Chapter 7, The Tin Beast

The hide of the Ironhide Beast is a material for crafting high-quality leather armor. Whether kept for personal use or sold, it is a valuable item. However, skinning is a skilled task, and the hide of the Ironhide Beast is particularly exceptional. At his level, it would take nearly one hour to completely remove the entire hide, and carrying it away in a bloody state is not ideal.

Chen Zining gazed at the thousand-pound iron beast, feeling somewhat troubled. A high-level martial artist could lift over five hundred pounds with a stone lock, and with the aid of spiritual power, Chen Zining could exert a force of a thousand pounds. However, the issue was that lifting it and carrying it over several dozen miles of mountainous terrain were clearly two different matters

He suddenly stepped forward, his momentum surging!

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and several children joyfully ran forward to greet them. Chen Mushuang sprinted ahead with all her might, and with a sound of "giggle, giggle, giggle," she threw herself into her brother's embrace

In the open space in front of the main gate, more than fifty prey of various sizes were displayed. The larger ones included wolves, tigers, and leopards, while the smaller ones consisted of wild chickens and mountain rabbits. There was also an adult arrow boar, weighing around four to five hundred pounds, with over ten hard bristles on its back resembling sharp arrows. When confronted by an enemy, it would shoot them out, making it a formidable presence in the jungle.

Chen Zining tossed the iron-skinned beast into the pile of prey, only to be surrounded by more than ten youths who began to question him in rapid succession. Caught off guard, he found it difficult to respond, unsure of how to answer. After all, without the Sand Flow Technique, he truly had no way to deal with this spirit beast.

Fortunately, his grandfather intervened. He cleared his throat twice, and the crowd fell silent. Chen Daochong spoke loudly: "Dear fellow villagers, this year's autumn hunt and coming-of-age ceremony has been successfully completed, and everyone has performed admirably. This signifies that our Chen family village has promising successors and is thriving. You fourteen must remember that from this moment on, you will bear the responsibility of defending our homeland and protecting your loved ones. I hope you will live up to expectations and become strong, upright men. As for this year's champion..." You fourteen must remember that from this moment on, you will bear the responsibility of defending our homeland and protecting your loved ones. I hope you will live up to expectations and become strong, upright men. As for this year's champion..."

Twilight has begun to blur, marking the time when a hundred birds return to their nests and the first lights of the city begin to glow

The crimson sun is slowly casting its glow upon the embrace of the mountains, and under the illumination of the afterglow, the vast clouds behind the mountains are transformed into translucent rosy clouds. Occasionally, a few gaps appear, from which radiant rays of light burst forth.

The ground, which had just been solid and firm, suddenly transformed, becoming exceedingly loose, akin to mud, quicksand, or air. Although it possessed immense strength and moved swiftly, without a point of leverage, it resembled a bird that had fallen into water or a fish trying to reach the shore, losing nine-tenths of its means to confront the enemy.

Chen Daochong waved his hand and said, "Alright, everyone hurry up and get to work, process the fur of the prey, the barbecue party is about to begin"

This is indeed a spirit beast

As the sun sank between the mountains, revealing only a third of its face, Zhang Ping's heart grew even more anxious. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on her husband's arm, causing Chen Guangming's facial muscles to twitch in pain, yet he dared not voice his protest

It struggled slightly, and more than half of its body sank into the quicksand, and in a moment of panic, it raised its head and let out a roar

He recalled that the flesh and blood of the spirit beast were exceptionally delicious, containing the essence of the spirit beast, which also had a nourishing effect for martial artists. Therefore, he simply grabbed the long tail of the iron-skinned beast and dragged it along. The iron-skinned beast had very little fur on its surface, making it quite smooth, and dragging it along did not require much effort. Moreover, given the toughness and thickness of the iron-skinned beast's hide, it completely disregarded the wear and tear from the stones and debris on the ground.

As he spoke, he paused, looked around, and saw that everyone was gazing at Chen Zining, and he couldn't help but laugh and exclaim: "Chen Zining!"

At that moment, its expression changed, revealing a profound sense of panic. It realized that the power it had been accumulating beneath its four paws had suddenly dissipated, leaving it without even the slightest support, as if it had fallen into water, all without its awareness.

