Volume 2: Shenzhou Academy & The Battle of Venice
Chapter 105
Bloodline Awakening, The Abyssal Thunder Wolf
Deep within the somber chasms of the Abyssal Thunder Valley, the howling tempest bore the suffocating stench of gore.
The sickle-sharp talons of the alpha Steel-toothed Sand Wolf were less than half an inch from the young black wolf cub’s skull. The cub’s violet-rimmed amber eyes went wide. Baring its blood-drenched fangs, it let out a desperate yet unflinching roar, refusing to yield an inch. It channeled the final dregs of lightning mana into its obsidian horn, priming itself for a mutually destructive last stand!
And right at that razor’s edge between life and death—
BOOM——!!
The roar of a sacred dragon born of primordial chaos suddenly detonated across the spiritual expanse!
Lin Feng’s divine consciousness descended like a flaming meteor. Ignited by the youth’s ferocious will, the Primordial Dragon Pendant pressed against his chest unleashed an unimaginably terrifying sovereign Dragon’s Might. A mental pressure belonging to the supreme overlord of myriad realms flooded the entire gorge, as if an ancient Black Dragon spanning ten thousand fathoms were reaching its titanic claws down from storm clouds to shred the celestial vault of this otherworld!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
More than twenty ferocious Steel-toothed Sand Wolves that had just been baring fangs and brandishing talons suddenly shuddered violently. Crushed beneath the primordial dominion of supreme draconic bloodline pressure, their bones popped and creaked. Their four legs buckled, slamming hard into the jagged bedrock, rank drool and excrement splattering wildly in sheer, unadulterated terror!
Even the vicious alpha wolf was flattened directly into the stone by the invisible tempest of Dragon’s Might. Pinned like an insect, its bulging eyes rolled back white, paralyzed to the point of not daring to twitch a single hair!
Lin Feng’s spiritual form descended onto the stone slab, hovering directly before the young wolf cub.
Unlike the sand wolves trembling in mortal dread beneath his feet, this young Abyssal Thunder Wolf showed not a trace of cowering servility, even under the horrific crushing force of Dragon’s Might. It held its bleeding head high, its violet-rimmed amber eyes gazing intently at Lin Feng’s translucent soul silhouette. In those pupils gleamed astonishment, curiosity, and an uncanny spark of mutual recognition.
It felt the profound resonance between the youth’s soul and its own—the solitary journey, the indomitable will defying all odds, and the blaze of unyielding pride that refused ever to accept weakness!
Lin Feng slowly extended a spectral hand, gently resting his palm against the tip of the cub’s lustrous obsidian horn. His voice reverberated deep within its consciousness with quiet, steady warmth:
“Follow me. I will grant you the power to tear apart every enemy in our path, and together, we shall stand at the absolute summit of this world!”
Whimper...
The wolf cub gave a soft shiver. A tether of ethereal cyan-azure light unraveling from Lin Feng’s palm began to seep into the space between its brows. It was the most ancient Soul Contract of summoning magic!
There was not a sliver of resistance, not a heartbeat of hesitation. On the contrary, the cub voluntarily shut its eyes, pouring every drop of its tender yet iron-willed spiritual awareness into merging with Lin Feng’s crest!
HUMMM——!!
A brilliant Summoning magic circle inscribed with enigmatic spatial runes erupted beneath them. The contract was forged!
Yet the true miracle had only just begun!
The moment the soul contract bound their consciousnesses into one harmonious entity, the Primordial Dragon Pendant upon Lin Feng’s chest seemed to perceive the young wolf’s extraordinary, unique dual Lightning-Darkness mutation. From deep within the pendant’s core, a single drop of primordial dragon essence blood shimmering with violet-black radiance detached itself. Traveling along the spiritual conduit of their contract, it surged straight into the dark wolf cub’s veins!
HOWL——!!
A roar capable of rending the night sky reverberated throughout the Abyssal Thunder Valley!
The Abyssal Thunder Wolf’s entire body erupted in violent flames of violet-black lightning. Its fractured, splintered bones snapped and realigned, knitting together at a speed visible to the naked eye. Mangled, tender flesh sloughed away, replaced by dense, rippling chords of muscle forged like tempered steel.
Its jet-black fur lengthened, glistening like satin sheared from the void of night. Along both shoulders and down its spine, sleek obsidian lightning-scales sprouted, inscribed with mesmerizing, demonic thunder sigils. The obsidian horn upon its brow extended an inch further, tapering into the lethal point of an arcane spear, shrouded in violet-black lightning so dense it distorted the very fabric of the surrounding space!
From a frail, emaciated pup, its frame swelled exponentially into a magnificent beast over two and a half meters in length, its shoulder standing level with a grown man’s chest!
An atavistic bloodline awakening! Cleansed and tempered by the marrow-washing baptism of Primordial Dragon Qi, the cub had undergone a total metamorphosis, awakening the ancient sovereign bloodline of the primeval Abyssal Dire Wolf!
Its aura surged skyward in violent waves, shattering all normal bottlenecks to catapult straight into the realm of a Peak Servant-class beast—with physical resilience and bite force rivaling even a Half-step Warrior-class entity!
SWOOSH——!
The moment its bloodline sublimation concluded, a glacial glint of bloodlust ignited within the Abyssal Thunder Wolf’s violet-amber eyes. It snapped its head around, glaring down at the alpha Steel-toothed Sand Wolf pinned against the rock.
