General Thunder, being a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, wielded immense power even with a casual lightning strike. The energy of the lightning was overwhelming. Although Zhong Shan's back bore the brunt of it, a significant portion still scattered around him, enveloping his entire body in a crackling electric field.
The residual lightning struck the little wolf's left leg.
"Crackle... Crackle..."
After the lightning dissipated, Zhong Shan's clothes were charred black. His higher cultivation level and past experiences had given him some immunity to electricity. However, the little wolf wasn't as fortunate. Despite Zhong Shan shielding it from the worst of the strike, the little bit that hit its leg was enough to tear its skin and burn much of its fur.
"Hahahahaha!" General Thunder laughed maniacally. "This pest is so weak. Just a casual strike, and he's already down."
"Facing death, and you still think of protecting your pet? Just a newly tamed one at that? Hah! With your level of cultivation, you can only tame such small beasts. Hahaha!" General Thunder continued to laugh.
The little wolf let out a heart-wrenching howl, sharp and piercing, reaching the heavens and echoing through the valley, spreading in all directions.
Hearing the wolf's continuous cries, General Thunder's excitement grew. "A useless little beast, just like you were back then. A bit of pain, and it's howling like this. Hahaha."
The little wolf's cries did not stop.
In distant valleys, countless resting wolves heard the little wolf's mournful howls. Their eyes snapped open, and they quickly stood. Hearing the call for help, they all rose without hesitation and ran swiftly towards the valley where the little wolf was.
As they ran, their expressions grew increasingly furious, baring their teeth and snarling.
"Arroooo!"
Some of the wolves joined in the howl as they ran, waking even more wolves farther away. Regardless of what they were doing, they dropped everything and ran towards the little wolf's valley at top speed.
The sight of thousands of wolves running once more appeared, kicking up clouds of dust, their powerful strides echoing across the mountains. The howling continued to spread even further.
Unaware of the impending situation, General Thunder thought the little wolf was merely terrified. His grin widened, showing his cruel satisfaction.
In the distant valley where the Emperor of the Yin Moon Dynasty and his entourage waited, General Qingyun had returned.
"How did it go?" the Emperor asked anxiously, his eyes fixed on General Qingyun.
"Mission accomplished. Congratulations, the Supreme One has agreed to meet you," General Qingyun said with a hint of a smile.
"Thank you," the Emperor said, unable to hide his excitement. Even with his years of experience and steady demeanor, he trembled slightly at the news, his fists clenching tightly.
Behind the Emperor, everyone except Mr. Corpse showed expressions of elation. They all felt a sense of triumph, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.
"Alright, prepare yourselves. We'll go see the Supreme One immediately," General Qingyun instructed, nodding with a smile.
"Yes, as soon as General Thunder returns, we'll go together," the Emperor responded promptly.
"Thunder? The person from before? Where did he go?" General Qingyun asked, puzzled.
"Awoooo!"
Suddenly, a sharp wolf howl echoed from the northern mountains, followed by more howls, each more urgent than the last.
"Awoooo!"
"Awoooo!"
The Emperor Yanjing watched as countless wolves rushed towards the distance. What was happening? What could have caused such a commotion?
"This is bad!" General Qingyun suddenly cried out. He transformed into a fifty-meter-tall giant wolf, not even bothering to explain to the people of the Yin Moon Dynasty. With a fierce look in his eyes, he sprinted towards the distance.
Seeing the direction, the Emperor's heart tightened with an ominous feeling. No, it couldn't be!
Without hesitation, the Emperor took a step forward, leading his entourage as they quickly followed General Qingyun.
In the valley of Guanglu Flowers, General Thunder raised his right hand, holding a ball of lightning that crackled with deadly arcs of electricity. It looked incredibly terrifying.
Tears of pain streamed down the little wolf's face as it stared hatefully at General Thunder above. Its eyes were filled with hatred.
Zhong Shan, though his clothes were charred, stood protectively in front of the little wolf, brandishing his blade at General Thunder.
