Swallowed Star: Lord of the Wolf

Chigu led the hunting party in front, while Xu Yang and Guji followed at a leisurely pace, about ten miles apart.

The group maintained a delicate balance—Akagani and the others remained vigilant, maintaining a basic battle formation as they moved, with someone occasionally glancing back discreetly.

Xu Yang, on the other hand, acted as if nothing was amiss. His gaze seemed to casually sweep over the surrounding mountain scenery as he whispered something to Guji, as if they were discussing something he had just seen in the fragments of memory.

Guji seemed somewhat absent-minded, his gaze frequently drifting to the bulging animal skin bags carried by the hunting team members, his throat occasionally bobbing slightly.

Having finally devoured two Void Gods, he became craving more and now wished he could devour this whole bunch of natives in front of him as well.

"Speed ​​up! We must reach 'Broken Ridge Gorge' and set up camp before dark!" Akaya ordered in a deep voice, interrupting the team members' whispers.

The appearance of Xu Yang and his companion broke their usual hunting routine, which made him feel a little annoyed. Moreover, he felt that the area they were passing through was unusually quiet, with even the usual chirping of birds and insects in the mountains and forests being much less frequent. An indescribable sense of oppression filled the air.

As the team increased their speed, the rustling sound of them moving through the tall grass became more frequent.

While everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts and focused on their journey—

Xu Yang's casual gaze toward the hunting team suddenly sharpened!
His footsteps paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then resumed as usual.

To the right of the hillside they were passing was a vast swamp, its expanse shimmering with beautiful colors under the sunlight, a rainbow of light arching across the sky like a winding archway. They could even spot birds and beasts swooping down to snatch fish, and long, slender tails peeking through the dense aquatic plants…

In the wild, this kind of lake is a forbidden area that cannot be approached!
Clearly, the hunting team knew this, and even Chi Xi, who was setting out into the wild for the first time, had fear in his eyes and moved quickly to keep up with the team, wanting to cross the lake as fast as possible.

However, Xu Yang's gaze, which had been somewhat inquisitive and casual, instantly locked onto a seemingly normal, slightly raised mound of earth about fifty feet ahead of the Chigu team, which they were about to pass through!

In his perception, deep beneath the seemingly calm earth, an extremely subtle yet nauseatingly violent force was rapidly moving through!
This force manipulates the soil and rocks with exquisite precision, moving silently like a venomous snake in the water. Its speed is astonishing, and its target is clear—the few team members in the middle of the group whose aura is slightly weaker and whose vigilance is relatively low!
It's an earthworm!
Moreover, it was an earthworm at the peak of the Void True God Realm, about to transform into a dragon!

From the fragments of memory of the two unfortunate natives, Xu Yang instantly recognized this infamous predator from the wilderness of the Origin Continent. They were enormous, resembling giant pythons, yet covered in tough rock armor. They lurked deep underground year-round, extremely sensitive to the pulse of the earth and fluctuations of divine power.

When they hunt, they burrow their massive bodies underground, perfectly concealing their presence and movements by relying on their earth-elemental talents. Then, they suddenly burst out from under their prey, opening their enormous, ring-shaped mouths filled with barbs and sharp teeth, capable of tearing apart treasures, and swallowing the prey along with the soil and rocks!
Its sudden attacks and ferocious power are a nightmare for many hunting teams in the wild!

This earthworm had clearly been lying in wait for a long time, sensing the strong life force emanating from the hunting party, and had already locked onto them as its prey. The timing and location of its attack were extremely cunning—it was precisely in the area where the group had just crossed the lake, their tense guard slightly relaxed, and their focus was somewhat unfocused!
"Guji! Don't do anything." Xu Yang's voice, like the clang of metal, instantly rang in Guji's mind!
Almost at the same moment the earthworm was about to break through the soil, Akaya suddenly felt a pang of fear!
His keen intuition, which belonged to the peak of the Void True God realm, finally allowed him to detect the extremely faint yet destructive vibration coming from beneath his feet!

"Underground! Something's there! Scatter!!!" Akaya's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding instantly!
His massive body suddenly erupted with a dazzling, earthy-yellow divine light, and the ancient stone spear in his hand was infused with divine power like lightning, ready to plunge downwards! His reaction was incredibly fast!
However, it's too late!

For the True God-level team members behind them, from Chi Gu sensing the abnormal tremor of the earth to letting out a roar, and then to their reaction... this brief moment of delay was a chasm between life and death in the face of the speed of the Void Peak Earthworm!
Rumble——! ! !
Just as the roar of Chigu rang out, the earthen slope that Xu Yang had locked onto suddenly exploded!

There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a pure and terrifying burst of destructive power!
The soil and rocks were as if they were being crushed and tossed about by an invisible giant hand!
A huge crater with a diameter of over 100 zhang was formed instantly!

