Chapter 049: Explosive Hidden Force (Fourth Update)

Xin Lang looked around, making sure there were no other dangers, then laughed and said, “Finally, something alive—I don’t have to punch tree trunks and rocks anymore!”

He pulled two fragrant slabs of smoked meat from his backpack and tempted the wolves, “Come on! Go wild!”

The hungry pack caught the scent of meat; their eyes glowed green, and they approached Xin Lang, growling low.

Suddenly, from the rear of the pack, a large wolf king let out a howl.

That howl was the command to charge. Seven or eight wolves nearest Xin Lang sprang at him simultaneously, their attack coordinated—one aimed for his arm, another for his thigh, others for his throat, all intent on tearing him apart in a single assault.

“Ten thousand and eight palms of Dragon Taming!”

With a flurry of palm strikes, Xin Lang sent all the attacking wolves flying back.

The wolves tumbled to the ground, whined, then climbed up again, regrouped with the others, and advanced once more.

“Tough creatures!” Xin Lang thought. “But these basic martial arts lack inner force. If only I could combine inner force with these moves, their power would multiply.”

Basic martial arts focused on technique, while earth-level skills emphasized the use of inner force. If the two could be combined, the effect would be several times greater.

Xin Lang beckoned to the wolves and said, “Come on! That was just a warm-up before the main course. Now I’ll use my full strength!”

Another howl from the wolf king signaled the second charge.

“Explosive Fist… Explosive Elbow… Explosive Knee… Explosive Kick…” Xin Lang unleashed a barrage of explosive inner force at the wolves rushing him.

With several dull thuds, seven or eight wolves were blown apart by his strikes, their bodies bursting open, organs scattered across the forest floor, and the scent of blood filled the air.

The loss of their comrades didn’t frighten the pack; instead, the thick smell of blood drove them madder. Reckless, they threw themselves at Xin Lang, undeterred by death.

“Boom, boom, boom… explode for me!” Xin Lang had spent two days fighting lifeless things—now, finally, he faced intelligent creatures and was thoroughly enjoying himself.

A dozen wolves attacked in quick succession, but within moments, Xin Lang had blown apart five or six, and the number kept rising.

So far, not a single wolf had managed to tear his clothing!

Suddenly, the wolf king at the back, unable to endure the slaughter of its pack, seized a moment when Xin Lang’s fists were extended and lunged at him, its bloody maw aiming straight for his throat.

Xin Lang, in the midst of his exhilaration, suddenly found a gaping mouth just two fists away from his throat.

Even if he could pull back his fist and kill the wolf king, the beast would still rip out his throat in its death throes.

The other wolves, not yet in the fray, howled in triumph, convinced Xin Lang was doomed. But at that critical moment, Xin Lang abruptly leaned back, dodging the bite to his throat and exposing his chest to the wolf’s jaws.

At the same time, his mind recalled the method for channeling inner force from the chest, as taught by the daily tasks of his upgrade system. As the wolf king’s jaws closed on his chest, a surge of inner force erupted, shattering several of the beast’s fangs.

The wolf king howled in pain, but before it could finish, a powerful hand clamped around its neck and hoisted it into the air.

The wolf king’s legs flailed wildly, but it couldn’t break free from Xin Lang’s grip. The remaining wolves froze, afraid to advance as their king was captured.

Xin Lang held the wolf king by the neck and said, “Thank you for helping me develop inner force in my chest. Unfortunately, my upgrade system’s pet zone isn’t open yet, so I can’t keep you as a pet. And for forty points of experience, you must die!”

With two cracks, the wolf king’s neck snapped in Xin Lang’s hand.

He tossed the corpse to the ground. The remaining wolves, terrified as Xin Lang stepped forward, scattered into the woods.

“Ding! Eight-star side quest completed: Repel the wolf pack and eliminate the wolf king. Reward: 40 experience points!” Xin Lang received forty experience points for defeating the wolves and their king.

Thanks to his efforts over the past two days, and the forty points just earned, Xin Lang’s upgrade system now had 162 experience points!

Although he could level up again, Xin Lang didn’t rush. The higher the level, the harder the daily tasks, making it more difficult to earn experience points.

Under the wolf king’s pressure, Xin Lang had managed to cultivate inner force in his chest. With this experience, developing it in his back wouldn’t be difficult.

As he was about to test channeling inner force from his back, a series of strange noises echoed through the forest—wolves howling, fists and weapons striking with dull thuds.

The wolves that had fled returned, but now as corpses.

Xin Lang frowned as three martial artists stepped out from the trees.

He sized them up: one tall, one short, one thin, each with distinctive builds. The fat one sported a drooping moustache and looked somewhat lecherous.

Seeing this sleazy fellow, Xin Lang couldn’t help but recall Old Fatty. If Old Fatty also wore such a moustache, surely no one in the world could surpass his vulgarity.

The moustached fat man eyed Xin Lang and said to the tall one beside him, “After searching so many days, we finally found someone alive! Second Brother, check the portrait and see if he’s the one we’re looking for.”

“Yes, Big Brother!” the tall man replied in a gruff voice.

He held a spiked club, transferred it to his left hand, then drew a scroll from his waist, opened it, and glanced at it. “Big Brother, it’s not him! The man in the portrait is an old fellow with a long beard. This isn’t our guy.”

“You idiot! Who told you to look at that one? There are two people in total—aren’t there still the portrait of the young man?” the fat man said.

“Uh… haha…” The tall one chuckled sheepishly, pulling out a second scroll from his waist.