"MOO!"

The Demon-Horned Bull roared nonstop.

It stomped its front hooves as its flared ears vibrated nonstop. Everyone had assumed the ears were thin and light, easy to slice through, but to their surprise, the vibrating ears could actually rebound their attacks.

Several trainees who tried to break through along the edges were instantly sent flying.

Another trainee was gored by the Demon-Horned Bull’s horns. His long weapon shattered, and he was thrown completely out of the cave. Grievously wounded and coughing up blood, he was unable to continue the fight and was carried to the side by a Trial Ground physician.

SWISH!

Zhao Rushuang brandished her Two-Handed Sword, a flurry of strikes creating a curtain of steel. Her figure vaulted over the trainees in front of her, her feet tapping against the cave walls as she used her agile Body Technique to dash behind the Demon-Horned Bull.

"MOO!"

But just then, the Demon-Horned Bull reared up, slamming its front hooves hard onto the ground. A series of ripples, visible to the naked eye, pulsed from its vibrating ears. Its bellows vibrated in time with the ripples, adding to the thunderous crash of its hooves striking the earth.

The world seemed to spin as the entire cave began to tremble, and debris rained down from the walls on both sides.

Zhao Rushuang was struck by the visible ripples. Her curtain of Sword Shadows shattered, and she was thrown backward. Chu Lingguang, who was right behind her, caught her arm and steadied her, preventing her from stumbling and falling.

’Visible, special ripples?’

’This must be one of the Demon-Horned Bull’s skills!’

Chu Lingguang thought to himself. Though he had charged forward with everyone else, he wasn’t as rash as the others around him. The ripples had weakened considerably by the time they reached him. Plus, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, the Demon-Horned Bull’s area-of-effect attack had little impact on him.

Still, he could feel the ripples washing over him like a tidal wave, carrying a strange energy that could make one dizzy and disoriented.

Fortunately, his powerful Spiritual Sense made him immune to that disorienting force.

THUD!

Xia Tianzhong was also sent flying back.

Even with other trainees acting as cannon fodder, Xia Tianzhong’s trio had failed to break through the Demon-Horned Bull’s defense. The Horse-Cutting Saber in Long Xin’s hands was now chipped; he had nearly been struck by the bull’s hoof. The blade had only lightly grazed the hoof, but it was enough to knock the saber from his hand. It spun through the air and landed outside the cave, the crack on its edge clearly visible. The weapon was essentially useless.

"It’s too strong. Unless we all work together, no one is getting through,"

Xu Kanghui said. He was holding his Escape Armor and a long spear. He had been swatted by the bull’s ear, and the blow had nearly knocked the Escape Armor from his grasp.

Xia Tianzhong observed the Demon-Horned Bull.

He saw that although the beast had a wide, bulky body, its flared ears were like two large fans, completely blocking any gaps on either side of the cave entrance.

To break through, they either had to knock the Demon-Horned Bull down or get an assist from their teammates to vault over it in the middle of the fight.

But there was only one bottle of Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid.

Everyone had their own agenda.

Everyone wanted to be the first one past it.

However, Xia Tianzhong quickly came up with a plan. He saw that the cave was more spacious further inside, wide enough to accommodate two Demon-Horned Bulls fighting at once. If they could drive the bull back there, everyone would have a better chance of breaking through its defense, reaching the stone platform, and grabbing the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid.

So he shouted, "This isn’t working! Let’s team up and push this beast back. Once we reach the wider area, it’ll be every man for himself. How about it?"

"Alright!"

Fatty Qin replied.

The others nodded in agreement.

Chu Lingguang and Zhao Rushuang also nodded their assent.

Remembering how the resonance between his own flesh and his Spear Technique could release an invisible wave that bypassed most defenses to damage an opponent’s internal organs, Chu Lingguang added a suggestion. "Cover for me and coordinate your attacks. My Spear Technique might be able to drive it back."

"For real?"

"This is no time for bragging!"

Xu Kanghui and Long Xin exclaimed in unison.

"I’m confident,"

Chu Lingguang said.

"If he was able to take on the Dragon Claw Tree, he’s not lying to us. Alright, we’ll provide cover and support you,"

Xia Tianzhong said. Although he was shocked, he trusted Chu Lingguang without hesitation. They only had half an hour left; there was no time to waste.

"Let’s go!"

And just like that, Xia Tianzhong led the others to run interference for Chu Lingguang.

Chu Lingguang held his Lightning Spear, poised and waiting. He was searching for the perfect moment of resonance between his flesh and his Spear Technique.

His Spiritual Sense had evolved.

His power had soared.

Unconsciously, Chu Lingguang was now able to concentrate the wave from the resonance of his flesh and Spear Technique, and release it from a single point. It wouldn’t be like at the inn, where the unfocused energy had irritated even Zhuoyi, who had been resting in his room.

"MOO!"

The Demon-Horned Bull seemed to know their plan.

Seeing them all charge forward, it kicked up loose stones with its hooves, its ears vibrating. Lowering its horns, it charged out at them.

The cave entrance was narrow.

But it was just wide enough to accommodate its charge.

Rubble flew.

The ripples roared.

CLANG! CLANG!

Everyone used their Divine Abilities to block the flying stones. But under the interference of the special ripples, many grew dizzy and disoriented. Their Kung Fu was a beat too slow, and several trainees were struck by the rubble. They staggered out of the cave, bleeding from their heads and suffering bone injuries.

Of the nineteen, only thirteen were left struggling to hold on in the blink of an eye.

"Charge!"

Xia Tianzhong gripped his saber with both hands. A gleam of energy coated the blade as he slashed at the Demon-Horned Bull’s left ear, intending to slice it off.

He and all the others knew the Demon-Horned Bull’s ears were what released the special ripples, making them all dizzy and disoriented. Even his own temples were pounding, which severely hampered his ability to fight.

If they could just slice off both of the Demon-Horned Bull’s ears, its combat effectiveness would plummet.

So, the group split into two sides.