The clearing was tense, the air thick with the Alpha's palpable killing intent and Lin Fan's focused calm. The massive wolf circled him slowly, its midnight fur bristling, the shallow cut on its flank weeping dark blood. Its burning eyes tracked Lin Fan's every minute movement, searching for another opening after its initial assault was rebuffed. Lin Fan, in turn, moved fluidly, enhanced Wind Step keeping him light on his feet, his Flowing Shadow Sword held ready, his mind racing.
Direct force isn't efficient, he confirmed internally. Its hide is too tough, its strength too great for a prolonged brawl. Need precision, or overwhelming power at a key moment.
The Alpha lunged again, a blur of black fur and snapping jaws, attempting to close the distance and use its superior physical strength. Lin Fan didn't retreat this time. Instead, he used Wind Step to sidestep laterally, simultaneously bringing his sword around in a wide, Qi-infused arc aimed at the Alpha's legs, hoping to impede its movement.
CLANG!
His blade bit deeper this time, drawing more blood, but the Alpha's momentum carried it through. It ignored the leg wound, twisting its body with unnatural speed and lashing out with its tail – thick as a man's arm and hard as ironwood – aiming to sweep Lin Fan off his feet.
Lin Fan leaped vertically using Wind Step, the tail whistling harmlessly beneath him. While airborne, he saw his chance. The Alpha was momentarily unbalanced from its lunge and tail swipe.
"Now!" He poured a significant amount of his dense, purified Qi – refined through the Nine Cycles Refining Art – down his arm and into the Flowing Shadow Sword. The blade hummed intensely, glowing faintly even in the dim light. He dropped downwards, aiming the empowered tip directly at the spot where the Alpha's neck joined its shoulder – a known potential weak point in many canine beasts.
Piercing Shadow Thrust! (A name he coined on the spot for his focused attack)
The Alpha sensed the danger, twisting frantically to avoid the blow, its shadow-wreathed claws swiping upwards. But Lin Fan's speed, amplified by gravity and Wind Step control, was too great.
SQUELCH!
The sword plunged deep, overcoming the tough hide and muscle, sinking several inches into the Alpha's shoulder joint. A spray of dark blood erupted.
HOOOOOWL!
The Alpha let out a deafening roar of pure agony and rage. It thrashed violently, dislodging the sword and sending Lin Fan tumbling backward with the sheer force of its movement. He landed agilely using Wind Step, but the Alpha was truly enraged now. Its red eyes burned with manic fury, ignoring the grievously wounded shoulder that now hampered its front leg movement.
It lowered its head, shadows coalescing around it, darker and thicker than before. The temperature in the clearing plummeted.
Desperate move? Lin Fan readied himself, activating Iron Skin Art to its fullest.
Instead of charging, the Alpha unleashed the gathered energy. Not a howl, not a bolt, but an expanding wave of chilling, tangible shadow that swept outwards, extinguishing the faint light, draining warmth, and carrying with it tendrils of fear-inducing spiritual pressure.
Shadow Domain! (A possible name for the AoE attack)
Lin Fan felt the oppressive cold seep into his bones, his Qi circulation becoming sluggish. The fear effect tugged at his mind, trying to dredge up primal terror. He gritted his teeth, his strong spiritual sense (bolstered by fifth layer cultivation) resisting the mental assault, but the physical effects were undeniable. His movements felt slightly heavier, slower.
The Alpha, seemingly unaffected within its own domain, saw its chance. Despite its injured shoulder, it lunged, aiming to tear Lin Fan apart while he was hindered.
But Lin Fan had anticipated a powerful counter. While resisting the Shadow Domain's effects, his other hand had already retrieved his second-to-last Fireball Talisman. As the Alpha lunged, he tossed the talisman accurately into its path.
FWOOSH!
The sudden eruption of bright, searing fire directly countered the oppressive shadow energy. Light and heat warred against cold and darkness. The Alpha, caught mid-lunge and seemingly vulnerable to the pure fire element contrasting its shadow affinity, recoiled with a pained snarl as flames licked at its fur and face. The Shadow Domain flickered and dissipated under the fiery assault.
The talisman's explosion bought Lin Fan the crucial second he needed. His Qi circulation returned to normal as the chilling effect vanished. Seeing the Alpha momentarily blinded and disoriented by the flames, Lin Fan seized the ultimate opportunity.
He channeled almost all his remaining Qi into one final enhancement of his speed and one decisive strike. Enhanced Wind Step carried him forward faster than he'd ever moved before, appearing right beside the Alpha's head as it shook away the flames.
His Flowing Shadow Sword, guided by instinct and empowered by his focused Qi, thrust forward with unerring accuracy.
Target: The Alpha's eye.
Squelch.
The blade slid home, piercing the eye and driving deep into the brain cavity behind it.
The Alpha's massive body went rigid. A final, choked whimper escaped its throat. The burning embers in its remaining eye extinguished. Its legs buckled, and the colossal wolf collapsed onto the forest floor with a heavy, final thud.
Silence reclaimed the clearing, absolute and profound. The few remaining lesser wolves, witnessing their invincible Alpha's fall, had already vanished silently into the undergrowth, scattering in terror.
Lin Fan stood panting slightly, leaning on his sword. The fight had been intense, draining a significant portion of his Qi reserves, even with his efficient technique. His arm throbbed from blocking the Alpha's earlier blow, and he felt a few minor scrapes, but his Iron Skin Art had prevented any serious injuries. He mentally commanded his Nine Cycles Refining Art to begin circulating Qi more rapidly, absorbing the ambient spiritual energy to start the recovery process.
He looked down at the massive carcass of the Shadowfang Wolf Alpha. It was an impressive beast, truly deserving of its near-sixth-layer power. Defeating it felt like a genuine accomplishment.
Remembering the task requirements, Lin Fan knelt beside the Alpha's head. While the fang was an option, the beast core was always more valuable, containing the essence of the creature's power. Using his sword carefully, he located the core within the Alpha's chest cavity and extracted it.
It was noticeably larger than the fifth-layer core he'd collected earlier, about the size of a pigeon's egg, pulsating with a faint, dark light. It felt dense with energy, primarily shadow-aligned but potent. This would be undeniable proof, and likely worth a decent amount if sold independently, though Contribution Points were his main goal currently.
He stored the Alpha core safely in his Mid-Grade Storage Ring, alongside the lesser core and the other spoils from his lottery spree. He glanced around the clearing, littered with the bodies of the wolves he'd slain. Task completed.
It was time to return to the Contribution Hall. With his enhanced Wind Step, the journey back would be swift. He felt a sense of satisfaction – he had faced a challenge, adapted his strategy, utilized his skills effectively, and emerged victorious.
Mission accomplished. 80 Contribution Points and 50 Low-Grade Spirit Stones awaited him. And perhaps, more importantly, he had gained valuable combat experience and further proven his capabilities.
Lin Fan turned, leaving the carnage behind, and began his rapid journey back towards the Azure Cloud Sect, the silence of the woods broken only by the sound of his swift passage.