C8 The Leader of the Crimson Horn Ox

Exhausted, Lee Gaoyuan collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. Despite their own fatigue, Lee Xiaoyong and his sister's faces were alight with excitement.

Lee Xiaoyong took the initiative to speak. "Our triumph over the elite Fire Bulls was thanks to Gaoyuan's help. But there's only one Inner Core. Whoever takes the Inner Core should give half their silver to the other party. As for the horns and hides, how about we split those evenly?"

Lee Mo nodded slightly, his expression one of appreciation.

The siblings truly had integrity. Considering that Lee Xiaoyong had put forth the greatest effort, anyone else might have hoarded the Inner Core for themselves.

He suggested that Lee Gaoyuan claim the Inner Core and later give silver to Lee Xiaoyong and his sister. After they had divided the loot, their bag was filled to the brim.

Just as they were about to leave, a cacophony of noise erupted from afar. A gigantic creature soon stepped out of the forest.

Before them stood a Crimson Horn Ox, twice the size of the elite Fire Bulls. Its horns were three feet long, and it sported a third, fiery-red horn in addition to the usual pair.

Its body was covered in palm-sized crimson scales, giving the appearance of a suit of armor. The muscles underneath were as hard as stone, each inch brimming with power.

"The leader of the Crimson Horn Ox!" Lee Mo recognized it immediately.

The trio's complexions turned ashen at the revelation.

Barbarian Beasts of intermediate and advanced grades were divided into five levels: infant, adult, elite, chief, and King Level. Lower-grade Barbarian Beasts were categorized into three: infant, adult, and elite.

They had not expected a chief beast to arise among the Crimson Horn Oxen. It was undeniably several times more powerful than the elite Crimson Horn Ox.

It was clear that their battle with the elite Fire Bulls had attracted this vicious creature.

Lee Gaoyuan and his companions drew a cold breath. Their previous encounter with the Fire Bull elite hadn't completely exhausted them, but it had significantly depleted their energy. The fight had also given them a real sense of the elite Fire Bull's fearsomeness.

Faced with a chief beast exponentially stronger than the elite Fire Bulls, they wouldn't dare to fight, even at full strength, completely lacking the confidence to win.

However, the prospect of escape was fraught with danger.

They were in an open area by the riverbank, and the chief beast's charge was incredibly fast and fierce. If it caught up to them, they would surely perish.

Not to mention, the chief beast could spit fireballs. Being struck from behind would result in dire, unimaginable consequences.

While they were still undecided about whether to fight or flee, the Fire Bull's chief beast roared and charged at them with the ferocity of a thunderbolt, causing the entire valley to tremble with its earth-shattering arrival.

"Damn it, we fight to the death!"

Lee Xiaoyong, with gritted teeth, rushed forward with his axe. Leaping into the air, he swung his weapon down fiercely onto the Fire Bull's chief beast.

The beast retaliated, its horn striking the axe with a dull thud. The force sent Lee Xiaoyong flying before he heavily fell to the ground yards away.

"Brother!" Lee Jing cried out, hurrying to assist Lee Xiaoyong.

"This creature's strength is terrifying!" Lee Xiaoyong spat out blood, his speech garbled. He stood up, his hand trembling as he gripped his axe, clearly indicating he was seriously injured.

"Lee Mo, run for it!" Lee Gaoyuan's eyes narrowed with unprecedented seriousness. He drew his sword and charged towards the Fire Bull's chief beast.

The trio engaged in a fierce battle for survival against the chief beast. Its relentless attacks, alternating between horn thrusts and fireballs, kept them severely pinned down, creating a dangerously tense situation.

Lee Mo held his ground, undisturbed by the chief beast's ferocity.

Having faced far greater challenges, this was merely another obstacle for him.

He observed the situation calmly and quickly formulated a plan. Then he shouted, "Gaoyuan, on my command. Move three steps to your right and execute the Martial Skill of Leaves Falling!"

In that instant, Lee Gaoyuan was only a short distance from the Fire Bull. As the Chief Beast bore down on him, its sharp horns aimed like lethal blades, Lee Gaoyuan instinctively heeded Lee Mo's shout. He sidestepped three paces to the right and soared upwards, his swordplay creating a cascade of over ten sword shadows.

The shadows struck the bull's head, effectively slowing the Chief Beast's advance. At the same time, Lee Gaoyuan evaded the horns, sparing himself from the full force of the charge.

This ingenious modification of the First Form not only stopped the Fire Bull's charge but also allowed Lee Gaoyuan to avoid a head-on collision.

Before they could even register surprise, Lee Xiaoyong didn't hesitate. He took five large strides to the left side of the Fire Bull and swung his axe down with a force that seemed to split mountains.

"Lee Jing, move two steps to your right and execute Martial Skill of Shooting Stars!"

Following Lee Gaoyuan's command, Lee Jing brandished her sword and joined the fray.

