9: Chapter 9 Swordsmanship! Frost and Blood Dance Together!

Rowan stepped forward and gave chase.

With his Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique running at full power, force exploded from the soles of his feet, each step covering several meters.

His burst speed over a short distance was much faster than the panicked fleeing Silver-blood Wolf!

After a few bounds, he caught up to the one lagging at the back.

Feeling the biting cold approaching from behind, the wolf turned back in despair to bite, making a final struggle.

Rowan sidestepped, letting the pounce pass, and swung his longsword from bottom to top in a sharp, counter-slashing motion.

Winter · Frost Wind Slash!

The ice-blue sword qi swept across the wolf's belly, slicing it open and cutting it in two.

[Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship Proficiency + 1]

Another point.

The alpha wolf and one other remained.

Rowan was about to continue the pursuit.

Suddenly, a fierce wind rose behind his head!

A foul, hot breath almost sprayed onto the back of his neck!

It was the alpha wolf!

It hadn't actually fled far!

Instead, it had used its companion to draw attention, then, relying on its familiarity with the terrain, it had silently circled behind Rowan to launch a lethal sneak attack!

The timing and angle were tricky and vicious!

It was truly a hunter of the great mountains.

Rowan's hair stood on end instantly.

But the reaction speed of an Official Knight, far exceeding that of an ordinary person, combined with the cold calmness brought by the Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique, allowed him to make the most correct response in a flash.

He did not try to turn around; that would be too slow.

Instead, he instantly dropped his shoulder and bent his elbow, slamming his steel-armored elbow backward with all his might!

"Bang!"

A dull thud of impact sounded.

The arm armor collided with the wolf's snout, sending sparks flying.

Rowan felt a massive force travel from his elbow, and his body staggered forward involuntarily for two steps.

The alpha wolf's pouncing strength far exceeded that of a normal individual!

But his footing was extremely stable; he used the forward momentum to dissipate the force, performed a swift roll, propped himself up with one hand, and sprang back to a standing position like a spring, facing the attacker.

The alpha wolf landed several meters away, baring its fangs and growling, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of its mouth.

Apparently, it hadn't come out unscathed from that collision either.

But its dark green eyes stared fixedly at Rowan; it no longer ran, but began to pace slowly, keeping a safe distance, emitting a continuous, threatening growl from its throat.

It was calling for its companions.

Rowan felt a shiver in his heart and immediately concentrated on listening.

"Awoo—" "Wooo—"

Wolf howls, from near and far but clearly responding, came from different directions in the mountain forest!

And there wasn't just one or two!

Soon.

The rustling sound of footsteps on snow approached from afar.

One silver-gray figure after another flashed between the trees like ghosts.

One, two, three... plus the alpha wolf, a full five Silver-blood Wolves formed a loose semicircle, surrounding Rowan in the center.

Dark green eyes drifted in the forest, filled with cold murderous intent.

A siege by five Silver-blood Wolves.

Even for an Official Knight whose body had been supernaturally enhanced, falling into this situation meant that a single lapse could lead to severe injury.

What was even more terrifying was the tacit understanding of coordinated hunting and the fearless madness among the wolf pack.

Rowan slowly exhaled a breath of white air, which condensed into a swirling mist of Frost in front of him.

He gripped his Frost sword tightly with both hands, the tip slightly lowered, assuming the starting stance of the Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship.

His heart beat steadily and powerfully in his chest, and his Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique accelerated.

Dou Qi, carrying both heat and cold, surged through his body, dispersing the slight ripple caused by the surprise and filtering all emotions into absolute focus.

"Five..."

He thought silently, not only without fear but with an unprecedented, Blazing fighting spirit rising within him.

A pleasure deep into his marrow exploded within the depths of his body!

In his past life, even fighting had so many constraints; how could he have such unbridled pleasure!

Besides.

This was a great opportunity to increase his swordsmanship proficiency!

"Roar—!"

The alpha wolf let out a sharp howl and began the attack!

Five silver-gray figures, from different directions and with different rhythms, suddenly pounced!

Some went straight for his face, some attacked his lower body, and others tried to circle behind him.

They coordinated tacitly, sealing off most of the space for evasion.

The battle erupted!

Rowan moved.

He did not blindly slash his sword, but moved and dodged nimbly within a small area.

With armor on his body, large-scale maneuvers were not easy, but small-scale sidestepping was still used by him just right.

A knight's armor was originally part of the combat system, the knight's second life.

"Clang!" A wolf's sharp claws grazed his chest armor, sending up a trail of dazzling sparks and leaving a few shallow white marks, but they could not break through the forged iron plates.

"Snap!" Another wolf bit toward his thigh; its fangs collided with the leg armor, making a teeth-gritting grinding sound, and it also returned empty-handed.

This was the advantage of equipment, the crushing superiority of human wisdom and craftsmanship over beasts.

Of course, he could not completely avoid all attacks.

The wolf pack had the numerical advantage, and their attacks were as continuous as the tide.

Occasionally, a wolf claw would strike the gaps in his arm armor, bringing waves of dull pain and impact.

But with his Breathing Technique running, his muscles were tense and his bones stable; these attacks were still within his tolerance range.

He was waiting, and also creating opportunities.

The Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique was running rapidly; Dou Qi surged like floodwaters from an opened sluice, supporting high-intensity dodging and strikes that could erupt at any moment.

Now!

A Silver-blood Wolf pounced too hard; its old strength was spent and new strength had not yet arisen, and its body appeared briefly rigid in the air.

An ice-blue luster flashed in Rowan's eyes.

Step, charge, twist waist, swing sword!

The movements were completed in one go, bringing the force-generating techniques he had practiced hard for days to the extreme.

Ice-Binding Oath · Slash!

The ice-blue sword light appeared suddenly, like a frozen thunderbolt, precisely sweeping across the Silver-blood Wolf's waist and abdomen.

Blood mixed with ice crystals exploded, and another Silver-blood Wolf was killed on the spot.

[Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship Proficiency + 1]

The strong smell of blood acted like a signal, stimulating the remaining wolves to become even more frantic.

But the death of their companion also brought a momentary fear.

Rowan did not let up when he gained the upper hand; taking advantage of a wolf being slightly distracted by the smell of blood, he whirled his longsword.

A sharp diagonal slash almost sliced the front half of another wolf's head off.

[Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship Proficiency + 1]

The battle quickly reached a white-hot intensity, and also quickly moved toward its end.

Rowan no longer held back, driving his Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique to his current limit, executing the basic forms of the Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship in a cycle.

Chop, slash, lift, thrust, parry, sweep...

Seemingly simple moves, infused with cold Dou Qi and precise force application, erupted with terrifying power.

Wherever the sword edge reached, blood would be seen.

Frost and Blazing blood danced together, splattering a bizarre painting on the snowy ground.

His armor was splattered with thick wolf blood, which quickly froze into a dark red crust in the low temperature.

The blade of the "Frost" sword was dyed a deep crimson, and every swing brought up droplets of blood.

The alpha wolf was finally completely terrified.

It whined, turned around desperately, and fled for its life into the depths of the dense forest.

"Want to run now?"

"Too late!"

Rowan circulated his Dou Qi, raised his sword, and gave chase.

His physical strength was greatly depleted, and his Dou Qi was running low, but it was enough to hunt down one terror-stricken wolf.