The sun climbed up the sky, signaling the afternoon hour as the inner layer of the forest became lit. The rustling of leaves and the occasional chatter and cries of birds and beasts punctuated the air. It had been over five days since the last battle, and Cao Yaun took this chance to hide in the small grove to recover and gather provisions.
Cao had been foraging for the fruits that grew abundantly in the grove to supplement the dried meat he had been surviving on, as the grove provided an excellent hiding spot.
The grove had seemed too calm in the five days he had been there. It was strange that not a single beast had wandered into the small glade, despite the proximity to the other layers of the forest, where the beasts roamed.
"Time to move," muttered Cao Yaun as he picked up his things as he finishes his meditation stretch around the opening of the grove, looking at it one last time.
Rustle! Rustle!
Cao Yaun opens his eyes and is surprised to see something moving through the bushes, signaling he was no longer alone. He casually stepped out of the shrubs that had been covering his hiding spot as a stinging pain from the afternoon sun's glare caused him to close his eyes again.
Dai Yuan opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he adjusted to the brightness before he finally looked up and took a step onto the open field.
For the last few days, he had been focusing on his restoration, allowing himself to meditate and avoid any engagements. It had done him good, as he felt his injuries had fully healed.
"Time to test if my body feels as good as it looks," said Cao Yaun as he cracked his neck and back, flexing his pectorals and shoulders before nodding at himself.
"Yup... hale and healthy," said Cao Yaun as he continued his journey to the next province.
As daylight started to fade, Cao Yaun kept his body on high alert to avoid any more surprise encounters as he trekked deeper into the forest. He took extra care to avoid any of the beasts' paths on the trail as far as he could, using his senses to detect threats and keep clear of the dangerous creatures.
His sharpened senses had vastly improved since carving the runes of the human-faced insect, allowing him to detect threats within fifty meters of him with no obstructions. It had helped him narrowly avoid the minor beasts that had wandered off the path.
The wide path had stretched before him ever since he had exited the grove over three hours earlier. The road had appeared to have been specially crafted using the unknown silver material that marked the border of the road. It had symbols of wheeled carts and horse tracks carved into the road, etched deeper by the thick layer of dust that coated it. All the markings pointed to a busy road that was frequently traveled.
"Moo! " Cao Yaun's peace was shattered by the deep rumbling sound of a colossal cow from behind him.
"Shit!!!" Cao Yaun swore at himself for his recklessness as he turned around, one hundred and eighty degrees, narrowing his eyes. In front of him, a five-meter-tall Forest Buffalo was charging toward him at full speed. Its pitch-black body stood out against the greenery of the forest. Flaring nostrils released the smell of the beast with every breath, and its head had long, straight, and sharp horns that sparkled under the sun.
"Dark Moon Bull," muttered Cao Yaun, recognizing it from the moon-like crest on its head. According to the forest records, the rarest and most aggressive beast in the Brightmoon Forbidden Forest was the Dark Moon Bull.
The Darkmoon Bull was a rare and aggressive territorial omnivore that roamed the Brightmoon Forbidden Forest exclusively. Due to its monstrous charging power and piercing horns, even the apex predators left the full-grown adult alone, making it one of the most widely distributed beasts that freely roamed the forest layers.
The beast was said to have an incredible charging ability, with an adult's charge reaching three hundred kilograms, comparable to the full-power strike of a muscle cultivation expert at the late stage before becoming a mortal king. Despite being classified as a tier one-mortal rank beast, the Darkmoon Bull was an apex predator and rival.
The bull in front of Cao was not an adult, but a mature male, its height indicating it had reached the peak of the mid-tier first stage. Its charge power should reach around sixty to seventy kilograms, which should be a sufficient test of his power without overusing his runes.
" Moo!" With the bull's charge rumbling, Cao Yaun was lost in his thoughts about the beast, only to realize how close the charge was when the bull lowered its head, aiming its horns at him. The ground in front of him erupted as the bull charged, sending dirt and leaves. Cao Yuan rolled aside while using his iron rod to strike the beast's flank in a sweeping arc, sending a significant amount of force into the beast's side.
Bang!
The iron rod met the beast's thick and elastic hide with a dull sound, only for Cao Yaun to be stunned as a considerable rebound force flowed through the weapon back, wrenching painfully from his grip and sending it flying back into the bushes, leaving a deep cut on his thumbs as blood trickled down.