Amidst the churning dust and shattered rocks, a colossal, terrifying figure soared into the sky!

It was a colossal beast with a diameter of over ten zhang, its entire body covered in dark, thick, rocky scales that resembled flowing magma! Its body had no head, only a ring-shaped maw with countless layers of rotating, sharp teeth split open at the front of its body!

Its terrifying mouthparts were like an abyss of hell, emanating a stench that could freeze one's soul and a powerful suction force!

It was like a black dragon bursting from the ground, and the team members who were already terrified were mercilessly chewed up and devoured by it!
"Jingqiu! Wanyu! Bai..." Chibaihu let out a heart-wrenching scream!

She wasn't far away, and the vine whip at her waist instantly transformed into an emerald dragon, lashing out at the terrifying ring-shaped mouthparts. However, faced with the oppressive aura and terrifying suction of the Void Peak Earthworm, her attack was like an ant trying to shake a tree!
A peak Void True God level earthworm can rival three cultivators of the same level, while Chi Baihu hasn't even reached the late stage of Void True God.

As the leader, Chi Gu's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and the stone spear in his hand slammed down with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks! As one of the tribe's eighteen warriors, he had led the expedition but suffered heavy casualties, so he had no choice but to be furious and take action!
"brute!!"

Akaya's roar was filled with bloodshot veins and madness!

The stone spear transformed into a yellow meteor that tore through the air, carrying all his anger and divine power, and slammed into the earthworm's massive body covered in magma armor!

clang--! ! !
A piercing clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere! The terrifying power contained in the tip of the stone spear exploded on the earthworm's body, creating a visible shockwave that instantly cleared away the churning earth and rocks around it!

however--

Akani's tiger's mouth was ripped open, and blood flowed freely!

His powerful strike, capable of shaking mountains, only managed to break through a small opening in the earthworm's dark rock armor. The spear tip pierced the flesh, but it was stopped by the firm muscles after only a few inches.

The earthworm's massive body didn't even tremble. The lava patterns flowing on its hard rock armor glowed slightly, which forcefully dissolved and dispersed the destructive impact throughout its body!

"Roar—!" The earthworm roared even more wildly, as if it had been bitten by a mosquito!
Its terrifying ring-shaped mandibles swung violently, detaching from their original direction of devouring, and slammed into Akaya like a giant millstone! The layers of sharp teeth in its mandibles spun at high speed, cutting through the air with a teeth-grinding buzz, bringing with them a foul, fishy gust of wind!

Akaya's pupils contracted sharply; he dared not take the hit head-on!
He was extremely experienced in combat, and at the last second, his body made a desperate evasive maneuver, unleashing an astonishing speed that belied his size, and he slammed backward like a metal bridge! Swoosh!

The spinning, sharp teeth almost grazed his chest! Although the terrifying sharpness did not make direct contact, it tore several bloody gashes through his muscular chest and fur coat!
Blood instantly stained the tiger head totem on his chest!

"Pfft!" Akaya groaned, forcibly steadying himself, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes filled with solemnity and disbelief.

That beast has such hard armor!
What a swift counterattack!
Could it be an earthworm about to break through its limits?

The earthworm missed its first attack, but its ring-shaped mouthparts spun as nimbly as a giant python, locking onto Chigu once more!
Its massive body suddenly bent and sprang forward, like a fully drawn bowstring suddenly released, charging down with the force to crush everything in its path! It seemed to have identified Red Valley as the greatest threat and that it had to be eliminated first!
Akaya could only grit his teeth and push his movement to the limit, wielding the stone spear in his hand with impenetrable force, transforming it into a yellow light screen, thrusting, prying, and smashing, constantly bombarding the gaps in the scales of the earthworm's body, trying to find its weakness, while at the same time narrowly dodging the bites of its deadly maw!

boom! boom! boom!
clang!clang!clang!
The violent collisions sounded like thunderclaps, one after another!

The shockwave of divine power rippled outwards, carving deep furrows into the surrounding ground and destroying all vegetation!
Chigu was like a small boat struggling to stay afloat in a storm. With each clash, the terrifying power of the earthworm made his arms numb, his blood churn, and his wounds keep increasing!

He was completely outmatched and could only rely on his superb combat skills and tenacious will to hold on. It seemed that defeat was only a matter of time!
"uncle!"

"Captain! Watch out!"

The hunting team members watched with bated breath and burning anxiety!
They wanted to rush forward to help, but the aftershocks of that peak-level battle were enough to tear them apart. They could only scatter far away, shouting anxiously, but they were powerless to do anything! Chi Xi was so frightened that her little face turned pale, and she clung tightly to the arm of a clansman next to her.

Akashiro's heart was breaking!
Watching her husband covered in blood, narrowly escaping the ferocious attacks of the earthworm, each near-miss made her heart stop! She gripped the vine whip tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, wishing she could rush up and fight alongside her husband, but she knew that rushing up would only make things worse!

