A lifelong promise
Let's rewind to the moment Ling Zhan left the wheat field.
Holding the terrified, wailing golden-brown monkey in her arms, she pushed the power of the Asura Warrior at the Great Perfection of the Meridian Opening Realm to its peak! Her figure transformed into a black lightning bolt that tore through the cold wind, swiftly traversing the rugged mountain path covered in snow and slippery with moisture.
The little monkey clung tightly to her clothes, its small body trembling violently from extreme fear and the urgency to return home. Its large amber eyes were fixed on the direction of the misty mountain peak, and its mournful chirping was as rapid as a drumbeat.
The closer you get to the mountaintop grassland, the more pungent the smell of blood and the strong stench of wild animals becomes, almost solidifying into a tangible odor!
The golden-brown monkey's fur stood on end again, and its mournful cry instantly escalated into a sharp, piercing warning!
When Ling Zhan broke through the last barrier of thorny bushes like an arrow and stepped onto the vast grassland that had once given her a brief moment of peace, the scene before her made her pupils suddenly contract!
The once lush green carpet has been trampled into a mess, with dark red bloodstains splattered on it, mixed with messy golden monkey fur and gray-black wolf hair.
Dozens of robust, fierce-looking gray wolves formed a tight, deadly encirclement, trapping a small group of golden-brown monkeys—about a dozen or so, almost the entire troop—at the edge of the grassland, right next to the waterfall and the entrance to the dark blue cave in a recess in the mountain wall! There was no way to retreat!
The wolf pack's deep howls rolled like muffled thunder across the frozen earth, their gleaming white fangs flashing with a deadly cold light in the reflection of the snow.
The monkey troop was covered in wounds. Several of the strongest adult males bared their sharp teeth, their fur standing on end as they stood on the outermost edge, emitting menacing hisses. Their bodies were covered with deep claw marks and bite wounds that revealed the bone, and their golden fur was soaked in blood, which had congealed into clumps.
The mother monkeys huddled tightly in the cold crevices of the rocks, their eyes filled with nothing but despairing ashes.
The little monkey in Ling Zhan's arms witnessed the tragic state of its kin and let out a heart-wrenching cry, struggling frantically to pounce on them!
The wolves' keen senses instantly detected the intruder!
The lead wolf, an exceptionally large wolf with shoulders almost reaching Ling Zhan's waist and fur that was silvery-gray with a hint of paleness, suddenly turned its head!
A pair of icy green wolf eyes, filled with chilling killing intent, instantly locked onto Ling Zhan!
It let out a low, commanding growl, and several of the strongest male wolves immediately broke free from the encirclement, baring their fangs in a deadly fan shape, and slowly approached Ling Zhan with their bodies low!
The intention couldn't be clearer—
Eliminate this unknown and dangerous threat first!
Zero's silence deprived Ling Zhan of the ability to accurately pinpoint weaknesses and predict trajectories.
But the battle instincts honed by the warriors of Shura Star had long been ingrained in her bones and blood!
"Hold on tight!" Ling Zhan shouted in a low voice, and pushed his shoulder forward.
The little monkey immediately grabbed her neck with all four limbs as if it were a lifeline.
At the same time, Ling Zhan made a move!
Instead of retreating, she charged at the oncoming wolves like an arrow released from a bow! Her speed was even slightly faster than the fastest alpha wolf! Just as the alpha wolf's foul-smelling claws were about to tear her clothes, her body suddenly slid and twisted with superhuman flexibility, narrowly avoiding the gaping maw. Her fist, infused with all the power of her Meridian Opening Realm cultivation, slammed into the most vulnerable spot on the nose of the other wolf that was pouncing on her, like a battering sledgehammer, accompanied by a piercing shriek.
"Bang! Crack!"
A chilling cracking sound of bones breaking and a piercing wolf howl exploded at the same time!
The male wolf's nose and half of its face collapsed instantly. It howled and rolled away, knocking down a group of its companions!
Ling Zhan's movements were fluid and seamless!
She was like a black grim reaper dancing among wolves, each dodge precise to the millimeter, avoiding fatal bites and rips; each counterattack brimmed with terrifying power capable of shattering rocks, targeting the wolf's most fatal weaknesses—throat, back, and joints! There were no fancy moves, only the most primal and efficient art of killing! Fists, elbows, knees, even the hard forehead, all became deadly weapons!
"Awooo—!"
"Snap!"
"Pfft!"
The wolves' howls, the muffled thuds of bones breaking, and the dull thuds of flesh being struck by tremendous force intertwined into a symphony of death!
In just a few breaths, the first few strong male wolves that pounced on the enemy were all lying on the ground, either dead or crippled, completely incapacitated!
Ling Zhan hasn't used his full power yet!
This precise control over power is even more terrifying!
This devastating crushing force instantly shocked the entire bloody battlefield!
Both the attacking wolf pack and the dying monkey troop fell into a deathly silence!
All eyes were fixed on the figure, covered in wolf blood, standing like an ancient demon god amidst the howling wolf carcasses!
