This was a dense rainforest.

Spears of scorching sunlight pierced through the thick layers of leaves, illuminating the ground. The air was stiflingly humid, and the dense foliage flourished exuberantly due to the copious rainfall. Vines twisted around each other and tangled roots formed serious obstacles.

Zi Di ran through the rainforest with all her might.

She had curly black hair and a wheat-colored complexion. Her delicate features outlined an extraordinary beauty. The most captivating part of her appearance was her large purple eyes, clear and bright like amethysts.

But at this moment, those purple eyes were filled with fear and panic.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Her mouth was wide open, gasping for air, and her chest was already aching faintly.

She was drenched in sweat, and there were several bandaged wounds on her body. The vigorous running had caused the white bandages to be stained with patches of fresh red blood.

"Faster, go faster!"

"I must get away from here immediately!!"

Zi Di encouraged herself, but her speed was always limited.

It was because a thick hemp rope was draped over her shoulder, dragging something heavy behind her, which significantly slowed her down.

"Ah—!"

Suddenly, a piercing scream resonated from afar.

Immediately after, the howling of wolves echoed.

Zi Di shuddered violently, as if struck by an electric shock.

Then, a sense of crisis and urgency seized her heart with a monstrous grip.

In that instant, only one thought remained in her mind: "Run! Escape! Leave everything behind, or you will be killed by that Evil Wolf, just like those guards, torn apart, chewed up, and eventually swallowed!"

Zi Di's face turned pale, her eyes frantic, but when she looked behind her, she steadied herself again.

She was dragging a hemp rope, firmly connected to a stretcher on which an unconscious boy lay.

The boy, for some reason, had his eyes tightly shut and was unresponsive. He had strikingly golden hair and exceptionally handsome features, exuding an innate nobility.

The boy was undoubtedly her burden.

In such a critical life-and-death chase, dragging a burden heavier than herself was like throwing away her chance of survival.

Looking at the boy on the stretcher, Zi Di gritted her teeth.

She then forced herself to suppress the panic and tension inside, continuing to drag the stretcher, resisting the terrifying pressure of impending death, and moving forward once more.

She pushed aside the vines in front of her and used her slender body to break through the dense shrubs that were as thick as walls. Suddenly, the dense forest opened up slightly, revealing a bright blue sky.

The sound of running water grew clearer, and soon a small river appeared in Zi Di's sight.

With a quick estimation, she knew that the river would likely only reach her waist.

However, she didn't dare to set foot in the river easily!

"This isolated island is full of dangers, and it cannot be judged by common sense. I'm almost certain that this river is hiding ferocious crocodiles or swarms of piranhas!"

Originally, she had sixteen guards by her side, but now only she and the boy remained. Along the way, her team members had sacrificed themselves one by one, demonstrating the terrifying nature of this island jungle with their lives.

"Damn, if only I could use Magic..."

After observing for a while, Zi Di bit her lip and decided to cross the river.

The giant wolf behind her was like a death god in pursuit, likely tracking her scent.

Even though Zi Di was panicked, she never lost her reason entirely. She remained consciously aware and judicious about her situation.

She dragged the heavy stretcher and followed the river.

Moments later, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.

She saw a small tree growing sideways. Its trunk extended from this shore, arching over the river, and reaching the other side.

Zi Di cautiously checked the surroundings. She found nothing hiding in the bushes, neither poisonous snakes nor thorns, but the trunk was covered in moss, making it extremely slippery.

Climbing the trunk alone would be risky, let alone with the added burden.

The boy on the stretcher remained deeply unconscious.

Perhaps she should abandon him.

Crossing the river with an unconscious boy was extremely difficult and dangerous.

But Zi Di gritted her teeth, quickly untied the hemp rope from the stretcher, and carried the boy on her back. She then securely bound herself to him with the rope.

After preparing everything, Zi Di removed her boots, stuffing them between the rope and her body.

Finally, she took a deep breath, and began the risky climb up the trunk, carrying the unconscious boy on her back.

The moss on the trunk peeled off as she climbed, making it even more slippery.

"I can do this, I can!"

