Chapter 60: A Successful Kill

The Shadow Wolf was indeed searching for an opportunity; it had already put enough distance between itself and the two of them. It was convinced that the two wouldn’t be able to detect its presence now. Once it found the right moment, it would certainly make these two youngsters pay.

Lin Xiao kept a close watch on the Shadow Wolf. The creature was truly adept at lying in wait, currently hiding in a patch of darkness with no intention of making a move. It was clear to Lin Xiao that the beast had been frightened by Shen Yao’s display of power and now acted with extreme caution. Even when Lin Xiao and Shen Yao deliberately exposed a few flaws, the Shadow Wolf refrained from attacking unless it was absolutely certain of victory.

“Are you sure you can see it? We’re in this state, yet it’s still holding back.” Lin Xiao was exasperated—the Shadow Wolf’s caution was excessive.

“I’m not sure myself, but there’s no rush. Let’s act natural. The only reason it’s still considering an attack is because we haven’t enticed it enough yet. If we move a little closer, I refuse to believe it can keep restraining itself.”

“Isn’t that a bit too risky?”

“A little, but at this point, it’s our only chance.”

“Alright, we’ll do as you say.”

“Be careful. After all, it’s a two-star spirit beast.”

Shen Yao nodded; she certainly wouldn’t let her guard down.

With that, the two pretended to search around, gradually moving closer to where the Shadow Wolf was hiding. The beast immediately grew tense, closely observing their every action. It sensed its chance approaching—if it seized the opportunity now, it might be able to take care of them both.

Judging by their behavior, the two seemed unaware of its presence. All that waiting was about to pay off.

With Lin Xiao’s guidance, the pair soon arrived near the Shadow Wolf’s hiding place. Lin Xiao had judged the distance perfectly—close enough to make the wolf think it was still undetected, yet tempting enough for it to see an opportunity.

After waiting a while and seeing that the wolf still hadn’t made a move, Lin Xiao realized he needed to push it further.

“Shen Yao, let’s turn our backs. This Shadow Wolf is clearly stronger than us, yet still so cautious. If we don’t give it a gaping weakness, it’ll never attack.”

Shen Yao gave a subtle nod.

They pretended not to have found the Shadow Wolf and started searching in another direction, turning their backs completely to the beast. Though the Shadow Wolf was careful, it was, after all, only a second-level spirit beast; its intelligence was limited. Faced with such a golden opportunity, how could it not be tempted?

At that moment, the Shadow Wolf could restrain itself no longer. In a swift motion, it darted from the shadows and lunged straight at Lin Xiao.

This time, it had learned to be clever. Knowing that Shen Yao would be harder to deal with, it chose Lin Xiao as its target. But Lin Xiao hadn’t set this trap without preparing himself. The moment he sensed the rush of wind behind him, he immediately ducked down.

The Shadow Wolf’s massive body soared right over his head. Lin Xiao’s aim wasn’t simply to draw the wolf out; if he missed this chance, the beast would only grow more cautious. So when the Shadow Wolf swept over, Lin Xiao didn’t hesitate—he spun around and grabbed hold of one of its legs.

Before the wolf could land, he used the momentum to hoist himself up, straddling the beast’s back.

Sensing a human on its back, the Shadow Wolf began to thrash violently, trying to shake Lin Xiao off. But Lin Xiao clung to its neck with both arms and locked his legs tightly around its waist.

“Try escaping my deadly grappling technique!” he thought.

No matter how the Shadow Wolf struggled, Lin Xiao had one thought: lock it down completely. Just as he had with Liu Ruyan and Ji Boxiao—utterly immobilized.

The Shadow Wolf was helpless against the man on its back. Soon, it came up with an idea: it was of the shadow element—why keep trying to escape physically? If it used its abilities to fade into the darkness, surely Lin Xiao wouldn’t be able to follow.

As the energy began to pulse through its body, Lin Xiao instantly realized the wolf’s plan. Now that he’d lured it out, how could he let it slip away again?

He freed one hand and punched the wolf hard, the wrappings on his arm lending extra weight to the blow. The force made the Shadow Wolf howl in pain, its energy thrown into chaos and its barely-conjured technique dissipated instantly.

The release of a spirit technique required a steady flow of energy—that was why Lin Xiao had gone to such lengths to climb onto its back.

The Shadow Wolf grew frantic, thrashing even harder.

Lin Xiao tightened his grip, determined not to let go for anything.

The Shadow Wolf was at its wits’ end. With Lin Xiao stuck to its back like a stubborn leech—impossible to shake off or attack—and now unable to use its abilities thanks to Lin Xiao’s interruptions, it was utterly miserable.

Truth be told, Lin Xiao wasn’t faring much better. The wolf’s wild thrashing and rolling left him battered and bruised, though he refused to loosen his hold.

If it hadn’t been for all those times he’d been roughed up by Sun Zhiyuan, he might have given up by now.

“Hey Shen Yao, how long are you just going to watch? Hurry up and help already!” he shouted.

Shen Yao snapped to attention—this was the chance she’d been waiting for. With Lin Xiao pinning the Shadow Wolf, it was like a toothless tiger now.

“I’m on it!” she called, leaping into the fray. With Shen Yao joining the fight, the Shadow Wolf was even more hard-pressed. One opponent was bad enough, but now there was another on its back, constantly disrupting its attempts to use its abilities. Every time it tried to channel spirit energy, Lin Xiao would break its focus. And he was surprisingly strong—it had already suffered several broken bones. The pain was excruciating.

Now, with Shen Yao’s attacks coming from the front and Lin Xiao clinging to its back, the beast was beset on all sides.

How had things come to this? From the moment Lin Xiao climbed onto its back, the Shadow Wolf’s fate was sealed. Under the combined assault of Lin Xiao and Shen Yao, the Shadow Wolf finally succumbed, its short life brought to a sudden end.

To Lin Xiao’s chagrin, even though he had done most of the work, it was Shen Yao who delivered the fatal blow—a punch to the wolf’s head. That meant the points for the kill went to her.

He had already been trailing Shen Yao in points, and now the gap had widened further.

No! He had to do something. He was so close to reaching two million points—he couldn’t let Shen Yao surpass him now.

That meant, before the assessment was officially declared over, he had one last chance.

He would have to eliminate Shen Yao.

But to attack her now seemed a bit underhanded…

Lin Xiao quickly banished the thought. Who was he kidding? What did honor matter compared to money?