The Steel Tusk Boar, a beast that normally starts out as a Rank 2 Beast while the strongest of its kind are Rank 5 Beasts. All of them show immensely strong defense and strength and even have superb attack power thanks to their tusks. Their agility might be on the slow side but it is still enough for them to kill cultivators at the 2nd Martial Novice stage easily.
At this moment, Shi Li and Moddy looked at the Steel Tusk Bear as their breathing was ragged and cold sweat dropped from their foreheads. Shi Li's hand that was holding onto Sundering Flame was trembling as he stared at the Rank 3 Beast. Of all the Rank 3 Beasts he could possibly fight against, he had to fight against the hardest one to kill.
He knew his limits. He can't fight against a Rank 4 Beast or any beast higher than that rank, nor can he fight against the stronger Rank 3 Beasts but he had the belief that he could fight against the weaker Rank 3 Beasts and use that to complete the challenge.
"Damn," Shi Li cursed. "My luck is pretty bad."
Moddy then looked at Shi Li and asked, "Nya...when do we attack?"
Shi Li looked at Moddy before staring back at the boar once more.
"Let's wait for the right moment."
The Steel Tusk Boar took a glance at Shi Li and Moddy before turning its head around to look at the pile of beast carcasses. It didn't attack Shi Li and Moddy since the both of them would be harder to kill when compared to getting free food from the carcass pile. It didn't dare to be on guard as it started chomping down on one of the beast carcasses.
Seeing that the boar was engrossed in its sumptuous meal, Shi Li then whispered, "Moddy, what supporting techniques can you use at the moment?"
"Hnnnn..." Moddy raised one of its paw and placed it under its chin as it pondered for a bit before replying through the use of world energy, "I can bind the enemy and boost the ally's combat power nya."
"Can you make a moving barrier around me?" Shi Li didn't hesitate to ask as he saw the prowess of the barrier Moddy made.
"Sadly, I can't nya." Moddy shook its head as it sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Shi Li looked at Moddy with a smile on his face as his hands continued to tremble. "Just make a barrier around the house, then boost my power."
"Nya." Moddy nodded its head as it tapped on the ground with one of its paws. Part of the world energy around the clearing started to converge towards the wooden house Shi Li made. Not long after, a barrier made out of faint white energy particles was conjured around the house.
After doing that, Moddy then tapped on the ground once more as its paw was glistening with a silver color. This silver glow then darted towards Shi Li's body and covered every nook and cranny. At first, Shi Li didn't enjoy the experience of being covered in energy since it was akin to being covered in mud, but after a while, he couldn't even feel the energy covering him at all.
He then started to take a few steps closer to the boar and noticed that the strength he can exert was slightly stronger than before, and if he wanted to, he could dash towards the boar at high speeds.
And that's exactly what he did.
"[Flame Slash]!"
Whoosh!
All of Shi Li's strength which was boosted by Moddy's technique started to circulate all over his body before heading towards the blade, giving Sundering Flame an orange sheen. He then stepped on the ground with his full strength, using that strength to clash with the boar at high speeds.
"Ngh?" The boar who was still basking in the delight of obtaining free food, suddenly felt a chill in its spine coming from a certain direction. The direction where Shi Li and Moddy were at.
Swoosh!
Shi Li was able to lessen the gap between them in an instant, and then slashed downwards as he aimed at the boar's nape.
"Ngrahhhh!!!" The boar saw Shi Li's intentions and hurriedly kicked the beast carcass it was eating to the side as it did a sidestep to dodge Shi Li's attack.
Bang!
Since the boar was no longer in the place where the Flame Slash would possibly aim, the Flame Slash instead headed straight to the ground, creating a gash that was almost half a meter deep.
Shi Li was surprised when he saw the gash on the ground. He couldn't believe that his Flame Slash had a power at this level. Well, not only Shi Li was surprised, but the Steel Tusk Boar was surprised as well to see a gash that deep being created by a human one stage lower than it.
This opening was noticed by Shi Li who then shouted, "Moddy, bind the beast!"
"Nya! Got it!" Without missing a heartbeat, Moddy raised its paw as a greyish light covered the entirety of it before tapping on the ground.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the boar who was just waken up from a daze by Shi Li's shout, was instantly binded in place thanks to Shi Li's wits and Moddy's fast speed.
Shi Li looked at the boar who was now somewhat pitiful and gestured Moddy to come closer. The boar tried to charge towards Moddy and Shi Li, but to no avail.
Shi Li looked at Moddy before saying, "Since I want to assure this kill, let's attack at the same time." He then raised Sundering Flame as an orange light covered the sword not long after.
"Glad to do just that nya!" Without hesitation, Moddy raised one of its front paw as the claws extended, covering in white world energy particles not long after.
"Hit the nape!" Shi Li shouted as he slashed downwards towards the boar's nape.
"Nya!" Moddy nodded before lunging towards the boar as it also hit the nape.
"[Flame Slash]!"
"[Infused Neko Slash]!"
Bang!
An X shaped cut was made on the boar's nape that was over a meter deep thanks to the combined strength of both attacks. Not long after, blood gushed out of the wound and made the pitiful boar bleed to death.
Shi Li and Moddy looked at this sight from a few meters away as they didn't want to get hit by the blood. After making sure that the boar was really dead, the both of them got closer to the boar as Shi Li cut off the two steel tusks from the boar.
"Well that was anticlimactic," Shi Li couldn't help but say.
"Nya, indeed," Moddy agreed with Shi Li's thoughts.
Afterwards, a moment of silence ensued within the clearing...only to broken by Shi Li.
"Hey Moddy?"
"What is it nya?"
"I want to make a drum for you."