Chapter Twelve: The Iron-Horned Ram

Liu Feng approached the young man and saw that his gaze was fixed intently on a spot not far away, a place obscured from view by a small hill. From there emerged an animal that resembled a mountain goat. Its fur, however, was black; its four legs were much sturdier than those of an ordinary goat, and atop its head were a pair of horns a foot long, glistening like forged black iron, appearing razor-sharp.

It stepped toward the youth, its entire body radiating a dangerous aura. Liu Feng was taken aback—this was an Ironhorn Ram. He recalled what his mentor had once said: the Ironhorn Ram was a mutated beast from the goat family, possessing a remarkably resilient body and horns as keen as treasured swords.

Its speed was extraordinary—an ordinary person, upon encountering it, would not even get a chance to flee. Typically, only a martial artist at the fifth or sixth stage of the Qi Gathering Realm could hope to defeat an Ironhorn Ram.

At that moment, Zhang Chen and several others arrived. Upon seeing the Ironhorn Ram, they too were startled; clearly, they understood the beast’s menace.

“We must join forces to kill it, only then can we survive this ordeal,” one of the students said, his voice trembling.

The group exchanged glances; it was evident they all agreed.

Liu Feng stepped forward and threw a punch at the Ironhorn Ram, his fist tearing through the air with a muffled boom. The beast did not evade; instead, its horns glinted coldly as it met Liu Feng’s fist head-on.

A thunderous crack rang out. Liu Feng was forced back by the impact, feeling as if he had struck a divine blade—blood now stained his knuckles.

Another youth stepped up, swinging his fist at the Ironhorn Ram. After another loud crash, he too staggered back, clutching his hand in pain.

Seeing that both Liu Feng and the other youth were injured in a single exchange, the others grew grim. None had expected the Ironhorn Ram to be so formidable.

Then, a boy produced a massive hammer from his storage pouch—it must have weighed over a hundred pounds. Gripping the hammer, he brought it down hard upon the beast’s body. The Ironhorn Ram dodged, using its powerful foreleg to kick at the hammer.

A resounding bang followed; the youth was driven back a step by the force, while the Ironhorn Ram itself was also knocked back by the tremendous blow.

The group was elated—perhaps the beast was not invincible after all. They drew their prepared swords and blades, attacking the Ironhorn Ram together.

A chorus of metallic clangs resounded as their weapons struck, forcing the Ironhorn Ram back step by step.

Yet, the beast’s body remained unscathed, as if it were cast from steel, completely impervious to harm. Several weapons now bore chips and nicks, battered by the creature’s horns.

“This Ironhorn Ram’s hide is as hard as refined steel, and its horns are sharper than any blade—ordinary weapons are useless against it. What do we do now?” one student asked anxiously.

“I’ll attack its horns head-on with Liu Feng. Liu Yang, you strike its waist and belly with your hammer—that’s its weak point,” Zhang Chen instructed.

“Let’s do it,” replied Liu Yang, hefting the giant hammer.

Liu Feng and Zhang Chen both channeled their true energy, gathering strength for a powerful strike. The Ironhorn Ram met them with its horns.

A series of thuds rang out as the Ironhorn Ram was shaken back by their combined might. Seizing the opening, Liu Yang swung his enormous hammer at the beast’s midsection.

With a deafening crash, the Ironhorn Ram was sent flying. The three attackers were forced back a step as well.

Without hesitation, the trio advanced to where the beast had landed. The Ironhorn Ram was already back on its feet, but Liu Feng noticed its legs were trembling.

“It’s badly injured. If we press the attack, we can finish it off!” Liu Feng declared.

Zhang Chen was first to move, striking with a palm full of surging energy that rippled like waves, crashing toward the Ironhorn Ram.

Liu Feng joined in, executing the Rending Sky Slash. Potent energy whirled around his hand like a hurricane, slicing the air with a shrill whistle. When his power peaked, Liu Feng unleashed his blade hand in a violent arc.

Just then, the Ironhorn Ram made a desperate gamble—its horns gleamed with a chilling black light, so sharp and menacing that even a glance sent a shiver down one’s spine. It charged at them with all its strength.

A succession of explosive crashes echoed out. Several trees nearby were shattered by the aftershocks, sending splinters flying and temporarily obscuring everyone’s vision.

Amid the chaos, the Ironhorn Ram suddenly let out a pained howl and then fell silent.

When the dust settled, the group saw Liu Feng and Zhang Chen with blood at the corners of their mouths, their hands dripping red from wounds inflicted by the beast’s horns. Liu Yang, clutching the ground for support, was gasping for breath; his repeated hammer blows had drained much of his strength.

The Ironhorn Ram lay lifeless beside Liu Yang. Seeing the beast dead, everyone finally relaxed.

“I never expected a single Ironhorn Ram to be so difficult to deal with. If we’d encountered several, we might not have made it out alive,” one of the two girls remarked, the other nodding in agreement.

“Even the outskirts of the Dark Demon Forest are so perilous. I won’t set foot here again unless I reach at least the seventh stage of Qi Gathering,” another youth muttered with lingering fear; his cultivation was inferior, so he hadn’t participated in the fight.

Liu Feng said, “Let’s head back before we run into anything else so dangerous.”

“Take the Ironhorn Ram’s carcass with us. They say its horns are its essence, perfect for forging powerful weapons. We can exchange it for contribution points at the academy,” Zhang Chen suggested.

Liu Yang stored his hammer, hoisted the Ironhorn Ram’s body onto his shoulders, and led the way out of the forest. The others quickly followed.

When Liu Feng’s group returned to the rendezvous point, the other three teams had also come back. Some wore smiles, evidently having obtained something valuable; others were deep in conversation.

When Liu Yang set down the Ironhorn Ram’s corpse, the other teams were astounded—they too recognized the beast and knew its fearsome reputation. No one expected Liu Feng’s group to have slain one.

Zhang Ning was equally surprised; she clearly hadn’t anticipated encountering such a formidable monster even in the outskirts of the Dark Demon Forest.

“Are any of you seriously hurt? Should we return to the academy now?” Zhang Ning asked with genuine concern.

Liu Feng replied, “Mentor, we’re only lightly wounded. A bit of rest and we’ll be fine.”

Zhang Ning glanced at the others, who nodded to indicate they were all right.

The group sat down to rest and tend their wounds. An hour passed swiftly.

Suddenly, Zhang Ning announced, “Those who have reached the fifth stage of Qi Gathering, come with me to explore the forest’s outskirts. The rest, stay here and recuperate.”

The group nodded. Liu Feng, Zhang Chen, and three others stepped forward—the only ones present at the fifth stage.

With Zhang Ning leading and the five following, they ventured deeper into the Dark Demon Forest.

They had gone about a mile when Liu Feng suddenly noticed something on the ground—a blinding flash of light.