Hunting! The Ironclad Savage Bull!

Chapter 30: Hunt! The Ironclad Savage Bull!

The dense primeval forest was so thick it blotted out the sun. Sunlight filtered through layers upon layers of leaves, casting dappled light onto the ground covered in dead branches, fallen leaves, and humus. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, the fragrance of plants, and a faint, elusive musk of wild beasts.

A black figure moved through the forest like the most agile leopard, silent and swift. His movements were rapid and fluid, his steps so light they barely made a sound. Each leap and turn carried an indescribable strangeness and elusiveness, as if he had merged with the surrounding shadows.

This was Lin Chen, whose strength had surged once more after emerging from his recent seclusion.

Leaving the hidden cave, he no longer bothered to conceal his presence. Instead, he began to actively search for suitable "prey" in this dangerous mountain forest.

His powerful cultivation at the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer gave him unparalleled confidence! The rudimentary mastery of the Phantom Step further provided him with unprecedented advantages in speed and evasion! Coupled with the formidable Surging Wave Palm and his trump card ability of Qi Projection…

He craved battle! He yearned to test his strength, hone his combat skills, and… savor the thrill of tearing prey apart and absorbing it as nourishment through life-or-death struggles with powerful demonic beasts!

Of course, he hadn't let power cloud his judgment.

The depths of the Green Peak Mountain Range were fraught with peril! It was rumored that terrifying demon kings surpassing the Body Tempering Realm and reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm existed there! With his current strength, recklessly venturing into the territories of such powerful demonic beasts would be tantamount to seeking his own demise.

Therefore, he chose to operate in the outer and middle regions of the mountain range. The demonic beasts here were mostly between the Body Tempering Realm Fifth Layer and Eighth Layer. They could provide him with sufficient challenge and pressure without rendering him completely defenseless.

Like an experienced old hunter, he carefully observed his surroundings. Fresh claw marks on the ground, gnawed plants, lingering scents in the air… these subtle clues did not escape his enhanced, keen senses.

"Hmm? This footprint…"

Lin Chen suddenly stopped, crouched down, and carefully examined a large, clear hoof print on the ground.

The print was circular, larger than both his fists combined! It was deeply embedded in the soil, with broken grass roots and moist earth clinging to its edges.

"Such a big hoof! And this aura is heavy and violent – a beast of the earth element?" Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully discerned the faint residual scent in the air.

He stood up and followed the direction of the hoof prints. He saw clear signs of violent impact and crushing in the bushes not far ahead! Several trees as thick as his bowl-holding arm had even been snapped in half!

"Judging by this destructive power, it's at least a demonic beast at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer, perhaps even Eighth Layer!" Lin Chen's heart began to beat faster!

Peak Seventh Layer? Even Eighth Layer?

This was the opponent he wanted!

If he could hunt such a powerful demonic beast, he would not only obtain a high-level Demonic Core and abundant essence from its flesh and blood, but it would also greatly hone his combat abilities!

"Let's follow and see!" A flash of excitement and fighting spirit gleamed in Lin Chen's eyes!

He immediately suppressed his aura and activated his newly acquired "Darkness Stealth" ability (though it was just a rudimentary grasp, its effect was astonishing when combined with the Phantom Step!) to its maximum! His entire body seemed to transform into a faint phantom, silently tracking the massive hoof prints and signs of destruction!

The movement technique of the Phantom Step was truly profound! Even in this primeval forest with its complex terrain and numerous obstacles, his speed remained astonishing! And he moved without a sound, like a phantom!

After tracking for less than a quarter of an hour, the sound of heavy, drum-like footsteps and deep, rough breaths could be faintly heard from ahead!

At the same time, a more intense and violent earth-yellow demonic aura washed over him!

Lin Chen immediately stopped, hiding behind a large rock, and cautiously peeked out.

In a clearing a few hundred meters ahead, a colossal creature was lowering its head, impatiently pawing the ground with its thick, iron-pillar-like hind legs!

It was an incredibly massive, mountain-like savage bull!

But this savage bull was utterly different from ordinary cattle!

Its entire body was covered in a thick layer of horn-like keratin, as hard as rock and shimmering with a metallic luster – an iron-gray hide! It was as if it were clad in indestructible heavy armor!

Its head was enormous, its eyes blood-red, filled with brutality and bloodlust! On its head, two thick, curved horns, like scimitars, gleamed with a cold, sharp light! With every breath, two streams of hot, white vapor, carrying a rich, earthy smell, were expelled from its nostrils!

