I transmigrated to a chaotic world and became the sole player.

A foul stench wafted from the cave entrance, and two eerie green lights seemed to flash and disappear in the darkness. Lu Zhao's heart tightened, and he dared not be careless. He stopped about thirty paces from the cave entrance and found a rock to conceal himself. He took a deep breath, maximizing his [Turtle Breathing Technique] and [Breath Concealment Technique], suppressing his aura like a stubborn rock, and reducing his heartbeat and blood flow to a minimum. Then, he carefully took out the "Crimson Flame Stone" from his robes.

Following the simple method taught by Miss Yun, he infused a wisp of spiritual energy into the Crimson Flame Stone. The Crimson Flame Stone trembled slightly, then emitted a warm glow. The restless fire elemental energy within was activated, releasing a faint but pure, scorching aura with a hint of sulfur, which slowly permeated towards the cave entrance. This aura was harmless to living beings, but to the Yin Sha demons, it was like boiling oil poured on snow—extremely pungent and easily arousing their instinctive aversion and aggression.

"call……"

From deep within the cave, a low, discontented sob, seemingly rolling from the depths of a throat, faintly echoed. The two eerie green lights rekindled and slowly moved, approaching the cave entrance.

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He held his breath, his hand already on the short knife at his waist, his mind tense, ready to retreat at any moment.

"boom--!"

A stench suddenly rushed out of the cave! Immediately afterwards, a huge, dark red figure shot out of the cave entrance like a cannonball! It was so fast that it left only afterimages in the air!

Blood Wolf, Level 7 (Elite)

Health Points: 100%/100%

[Status: Enraged, Bloodthirsty, Overwhelming Demonic Power]

"So fast!" Lu Zhao's pupils contracted sharply. This speed far exceeded that of any monster he had ever seen! Almost the instant those two points of green light appeared at the cave entrance, the figure had already pounced more than ten zhang away! Without hesitation, he turned and ran, maximizing his [Turtle Breathing Technique], and sprinted towards the ambush point specified by Miss Yun—that rocky hill!

"Awooo—!"

A deafening, ferocious wolf howl boomed behind them! The Blood Wolf was clearly enraged by the aura of the Crimson Flame Stone, and seeing that the one who had disturbed its den was a weak human, it was even more furious. It dug its four paws into the ground, leaving deep furrows, and chased after them at an even faster speed! The stench of blood filled the air, and Lu Zhao could even feel the hot, bloody breath spraying onto the back of his neck!

"Such speed!" Lu Zhao was shocked. This blood wolf was at least 30% faster than the snake-headed demon! If he hadn't reacted quickly and retreated in advance, and hadn't been slightly confused by the [Concealing Breath Technique] and the rocks, he probably would have been pounced on in the first move! He ran with all his might, not daring to hold back in the slightest, but the stench behind him was getting closer and closer!

Thirty steps... twenty steps... ten steps! The blood wolf was about to catch up!

Just then, from the rocky hill ahead, three streaks of dark light flashed, like three lurking venomous snakes, suddenly shooting up from three directions and instantly weaving into a large iron net, which descended upon the charging blood wolf!

It's Yun's "Demon-Binding Rope"!

"Awooo!" The blood wolf reacted extremely quickly. While in mid-air, it suddenly twisted its body, trying to force a turn and avoid the iron chains. But the iron chains came too fast and unexpectedly. Two of the chains grazed its body, leaving two deep bloody marks on its tough wolf skin. The last one, however, wrapped around one of its hind legs with perfect precision!

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle!" The iron chains tightened instantly, the runes lit up, and they locked the wolf's legs tightly, spreading rapidly as if they were alive, trying to wrap around the blood wolf's entire body!

"Roar—!" The blood wolf howled in pain, losing its balance and crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. But its ferocity was unleashed; it rolled violently, its front paws like knives, slashing fiercely at the iron chains binding its legs! Sparks flew! The iron chains trembled violently, the runes on them flickering, showing signs of breaking! This blood wolf's claws and teeth were incredibly sharp!

"Now! Attack its eyes and abdomen!" Yun's clear, cold voice rang out. She had already appeared from her hiding place, her long sword drawn, bringing with it a cold, blue sword light, and stabbed straight at the relatively soft throat exposed by the blood wolf as it rolled over!

"Crossbow cover! Exorcism talisman!" Lu Zhao launched his attack almost at the same time as Miss Yun spoke! He turned around abruptly, leaned back, knelt on one knee, and aimed the short crossbow, which was already cocked, at the relatively vulnerable belly of the blood wolf, which was exposed by the iron chain due to pain and rolling. He pulled the trigger hard!

"call out!"

The crossbow bolt pierced the air, heading straight for the wolf's belly! At the same time, he flicked his left hand, and a [Demon-Slaying Talisman (Good)] was activated, transforming into a streak of crimson-gold light that shot towards the blood wolf's eyes! He dared not be careless, knowing that the blood wolf was ferocious. Although the Demon-Slaying Talisman was strong against demons, the level difference was significant, and he had to go all out!

"Pfft!"

