"Don't cry, crying is useless."
Li Taixing's voice echoed in the canyon as he gazed at the Wind Wolf King.
The Wind Wolf King huffed indignantly. 'Which eye of yours saw me crying?' it thought. It wasn't the crying type, just a bit upset that things had turned out this way. It hadn't expected to be forced into submission.
Li Taixing, noticing the resistance, sighed. "It seems I'll have to roast you over a fire if you're not willing to surrender." He shook his head slightly as the brilliant swords in the sky retreated, but still hovered around the Wind Wolf King like the specters of death.
Seeing the looming threat, the Wind Wolf King quickly knelt down, raising its front paws in a show of surrender. Its eyes were filled with helplessness as it whimpered, reluctantly handing over its essence.
Below, the other wind wolves howled in despair. Their mighty king, now bowing at the feet of a human, filled them with grief.
"Good. That's more like it," Li Taixing said as he calmly gathered the Wind Wolf King's essence.
[Ding! Congratulations on conquering the Wind Wolf King, obtaining a 10-billion-fold amplification effect, and gaining the Wind Wolf King x10 billion. Note: This replica is irrational, but absolutely loyal to the host.]
After subduing the Wind Wolf King, Li Taixing landed before it and patted its head. "Xiaofeng, you'll see soon enough. Becoming my pet is the best thing that could happen to you."
The Wind Wolf King wasn't so sure about that. It thought, 'Whether that's true or not, who knows? But I do know this human is crazy.' Still, it had resigned itself to its fate. It had no choice; refusing would mean its demise.
It let out a low growl and gave Li Taixing a small smile, though it wasn't quite sincere.
Li Taixing chuckled as he stroked the wolf's head. "Xiaofeng, go take a bath. I don't like riding a dirty, smelly wolf."
The Wind Wolf King, without protest, nodded and headed to a nearby stream. It obediently washed itself, shaking off most of the water afterward. With a sharp gust of wind, it dried its fur. When it turned to look at Li Taixing, its tongue hung out, resembling a well-groomed Husky.
Li Taixing nodded, satisfied. "Well done."
He hopped onto the Wind Wolf King's back, and the pair darted through the jungle at an incredible speed. Most of the creatures they passed didn't even have time to react before they were gone, leaving only a blur in their wake.
After some time, they arrived at a cliff. The Wind Wolf King halted and gazed up at Li Taixing.
Li Taixing thought for a moment, then asked, "Xiaofeng, do you know of any powerful beasts nearby?"
The Wind Wolf King cocked its head, thinking deeply. Then, as if recalling something, it jumped from the cliff, landing near a large basin on the other side.
From their vantage point, Li Taixing could see a massive spider nest below, teeming with spiders of various sizes.
The Wind Wolf King pointed toward the nest with its nose.
"Are you saying this is where a powerful beast resides?" Li Taixing asked.
The Wind Wolf King nodded. It had fought the Spider Queen of this nest several times, but had been overwhelmed by her sheer number of offspring. Her fertility had left the Wind Wolf King traumatized to the point where it had to relocate. In its mind, the Spider Queen was a formidable beast, not because of brute strength, but because of her army of children.
Li Taixing pondered for a moment. "A Spider Queen, huh? Alright, I'll take her in."
He didn't particularly like spiders—especially their hairy, creepy appearance—but if the Spider Queen had special qualities, it would be worth conquering her.
"Lead her out, Xiaofeng," Li Taixing commanded.
The Wind Wolf King nodded and leaped down into the basin. Without its pack to restrain it, the Wind Wolf King unleashed its full power, sending a gust of wind that blew dozens of spiders into the air.
The sudden attack threw the spiders into chaos. They scattered, some fleeing, others gathering to retaliate. Soon, the entire basin was crawling with the Spider Queen's brood, and they all rushed toward the Wind Wolf King.
As they charged, webs shot out in a desperate attempt to trap the wolf. The Wind Wolf King responded by opening its jaws, releasing razor-sharp wind blades that sliced through the webs with ease. Another gust sent waves of spiders flying, many of them landing outside the basin, dead on impact.
Seeing the devastation, the surviving spiders hesitated, circling and watching warily.
But the Wind Wolf King didn't let up. It continued to tear through the spider ranks, leaving a trail of carnage behind. The goal was simple: to draw out the Spider Queen.
And it worked.
"Hisssss!" A chilling hiss echoed through the basin, followed by the emergence of a flood of spiders, pouring out like a tidal wave. Leading them was the Spider Queen herself, her grotesque form towering above her children.
"Wow..." Li Taixing muttered, taken aback by the sheer number of spiders. "This Spider Queen is seriously productive. Is she trying to fill up the entire basin?"
Seeing the overwhelming swarm, the Wind Wolf King knew it was time to retreat. It immediately leaped out of the basin, its mission accomplished—now it was up to Li Taixing.