Chapter 42: Breakthrough After Breakthrough
Su Tianhao dashed through the forest undergrowth, movements swift and confident, golden eyes sharp and alert. Every now and then a grade one beast would lunge from the thick bushes with a threatening growl—each met the same swift end, flattened with a single punch. He didn't spare them a second glance or bother devouring their blood essence. They simply weren't worth his time anymore.
However, he didn't find his target.
It found him.
After crushing yet another unfortunate beast that had foolishly charged at him, Su Tianhao ventured deeper into the outer region. Here the trees grew noticeably thicker and taller, their gnarled branches intertwining overhead like massive fingers, cloaking the forest floor in shifting patterns of shadow and filtered sunlight.
As he stepped into a dim clearing—
Swiiish!
A sharp whistle tore through the air with killing intent.
Su Tianhao's instincts screamed danger. He twisted and launched himself backward with explosive speed, boots tearing up dirt and grass.
BOOM!
A deafening impact shook the earth where he had stood mere moments before. A crater cracked open beneath the force, spider-web fractures spreading outward from the point of impact. Dirt, debris, and chunks of earth flew like shrapnel.
Su Tianhao's eyes narrowed, expression grave as he stared at the destruction. 'If I'd been even a second slower... my head would be nothing but pulp.'
He stepped back carefully and dropped into a defensive stance, sharp golden eyes scanning his attacker.
It stood nearly two meters tall—hulking, muscular, and undeniably bestial. A thick, powerful frame rippled beneath patches of dark, matted fur that had clearly been through countless brutal battles. Jagged bone-like protrusions jutted from its arms, shoulders, and spine like natural armor forged through violence, giving it a savage, war-born appearance that spoke of pure brutality. Its heavy brow cast shadows over burning yellow eyes filled with killing intent, and its snarling mouth revealed rows of jagged, uneven fangs. Each slight movement made its knuckle-like bones crack ominously—a sound that promised destruction.
"A Savagebone Ape!" Su Tianhao's eyes widened in recognition. "So they really do live in this forest. Luckily this one hasn't fully matured yet—just a 1st level grade two beast."
Savagebone Apes were notorious throughout the cultivation world for their violent tempers and aggressively territorial nature—solitary beasts that attacked anything daring to enter their domain without the slightest hesitation. There was a well-known saying among seasoned beast hunters: 'Savagebone Apes don't avoid battle—they thrive in it.' Their natural ferocity and battle instincts often allowed them to fight far beyond what their cultivation level would suggest.
A fierce grin tugged at Su Tianhao's lips as he cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the tense silence. 'Perfect. Just the opponent I need.'
The initial wariness in his chest vanished completely, replaced by burning, undeniable battle intent.
ROOOAAR!!
The Savagebone Ape let out a thunderous roar that reverberated through the forest like a battle cry, shaking loose leaves from the canopy high above. The sheer force struck like a physical wave, disrupting the still air and hitting Su Tianhao's senses like an invisible hammer.
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His ears rang. His focus wavered for just an instant—clarity disrupted by primal intimidation.
A strange chill crept down his spine, dulling his edge for a split second. But in combat between experts, a split second could mean death.
And the Savagebone Ape knew it.
With an earth-shaking pound of its massive bony knuckles against the ground, the beast exploded forward with terrifying speed that seemed impossible for something so large.
Tch—!
Su Tianhao's battle instincts roared back to life. He gritted his teeth and tightened both fists until his knuckles turned white, muscles coiling like compressed springs.
The moment the beast drew close, he surged forward like a fired cannonball, wind howling behind his strike as displaced air created visible ripples.
"Raging Dragon Fist!"
His punch screamed through the air with tremendous momentum, leaving a shockwave in its wake and accompanied by the faint phantom roar of an ancient dragon.
But the Savagebone Ape was no mindless brute.
With startling finesse that completely contradicted its brutish appearance, it twisted its massive body at an unnatural angle, narrowly dodging the devastating blow by mere inches. The movement was fluid and practiced—far too refined for a beast of its size.
Still mid-dodge, the creature rotated with incredible flexibility, razor-sharp claws gleaming with killing intent.
Slash!
A blur of jagged claws lashed toward Su Tianhao's skull with murderous precision, aiming to split his head open.
An overwhelming wave of mortal danger swept over him.
He didn't have time to think—only react.
Su Tianhao launched himself backward in a desperate burst, barely escaping the vicious slash by the width of a hair. The ape's claws tore through the air where his head had been, the wind pressure alone cutting several strands of his dark hair.
