Chapter 20: So I Actually Have This Kind of Life-Saving Method

"Hmph..."

Seeing Lin Li standing still, the wild boar beast let out a snort. This time, it took the initiative to step forward, slowly closing the distance between them.

It intended to exert pressure on this tender-skinned human, forcing him to turn and flee.

As long as the opponent couldn't resist turning to run and exposed his back, that would be the perfect moment to launch an attack.

The strategy of this battle-experienced wild boar beast was excellent. Had Lin Li not heard Hao Zhuang's warning, under such relentless pressure, as a newcomer, he certainly would have succumbed to the stress, turned to run, and exposed his back.

But now, no matter how much the wild boar beast pressed forward, Lin Li had no intention of turning to flee.

"Damn it, since turning to run means certain death, I'll just fight you! It's not decided who will win yet!"

Lin Li gritted his teeth, mobilizing the spiritual energy within his body and pouring it into the spiritual longsword in his hand, preparing to fight to the death against the approaching beast.

"Wait, besides running away, I have another way to escape."

As Lin Li prepared for a life-and-death struggle, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind; an important piece of information he had automatically ignored due to panic surfaced in his consciousness.

"Crap, I'm such an idiot! Gold Finger—I'm a man with a Gold Finger! If I want to avoid this wild boar, I can just hide directly on the mysterious small island."

The wild boar beast, which had been closing in on Lin Li, suddenly saw a relaxed smile appear on the face of this tender-skinned human.

It sensed that the human's fear of it had vanished completely at this moment.

"Hahaha... with a life-saving method like this, as long as I'm not killed instantly, what the hell am I afraid of!" Lin Li suddenly burst into loud laughter, causing the advancing wild boar beast to halt its steps.

"Hmph..." The wild boar beast snorted in confusion. Seeing this tender-skinned human suddenly laughing, it wondered if the opponent had gone mad!

"Stop dawdling and come on!" Having no more worries, Lin Li extended his left hand and beckoned the wild boar beast with his index finger.

Fine! The wild boar beast clearly could not comprehend this human gesture of provocation, so it decided to try another method.

Seeing the wild boar beast standing there looking at him like he was a fool, Lin Li raised his right foot and kicked a small stone beneath him.

*Swish...*

The small stone flew up, tracing a parabola through the air before striking the wild boar beast right on its forehead.

"Hmph..."

Although the small stone hitting its forehead caused no actual damage, the act was a severe provocation. The fury within the wild boar beast flared up instantly.

Watching the beast's rage boil over as it frantically scraped the ground with its front right hoof, Lin Li chuckled, "Hehe, this method of provocation is indeed the most direct."

*Chirp, chirp...*

A flock of birds flew overhead. Seeing the man and the beast in a standoff by the edge of the muddy pond, they turned around and perched on a large tree not far from the scene, waiting for the battle to erupt.

***

"Hmph..."

After scraping the ground a dozen consecutive times, the wild boar beast let out a piercing snort, and a pale golden spiritual light began to shimmer across its body.

Lin Li, who had been relaxed, immediately turned serious upon seeing the pale golden light emanating from the beast.

Although his current cultivation level prevented him from judging the beast's exact level, seeing it able to shroud its entire body in pale golden light meant one thing.

He figured that no matter how weak this beast was, it should at least have a high-tier Rank 1 cultivation; if it were stronger, it was highly likely to be at the peak of Rank 1, just like himself.

When facing a beast with similar strength, if one were to underestimate the opponent, they would be a complete megalomaniac and deserved to be killed.

With a temperament leaning towards steadiness, Lin Li never considered himself an arrogant fool. Upon seeing the beast mobilizing its spiritual energy, he did not give it the chance to strike first; instead, he took the initiative to charge forward and launch an attack.

This was the right move. Once a stout, heavy wild boar beast launched a charge, Lin Li, with his slender limbs, would certainly be unable to contend with it head-on and would be forced to dodge, falling into a complete disadvantage.

The wild boar beast was inwardly surprised to see this tender-skinned human actually taking the initiative to attack.

After all, just a moment ago, the opponent had been terrified, constantly retreating to find an opportunity to flee. Now, not only had the fear vanished, but he was actively attacking. It truly baffled the beast.

The two were only about sixteen or seventeen meters apart. Having initiated the attack, Lin Li reached the beast in moments.

He raised his spiritual longsword, which was glowing with pale golden light, and thrust it toward the beast's eyes.

The eyes are a very vulnerable part of any living creature. If struck by a spiritual longsword, the wild boar beast would surely be heavily wounded, or potentially die on the spot if the strike were severe enough.

"Hmph..." Letting out a piercing snort, the wild boar beast dodged to the right.

"Damn, you're so bulky, how are your reflexes so fast?" Lin Li cursed inwardly after his thrust missed.

He then twisted his waist, kicked off the ground with his right foot, and lunged again toward the dodging beast.

"Hmph..." Facing Lin Li's second lunge, the wild boar beast dodged once more.

This time, the beast failed to evade Lin Li's accelerated pounce. The spiritual longsword slashed a wound across the wild boar's flank, and blood immediately gushed out, causing the beast to let out a heaven-shaking roar of pain.

"So you're not all that! And here I was, being so afraid of you." Lin Li's joy at landing a hit lasted less than two seconds before he faced a counterattack.

After letting out that earth-shattering roar, the wild boar beast, wounded on its flank, immediately ceased its attempt to flee. It braced its thick, powerful forelimbs against the ground, pushed off forcefully, and changed direction, charging violently toward Lin Li.

Its sharp tusks, covered in pale golden light, radiated a keen edge.

If struck, they would absolutely pierce the body, creating two massive holes.

Lin Li hurriedly threw himself to the side, narrowly evading the beast's ferocious countercharge. However, just as they passed each other, the wild boar beast suddenly twisted its massive body, slamming its wounded flank heavily into Lin Li.

*Thud!*

Lin Li, weighing nearly one hundred and forty pounds, was sent flying by the impact of the stout wild boar beast.

After hitting the ground, Lin Li scrambled to get up. His left hand felt a sharp, stinging pain; it seemed the fall had sliced open his palm.

***

(End of Chapter)