Aftet three months of traveling, the Carmelo Family Caravan was in front of one the forest called the shadow forest. They were already half-way to their destination and this is the part of the travel that was really dangerous to the caravan. It was said that after they pass this forest, their travel will be safe until they arrive at the Stone Forest Town.

All the way through here, Cole was just inside the carriage he was in and never came out. He didn't even get to battled the beast or enemies they stumble along the way. It's not becuase he don't want to, Nick just told him that he will only be needed when they encounter something that they can't defeat. That was Nick wants as he said that it was also part of the training of their family disciples. Cole just say yes since Nick was his employer and it's also an advantage for them as he and Ricky can focus on their cultivation.

The strongest cultivator in the caravan next to Cole was an elder of the Carmelo Family and he was on the seventh level of Mana Gathering Stage. They were safe and Cole's presence was just another form of protection.

Apart from that, after three months of travelling, Ricky's cultivation was now on seventh level of Body Tempering Stage. It could be said that he was a genius in cultivation in this area as he reached his cultivation stage with only his meditation. It was all thanks to his Water Spirit Physique as well as the Water Dragon Martial Spirit.

Besides that, he also learned as Cole Transfer to him one of his cultivation of technique, the Heavenly Beast God Cultivation Method. He also want to Transfer the Myriads Beast Soul Branch Technique but the system notice that cultivating this technique was so dangerous that he could die from single mishap and so Cole didn't Transfer it.

Ricky's stage on Heavenly Beast God Technique was already on Stage 2 as he just broke through from it yesterday. The Stage 1 of Heavenly Beast God Technique was called Dantian Hollowing Stage where one needed to open a space in the Dantian where the Beast should reside. And now he was the Stage 2 called the Beast Companionship Stage where he should find his beast and contracted it. Unfortunately, they don't go out from their carriage and didn't encounter beast which means his cultivation in Stage 2 will stagnant until he contracted his companion beast.

As for Cole, for the past three months, he focus on cultivating also the Heavenly Beast God Technique. Most of the stage where already achieved as his companion beast was the Shelly, the Blue Land Turtle. Since Shelly was also his Soulbound Beast, he almost leaped to stages. So for the three months, this was Cole's level in Heavenly Beast God Stage.

Heavenly Beast God Method Description : A best physique cultivation for tamer class. It tempers and strengthens the body along with the contracted beast. It's a cultivation method that allows the tamer to shapeshift to his soulbound beast! Stage : Fourth Stage Stage Description : [Beast-Tamer Dual Cultivation Stage] This cultivation stage requires both the tamer and the beast to cultivate together and fused their aura. This stage will reach its peak when the tamer reach the affinity of the beast to acceptable level. Contracted Beast : Blue Land Turtle Affinity Level : [Space - 20%][Earth - 50%] Effect : Make the user learn affinity the same as his beast Next Stage Requirement/s : Reach 100% affinity. Status : Unachieved Next Stage : Fifth Stage [Beast Body Synchronization Stage] Learn all the body parts of the beast.

He was now in the part where he and Shelly cultivate to together and he need to learn Shelly's affinity. Earth affinity was easy to learn as anywhere he set his feet were has Earth Mana, however, it was not the same for space affinity. Cole can only feel the Space Mana when him and Shelly cultivated to together. Fortunately, Shelly was well versed in Space Mana and can attract good amount of it and Cole's progress in Space affinity can be considered good.

Since it was now dark, the whole caravan stopped outside and decided to rest here for the night. Night was when beast was most active and traveling at night when visibility was low was simply courting death.

This time, Cole got out from the his carriage as he want to talk to Nick and he found him amidst in the people encircling the fire.

"Nick!" Cole called Nick.

Nick looked at him surprised while the other people look at him puzzled. This was the first time they saw him throughout their journey.

"Who is he, brother Nick?" One of the man from the crowd ask Nick.

"Well, guys, this is brother Cole. He wants to travel to Stone Forest Town and come along with us. Be nice to him." Nick introduced him while he just nod his head at the crowd. Most of the girls smile and nod at him too as well as some of the boys while there were others who did not. Some of them look at him blankly while some of them look at him with ridicule specially the guy who ask who he was.

Cole just smile and nod those who react amiable to him while he don't look at those who did not.

The guy who looked at him with redicule got angry. You're just a guy who seek protection from us yet you act so prideful? The guy gnash his teeth in anger but he did nothing as he can see that Nick was friendly to him.

"Do you want anything brother Cole?" Nick ask Cole.

"I just want to say that I want my brother to be part of battle tommorow. I want him to have experience." Cole answered.

"Sure." Nick answered Cole happily.

Cole nod at him and go back to his carriage.

