"Could there be something in the forest that startled it?"

Su Xuan had heard a story. It said that horses were quite sensitive and could foresee certain dangers, even seeing things invisible to humans.

No sooner had he posed this question than several dark shadows flickered through the forest and vanished. Bursts of wolf howls followed.

"Elder Su, it seems so." The coachman hadn't seen the shadows, but he did hear the howling. He said to Su Xuan, somewhat embarrassed, "The horse must be afraid of being bitten by the wolves. That's why it won't move. Why don't we just wait here for a bit until the wolves leave, then set off?"

"No need." Su Xuan stepped down from the carriage. "You can head back to the sect. I'll walk the rest of the way myself. We're not far from the Jiudingmen, right?"

"It's not far, just over the next two mountains," the coachman said reluctantly. "But Sect Leader Qi specifically instructed me to make sure I take you there and then bring you back. I..."

"Just tell him I ordered you not to," Su Xuan said with a wave of his hand. "This is an order from me, an Elder."

He was in a hurry to get to Jiudingmen for medicine and didn't want any delay. He also had another matter to attend to, and the coachman's presence would be inconvenient. Ignoring the reluctant coachman, he dashed into the forest alone.

Elder Su is so powerful. He killed the master of Flying Wolf Villa in a second. A few wolves definitely won't be a threat to him...

The coachman muttered to himself for a moment before turning the horse around and heading back toward the Floating Cloud Sect.

AWOO!

Su Xuan moved through the dense forest, the sound of howling wolves ringing incessantly in his ears. The howls were strange, not like normal ones. They were filled with terror and helplessness, as if something dreadful had invaded their territory. They wanted to defend it but were powerless, only able to cry out in this way...

Su Xuan quickly reached the center of the dense forest. It was extremely dark inside, with the crisscrossing branches looking eerie and menacing.

Suddenly, the wolf howls stopped, as if the wolves had all left on their own.

Su Xuan stood still, scanning his surroundings when a rustling sound came from afar.

"Is that you?" Su Xuan asked softly in the direction of the sound.

But no one answered. The sound, however, drew closer and closer.

Su Xuan suddenly shrugged helplessly with a wry smile. "You people really... hold a grudge, don't you!"

He said this because he saw several figures emerge from the darkness of the forest. They were all wearing the uniform of the Flying Wolf Villa.

"Elder Su, it's been a while." A figure stepped forward, stopping a dozen meters away from Su Xuan.

"Villa Master Ji," Su Xuan greeted him.

The man's face was pale, and he looked to be in poor health. It was indeed Ji Yangping, the master of Flying Wolf Villa, whom Su Xuan had cut with his sword. Su Xuan had actually held back at the time; otherwise, a single strike could have killed him.

"I'm not doing well," Ji Yangping said coldly, shaking his head. "But if I kill you now, I'll feel much better. I might even hold a feast tonight to celebrate, just like you did last night."

"Do you really want to fight?" Su Xuan asked.

"What a stupid question!" Ji Yangping retorted. "Did you think we were here for a secret rendezvous? To chat?"

With that, Ji Yangping waved his hand, and his disciples continued forward, encircling Su Xuan. He was enduring the pain from his wounds, having set up this ambush in the forest just to kill Su Xuan and avenge that palm strike and sword cut. If he didn't kill Su Xuan, he wouldn't be able to face his disciples. Yesterday, he had been so confident when he went to cause trouble for the two sects, yet he had achieved nothing. Instead, he was beaten into a fool by Su Xuan and had to be carried back to Flying Wolf Villa!

What a humiliation! Unbearable!

The disciples of Flying Wolf Villa closed in on Su Xuan step by step, each holding a sharp weapon. Their expressions were cautious and wary as they tightened the encirclement, just waiting for Ji Yangping's command to desperately chop Su Xuan into mincemeat.

"Stop!" Ji Yangping suddenly raised his hand.

The disciples of Flying Wolf Villa glanced at their master and halted. Standing outside the circle, Ji Yangping spoke coldly to Su Xuan, "Aren't you going to beg me to spare your life?"

Su Xuan just shrugged, saying nothing.

Ji Yangping frowned. "If you kneel and beg me now, I might spare your life. But I'll still remove your four limbs!"

Su Xuan looked at Ji Yangping as if he were an idiot. He still remained silent.

The silence was a stinging insult, and Ji Yangping's anger flared. He roared, "Chop him to death! Chop him to death! Tonight, I'll use his skull as a wine cup and drink deep!"

Before Ji Yangping's words had faded, his disciples charged toward Su Xuan with a great clatter of weapons. From above, they looked like a pack of ferocious wolves lunging at their prey.

"Hey..." Su Xuan ignored the charging disciples of the Flying Wolf Villa and looked inexplicably toward the space behind Ji Yangping. "If you don't come out now, I, your master, will get angry and won't want you anymore!"

What does he mean? Ji Yangping thought Su Xuan was speaking to him and was utterly confused. What master? What's all this about being angry? Has the trap I've laid scared him senseless?

But in the next second, something he could have never imagined happened.

A massive figure shimmering with dazzling golden light suddenly rumbled into existence behind him and rolled forward!

"Holy shit!"

Ji Yangping hadn't even made out what the figure was when, with a cry of alarm, he was flattened to the ground by it. Despite being a Late Stage Heaven Severing expert, Ji Yangping was powerless to resist the massive golden figure's weight. He was completely crushed into the dirt.

ROAR!

The golden figure let out a heaven-shaking roar and thundered toward Su Xuan.

The disciples of the Flying Wolf Villa were thrown into chaos. They were sent flying—some were snagged on tree branches, others slammed heavily onto the ground. The unlucky ones landed headfirst on rocks, and the even unluckier were blasted away by the massive figure and embedded into tree trunks.

With the appearance of this immense figure, Ji Yangping's carefully laid trap instantly crumbled.

Su Xuan stood his ground, unwavering, staring directly at the golden figure charging straight at him.

He's going to get hit too! The few standing disciples from Flying Wolf Villa couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude, thinking the creature didn't discriminate and simply charged at anyone it saw.

But immediately after, they witnessed a scene that left them dumbfounded.

THUD!

The golden figure, just two or three meters from Su Xuan, suddenly fell to its knees, its vast body sliding to a halt on the ground right in front of him. Then, it lay there before Su Xuan, completely docile and motionless.

The golden light illuminated Su Xuan's face. He raised a hand and placed it on the creature's head. Wearing a satisfied expression, he chuckled and said, "My mount really is pretty badass!"

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