Shadow Glide!
The black wolf’s massive frame seemed to dissolve seamlessly into the shadows cast by the cliffs, sweeping forward soundlessly like a phantom gale. In a mere tenth of a second, it materialized squarely above the alpha wolf’s head!
CRUNCH!
A ruthless, pinpoint bite tore the massive beast’s throat clean open! Blood erupted like a geyser, painting the stone slab crimson as the alpha convulsed twice before drawing its final breath!
Witnessing this horrific spectacle, the remaining twenty-odd sand wolves were scared out of their wits. Despite their trembling limbs, they spun around in frantic hysteria, fleeing blindly into the pitch-black depths of the ravine!
The Abyssal Thunder Wolf stood proudly atop the alpha’s carcass. Throwing back its head, it unleashed a resounding, prolonged howl that shook the heavens. Violent arcs of violet-black lightning lanced upward from its obsidian horn, piercing straight through the cloud cover to herald the birth of a new sovereign of darkness!
Then, turning around, it padded majestically toward Lin Feng’s soul silhouette. Its massive, horned head bowed low, gently nuzzling its cool, wet nose against Lin Feng’s spectral palm in absolute fealty and devotion.
“Well done, buddy,” Lin Feng smiled, gently stroking its thick, lustrous coat. “Let’s head home!”
WHOOSH——!
Lin Feng withdrew his divine consciousness, guiding the radiance of the soul contract back across the dimensional divide into the mortal world.
“Phew...”
Lin Feng opened his eyes, exhaling a faint trail of pale mist. He remained seated in a meditative posture upon the prayer mat in his bedroom within the Block A Dormitory.
Crackle... crackle...
Upon the polished granite floor of the room, a two-meter-wide Summoning magic circle glowed with radiant cyan-azure brilliance. Space at the epicenter of the array swirled like a vortex before a colossal, imposing shadow stepped slowly into reality.
Its pitch-black frame rippled with iron musculature, crackling violet lightning coiling about its four limbs, while the razor-sharp lightning horn on its brow emitted a continuous, low-frequency electromagnetic hum. The Abyssal Thunder Wolf had officially arrived in the human world!
It sniffed curiously at the unfamiliar scents of the modern room before obediently lying down beside Lin Feng’s feet. Resting its massive head upon his knees, its eyes half-closed as it savored the soothing warmth of mana radiating from the Primordial Dragon Pendant.
Lin Feng gently stroked the thunder scales along his war beast’s back, a surge of unprecedented confidence swelling within his chest.
With an Abyssal Thunder Wolf boasting the might of a Peak Servant-class beast and the devastating dual attributes of Lightning and Darkness, the upcoming Beast Battle Gala would no longer be a one-sided slaughter waged by five thousand freshmen against the Summoning Department...
Instead, it would be the stage upon which he, Lin Feng, would sweep every scrap of resources the entire academy had to offer!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG——!
Early the next morning.
The venerable bronze bell perched atop the Skymagic Tower of Shenzhou University tolled in rapid, thunderous succession, echoing across thousands of hectares of campus grounds.
Simultaneously, the optical-mana broadcast speakers stationed across every grand avenue, lecture hall, and dormitory complex blared with the urgent announcement from the Student Affairs Office:
”Attention, all incoming freshmen! Attention, all incoming freshmen!”
”Promptly at 8:00 AM this morning, the most prestigious annual tradition of the academic calendar—the BEAST BATTLE GALA—shall officially commence at the Central Skymagic Coliseum!”
”All five thousand students belonging to the Fire, Lightning, Ice, Wind, Earth, Water, and Light Departments are instructed to assemble at the grandstands immediately! The seven students of the Summoning Department, prepare to ascend the arena stage and receive challenges!”
”The special grand prize awarded by the Board of Directors to the ultimate victorious individual or collective: A PRICELESS FLASK OF SPIRIT-CONDENSING ESSENCE NECTAR AND THE ENTIRE FIRST-YEAR CULTIVATION MANA-STONE COFFER!”
The entire university erupted!
Cheering roars from thousands of voices and the thunderous tramp of countless footsteps instantly shook every thoroughfare. Swarms of students, eyes burning with brazen ambition and grasping their magic staves and enchanted implements, surged toward the Central Skymagic Coliseum like a ravenous pack of wolves preparing to rip their prey apart!
The door to Room 402 flew open.
Xie Zhaoyuan, clad in an exorbitant suit of silver light-armor, rushed into Lin Feng’s bedroom with a deathly pale face:
“Lin Feng! It’s time! Are you ready yet—huh?!”
Xie Zhaoyuan’s words caught in his throat. His eyes bulged as he stared at the pitch-black giant wolf stepping silently out from the shadows behind Lin Feng, its obsidian lightning-horn gleaming with razor lethality. Just a single, passing glance from those violet-amber eyes sent a violent shudder through Xie Zhaoyuan’s entire frame, making him feel as though his heart had skipped a beat!
“Wh-Where... Where the hell did this monster come from?!” Xie Zhaoyuan stammered, entirely breathless.
Lin Feng smiled faintly, brushing past Xie Zhaoyuan and giving his roommate’s shoulder an easy pat.
“That’s my bonded beast. Let’s go—it’s time to harvest some resources.”