The enormous silver-gray wolf's eerie green pupils finally contracted sharply, revealing an unprecedented solemnity and deep apprehension!
It let out a low growl, its sound waves carrying an undeniable authority that forcefully suppressed the restless killing intent of the wolf pack behind it. It slowly strode forward, its massive body exuding a mountain-like pressure, each step crushing the snow as it approached Ling Zhan. The cold wolf eyes clashed fiercely with Ling Zhan's calm, unfathomable black eyes in mid-air!
It understood. This human's goal wasn't to seize territory, but to protect the monkeys!
And that hole...
It is the only hope for its wolf pack to survive the impending apocalyptic blizzard!
For the sake of the survival of its kind, the wolf king must fight!
"roar--!"
The White Wolf King suddenly unleashed a deafening roar, its massive body transforming into a silver-gray afterimage, tearing through the air and carrying a suffocating, pungent stench as its gaping maw lunged straight for Ling Zhan's throat! Its speed, power, and imposing presence far surpassed anything before!
A fierce glint flashed in Ling Zhan's eyes!
Still choosing to fight head-on!
Just as the fangs were about to touch her skin, she jerked her body backward, her back almost touching the ground, narrowly avoiding a fatal bite! At the same time, her right leg, brimming with the power of the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm, lashed out like a steel whip tearing through the sky, striking the White Wolf King's relatively soft chest and abdomen with overwhelming force!
"Bang! Whoosh—!"
A dull, drum-like thud echoed, accompanied by the White Wolf King's painful howl!
It was kicked so violently that it was flung into the air!
But the wolf king's fighting instincts were terrifying. It forcibly twisted its body in mid-air, and its huge, powerful wolf claws, accompanied by a tearing sound, slammed down on Ling Zhan's head!
Ling Zhan crossed his arms, his muscles bulging, and braced himself!
"Boom!" A dull, resounding crash, like boulders colliding!
Ling Zhan felt an overwhelming force surge through his arms, and the frozen ground beneath his feet cracked violently.
He was actually forced back three steps, leaving two deep furrows!
The White Wolf King also used the momentum to land, its four claws digging deep into the frozen soil.
After sliding several meters away, the wolf's dark green eyes showed even greater fear, even a hint of apprehension.
The two sides are evenly matched!
The man and the wolf instantly realized how terrifying the other was.
If the fight continues, it will inevitably result in mutual destruction, or even mutual annihilation!
This is crucial for the wolf pack, which desperately needs shelter for its cubs and its members, and for Ling Zhan, who needs to protect the monkey troop and the Zero Cave.
These are all the worst possible outcomes.
At this moment of deathly silence, where the killing intent was frozen and an imminent explosion was imminent.
Suddenly, the little golden monkey on Ling Zhan's shoulder started to squeal anxiously, its little paws pointing desperately to a very hidden, narrow rock crevice, half-hidden by withered vines, behind the wolf pack and near the bottom of the waterfall.
From deep within the crevice, a few extremely faint, weak "whimpering" sounds, like those of a newborn kitten, could be heard, carrying a helpless tremor.
The White Wolf King's ears perked up instantly like radar, and it abruptly turned towards the gap. In its eerie green wolf eyes, the kingly cold killing intent was instantly replaced by an extremely human, almost frantic anxiety and worry!
Ling Zhan instantly understood!
There are wolf cubs inside! And they are the bloodline of this wolf king!
No wonder it was so desperate, even going so far as to besiege the monkey troop with its entire clan to seize the cave! It was all to provide a safe haven for its vulnerable cubs to survive the impending devastating cold wave!
The wolf pack's attack was not for prey, but for survival!
A clear and bold idea instantly took shape in Ling Zhan's cold mind.
She slowly lowered her arms to block, the oppressive killing intent around her receding like a tide, but her gaze remained sharp as a knife, staring directly into the White Wolf King's dark green wolf eyes, which were filled with complex emotions, and said in an icy yet clear voice:
"The cave can be shared."
She first pointed to the besieged, surviving monkey troop, then to the white wolf king and the menacing wolf pack behind him.
Finally, the point was precisely to the crevice in the rock from which the cub's whimper was coming:
“You should live on the east side, near the water source. The monkeys should live on the west side, near the orchard.”
"Live within designated boundaries and do not infringe upon each other's territory."
"Let's work together to protect the peace of this place."
“If you break this agreement,” Ling Zhan’s eyes suddenly sharpened like tangible ice spikes, and he pulled out the heavy iron rod from his back, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground. An even more chilling aura than before spread out, “You will die.”
The White Wolf King stared intently at Ling Zhan, a low, enigmatic gurgling sound emanating from its throat, its heavy breaths condensing into white mist in the cold air. It was weighing, scrutinizing the truth and promises in the powerful human's words.
The wolf pack held their breath, anxiously awaiting their king's decision.
The cold glint of the iron rods made them instinctively feel an even deeper threat.
Time seemed to freeze in the wind and snow.
Even the howling wind seemed to subside, as if to listen to the decision that would determine the fate of the mountaintop.
