Sacred Arts

9. The Raging Beasts

Day in and day out, Amon engaged in battles with the creatures living in the forest. The deeper he ventures into the woods, the strength of the beasts increased, requiring him to rest more frequently and for longer periods of time. After a week had passed, Amon's combat prowess had significantly improved, thanks to the valuable experience gained from his encounters with the wild creatures. Throughout this period, he dedicated himself to enhancing his reaction speed, refining his timing in strikes, and honing his overall battle tactics. As a result, his strategic intelligence reached new heights.

The second week, Amon's progress in harnessing his stamina and mastering energy control saw a noticeable improvement. These improvements enabled  him to fight for longer periods without succumbing to fatigue. The second week, Amon had also begun fighting hordes and packs of beasts, getting him used to adapting to more than one opponent. As the third week arrived, Amon reached the heart of the forest, which also happened to be the densest part of it. His heightened spatial awareness allowed him to discern the markings on the trees that had symbolized the presence of a beast that claimed that particular part of the forest as its territory.

"For a beast to have claimed the biggest part of the forest, its strength must be unimaginable," Amon thought to himself, intrigued by the beasts' power. By the time Amon had managed to take a few steps, a colossal brown bear emerged, emanating an aura of a creature at the fifth rank within the beast realm. A beast at the fifth rank in the beast realm would be the equivalent to a human at the fifth rank within the human realm. Amon, feeling a sense of unease for the first time in a long time, swiftly sought shelter behind a tree to assess whether the bear was the only threat or not. "Good thing he's by himself or things would be way more complicated," Amon muttered to himself as he sighed with relief.

"This bear's strength is immense by itself." "If it had companions I would've been completely outmatched," Amon thought. "I need to make a move before it senses me," he whispered softly. Remaining concealed  from the bear, Amon unleashed an energy blast directly at the creature while quickly changing his location to maintain the element of surprise. The blast struck the bear with precision, resulting in a resounding roar as it frantically scanned the area for the origin of the attack. Seizing the opportunity, Amon circled around to the bear's blind spot, which was now facing him, and unleashed an even more potent blast.

Alert and quick to react, the bear raised its arms in a valiant attempt to shield itself. However, the attack inflicted excruciating pain all throughout the beast's body, pushing it several feet backwards into a tree. Enraged, the bear grabbed the tree it had collided with, tearing it from the ground and hurled it toward the direction of the earlier blast. Witnessing the massive incoming projectile, Amon swiftly activated his "Whispering Wind" technique, narrowly evading the tree's destructive impact. "That was too close for comfort," Amon muttered, panting.

The force of the collision caused the tree to cascade into others, creating a scene of chaotic devastation. "There really aren't many more places I can hide now," Amon said, standing up. Stepping out from the shadows, Amon assumed a fighting stance, ready and alert, facing the bear. With a thunderous roar tha disoriented Amon momentarily, the bear charged, closing the distance between them. Taking advantage of the warriors' momentary disorientation, the bear slammed into Amon, propelling his body forcefully against one of the remaining trees.

Collapsing to one knee, Amon wiped away the blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. "I have got to hand it to you, you are definitely stronger than I imagined," Amon admitted. "However, today I'm in no mood to lose!" he continued as he stood up once again taking a fighting stance. Activating his "Whispering Wind" technique, Amon unleashed a Monstrous blast toward the bear. Once again, the bear raised its arms to block the attack. At that moment, almost instantly, Amon materialized behind the bear, delivering a punch infused with even greater strength than before.

Immediately after, he punched two energy blasts towards the bear. Both attacks hurtled towards the bear at tremendous speed, overwhelming its defenses. Successive strikes landed one after another, causing the bear to roar in agony. Despite its grievous wounds and continuous bleeding, the bear remained resolute and determined, prepared to continue the fight. "You just don't know when to quit," Amon yelled furiously.

Amon charged at the bear, and the beast charged back. The two adversaries, both nearing exhaustion, fought a relentless battle, further inflicting wounds upon each other. Neither warrior nor beast was willing to admit defeat. They fought tirelessly for three days until their bodies could no longer endure the endless beating. The bear finally collapsed onto the ground, and Amon joined it, falling onto his back with a broad, triumphant smile on his face.

"I see why the heart of this forest is your territory, you are truly a powerful opponent," Amon said, panting heavily before falling unconscious. Several days passed, and Amon regained consciousness. He tended to the bear and spent the remaining time cultivating before the tournament began. With a mere three days remaining until the tournament, Amon achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, ascending to the fourth rank, marking the beginning of the body stage within the human realm. His aura grew larger as all his spirit force organs became stronger.

The bear, too, finally awoke and observed Amon focused on his cultivation, seated cross-legged beside it. Sensing the awakening beast, Amon opened his eyes and rose to his feet. "I hope you recover well," Amon said as he placed fresh fruits and vegetables in front of the bear. "I believe it's about time for me to leave, and return home," Amon said calmly. "Thank you for helping me reach a new level of power."

"You have been an amazing sparring partner," he continued, acknowledging the bear with a newfound sense of respect. Lowering its head, the bear reciprocated the gesture, signifying a bond of friendship with the young warrior. "I hope our paths will cross again in the future." "Let us both aim to grow stronger," Amon declared, placing his hand on the beast's head, symbolizing their friendship. As Amon turned away to take his leave, the bear watched him until he was out of sight.

Having only three days left, Amon spent a few hours making it back to the academy. It was nightfall by the time he had made it back home. Amon rested for the next two days, sitting cross-legged and replaying all he had learned over the past month in his memory. "The time has finally come, now's my chance to show just how hard I've been working," Amon said out loud, with a grin on his face. "Just one more day and I'll get to see all the best fighters this academy has," Amon whispered happily.