Lin Yuan and Chen Ming started to walk even deeper, trying to find another beast.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wei and the group slightly behind Lin Yuan’s group hustled, thinking about a plan to humiliate Lin Yuan.

"We need to restrain Lin Yuan’s group to win," Zhang Wei mumbled, darting his eyes towards Fenglian and Xiao Chen.

"What can we do?" Fenglian asked, his voice low as whimper.

"My beast is a falcon... I sent my falcon to spy on Lin Yuan’s group, and we can pinpoint the location easily," Xiao Chen elucidated, his face with no emotion. "They are 60 paces further than us. And they even killed a Rank 1 beast."

’That brat Lin Yuan is a genius,’ Xiao Chen thought in his mind.

"Great, Xiao Chen, Have an eye on them.. Let’s search for a beast now," Zhang Wei grumbled, walking forward.

Whhooshh!

Xiao Chen’s instincts screamed at him. He suddenly jolted his head backside, and pushed Zhang Wei to the ground. Instantly, a sharp-beaked eagle, lunged forward, thrusting its beak at the place where Zhang Wei stood a second before. And flew backward. It is a Rank 2 beast.

"I will take care of it." Fenglian smiled, stepping forward.

The eagle halted in mid-air, flapping its wings against the wind for three seconds. Then it crashed again sharply with the intent of killing.

Fenglian dragged his right leg back along with his clenched fist, simultaneously. A compressed swirl of air formed in front of his knuckle. His stance was like he was unleashing a devastating punch. Fenglian is a Baby Beast Realm - Mid Stage Cultivator, a Boar beast holder.

The eagle was just a few inches away from piercing Fenglian.

"Mighty Boar Punch!" Fenglian yelled, thrusting his hand forward at a great pace.

BLAST!! BAM!!

The moment the hand of Fenglian punched the eagle, it blasted backward under a mighty speed through the trunk of the tree before coming to a halt.

The eagle died right away. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Magnificient, Fenglian," Zhang Wei praised, patting Fenglian’s back.

Those three slowly reached near the dead eagle, and Zhang Wei extracted the beast core from it.

SWISH!!

The shimmering green beast core appeared on Zhang Wei’s hand. He gave it to Fenglian. Finally Zhang Wei group is the first to secure a Rank 2 beast core. And Zhang Wei gave that Rank 2 beast core to Fenglian. Because, Fenglian killed that beast.

"More two.." Zhang Wei whispered, walking with his group.

****

At 70 paces further than Zhang Wei group.

"There is an apple tree, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan said, pointing his index finger forward.

"I will climb that tree.. Let’s go and eat some apples... Lin Yuan," Chen Ming bellowed, sprinting towards the apple tree forward.

Chen Ming clenched the bark of the tree tightly, and slowly climbed the apple tree meticulously. Once he reached the top, Chen Ming crawled to the right branch of the apple tree. He slowly plucked the apples and dropped them down so that Lin Yuan would catch them carefully. Chen Ming plucked 8 apples. Then he jumped off, plummeting down to reach the ground in a crouch position.

Lin Yuan and Chen Ming sat under that tree, eating the apples by sharing four apples each.

"These are delicious, Lin Yuan,’ Chen Ming muttered, chomping the apple in half with a loud sound.

"Yeah..." Lin Yuan agreed, spitting a seed aside.

GROWLL!!!

A loud sound rattled from the backside of Lin Yuan and Chen Ming. Lin Yuan and Chen Ming instantly jolted up, turning their heads backwards in the direction where the sound was coming.

A medium-sized boar growled, thick froth bubbling from its jaws and dripping onto the trampled grass ground. It’s a Rank 2 Beast, and Lin Yuan sensed an immense killing intent from the boar.

The boar beast lowered its head, and let out a wet, rhythmic huff, the scent of damp musk and decay heavy in the air. Suddenly, the boar dug its hooves into the muck and lunged, a low-slung missile of muscle and bristle. It covered the ground in a blur of muddy fur, its head swinging low to lead with its tusks. The air filled with the sound of snapping twigs and the wet slap of its saliva as it closed the distance, eyes locked on Lin Yuan and Chen Ming with savage intent.

