13: Chapter 13 Coordinated Training Begins! The coordination is chaotic, and there's underestimation of the enemy!

"Huo Yuhao, is this the Sunset Forest? It feels so eerie."

"Yes, Benefactor, and the air is so damp, it feels like it could rain at any moment."

"Inside… will there be very powerful Spirit Beasts?"

Three days later, the group finally arrived at their destination, the edge of the Sunset Forest.

As soon as they approached, a unique scent mixed with soil, rotting leaves, and the fishy odor of some wild beast rushed toward them.

The tall trees blocked the sky and sun, keeping most of the sunlight out and making the light in the forest appear somewhat dim.

Tang Ya gripped the hilt of her sword excitedly, Jiang Nannan nervously clutched the corner of her clothes, while Tianmeng poked its little head out from Huo Yuhao's collar, curiously looking around.

Gu Yuena stood beside Huo Yuhao, merely glancing indifferently at the dense forest before her, and said calmly: "The Soul Power fluctuations are very messy; there is a large number of low-level Spirit Beasts."

Huo Yuhao ignored their discussion.

He stood at the entrance of the forest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

This was the scent.

The familiar scent, full of primal vitality, belonging to combat and hunting.

In his previous life in the Divine Realm, he had long been far removed from this feeling.

But now that he smelled it again, the instinct deep within his body seemed to have been awakened, bringing a trace of long-lost excitement.

He opened his eyes, turned around, and his deep gaze fell upon Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya.

"Are you ready?"

His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable seriousness.

"These past few days on the road, I taught you some basic footwork and coordination techniques, but that was all just theory. Remember, actual combat is completely different from the training ground."

He paused, his eyes becoming sharp.

"Spirit Beasts will not give you a second chance."

Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya felt a chill in their hearts under his serious gaze; the relaxation and nervousness on their faces subsided significantly, and they nodded heavily in unison.

"We are ready, Benefactor!"

"Very good."

The corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth curled into an imperceptible arc, "Then, welcome to your first lesson. The course content is survival."

After speaking, he took the lead and walked into the dim, dense forest.

After entering the forest, Huo Yuhao did not lead them deep inside quickly.

He slowed his pace, walking while explaining everything in the forest in a voice that only Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya could hear.

"That plant on the left is called Ghost Needle Vine. The thorns on the vine have a weak paralyzing toxin; do not touch it."

"Listen, the bird calls overhead are very rapid, which means something has disturbed them. There might be a Spirit Beast approaching."

"Look at the footprints on the ground; they are very fresh, and the hoof prints are deep, indicating that this Spirit Beast is quite heavy. Judging by the shape of the hoof prints, it is most likely a pig-type Spirit Beast."

He was like the most experienced hunter, turning this dangerous forest into a vivid classroom.

Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan listened with full concentration, striving to commit every word he said to memory.

After walking for about an hour, Huo Yuhao stopped in front of a relatively open area of the woods.

He scanned the surroundings with Spiritual Detection, and after confirming that there were no other powerful Spirit Beasts in ambush, he gently nodded his chin toward a bush ahead.

"Your target is right there."

Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya looked in the direction he pointed, and behind the bushes, they saw a wild boar over 1.5 meters long, its body covered in bristles as hard as steel.

It was using its long snout to root through the ground, looking for something to eat.

In its small, scarlet eyes, a ferocious light flickered.

A ten-year Spirit Beast, Steel-Bristled Boar.

Although it was only the lowest-level ten-year Spirit Beast, its tyrannical aura and ferocious appearance still made the two girls, who were facing a real Spirit Beast for the first time, feel immense pressure.

Their breathing became somewhat rapid, and fine beads of sweat had already appeared on their palms.

Huo Yuhao's voice rang out behind them, calm and devoid of any emotion.

"Tang Ya, provide crowd control; Jiang Nannan, focus on the attack. Remember the coordination I taught you. Go."

"Yes!"