At this moment, the gate of Chenjiacun, which only opens a crack when personnel enter and books are checked out, was completely wide open

As they approached, someone in the crowd recognized that what Chen Zining was dragging along was actually an adult tin beast

Those who are aware are astonished; the Ironhide Beast possesses sharp fangs and claws, along with agile and swift speed. Moreover, its hard iron skin renders it impervious to blades and arrows. Even a seasoned hunter with the skills of a warrior would not dare to confront a single Ironhide Beast alone, and escape would be impossible.

Surrounding the prey were more than one hundred people, both old and young, with the clan leader Chen Daochong in the center. He alternated between glancing at the thirteen young men who had returned and gazing into the depths of the mountains. This time, only two of the youths participating in the coming-of-age ceremony had sustained minor injuries, and there were no significant mishaps, allowing him to ease the anxiety he had been carrying since morning.

A chorus of cheers erupted as several youths seized Chen Zining's limbs and tossed him into the air one after another

A person and a beast were engaged in a fierce battle on the forest floor covered with fallen leaves. After several rounds, the iron-skinned beast had several white marks on its body, and Chen Zining's left leg was struck by the long tail. Although he managed to deflect about seventy to eighty percent of the force, the pain was still sharp and affected the swiftness of his movements

Every year, on the night of the coming-of-age ceremony, there is a grand bonfire party, which is a rare festival in the year. The ingredients for the barbecue are naturally the game brought back by the young men and their companions, no wonder the children are exceptionally happy

Naturally, the other party is concerned about the only one among the fourteen who has not yet returned, his grandson Chen Zining

Charge straight at the Ironhide Beast

After a while, a somewhat slender figure appeared before the crowd, dragging a dark shadow behind him as he hurried along the path back to the village. Under the last rays of the setting sun, his shadow stretched out exceedingly long.

Suddenly, everyone lifted a front leg while I raised a hind leg, working together to move the prey towards the village square. The children rushed forward, seizing the largest tin beast, some pulling its legs and others tugging at its tail. Despite the efforts of more than ten children who exerted all their strength, this thousand-pound giant remained completely still. In the end, they had no choice but to give up, grabbing a few wild chickens and mountain rabbits to carry in their hands, and joyfully ran off.

Chen Zining stood three zhang away from the Iron Beast, locking eyes with it. He slowly regulated the slightly chaotic vital energy within his body while simultaneously allowing his spiritual power to seep out from the soles of his feet, focusing his mental strength on the ground where the Iron Beast stood.

Chen Zining seized the opportunity, taking a swift step forward. His right foot struck precisely at the lower jaw of the iron-skinned beast, flipping the massive creature over. At the same time, he hurled his short knife with all his might, releasing it from his hand, which struck the weak point beneath the beast's jaw. The knife penetrated deeply, reaching its brain. The iron-skinned beast struggled in the quicksand for a moment before quickly falling silent.

Just as he was about to suggest going to look for them, a person on the lookout tower at the village entrance, which stood about five or six zhang high, shouted loudly: "They are coming! They are coming! The last one has returned!"

Under the pull of the air machine, the metal beast let out a roar, gathering all its strength in its four legs, ready to leap and pounce on its opponent

Zhan Ping shot a glance at her husband, clearly dissatisfied with his attitude, but since her father-in-law had not spoken, she felt it inappropriate to say anything.

The iron beast lay on the ground, its limbs slightly bent, emitting a low growl from its mouth. Its entire body was poised to strike. After several encounters, it had come to understand the tenacity of its opponent. The anger within had long since subsided, and it dared not be careless, carefully observing Chen Zining's movements

Chen Guangming, however, maintained a calm expression and said in a measured tone: "Don't rush, there is still plenty of time. Besides, with Zi Ning's strength, what unexpected situation could arise?"

The Ironhide Beast has only one weak point, which is about the size of a palm, located on its lower jaw, aside from its eyes. This area is not only extremely soft but also directly connects to the brain, making it the only fatal spot on the Ironhide Beast. However, the Ironhide Beast is aware of this and has always taken care to protect it.

The other three members of Chen Zining's family are also included. Zhan Ping twisted her sore neck and couldn't help but say to her husband: "The sun is about to set; we should send someone to look for them."