Although Deputy Commander Vaughn Jin had warned everyone to hunt only within an eighty-li radius, you couldn't expect the proud members of the War God Squad to actually follow the rules. Getting them to behave was basically impossible.
So Ian Song's squad wasn't the only one planning to hunt outside the designated area.
Since they'd already decided to hunt beyond the boundary, Ian and his team picked up the pace. In less than half an hour, they'd reached the area outside the limit.
"Roar! Roar!"
Beastly roars echoed, mixed with shouts from humans.
"Judging by the sound, it's coming from five li southeast," Warren Wu listened for a moment, then said confidently.
"Looks like other squads couldn't resist the temptation and left the boundary too! I wonder which team it is?" Ray Zhao said.
"Let's go check it out!"
Ian waved his hand, and the eight of them sped off toward the southeast.
For martial artists like them, covering a few li at full speed only took a minute or two.
"It's a pack of Dreadspike Wolves!"
In a forest clearing, a squad was locked in fierce battle with a group of Dreadspike Wolves. Four wolf corpses already lay on the ground, and the remaining nine were being surrounded and hunted by the War God Squad.
If nothing unexpected happened, they'd soon finish off the last nine wolves.
"Thirteen C-class beasts—that's 650 Merit Points! Talk about luck." Gavin Zhao said enviously.
"Yeah," Ray Zhao nodded in agreement.
Since that squad could handle the Dreadspike Wolves on their own, Ian decided they'd better use the time to look for other prey.
"Awooo! Awooo! Awooo!"
Just as he was about to lead his team away, a sudden chorus of wolf howls echoed from several li away.
Activating Clairvoyant Vision, Ian instantly spotted a pack of more than twenty Dreadspike Wolves racing toward them from eight li away. At their speed, they'd arrive in two minutes, tops.
"Captain, looks like our chance just arrived!" Warren Wu said, his face lighting up with excitement.
Ian nodded and urged, "It really is a chance! Quick, let's help them finish off those nine Dreadspike Wolves!"
"Captain, is this really okay? Won't they misunderstand?" Gavin Zhao said worriedly.
"There's another wolf pack with twenty-three coming to support. If they merge, it'll be way harder to kill them! So now's not the time to quibble—let's move!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ian shot forward: "Brothers, we're here to help!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
The instant Ian darted out, he used Thousand-Hands Strike to flick nine coins from both hands.
With a flash of silver, all nine coins struck the leg joints of the nine wolves, making them stagger.
Although the squad saw Ian and his team rush in and worried about kill-stealing, they didn't hesitate. Taking advantage of the wolves' instability, they ramped up their attacks.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Three Dreadspike Wolves were slain instantly.
Seeing their captain Ian charge in, Gavin and the others didn't hesitate either and leapt into the fray.
The wolf pack was already at a disadvantage, and now eight more fighters joined the battle.
So, in less than ten breaths, all nine Dreadspike Wolves were dead.
"Thanks for the help, Brother Song, but...!" Oscar Liao cupped his fists to Ian.
Ian waved it off. "Don't misunderstand, Brother Liao—we're not here to steal kills. These Dreadspike Wolves are all yours!"
Oscar Liao was the squad leader, from the Northwest Wolf Sect, and had reached peak Innate Sixth Layer.
Hearing this, Oscar paused, then quickly looked grateful. "Then thank you, Captain Song!"
"No need to be polite, Brother Liao. There's a pack of twenty-three Dreadspike Wolves heading this way—everyone get ready for battle!" Ian reminded.
Oscar's squad had been busy fighting, so their awareness of the surroundings was a bit dulled. Thanks to Ian's reminder, they now sensed a wolf pack rapidly approaching.
"Brother Song, how about we each fight for our own share next?" Oscar Liao suggested, clearly intending for the two squads to team up.
"Alright!" Ian nodded without objection.
After a quick cleanup of the battlefield, the Dreadspike Wolf pack finally arrived.
Dreadspike Wolves are vicious by nature and incredibly fast.
With a roar, the pack charged at the teams.
"Attack!"
Ian and Oscar Liao gave the order together, and both squads unleashed their skills to slaughter the wolves.
Each Dreadspike Wolf was worth 50 Merit Points, so Ian didn't hold back. He pushed Ninefold Dragon Step to its limit, turning into a blur as he plunged into the pack, his hands in Silkworm Gloves striking at wolf heads nonstop.
"Thud, thud, thud, thud!"
His true essence power was intensely penetrating—any wolf struck in the head by him had its skull instantly smashed to pulp.
In moments, four wolves were dead beneath his fists.
Oscar glanced at Ian, saw how fast he was killing, and sped up with his shortsword, matching Ian by taking down three wolves in a flash.
The fight started fast, and ended just as quickly.
In less than a minute, all twenty-three Dreadspike Wolves were slain.
Ian's squad killed fourteen wolves, while Oscar's team got nine. Adding the earlier thirteen, Oscar's squad earned twenty-two kills for a haul of 1,100 Merit Points.
"Ha! Great teamwork, Brother Song!" Oscar Liao laughed heartily.
"It really was!" Ian smiled and nodded. "By the way, Brother Liao, let's not waste time—let's take these wolves back to base first, then team up for more hunting."
"That's exactly what I was thinking!"
Oscar responded cheerfully.
Forty minutes later, both squads returned to base with thirty-six Dreadspike Wolf corpses. After handing in their mission, they set out again.
The day flew by, and together, the two teams reaped a bountiful harvest.
Oscar Liao's squad earned a total of 2,250 Merit Points, while Ian's team brought in 1,900.
The other seven squads all broke 1,000 Merit Points today—a good start.
That night, after finishing his cultivation, Ian began to ponder in private.
For the past two days, he'd always acted with the group—some of his methods couldn't be used.
He wondered if it was time to try going solo.
After tasting the benefits of teaming up, the next morning, before heading out, Oscar Liao sought out Ian and hoped to continue hunting together.
Ian had no objections to this.
Within the eighty-li radius, it was nearly impossible to hunt C-class beasts, so after setting out, everyone headed beyond the designated range.
But it seemed yesterday's luck had run dry; by noon, the two squads together had only managed to kill six C-class beasts.
"Brother Song, how about we find a place to rest and eat before we keep hunting?" Oscar Liao suggested.
"Sounds good!"
Ian nodded.
Soon, the group found a cliff wall. Ian happened to glance up and spotted a small tree growing on the cliff, its branches lush and bearing forty-nine thumb-sized bright red fruits.
"Vermilion Spirit Fruit!"
Ian was overjoyed. He sprang up, his feet tapping rapidly up the cliff wall as he soared to the fruit's location, reaching out to pick it—just as a flash of emerald light shot straight for the back of his hand.