Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 527 Seeking Survival Amidst Death, White Wolf Nourishes Blood
Xiao Jie didn't know how long he had been soaking in the icy river. Finally, a heavy impact jolted him awake from his near-death stupor. His consciousness was shrouded in a thick fog; the dizziness from excessive blood loss and the utter emptiness after his dantian was destroyed left him so weak that he could barely move his fingers.

He used all his strength to forcefully open his heavy eyelids. His blurry vision gradually focused—he was lying on his back on a rocky riverbank, his lower body still submerged in the icy water, only his upper body pushed to the shore by the current.

Where is this? The question had barely surfaced in his chaotic mind when the horrific scenes from before surged back like a tidal wave! The face of Xuanjizi's master who died tragically, the ferocious laughter of the Drunken Sword Immortal, the excruciating pain of his severed arm, the despair of his dantian being shattered... A sharp grief instantly seized him, followed by a faint but real sense of relief after successfully avenging himself.

So... I survived again?
But how long can this weak and broken body live now? Xiao Jie thought sadly.

But a single thought, like a faint candle flame, sustained him: his previous guess was correct! As long as his will remained unbroken and his spirit remained unyielding, this illusion could not kill him!
I must not die!
"Woo—!" A low, threatening growl pierced the brief silence like an icicle, instantly tightening Xiao Jie's nerves! He struggled to turn his neck, looking in the direction of the sound—at the edge of the sparse woods not far from the riverbank, a pure white wolf was slowly pacing out! Its eerie green eyes were fixed on Xiao Jie, flashing with a cold light that was a mixture of hunger and excitement, the look of a hunter seeing its prey within easy reach!
Xiao Jie's heart sank: Oh no! In the past, such an ordinary wild wolf would have been nothing more than an extra meal or material for a leather vest. But now, for him, exhausted and unable to move, this white wolf was nothing short of a deadly threat!

He subconsciously tried to mobilize even a trace of internal energy from his dantian, but all he received in response was a deathly emptiness and numbness. His once formidable internal energy, capable of shattering monuments and splitting rocks, had truly been completely crippled by the Drunken Sword Immortal's insidious palm strike!

"Woo—!" A low, menacing growl rumbled from the white wolf's throat as it clawed at the ground, cautiously approaching step by step.

Despair, like icy river water, washed over Xiao Jie once more. No! He couldn't die here! A voice cried out in his heart.

I'm a beast tamer! Yet, looking around, there's no food to use as bait. My only hope lies in my beast-taming instincts, honed from gaming memories but never tested in such a desperate situation.

He quietly hid his only remaining intact left arm under his wet clothes behind his back, trying his best to gather his strength. He only had one chance!
The man and the wolf, separated by several feet, locked eyes in a fierce confrontation. Time seemed to freeze, with only the sound of the rushing river. The white wolf's patience finally ran out! Or perhaps it simply felt that the human before it posed no threat anymore. It slammed its hind legs against the ground, its body transforming into a white lightning bolt, accompanied by a foul stench, lunging straight for Xiao Jie's vulnerable neck!

Xiao Jie had been waiting for this moment! He had already calculated the beast's most direct attack method! Just as the wolf's mouth was about to touch his skin, he used all his remaining strength to suddenly lean his upper body backward!
"Pfft!"

The sharp wolf fangs missed his throat, but instead embedded themselves deeply in the mangled wound on his right shoulder! A sharp pain shot through his body like an electric shock! But Xiao Jie groaned, stubbornly suppressing the agony with superhuman willpower—the inhuman tortures in the prison had honed his pain tolerance to far exceed that of ordinary people!
Just as the white wolf was about to bite, Xiao Jie's left arm, hidden behind his back, shot out like an iron clamp, tightly encircling the wolf's thick neck! Startled, the white wolf struggled and thrashed wildly, its sharp claws tearing open more wounds on his body, and the wound on his right shoulder was ripped open, leaving a bloody mess! Xiao Jie gritted his teeth, letting the blood soak through his clothes, and used his entire body weight to press the white wolf down, his knee slamming into its soft throat!

His free left hand groped laboriously for a specially made hidden pouch at his waist—his place for storing important items when he traveled the martial world. His fingertips touched the cold metal! He swiftly drew a willow-leaf throwing knife! Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed the blade, gleaming with a chilling blue light, firmly against the white wolf's violently throbbing carotid artery!

The man and the wolf were once again locked in a silent standoff! Xiao Jie's bloodshot eyes were fixed on the white wolf's eerie green pupils, conveying a pure will that transcended language—to submit, or to die!

At first, the white wolf was fierce, emitting threatening growls. But as time passed, Xiao Jie's unwavering will and the chilling threat of death emanating from its carotid artery gradually extinguished the savage ferocity in its eyes, replacing it with an animalistic instinct—fear of the stronger and…submission. It stopped struggling, letting out a low, mournful whimper.

Xiao Jie's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. His professional instincts as a beast tamer told him that the taming was successful! Although it couldn't be guaranteed to last, it was enough to solve his immediate problem.