Finally, the White Wolf King slowly and solemnly lowered his head.
The neck covered with pale white mane, facing Ling Zhan, no longer displayed an attack posture.
It raised its head and let out a long, deep howl, yet with a strange and solemn feeling, towards the sky where the wind and snow had just stopped and the leaden clouds hung low!
Like the oath of an ancient tribe, it echoes among the mountains!
The wolves behind it seemed to have received a divine command, bowing their heads and tails, emitting low howls of agreement and submission.
Immediately afterwards, the white wolf king turned around and let out a series of short, majestic growls at the wolves surrounding the monkey troop.
The wolf pack, like the most elite soldiers, immediately stopped howling and retreated slowly and orderly, making way for a safe passage to the dry area on the east side of the rock crevices and cave.
The monkeys, still in shock, stared blankly at the sudden turn of events, their eyes filled with disbelief.
The little golden monkey leaped off Ling Zhan's shoulder with a "whoosh," transforming into a golden shadow as it swiftly darted back to the monkey troop. It pounced into the arms of an injured mother monkey, letting out a squeaking sound, a sound of relief mixed with sobs, as if it were urgently trying to tell someone something.
Ling Zhan strode toward the crevice in the rock that was hidden by withered vines.
Parting the vines, one could see a small space covered with a little dry grass, and nestled tightly in the grass nest were two furry wolf cubs! One was pure white, with the tips of its fur seemingly gleaming with a slightly cold sharpness in the dim light; the other had a hazy gray-blue coat, as if wrapped in a layer of flowing mountain mist.
Their eyes were not fully open yet.
They were instinctively huddling together for warmth, emitting weak and pitiful whimpers, completely unaware of the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place outside the cave.
The White Wolf King—who should now be respectfully called the White Wolf King—walked to Ling Zhan's side, lowered its massive head, and gently touched the two cubs with its nose. Then it raised its head and gazed deeply at Ling Zhan. In its dark green wolf eyes, the ferocity and killing intent had faded, leaving only a pleading and heavy entrustment.
Ling Zhan's gaze swept over the two fragile little balls of fur, each containing a miracle of life.
The snow-white one, pure and austere like newly fallen frost, faintly revealed a hint of future sharpness; the gray-blue one, lively and hazy like the misty shadow of dawn. She swept past the white wolf king's lowered head and the pack of wolves standing solemnly behind it, then turned to the monkey troop in the distance, who had finally begun to lick each other's wounds and huddle together for warmth.
Finally, it landed behind that waterfall, at the entrance to the slumbering, deep blue cave.
She didn't touch the cubs, but instead reached out her hand, stained with a little wolf blood, and with a strange respect, gently patted the white wolf king's broad and sturdy shoulders covered with thick silver-gray fur.
"They are safe." Ling Zhan's voice went straight to the soul, containing an undeniable power of promise.
"Here, the covenant of mutual observance is established."
The white wolf king let out a low, almost sighing whimper, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from its throat. It raised its head again, facing the sky, and let out a long, even louder, and more penetrating howl!
This long howl heralded the end of the bloody old order on the mountaintop.
A new order, jointly protected by humans, wolves, and monkeys, was born amidst the wind and snow!
With Ling Zhan's tacit approval, the wolf pack began to patrol the outer perimeter of the mountain grassland in an orderly manner, forming a natural warning barrier.
The area on the east side, closer to the waterfall's source and with drier ground, was designated as the wolf pack's territory.
The western area, closer to the forest and with more abundant wild fruit trees, was left for the monkeys to rest and recuperate.
The crucial cave that could house the entire tribe was divided by an invisible boundary.
Ling Zhan even personally moved several heavy boulders.
Built in the center of the cave, it provides a clearer and more symbolic boundary for both sides.
The howls of wolves rose and fell, conveying new commands.
The White Wolf King walked up to Ling Zhan, lowered its head, and very gently nudged the snow-white wolf cub with its nose towards Ling Zhan's feet. The gray-blue wolf cub, bewildered, followed its older brother or sister and came closer.
Ling Zhan bent down and carefully picked up the two warm and soft little lives, one on each side.
The pure white cub nestled in her arms, and the cold, sharp touch brought a name to mind—Frostblade; the hazy gray-blue creature curled quietly on the other side, like a flowing cloud of mist.
Their pure and innocent vitality nestled against her blood-stained clothes.
A strange, almost soft warmth inexplicably rippled across the cold lake of her heart.
The monkeys watched from afar, their eyes filled with gratitude, yet they remained huddled together, keeping a watchful eye.
Only when the little golden monkey kept weaving through the troop, squeaking and gesturing as if explaining something, did the troop's tense mood gradually relax. Finally, they cautiously entered their half of the cave and disappeared into the shadows.
As the wind and snow gradually subsided, a crack appeared in the leaden clouds, and a faint ray of sunset shone on the blood-stained mountain peaks and grasslands, and also on the shoulders of Ling Zhan, who stood like a mountain, embracing the Frost Blade and the Shadow of the Mist.
The two cubs stirred in her arms, emitting soft, contented purrs.
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