Chapter 44: Cooperating to Slay the Demon Wolf

The aged yellow ox stood in the center of the encirclement, appearing remarkably steady, much like a towering little hill.

Its brownish-yellow coat emitted a soft and warm luster under the sunlight, resembling amber carefully polished by nature, exuding a rustic yet resilient power.

Its horns curved upward, like two scabbards sharpened through the passage of time yet still extremely sharp. The curved arcs were just right, and the tips of the horns flashed with a chilling gleam, as if a gentle poke could effortlessly slice through anything blocking its path.

At this moment, although tightly surrounded by five demon wolves, it showed not the slightest trace of timidity. Instead, from time to time, it raised its head, opened its wide mouth, and let out a low bellow.

The roar was deep and powerful, echoing in the silent space like a great bell or giant drum. Each roar sounded like a stern warning issued to these ill-intentioned demon wolves, or a public declaration of war against them, displaying its fearless courage and determination to defend its dignity.

Su Hao frowned slightly, his gaze deep and focused. He did not act rashly just because he discovered this scene.

Like a cautious hunter, he continued to spread his spiritual perception further into the distance of this area like a gently flowing stream, leaving no corner that might harbor danger unchecked.

That power of perception gently brushed across every inch of land, every blade of grass, and every tree, as if having a silent dialogue with nature.

After a meticulous investigation, Su Hao discovered that the surroundings were unexpectedly quiet. Aside from the auras of the five demon wolves and the aged yellow ox before him, there was no movement of any other demonic beasts. The entire space seemed frozen, with only the tense atmosphere exuding from the two opposing sides.

The corners of Su Hao's mouth turned up slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile. He felt secretly pleased inside, thinking that the current situation was an excellent opportunity for him to acquire demon cores.

As long as he could cleverly grasp the timing and formulate a suitable strategy, perhaps he could reap the fisherman's profit from this chaotic situation, eliminating the five demon wolves and perhaps even gaining unexpected rewards from the aged yellow ox.

Thinking of this, a trace of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

Just as he was silently plotting how to cleverly deal with the five demon wolves, the aged yellow ox, which had been as steady as a mountain, suddenly moved.

Its four thick and sturdy legs, like four pillars deeply rooted in the earth, exerted sudden force. Its solid muscles bulged instantly, each muscle seeming to contain a thousand jun of force.

Immediately afterward, its entire body rushed forward straight ahead like a brownish-yellow lightning bolt. The speed was so fast that it kicked up a violent gust of wind, causing the surrounding vegetation to collapse to both sides under the sweeping wind, and the raised dust formed a hazy gray smoke behind it, resembling the backdrop of its charge.

Its exceptionally sharp horns thrust straight toward the demon wolf directly ahead, the horns cutting through the air and making a sharp whistling sound.

That sound was like the howl of the grim reaper waving his sickle, carrying an unstoppable momentum and a posture that threatened to pierce the demon wolf before it in one fell swoop. The sharp edge made anyone looking at it break into a sweat for the demon wolf.

Seeing this, the other four demon wolves surrounding the aged yellow ox also moved instantly, their coordination as tacit as if they had practiced it a thousand times.

Almost at the same time, they pounced fiercely toward the aged yellow ox. Their postures were light and agile, leaving afterimages in mid-air like ghosts, making it difficult for anyone to capture their specific movements.

Their ability to grasp the timing could be described as supreme. Every pounce and every turn was just right, clearly showing the traits of seasoned veterans. Their fierce appearance suggested that in the blink of an eye, they could tear the aged yellow ox into pieces and feast on it greedily, their eyes filled with a desire for bloodshed and slaughter.

Su Hao's gaze was tightly locked onto this fierce battle, the light in his eyes flickering while his mind spun rapidly like a high-speed abacus, quickly pondering a countermeasure.

He knew very well that this seemingly chaotic and disordered scene actually concealed profound mysteries and presented a rare opportunity. As long as he could seize that fleeting moment, he could steer the situation in a direction favorable to himself, thereby becoming the ultimate winner in this three-way game.

Su Hao observed the battle with utmost concentration, his body leaning forward slightly as if he was ready to spring forth and join the battle at any moment.

His hands subconsciously clenched and released, then released and clenched again, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, revealing that his state of mind at the moment was both tense and immensely excited.

The charging momentum of the aged yellow ox was extremely fierce, and its horns were on the verge of piercing the body of the demon wolf in front.

The targeted demon wolf also reacted extremely quickly. At the critical moment of life and death, it swerved its body to the side, narrowly avoiding this fatal blow. However, the horn still grazed its fur, pulling off a few strands of black wolf hair that drifted slowly in the air like withered black petals.

Having missed its first strike, the aged yellow ox showed no intention of stopping. Utilizing the momentum of its forward rush, it violently shook its head, sweeping its horns horizontally toward another demon wolf nearby.

Failing to dodge in time, this demon wolf was heavily struck in the waist by the horn, letting out a painful howl. Its entire body flew backward like a tattered sack, slamming heavily onto the ground several meters away and kicking up a cloud of dust. It struggled a few times before barely managing to stand up, though its originally fierce eyes now held a bit of embarrassment and wariness.