"Ironclad Savage Bull!!" Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply! A storm of shock surged within him!

This was actually a legendary Ironclad Savage Bull!

This was an extremely rare and powerful earth-element demonic beast renowned for its astonishing defense! It was said that an adult Ironclad Savage Bull, with its thick iron hide alone, could withstand the full-power attack of a martial artist at the Body Tempering Realm Ninth Layer! And its terrifying brute strength and charging power were enough to flatten a small mountain!

What made Lin Chen's heart tremble even more was!

The aura emanating from this Ironclad Savage Bull was robust, heavy, and violent, having already reached the early stage of the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer!!!

It was even a level stronger than he had anticipated!

Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer! This was already the peak of the late Body Tempering Realm! Its strength was definitely far superior to ordinary Seventh Layer demonic beasts! Coupled with its monstrous defense…

Lin Chen felt his scalp tingle!

This bone seemed a bit too hard?!

Should he… retreat for now? And come back after his strength improved further?

A flicker of hesitation instantly crossed Lin Chen's mind.

But!

The next moment!

An even more fervent fighting spirit and desire erupted from the depths of his heart like a volcano!

Retreat?

In his dictionary, Lin Chen had no such word!

The stronger the opponent! The tougher the challenge! The more it would ignite his potential! The more it would make him stronger!

And…

This was an Ironclad Savage Bull! An Ironclad Savage Bull at the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer!

Its Demonic Core! Its flesh and blood essence! Even its monstrous defensive talent!

If he could hunt it down! And refine it!

What immense benefits would he gain?!

Fortune favors the bold!

If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch its cubs?!

"Let's do this!" A trace of madness and determination flashed in Lin Chen's eyes!

He would challenge this Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer Ironclad Savage Bull!

He would use this level-surpassing challenge to prove his strength! To break through his own limits!

Of course, he wasn't reckless.

Facing such a powerful opponent, a head-on collision would be suicide! He had to outsmart it!

Lin Chen calmed down, his mind racing as he carefully observed the Ironclad Savage Bull, which was restlessly pawing the ground, searching for its weaknesses.

The Ironclad Savage Bull was known for its defense, its thick iron armor having almost no flaws. Its brute strength was astonishing, and its charge was unstoppable.

However, everything has its pros and cons.

Its massive size also meant its speed and agility were relatively poor!

And no matter how strong the defense, there were always relatively weak points! Like its eyes? Its snout? Or the relatively softer areas on its belly?

Also, it was an earth-attribute demonic beast. While its strength was immense and its defense astonishing, it was bound to be weak in terms of speed and ranged attacks!

"Speed, weaknesses!?" A sharp glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes, and a preliminary plan began to form in his mind.

He would use his greatest advantage – speed and movement techniques! – to play keep-away with this lumbering bull!

Constant harassment! Constant attrition!

Looking for an opportunity to attack its weak points!

As long as he could break through its iron armor, even just a little bit! He would have a chance to use the penetrating power of Qi Projection to inflict a fatal blow!

Having made up his mind, Lin Chen no longer hesitated!

He took a deep breath and quietly circulated the True Qi from his Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer Late Stage cultivation to its limit!

"Phantom Step!"

Hum!

His figure instantly blurred! Like a phantom merging with the air! He silently and stealthily moved towards the Ironclad Savage Bull's rear flank!

The Ironclad Savage Bull seemed to sense something. Its restless pawing stopped, and its massive head slowly turned. Its crimson eyes scanned its surroundings vigilantly, and it let out a low, thunderous roar.

But Lin Chen's movement technique was too bizarre! Coupled with the boost from the "Darkness Stealth" ability! Although the Ironclad Savage Bull felt the threat, it couldn't pinpoint his exact location for a moment!

The instant the Ironclad Savage Bull shifted its attention to the other side, Lin Chen struck!

"Now!"

He burst out from his hiding spot like an arrow loosed from a bowstring! His speed was at its absolute limit! Leaving only a faint afterimage on the ground!

His target wasn't the bull's thick body, but its relatively vulnerable: hind leg joint!

"Surging Wave Palm! Five Waves!"

Lin Chen let out a low shout! The optimized version of "Surging Wave Palm" was unleashed at full power!

This time, he held nothing back! The vast liquid True Qi within his body surged madly! The layered palm strikes instantly stacked up to five levels! Transforming into a condensed, heavy, terrifying palm strike that seemed capable of shattering mountains! He slammed it fiercely towards the Ironclad Savage Bull's thick hind leg joint!