The two looked at each other, nodded, gathered their courage, and flanked the Steel-Bristled Boar from left and right.

Perhaps sensing danger, the Steel-Bristled Boar suddenly raised its head and let out an angry roar.

It abandoned its foraging, its scarlet eyes staring fixedly at the two humans approaching it.

"I'll go first!"

Tang Ya shouted delicately, her footwork shifting as she launched the attack first.

Her first spirit ring lit up, and several strands of Blue Silver Grass, like agile green snakes, burst from the ground to entangle the Steel-Bristled Boar's four hooves.

But she had underestimated the combat instincts of the Spirit Beast.

The Steel-Bristled Boar completely ignored those vines; it kicked its hind hooves hard against the ground, its entire body acting like an out-of-control small tank.

It launched a Savage Charge directly at Tang Ya, who appeared to be the greater threat!

The Blue Silver Grass was instantly snapped by its tyrannical strength.

"Oh no!" Tang Ya's expression changed.

The Steel-Bristled Boar's speed was much faster than she had imagined!

She only had time to barely shift her body to the side before she was slammed hard on the shoulder by that immense impact.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Tang Ya was knocked flying, rolling on the ground several times before stopping.

The clothes on her right arm were torn by the gravel on the ground, seeping with traces of blood, and it stung with a burning pain.

"Tang Ya!" Jiang Nannan exclaimed, subconsciously wanting to run over to help her up.

"Leave her alone!"

Huo Yuhao's cold voice came, stopping her movement, "Your opponent is that boar! Your companion has fallen, and what you should do is create time for her to stand up, not go over and wait for death with her!"

Jiang Nannan's body stiffened, and she looked back at Huo Yuhao, who was standing not far away with an indifferent expression.

There was not a shred of sympathy or worry in his eyes, only pure, calm observation.

Jiang Nannan bit her lip, and a sense of stubbornness welled up from the bottom of her heart.

She knew the Benefactor was right.

She no longer hesitated, and her Soft Bones Rabbit Spirit possessed her. A pair of cute rabbit ears popped out from the top of her head, and her figure instantly became much lighter.

She tapped her toes on the ground and moved forward instead of retreating to meet the charging Steel-Bristled Boar. Her body made an incredible twist in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the boar's tusks, while simultaneously kicking the side of the boar's face.

This kick didn't have much power, but it successfully attracted the Steel-Bristled Boar's attention.

The boar shook its head angrily, changed direction, and charged at her again.

Jiang Nannan firmly remembered the footwork Huo Yuhao had taught her, utilizing her advantage of agility to constantly circle and harass the boar.

Although she couldn't deal any substantial damage to the thick-skinned boar, she successfully entangled it tightly.

On the other side, Tang Ya, who had been knocked to the ground, shook her slightly dizzy head. Looking at Jiang Nannan, who was buying time for her, a trace of guilt and gratitude flashed in her eyes.

She had heard Huo Yuhao's words earlier, and every word was like a whip lashing against her heart.

"Stand up, Tang Ya."

Huo Yuhao's voice came again, still calm, "Remember, it will not wait for you to be ready. On the battlefield, any second of hesitation could cost you your life."

Tang Ya pushed hard against the ground, endured the pain in her arm, and struggled to climb up.

She looked at the Steel-Bristled Boar that was frantically chasing Jiang Nannan, took a deep breath, and her eyes became determined once again.

This time, she did not recklessly use the Blue Silver Grass to bind it, but instead poured her Soul Power into her feet.

Several vines spread silently along the boar's charging path, forming a clever tripwire.

The Steel-Bristled Boar, charging at high speed, did not notice the change under its feet at all.

With a "thump," it was tripped hard to the ground by the vines, and its huge body rolled forward several times due to inertia.

"Now!" Tang Ya shouted.

Jiang Nannan understood immediately, grasped this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, leaped high into the air, and activated her first Spirit Ability, "Waist Bow."

