As the howls rang out, Zhang Yang knew something bad was about to happen.
He activated his mind, silently chanting the incantation, and without hesitation, triggered a ready-made Shenxing Talisman.
Puff!
A flash of fire erupted, and the talisman's sudden ignition startled the two wolves, causing them to freeze for a moment.
Taking advantage of the pause, Zhang Yang stamped his feet on the ground.
Whoosh!
His body shot forward like an arrow, covering more than ten meters in an instant.
This was Zhang Yang's first time using a Shenxing Talisman, and he hadn't expected it to be so powerful. Caught off guard, he landed right in the middle of the wolf pack and nearly lost his balance, almost falling to the ground.
Just as a nearby forest wolf reacted and lunged toward him with its mouth open, Zhang Yang expanded his spiritual sense, and everything within a twenty-meter radius was clearly mapped out in his mind. He wouldn't be caught off guard.
He swung his right arm horizontally.
Boom!
With the strength of a second-level zombie, far exceeding that of an average human by ten times, he sent the forest wolf flying and slammed it to the ground.
Awoo! Awoo!
The forest wolf let out a painful howl, rolling around twice on the ground and couldn't get up.
However, Zhang Yang didn't try to chase after it. He immediately resumed his escape at full speed.
This time, with the benefit of being mentally prepared, he controlled his strength much better. His legs seemed to be wrapped in a burst of yellow light as he leaped forward, dashing ahead at lightning speed.
The other two forest wolves lunged at him but missed, and when they saw their prey about to escape, they howled and immediately gave chase.
But under the effect of the Shenxing Talisman, Zhang Yang's speed was immense—about two to three times faster than usual—and far surpassed the wolves. The distance between him and the pack continued to widen.
"Damn! This is awesome!"
"If I had known, I wouldn't have worried earlier! Just one Shenxing Talisman, and the problem is solved!"
Feeling the surge of power in his legs, Zhang Yang became exhilarated. When the wolves first set their sights on him, he hesitated to use the Shenxing Talisman because he didn't know its exact power. He feared that if the talisman wasn't strong enough, it might agitate the wolves even more, making things worse.
Thankfully, the Shenxing Talisman was more than effective. It instantly boosted his speed, making it an incredible tool for escape! Unfortunately, he only had five of them.
It seemed like the first thing he needed to learn when studying talismans was to make this Shenxing Talisman. Run when you can't fight—that suited Zhang Yang's approach to life perfectly.
With his legs enveloped in yellow light, he continued to run.
However, Zhang Yang's excitement gradually faded as he noticed his speed starting to slow down. The yellow light on his legs was gradually fading, and his pace began to decrease.
The wolves, who had been left far behind, started to close in once more, their howls echoing in the distance, and their shadowy figures looming closer. Wolves were incredibly patient and ruthless—once they fixated on a prey, it was a matter of life and death.
After running for about a stick of incense's worth of time and covering more than twenty miles, the effect of the Shenxing Talisman completely wore off.
A second-level zombie's speed was far slower than these wolves, which were like young calves in comparison.
Zhang Yang could already see the little green lantern-like lights of the wolves flickering in the distance.
"Crap! After using the Shenxing Talisman, my speed went up fast, but now it's slowing down. Overall, my speed is about on par with the wolves. I can't outrun them anymore. The worst part is, I only have four Shenxing Talismans left, and once those are used up, I'll have no way out."
"And the night in these mountains isn't safe. If I use the Shenxing Talisman and run at full speed, with a whole pack of wolves chasing me, the noise could attract even more dangerous creatures, and then I'll really be done for."
From the distance, the occasional roars of large beasts echoed through the forest, signaling more danger.
"I have no choice but to fight! If I can teach these wolves a lesson and show them I'm not an easy target, or maybe even kill the lead wolf, that would be the best scenario!"
Zhang Yang immediately made up his mind.
"I have over twenty talismans, but the Zhen Shi Talisman isn't effective against forest wolves. The talismans that could work are: two Thunderstrike Talismans, two Great Strength Talismans, one Fire Departure Talisman, one Earth Escape Talisman, and four Shenxing Talismans."
"The effect of the Earth Escape Talisman is uncertain, so I can't use it carelessly. Otherwise, if it fails, I might end up trapped underground, and that's just asking for a terrible death."
"The Thunderstrike Talismans are powerful, but it's unlikely that any of these wolves is the leader. If I could target the leader, one lightning strike could solve everything! But the chance of that is low since none of them seem like the leader."
"The Fire Departure Talisman is also quite powerful, and wolves are afraid of fire. It's the perfect tool to deal with them. Unfortunately, I only have one, and the flames move relatively slowly. They're harder to hit the wolves with, and the power of the fire is weaker than the Thunderstrike Talismans."
"I'll need to combine the Shenxing Talisman and Great Strength Talisman, and once I spot the lead wolf, I'll use the Thunderstrike Talismans and Fire Departure Talisman together. That gives me the highest chance of success."
