212: Chapter 212: Fierce Battle Against the Frost Giant Wolf

Shen Xiaochuan stood in place, his hand resting on the detonator. His fingers were gripped tight, turning slightly white. He knew the fire wall was about to fail, and the ice was cracking. The giant wolf would break free soon.

He whispered, "I can't hold it much longer."

The wind was strong, and the snow fell incessantly. The firelight flickered. The giant wolf was still moving. Its legs were pinned down by Obsidian, and the chains were sinking into its flesh. Blood mixed with ice shards dripped down, emitting smoke whenever it touched the fire. But it wasn't dead. Its eyes were red, staring fixedly at Shen Xiaochuan.

Suddenly, the giant wolf raised its head and spat out a blast of frost. The frost wasn't aimed at anyone; instead, it swept across the surroundings. As the white mist exploded, it instantly transformed into a five-meter-high ice wall that reflected light like a mirror. Then, sharp points sprouted from the ice wall. With a 'whoosh,' dozens of ice spikes flew out, shooting in all directions.

"Get down!" Shen Xiaochuan shouted.

An ice spike flew past his left side, tearing his clothes and leaving a bloody gash on his shoulder. Another pierced the console, shattering the screen on the spot. Two guards dove behind cover. One of them was struck in the calf, curling up on the ground in pain.

"Firepower team! Hit it!" Shen Xiaochuan grabbed his communicator and roared.

"Report! Flame devices three and five are out of fuel!"

"The traction net is jammed; it won't deploy!"

"The electromagnetic net is out of energy; it needs two minutes to recharge!"

It was all bad news.

Shen Xiaochuan grit his teeth. All long-range weapons were useless. This wolf was too smart. It first used an ice wall to protect itself, then used ice spikes to attack others. It wasn't giving him a chance at all.

He glanced at his arm; the wound was bleeding but not deep. The real trouble was the frostbite on the outside of his right leg. He had tripped while dodging the ice spikes and hit an ice ridge; now his entire leg was numb.

He couldn't wait any longer. He stuffed the detonator into his backpack and reached for his waist.

There was a scroll there—red, with slightly worn edges. This was one of his last resorts.

He closed his eyes and silently chanted, "Zhang Fei."

His body suddenly grew hot, as if scalding blood was surging from his heart. A roar echoed in his ears, making his head throb. He opened his eyes, and his vision became much clearer; he could even see exactly how the snowflakes were drifting.

A red shadow appeared behind him, tall and imposing, holding a long spear with eyes glaring forward. A powerful force radiated out, even pushing back the wind and snow.

Now was the time. He grabbed his spear and jumped down from the high slope.

His feet sank into the snow upon landing. He kicked off hard, charging toward the ice pit. The ice wall was right in front of him, slick and cold. He couldn't stop; if he did, he would be skewered by ice spikes.

He raised his spear, aiming at a crack in the ice wall and thrusting downward with all his might.

"Break!"

The spear tip pierced in, and with a 'crack,' fissures rapidly spread. He used the momentum to jump, flipping onto the top of the ice wall. Just then, a sound echoed from within the wall as a new round of ice spikes shot out from inside.

He held his spear horizontally to block. The first three were deflected, but the fourth grazed his right arm, tearing his clothes and splitting his skin. He ignored it, jumping straight down and lunging for the giant wolf's head.

The giant wolf sensed danger and snapped its head up, opening its massive maw to reveal sharp fangs. It tried to bite, but its injured left front leg made its movement a bit slow. Shen Xiaochuan seized the opportunity, swinging his spear to smash it across its nose.

"Bang!"

The giant wolf's head tilted, and its tail immediately whipped around. Like a lash, it kicked up a cloud of snow. Shen Xiaochuan jumped away, but was still struck in the right leg. He tumbled into the pit, his knee slamming against the hard ice, causing intense pain.

He scrambled up, panting. The power of the Heroic Spirit was still there, but his body was reaching its limit. Every movement hurt. He knew he couldn't maintain this state for long.

The giant wolf stood up. Though its legs were held by chains, it forced its two front legs out. It growled, the fur on its neck standing up like needles to protect its vital points.