"Zi Di, you must not fall here."

"You are the Chairman of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce. Your father's revenge is yet to be avenged!"

The brave girl continued to motivate herself.

She exerted all her strength, clinging to the trunk, inching forward. Her purple eyes brimming with determination as she gazed ahead.

In the end, she successfully climbed over.

The combined weight of the two pressed the small tree trunk down. When she reached the other bank, the trunk bent down to the ground.

This made it easier for Zi Di to land.

Without the weight of both, the trunk sprang back up, its branches and leaves swaying in a flurry.

Zi Di, carrying the boy, was at the limit of her physical strength. She was nearly exhausted, unable to stand, and could only kneel, supporting herself with her hands.

Her face was pale, and she felt slightly dizzy. Sweat dripped quickly from her nose and chin, falling on the lush grass beneath her.

Catching her breath for a moment, the dizziness faded gradually.

A strong sense of joy spread through her heart.

"Incredible! I did it!"

"I really climbed over."

But immediately, she noticed her limbs beginning to feel numb.

This was the aftermath of exerting all her strength.

Howl!

The wolf's howl suddenly sounded, and a shadow darted out from the dense grass.

Zi Di's body trembled intensely. She instinctively turned around and saw a massive deep blue wolf.

At that moment, her eyes widened, falling into despair!

The wolf, as big as a small cow, exuded a menacing aura.

Its teeth were bared, with remnants of fresh meat between them.

Its eyes were blood-red, glaring at Zi Di with murderous intent.

Zi Di was terrified, collapsing into the grass by the riverside.

In her haste, she forgot that the unconscious boy was still on her back.

The boy's weight brought strong inertia, dragging Zi Di to the ground.

This display of weakness and helplessness only fueled the wolf's aggression.

Yet, the giant wolf remained on the opposite bank.

It paced and growled, eyeing the flowing river with clear apprehension.

Seeing the wolf's hesitation, Zi Di realized that her earlier judgment was correct.

However, the next moment, the wolf discovered the trunk and, imitating Zi Di, started to make its way across!

There was no doubt that this ferocious and cunning wolf possessed alarming intelligence.

Though large, it balanced perfectly, moving faster than Zi Di did.

Shocked, Zi Di felt as if she were electrocuted. She hurriedly drew a dagger from her bosom, cut the rope binding her, and leapt up, forcefully ramming the trunk suspended in mid-air.

The trunk swayed upon impact.

Though the sway wasn't severe, it was enough to cause the wolf trouble.

The wolf's balance was disrupted, almost falling into the river, forcing it to leap back to the bank in a sorry state.

Howl!

It roared at Zi Di, baring sharp teeth, growing even more irritable.

Zi Di, having temporarily stopped the wolf, was initially overjoyed but soon filled with regret.

"I should have waited until it was in the middle and then struck, making it fall into the river!"

She and the wolf faced off across the river.

The wolf kept howling, refusing to retreat.

Zi Di's eyes were fixed on the wolf. She did not dare to relax for a second. Every time the wolf showed an attempt to climb the trunk, she would shake it, causing a disturbance.

A while later, Zi Di realized her earlier panicked action was the correct one.

She could not accurately gauge how far the wolf could jump.

The wolf might climb a short distance and then leap to the opposite bank directly.

Even if Zi Di had managed to shake the wolf into the river, there was no guarantee the hidden dangers in the water would emerge or stop it.

So, the most cautious approach was to give the wolf no opportunity. As soon as it started to climb, she disrupted it.

As time passed, the wolf's attempts continued to fail.

Finally, at a certain moment, it quickly turned and darted into the bushes, disappearing from sight.

Zi Di stood in a daze, only coming to her senses several breaths later and plopping onto the ground.

Her face, tense with fear, began to relax like melting ice, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She had finally escaped death!

Zi Di began to sob quietly.

Her legs were bent, feet still bare, and she hadn't had time to put on her boots.

Because of climbing earlier, the inner sides of her feet were covered in abrasions, and her fingernails were damaged, oozing blood.

She buried her head in her knees, her shoulders trembling with her sobs, like a delicate kitten.