Zhang Yang quickly calculated the best plan to deal with the wolves.
"Hoo, hoo!"
At this moment, the wolves were drawing closer, and the zombie's unique sensitivity to living creatures allowed Zhang Yang to hear the heavy breathing of the closest wolf.
Looking at the wolves closing in, Zhang Yang saw the excited expression of the leading forest wolf, who was now clearly ready to strike.
The long tongue kept flicking in and out, dripping with disgusting saliva; its eyes glinted with a bloodthirsty and cruel light; with its limbs on the ground, it stomped hard, propelling its entire body into the air. Its body took on a streamlined shape, and the wolf fur on its body clung tightly to its form in the wind. Its front claws were already raised, ready to strike at any moment. Its large mouth was wide open, ready to bite. It was highly confident in the immense biting force of its teeth...
And all of this was captured by Zhang Yang's spiritual sense, which clearly reflected in his mind. Subconsciously, he chanted a spell. The lightning talisman, which he had already gripped in his hand, was thrown out in an instant. A wave of spiritual energy rippled through the air—
Crack!
A brilliant flash of light burst forth as the lightning released by the talisman struck the "confident" beast head-on, instantly frying it to a crisp.
There was no scream, as it fell to the ground, its beautiful wolf fur completely charred. Smoke billowed from its body, and the scent of roasted meat filled the air. It was dead, with no chance of revival.
The zombie's entirely Yin body attracted the lightning. However, this lightning talisman was activated by Zhang Yang's spiritual sense, and guided by his will, so it would never harm its "master."
The sudden flash and thunder in the dark night stunned the wolves behind it. Every wolf in the pack, which had been running furiously, stopped, their eyes filled with fear.
Higher-level demon beasts undergo tribulations when struck by lightning, often vanishing in an instant; and during thunderstorms, the lightning could start forest fires, causing the death of countless forest creatures.
The creatures in the forest had an innate fear of the thunderstorm, which originated deep within their souls.
Using the power of lightning against wild beasts had surprisingly effective results.
...
Compared to the wolves' panic, Zhang Yang was deeply dissatisfied with the power of the lightning talisman.
"What's going on? The lightning talisman that that Yin Mo Taoist used back then was powerful enough to collapse the top of a cave and could turn a peak-level zombie into ashes. This forest wolf's defense isn't much better than a zombie's. Why did it only get fried?"
"Also, just from what I see, this lightning's power is far weaker than it was in Yin Mo Taoist's hands."
"Could it be because it was a thunderstorm at the time, and the talisman drew on the power of the heavens? That makes sense! No wonder an item of first-grade talisman could unleash such an overwhelming force. It was too overpowered!"
After a moment of thought, Zhang Yang figured out the reason. This was not good news for him.
Howl—
Another long, eerie wolf's howl came from the depths of the dark forest.
Roar! Roar!
Hearing the howl, the wolves, which had originally been terrified, now had their eyes turn red, and upon seeing that the terrifying lightning hadn't appeared again, they began growling, gathering courage to charge again.
It was the Alpha wolf!
Zhang Yang's heart tightened. The remaining lightning talisman was his most powerful attack. He couldn't afford to use it recklessly. Without hesitation, he slapped a force talisman, enveloping himself in a yellow light, and a vast surge of power emanated from his body.
He then focused his gaze in the direction of the howl, which was filled with eerie darkness, but he could see nothing and was disappointed.
Roar—
Finally, from the side, a massive forest wolf launched itself at him, moving so quickly that it was like an arrow. Immediately after, another forest wolf jumped toward him from the other side, slightly slower. Together, they formed a one-two punch, which, given Zhang Yang's rigid movements, would make it impossible for him to counter the attack of one wolf without leaving himself open to the other's assault.
If he lost his composure, it was very likely that his throat would be ripped out by these two wolves.
The wolves' coordination was perfect, honed through countless attacks in the forest.
But Zhang Yang's reaction was unexpectedly fast. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the first forest wolf's neck, lifting it up. The zombie's sharp claws immediately stabbed into the wolf's body, injecting poison, causing the wolf's struggles to weaken. At the same time, he shifted his body to the side, slightly dodging the second wolf's attack. With his other hand, he struck—
Smack!
The strike landed squarely on the wolf's flank!
Howl! Howl!
The second wolf cried out in pain as it crashed to the ground.
Wolves are known for their tough heads, thick skins, and weak waists! Zhang Yang's attack went straight for the wolf's most vulnerable spot.
Moreover, under the effect of the strength talisman, Zhang Yang's already immense zombie strength was amplified, making the blow far beyond what a forest wolf could bear.
What seemed like an effortless move to Zhang Yang was actually all thanks to his powerful spiritual sense.
While confronting the wolf pack, Zhang Yang released his spiritual sense to its fullest. Every hair of the wolves within a twenty-meter radius was vividly reflected in his mind.
This ability was far clearer than using his eyes to observe.