C13 In the Dark Iron Tenth Rank

Taking on the bull demons head-on wasn't just about the risk of attracting more of their kind; the sheer energy expenditure was significant, not to mention the potential for injury.

Lin Yuan seized the bull demon's thick neck with both hands and gave it a sharp twist. The creature's last breath escaped it, and soon after, three wisps of black mist coalesced into Lin Yuan's body. The itching sensation on his shoulder was a sign of healing tissue; it was so soothing that Lin Yuan couldn't help but shudder with relief.

Surveying the groups of bull demons in front of the building, Lin Yuan's lips curled into a smirk. They were walking, breathing experience points!

His strategy was simple: shoot arrows to draw them out, knock them unconscious, and then drag them into the forest for the kill. Lin Yuan was having the time of his life, darting through the woods near the ticket booth. In no time at all, he had taken down over twenty bull demons, which, if they were ordinary goblins, would equate to a hefty sum of seven or eight hundred.

"This is just too convenient," he mused, barely able to contain his glee. "It's so much easier than a direct confrontation!" With a casual release of his bowstring, an arrow soared through the air like a shooting star, burying itself in a bull demon's back.

With a mournful "Moo," the creature collapsed and died. The nearby bull demons whirled around, spears in hand, and charged toward the forest.

"What a mess," Lin Yuan cursed under his breath as he turned to flee. His previous shots hadn't hit their mark, yet he'd managed to attract a manageable number of enemies and secure the experience points with ease.

But just when he finally landed a successful shot, a horde of over fifty bull demons, some wielding iron spears, charged at him. It was clear they were no ordinary foes, and this situation was far worse than missing his shots!

Lin Yuan weaved frantically through the trees, with spears occasionally whizzing past him, some narrowly missing his ears. A slight miscalculation, and his head would've been history.

After a harrowing ten-minute sprint, the Ox Monsters finally began to fall back. Clinging to a vine, Lin Yuan took deep breaths, his lungs nearly bursting from the relentless chase.

"Damn it, I'm done with archery. I might as well just throw rocks!"

Lin Yuan finally caught his breath and cautiously made his way back, only to find that the Ox Monsters near the ticket booth were on high alert—clearly, they had discovered the bodies of their fallen kin.

Now what? Lin Yuan scratched his head, at a loss for a plan. He'd have to wait for nightfall—the perfect time for mischief under the cover of darkness.

As dusk settled, Lin Yuan retrieved his pack from the tree and tore into the smoked meat with gusto.

Ugh, still tastes awful!

But the boost to his energy was undeniable, rivaling the flesh fruit and surpassing the stamina grapes.

With a hefty chunk of beef and a whole bottle of water in his belly, Lin Yuan rose, saber in hand, reinvigorated and ready to approach the ticket booth.

Five bonfires blazed fiercely. Aside from the half dozen guards pacing about, the rest of the Ox Monsters had retreated to their tents for the night.

Lin Yuan shook his head, musing on the simplicity of these primitive creatures' lives—no nightlife to speak of. But their predictable routine played right into his hands.

Using the moonlight as his guide, Lin Yuan made a beeline for the Ox Monster farthest from the fire's glow.

Charge!

With a thud, his blade sang, and the Ox Monster was felled in one swift strike.

Before the others could even register what had happened, Lin Yuan was on the move again, his blade aimed straight for another Ox Monster's head.

Another thud, and the second beast collapsed.

"Moo!"

The alarm was raised, and guards shouted as they charged, with Ox Monsters spilling out of their tents in pursuit.

Lin Yuan wasted no time; he spun on his heel and dashed into the woods, spears thudding into the earth where he had just stood.

After sprinting a dozen steps, he crouched behind a large tree. As a group of Ox Monsters thundered past, he lunged, cutting down the straggler.

Without pausing to watch the creature fall, Lin Yuan bolted in another direction.

"Moo~!"

Enraged bellows filled the air as the Ox Monsters, maddened, gave chase.

The cover of night provided Lin Yuan with a significant edge. The numerical advantage of the group was drastically diminished. After a little over ten minutes, the remaining three Ox Monsters scrambled toward the ticket booth in a panic, while Lin Yuan had slain the rest in the jungle.

Lin Yuan's grin grew wider as he watched the Ox Monsters, too afraid to sleep, huddling around the campfire. This place had become his own playground!

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"

Arrows zigzagged through the air toward the Ox Monsters, harmless but causing considerable panic.

Staring at his empty quiver, Lin Yuan gave his head a good scratch and resolved to practice his archery at the next opportunity. If he were a skilled archer, a single volley would have taken down at least seven or eight Ox Demons.

Discarding the short bow and quiver, Lin Yuan ventured back into the forest depths, gathering over a dozen long spears from the fallen Ox Monsters before sauntering out of the woods nonchalantly.

The Ox Monsters, gripped by fear, clumped together, none daring to approach him.

With a smirk, Lin Yuan flipped a long spear in his hand and hurled it.

"Boom!" The spear shot directly into the bonfire, bursting into flames. Lin Yuan chuckled ruefully; it wasn't just his archery that was lacking—his spear-throwing skills needed work too.

"Moo!"

A bellow sounded, and dozens of long spears flew his way. Lin Yuan spun on his heel and bolted, with the Ox Monsters in hot pursuit.

Yet they wouldn't dare follow him into the forest, retreating as soon as they reached its edge.

"They're getting smarter," Lin Yuan mused, returning to his spot and grinning at the regrouped Ox Monsters. It felt like a game of whack-a-mole. If his skills were sharper, he would have wiped them out in minutes.

Spear after spear, Lin Yuan threw with glee until a sudden tingling on his scalp made him dive to the side. A sharp iron spear sliced past his shoulder, reopening a healing wound.

Scrambling to his feet, Lin Yuan dove into the trees. He hadn't anticipated that these dim-witted Ox Monsters would set an ambush.

Barely a few steps in, a golden rod swung at him head-on!

Without a second thought, Lin Yuan's right hand shot up, positioning the Jungle Blade defensively in front of him.

"Ding!"

The clash of blade and club emitted a jarring cacophony as Lin Yuan was sent hurtling back like a baseball.

Two Iron Spear Ox Monsters bellowed, thrusting their spears forward. Midair, Lin Yuan contorted his body to evade and, seizing the moment, drew the Jungle Blade from behind and brought it down with all his strength.

"Pfft!"

One Iron Spear Ox Monster was cleaved in two, spear and all!

Without waiting to regain his footing, Lin Yuan swung his blade at the other monster, only to be met by the golden bat once more.

With a sharp "Bang!" the Jungle Blade was sent flying, and Lin Yuan's face blanched as his right arm's bones snapped!

Narrowly sidestepping another spear thrust, Lin Yuan bolted from the forest and charged at the horde of Ox Monsters.

To Lin Yuan at that moment, the horde posed a lesser threat than those two adversaries in the woods, particularly the bat-wielder, whose rank was surely the Tenth of the Dark Iron!

Bursting through the Ox Monsters, Lin Yuan swung his left fist, shattering the path-blocking beasts, and without breaking stride, he crashed into the ticket booth's glass.

"Bam!"

Lin Yuan tumbled into the ticketing hall, ignoring the glass shards embedded in his face, and immediately surged toward the opposite glass pane.

Another "Bam!" and he was through, sprinting for his life to the forest on the far side.

By the time the Ox Chieftain with the golden bat charged into the ticketing hall, Lin Yuan had vanished.

After a ten-minute dash through the woods, Lin Yuan halted, gasping for air. Surveying his surroundings and seeing no immediate danger, he slumped to the ground, exhausted.