At this heart-wrenching moment—

Gurgle… Gurgle…

A faint yet clear sound, like a giant bubble bursting, came from the depths of the vast, colorful swamp beside them!

Akashiroto suddenly turned his head to look!
The once calm area in the center of the lake was now eerily churning with large, murky splashes! Beneath the splashes, a huge, dark shadow was vaguely moving! Ripples carrying a fishy stench were rapidly spreading towards the shore!

Clearly, the energy fluctuations and bloody smell from the fierce battle on the shore have alerted the ferocious beasts in the lake!
And the location of those bubbles... was clearly moving closer to the shore!

"Oh no!!" Akashiroto instantly felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, making her scalp tingle!
A mere peak-level Void Beast has already put my husband in dire straits. If another beast of the same or even greater level were to emerge from the lake... the consequences would be unimaginable!
The entire hunting party, including her and Chixi, will perish here!
Despair overwhelmed her instantly like a cold tide!
She subconsciously turned her gaze to the back of the group, to the two unfamiliar Void Gods who had been silently observing!
As Akashiroto cast his gaze, filled with despair and a last glimmer of hope, Xu Yang's eyes also swept over the churning lake, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

When Chi Baihu met Xu Yang's deep and calm gaze, it was as if he had grasped the last straw!
She disregarded everything else and pleaded desperately towards Xu Yang, "Friend! Please help! Save Chigu! Save us! After we get through this crisis, our Yongzan tribe will reward you handsomely, and you will always be our Yongzan tribe's most valued friend!"

The voices, sharp and piercing from extreme tension, echoed amidst the fierce battle sounds, sounding particularly desolate and helpless.

The hunting team members also seemed to wake up from a dream, and all looked at Xu Yang and his companion, their eyes filled with pleading!
Chigu is their backbone and the tribe's warrior!
If he were to perish here, his entire team would be doomed and would have no chance of returning to the tribe!

Xu Yang's calm gaze shifted from Akashiroto's tear-streaked and despairing face to Akaya, who was locked in a fierce battle, covered in blood, and struggling to dodge each move. He then glanced at the center of the lake, which was getting closer and churning more violently.

He nodded; this was the moment he had been waiting for.

It wasn't that he couldn't take action to save those natives first, but rather that they weren't familiar with each other to begin with, and taking action rashly before anything happened would only cause unnecessary misunderstandings... And right now, before going to the Yongzan tribe to obtain more detailed information, Xu Yang didn't want to reveal the strength of the Eternal True God.

He knew nothing about the Eastern Extreme Region; the information given to him by Ku Yanju and Zuoshanke only mentioned it briefly and did not go into detail.

Therefore, even though he had many trump cards up his sleeve, Xu Yang still chose to keep a low profile for the time being.

The next moment, he moved.

There was no earth-shattering burst of power, no dazzling divine light. Xu Yang's figure was like a ghost blending into the wind; in a flash, he had already traversed ten miles, appearing silently at the edge of the raging battlefield!
The speed was so fast that Akashiroto and all the hunting team members only saw a blur before their eyes!
At this moment, Chigu was being forced into a perilous situation by the earthworm's terrifying ring-shaped mouthparts. His huge body rolled over in a sorry state, barely dodging the strangulation of the rotating sharp teeth, but his back was exposed to the side and front of the earthworm's huge body!
Seizing the opportunity, the earthworm's massive body, covered in thick rock armor, slammed into Chigu's back like a battering ram, carrying the terrifying power to crush mountains!
If this impact were to hit squarely, Akaya would be seriously injured even if he didn't die!
Akaya's old strength was exhausted, and new strength had not yet been generated, so he had no way to dodge! A trace of despair flashed in his eyes!
At this critical moment——

"kill!"

Xu Yang's icy voice was like ice shattering!
boom!
The timing and angle he chose were incredibly tricky—it was the moment when the earthworm was charging at full force, its side scales were relatively weak, and it was the moment when it had no time to look at anything else!
His hands were now covered by an inconspicuous pair of gray-iron palm guards!
The surface of the palm guards has no fancy patterns, only a cold, strange texture that seems to absorb light, and the fingertips gleam with a chilling light!
"Open it!!"

Xu Yang let out a low shout, his right palm with five fingers pressed together like a knife, without any unnecessary frills, only pure, concentrated penetrating power!

On the gray-iron palm gauntlet, a divine power so sharp it seemed capable of cutting through anything suddenly erupted!

This palm strike wasn't a direct, head-on collision with the earthworm's hardest frontal rock armor. Instead, it was incredibly precise, like a viper's hiss, striking the earthworm's massive body from the side and rear—specifically, the area of ​​rock armor at the lumbar vertebrae that was slightly dark red and thinner than the rest of its body! (End of Chapter)