After crying for a while, she suddenly lifted her head as if struck by lightning.

Her eyes were red, clear traces of tears on her face, exuding a complex mix of emotions—shock, doubt, and fear.

"Did the wolf really give up?"

"It's possible. But…"

Recalling the terrifying experiences of the past days, Zi Di increasingly felt the wolf was unlikely to give up.

"It might have retreated into the bushes to deceive me."

"Perhaps, it's following the river, searching for another way to cross!"

"Or maybe it's already on this side, racing towards here!!"

These thoughts hit Zi Di like a jolt, filling her with bone-chilling dread.

What should she do?

Climb back the way she came, with the boy?

Even ignoring the difficulty of climbing up the arched trunk with the boy's dead weight, what if the wolf was still waiting?

Should she stop midway?

That was impossible.

She had expended too much energy.

Zi Di deeply understood her current physical state. She couldn't gather the confidence to climb the trunk again. Reflecting on her earlier climb, she felt a mix of relief and fear.

Should she continue with the boy?

If the wolf pursued them, it was certain death.

Even unburdened, she couldn't outrun the wolf.

"There's only one final option!"

A determined look flashed in Zi Di's eyes.

She hurried to the boy's side, half-kneeling on the ground, and took out a milky white crystalline rod from her bosom.

Concentrating intensely, she poured all her remaining strength into the White Crystal.

Clamping the crystal tightly, she held it near the boy's forehead, just a hair's breadth away, but nothing happened.

"Is it not working after all?"

"No, this is the last hope. Even if there's a faint chance…"

Growing desperate, Zi Di muttered, "Quickly, please, please work."

As if responding to her plea, the milky white crystal started to emit a faint light, barely visible.

But just that faint glimmer of light made Zi Di overjoyed.

"Though the majority of magic is prohibited on this island, it's relative. As long as the grade is high enough, it can still be used. Reduced in power and effect, but usable…"

Magic worked that way, and so did Magic Tools.

The light from the White Crystal Rod grew brighter, eventually resembling flowing droplets of luminous milk.

A small stream of this liquid dripped onto the boy's forehead and then merged into his skin miraculously.

In a short while, Zi Di, struggling to activate the crystal, became paler and drenched in sweat, her body faltering.

The crystal began to lose its luster, turning to gray stone from the top down.

"Hold on, must hold on, don't give up!" Zi Di urged herself, pushing her limits, nearly hypnotizing herself to keep going.

When the crystal was nearly half gray, Zi Di was almost unconscious, driven by sheer determination.

"Must wake him…"

Howl!

The sudden wolf howl announced the return of the blue giant wolf, charging from the dense grass with astonishing speed.

In that moment, death descended!

Zi Di was startled, trembling violently, instinctively looking up. Her delicate face was now in the shadow of the wolf.

She saw the wolf mid-leap, diving towards her.

Time seemed to slow.

The wolf's mouth was open wide, revealing fierce fangs, saliva trailing.

"Am I going to die?!" Zi Di's will fought to struggle, but her body had no energy left, exhausted completely.

"So unwilling…" Facing the powerful sense of impending death, Zi Di's eyes held a final hope, looking at the crystal in her hand.

Two-thirds of the Crystal Ball had turned to gray stone, yet a third remained.

"No hope left."

In an instant, Zi Di's face turned ashen, losing all will, her head drooping, eyes closing.

But just as she resigned to her fate, her hand trembled.

Thump.

With a light sound, the crystal shattered into countless fragments.

What's happening?

Zi Di opened her eyes in surprise.

She saw the unconscious boy waking up at last!

The golden-haired, blue-eyed boy suddenly flipped over and delivered a backward kick.

The move was elegant and swift, yet powerful.

His seemingly frail body displayed formidable strength in that kick!

A powerful kick with the force of a storm!

The wolf, unable to dodge, was struck squarely.

Its howl was cut short, as it was sent flying.

The boy pressed his hands to the ground, swiftly standing, eyes blazing.

Zi Di's breath hitched, her pupils contracting. Staring at the boy's slender back, it seemed like a mountain was rising.