"I… I'm going to fight them?" Don pointed at himself in exasperation. "But I just fought those scorpions!"
"Are you tired?" Apollo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… no," Don looked away. Although he had just fought the five Ivory Scorpions and felt exhausted, the exhaustion disappeared almost immediately, which confused him. So, he attributed it to being normal for someone at the 2nd-Step Foundation Building Stage.
"If you're not, then you have the strength to hold and kill some of them," Apollo said, his eyes returning to the running Translucent Thunder Rat.
His disciple Don wasn't going to tire that easily, and even if he did, he would recover to his peak in no time. Apollo knew this because he was the one who had imparted a technique that could help his disciple in any situation.
The Essence of Fighting that he taught Don not only contained every essence of combat but also methods for preserving stamina and recovering to one's peak instantly. With all the knowledge in the beggar's mind, he had refined the Essence of Fighting almost to perfection. He had even incorporated movement techniques into it, such as the Simple Movement Technique, which he had already revised.
Basically, the Essence of Fighting covered everything—from actual combat to breathing, mobilizing one's Qi, and balancing one's body—simply put, surviving in any situation. It didn't just shape the body but also the mind. If Don combined it with some battle techniques, his combat abilities would reach new heights.
Don didn't know this and simply followed the technique he had received.
I guess this is one of the downsides of instantly imparting a technique—there's no realization, as their body becomes accustomed to it almost immediately, Apollo thought with a sigh.
"I've noticed that you're reluctant to follow my orders," Apollo said, his voice low as he glanced at his disciple.
Bluetooth, who was constantly flapping its wings to keep them airborne, also stared at the small human with mockery in its eyes.
"I'm sorry, Master!" Don hurriedly bowed, his lips quivering. "I'm… I'm just afraid, Master!"
"It's normal, but the path you walk is filled with terror. You must accustom yourself to this fear, and you will achieve what others cannot," Apollo said.
Hearing this, Don looked up, his eyes glinting with realization. "Thank you, Master! I will fight them!"
"Good," Apollo smiled. "We'll go to the other side. You'll handle the small ones while I take care of the big guys."
Bluetooth shrieked, and they flew toward the other side of the gorge.
However, as they soared over the gap, Apollo and his mount suddenly felt a strong aura rising from below. The aura was trying to pull them down, even draining their strength.
"Bluetooth, it's an illusion," Apollo said to the Water-Attributed Falcon. "Don't believe it."
Bluetooth, struggling to flap its wings, let out a shriek toward the sky before shaking its head with great intensity. Then, the falcon fixed its gaze ahead, no longer affected by the aura.
When Apollo saw this, he couldn't help but be surprised. He had expected his mount to fail and was prepared to use his Qi to assist the bird, but Bluetooth had managed to overcome the ordeal on its own.
"You did a great job," Apollo praised with a smile. "It must be because of the chili I fed you. Once we get back, that's your reward."
At first, Bluetooth felt proud and even glanced at the small human on its back to brag, but after its master finished his sentence, the color on its face darkened.
They crossed the gap, with some monsters passing them, though more were falling deep into the gorge.
Once they reached the other side, they didn't stop flying. Instead, they hastened their speed as they flew past all the monsters running toward the city. This wasn't the route Apollo and his disciple had taken when they first sought out the Slumstreet settlement. They had purposely avoided this giant gorge, taking a detour along a safer and quicker path.
As they flew past the giant monsters below, the beasts roared toward the sky in anger, offended by the fact that someone else was moving faster than them.
Apollo could finally see the Translucent Thunder Rat up close as he flew above it. He couldn't make out all of its features, as it was a translucent creature—almost transparent—but its shape resembled any other rat, only with razor-sharp teeth, a heavy-looking tail, and a height of at least twenty meters, like a small mountain.
Lightning crackled and erupted as the beast moved—a living thunderstorm scorching the ground in its wake.
"Don," Apollo said through thought transfer. "Remember, you will only fight the small ones. Make sure they don't get past the forest."
A vast forest separated Belthias City from the desert, serving as a protective barrier against the creatures from the sands. This forest also contained its own monsters, and if the sand monsters clashed with the forest beasts, an all-out brawl could break out. That would be the best-case scenario, as it would prevent the sand monsters from reaching the city.
But looking at the current situation, especially with the Translucent Thunder Rat leading the charge, it was likely the forest monsters would also flee. This giant rat had the strength of a Core Creation Cultivator—getting past the forest would be a piece of cake.
The only reason Apollo wanted his disciple to fight some of the smaller beasts was for Don's training. This was an opportunity for Don to grow stronger—if he survived.
Apollo decided not to help Don in his training, merely providing the 'materials' for the boy to gain strength. If Don survived, he wouldn't just become a normal Cultivator—he would become an extraordinary one. With his previous experience of fighting the five Ivory Scorpions, Don was sure to put up a great fight.
"I will, Master!" Don answered, his eyes burning with determination and a hint of excitement.
"Good." With a wave of his hand, Apollo parted ways with his disciple and mount while he followed after the rat.
If Don died, it was his fate. There was nothing Apollo could do about it, though he believed Don would live. Hopefully.
"Now, let's see why you're running," Apollo muttered with a smirk.
For a beast of this size and power to flee from its home, it was a strange phenomenon that happened only rarely. Apollo had a few plausible theories, but he needed to have a 'conversation' with the rat to truly understand what had happened. And this conversation wouldn't be a peaceful one.
Besides, he didn't want the city where his beggar spot was located to be destroyed.
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