He landed several meters away, boots digging deep trenches into the dirt as he skidded to a halt. His chest heaved, adrenaline burning through his veins.
He stared at the Savagebone Ape with cold, calculating eyes—all traces of casual confidence gone. That counterattack wasn't luck. That was refined battle instinct honed through countless life-or-death struggles.
"As expected of the Savagebone Ape," he muttered, voice now deadly serious. "Its battle instincts weren't forged by nature alone. This thing has lived through blood and genuine combat experience."
This wasn't just a wild beast acting on base instinct.
It was a true predator. A warrior forged in violence.
His own battle instincts surged in response. He chose to become the aggressor, launching forward with explosive speed. But no matter how fiercely he attacked or how cleverly he tried to outmaneuver it, he quickly realized with frustration that they were almost perfectly matched. Every exchange sent powerful ripples through the surrounding air, the ground cracked and shook from transferred force, nearby trees trembled from the shockwaves, and withered leaves poured down around them like rain.
After several intense minutes of trading devastating blows, Su Tianhao began to read the Savagebone Ape's patterns. Although it possessed reflexes bordering on supernatural and physical strength that matched his own, the beast ultimately relied on instincts—patterns formed since birth that, while devastatingly effective, could eventually be read and exploited by a calculating opponent.
"I finally see a way to take you down," Su Tianhao said with a cold grin, sweat-covered face practically radiating heat from the exertion.
GRAAAHK!
The Savagebone Ape snarled viciously, burning yellow eyes gleaming with pure malice. It had noticed—this persistent creature was adapting and evolving with each exchange, growing more dangerous by the minute.
Deep animal instinct screamed warnings through its primitive consciousness.
Desperation flashed in its beastly eyes. It launched forward with frenzied speed, arriving before Su Tianhao in an instant and unleashing a rapid, overwhelming flurry of punches and claw strikes—completely abandoning defense in favor of pure aggression, determined to bring him down before he became an even greater threat.
Su Tianhao's expression turned grave, all traces of his grin gone. He responded with a precise counter-barrage of Raging Dragon Fist strikes while simultaneously weaving through the beast's devastating assault, his movements growing sharper and more refined with each exchange.
For a tense stretch, neither could gain clear advantage. Then—Su Tianhao's fist slipped cleanly through a gap in the beast's frenzied defense, launching straight for its exposed head.
The Savagebone Ape's survival instincts screamed. It twisted in that same unnatural angle, dodging to the side at the last possible moment—only to fall into a disadvantageous position.
"Got you now!" Su Tianhao said with a cold, triumphant smile.
His leading fist tightened, knuckles bone-white, veins surging visibly along his arm—and he instantly changed direction mid-strike, as though he had anticipated the evasion perfectly.
"Raging Dragon Fist!"
His voice rang through the clearing like a thunderclap. His redirected fist surged forward with relentless momentum, accompanied by a phantom dragon roar that seemed to shake the air itself.
BOOM!
The Savagebone Ape had only just completed its dodge. Before its instincts could react, Su Tianhao's fist collided directly with its skull—a sickening crunch of shattering bone. The beast's massive body twisted violently from the transferred momentum before collapsing heavily to the blood-soaked ground. Dead before it even hit the earth.
"You weren't expecting me to see through your patterns," Su Tianhao said quietly, standing over the fallen creature, breathing still heavy from the exertion.
Then his eyes brightened suddenly—widening with unmistakable surprise.
"This—" he mumbled, barely daring to trust what he was feeling.
"Raging Dragon Fist... Great Success!"
He confirmed the internal sensation carefully before letting the words leave his mouth. The technique had broken through during that final decisive exchange—now standing only one advancement away from Perfection mastery.
Su Tianhao smiled broadly, both fists clenching as power coursed through them. 'It's only been three days since I entered Dragonspire Forest. Four days and three weeks still remain before my match with Su Jian.'
He straightened, golden eyes burning with quiet confidence. "Now that I've reached Great Success in the Raging Dragon Fist, the boost to my base strength will be at least fifty percent. Coupled with my devouring ability..."
His lips curved upward, fierce anticipation burning in his gaze.
"Defeating Su Jian one month from now will be easier than I ever imagined."
The day was still young. Fueled by the unexpected breakthrough, Su Tianhao felt more driven than ever. His goal burned clearly—surpass every limit, shatter every expectation, and emerge from this forest as someone truly worthy of his dragon heritage.