Her body bent in mid-air like a bow filled with power, all her strength concentrated in her right leg, kicking fiercely toward the boar's vulnerable eye!

"Pfft!"

With a soft sound, accompanied by the Steel-Bristled Boar's shrill scream, the battle finally ended.

...

"Huff... huff... huff..."

In the woods, Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan sat back-to-back, slumped on the ground, panting heavily.

They were covered in mud, their hair was messy, and they looked disheveled, but their eyes shone with the excitement of victory after the battle.

"We... we did it!" Tang Ya said in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Jiang Nannan nodded forcefully.

Just then, Huo Yuhao walked over.

He crouched down, looked at the wound on Tang Ya's arm, and took a small porcelain bottle from his bosom.

He poured out some green ointment, dipped his finger into it, and applied it evenly to her wound.

A cool sensation came, instantly alleviating the burning pain.

"Thank you, Benefactor..." Tang Ya said softly, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Do you know where you went wrong?" Huo Yuhao asked while helping her treat the wound, his tone still calm.

Tang Ya froze for a moment, then lowered her head: "I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have been so impulsive, attacking directly without figuring out the opponent's background..."

"That's not all."

Huo Yuhao interrupted her, "Your first mistake was underestimating the enemy. You thought it was just a ten-year Spirit Beast, so you subconsciously let your guard down. Your second mistake was having a single-minded tactic; your Blue Silver Grass doesn't just have the function of binding. It can be a trap, a weapon, or your eyes, but you just used the stupidest method earlier."

He looked at Jiang Nannan again.

"You, your reaction was too slow. You should have launched an attack the moment Tang Ya was knocked flying, instead of just standing there frozen. That two-second hesitation—if you were facing a hundred-year Spirit Beast, both of you would be dead by now."

"And your coordination was a complete mess. No eye contact, no tactical signals, relying entirely on instinct and shouting—the efficiency was too low. If you had been able to anticipate when Tang Ya was setting the trap and blocked the boar's retreat from another angle, you could have ended the battle at least ten seconds earlier."

Huo Yuhao's voice was not loud, but every word clearly entered the two girls' ears, making the bit of excitement and pride that had just risen in them instantly vanish without a trace.

Only then did they realize that the battle that had seemed like a victory just now was, in Huo Yuhao's eyes, full of fatal loopholes.

"I'm sorry, Benefactor, we..."

"There's no need to say sorry."

Huo Yuhao stood up and put away the medicine bottle, "Keep the mistakes you made in your minds, and don't make them again next time. Now, get up and process this boar; its meat will be our dinner tonight."

The two girls looked at each other, seeing shame and unwillingness in each other's eyes.

They nodded forcefully, struggled to stand up, and began to learn how to process the Spirit Beast's carcass.

Not far away.

Gu Yuena leaned against a large tree; from beginning to end, she was only a cold-eyed bystander, not expressing any opinion.

It was as if everything happening before her was just a boring play.

Only Tianmeng, lying on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, clapped happily when the two girls successfully defeated the boar.

"Go! Go! The two big sisters are super amazing! You beat the big bad pig!"

Its cheers added a touch of relaxation to this tense and serious training.

Night slowly fell.

The forest became quieter and also more dangerous.

Huo Yuhao lit a campfire, and the aroma of roasted meat permeated the woods.

Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan ate the meat of the Spirit Beast they had hunted with their own hands.

Although it was a bit burnt, they felt it was the most delicious meal they had ever eaten in their lives.

Just then, a low beast roar faintly came from deeper within the forest.

The roar was not loud, but it was full of power and majesty, causing the surrounding weak Spirit Beasts to fall silent instantly.

Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya's bodies stiffened simultaneously, and they looked nervously in the direction the sound came from.

Huo Yuhao merely raised his head and glanced in that direction; a hint of a satisfied smile finally appeared on his calm face.

"Did you hear that?"

"That is your opponent for tomorrow."

That sound belonged to a real century-old Spirit Beast.