Under Lee Mo's strategic direction, it only took a few exchanges before the trio sensed a dramatic shift in momentum.

Initially, each had been solely focused on defending against the Fire Bull's fierce attacks, with little regard for one another. But now, guided by Lee Mo, they not only coordinated their efforts but also successfully blunted the Fire Bull's aggressive charge.

They were secretly astonished. For such teamwork to occur, Lee Mo had to not only predict the Fire Bull's actions but also have a thorough understanding of their individual spells.

If Lee Mo had been a martial arts instructor, his commanding prowess wouldn't have been so surprising. But Lee Mo was simply a warrior in the Middle Period of the Qi Condensation Stage.

Unknown to the trio, Lee Mo had memorized all their moves in just half a day of watching them fight Barbarian Beasts.

Lee Mo's commands were now seamless, as though he had practiced each technique hundreds of times.

Yet, even with their coordinated defense, they could only block the Fire Bull's attacks or cause minor injuries; a critical strike was beyond their reach. As the battle dragged on, their defeat seemed more and more likely.

At a critical moment, as Lee Xiaoyong once again intercepted the Fire Bull's advance, Lee Mo made his move. With a burst of Lightning Steps, he leaped onto the back of the Fire Bull.

"Bloodthirsty Sword!" he roared, plunging his iron sword into the Fire Bull's neck where it had already been wounded.

The entire ordeal unfolded in mere moments, leaving Lee Xiaoyong and his companions shocked by the sudden turn of events. They had not expected Lee Mo to suddenly join the battle, let alone critically injure the Fire Bull with a mere six strikes. Each of them would have found it challenging to land such precise, consecutive hits while mounted on the Fire Bull.

What the three Monolith Stage Martial Apprentices could not achieve, Lee Mo, a Qi Condensation Stage Martial Apprentice, had done. It was astonishing!

Suddenly, the sound of an arrow slicing through the air shattered the silence. An arrow, shot from a distance, struck the Fire Bull directly in the eye, burying itself deep within its skull. With a pained bellow, the Fire Bull gave one final, desperate shudder before collapsing heavily to the ground.

Lee Mo was violently thrown to the ground, his iron sword slipping from his grasp as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Lee Mo, are you okay?" Lee Gaoyuan hurried over, calling out with concern.

Weakly, Lee Mo gestured with his hand. He retrieved a healing pill he had concocted and swallowed it. It took some time before he could breathe out a sigh of relief.

Despite having used the Celestial Flame Embodiment Spell and the Bloodthirsty Sword to wound the Fire Bull chief and ultimately slay it, his exertion of skills had been too great. After executing six consecutive sword strikes, his Vital Energy backfired, causing internal injuries.

The damage wasn't critical, but the healing pills he had at his disposal weren't enough for an immediate recovery. He might need as much as half a month to heal.

Lee Xiaoyong, still in awe of Lee Mo's feat in slaying the Fire Bull leader, quickly turned his attention to the direction from which the arrow had come and spotted a group of youths approaching.

"Oh no, it's Zhang Shiliang!" Lee Xiaoyong murmured under his breath.

As Lee Gaoyuan recognized the newcomers, his expression tensed.

Lee Mo glanced over and saw the party of five. The one leading them was a burly teenager, around fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fierce demeanor.

Clutching a longbow and with a quiver at his waist, it was clear he had fired the earlier arrow. This was none other than Zhang Shijiu's older brother, Zhang Shiliang.

Zhang Shiliang was a standout among the Zhang family's younger generation, unlike the mediocre Zhang Shijiu. Though only a few months older, Zhang Shiliang's cultivation had reached the Late Period of the Monolith Stage.

Among the three of them, any attempt to stab the same wound on the Fire Bull's back with such precision and frequency—six times—would likely result in being thrown off by the beast. It was a feat not even warriors at the Monolith Stage could achieve, yet it was accomplished by a Martial Apprentice at the Qi Condensation Stage. The very thought was astonishing!

Just then, a faint sound sliced through the air, and an arrow shot from a distance, striking the Fire Bull directly in the eye. The majority of the shaft buried itself deep into the bull's skull. With a pained bellow, the Fire Bull shook violently and collapsed heavily to the ground.

Lee Mo was flung harshly to the earth, his sword flying from his grasp as he spat out a mouthful of blood. "Lee Mo, are you alright?" Lee Gaoyuan hurried over, his voice laced with concern.

Weakly waving his hand, Lee Mo retrieved a self-refined healing pill and swallowed it. It took a moment before he could finally exhale softly. Although he had managed to kill the Fire Bull chief, thanks to the foundation laid by the trio's earlier attacks, and despite wielding the Celestial Flame Embodiment Spell and the Bloodthirsty Sword, the backlash from overexerting his skills and casting six consecutive strikes caused his vital energy to surge back and injure his internal organs.

The consequences weren't too severe, but the healing pills he could currently produce weren't enough for an immediate recovery. He would likely need half a month to fully recuperate.