According to historical records, Yang Ye founded the Yang Family Army and rendered countless military achievements for the Song Dynasty. He had seven sons, each one a natural-born military commander. They followed him gallantly on the battlefield, all possessing the innate talent of generals. Each had unique strengths, but the most outstanding among them, the one with the greatest talent, was undoubtedly the second son—Yang Yanding.
He was born with divine strength, possessing immense natural power. Honest and straightforward in temperament, if properly nurtured, he would undoubtedly grow into a formidable warrior capable of withstanding an army alone.
In ancient times, there were men like the Conqueror Xiang Yu and Li Yuanba of the Tang Dynasty—both born with divine strength, able to take on hundreds by themselves. Yang Yanding was the same. While even innate strength had its degrees, his physical constitution and talent had already far surpassed ordinary men, granting him limitless potential as a top-tier general. His aptitude could only be described as extraordinary.
"His vital energy is immense, his tendons and bones are refined through external hardening techniques."Yi Tianxing nodded quietly to himself, muttering under his breath.
"Brother Yi, you're here too," said Yang Yanping with a warm smile when he saw Yi Tianxing arrive, greeting him amicably.
"I heard the horn and knew there were beasts gathering outside, ready to attack the village, so I came to take a look," Yi Tianxing nodded in return.
"Brother Yi, this is my second brother, Yang Yanding. Second Brother, this is Brother Yi, Yi Tianxing." Yang Yanping promptly introduced them. Though Yang Ye hadn't yet revealed Yi Tianxing's true identity to his sons, likely due to time constraints, he did nothing to stop them from getting acquainted—he even seemed pleased to see it.
Even though this was their first meeting, Yi Tianxing's calm demeanor, his aura of restrained power, and the fact that he could slay a giant crocodile, all pointed to one thing—his battle prowess was immense. Even without knowing the full extent of his abilities, one could tell he wasn't someone to be underestimated.
A man like this, as long as he didn't fall prematurely, would undoubtedly leave his mark on this new world.
"Brother Yi, just call me Yanding, or Erlang if you like. I heard you hunted a massive crocodile—I've never seen one before. One day, I want to hunt one too!"Yang Yanding was completely unreserved, even enthusiastic. His words brimmed with admiration and curiosity for Yi Tianxing's feat.
As a martial man with innate strength, he had a natural affinity for other strong individuals.
"You'll get your chance," Yi Tianxing smiled casually.
But in the next moment, his gaze shifted outward.
Outside Yang Family Village, enormous dire wolves were encircling the settlement. Each was massive and exuded a bloodthirsty aura. Their snarling fangs dripped with saliva, and their glowing green eyes gleamed with a murderous light. The mere sight of them was enough to send chills down one's spine.
These wolves were terrifying.
Their sheer size meant even tigers would turn tail in fear. In terms of combat power, they were no less dangerous than tigers, and even more so due to their numbers and coordination. Some could even be used as mounts.
One or two wouldn't be alarming. But now, they numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands, with more still arriving. Each radiated a fierce presence, comparable to, if not stronger than, the strongest mortals—on par with or even exceeding first-tier Sea of Divine Origin cultivators.
The worst part was their numbers.
Wolves are pack hunters, renowned for their coordination. Their teamwork turned their collective force into something exponentially more destructive.
"So this is the wolf pack that's been attacking the village."Yi Tianxing's expression darkened.
"That's right. These wolves came from who knows where, likely from the nearby plains. At first there weren't many, but their numbers have grown rapidly. The damage they've done to the village keeps increasing. And this is just the beginning—the main assault will come at night," said Yang Yanping grimly.
"At night, these wolves become even stronger," added Yang Ye with a serious tone.
They had fought the wolves before, both in daylight and at night. The difference in strength was obvious—the wolves were much more dangerous under the cover of darkness.
"Damn it, Father, let me lead a squad and strike them down! We must crush their arrogance!"Yang Yanding clenched his fist and dropped to one knee, burning with fury at the sight of the wolves circling their home.
"Don't be reckless!" Yang Ye snapped. "We no longer have the strength to mount an attack. Only a thousand soldiers remain, and we have no horses. Even if we did, charging into that pack would be suicide. The moment we leave the village unguarded, the wolves will massacre it. We can only hold out behind our defenses."
His rich battlefield experience made it clear—the current situation left them with no choice but passive defense.
Unless the wolf pack could be eradicated, the village's fate was all but sealed.
"But the wolf king still hasn't revealed itself," Yi Tianxing frowned.
A wolf pack like this would surely be led by a powerful alpha, a beast of such strength that it had already entered the ranked category—meaning it likely possessed a natural-born divine ability.
Wolves came in many varieties, each with different traits and strengths—some elemental, some physical. Like the Wind Wolf Yi Tianxing had previously slain, which had the power of wind flowing in its bloodline.
Based on prior intel, the alpha this time was silver-colored.
But silver wolves also came in many forms. Without seeing it firsthand, even Yi Tianxing couldn't determine which kind.
"Big Brother, look! It's that silver wolf we blinded in one eye! It's back!"Yang Yanding pointed to a hilltop where a silver-furred wolf stood. It was smaller than the giant wolves—only the size of a normal wild wolf—but its fur shimmered with metallic silver.
Its right eye was clouded—clearly the one Yang Yanding had struck. From its remaining eye burned a searing hatred and vengeful fury. It clearly wanted nothing more than to annihilate Yang Family Village.
Wolves are notoriously vengeful, and those with powerful bloodlines are even more so. This one wouldn't rest until it saw the village destroyed.
"It's really that one. It led the first attack and survived being shot in the eye. It must be out for revenge now," said Yang Yanping grimly.
The wolf hadn't appeared during previous attacks. Its appearance now meant one thing—it had come for vengeance.
"There's a crescent mark on its forehead. It must be related to the moon," Yi Tianxing observed sharply. A silver crescent moon mark glowed faintly on the wolf's brow, pulsing with energy.
Howling Moon Silver Wolf (啸月银狼): A powerful wolf variant with a unique bloodline. It can absorb lunar energy (Moonlight Essence) to rapidly enhance its strength, accelerate healing, and even grant near-endless stamina under moonlight. Possesses the Silver Moon Power and has extraordinary growth potential.
"It's a Howling Moon Silver Wolf," Yi Tianxing murmured, reading the text that had appeared in his Heavenless Scripture. "No wonder it waits until nightfall to attack—its power doubles under moonlight."
The implications were dire. Fighting such a creature at night would be a nightmare.
He looked to the sky—it was nearing dusk.
"General Yang, we can't wait. Now that the Howling Moon Silver Wolf has appeared, this attack is meant to be the final blow. And there's still another true alpha wolf in the shadows. Once the moon rises, we'll stand no chance. We have to strike now, before night falls."
Yi Tianxing's voice was firm.
"But... the villagers..."Yang Ye's face twisted with internal conflict. He knew Yi Tianxing was right. But to attack now would mean leaving the village vulnerable.
If the Yang Family Army charged out, the villagers would be left at the mercy of the wolves.
He hesitated.