This palm strike was fast! Powerful! And its angle was cunning!

Although the Ironclad Savage Bull was massive and its reaction slightly slower, it was still an Eighth Layer beast! Its combat instincts were incredibly sharp!

The moment Lin Chen launched his attack, it had already sensed it!

"Moooooo!!!!!"

It let out a deafening roar of fury! Its massive body suddenly twisted! Its seemingly clumsy tail, covered in iron armor, whipped out like a steel whip, carrying a terrifying force that tore through the air, slamming towards Lin Chen!

The power of this tail strike was enough to pulverize a boulder into dust!

If he were hit, Lin Chen had no doubt that his bones would be shattered!

"Such a fast reaction!" Lin Chen was startled!

But he was prepared!

Just as the colossal iron tail was about to sweep him away!

"Phantom Step!" Activated to its limit!

His body, like a phantom, slipped sideways at a completely unnatural angle, narrowly avoiding the strike!

Swish!

The iron tail passed by his nose by a hair's breadth! The violent gust of wind it generated stung his cheek!

That was close!

Lin Chen inwardly thought it was fortunate, but his hands didn't pause at all!

BANG!!!!

The Surging Wave Palm, which condensed his full-power strike, landed squarely on the Ironclad Savage Bull's thick hind leg joint!

However, what made Lin Chen's pupils contract sharply was!

The terrifying palm force, capable of shattering boulders, only let out a dull thud when it hit the bull's hind leg joint?!

The bull's hind leg trembled slightly, and it let out a pained roar, but... that was it?!

Even a single crack didn't appear on the joint, which was covered in thick keratin?!

"This... this defense... is too monstrous!" Lin Chen was horrified inwardly!

His full-power strike! Couldn't even break through the opponent's defense?!

How could he fight this?!

"MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

And in the instant Lin Chen was shocked, the thoroughly enraged Ironclad Savage Bull had already launched another attack!

It lowered its head sharply, and its two massive horns, like scimitars flashing with cold light, charged towards Lin Chen with an irresistible momentum that seemed capable of plowing open the earth!

The speed! The power! Both reached a terrifying level!

Lin Chen felt an suffocating pressure wash over him! It was like a moving mountain, intent on crushing him completely!

He had no doubt that if he were hit by that horn, even with his strong physique, he would be reduced to a bloody pulp on the spot!

"Phantom Step!"

Lin Chen dared not be negligent! He pushed the movement technique he had just begun to master to its limit!

His figure instantly became like a willow catkin in the wind, elusive and unpredictable! Dodging left and right! He weaved and dodged around the Ironclad Savage Bull's massive body! Leaving behind trails of afterimages!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Ironclad Savage Bull's horns continuously slammed into the ground! Each impact was like an earthquake, causing the ground to tremble violently! Leaving behind terrifying, bottomless pits! Stones flew everywhere! Dust billowed!

The scene was extremely perilous!

Lin Chen's figure, like a small boat in stormy waves, swayed precariously under the bull's tempestuous assault! Danger lurked at every turn! Several times he almost got hit directly!

But!

Relying on the unpredictable trajectory of the Phantom Step, as well as his reaction speed and combat intuition, which far surpassed ordinary people, he managed to narrowly evade it time and time again!

"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"

The Ironclad Savage Bull grew even more ferocious! It possessed terrifying strength but could never touch the slippery human! This filled it with immense frustration and anger!

It began to charge and stomp wildly! Sweeping with its horns! Lashing with its tail! Destroying all the surrounding trees and rocks! Leaving the area in ruins!

Meanwhile, Lin Chen maintained his composure!

While using his movement technique to maneuver, he carefully observed every action of the bull, searching for its weaknesses!

At the same time, he continuously attempted to attack other parts of the bull's body with the Surging Wave Palm or True Qi finger strikes!

Its eyes! Nose! Neck! Belly! Even its rear?!

BANG! BANG! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

Various attacks continuously landed on the bull!

But the result remained despairing!

The bull's iron-like hide was simply too tough!

His palm force could only make it slightly uncomfortable!

His True Qi finger strikes, though extremely penetrating, could only leave shallow white marks on the iron hide, unable to cause any substantial damage!

"This won't do! This can't go on!" Lin Chen grew anxious inwardly.

