C54 The Berserk Golden Rhino

The Berserk Golden Rhino, a fourth-level spirit animal!

This creature's charge, when it gallops, is so formidable that even Veil Breaking cultivators must sidestep its path.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

Its hooves struck the ground like hammers, shattering rocks and sending them flying.

The members of the Yuan, Yu, and Zhao families, who had come from Asvetaesi, all swiftly cleared a path for the Berserk Golden Rhino at Yuan Lianyao's command.

"Yu Yuan! Move!"

Yuan Ting yelled at the top of his lungs.

"I am moving!"

Yu Yuan continued to evade, yet the Berserk Golden Rhino seemed to be deliberately adjusting its course, aiming straight for him.

The gap between them was closing fast!

"Damn it!"

Yu Yuan was getting frustrated. At his current Spirit Channel level of cultivation, a collision with the Berserk Golden Rhino would undoubtedly be fatal.

His eyes darted around, searching for a solution.

Yuan Lianyao sensed trouble and urgently called out, "Yan Lu!"

It wasn't a rider, but a burly young man standing atop the Berserk Golden Rhino. At her shout, he snapped to attention.

The young man shifted his gaze from the Songbird in the sky to Yu Yuan with curiosity.

The Berserk Golden Rhino charged on!

Yu Yuan, trapped with no escape to the left or right, suddenly had a spark of inspiration and quickly moved closer to Yuan Lianyao.

As a result, the Berserk Golden Rhino veered in its rampage, barreling towards both him and Yuan Lianyao.

"You jerk!"

Despite her curses, Yuan Lianyao channeled her spiritual energy, releasing a cascade of fire lotuses to rapidly erect a barrier in front of her.

"Sister, don't be mad. You're the only one here who can withstand the charge of a fourth-level Berserk Golden Rhino."

Yu Yuan shamelessly took cover behind her, his hands bracing against her back. It was clear he was using her as a human shield.

Without Yuan Lianyao as a shield, he had no other option in such a critical moment.

"Release your filthy hands!" Yuan Lianyao seethed with anger.

"No way, I'm worried you might dodge out of the way." Yu Yuan clung to her clothing even more tightly, fearing she might slip away if he loosened his grip.

Yuan Lianyao's cultivation at the Subtlety level meant she could move instantaneously with just a thought.

"Bastard!"

Furious and at a loss, Yuan Lianyao pointed her delicate hand, sending a flurry of red lotuses flying.

It was clear she intended to strike first.

"Stop!"

In that instant, the young man atop the Berserk Golden Rhino stomped his foot.

The Berserk Golden Rhino, previously in a frenzy, miraculously calmed down. Its large golden eyes whirled to a halt, stopping its charge in its tracks.

The ground had been furrowed by the Berserk Golden Rhino's rampage.

The creature appeared confused, eyeing Yu Yuan as if trying to make sense of its sudden madness.

"Hu! Hu! Hu!"

The lotuses unleashed by Yuan Lianyao also hung suspended in the air at the crucial moment.

"Ms. Yuan, my apologies for the oversight," Yan Lu said with a frown. "Is that brother hiding behind you also from the Yuan family?"

His expression was one of blatant contempt.

Hiding behind a woman—what kind of man does that?

"No, he's from the Yu family of Asvetaesi City," Yuan Lianyao replied, then turned to glare at Yu Yuan. "Will you let go already?"

"Sister, don't be mad. I really am scared of dying," Yu Yuan said with a sheepish grin, finally stepping away from behind her. "Hey, Yan, if you can't control that beast, don't parade it around and make a fool of yourself! If it weren't for my quick thinking and fast reflexes, I might have been trampled to death by your creature!"

"Brother Yu is incredible," Zhao Yafu commended. "He's not afraid to call out Yan Lu directly!"

Yu Feifei spoke up timidly, "That man is from the Yan family of the Empire, isn't he?"

"Yes, that's Yan Lu, one of the Empire's five new moons," Zhao Yafu whispered back. "He's quite arrogant, but undeniably skilled."

"I noticed," Yu Feifei murmured. "My brother won't be in trouble, will he?"

"Not for now, but once we reach the forbidden area, it's hard to say," Zhao Yafu remarked.

"Of course, I'll discipline my Yan family's spirit animal properly!" Yan Lu frowned inwardly, unable to fathom Yu Yuan's true nature. "Even without Ms. Yuan's intervention, I can restrain it. It won't be the death of you."

