Chapter 116: Enter the Kyogong Forest

The speed courier raced passed the city and onto the dirt paths leading to Kyogong forest. Wang Zen found the courier interesting. The courier, in essence, is a beast tamer. They summon a beast called a Swift Lizard, which is a quick beast that ran fast on two legs. It also had boundless stamina, however, to take advantage of their speed, they usually carry one or two people in very small, one wheel carriages.

The one they were on now had two silver eyed Swift Lizards driving them forward. They arrived at a speed courier camp close to the Kygon forest just under a day’s time. Zen and Geyi Kun dismounted and immediately headed into the forest.

“You’ll need to keep a look out for steel moss as I try to track down a Lightning Rhino.”

“Got it,” she said.

They walked for a while. Zen looking for any signs of a Lightning Rhino.

“I’ve never seen you so focussed, Wang Zen.” She said. “Not even when we were looking for the Snow Ram.”

“Well, the stakes are higher this time.” He said. “A dear friend is in danger.”

Kun smirked. “I think you want her to be more than a friend.”

“Uhm… shut up, Kun Kun.” Zen said. He stopped and looked down. “Droppings.”

“Yuck.”

Zen lifted a finger and plunged it into the dung.

“YUCK!” Kun said. “Why did you do that?”

“Still warm,” Zen said, looking up at her. “Whatever creature that left this is still nearby.”

“That could be the droppings of anything, meaning you just put your hand in it for no reason.”

“These droppings belong to a herbivore and considering the size of it, I’d say a large herbivore.” Zen said. “We should be on the look out.”

They began walking forward again. Zen wiped his finger on his shirt as he asked, “So, how would you recognise steel moss?”

“Well, early in its lifecycle it has a bronze-ish kind of colour and as it grows and speads over the surface, it becomes a black colour. That is why people cal it, steel moss.”

A shadow passed by. Zen looked up as a white blur passed by overhead. “That’s…”

“Silicy and Chen Jian.” Kun said.

Zen ran forward, following their path.

Kun caught up, running beside him much to Zen’s surprise.

“Silicy probably spotted the Lightning Rhino with her super vision.” Zen said.

“That’s quite a useful beast there.” Kun said, looking at Shibi while smirking. “Why can’t Shibi do that.”

“Shibi’s abilities are cooler than just seeing well.” Zen said before he arubtly stopped their progress. He silently directed her to crouch low behind a boulder with him while he drew her attention to the creature a few meters away.

It was a huge beast wth reletavily short stubby legs. Its lethery skin was thick, hanging from it in such a way that it resembld armour and Zen did not doubt that it was as strong as armour. It’s white skin tone was only broken by the giant black toenails at its feet, its brown eyes and its two ashy white horns, both which were grey at their tips. Every so often, lighting would run up the horn and spark off.

“The Lightning Rhino?” Kun said. “I can’t believe we actually found it.”

“We need to get the tip of that horn.” Zen summoned the Zen Blade.

“With that toothpick.” She said looking at the Zen Blade. “By the looks of that thing, not even a normal sized blade could penetrate that skin. Not to mention it’s a Grandmaster level beast.”

Zen lifted the blade to his eyes, one side reflecting the Lighting Rhino and the other, the determination and faith in his eyes. “My father makes magnificent weapons. Don’t doubt their quality. And anyways, I don’t need to pierce its skin, just cut the tip of its horn.”

Zen looked up at the treetops at Shibi.

He smirked, “and I think Shibi has the right idea.” Leaping up into the treetops, he silenced anymore protests from Geyi Kun. Quietly, he made his way to the grazing Rhino. He finally stopped at a good position close to the rhino. He took a breath to calm himself and bent his knees in preparation to pounce on it.

Red energy shaped in a C hit the Rhino from behind followed by a very loud noise and it took off, spoiling Zen’s opportunity. He looked to the source of the disturbance, Geyi Kun, peeking from behind the boulder. He shook his head in disappointment and leapt after the Rhino.

He was not angry at her because he knew she scared the Rhino off only to protect him. She doubted his skills against a Lighting Rhino. He could not be angry because that is what he had done with Jiahai, was the same thing she had done with him. But he could not let her stop him. He would get that Rhino Horn tip for Xue Shaonu’s sake.

Another blur passed overhead. He looked up and whisperes, “Silicy…” and he narrowed his eyes at the boy riding on the Snow Dove. Silicy flew ahead of the Rhino and Jian stepped off the edge of the brid and began a head first dive to the ground. Near both his open hands was a spinning disk made of hiswhite ki. He twisted in the air, bringing his feet under him before he knaded perfectly on the head of the Rhino, between its horns as it ran by. He brought both hands down, along with the disks, making them meet at the horn, cutting the tip from either side.

Lightning erupted from the horn but Jian held strong. When the Rhino reovered from its initial shock, it began to shake its head to get Jian off and directed more electricity to him but the boy held on, adding more ki to his attack. There was an explosion of electricity and Jian was thrown off the Rhino and the grey Rhino horn tip was sent sailing through the air.

Silicy caught Jian before his smky body could crash into a tree. The Rhino roared in anger before bolts of lightning erupted from its body. For the most part, Silicy did agood job in dodging the crackling lighting from below but one caught her, sending her crashing down into the snowy forest floor.

The Rhon sent a bolt of lightning out to Silicy. Jian got up and threw Silicy away with all his might before the lightning struck his position. Zen saw he was okay because just before the lightning found its mark, Jian had used his ki technique, Short Step, to teleport away as he appeared a few meters away, mostly unharmed.

Jian got up, spotting the horn tip and running for it. Another lightining bolt and he had to dodge using Short Step. The bolt struck the ground and caused an explosion of snow and soil. The horn tip was sent flying through the air.

Shibi caught the horn tip and did a flip. When he landed he was facing the much bigger beast. There was moment where the two beasts looked at each other in silence before Shibi stuck out his tongue and ran to Wang Zen.

Shibi ran up to Zen’s shoulder, handing the tip over to Zen and with the Lightning Rhono bearin down on him, Zen did the only thing his mnd could think of in that moment… RUN!