook off the snowflakes and rose to its feet.

Vibrant and majestic, its size had increased from before.

"Whew."

With a single breath, the deep pit was instantly encased in ice.

The village chief applauded, "Well done."

The Wolf King approached the village chief and slowly knelt, laying its head upon the ground in submission.

The village chief walked over and gently stroked the Wolf King's head, proclaiming, "The Snow Wolf Clan has stood as our guardians for ten thousand years. We, the Giants, will not forget your service.

Today, with the Giants' Heaven-Splitting Fist, I have aided the Wolf King in breaking through to ascend to greater heights.

May you all remain steadfast in your duty and continue to protect the Wolf Valley."

"Awoo!"

The Snow Wolf King soared on the wind, pausing midair to howl.

The entire pack, electrified with excitement, joined in a chorus of roars.

With a sweep of its claws, the Wolf King summoned a gale that gathered the snowflakes into countless ice spikes, which lined the road on either side, carving out a grand thoroughfare.

Guta chuckled, "With the Ren and Du meridians open, the Snow Wolf King now commands the powers of wind and snow. It won't be long before he ascends to the King Level."

"Forward march!"

With a commanding shout, the village chief led his people onward.

The wolf pack stood vigilantly on either side of the path, respectfully watching the giant depart.

It wasn't until the giant had completely left the Wolf Valley that the Wolf King finally averted its gaze, and tranquility once again settled over the valley.

...

"Enemy attack! The Darkling Spectres are upon us!"

A cry of alarm pierced the night, echoing along the Wall.

Within moments, the Night's Watch was fully deployed and at the ready.

Illuminated by the harsh glare of spotlights, a teeming horde of ghouls amassed outside.

"We're in for a tough fight," the elder murmured to himself.

"Elder Chen, what seems to be the problem?"

A middle-aged man asked, his face etched with devotion.

Elder Chen's actual name had been forgotten by all.

Legend had it that he had stood guard over the Wall of Despair for centuries.

"Could it be that war is upon us once more?" the elder sighed softly.

The middle-aged man's face turned pale with fear. "Which war do you mean?"

Beside them, a bewildered new recruit struggled to follow their conversation.

He blurted out nonchalantly, "What's all this about a war? We'll just wipe them out."

The elder offered a wry smile. "Let's hope I'm just being overly cautious."

Three hundred years ago, on a night much like this one,

the ghoul army had stealthily approached the base of the wall, initiating a siege.

The defenders had underestimated the threat, dismissing it as just another routine skirmish.

Yet the ferocity of that battle had seared itself into the memories of those who survived.

The Night's Watch had suffered devastating losses, with eighty percent falling in battle.

The Divine King of the previous era had perished.

Had the Nine Countries not come to the rescue in the eleventh hour, the Wall of Despair would surely have fallen to the Darkling Spectres.

Gazing upon the Wall, the elder's heart was heavy with concern.

Would history repeat itself this time?

"Thud, thud, thud."

The muffled thuds of impact resonated ominously through the night.

Countless ghouls were battering their skulls against the steel gates, relentless in their assault.

A newly appointed general watched the scene with contempt.

"Pah, foolish vermin, thinking they can breach the Great Wall," he scoffed.

Clutching a barrel of oil, he tipped it over the edge.

"Pour it out, burn them alive."

At his command, over a thousand guards unleashed a deluge of oil.

Flames roared to life, scorching the earth and filling the air with the acrid smell of burning flesh.

The General chuckled, "Looks like they're just handing us experience points. The Darkling Spectres are getting weaker by the minute. I wonder if we'll manage to capture a couple alive this time."

A guard hurried over, panting, "General, Elder Chen senses something amiss. He urges us to proceed with caution and not to—"

With a wave of his hand, the General cut him off, his voice dripping with scorn. "He's gotten old, scared stiff by a mere ghoul. Let him take his fears and retire in the rear!"

Sword in hand, he rallied his men. "Brothers, follow me into battle. Let's take a Darkling Spectre captive, make it our slave. Charge!"

A swift arrow whistled through the air towards them.

"Not bad archery skills!" The General scoffed, raising his sword to deflect it.

But the unexpected occurred. The arrow, having traveled a great distance and seemingly slowing, suddenly picked up speed at the last moment.

He watched, eyes wide, as the arrow loomed larger and larger before him, until it finally found its mark in his forehead.

Thud!

He fell, rigid as a board.

"The General is dead," someone uttered, as shock rippled through the ranks.

The soldiers were stunned. Never had they seen an arrow penetrate the Wall's enchantments and take down a Night's Watchman so swiftly—let alone a General of considerable prowess.

What had happened?

While they were still reeling, a barrage of arrows screamed from the sky, and in a flash, rows of soldiers were struck down.

"It's them, the Eternal Night Legion."

Elder Chen's walking stick flew from his grasp, transforming into a mighty tree that towered above them all.