The crossbow bolt struck the wolf's belly first! But the blood wolf's fur was extremely tough, and the crossbow bolt only penetrated three-tenths of an inch into the flesh before getting stuck in the muscle, failing to cause a fatal wound, but it did make the blood wolf stagger and howl in pain.

"Aww!"

The next moment, the stream of light transformed from the exorcism talisman struck the blood wolf's left eye with pinpoint accuracy! Crimson-gold flames exploded in the wolf's eye!

"Sizzle—!"

With a sickeningly loud bang, the Blood Wolf let out a bloodcurdling howl. Its left eye was instantly corroded by crimson-gold light, becoming a bloody mess, emitting plumes of black smoke! The [Exorcism Talisman]'s restraining effect on evil spirits was now fully revealed! The Blood Wolf's health bar instantly dropped by half!

The Exorcism Talisman (Good) deals Holy damage to Blood Wolves (LV7, Elite) and triggers the "Burning" and "Evil Counter" effects!

[Blood Wolf's health -15%! Left eye temporarily blind!]

"Well done!" Miss Yun shouted, her long sword already in hand! The sword flashed like lightning, aiming straight for the Blood Wolf's throat!

"roar!"

The Blood Wolf went completely berserk! Its single eye shot out a blood-red light, and its demonic power surged wildly. It forcefully broke free of the iron chains binding its legs, and its massive wolf claws, carrying a foul stench, slammed down on the incoming longsword! At the same time, it opened its blood-red maw, spewing a dark red, foul-smelling poisonous mist towards Lu Zhao, who was standing right in front of it!

"Watch out for the poisonous fog!" Miss Yun changed her sword stance, from a thrust to a parry, deflecting the wolf's claws. At the same time, she retreated rapidly, taking something out of her bosom with her other hand, seemingly about to throw it out.

Lu Zhao was prepared. The moment the Blood Wolf opened its mouth to spew venom, he activated the [Tranquility Talisman] he had prepared beforehand and patted it on his chest. At the same time, he rolled backward rapidly, instantly switching from [Turtle Breathing Technique] to internal breathing and fully activating [Dragon Sleep] to suppress the trace amount of poison gas he had inhaled! Even so, he still felt a slight dizziness in his head, his hands and feet were a little numb, and his movements were a bit sluggish.

[Affected by Blood Wolf Poison Mist, poisoned! Movement speed reduced by 20%, attack speed reduced by 15%! Lasts 10 seconds!]

The poisonous fog covered a vast area, and Miss Yun frowned slightly, taking a step back, but she was not poisoned, clearly possessing a method to ward off poison. With a flick of her wrist, she sprinkled a handful of pale yellow powder into the poisonous fog. The powder ignited upon contact with the poison, emitting a soft "crackling" sound, dispersing most of the poisonous fog.

"Awooo!" The blood wolf, having missed its first attack, grew even more ferocious. Its one eye was fixed on Lu Zhao, and ignoring its broken leg and injured eye, it pounced again with lightning speed! It seemed to have identified this weak human who had inflicted such a heavy blow upon it!

"Well done!" Lu Zhao's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Without dodging or evading, he charged forward head-on towards the direction the blood wolf was attacking. Just as the wolf's claws were about to strike, his body slid to the side in a strange manner, like a fish swimming. He activated the [Turtle Breath Technique] and [Concealing Breath Technique] simultaneously, his figure becoming blurred in an instant, narrowly missing the wolf's belly! At the same time, he channeled all his strength into his short knife and slashed upwards, aiming straight for the blood wolf's soft belly!

"Pfft!"

The short knife pierced flesh! But the Blood Wolf's abdominal muscles were equally tough; the blade only penetrated three inches before being stuck! Without hesitation, Lu Zhao loosened his grip on the hilt, pushed off with his feet, and rolled over. At the same time, he pulled out another [Exorcism Talisman] from his pocket, threw it behind him without even looking at it!

"burst!"

"boom!"

The exorcising talisman exploded beside the blood wolf. Although it did not hit it directly, the crimson-gold light still burned its injured abdomen and broken leg, causing it to pause in its movements again.

"You beast! Stop your rampage!" Miss Yun pressed forward again, her sword flashing like a bolt of lightning, each strike aimed at the blood wolf's throat, heart, and other vital points, forcing it to turn and defend itself. Her swordsmanship was exquisite, her movements graceful, and her cultivation was even superior to the blood wolf's. For a time, she forced the blood wolf to retreat repeatedly, adding several more deep, bone-revealing wounds to its body.

Taking a breather, Lu Zhao immediately retreated, creating distance, and readied his crossbow again while observing the battle. Although the Blood Wolf was severely wounded, blind in its left eye and missing a leg, its ferocity had only increased. Its attacks became even more ferocious, its claws whistling, and it spewed poisonous mist intermittently, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle with Miss Yun. While Miss Yun held the upper hand, she was unlikely to kill it quickly.

"We must create an opportunity!" Lu Zhao's mind raced. The Blood Wolf's weaknesses were its eyes and abdomen; its left eye was now useless, and its abdomen was also injured. However, its fur was too thick, providing too much defense, making it difficult for short knives and crossbow bolts to inflict fatal wounds. Although the Exorcism Talisman was effective, its quantity was limited, and it required close proximity to unleash its full power.

