Dashing Student

Chen Nan slammed heavily against a withered tree, his back searing with pain.

He forced himself to stand, a gush of metallic sweetness filled his mouth, blood trickling down from the corner of his lips, a pitiful sight to behold.

"Damn it!"

He wiped away the bloodstains from his mouth, watching the iron-backed grey wolf inch closer step by step, his gaze intensely serious.

The beast's eyes shone with a cunning gleam, evidently regarding him as prey within its grasp.

The grey wolf pounced again, faster than before!

Chen Nan barely managed to dodge sideways, yet the sharp claws still slashed his left arm, instantly leaving it drenched in blood.

"Hiss..."

He drew in a cold breath, urging the True Qi within his body, thrusting a palm strike at the wolf's skull.

Bang!

A terrifying wave of energy exploded forth, yet the wolf agilely tilted its head, causing the strike to only hit its shoulder, failing to deliver a fatal blow.

"Awooo!"

The wolf was enraged, a blood-red hue filling its eyes.

It whipped its head fiercely, its mouth spewing three wind blades in a triangular formation aimed at Chen Nan.

Chen Nan hastily erected a True Qi shield, yet the wind blades easily tore through it.

The first wind blade sliced across his thigh, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone.

The second one grazed his cheek, taking a lock of hair with it.

The third one struck squarely on his chest, sending him flying once more.

"Puh!"

Chen Nan spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision darkening.

Struggling to get up, he found his legs no longer responding.

The wolf advanced leisurely, its eyes mocking, savoring the prey's dying struggle.

Though Chen Nan's strength was not weak, there was a critical flaw—he knew no spells, forced to rely on close combat.

Conversely, if he had mastered spells, he could have used long-range attacks, effectively avoiding such risks!

"Is this... where I'll die?"

Chen Nan clenched his fists unwillingly.

He hadn't found Xiaoyu yet, nor become a disciple of the Yuantian Sect; how could he die at the hands of a beast?

At this critical moment, a stir arose from within his body. In his Dantian, the long-dormant red snake slowly awoke, opening its golden vertical pupils.

"Hiss~"

A barely audible hiss emanated from within Chen Nan.

The wolf suddenly halted, its fur standing on end, a trace of fear flashing through its eyes.

In the next moment, a red light shot out from Chen Nan's chest!

It was a small snake, entirely crimson, as thin as a chopstick, yet exuding an unsettling aura.

Hovering in the air, its golden vertical pupils coldly fixed on the wolf, its tiny forked tongue flickered, causing the surrounding air to subtly distort.

The wolf was as if facing a great adversary, retreating on trembling limbs, its throat emitting frightened whimpers.

It wanted to flee but found its body immobilized.

The red snake flickered and instantly burrowed into the wolf's nostril!

"Awooo!!"

The wolf let out a heartrending howl, rolling frantically on the ground.

Its body shriveled at a speed visible to the naked eye, its fur losing luster, muscles withering.

In just a few breaths, the powerful mid-Foundation Establishment beast turned into a dry corpse!

The red snake emerged from the wolf's ear, seemingly larger.

Satisfied, it flicked its tongue, leisurely slithering back to Chen Nan, affectionately brushing against his cheek, then burrowing back into his body.

Chen Nan watched all this, dumbfounded.

Though he knew the King of Ten Thousand Gu was extraordinary, he never imagined it would be so terrifying!

A mid-Foundation Establishment beast stood no chance before it!

Not only that, it could even wholly devour the wolf. How could one not be astounded?

"A fierce battle just took place here, surely attracting others' attention. I must find a secluded spot to heal." Weakly standing up, Chen Nan endured the pain, heading into the forest.

He then found a secluded spot, sat cross-legged, and took the Jade Dew Pill given by Liu Rushuang.

The King of Ten Thousand Gu remained in the Dantian, emanating a warm energy to help mend his wounds.

In the blink of an eye, an hour passed.

Chen Nan's injuries were completely healed.

"I need to speed up the search!" Taking a deep breath, Chen Nan released his Soul Power, searching for the Primordial Heaven Order.

Towering ancient trees cast dappled shadows, making the already dim forest even more eerie.

Scattered bones on the ground occasionally cracked, a reminder of the dangers of this forbidden land.

"I've been searching for so long, yet there's no sign of the Primordial Heaven Order. Could someone have beaten me to it?" Chen Nan muttered to himself, frowning.

Suddenly, he stumbled, nearly falling.

Glancing down, he saw a rusted broken sword half-buried in decayed leaves, only a small portion of the blade exposed.

The hilt had long since rotted, and the blade was spotted with dark red rust, appearing insignificant.

"Huh?"

Chen Nan was about to leave but suddenly stopped.

He sharply noticed that as his gaze swept over the broken sword, the True Qi within him subtly undulated.

It felt as if it were responding to something.

He crouched down, carefully brushed away the covering dead leaves.

As the broken sword fully emerged, a faint chill emanated from its blade, seemingly lowering the surrounding temperature.

Chen Nan reached out to grasp the hilt, a chilling coldness immediately shot up his arm to his Dantian.

Instinctively, he wanted to let go but was astonished to find his True Qi automatically circulating, forming a mysterious resonance with the coldness.

What's even more shocking was that the once rusted blade, upon contact with his True Qi, faintly glowed with a weak azure light!

"This sword, though incomplete, is definitely not an ordinary object!" Chen Nan's eyes gleamed; though unaware of the broken sword's history, its resonance with his True Qi indicated it was extraordinary.

He carefully placed the broken sword into his storage bag, planning to research it in detail later.

At that moment, the sound of fierce fighting suddenly erupted in the distance.

Chen Nan concealed his presence, quietly approaching the source of the noise.

Through the dense shrubs, he saw three disciples besieging a young girl in blue.

"Hand over the Primordial Heaven Order, and we'll spare your life! Otherwise, don't blame us three brothers for having no pity on you!" The leading disciple sneered, his sword emitting a cold gleam.

The other two looked at the girl with lascivious intent.

The girl's lips were stained with blood, clearly injured, yet still stubbornly gripping the token in her hand: "No way! I found this with my own skills! Why should I give it to you?"

"Hmph, refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!" The leading black-clad disciple laughed coldly, suddenly thrusting his sword, the blade wrapped in a streak of black energy, clearly having practiced a malicious cultivation technique.

The girl hurriedly parried, yet was forced back several steps, fresh blood seeping from her lips.

The other two disciples seized the opportunity to flank her from both sides, cutting off her retreat.

"This is your last chance, hand over the Primordial Heaven Order, or..." The black-clad disciple's eyes flashed with brutality: "Don't blame us for getting rough!"