The wolf pack closed in quickly, circling the caravan’s perimeter.

With little probing, a howl rose from the rear of the pack, and the gray wolves at the front launched a vicious attack on the caravan.

They had clear targets. They exploded with speed, aiming for the gaps between the wagons and lunging forward.

"Hold steady!"

"Don’t be afraid! These things aren’t that big."

Long Spears stabbed out from the gaps between the wagons, drawing sprays of blood. But one wounded wolf went berserk, sinking its teeth into the spear shaft.

Suddenly, a scream rang out. A man wasn’t fast enough to dodge and a wolf lunged through a gap, clamping its jaws on his thigh. It nearly dragged him down before a teammate kicked it hard in the head.

The gray wolf’s eyes were vicious as it clamped down on his thigh, refusing to let go.

Several others rushed to help, plunging their Long Spears into the gray wolf’s body.

With a whimper, the wolf finally released its grip.

Amid the chaos on the right flank, several wolves repeatedly rammed a flatbed wagon until one of its wheels suddenly slipped, creating a breach.

Three gray wolves seized the opportunity and poured through the opening.

Gasps of alarm rose from the surrounding crowd.

Qin Ziwen’s eyes narrowed. With several hundred people packed together, the formation was too cramped. For a moment, Du Yu, Qin Ziwu, and Cao Biansheng were all unable to reach the breach immediately.

"Beaked Eagle!" Qin Ziwen was about to shout.

But a figure stepped forward.

"GET! LOST!"

With a furious roar, Jin Hao swung the Long Spear in his hands like a club.

He smashed the head of the nearest wolf, knocking it askew with a sickening crunch. The beast’s eyeball nearly popped out of its socket as the sharp spearhead scraped past its cheek, tearing off a huge piece of flesh.

The Long Spear, a blur of motion, continued its arc without losing momentum, smashing into the other two wolves and sending them howling as they were knocked back.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jin Hao took half a step forward and grabbed the wagon’s reinforced wooden side. Veins bulged on his forehead and his feet sank deep into the sand as he single-handedly shoved the heavy wagon back into its original position.

With the wagon back in place, the gap narrowed once more, and the pressure on the defenders instantly eased.

The slaughter lasted no more than a few minutes before a sharp, urgent howl echoed from behind a dune.

As if on command, the wolf pack receded like a tide, leaving the ground littered with their dead.

The thick stench of blood filled the air.

Within the circle of wagons, everyone clutched their weapons, panting heavily as they watched the wolves retreat.

The attack had come and gone in a flash.

A few people had been bitten by the wolves that broke through and sustained some injuries.

For many, avoiding injury was paramount. Whether from the risk of infection or the burden of follow-up treatment, a single injury could impact an entire family.

Qin Ziwen walked over to Jin Hao, his eyes falling on the man’s wolf-blood-soaked spear shaft. "What’s your name?" he asked.

"Alliance Leader, my name is Jin Hao."

"Jin Hao." Qin Ziwen repeated the name and nodded.

After Qin Ziwen walked away, the teammate next to Jin Hao nudged his arm. "You’re on your way up, kid. After a performance like that, the Alliance Leader is sure to remember you."

Jin Hao just smiled and didn’t reply.

He Biao came over. "Jin Hao, want to come back to our Alliance Association?"

"Thank you for the offer, Captain He, but I won’t be going back," Jin Hao said, shaking his head.

He Biao pressed on. "I just found out about what happened. If you come back, I can give you a captain’s position."

Jin Hao replied, "Captain He, if I went back now, I’d just be flip-flopping. So please, don’t put me in a difficult position."

He Biao was about to say more, but Cao Biansheng strode over. "What do you think you’re doing? Poaching our members?"

Seeing Cao Biansheng—the man at whose hands he had once suffered a major loss—He Biao’s face darkened. He shot Jin Hao one last deep look before turning and leaving.

After He Biao was gone, Cao Biansheng asked, "What was that He fellow bothering you about?"

Jin Hao hesitated for a moment, then nodded and explained the whole story.

He had previously joined a Hunting Team in the Alliance Association. Because of his great strength, he was almost always on the front lines during hunts and put in the most effort.

But when it came time to distribute resources, everyone got an equal share.

He could have accepted that if everyone pulled their weight. But there was a slacker on the team—a woman, at that. She loved to flirt and get chummy with the other male members. When it was time to split the rewards, she would act all cute and coquettish. She did the least work but took just as much as anyone else.

He couldn’t stand it and got into an argument with her. In response, she and the male members she was friendly with ganged up to ostracize him.

Furious, and seeing that the Qin Alliance was recruiting, he quit and joined them.

After hearing Jin Hao’s story, Cao Biansheng slapped his thigh, filled with righteous indignation. "Those scumbags! That’s outrageous! Don’t worry, if they dare come looking for trouble, I’ll have your back!"

A warmth spread through Jin Hao’s chest. "It’s fine. They’re all talk. If it came to a real fight, they couldn’t beat me."

"Haha! I like that confidence," Cao Biansheng said, looking up at Jin Hao, who was half a head taller than him. "I saw what you did earlier. You’re pretty strong. Want to have a little competition?"

Jin Hao was eager to try. "Sure! I heard you’re ranked sixth in the Qin Alliance for strength. This is a perfect chance to see just how strong number six really is."

Cao Biansheng was about to offer a humble reply when he suddenly processed what Jin Hao had said. "Wait," he said in disbelief. "What did you say my rank was?"

"Number six," Jin Hao said, blinking.

Cao Biansheng nearly coughed up blood. "I could accept third or fourth, but how in the world did I get pushed down to sixth!"

Jin Hao then realized his mistake. Fearing he had offended Cao Biansheng, he quickly explained, "I’m sorry, that’s just what I heard from other people."

"No need to apologize, I’m not angry." Cao Biansheng waved his hand dismissively. "I’m just curious. If I’m sixth, then who are the top five?"

Jin Hao hesitated. Seeing this, Cao Biansheng told him to just say it.

"First is Chief Instructor Du."

Cao Biansheng nodded. He could accept that.

"Second is the Alliance Leader." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Cao Biansheng paused for a moment, then nodded again. He had no problem with the Alliance Leader being ranked second.

"Third is the Red Hare Horse."

"Wait." Cao Biansheng almost choked. "How can number three be a horse?"

But on second thought... ’in a pure contest of strength, I really might not be a match for the Red Hare Horse.’

’The Red Hare Horse is also at Full Stars now. Plus, its base species is a horse, so its natural strength is already greater than a human’s. At Full Stars, its power is terrifying, maybe even greater than the Alliance Leader’s...’

’Ahem. Of course, no matter how strong the Red Hare Horse is, the Alliance Leader is the one who rides it. So it makes sense for the Alliance Leader to be second and the horse third.’

"Alright, I get it. Number four must be the Beaked Eagle." Cao Biansheng had to hand it to the troll who came up with this ranking, putting two animals ahead of him.

"So who’s number five? You’ve already listed the Beaked Eagle and the Red Hare Horse. There’s still someone else ahead of me?"

"Fifth is Instructor Qin Ziwu," Jin Hao replied.

Cao Biansheng froze. Realization dawned, and he gritted his teeth. "Good. Good. Good. Now I know who made this list! Looks like he’s gotten pretty confident since reaching Full Stars!"

...

...