His gaze swept across the surrounding terrain, and he spotted a sharp rock about half a person's height not far away. He made up his mind.

"Senior Yun! Hold it off! I have a way!" Lu Zhao shouted, and at the same time took out another [Exorcism Talisman]. He didn't activate it, but instead wrapped a strip of cloth tightly around the arrowhead. Then he rushed towards the sharp rock, placed his crossbow on the rock, and aimed at the blood wolf that was fighting with Miss Yun.

Upon hearing this, Miss Yun's swordplay suddenly changed, shifting from exquisite attacks to a grappling technique. Her sword light formed a net, tightly binding the blood wolf and preventing it from escaping.

The Blood Wolf was in a frenzy, its one eye fixed on Lu Zhao. As if sensing danger, it suddenly spat out a mouthful of poisonous mist at Lu Zhao and tried to break through Miss Yun's sword net to pounce on him.

"Now!" A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. He held his breath, ignored the poisonous fog, and steadily pulled the trigger!

"call out!"

The crossbow bolt, carrying the [Exorcism Talisman] wrapped around it, sliced ​​through the air and aimed precisely at the soft palate exposed by the blood wolf's open mouth as it spewed venom! That was one of its weakest points!

"puff!"

The crossbow bolt, imbued with an exorcising talisman, pierced deep into the blood wolf's mouth! The blood wolf let out a strange howl, its body suddenly stiffening!

"Explode!" Lu Zhao roared.

"Boom—!"

A crimson-gold light suddenly erupted from the depths of the Blood Wolf's mouth and throat! The Blood Wolf's head exploded like a firecracker ignited from the inside! Red, white, and black fragments of flesh and bone scattered everywhere! The massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

[Successfully used 'Exorcism Talisman' + 'Crossbow Bolt' to hit a vital point! Triggering a critical hit!]

[Destroyed Blood Wolf (LV7, Elite)!]

[Successfully defeated 'Blood Wolf'!]

[Experience points gained: 1500!]

[Level upgraded to Level 9!]

[Title Acquired: Wolf Slayer (Deals +5% damage to wolves and canine enemies, receives -3% damage from them)]

[Items obtained: Blood Wolf Fangs x2, Tough Wolf Hide x1, Blood Wolf Inner Core (Inferior) x1, Venom Gland x1, Wolf Meat x10.]

With a flash of golden light, the massive experience points instantly leveled Lu Zhao up to level 9! His attributes were boosted across the board once again! Strength, Constitution, Agility, and Spirit, especially Spirit, saw the greatest increase due to the [Refining Spirit Technique]!

Lu Zhao let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. His whole body was soaked in sweat, and waves of weakness from the poisoning washed over him. That last move was a gamble with everything; if he couldn't kill him, he would have no power left to resist.

Miss Yun sheathed her sword and stood there, slightly out of breath. She looked at the headless corpse of the Blood Wolf, then at Lu Zhao, a hint of surprise and approval flashing in her eyes: "Not bad, the timing was perfect, a fatal blow. It seems I didn't misjudge you."

Lu Zhao forced himself to stand up, cupped his hands and said, "It was all thanks to your restraint, senior, that I was able to succeed by sheer luck."

"No need for modesty. Adaptability in the face of an enemy is part of strength." Miss Yun shook her head, walked to the blood wolf's corpse, used her longsword to cut open the wolf's belly, and took out a fist-sized, dark red, blood-streaked, stone-like inner core. She then peeled off a relatively intact piece of wolf skin and said, "Wolf meat, wolf bones, fangs, and venom glands—take them yourself. This inner core and wolf skin are somewhat useful to me, so I'll keep them. The remaining reward is yours."

This was the agreed-upon distribution. Lu Zhao nodded and stepped forward to collect the wolf meat, bones, fangs, venom glands, and other materials, storing them in his storage bag. As for the "inferior" inner core, it was reasonable for Miss Yun to take the better quality one. After all, she had contributed the most to killing the Blood Wolf.

"The stench of blood here is too strong; we shouldn't stay long and must leave as soon as possible. You should rest and recover for a moment. We'll go find the Bone-Rotting Grass immediately, and then head to the mine." Miss Yun put away her inner core and wolf pelt, and warily scanned her surroundings.

Lu Zhao nodded, swallowed a few blood-replenishing pills, and used the Cleansing Powder to dispel the remaining toxins in his body. He then sat cross-legged and circulated the [Dragon's Hibernation] technique to recover. The warm current brought by the upgrade quickly washed over his entire body, not only restoring his condition rapidly, but also boosting his confidence with the increased power from the attribute enhancement.

About an incense stick's time later, Lu Zhao opened his eyes, having recovered most of his strength. Miss Yun had already cleaned up the battlefield and buried the bloodstains.

"Let's go get the Bone-Rotting Grass," said Miss Yun.

Lu Zhao rose and, together with Miss Yun, headed towards the depths of the Blood Wolf's lair, towards the area with the densest poisonous miasma and the most corpses. There, another important objective of their journey grew—the Bone-Rotting Grass.