Lin Yuan didn’t hesitate. He prepared to use the Shell Guard which consumes his 4% of beast essence, but it can stop the attack from the boar. But, Chen Ming pushed Lin Yuan aside as there was no time to defend the boar attack. The boar staggered, before halting and turned back.

The boar let out an angry sniff, and stared at Chen Ming.

"Leave it to me, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming said, getting into an attack stance. "I can kill this boar easily."

"But... your beast is still a hatchling, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan muttered, getting up in a standing posture.

"You underestimate me, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming let out a confident smirk, his eyes locked onto the boar. "This Rank 2 beast is a mere pawn, If I can’t kill that... how can I say ’I will be the strongest in future’?"

"Tskk... Okay arrogant bastard," Lin Yuan smiled, dusting off his robes. "If something is wrong, I will step in for help."

The boar beast lost its patience and lunged forward again at high speed. Simultaneously, Chen Ming snapped his right hand up, extending his index finger and cocking his thumb upward while curling the rest into a tight grip.

"It’s not playtime, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan yelled, trying to get near him.

"I am not playing, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming disagreed, concentrating his mind at a single point — in front of index finger. "Piercing beak!"

Chen Ming yelled and in an instant, a thin beam shot out from index finger, which slowly changed into a falcon moving like a missile. The falcon-like beam pierced right through the head of the boar.

The boar took slow steps before it came to halt, and died helplessly.

"Wonderful... Chen Ming, you are magnificent," Lin Yuan appreciated, letting out a look of disbelief.

"Haha... Let’s take the beast core, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming stuttered, plodding towards the boar corpse.

Lin Yuan also walked near the boar corpse. Chen Ming crouched, placing the hand on the beast. In a second, the greenish beast core materialised above the hand.

Chen Ming caught the beast core, gracefully.

"Take this core, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming offered, extending his hand with the Rank 2 beast core.

"It’s your win... and the beast core is yours," Lin Yuan rejected, nodding his head in disapproval. "But, if you defeat another beast... give that core to me, because I need to win."

"Hahahaha.... Obviously," Chen Ming laughed along with Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan and Chen Ming started walking straight. They only need another beast core to win.

****

At the place of Zhang Wei’s group

"They got one Rank 2 beast core," Xiao Chen snapped, halting with an awe look on his face. "Lin Yuan’s group only needs one more beast core to win."

"Fuckk...." Zhang Wei cursed, his face twitching with anger and jealousy. "We have no time... Okay, Let’s go and take the 2 beast cores from them, if required we will kill them."

"Xiao Chen, Have an eye on them and guide us towards them... Once they get another beast core, they will have less beast essence than us. Then we will sneak in and lure out the beast cores from them. If they resist, let’s kill them." Zhang Wei continued, a cunning grin lingering on his lips.

"Okay...!" Xiao Chen agreed, letting out an evil smile. "I am agreeing not for the beast cores, but because I like killing."

"Killing is too much, Zhang Wei," Fenglian resisted, taking a step back from them. "I am not gonna come with you from now on. Do any shit you want to, but I don’t like to interfere!"

"Stay here, you fucking coward," Xiao Chen yelled, waving his hand. "If you go to the academy in greed of winning... I will surely rip your heart from your cowardly chest."

"O–Ok!" Fenglian stuttered, a bead of sweat crawling from his left temple.

Zhang Wei and Xiao Chen started to walk in the direction of Lin Yuan’s group. But Fenglian didn’t go. He walked near a tree, and leaned to the trunk, thinking about the Xiao Chen warning.

****

At Lin Yuan’s group

Lin Yuan and Chen Ming darted their heads in every direction to find another Rank 2 beast. After a few minutes of search, Chen Ming saw something.

"Lin Yuan..." Chen Ming slowly called out, pointing his hand right side, his voice low as whisper. "See there... I found a beast."

Lin Yuan slowly darted his head to the right. There is a beast sniffing the grass ten paces away. It is a dhole — a Rank 2 beast: wild dog. It was moving with sluggish steps, sniffing the ground to find something.

"Great find, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan appreciated, letting out a calm smile. "Let’s kill this wild dog and claim its beast core. It’s time to go to the academy, Chen Ming."