Silver Extreme had a map splayed on the table in front of him.
He was stationed in a pavilion behind the ramparts, readily available to take action if needed, and acting as a relay for communication.
After receiving Dawn's message, there was suddenly a new variable in the plans.
'The next group of beasts of the first tide is unexpectedly early, the first group of beasts haven't been completely handled yet.'
'If we allow the two to meet, it is most likely that they will fight each other in a frenzy. Our agitating of the bears will be the main cause.'
'The general beast populations would be harmed, but we would likely be implicated as well!'
The sudden appearance of the wolves would complicate things, but Silver Extreme anticipated the unexpected to happen.
Thinking for a few breaths' time, he quickly sent a message back to Dawn and the other two Third Foundation Cultivators.
"Allow the bears to disperse more outwardly. Slowly move back and ready yourselves to face the wolf group."
"You will need to leave an impression and act as a wall. Don't be afraid to express your strength, but do not overdo it, otherwise, they will retreat backwards and against the next group."
"Try and hold them off for as long as you can, but I will signal you to retreat when the bear group has mostly subsided."
...
"Understood."
Dawn stopped her retreat and turned around, facing the quickly approaching dirt cloud and the beasts within.
She didn't use the Elusive Monkey's Deception Dao Art medium, nor did she try and hide.
Instead, as ordered to, she stood tall and stable, ready to receive the wolf group.
The other two Third Foundation Cultivators would receive their share of the group soon, but for now, Dawn would be the sole force facing these beasts.
Allowing herself to immerse in the world, she could immediately detect the presence of a Mystical Beast King, as well as a few ordinary Beast Kings.
Lifting her spear, the blade shone hotly, the light pierced the dirt cloud; Dawn could sense the subtle change in the wolves' demeanour.
Like starlight in the dark, she offered herself as a lure, and it succeeded.
Suddenly, a large, white streak had surged forward, quickly surpassing the other wolves' speed.
It matched her height, pushing the dirt in the air out of the way as it shot towards her.
Slamming her spear down, it collided with the wolf's skull with a resounding 'clang' and caused a small shockwave.
Dawn stumbled back, the spear also bounded off the wolf's metallic fur coat. She used this momentum to twist and lead into a defensive stance.
She could see the beast's appearance, thanks to the shockwave clearing the dirt cloud.
Blood was trickling down the wolf's head, its dull white fur was bleeding red.
Standing at almost two meters tall, the beast's physique was muscular and long, streamlined and ferocious.
It was a Streaming Wolf King, renowned for its speed.
Currently, it was dazed, having suffered and survived a brutal strike from Dawn.
Refusing to fall, the Streaming Wolf King staggered for a while before steadying itself.
There was caution in its eyes, but it didn't back down.
A few other Beast Kings surrounded Dawn, and some of the ordinary wolves did so too.
However, most of them were beginning to run past her.
Without hesitation, Dawn retreated a few meters, grabbing onto the third and final ornament hanging from her body.
It was the same kind of Dao Art medium that was on the ramparts, reduced to a pocket-sized drum.
Instilling Qi into the small drum, it began to beat loudly, surprising for its size.
Dawn attracted more of the wolves that were trying to run past her, but she was unable to stop the whole tide.
The Mystical Beast King that she encountered was only one of the few in this group.
It commanded a portion of the group, naturally, this portion followed the Streaming Wolf King's will.
Dawn's appearance and retaliation stifled it, driving it to caution, consequently affecting the portion of the wolves it commanded.
However, she wasn't in the range of the other Mystical Beast Kings, she could not stop them from charging forward.
That would be the responsibility of the other two Third Foundation Cultivators.
The Streaming Wolf King in front of her slowly paced around, growling and staring with murderous intent.
As the Mystical Beast King began to show malice, so did the other ordinary Beast Kings and ordinary wolves.
Dawn wasn't able to ensnare the incredible number of beasts, but she was able to withhold a large portion of them.
This sudden change in situation also impeded the wolves' unity, causing them to diverge around her.
One of them leapt forward, an ordinary wolf.
Dawn lowered herself and strafed to the right, twisting her body and kicking the wolf into the air, eventually falling to the ground in a whimpering state.
Two, then four, then six.
They came in a sequential order.
The ordinary wolves were first, which Dawn spared with a few kicks and blunt attacks with her spear.
Then came the beast kings.
She pretended to struggle, deceiving the enemy about her strength.
Allowing her to keep the wolves enticed to fight. Otherwise, overwhelming them with her true power would cause them to flee.
Only the Streaming Wolf King was vigilant, watching as Dawn picked off the other ordinary Beast Kings.
After putting all five of them down, the Streaming Wolf King decided to take action.
It was also at this moment that Dawn received a message from the other two Third Foundation Cultivators.
They had already intercepted their portion of the tide and begun to handle their share of Beast Kings.
Dawn relaxed, letting her shoulders ease and her spear rest on the ground.
She looked at the dried crimson staining the Streaming Wolf King's fur, baring its teeth as it growled at Dawn.
Smirking, she taunted and waved her hand, unaware if the wolf would understand something like pride and humiliation.
"Come and get me."
Turning around, Dawn ran off, beckoning the Streaming Wolf King to follow her.
Howling, it charged forward, chasing after Dawn with the rest of the ordinary wolves behind it.
She retreated to lead the wolf group forward, running until they were deep into the terrain of artificial obstructions.
The large wolf group was divided by the mounds and trenches.
Clutching onto the Elusive Monkey's Deception, Dawn vanished.
The Streaming Wolf King stopped as it lost sight of Dawn's figure, and the others remained charging forward to look for her.
Vigilant, the Mystical Beast King tried to sniff her out, listening carefully for any sounds she might make.
Suddenly, an incredible pressure assaulted it from above.
A thunderous boom shook the air and kicked up a cloud of dirt.
Turning their heads, the countless wolves would see the splattered blood and fur of one of their greatest kings.
The corpse torn in half, the metallic shine of the fur coat lost all its lustre, as the eyes lost their life.
Nothing else remains but the Streaming Wolf King's corpse, and the scent of something burning.
...