•

The whole Carmelo Family entered the Shadow Forest by morning after having breakfast.

This time, Cole and Ricky was outside. They'll also battle, mostly Ricky, if they happen to encounter beast with a lower level since Ricky was just a Seventh Level of Body Tempering Stage. And because they were still at the border of the Shadow Forest, most of the beast were all low level, most at the Tier 1 Wild Beast with occasional Tier 2 Wild Beast.

Like right now there was a big boar sleeping on the road.

Beast Name : Iron Tusk Boar ♂️ Level : Eighth Level Affinity : ∅ Type : Beast Rank : Tier 1 Wild Beast Description : A wild boar with sturdy like iron tusk. They mostly attacked through straight charge attack.

This was the first beast they encountered after entering the Shadow Forest and since its level was not wide from Ricky, he wanted to send him and battle.

"You go kill that guy." Cole said to Ricky. "When it tried to rush and attack you, just dodge to the side. Don't you dare run in its front."

Ricky nod at him. He can't speak as he was a little, no, a lot nervous. This was the first time he will battle, not just from the beast but his very first battle. It was always his big brother Beast who did a battle and he just watch from the back.

Although he like the way his brother battle, that was his brother's style and not him.

The other disciple of the Carmelo Family was ready to confront the beast but was stop by Nick. Nick saw that the younger brother of Cole was already walking at the boar already. The other disciple of the family get what's happening and all step back.

They'll all watched from the back and they also want to see how he battle. While the others can't wait to see how he embarrass himself specially the guy last night. Cole didn't even bother to know his name.

Oink!

The Iron Tusk Boar finally woke up and set it's eye to the guy at the very front which was Ricky.

Ricky just stand there as he was trying to control the water in the surrounding and since they were at the middle of forest, it proved to be harder to do.

It was Ricky's only skill right now, the Free Water Bending. His brother Cole told him that his skill was powerful as there were no limit in his skill but his imagination and he did.

The Iron Tusk Boar finally made it's move. It charged straight to Ricky!

The people of the caravan started to ridicule Ricky as he was just stand there doing nothing as if he was waiting for the boar to pounce on him. When the boar attacked, the other were worried and ready to aid him in battle while the other just laugh in his misfortune.

However, the Mana Gathering Stage cultivators felt the changes. The kid was attracting the Water Mana and he is doing a great job!

In the middle of the forest where the air felt hot, the surrounding started to get humid.

When the Iron Tusk Boar was already near him, he finally stretched his hand and point at the beast and chant, "Sword Rain!"

The surrounding Water Mana cluster and form water while the water form to a shape of the sword.

The Sword Rain that Ricky just used was actually his Free Water Bending. He just control it to form as sword shaped as that was the first thing that appear in his mind.

The Water Mana formed a total of just two swords as it was the best Ricky can gather at the middle of the forest.

When the boar was finally at the bottom of the two water sword, Ricky willed it to descend to the head and body of the boar.

The sword was fast!

The boar stopped moving. It didn't have a time to let out it's final cry before it died. The Iron Tusk Boar was actually killed before it was processed by it's own brain.

The scene was awfully quiet while the one laugh to their head as they thought that Ricky will meet his misfortune, face paled. Even them needed to cooperate with one another if they want to kill that beast but actually killed by the boy in one hit!

What that it means? They were actually more weaker than him in the large margin!

This boy is invincible if he battle in the body of the water! This was the conclusion of the expert of the Carmelo Family. We must have him join the family! He even started to think how to rope the kid into his family.

Cole nodded his head satisfied. For Ricky's first battle this outcome was good, very good.

Ricky smile to himself when he saw how easy he killed the Iron Tusk Boar, he didn't know that he was that powerful and he get addicted to this feeling. He suddenly get down to the floor as he felt his knees was so weak. This was the very first time he used that move and he didn't know how to control his mana output and got him drain.

An aura rose from the body of the boar and fuse and circulate throughout his body. It was the exp! The system give it all to Ricky as he was the only one who did the battle. Suddenly, his Seventh Level cultivation rose to Eighth Level Body Tempering Stage.

Congratulations! Party Member 'Ricky' level up to Eighth Level of Body Tempering Stage.

The others don't even move on from their shocked when he made a breakthrough.

This... Wasn't him too lucky?

Ofcourse, they didn't know that he can level up through battling with the exp of the system. The aura was invincible to them. But Ricky saw that but he didn't overreact. He know how magical his big brother was.

After he made the breakthrough, he once again feel energized. All of his fatigue was gone.

He walk and arrived at front of Cole and smiled victorious.

Cole just ruffle his head. "You did very good."

Ricky smile got even wider.