The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

Chop, turn, flick, pull, lock... a few simple movements flowed smoothly in Li Yan's hands, full of violent aesthetics.

"Power should be applied in one go, using the waist instead of the arms, and the wrists should be flexible. The knife should follow the person, not the other way around. The hook and lock should not be a hard pull, but rather follow the opponent's force, using softness to overcome hardness."

Li Yan demonstrated while explaining in a cold voice.

Chen Guan watched intently, imprinting every detail into his mind. Li Yan's demonstration was more intuitive than any written description.

After the demonstration, Li Yan tossed the battle axe back onto the weapon rack and looked at Chen Guan: "Keep practicing. Practice those moves until you can do them without thinking. Also, think about how your coffin can work with this thing, one for offense and one for defense. Don't trip yourself up."

"Yes, thank you very much, mentor!" Chen Guan sincerely thanked him. Li Yan's guidance was always to the point and invaluable.

Li Yan nodded, said no more, and turned to leave the training room.

With Li Yan's guidance, Chen Guan's practice became more targeted.

He no longer blindly pursued strength and speed, but focused on the smoothness of his power, the coordination of his body, and the coordination between the sickle and his footwork.

Sweat soaked through his clothes time and time again, only to be evaporated by his body heat. His arms went from aching to numb, and then to a feeling of power. Chen Guan could clearly feel himself improving. His control over the scythe and his understanding of combat were improving rapidly.

He smiled as he watched the numbers on the panel slowly climb; he enjoyed the feeling of getting stronger little by little.

……

On Wednesday morning, as dawn broke, Chen Guan, carrying the coffin on his back, arrived at the east gate of the academy on time. He had stored the scythe in his ring, since the coffin was too big and there was no place to put the scythe.

An Changqing and Su Yuehe were already waiting there. Both of them had the habit of getting up early to exercise, so they always arrived a little early.

An Changqing remained as composed as ever, with a long sword at his waist, standing there like a warm sun.

"Good morning, Chen." Su Yuehe greeted him with her hand on her cheek.

Good morning, Su.

Although their way of addressing each other was still rather distant, Chen Guan and Su Yuehe had a fairly good relationship. She was a cheerful girl who loved reading, so Chen Guan would occasionally run into her at the library.

As expected of a knowledge-based superpowered individual, having a book in hand is just a basic skill for her.

An Changqing simply nodded: "Everyone's here, let's go."

It was still a teleportation array. After the light faded, the three of them appeared in a desolate, barren hilly area covered with jagged, gray-black rocks.

In the distance, a huge crack appeared, and a canyon, as if cleaved by a giant axe, stretched across the land. Steep rock walls lined both sides of the canyon, and a faint smell of smoke filled the air.

This is Ash Canyon, an extinct volcano.

"The map shows that the Shadow Wolf pack's activity area is mainly in the Shadow Stone Forest area outside the canyon."

An Changqing pulled up the terminal map and pointed to a dense stone forest composed of black, strange rocks on the side of the canyon entrance: "The terrain there is complex and the light is dim. It is an ideal hunting ground for shadow wolves. Let's go directly there."

"You've all seen the data on the Shadow Wolf's traits."

As An Changqing led the way toward the stone forest, he whispered the key points: "Second-tier social creatures, but their individual strength is only first-tier. Their fur has a slight shadow affinity, making them extremely good at stealth in dim environments."

"Its claws and fangs have an corrosive effect; if you get hurt, you will continuously lose stamina. It is good at cooperative combat and has simple tactics. The wolf king is suspected to have a stronger ability to manipulate shadows, possibly reaching the third level. I will deal with it."

Chen Guan listened silently, his hands unconsciously clenching tighter. A third-tier wolf king, plus a pack of first-tier shadow wolves, and on the other side's home turf... This mission was indeed a level more difficult than clearing out the rock beetles.

Before he came, he had already allocated 9 points to his strength attribute, but even so, he would probably still be the one dragging the team down.

I can only hope that I don't perform too badly.

An Changqing continued, "Chen Guan and I will draw the wolves' attention head-on, while Yuehe will use the terrain and sound waves to interfere. Once we find the wolf king, we will concentrate our forces to kill it quickly. Remember, do not linger in battle, and do not get separated or surrounded by the wolves. If things go wrong, retreat to the outside of the canyon immediately. I will cover you."

"Understood," Chen Guan and Su Yuehe replied in unison.

The three of them said no more and quickened their pace, approaching the stone forest that resembled the fangs of a giant beast.

The closer you get, the more pronounced the chill in the air becomes.

The sunlight seemed to be mostly absorbed by the strangely shaped black stones, making the interior of the stone forest dimly lit, which would always be somewhat uncomfortable for humans.

It was pitch black...so scary.

[Hold on tight to the person upstairs, I'm scared too.]

[+10086, protected by bullet comments, protected by Xiao An.]

It seems that not only he felt uncomfortable, but even the comments on the screen felt annoyed. However, in order to avoid the barrage of comments affecting his battle, Chen Guan chose to temporarily turn off the comments, and suddenly his vision became clear.

The moment she stepped into the stone forest, Su Yuehe raised her short flute and began to play a deep and lingering sound wave.

Chen Guan and An Changqing immediately became extremely vigilant. An Changqing slightly drew his longsword, while Chen Guan gripped his scythe. An Changqing glanced at the suddenly appearing black scythe and a thought flickered in his mind.

Is Chen Guan finally about to unleash his hidden power?

The stone forest was eerily silent, with only the whistling of the wind through the cracks in the rocks, and the faint sounds of their own footsteps and breathing.

After walking about a hundred meters, Su Yuehe suddenly stopped, her expression changing slightly: "Be careful! There are many of them from all directions, moving very fast in the shadows."

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding shadows seemed to come alive.

Several dark, liquid-like figures silently emerged from the shadows of the strange rocks, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.

They are slightly larger than ordinary wolves, covered in matte black fur, with long and lithe limbs, sharp claws that gleam with a bluish luster in the dim light, and striking scarlet eyes.

The attackers were none other than the Shadow Wolves, numbering no less than ten, who rushed in from different directions, forming an encirclement.

"Back to back." An Changqing shouted, his body advancing instead of retreating, taking the initiative to meet the three shadow wolves that were rushing towards him.

The longsword was drawn, a flash of golden light appeared, and the sharp sword energy instantly forced two of the shadow wolves back. The third wolf was slashed across the neck with a single stroke, leaving a deep wound, and it fell down howling in agony.

Chen Guan reacted just as quickly, turning around abruptly and using the black iron coffin behind him as a barrier to protect himself and Su Yuehe from behind.

At the same time, the scythe in his hand drew an arc and slashed at the waist of a shadow wolf that pounced from the side.

The shadow wolf was exceptionally agile, twisting its body strangely in mid-air to narrowly avoid the blade of the scythe. However, it was grazed on the hind leg by the end of the hilt, letting out a painful groan before landing and quickly disappearing into the shadows nearby.