Chapter 79: Thunderclap Ox King

The luscious forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, a glorious tapestry of vibrant greens and rich earthy hues. Towering trees, their mighty trunks adorned with moss and climbing vines, reached towards the sky, creating a verdant canopy that filtered sunlight, casting a dappled glow upon the forest floor.

Shadowy figures darted between the trees, the sounds of their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of fallen leaves. Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya weaved through the forest effortlessly, their movements synchronized and fluid.

Ye Guyi, still strapped to Huo Yuhao's back, observed their agility in awe. She had never seen such grace and coordination before, their every step calculated and precise. It was clear that they had trained extensively to attain such skills.

As they continued deeper into the forest, the atmosphere grew denser. The air was filled with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, creating a symphony of nature. The scent of damp earth and moss permeated the air, tinged with a faint hint of danger.

Huo Yuhao suddenly came to a stop, causing Tang Ya to stumble and almost crash into him. He pointed towards a clearing in the distance, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

"There it is," he whispered. "Your way of getting stronger."

"...You gotta be kidding me," Tang Ya muttered, her face slowly drained of all colors as she eyed the large soul beast that was eating a fresh soul beast corpse in the clearing. It was a majestic Ox-like soul beast at 20 feet tall, with large electric blue feathered wings on its back, crackling with energy. Its size was awe-inspiring, with a wingspan that was three times as big as its own body.

It took a moment for Tang Ya to recognize it, having been shocked at the sight before her. This soul beast was none other than the Thunderclap Ox King, a soul beast known for its immense power and ability to control electricity.

"This is crazy, Yuhao!" Tang Ya almost screamed at him, settling for angry whispering lest she caughts the attention of the soul beast, her voice filled with a mix of fear and disbelief. "A ten thousand year old Thunderclap Ox King? Why that?! It can't No wait, in the first place, how'd you even find this soul beast in the wild? Thunderclap Oxen are only native in areas rich with lightning energy, and this area does not have a lick of it!"

"Wait, what?! Did she just say Thunderclap Ox?!" Ye Guyi exclaimed in shock, having not seen the majestic soul beast as she was tied on Huo Yuhao's back and unable to see the clearing. She strained her neck to catch a glimpse of the Thunderclap Ox King, her eyes widening in awe.

"Shhh!!" Huo Yuhao shushed Ye Guyi urgently, his eyes darting towards the clearing. "We need to be quiet," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "If it senses us, it could attack."

Tang Ya frowned, her hands clenching into fists. "But Yuhao, this is too dangerous! I-I'm not even prepared to face a normal ten thousand year soul beast, much less one powerful as the Thunderclap Ox King."

Huo Yuhao's gaze hardened as he looked at Tang Ya. "I know it's dangerous, Teacher Ya," he replied, his voice filled with determination. "But if you truly want to achieve your goal, to get vengeance for your heritage and especially your parents..."

He looked straight at her eyes, Tang Ya froze upon seeing his Sharingan eyes, their golden hue piercing through her soul. "Then you can't back down from a challenge like this. This Thunderclap Ox King will push you to your limits, but it will also make you stronger."

"H-How does that even make sense?! I just recently reached rank 35, and it isn't compatible to my martial soul. This is just–"

"Teacher Ya, when did I did say the Thunderclap Ox was going to be your soul ring? No, it's going to be your nutrient."

Huo Yuhao's clarification with cold indifference stunned both the girls into silence. They exchanged a confused glance, unsure of what Huo Yuhao meant by "nutrient."

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, his gaze still locked with Tang Ya's. "Tang Ya, your Blue Silver Grass has taken on a rare mutation that lets you absorb the blood of your enemies to gain power. I want to say that you gained it because of your strong urge of avenging your parents, but this world isn't generous."

Tang Ya quietly nodded.

A disdainful expression appeared on Ye Guyi's face, sneering at Tang Ya. "Absorbing blood from her enemies... I knew it! You are an evil soul master! How laughable! The descendant of one of the great figures in history, had not only disgraced her ancestor for failing to keep their legacy standing but to fall to such–hmmpp?!" her mouth was covered by a piece of paper with a strange mark on it.

"You, shut the hell up." Huo Yuhao snapped, his voice venomous. "You don't know the first thing about Tang Ya's circumstances, so don't you dare judge her."

Of all the people in this world, Huo Yuhao was one of the few to understand Tang Ya's plight and decision. Especially with how common their goal in life is.

"If you keep up with this narrow minded attitude, then I worry for the future of the Angel Clan," Huo Yuhao continued, his voice firm. "Good and evil, these are just subjective concepts, and the world we live in is far from black and white. Tang Ya's abilities may not conform to what's normal, but the most important is intent. As long as their intention is pure, as long as they fight for what they believe in, it doesn't matter what others think."

Ye Guyi's eyes twitched in frustration.

