"Well... okay, keep an eye out for me," Mu Cheng deflated all at once, looking at Mu Hanyan with a pitiful expression.
"Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, you won’t die," Mu Hanyan said, rolling her eyes. It seemed she was indeed easy to bully; no threats or bribes were necessary, just invoking the name of Ye Lanfeng did the trick.
Mu Cheng finally mustered his courage and charged toward the One-horned Rhinoceros in front of him.
The One-horned Rhinoceros, too, let out an angry roar and charged head-on.
The Longsword slashed beneath the horn, sparking a trail of fire, and with a muffled sound, the One-horned Rhinoceros stepped back, while Mu Cheng was shaken back seven or eight steps. Before he could steady himself, the One-horned Rhinoceros charged at him again like a small battering ram.
"Brother Han Yan, save me!" Seeing the fierce momentum of the One-horned Rhinoceros, Mu Cheng screamed out in terror.
"Fend for yourself," Mu Hanyan replied lazily while nibbling on snacks.
Seeing Mu Hanyan appear indifferent to his potential demise, Mu Cheng knew it was useless to beg her; he gritted his teeth and raised his Longsword once more.
Another string of sparks exploded, and Mu Cheng stumbled back seven or eight steps again.
"I’m going all out with you." Although Mu Cheng’s confidence was lacking, he was at the age where he was too young and inexperienced to fear anything, and he still had some spirit. After repeatedly being repulsed, his anger was ignited, and he gripped his Longsword tightly, charging forward with a determination to either survive or perish.
He knew Mu Hanyan wouldn’t really let him die; what could one more attempt hurt?
With this strike, Mu Cheng put all his strength into the swing, a last-ditch effort, leaving himself no way out.
A bright Sword Light flashed by, and though not as dazzling as before, it seemed to possess a sense of substance. The sword energy was contained! This strike was above his usual level, and Mu Cheng felt as if he’d touched the threshold of a Sixth-tier Swordsman.
As one’s strength increased, Cultivation became increasingly challenging. Many times, a moment of enlightenment not only allowed one to break through bottlenecks but could also provide benefits for a lifetime.
With a thud, the One-horned Rhinoceros was sent rolling away by his strike, it got up, scraping its front hooves back and forth on the ground, panting heavily but not launching another attack.
"Eh!" Only then did Mu Cheng realize that although he had taken a hit, he was not injured, while the One-horned Rhinoceros seemed to be running out of steam.
Unbeknownst to him, although the One-horned Rhinoceros had several times the impact force of an ordinary rhinoceros due to its size, its stamina was extremely limited, often flagging after one or two charges. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveIꜰire.net
"Take another strike from me!" Mu Cheng’s courage surged, his Sword Force bold and unrestrained, as he attacked once more.
"Crack!" The sword move was unstoppable, even chopping off the One-horned Rhinoceros’s horn.
"Ooo..." The One-horned Rhinoceros let out a mournful cry, fear filling its eyes as it scrambled away in retreat.
"Hahaha, it turns out even the Exotic Beasts are just so-so, I, Mu Cheng, am still quite impressive," Mu Cheng laughed heartily, looking at the fleeing One-horned Rhinoceros.
Mu Hanyan laughed as well, watching Mu Cheng without a word. Mu Cheng had always lived in the shadows of Mu Feng and Mu Hanfeng. What he lacked most was self-confidence. Even if his future achievements surpassed Mu Feng, Mu Ze, and others, that aspect remained unchanged.
The reason he revered Ye Lanfeng as a deity and was so eager to become his disciple, to the point of zealotry, was because of his extreme lack of self-confidence and the need to find a psychological crutch.
Perhaps this trial might bring about some change in him, give him a bit more spirit and a bit more confidence.