Chen Feng recognized the man who spoke as a Ranger; this class excels at long-distance pursuits but falters in static defense. If Alfred hadn't executed that pseudo-Tier Four magic, the Water Cloud Shield, at the last second, at least half of them would have been wounded!

One Ice Rock Battle Wolf had a death grip on the Ranger's shoulder, while another had already snapped off his arm and was now tearing at his thigh. The wolves' long, sharp fangs easily pierced the Ranger's meager defenses.

The Ranger screamed and collapsed, blood gushing from his severed arm and shoulder, mixing indistinguishably with the wolf blood pooling on the ground.

Less than a minute had passed, and already someone had fallen!

Chen Feng didn't hesitate, leaping forward. Barehanded, he seized the heads of the two Battle Wolves and yanked. The wolves' heads and bodies were instantly torn in two, spraying gore everywhere. With immense force, he hurled the carcasses into the approaching pack. The sheer momentum generated by Chen Feng’s strength, honed in the Deep Domain, scattered the wolves attacking that breach. Dozens of Battle Wolves had their bones shattered upon impact, instantly killed.

In that brief opening, Chen Feng dragged the fallen Ranger back inside, and the defensive circle contracted once more, sealing the gap against the surging tide of wolves.

"Ah!" Immediately after, another person was struck and went down.

Chen Feng repeated his maneuver, and the perimeter tightened further. After five people were injured, the first wave of the wolf assault finally abated, slowly retreating.

Everyone was drenched in sweat. Though the engagement lasted barely three minutes, under the relentless attack of the wolves, it felt as if centuries had dragged by.

Apart from Chen Feng, Alfred, and Grace, nearly everyone bore injuries, and three individuals with the cultivation of a Tier Four Warrior had been slain.

The 'turtle shells' maintained by the two nurses, though sturdy, could not withstand the ferocious onslaught much longer. The protective barriers were visibly riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse.

Austin was also wounded, though not seriously. Under Alfred’s water magic healing, he recovered quickly. However, his vital energy was severely depleted; he sat down, gasping for breath, utterly stripped of any princely dignity.

If anyone seemed relatively unscathed, it was Chen Feng and Xiaohu. Any Battle Wolf that managed to breach the perimeter was instantly cleaved in half by Xiaohu’s claws—a gruesome sight.

Chen Feng was even more startling. He needed no weapon; his bare fists were like twin hammers, crushing any wolf head they connected with. Furthermore, his strength seemed inexhaustible. Despite having moved the most during the fight, he appeared completely unaffected, his face unreddened and his breathing even, showing no difference from before the battle!

These were a pack of Tier Three Battle Beasts! Even if their offensive capability was lower than an ordinary Tier Seven or Eight Warrior, such a massive number of attacks was more than most could endure! Moreover, the Ice Rock Battle Wolves exuded a biting, frigid battle aura—merely being within ten feet of them made the air feel like an ice cellar. Yet, this person called Kusanagi seemed completely immune to this icy attribute, utterly unmoved!

The others looked at Chen Feng with expressions laced with confusion and incomprehension, yet also tinged with awe and fear. A collective thought arose in their minds: This person must never be provoked...

…………

“If this continues, everyone will die!” Chen Feng’s voice held no emotion, cutting through the air coldly.

Austin nodded gravely, “I know. It’s a miracle we survived the first wave. The second will be far worse; we won't withstand it!”

Chen Feng pressed, “You know? Then is there a solution?”

Austin sighed, “What solution is there? This wolf pack arrived with unforeseen ferocity. I once read a journal left by a Dou Zun level expert detailing a path into Dragon Scroll Mountain. That route had very few high-level Magical or Battle Beasts. I never imagined we’d encounter an attack of this magnitude…”

“Something has changed within Dragon Scroll Mountain!” Chen Feng stated calmly, recalling what Xiaohu had told him.

“Perhaps!” Austin avoided dwelling on that possibility. “I thought of a way!”

“Oh?” Chen Feng focused his gaze on him.

“Never mind, it’s hopeless! No one here could manage it!” Austin lamented with another sigh.

Chen Feng’s eyes narrowed, a fleeting, cold glint flashing within them. “Don’t play these petty games with me. Provocation will only breed my contempt!”

Austin felt a jolt, as if struck by electricity, his hands and feet growing cold. He had indeed been considering using provocation, but the thought had barely formed before the other detected it. Such mental acuity was terrifying. Could this person truly only be in his teens? It seems the previous suspicions were correct! If so, we have a chance!

Austin calmed his sudden tension. “We must charge into the pack and kill the White Wolf King!”

“The Ice Rock Battle Wolf’s White Wolf King? That’s a Tier Four Battle Beast! The equivalent of a Human Master Warrior. Do you seriously think anyone here can break through the horde to kill it?” Chen Feng scoffed.

Even Alfred, though a Magus, was only at the lowest level, and the White Wolf King was too far away for his magical power to reach effectively. Sending a mage to the front lines to attack was unthinkable.

Austin lowered his head. Indeed, the Ice Rock Battle Wolf sovereign, the White Wolf King, was a Tier Four Battle Beast. No one present could match it in combat. Was this where their group would meet their end?

Just then, the second wave of the wolf pack surged forward!

…………

In the blink of an eye, two more people were frozen solid, becoming ice statues.

This batch of Battle Wolves was clearly berserk, attacking with even greater ferocity than before. Austin, too, began to buckle, on the verge of collapse.

The defensive perimeter shrank tighter and tighter, moments from shattering.

Chen Feng observed the swarming wolves; the smell of blood made his nose burn. Under such an overwhelming assault, even the consciousness of an iron man would break down.

“Ah… I don’t want to die…” a voice cried out. A man around thirty years old shrieked, tears streaming down his face.

Such open weeping signaled weak internal resistance; he had lost faith and would surely die before the others, Chen Feng assessed internally.

As predicted, before three seconds had passed, a grayish-blue Ice Rock Battle Wolf lunged, biting through the man's neck. His eyes wide with resentment and fury, he crashed heavily to the ground.

If this continued, everyone would perish. While their deaths might be welcome to Chen Feng in isolation, if everyone died, he and Xiaohu could not possibly survive the subsequent wolf onslaught.

Chen Feng let out a deep breath, closed his eyes for two seconds, and then snapped them open. A surge of flame erupted from beneath his deep green leather armor.

The scorching fire provided a massive boost of encouragement and comfort amidst the chilling battle aura of the Ice Rock Battle Wolves.

Chen Feng executed the Phantom Crane Steps beneath his feet, and swirling vital energy rapidly circulated through his meridians, sustaining the flames around him.

The onlookers saw only a blur—Chen Feng, a streak of living fire, plunging directly into the heart of the wolf pack!

ps: The rankings are changing today, so Old Ya won't say much. Brothers and sisters, cast your recommendation votes liberally! Let’s witness a miracle together and see if this book can break into the top five of the new book rankings without main site recommendations… Thank you all…