"So, you intentionally let your creature intimidate me just now?" Yu Yuan's expression chilled.

"I'm trying to figure out why it specifically targeted you," Yan Lu huffed. "Even in a frenzy, it wouldn't randomly charge at someone. There must be something on you, some scent, that's making it agitated and uncomfortable."

Yu Yuan paused, his brow furrowing. "How would I not know about it?"

"Let's drop it." Yan Lu didn't press further and gave a fist-and-palm salute to Yuan Lianyao as an apology. "I'm pressed for time, so I'll take my leave now."

The Berserk Golden Rhino lifted its hooves once more and headed toward the Moonfall Sanctuary.

"Oh, by the way, what's your name? Are you also here for the trial in the forbidden area?"

After the Berserk Golden Rhino had passed by Yuan Lianyao and Yu Yuan, Yan Lu suddenly turned back, looking at Yu Yuan with curiosity.

"From Asvetaesi, of the Yu family, I am Yu Yuan. I look forward to your guidance," Yu Yuan replied with a forced smile.

"Yu Yuan, Yu Yuan, of Asvetaesi's Yu family..." Yan Lu mused, his eyes suddenly brightening as his expression turned peculiar. "Lin Zhuyun's betrothed?"

"Indeed, that is me," Yu Yuan responded with a bow.

"Heh, how intriguing," Yan Lu nodded thoughtfully, murmuring to himself, "How did the Lin family end up with such a fiancé? It seems there will be quite some entertainment in the forbidden area."

As he spoke, the Berserk Golden Rhino picked up speed and quickly vanished from sight.

"Berserk Golden Rhino..." Yu Yuan watched as the golden beast disappeared, his lips curling slightly. "It seems its sense of smell is even keener when it's berserk."

"What was that?" Yuan Lianyao inquired, puzzled.

"Nothing important." Yu Yuan's curiosity about the Moonfall Sanctuary trial grew. "Oh, right, is it permissible to bring spirit animals into the trial?"

"Absolutely not," Yuan Lianyao said, giving him a look of disbelief. "Allowing fourth-level spirit animals like the Songbird or Berserk Golden Rhino would completely disrupt the trial's balance."

"Oh," Yu Yuan expressed with a hint of regret, "that's a shame."

"Don't tell me you're planning to do something to that Berserk Golden Rhino?" Yuan Lianyao asked with concern. "I'd advise you to abandon that thought. That fourth-level Berserk Golden Rhino has been with Yan Lu since his youth. If anything were to happen to that creature, Yan Lu wouldn't let you off the hook."

"Is he more formidable than Lin Zhuyun and Su Yan?" Yu Yuan countered. "Is he even more troublesome than that girl from the An family?"

Yuan Lianyao paused, taken aback, then advised, "Try to behave yourself during the trial in the forbidden area. Don't stir up trouble and leave me to clean up after you."

Yu Yuan's words had her worrying about those participating in the trial. After all, hadn't Yin Jue, Lyu Yue, and members of the Huang family all fallen directly or indirectly to Yu Yuan? And didn't Ann Ziqing, who was at the Lunar Spirit Stage, eventually leave without protest?

Yan Lu, having encountered Yu Yuan in the forbidden area, might find himself in a dire situation.

...

Approaching the arched gateway, the Berserk Golden Rhino finally decelerated.

Its hooves no longer shattered the stones beneath them as they touched down.

Yan Lu silently employed a mystique to communicate with the fourth-level Berserk Golden Rhino. Though unable to transform or speak, the spirit animal still held a basic, instinctual consciousness.

Yan Lu pressed close against its golden back, connecting with it through his heart.

"Fear?"

"Is it fear that makes you so agitated, driving your instinct to attack him, to gather your strength and attempt to crush him?"

"What about him, or what he possesses, could possibly instill such fear in you?"

After a moment, Yan Lu straightened up, his face stern as he cast a frequent glance over his shoulder.

"He's merely a member of the Yu family from Asvetaesi. If I'm not mistaken, his cultivation is only at the Spirit Channel level!"

Despite his words, Yan Lu had already shed any underestimation deep within, recognizing Yu Yuan as a formidable contender in the trial of the forbidden area.

"Asvetaesi, Yu Yuan!"

He trusted the instincts of the spirit animal that had been by his side through thick and thin.

He was aware that his current level of cultivation and lack of experience might lead him to make mistakes.

But the instincts and keen sense of smell of the Berserk Golden Rhino, especially in its frenzied state, were infallible!

​