"Yuhao..." Tang Ya looked at him with gratitude, tears welling up in her eyes as she felt her heart race. She inwardly giggled, 'no wonder he's popular with girls', she thought, a smile on her face.

Huo Yuhao turned towards Tang Ya and smirked, "So, feeling motivated to fight it now?"

Tang Ya snorted, playfully slapping his arm. "What the heck? Did you planned all that to encourage me?"

Huo Yuhao scratched his check. "Not really. I was planning on giving you a motivational speech, but without her running her mouth."

Ye Guyi rolled her eyes at them but was swiftly poked in the eyes by Tang Ya, making her kick and silently scream. With a smirk on her face, Tang Ya turned back to Huo Yuhao.

"Well, I suppose I can't back down now," she said with a determined look in her eyes. "Let's do it. Let's take on the Thunderclap Ox King!"

"Hm? I'm sorry but, I'm not helping you deal this soul beast."

"...Eh?" Tang Ya turned to him, confused.

Huo Yuhao smiled at her.

Before Tang Ya could react, she felt a sudden familiar force from behind that propelled her towards the air.

'Did Yuhao just used Controlling Cran, Capturing Dragon on me?!' Tang Ya widened her eyes in disbelief, she looked back towards Huo Yuhao to see him wave at her, still smiling as if he hadn't just propelled someone into the air and towards the direction of a powerful soul beast.

"YUHAO! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!" Knowing that she was going to get detected by the soul beast anyway, Tang Ya let out a loud scream mixed with cursing as she flew through the air, hurtling towards the Thunderclap Ox King in the clearing.

As she neared the soul beast, the enormity of the situation hit Tang Ya. Fear gripped her heart, but so did determination. She couldn't let herself be defeated by fear. She had to fight, for her heritage, for her parents, and for herself.

Summoning all her courage, Tang Ya channeled her energy and activated her martial soul, the Blue Silver Grass or the Dark Blue Silver Grass due to its characteristics. Dark-blue thorny vines burst forth from around her body, wrapping around her limbs and propelling her towards the Thunderclap Ox King with incredible speed.

The Thunderclap Ox King sensed Tang Ya's approach and turned its attention towards her. Letting out a loud snort from its large nostrils, it let out a thunderous roar, its wings crackling with electricity, spreading all around it to defend itself.

The Thunderclap Ox King looked up at Tang Ya in disdain, having sensed her cultivation strength. Feeling that she wasn't much of a threat to it, it held back some of its strength, wanting to play with such a dumb human.

"HAAAAAAA!"

Just as Tang Ya was about to make contact with the Thunderclap Ox King, she suddenly turned into a puff of smoke and a wooden log had took over her place. The Thunderclap Ox King stared at it, pathetically hitting one of its horns, dumbfounded.

"Moo?"

'Like hell am I going to attack it head-on!' Tang Ya breathed heavily, her hands pressed together into a handseal, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. She had executed the Body Replacement Jutsu to distract the Thunderclap Ox King and hide. It was one of the few jutsus she had learned and could use.

She was hiding behind on a big rock that was a few meters away from the Thunderclap Ox King, cold sweat dripping down her temples.

'I have to quickly think of plan, fast!' Tang Ya gritted her teeth, tears in her eyes. 'Yuhao, you jerk!'

Huo Yuhao observed her with a solemn expression from atop a different tree, legs dangling and right elbow on his leg, his jaw resting on his fist.

"People strive upon conflict, it forces growth and reveals strength," he mused to himself. "People like us, we grow stronger in the face of great danger, it forces us to unleash our full potential. No one could be truly certain of just how talented a person is, unless they're face to face with death."

"Teacher Ya, this Thunderclap Ox King, with its immense strength and lightning abilities, has the potential to provide you with a powerful source of energy. If you can defeat it and absorb its blood, you will become even stronger, unlocking new potential and abilities." A smile slowly spread across his face, his Sharingan eyes showed an ominous glint.

"Show me, just how truly determined–no, no.... Show me, just how far your hatred goes!"

'This guy... is evil!' Ye Guyi broke into a cold sweat.

"Of course, I'm not that cruel."

Ye Guyi blinked, feeling the tight rope that had binded her had been loosen, but before she could react...

"I HOPE YOU SLIP AND DIE, YOU BASTARD!!"

She was similarly thrown towards the Thunderclap Ox King's direction.

....

❄️Shout out to the great Cultivators of my patreon, may you reach the peak of the heavens and conquer the earth!

•Dragonwolf

•Shisui34

•kaotic

•Nicholas Berenguer

•Swift Arrow

•DaoOfAnime

•NocYoCheese21

❄️A bigger shout out to the ones who ascended to become a One Above All!!

•Vora

•Daniel Reis

•Adrian Durand

Wanna read more chapters and support me? Head on over to my patreon!

p.a.t.r.e.o.n.com/FroztDouluo