Before the Yaun could react, the bull skidded to a halt, only to sharply turn around, digging its hooves into the ground as it repeated the charge, now with Cao Yaun having lost his weapon.
With no weapon, Cao Yuan prepared to grapple the beast. When the bull charged at him again, he jumped up and ran towards it, meeting its charge with his own. The beast lowered its head, aiming to gore him, but Yuan evaded the horns and delivered three fast, powerful punches to its ribs.
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!
Blargh! With a swift sidestep, Cao Yaun sent three rapid and powerful punches into the beast's ribs, sending it staggering back before a rebound force sent him to his knees, his internal organs shaking from the impact as he spat out a stream of blood.
The bull quickly recovered from the attack and charged once more. This time, Cao Yaun waited for the charge to get closer before sliding into the arc of the horns and sending a powerful punch into the bull's neck.
Bannng!!! Blargh!!
The impact of his fist met something like a rubber wall before sending Cao Yaun flying backward as he landed on his backside, rolling rapidly to the side to avoid the bull's following tail kick, still reeling from the force of the impact. Before Yaun could recover from the impact, the bull turned its body and rammed its side into his ribcage, sending Yaun flying backward five meters across the floor before landing heavily on his back.
Blargh!! Damn it!!
Cao Yaun muttered as he was sent tumbling back again from the impact of the bull's horns, realizing that using his agility to dodge the bull's charge and attacking when it was close had done little damage as the beast's hide was too tough for his punches. The power of the bull's rebound had also taken a toll on the internal organs.
"Urghh!!!" Cao Yaun spat out a glob of blood. "Physical attacks will not do," muttered Dai Yuan before mentally berating himself for not investing more time in physical combat.
Happily for him, he had decided to carve a new rune and was glad for the decision as he clicked his bloodied tongue in astonishment
He raised his right fist and delivered a powerful punch with the newly acquired sonic scream ability. The rune's power resonated in his fist, exploding outward in a powerful sonic wave that collided with the bull's forehead.
Boom!
The bull bellowed in pain as the wave of pressure smashed into its body, rattling its bones. It slowed down almost immediately, and Dai Yuan continued to deliver several sonic punches with the same force as the bull's charge again, his fists sending thick waves of pressure that disrupted the beast's blood flow, causing internal damage.
" I have to get stronger," grumbled Yaun before delivering a powerful blow to the bull's head as he focused all of his power into one punch, with the sound scream ability running through the strike.
The punch connected with the bull's head, sending a high-pitched frequency into the bull's skull, shaking it up and sending a shockwave through its body. The internal organs of the beast turned into mesh as the sound wave disrupted its system, cutting off its circulation and bursting its blood vessels.
The darkmoon bull's eyes turned bloodshot as it started expelling blood from its nose and ears. The beast made no sound as it collapsed on its back, its massive five-meter body sliding down to the floor at Yaun's feet, twitching before going still.
"Huff!! Huff!!" Yuan was panting as he stood over the bull's still body. It had been a close fight, with the young bull not as strong as an adult. Looking at the darkmoon bull's body, Cao Yaun was quick to note the mistakes he had made and the changes he needed to improve.
"I will name this ability Sonic Punch," muttering to himself as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth turns his attention to the newly discovered ability before naming it.
"Not like some bullshit thunder punch," muttered Cao Yaun before he started to feel smug about his new ability, recalling the stupid skill he had purchased in Brightmoon City from the old man. Feeling self-congratulatory, Cao Yaun started to cut some useful parts of the bull's body before using it to continue his journey.
For the rest of the day, Cao Yaun had been using the sonic ability to test his other techniques, throwing a few punches with the power of the sonic scream mixed with normal punches. The more he practiced, the better he got, as the attacks felt good, and the pain of the recoil from the bull's hide was minimal compared to the damage he had delivered to the beast.
Once he had mastered the timing and control of the punches, feeling content with his progress, Cao Yaun increased the pace of his walking as he jogged toward his destination.
The long, broad road of silver accents finally opened to an abandoned old road that ran straight into the core of the forbidden forest. It was a well-kept but secured gate that had long been forgotten. Cao yaun remembered the warnings of the forbidden forest's core and ran fast and furiously for three consecutive days and nights without rest.