"Bring it on!"

He muttered under his breath and advanced rather than retreated. His Meteor Iron Long Spear sliced through the air with unyielding resolve, meeting the pounce of the attacking Wolfman Leader!

The spear tip and razor-sharp claws were about to clash once more!

...

At the critical moment—just as Xu Wuyi’s spear tip was about to clash violently with the Wolfman Leader’s reeking claws—

SWOOSH—!

An ear-piercing whistle tore through the air, striking without warning from the woods above and to the side!

The sound was faster than the ear could process!

Almost at the instant the sound registered, a black streak of light shot out like a falcon tearing through space. It moved too fast for the naked eye to follow, crossing more than twenty meters in a flash and aiming with unerring precision for the Wolfman Leader’s eye socket!

The attack was too sudden, too uncanny!

The Wolfman Leader’s full attention was fixed on Xu Wuyi’s spear, which blazed with a Dark Gold Flame. Its reaction to the fatal attack from the side was a half-beat too slow.

Relying on pure combat instinct, it only had time to jerk its head sharply to one side.

THUMP!

The black streak missed the eye socket but sank viciously into its tough temple, burying itself completely!

It was a special Crossbow Arrow, pitch-black and completely non-reflective!

The arrow’s material seemed highly unusual. Its Penetration Power was astonishing, enough to pierce the skull of a Wolfman War General.

AWOOO—!

The Wolfman Leader let out a piercing howl of agony. Its pounce toward Xu Wuyi faltered, its massive body lurching forward uncontrollably from the searing pain.

How could Xu Wuyi possibly miss such a perfect opportunity?

Though startled by the sudden turn of events, his combat instincts allowed for no hesitation.

The trajectory of his spear, which had been aimed at the werewolf’s claws, shifted uncannily from a thrust to an upward slash, its speed increasing by a third!

Like a hot knife through butter, the dark gold spearhead sliced precisely across the Wolfman Leader’s thick neck the instant it was stunned by pain!

TSS—!

The terrifying incinerating properties of the [Undying Flame] erupted!

The Wolfman Leader’s howl was cut short.

A charred gash appeared on its neck and rapidly widened.

Its massive body crashed to the ground. Before the dark red blood could even gush out, it was seared into wisps of green smoke by the dancing Dark Gold Flame on the wound.

Another one-hit kill!

This time, however, it was the result of perfect coordination.

Xu Wuyi retracted his spear and backed away, his gaze sweeping toward the direction the arrow had come from.

Not far away, on the branch of a strange, dark-red tree, a figure in a worn combat suit was crouched silently. He held an oddly shaped black Hand Crossbow, and a deep scar on his cheek looked especially ferocious in the dim light.

It was Old Cat!

Old Cat gave Xu Wuyi a casual chin-lift by way of greeting, then leaped from the tree like a nimble cat, landing silently.

He didn’t even glance at the Wolfman Leader’s corpse. His icy gaze immediately locked onto the three remaining Wolfman War Generals.

"What are you standing around for? Clean this up!"

His hoarse voice was thick with killing intent. With a flicker of his body, he cut into the battlefield like a phantom, heading straight for a Wolfman War General that was locked in a struggle with a knife-wielding Martial Artist.

Old Cat’s fighting style was different from both Xu Wuyi’s and Xiang Yong’s. There was no grand spectacle to his attacks; his movements were concise, efficient, and possessed an almost cruel precision.

Every swing of the short black blade in his hand targeted a Wolfman War General’s most vulnerable points—joints, eye sockets, throat. Combined with his phantom-like Body Technique, he could create a fatal opening in just two or three moves.

Xu Wuyi suppressed his awe at Old Cat’s incredible Crossbow Skill and Body Technique and joined the fray with his spear without a moment’s hesitation.

Seeing that powerful backup had arrived, Xiang Yong’s Spirit surged, and his Fist Momentum grew even more ferocious.

The three Wolfman War Generals, already demoralized by their leader’s death, now faced Old Cat, an experienced and ruthless Hunter; Xu Wuyi, a Gunman with unpredictable and powerful attacks; and the fierce onslaught of the other three fighters. They were immediately thrown into an absolute disadvantage.

In less than three minutes, a final, defiant howl was cut short. The last Wolfman War General fell, convulsing, its throat precisely slit by Old Cat’s short blade.

The forest clearing fell silent once more, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing and the thick stench of blood and scorched flesh in the air.

Five Wolfman War Generals, all wiped out!

"Old Cat, we really owe you for this one!" Xiang Yong let out a long sigh of relief, walking over to Old Cat and clapping him firmly on the shoulder.

Old Cat remained as expressionless as ever. He put away his black short blade and Hand Crossbow, saying flatly, "Just doing my job. The support team from the base is right behind me. They’ll be here any minute."

His gaze shifted to the knife-wielding Martial Artist and the fist-fighting Martial Artist, who were checking on the three researchers.

"From Pioneer Seven? What are your losses?"

The knife-wielding Martial Artist’s face filled with sorrow. He said in a choked voice, "We lost two brothers... both of them died protecting us..."

He pointed to a spot not far away, where the bodies of two Human Race Martial Artists lay, simply covered.

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

Old Cat fell silent for a moment and didn’t ask further. Such sacrifices were not uncommon in the exploration of the Star Realm.

His gaze finally settled on Xu Wuyi, who was quietly regulating his breathing while habitually using the [Undying Flame] to dispose of the Werewolf corpses.

"Kid, your Spear Technique is pretty good. You’re ruthless enough, and smart enough," Old Cat said hoarsely as he walked over to Xu Wuyi. "You know to flank, and you know how to seize an opportunity. Xiang Yong is a brute. If it hadn’t been for that spear of yours just now, it would’ve taken those three a lot more effort to get out of this unscathed."

He spoke bluntly. Xiang Yong, who was listening nearby, just gave a helpless grimace and didn’t argue back.

Old Cat’s seniority and skill gave him the right to say so.

Xu Wuyi stopped what he was doing and shook his head slightly. "If I had arrived alone, I would have attacked from the front as well, to ensure the safety of the personnel."

Old Cat remained noncommittal and glanced away.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the distance. The support team from the base had finally arrived.

The leading Martial Artist’s face filled with astonishment when he saw the scene, especially the five corpses of the Wolfman War Generals.

With no time to chat, everyone worked together to quickly clear the battlefield. They properly secured the remains of the fallen Martial Artists and escorted the shaken researchers and the injured Martial Artist back toward Outpost Seven.

They also notified Panshi Squad that the battle here was over. They could either return directly to the base or come and rendezvous with them.

The atmosphere on the way back was no longer tense, but it had grown more solemn.

Xu Wuyi walked with the group, silently replaying the recent battle in his mind.

The brief, dangerous clash with the Wolfman Leader, and Old Cat’s preternatural skill with the Crossbow Arrow and assassination, had given him a deeper understanding of real combat at the Martial Master Level.

After this life-or-death battle, his coordination of the Shocking God Spear and the [Undying Flame] seemed to have grown even more skillful. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

He glanced at Old Cat walking ahead, his back looking somewhat desolate.

’These Martial Artists who have stood guard on this Extraterrestrial Planet for years... The killing intent that has settled deep into them, their precise grasp of combat—those are things you can’t learn in school.’