"Awooo—"
A high-pitched, resonant wolf howl echoed, piercing through the rock walls and dense forest, reverberating over Wolvendom.
"So noisy!" Yu Jin said, digging his ears, a bit exasperated.
Why did this Wolf King start howling at the drop of a hat? Sure enough, the fusion of souls still had side effects.
"How about it? Do you want to try passing my trial? As long as you pass, ancient secrets and such, I can tell you all about them!"
Andrius, emanating a cold aura, said with some anticipation. Speaking of which, he was also a combative sort.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have used such a large platform as his trial ground.
"No… no thanks. I'll pass." Xiangling looked at Andrius, who was glowing with a faint blue light, and decisively picked up Guoba, retreating backward.
Are you kidding? She was just a chef; she wasn't good at fighting at all!
"I want to." Razor looked at the increasingly powerful aura of Andrius, and instead of being afraid, he seemed eager to try.
The Wolf King's trial hadn't been opened for a long time. No one knew what the conditions were for the Wolf King to open it.
But the wolf pack knew that only in the trial could one glimpse the Wolf King's mighty figure, commanding the North Wind.
"No, Razor. You are not ready yet. The steel you use cannot withstand my fangs, and the lightning you command cannot penetrate my fur."
"You still need more tempering."
After hearing the Wolf King's words, Razor was a bit disappointed. But he quickly composed himself and stood with Xiangling.
At least now he knew the direction of his efforts.
Yu Jin looked at the vast platform, with only himself and Andrius remaining, and couldn't help but shake his head. Why were all the Gods of Mondstadt so violent?
Couldn't they learn from Zhongli? Invite him for tea, stroll around, and maybe if he was happy, he'd spill everything?
"Come on, come on! Let me see if you're as strong as Sif!" Yu Jin stretched his wrists and ankles, saying casually.
"Sif? Who is that?" Andrius scraped the floor, echoing Yu Jin's words.
"A giant wolf like you. But he uses a sword, holding it in his mouth." Yu Jin said, taking out a wide, thick, and huge "iron ruler."
The Smog Claymore—a deformed sword like a black rock shard. Among Claymores, it was one of the heaviest.
It was said to be the weapon of an ancient rebel, but because it was too heavy, no one could use it, and it was eventually forgotten in the currents of history.
"Holding a sword in his mouth?" Andrius's wolf muzzle opened and closed. He felt he couldn't learn Sif's method; using a human weapon with a wolf's mouth was inherently forced.
"Hmm, that's why I gave him a nickname, 'Dog with a Sword'!" Yu Jin nodded. Actually, Sif's swordsmanship was quite good.
Unfortunately, when Yu Jin wanted to go to the Abyss, Sif blocked him. Helpless, Yu Jin had no choice but to give him a good beating and also gave him a "nice" nickname.
Yu Jin was always very petty about actions that hindered him from doing proper business.
But fortunately, he was retired now and had no proper business to do. How delightful, how delightful.
Andrius listened to Yu Jin's words and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. This nickname, why did it sound so much like an insult?
Soon, Andrius shook his head, shaking off the random thoughts in his mind. He was afraid that if they talked any longer, the topic would be led astray by Yu Jin again.
"Awooo—come on, let me see your strength! Adventurer!" After a long howl, Andrius leaped backward to the edge of the plaza.
"Hehe, you will see." Yu Jin hoisted the Smog Claymore, which was even longer than him and like a steel plate, onto his shoulder.
Great weapons were a man's romance!
Although he usually used straight swords more often.
"Weapon, big, not good." Razor looked at Yu Jin in the distance, carrying the huge iron sword on his shoulder, and shook his head, somewhat puzzled.
Yu Jin's sword was really too strange. Teyvat also had Claymores, but even the largest wouldn't exceed a person's length.
As for Yu Jin's… Razor looked at Yu Jin, who was holding it with both hands. Well, let's call it a Claymore for now.
It was simply too big. Its blade width directly exceeded half an arm. When he carried it on his shoulder, the blade completely covered his entire head.
And looking at the thickness of the blade, it didn't look like a sword at all; it was too thick. Rather than a sword, it was more like a thick steel plate.
"Why?" Xiangling lit a bonfire. Although she didn't know much about combat techniques, one always needed to replenish energy after a battle, right?
So she was cooking now!
"Wolf King, fast." Razor glanced at the roasted meat on the bonfire and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Why hadn't he noticed before that roasted meat could be so fragrant?
…Just as Razor was secretly watching Xiangling's roasting skills, Andrius in the distance began to move.
Actually, he originally wanted Yu Jin to make the first move, but seeing him standing motionless, carrying a large iron plate, Andrius had no choice but to strike first.
"Whoosh!" Andrius retreated slightly, and then flowing blue-white light began to surge around his body.
"Da da da!" Wolf hooves clattered on the stone platform, making crisp sounds.
Wherever Andrius passed, thick white frost, emanating cold air, adhered to the grayish-blue stone slabs.
"Haha, quite fast!" Yu Jin laughed loudly. In his eyes, everything about Andrius was clearly visible.
The flowing mane, the focused eyes, the movement of his body… everything was taken in.
"But, it's not enough!"
Yu Jin spread his legs, firmly rooted to the ground like a pillar. Then he took a deep breath, lowering his center of gravity to the lowest point.
"Swish!" White light suddenly appeared from the air, gathering on Yu Jin, dyeing him completely white.
Combat Skill: Lunge—A lunge that lowers the body by using body weight can increase poise and can be followed by a heavy attack.
As Andrius moved forward, he suddenly felt a mountain appear in front of him, an unshakeable mountain.
"Hmph hmph hmph, Hyper Armor, Wolfy!"
At this moment, Yu Jin had already held the Smog Claymore diagonally in front of him, looking as if he was using it as a shield.
However, to actually think that would be a huge mistake!
Seeing the time was right, Yu Jin no longer hesitated. He turned his back in a full circle, then vertically cleaved down!
The inertia accumulated after Yu Jin's waist and legs powered a full rotation, combined with Yu Jin's strength after dual-wielding the greatsword, together created this powerful and heavy blow!
"Clang!" For a moment, the entire ground vibrated due to Yu Jin's immense power. In a cloud of spreading smoke, Andrius's massive figure was sent flying.
But the sound, no matter how one heard it, was strange.
"Crack crack crack—" As soon as Andrius landed, he tried to dissipate the force by rolling. But that wasn't enough; he also had to add his sharp claws!
Finally, after carving several thin claw marks across the vast platform, Andrius finally stopped.
He shook his dazed head vigorously. Even now, a buzzing sound kept echoing in his ears.
Seemingly sensing something amiss, Andrius extended his wolf paw and touched his head.
Sure enough, a rectangular bump appeared there—this was the large lump Yu Jin had "patted" out.
At the last moment, Yu Jin had still held back. The Smog Claymore hadn't "cleaved" down, but rather "patted" down.
If the blade had truly chopped straight down onto Andrius's head, it wouldn't have just been a simple large lump.
The dust dissipated, and Yu Jin's figure appeared at the edge of the large crater he had "patted" out.
"Clang!" Yu Jin vertically plunged the Smog Claymore into the ground. The seemingly unsharp blade smoothly inserted directly into the floor.
"Andrius, don't push yourself." Yu Jin said, crossing his arms:
"Your solid ice, combined with Boreas's flowing wind—that is the strongest Wolf King."
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