"Hahaha, such loyalty between master and pet. Let's see if you can handle my Thunderstorm Orb. Reaching the seventh level of the Innate stage with your potential is impressive. But those who cross me never end well. So, die together with your beloved pet!" General Thunder laughed maniacally, pushing the lightning ball towards Zhong Shan and the little wolf.
"Awoooo!"
The little wolf howled in despair behind Zhong Shan.
Suddenly, a massive fireball shot in from a distance, smashing into the lightning ball with a thunderous crash.
"Boom!"
General Thunder was taken aback, looking in the direction from which the fireball had come.
In the distance, atop a distant peak, a gigantic red wolf, thirty meters tall, charged forward, crushing a massive boulder under its paws as it leaped down, fury in its eyes directed at General Thunder.
"Boom!"
With another thunderous crash, the huge red wolf landed in front of General Thunder, who quickly retreated in shock at the sudden appearance of the giant wolf.
The red wolf positioned itself between Zhong Shan and General Thunder, only then seeming to relax slightly.
"Awoooo!"
The red wolf howled towards the sky, its cry piercing the heavens and echoing for miles.
"Awooo... Awooo..."
More and more wolves joined in the howling from all directions.
General Thunder stared at the giant wolf, his eyes flashing with surprise. His heart sank with a sudden sense of impending doom, a feeling so intense that it made his hair stand on end despite his Nascent Soul cultivation.
"Grrrr..."
The red wolf bared its fangs at General Thunder, looking as if it wanted to tear him apart.
General Thunder felt an overwhelming sense of danger and had only one thought: run, and run fast. But just as he began to lift off the ground, a sudden and deafening series of thuds resounded.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
From all directions, a massive number of wolves leaped into the valley, their numbers swelling by the second. In an instant, over five hundred wolves had gathered, fifty of which were enormous, standing thirty meters tall.
Fifty Nascent Soul level wolves? General Thunder felt a cold chill down his spine.
The wolves bared their teeth at General Thunder, their eyes filled with fierce hostility. As he tried to ascend a little further, ten of the massive wolves launched white-hot fireballs at him.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Despite his full defensive efforts, the fireballs left him charred and blackened, serving as a clear warning: he was not to leave. Each wolf displayed its sharp fangs, emphasizing the message.
In this tense moment, the small wolf, limping, managed to climb onto the head of the giant red wolf in front of General Thunder. Seeing the injured little wolf, the assembled wolves erupted into enraged howls. The fact that the little wolf, evidently important in this territory, had been harmed was unforgivable. The wolves' collective fury suggested that they would have torn General Thunder apart if it weren't for their restraint, seemingly waiting for the little wolf to give the final order.
General Thunder's eyes filled with a sudden, deep sadness. How could he have known this little wolf held such immense importance? If he had known, he would never have dared to harm it.
The little wolf, with tears still in its eyes, stared at General Thunder with a hatred so intense it seemed to burn.
"Boom!"
A fifty-meter-tall giant green wolf, General Qingyun, leapt into the valley. The other wolves made way, showing their respect and indicating Qingyun's high status among them. They retreated to stand beside and behind the little wolf, but their fierce glares at General Thunder remained, undiminished.
The little wolf barked angrily at General Thunder.
In wolf language, it commanded: "Kill him! Kill him! He tried to kill Xianxian!"
At the little wolf's command, the surrounding wolves opened their mouths, preparing to unleash massive bursts of energy towards General Thunder.
Seeing the impending attack, General Thunder shivered and quickly moved closer to General Qingyun, hoping for some semblance of protection from the wolf he recognized.
"Qingyun, save me! I didn't know the little wolf was so important. Spare me, please!" General Thunder pleaded, his voice trembling.
General Qingyun looked down at General Thunder with a mixture of disappointment and anger. He then turned to the little wolf, awaiting its decision. The little wolf's eyes burned with a deep-seated hatred as it gazed at General Thunder, clearly indicating that it wanted justice for the wrong done to it.
"Qingyun, I... I can explain," General Thunder stammered, but it was clear that explanations would not suffice.
The little wolf barked again, its message clear: "No mercy."
General Qingyun let out a growl, and the wolves around him prepared to strike, their energy focused and ready to be unleashed upon General Thunder.