Meanwhile, the other three demon wolves had already lunged at the flanks and rear of the aged yellow ox. Opening their bloody jaws, their sharp fangs gleamed with a cold light under the sunlight, and saliva continuously dripped from the corners of their mouths, creating an aura as if they were about to tear the flesh and skin off the aged yellow ox in the next second.

One of the demon wolves bit down fiercely on the hind leg of the aged yellow ox. Seemingly anticipating this, the aged yellow ox kicked backward forcefully, striking squarely on the lower jaw of the demon wolf.

With a crisp snap, the lower jaw of the demon wolf was dislocated, causing it to roll on the ground in pain and wail miserably. That pitiful cry sounded exceptionally harsh in the silent surroundings.

However, the remaining two demon wolves did not stop their attack. Coming from the left and right respectively, they lunged at the flank and neck of the aged yellow ox, extending their claws and drawing cold arcs in the air in an attempt to inflict fatal wounds on the aged yellow ox.

Shaking its body in an attempt to shake them off while constantly swinging its horns around for defense, the aged yellow ox collided its horns with the wolf claws, producing metallic clashing sounds and scattering sparks, showing that neither side's strength was to be underestimated.

Watching the fierce battle before him, Su Hao grew increasingly anxious. He knew that if he didn't make a move soon, the aged yellow ox probably wouldn't last much longer. No matter how strong it was, facing these cunning and ferocious demon wolves, it would eventually exhaust its strength.

Su Hao took a deep breath, exerted sudden force under his feet, and lunged toward the battlefield like an arrow released from a bow string.

His speed was extremely fast, kicking up a whistling wind and making his robes flap loudly in the wind as if playing a battle hymn for the fight.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the closest point to the battlefield, holding a gleaming long sword in his hand. Faint runes flowed across the blade, exuding a mysterious and powerful force.

Seizing the right moment, Su Hao swung his sword at the demon wolf pouncing toward the neck of the aged yellow ox. The blade cut through the air, bringing forth a biting sword qi that accurately and flawlessly slashed toward the demon wolf.

Sensing the danger from behind, the demon wolf tried to turn around and dodge, but the speed of Su Hao's sword was simply too fast. It only managed to twist its body slightly before the long sword slashed heavily onto its back, instantly opening a long gash. Blood gushed out, staining its black fur red. The demon wolf suffered the pain and let out a shrill scream, its offensive momentum slowing down accordingly.

Sensing Su Hao's assistance, the aged yellow ox let out two low bellows toward his direction, seemingly expressing gratitude and boosting morale at the same time.

Su Hao nodded slightly toward it, an unspoken understanding passing between their exchanging gazes.

Seeing its companion injured, the remaining demon wolf not only failed to retreat but instead became even more ferocious. Abandoning the aged yellow ox, it turned and pounced toward Su Hao, its eyes filled with hatred and madness, looking as if it wanted to tear Su Hao apart alive.

Su Hao sneered, showing no fear. Lightly tapping his feet, he agilely dodged the demon wolf's pounce, then countered by thrusting his sword directly at the demon wolf's throat. This strike was both fast and precise.

With no time to dodge, the demon wolf's throat was pierced through by the long sword. Its eyes widened, its limbs struggled a few times, and then it lost its breath, collapsing heavily to the ground.

Seeing this situation, the demon wolf with the dislocated jaw flashed a look of terror and struggled to run away. However, Su Hao would never give it this chance. With a flash of his figure, he instantly arrived by its side and kicked it squarely on the head. The demon wolf fell unconscious without even emitting a whimper.

At this moment, the demon wolf initially injured by the aged yellow ox and the one that had dodged the horns exchanged glances. Sensing that the situation was turning unfavorable, they turned and tried to flee in different directions.

Seeing this, a cold smile hooked the corners of Su Hao's mouth. Flicking his wrist, he hurled the long sword from his hand, transforming it into a streak of light that shot toward one of the demon wolves. The long sword seemed to have eyes as it precisely pierced into the demon wolf's hind leg, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, the aged yellow ox charged forward once more, using its horns to gore the fallen demon wolf fiercely and sending it flying directly. It crashed heavily into a large tree, shaking the trunk several times, and the demon wolf completely lost its life.

Before the last demon wolf could escape very far, Su Hao had already caught up. With a dagger appearing in his hand at some point, he took a stride forward and executed a swift slash. The blade swept across the demon wolf's neck, sending blood splashing onto the ground as it slowly collapsed, finally bringing this fierce battle to a close.

Putting away his weapon and letting out a long breath, Su Hao walked toward the aged yellow ox.

Having calmed down, the aged yellow ox now bore only a few minor abrasions. It looked at Su Hao with eyes full of gentleness, even proactively rubbing against Su Hao's body as if thanking him for his timely assistance just then.

Smiling, Su Hao stroked the head of the aged yellow ox, secretly rejoicing in his heart for seizing this opportunity. Not only had he eliminated the five demon wolves, but he had also befriended this spiritually intelligent aged yellow ox, which might bring unexpected gains in the future.

Just as Su Hao was thinking this, he suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation in the surrounding air. His heart tightened as he became alert once more, wondering what kind of new situation this might herald. Could other demonic beasts have been attracted by the commotion here?

Clenching his fists in preparation for any potential situations that might arise, his gaze swept across the surroundings like lightning, missing not a single suspicious sign.