With Yue's reinforcement, Su Xiang managed to kill the wolf attacking her without suffering more than a few shallow wounds from the wolf's snapping jaws. While blood flowed freely from the wounds that couldn't be suppressed no matter how much she tried, it wasn't enough to rob her of her strength to continue fighting.
Zhang Buyan, riding high on the residual energy of his breakthrough, had also managed to defeat the last of the Blood Moon Mist Wolves, caving in its skull with a heavy gold-wreathed fist. Despite the various injuries suffered and the unexpected collapse of Fang Lin's barrier, the battle, thus far, had largely gone to plan.
Only the giant form of the Wolf King remained for the cultivators to focus their power on. Soon, they began to feel, this bloody battle would come to an end.
The young cultivators, however, weren't the only ones with plans on this bloody night. The Wolf King's mist had spread all across the battlefield, reaching as far as the stretch of ground where Yu Jinqi desperately fought to stop Fang Lin from bleeding to death. Now, as the Wolf King stalked toward Xiong Dahuo, it drew deep on the power of the Blood Moon's Blessing and howled into the night, calling its pack to fight for it once more.
The red-orange mist swirled around the bodies of the slain Blood Moon Mist Wolves, coalescing into ethereal wolves, larger and fiercer than they were in life. With a chorus of howls, all five of the spectral wolves raised their muzzles to the sky and answered the call of their King.
The Wolf King's pack had fought hard, spilled much blood, and sacrificed their flesh, all for this moment. The wolf king used all the energy it had gathered from the slain wolves to give birth to his undying pack. Now, he was truly free to command the power of his pack, free of any challenges from younger wolves, free of a need to provide for his pack and protect him. This pack was his alone and they served as the Wolf King's own spectral fangs, bearing their teeth at the young cultivators as they howled!
Soul-piercing terror struck at the young cultivators sending shivers down their spines and for a moment, freezing them in place. In that moment, when none of the young heroes could move, the wolves sprinted at their chosen victims, leaping forward with their jaws open wide and fangs bared in silent snarls.
Xiong Dahuo, roaring with rage and bloodlust, broke through the paralysis to swing his bloody nine-ringed saber at the charging spectral wolf only for the blade to pass harmlessly through the creature's misty form. The next moment, the wolf plunged into his chest, clawing at his consciousness and dragging his mind into his inner world.
Other wolves struck at Zhang Buyan, Su Xiang, and Jin Wuya, each one tearing their way into the inner worlds of the young cultivators. The final wolf, however, shrank back from striking at Wu Ling, whimpering as though terrified before turning to plunge into the chest of the man it had last tried to kill, easily tearing away at the barriers that protected Fang Lin's soul.
Suddenly, Fang Lin found himself standing in his father's office. His leg burned with searing pain but when he looked down, he saw nothing wrong with his leg. As his mind struggled to understand why it hurt so badly, the pain faded, becoming distant enough that he felt he must have imagined it.
"Lin, sit down," his father, Fang Muchen said, turning away from the window to take a seat next to his beloved wolf, scratching the beast's ears with more affection than he'd ever shown toward his youngest son. "It's been a year since your last failure to Awaken," he said sternly, his sword-like eyebrows lowered in displeasure.
"I'm going to be honest, after so many failures, I'm not sure if we should continue to invest in allowing you to Awaken. Without the treatment of a skilled Alchemist to purge the sequelae of your previous failures, your chances of success amount to less than one in five thousand. Even if we obtain the services of an Independent or Master Alchemist, your chances will still only improve to one in five hundred. Tell me Lin, why should the Fang family make this investment in you?"
Fang Lin's mind reeled in confusion. How was he here at this moment? Hadn't he already become a cultivator? Wasn't he already a rising star, a Formation Initiate that reached the middle stage by the time he was nineteen? Even if he hadn't become a Novice by twenty as his father hoped, he was still making better progress than either of his elder brothers, wasn't he?
But when he looked around the room and at himself, he realized that he couldn't feel any of the energy he'd accumulated in all his years of cultivation. When he tried to recall the formations he was certain he'd learned, the memories felt as distinct and indistinct as mist.
He knew, the day before this moment, he knew his father would summon him to discuss his next attempt to Awaken… had everything been a dream? Had he only imagined the life he would lead as a cultivator?
"Father," he said, surprised for a moment at how youthful his voice sounded but that only added to the feeling that everything else had been a dream. "Father, I know that I can do this. The past year, haven't I worked hard to learn the family business? My tutors have all praised my work. I'm better than…"
"Your tutors praise you because I pay them," his father snapped, his voice tearing at Fang Lin's confidence like the claws of his father's pet wolf. Strangely, the wolf seemed to smile at the growing discomfort Fang Lin felt in his father's presence. "Do you truly think that your results are that exceptional? Neither of your brothers needed a fourth attempt. Your first brother Lushan only needed two attempts and even Liren managed to awaken on his third," Fang Muchen continued, his words tearing away at Fang Lin's heart.
"Only you seem to have no talent for cultivation," Fang Lin's father continued ruthlessly. "So explain to me, why should the Fang family continue to bear the costs of you chasing this dream? Your tutors in economics do speak well of you but this is the discipline least related to cultivation. Perhaps you should train for a role as a Steward instead. You can learn accounting and the management of our finances. When the time comes, I will search for a suitable match for you so that you can marry and live out a happy, mortal life."