He slowly loosened the tight grip on his arms, but his gaze remained fixed on the white wolf. He raised his hand with difficulty, pointed to his mouth, and then pointed into the depths of the dense forest—food.

The white wolf blinked knowingly, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded. It broke free from under Xiao Jie, but instead of running away immediately, it circled Xiao Jie anxiously twice, let out a low whimper, and then turned and darted into the dark woods, disappearing from sight.

Xiao Jie collapsed onto the cold, rocky beach, his heart pounding in his chest. In the game, the beast taming technique promised near-absolute loyalty once successfully mastered; as long as the affinity level didn't drop too much, it would obey commands without question. But this was reality, or rather, this incredibly "real" illusion! The instincts and fickle nature of wild beasts—who could guarantee it would return?

The wound was still bleeding profusely, and his body heat was constantly draining away with the icy river water; his consciousness was beginning to fade again. He had no choice but to await his fate.

After an unknown amount of time, a rustling dragging sound came from afar and grew closer! Xiao Jie's spirits lifted! He saw that the white wolf had returned and was struggling to drag a large wild deer that had just died, through the bushes, to his side!
Overwhelmed by the sheer joy of escaping death, Xiao Jie was consumed by elation! He disregarded his appearance and the blood, practically lunging forward and biting into the warm wound on the wild deer's neck! The scalding, pungent deer blood, like a life-giving spring, gushed into his throat and filled his icy stomach! A long-awaited warmth quickly spread through his body, dispelling some of the chill and bringing a faint but precious strength!
After catching his breath for a while, Xiao Jie managed to stand up, swaying unsteadily, supporting himself on the ground. His body was still as weak as a candle in the wind, but the heat and nutrients provided by the deer blood finally allowed him to slowly begin to recover.

Seeing that Xiao Jie had stopped eating, the white wolf bit down on a deer leg, dragged the massive carcass, and turned to walk deeper into the forest. Xiao Jie gritted his teeth and staggered after him.

He knew very well his current miserable state. It was absolutely impossible for him to survive in this treacherous forest; his only hope was to rely on the white wolf to get through the most dangerous moment.

As he walked, he cautiously observed his unfamiliar surroundings. All he could see were endless primeval forests and rugged mountains; where was the familiar Forget-Worry Valley? He had no idea how far away he had been swept away by the torrents beneath the waterfall.

Stumbling and staggering through the dense forest, after an unknown amount of time, the white wolf finally stopped at the foot of a sheltered cliff. A few soft howls rang out, and several furry wolf pups emerged from the crevices in the rocks below, joyfully pouncing on the deer carcass the white wolf had dragged back, tearing and gnawing at it with great effort. A slightly larger male wolf warily guarded the vicinity.

Upon seeing Xiao Jie, it bared its fangs warily, only retracting them after the white wolf let out a low growl, and then joined the wolf cubs eating.

Xiao Jie found a relatively flat and dry spot, but could no longer hold on and collapsed. He needed to rest; his body had reached its limit.

He fell into a deep sleep. The dream was bizarre and fantastical, filled with the faces of his deceased teammates—Ye Luo, An Ran, and Wo Yu Cheng Xian… Their faces intertwined with the kind yet stern face of Master Xuan Ji Zi, eventually becoming blurred and indistinguishable.

In a daze, Xiao Jie suddenly had a thought: those memories of the "real world" were just an absurd dream; he belonged here, to this world of swords and chivalry, of chivalry and vengeance! The so-called self "in front of the computer screen" was just an illusion!

Yes! It must be so! This thought became absolutely certain in his dream. He even felt a huge sense of regret: How foolish I was! Why did I believe that absurd dream? Why did I pretend to be mute for decades?! In the dream, he seemed to see that if he had spoken back then, his master would have given him the opportunity to participate in the Extraordinary Assembly, the Drunken Sword Immortal would not have had the chance to become arrogant and domineering, his master would not have died tragically, and perhaps he would have already joined the Azure Cloud Palace, learned the supreme Daoist arts, and even ascended to immortality!
"I was so stupid!" In his dream, Xiao Jie was so remorseful that he almost beat his chest and stamped his feet. A strong impulse made him want to shout at the top of his lungs to vent his belated "wake-up"!
"Ouch——!!!"

A long and desolate wolf howl, like a horn piercing through the fog, abruptly roused Xiao Jie from this dangerous and decadent dream!

He opened his eyes blankly, and it took several breaths for him to fully wake up and remember his situation. Immediately, a chilling fear swept over him, and cold sweat soaked through his thin shirt! What a close call! He almost "spoke" in his dream! Even though it was just sleep talking, who could guarantee that in a relaxed state of mind, he wouldn't blurt it out in reality?!
"Ouch——!!!"

The wolf's howl rang out again, piercing the silent night sky. Xiao Jie looked up and saw that the white mother wolf who had saved him had silently climbed to the top of the cliff. It stood proudly on the jagged rocks, its head held high, gazing at the large, full moon in the sky, radiating a cool, silvery light, and let out a long, wild, and powerful howl!

Xiao Jie didn't pay much attention at first. But soon, he noticed something unusual!

(End of this chapter)