Shen Xiaochuan stared into its eyes.

"You won't escape," he said. "From the moment you entered, you had no chance."

The giant wolf didn't speak; it slowly lowered its body, its tail tensing—clearly preparing for a final strike.

Shen Xiaochuan also crouched, the spear tip touching the ground as he adjusted his breathing. He knew this next move would be violent; he had to settle it in one go.

Sure enough, the giant wolf kicked off with its hind legs, exploding the snow as its entire body charged forward. It didn't use claws or teeth, but instead used its head as a battering ram with immense power.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't dodge.

At the moment of impact, he pivoted aside while thrusting his spear upward at an angle. The spear tip sliced across the throat, trailing a string of blood droplets. Simultaneously, his left hand threw a concussion grenade, hitting the right eye dead center.

Boom!

The explosion made it falter. Its left front leg lost its footing, and its body tilted. Shen Xiaochuan immediately rushed forward, gripping the spear with both hands and thrusting it fiercely into the left side of its neck.

"Thud!"

The spear sank into the flesh but didn't go all the way through. The giant wolf struggled desperately, tossing its head, kicking its legs, and twisting its body. The chains pulled taut, and large sections of the ice cracked. Shen Xiaochuan gripped the spear handle deathly tight; even as the skin between his thumb and forefinger split and bled, he did not let go.

"Die!"

He roared, pressing down with his entire body's strength and giving a sudden twist.

The spear rotated as it cut deeper, severing the artery. Hot blood sprayed out, drenching him. The giant wolf's cry turned into a rasp; its limbs convulsed, its eyes rolled back, and finally, it collapsed, kicking up a massive cloud of snow.

Shen Xiaochuan stood motionless, breathing rapidly. The red shadow slowly faded, and the heat in his body began to recede. He felt cold, especially in his right arm and leg, as the wounds began to go numb.

He pulled out the spear, shook off the blood, and leaned on it to support his body. The giant wolf was dead, its eyes still open, white mist rising from its mouth. Obsidian chains were still wrapped around its legs. The fire was out, and the surroundings fell silent.

He whispered, "It's over."

Suddenly, the giant wolf's tail gave a violent flick, whipping around with the last of its strength. Shen Xiaochuan tried to dodge, but his reaction was too slow, and his right arm was struck hard.

"Crack!"

The sound of bone breaking was clear. He let out a muffled groan and fell to one knee, only staying upright by propping himself up with his left hand. His right arm hung limp, completely immobile. Combined with the frostbite, the fracture made his entire arm feel as if it were being sliced by a knife.

He grit his teeth, pulled a Healing Agent from his coat, bit off the cap, and injected it into his left arm. As the medicine entered his bloodstream, the pain lessened slightly, but the injury remained; it only kept the situation from getting worse.

He sat down against the giant wolf's corpse, panting, and looked around.

The ice walls were still there but cracked in many places. The fires were all extinguished, leaving only charred nozzles. The console was broken, and there was no sound from the communicator. The whole place was a mess. The wind and snow fell without stopping, slowly covering the bloodstains.

He pressed his communicator: "Goudan, are you guys in the safe zone?"

There was only static in his earpiece; no one replied.

He tried several times, but there was no signal. The ice spikes from earlier might have destroyed the repeater.

"Forget it." He put away the communicator and looked up at the sky.

The sky was gray, and the snow fell densely, obscuring everything. He looked down at his blood-stained clothes. A copper gear pendant hung from his cuff; it was still there, just stained with blood and no longer shining.

His faith points were still increasing. Three points per second, very steady.

He touched the pendant; it felt slightly warm.

A roar echoed from the distance, very far away. He didn't move. His right arm was useless, and his leg was numb; he couldn't walk. Moreover, he wasn't sure if there were other giant wolves.

He could only sit there, leaning against the corpse and propped up by his spear, continuing to watch.

The wind and snow grew stronger, and the ice shards stung his face. He squinted, staring at the entrance of the ambush circle.

If anything came through, he could still fight one last time.

At the very least, he could take one down with him.