CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: BITTER STRUGGLE

Watching the approaching pack of dogs, the expressions of the five people became extremely grave.

Cold Face was trembling with fear, ready to activate the defense shield with a hand on her wrist at any moment.

Chu Chen saw this and said in a deep voice, "Calm down. Let the pack get closer, and then have the Spring Tree Demon entangle the few Fire Cloud Dogs at the front. Once they’re controlled, the Angry Wind Elf and Lei Yao will attack the Fire Cloud Dogs at the back. Understood?"

The four nodded without hesitation. They knew there was no retreat now; they had no choice but to gamble one more time.

A moment later, the Fire Cloud Dogs were only two zhang away from them.

Chu Chen coldly commanded, "Go."

Hearing this, Cold Face quickly instructed the Spring Tree Demon to unleash the Root Entanglement skill.

The treetop of the Spring Tree Demon swayed, and the roots beneath dived into the ground. As the soil cracked open, the roots deftly wrapped around the ankles of the four Fire Cloud Dogs at the front.

At this moment, the four Fire Cloud Dogs were still running. Their ankles bound, they couldn’t move, but their inertia sent them sprawling face-first.

The Fire Cloud Dogs behind could not slow down in time and crashed into the rear ends of the ones in front, causing a chaotic tumble.

Chu Chen’s eyes flashed with a cold gleam.

"Lei Yao, Angry Wind Elf, go," Chu Chen ordered coldly.

The two beasts had long been ready and moved immediately upon receiving Chu Chen’s command.

Two attacks, like scythes of the grim reaper, sliced into the dog pack. Eerie howls echoed continuously, while wild grass sprayed like a green storm, covering the entire battlefield.

After the rain of grass, Chu Chen nervously looked at the pack.

The pack’s formation was in disarray; over a dozen Fire Cloud Dogs lay scattered on the ground. Three were dead, five were gravely wounded and out of the fight, and six were lightly injured, with their combat ability reduced by more than half.

Chu Chen frowned, clearly unsatisfied with this outcome.

The strongest Dog King was at the back, untouched by the previous battle. Its combat power still at its peak, along with four Fire Cloud Dogs with intact combat power, the situation was dire for them.

However, accomplishing such a feat in a desperate situation was fortunate enough.

The Dog King, seeing the tragic state of its kin, was enraged. It roared furiously and charged forward.

Seeing this, Chu Chen’s eyes flashed with an unprecedented cold glint. The pack was determined to fight to the death, and the only way to pass the assessment was to go all out.

"Wang Lu, kill all the wounded Fire Cloud Dogs. I’ll distract the Dog King."

"No, it’s too dangerous. You can’t go. We can just abandon the assessment."

"Enough, no quitting the test now." Saying this, he led Lei Yao to meet the Dog King.

Wang Lu gritted his teeth and said, "I’ll fight them to the end." Saying this, he commanded Angry Wind Elf into the remnants of the pack.

With a sigh, Cold Face also joined the fight, commanding the Spring Tree Demon to control the injured Fire Cloud Dogs and prevent them from disrupting Angry Wind Elf’s battle.

By this time, Lei Yao had already reached the Dog King, unleashing the Eighth Rank aura. It raised its right fist and directly launched a Mastery Realm Lightning Fist at the Dog King.

The Dog King naturally wouldn’t retreat at this. With a growl, its massive head lit up with fire, and it rammed its head directly into Lei Yao’s fist.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The dull noise echoed. Lei Yao was forced back three steps before unloading the power, but the Dog King wasn’t much better off.

It only retreated two steps, but a large bump had formed on its head and it felt a dizzying sensation.

The Dog King shook its head to regain its clarity and looked at Lei Yao with increasingly cold eyes.

Chu Chen’s expression grew more somber. In the recent clash, the Dog King suffered a setback but, instead of growing more furious as expected, it remained surprisingly calm.

Those four Fire Cloud Dogs with intact combat power were already beside the Dog King.

The Dog King let out a howl, and the four Fire Cloud Dogs, as if receiving a command, scattered, rushing to encircle Lei Yao.

Chu Chen quickly reminded, "Be careful, head to the giant tree on the left." Saying this, he cast the Soul Seal "Light Body."

A white-glowing rune appeared in Chu Chen’s hand. With a wave of his right hand, the rune traced a beautiful arc and entered Lei Yao’s body.

Lei Yao felt his body lighten, and his speed increased dramatically. With the Soul Seal’s augmentation, his speed barely matched the Fire Cloud Dogs.

Chu Chen continued, adding the Soul Skills "Stone Skin" and "Giant Power" to Lei Yao. Performing three Soul Skills in succession consumed a third of his Soul Power, a significant drain in such a short time. His face showed a hint of pallor, and he felt a brief dizziness, but fortunately, it only lasted a moment before he recovered.

By now, Lei Yao had reached the giant tree, standing upright with its back against the trunk and arms guarding its front.

This position provided both defense and the opportunity to counter-attack if a chance arose.

In the face of numerical disadvantage, Chu Chen’s strategy remained the same; fighting with the tree at his back was the most practical approach.

The Dog King led the four Fire Cloud Dogs and encircled Lei Yao again, with the Dog King at the forefront and two Fire Cloud Dogs on each side.

The Dog King had gauged Lei Yao’s strength and wasn’t foolish enough to fight him one-on-one. With a low growl, the four Fire Cloud Dogs attacked simultaneously, with the Dog King joining the fray at the same time.

Seeing the five vicious dogs pounce simultaneously, Lei Yao’s eyes didn’t show the slightest fear, but instead, a hint of excitement glimmered within, the blood vessels in his eyes subtly rising.

Chu Chen quickly calmed him down, "Don’t rush it; now’s not the time. Keep your back tight against the tree and move right."

The battle had just begun. If Lei Yao went into Frenzy now, he might kill the four Fire Cloud Dogs, but he would certainly get injured. Once the Frenzy wore off, the Dog King would easily take him down.

Lei Yao suppressed the urge to go into Frenzy, following Chu Chen’s instructions to circle to the right of the giant tree.

As he moved, Lei Yao immediately noticed the change. Initially, he had to face the onslaught of all five Fire Cloud Dogs alone, but now he only had to deal with two, both barely at Servant Level of fifth to sixth rank.

By now, the two Fire Cloud Dogs lunged at Lei Yao, their sharp fangs biting towards his arm.

Instead of dodging, Lei Yao extended his right arm directly into the nearest Fire Cloud Dog’s mouth. Then, with a sweep of his right arm, he flung the other Fire Cloud Dog away, lifted his left palm to grasp the Fire Cloud Dog’s lower jaw.

With sudden force in its left arm, it dislocated the lower jaw of the Fire Cloud Dog, withdrew its right arm, and clamped the upper jaw of the Fire Cloud Dog. Applying simultaneous force with both arms, it tore the Fire Cloud Dog’s mouth apart.

Lei Yao’s movements were seamless, as if honed through countless trials. The Fire Cloud Dog didn’t even have the chance to scream before it died instantly.