Seriously Injured!

"Moo!" The deep bellow of a bull reached Long Yun's ears, invigorating his spirits.

"Long Yun, what are you afraid of? Don't be scared just because it's huge. Be brave! You can do this!" Long Yun encouraged himself inwardly. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed all his fear. When he looked at the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros again, there was far less fear in his eyes and much more fighting spirit. Today, let me see just how strong you really are, you big brute!

Long Yun gripped the Divine Axe and pointed it directly at the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros, the provocation unmistakable.

"Moo!"

Seeing that Long Yun still dared to provoke it from afar, the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros grew even more enraged. This human was bullying a bull too much! If I don't beat him to death today, I'm not a bull!

After roaring, the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros first scraped its hind legs against the ground, then suddenly exerted force. Its massive body shot forward, flinging mud high into the air behind it. The power of that kick was evident. The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros charged toward Long Yun at extreme speed, its feet making the swamp tremble faintly beneath them. Its run could truly be described as shaking the earth and mountains.

Seeing the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros rushing at him, Long Yun curled his lips into a smile. This was exactly what he wanted—to lure it out of the swamp. He immediately turned and retreated, intending to move the battlefield onto level ground.

Though the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros was enormous, it was surprisingly fast. It crossed the hundred-meter distance in less than three or four breaths. Seeing Long Yun retreat, how could it allow this human to escape so easily? Without slowing down, it chased after him.

Its speed was somewhat hindered by the trees in the forest. After all, it could not simply smash through every tree blocking its path; that would take considerable effort, and it might provoke the hostility of other soul beasts. The forest was their home, and under normal circumstances, no soul beast or human was permitted to destroy it at will. Otherwise, they would become the common enemy of all soul beasts. This was an unspoken rule of the forest. Thus, the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros did not dare ram through the trees recklessly and could only detour around them, which naturally affected its speed.

However, even though the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros had slowed somewhat, it was still much faster than Long Yun. Of course, Long Yun was deliberately holding back his speed. He was afraid that if he widened the distance too much, the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros would stop pursuing him. Wouldn't all his effort have been wasted then?

Very soon, the distance between Long Yun and the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros shrank to around twenty meters. They had also arrived at a relatively open area, where the trees were spaced far apart and there were few obstacles. It was perfect for a battle.

"This will do!" Long Yun surveyed the surroundings. It was a place where he could fight without restraint.

Having chosen the location, Long Yun took a large step into the air and twisted his body, turning to face the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros. He was still moving backward as he watched the beast charge at him menacingly. There was not the slightest hint of contempt on his face, only seriousness. This was the strongest soul beast he had encountered so far. He could not afford even the slightest carelessness and had to fight with everything he had.

The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros would not stop its charge merely because Long Yun had turned around. Noticing the open ground, it accelerated, lowered its head, and aimed its massive rhinoceros horn directly at Long Yun.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros' run created tremendous booming sounds, making the ground tremble faintly beneath its feet. When it was only eight or nine meters away, Long Yun decided the time had come. Without hesitation, the sole soul ring on his body instantly lit up.

"First Soul Skill: Massacre in All Directions!" Long Yun shouted in a low voice. Soul Power surged wildly through his body, and violent Soul Power erupted around him. Gripping the phantom Divine Axe, Long Yun slashed at the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros. Behind him, the phantom of the Divine King also swung down its enormous Divine Axe. The giant axe split even the air in two, producing a deafening howl of wind.

This time, Long Yun had pushed the First Soul Skill to its absolute limit. The energy-formed Divine Axe in his hands was roughly half again as heavy as before, and even swinging it took tremendous effort. His face had become somewhat twisted with strain, veins bulging from the hands gripping the Divine Axe as they trembled uncontrollably. This was the result of overexertion.

Although the giant phantom axe had not changed in length or size, its weight and sharpness had risen by an entire level. This would greatly increase its attack power.

The instant Long Yun swung the axe, the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros' body shuddered. An astonishing pressure came from its left, and the sharp aura made its skin sting. A sense of danger abruptly rose within its heart. Danger! Its soul beast instincts told it that this human's attack would cause it harm, and it instinctively wanted to evade.

But Long Yun's axe strike was nearly like teleportation. In the blink of an eye, it had reached the beast, leaving it no chance to dodge. Moreover, it was in the midst of charging forward. How could such powerful momentum allow it to turn or make any other move so easily? The only thing it could do was take the blow head-on.

"Clang!" The moment the Divine Axe struck the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros, a crisp and piercing metallic clash echoed through the forest. At the same time, an energy shockwave burst from the point of impact like a storm, raging outward in all directions and making the trees creak and hiss.

The collision ended as soon as it began, and both man and beast were sent flying backward.

The moment of impact, Long Yun's face twisted in pain. A tremendous force traveled from the energy Divine Axe in his hands into his arms, subjecting them to a violent impact as though they were being crushed between two forces. Though it lasted only an instant, it still caused him intense pain. Then, under the powerful recoil, he was flung backward. Despite wanting to steady himself, he could not do so under such immense force and could only let his body slam into a nearby tree.

"Bang!" A tremendous impact rang out. "Ah!" Long Yun could not help crying out in pain before his body fell to the ground. After landing, he dropped to one knee, one hand braced against the ground and the other clutching his chest. His face was somewhat pale, clearly showing that the blow had injured him badly.

"Pfft!" Long Yun felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. "That really hurts!" he said with a bitter smile, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He had truly overdone it this time. He had not expected the collision to produce such an enormous recoil. That last impact in particular had left his entire body feeling as if it were about to fall apart. Intense pain came from every part of his body, and his head felt dizzy. This was the worst injury he had ever suffered. Still, he was very satisfied with his attack. It had actually broken through the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros' defense, so it was worth it!

"Bang!" An even louder impact followed. It was the sound of the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros crashing to the ground. When it fell, the earth shook violently, and its massive body smashed a deep crater into the ground as dust swirled all around it.

The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros was in far worse condition than Long Yun, at least on the surface. A gash had been cut into its body. It was not deep, only about five or six centimeters, but it stretched nearly a meter long. Blood flowed from it, while the scales around it had cracked as well. Clearly, Long Yun's strike had dealt the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros considerable damage and broken through its defense.

"Moo!" The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros let out an enraged roar and struggled to rise from the ground. Tugging at the wound on its side made its body shudder, and it nearly lost its footing. The rage in its eyes had reached its peak. It was filled with killing intent toward Long Yun and wished it could rush over and kill him immediately.

"Looks like the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros' injuries are lighter than I expected!" Long Yun's heart sank as he watched its condition from afar. He had originally thought that his full-power strike could at least seriously injure it, but it had only caused a minor wound and had not left it severely injured.

"Of course. I was thinking too much. How could I seriously injure it with just the First Soul Skill? Isn't that just dreaming?" Long Yun shook his head. He had been thinking too simply. How could a top-tier soul beast over two thousand years old be so easy to deal with?

"Thump, thump!" Hearing the sound, Long Yun was startled. Naturally, he knew where it came from. The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros was charging at him again. Feeling out his own condition, he found that his whole body hurt terribly, while using that soul skill had consumed sixty percent of his Soul Power. How was he supposed to keep fighting? Forget it. Better leave it at that this time!

After assessing his condition, Long Yun's expression instead returned to calm. Watching the Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros charge fiercely toward him, a strange curve appeared on his lips, as though he were looking forward to a show.

The Ironclad Python Scale Rhinoceros paid no attention to Long Yun's expression. Right now, it only wanted to kill this human. No one could stop it!

"Old Poison!" Long Yun called softly.

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