Although his True Qi was abundant and recovered quickly, such high-intensity evasion and attacks were still a huge drain on him!

And the Ironclad Savage Bull had thick skin and flesh, and astonishing endurance! If this continued, he would be the one to collapse first!

He had to... find its true weakness! And strike a fatal blow!

Lin Chen's gaze fell once more on the bull's crimson eyes, filled with brutal and bloodthirsty light!

Eyes! They were one of the most vulnerable parts of any creature!

But these bull's eyes seemed to be covered by a relatively thin layer of keratin protection! And its massive size made it extremely difficult to accurately target its eyes! Any slight misstep could result in severe injury from its horns or massive hooves!

The risk was immense!

But it seemed to be the only chance!

"I'll risk it!" A fierce glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes!

He no longer hesitated! He began to deliberately guide the bull's attack direction! Using his movement technique, he continuously flickered and provoked near the bull's head!

"MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

The Ironclad Savage Bull was indeed enraged! It abandoned its wide-ranging charges and sweeps, focusing all its attacks on Lin Chen, the "fly" constantly buzzing before its eyes!

Its massive horns lunged towards Lin Chen again and again! The speed grew faster and faster! The power grew fiercer and fiercer!

Lin Chen's movements became increasingly perilous! Several times, he narrowly grazed the edge of the horns as he dodged! It was enough to make one's heart leap into their throat!

Just as the savage bull lowered its head once more, putting all its strength into an unstoppable charge towards him, Lin Chen's eyes shot out a sharp light!

Now is the time!

He didn't dodge this time!

Instead, he abruptly ducked down! Like a gecko, he stuck close to the ground, sliding under the bull's massive head at an incredible angle!

Then!

He formed a sword with his fingers!

All the True Qi in his Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer Late Stage! Without reservation! It madly condensed at his fingertips!

Even! He diverted a sliver of the extremely faint refining power from the Myriad Dao Furnace, subtly empowering his finger strike!

This single strike! Condensed all his strength! All his will! And... the furnace's indomitable characteristic!

"Break... for me!!!"

Lin Chen roared in his heart!

Swoosh!!!!

An unprecedented, intensely condensed, and subtly destructive dark golden finger beam! Like divine light breaking through chaos! Shot out from his fingertips!

Its speed was extreme! Its power was terrifyingly extreme!

Its target was the Ironclad Savage Bull's massive, crimson left eye!!!

Splat!!!!

There was no suspense!

Even though the bull's eye had a protective corneal layer!

Before Lin Chen's terrifying finger beam, which condensed his full strength and even a sliver of refining power!

It was still as fragile as thin paper!

The dark golden finger beam instantly pierced that layer of defense! Fiercely stabbing into the bull's massive eyeball! And with undiminished momentum! It directly pierced its brain!!!

"Moooooo!!!!!!!!! "

The Ironclad Savage Bull let out the most piercing, most painful, and most despairing earth-shattering roar since its birth!!!

Its massive body suddenly froze!

In its crimson eyes, all the ferocity and bloodlust instantly faded! Leaving only boundless pain and... the ashen gray of death!

Crash!!!!

Like a golden mountain toppling or a jade pillar collapsing!

The mountain-like, once invincible Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer beast, the Ironclad Savage Bull, its massive body crashed to the ground! Kicking up a sky full of dust!

Completely dead!

Lin Chen stood in place, breathing slightly, looking at the mountain-like colossal beast that had fallen before him. He felt the slight emptiness in his True Qi after unleashing his full power, and on his face, a hint of exhaustion finally appeared, but more than that, there was an indescribable excitement and pride!

He had succeeded!

With the cultivation of Body Tempering Realm Sixth Layer Peak (appearing as Seventh Layer Late Stage), he had challenged a higher realm! Successfully hunted a Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer beast with monstrous defense!

This was absolutely a glorious achievement to be proud of!

More importantly, this life-and-death struggle had given him a deeper understanding of how to utilize his own strength, his comprehension of Phantom Step and Surging Wave Palm, and his grasp of combat rhythm!

This was the true meaning of tempering!

After a brief moment of excitement, Lin Chen quickly calmed down.

He walked to the Ironclad Savage Bull's massive corpse, looking at its mountain-like colossal body, and his eyes once again burned with a fervent light!

A Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer beast! And an Ironclad Savage Bull with astonishing defense!

Its Demonic Core! Its flesh and blood essence! Even its monstrous iron hide... what a lavish... Taotie feast it would be?!