The dense forest trembled under the sweeping, violent waves of spiritual energy. The immense pressure was so suffocating that the scattered animal cries throughout the woods fell completely silent. In the distance, the fleeing silhouettes of a few spirit beasts could occasionally be seen, as if they, too, had sensed the furious rage of the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard.
The Fire Spirit Ape King's eyes, originally bloodshot with hatred, shifted dramatically before this formidable pressure. A look of utter terror flashed across its hideous face; even though it had just broken through to the peak of the Middle-Rank Spirit Beast stage, it was now facing a genuine High-Rank Spirit Beast!
The Fire Spirit Ape King hunched its shoulders, curling inward slightly as it stared at the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard with extreme wariness, subtly retreating a few steps. Its posture made it abundantly clear that it was planning to turn tail and flee.
“Roar!”
However, the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard, whose cub had just been slain by the ape, was not about to give the culprit before it any chance of escape. Its cold, savage eyes burned with ruthless fury. Its sharp claws scraped slowly against the rocky earth, emitting spine-chilling screeches with every step as violent spiritual energy surged and churned ceaselessly around it.
“Thud.”
The Fire Spirit Ape King suddenly slammed all four limbs onto the ground, propelling itself forward to flee. The fierce might it had displayed earlier while relentlessly pursuing Mu Chen vanished without a trace. Under the imminent threat of death, any thought of Mu Chen had long since been cast to the back of its mind, sent soaring to the ninth heaven.
The Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard watched its flight with cold, indifferent eyes. Lowering its massive head, the spiritual energy within its body surged like a raging torrent, enveloping the silver horn atop its head. A brilliant radiance erupted. With a sharp whistle, a streak of silver light shot through the forest.
“Whoosh!”
The silver streak tore through the air at a speed Mu Chen's naked eye could not track. A dull, heavy impact echoed from afar. Trembling, Mu Chen looked over. The Fire Spirit Ape King had ground to a halt. A gaping, bloody hole, about half a foot wide, had pierced through its back. Its internal organs, flesh, and everything that had once filled its chest cavity had completely vanished.
Standing before the Fire Spirit Ape King's corpse, the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard gently shook its body, flicking away the streaks of blood clinging to its scales. Only when it was clean did it slowly and leisurely turn back.
“Thud.”
The Fire Spirit Ape King's corpse collapsed, its breath entirely gone as fresh blood gushed out like a spring.
A single strike, instant death!
His heart pounding wildly, Mu Chen swallowed hard. The power of a High-Rank Spirit Beast was truly terrifying! He shuddered in fear, but kept his body pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to move an inch. Even his breathing was incredibly faint, almost imperceptible. He had completely retracted his spiritual energy into his qi sea, not daring to circulate even a shred of it.
If the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard were to discover him now, his fate would likely be even more wretched than that of the dead ape lying before him.
Fortunately, the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard did not bother to investigate the tiny human. Instead, it returned to the side of the Horned Dragon Leopard, nudged the corpse, and let out a mournful roar. Finally, picking up its cub's body, it dashed into the depths of the dense forest.
Mu Chen watched the direction in which the Silver-Horned Dragon Leopard had disappeared. Still not daring to move, he waited silently for about ten minutes before cautiously standing up.
Warily scanning his surroundings, he quickly stepped toward the corpse of the Fire Spirit Ape King. Drawing his dagger, he sliced open the spirit beast's head, and a crimson light surged forth.
The Fire Spirit Ape King's Soul Essence shone as brilliantly as a flame. Its spiritual energy fluctuated powerfully, taking the form of a miniature, ferocious Fire Spirit Ape.
Mu Chen grabbed it and tucked it into his shirt, then used his dagger to sever the Fire Spirit Ape King's head. Having done so, just as he was about to leave, he suddenly paused. After a moment's thought, he walked over to where the Horned Dragon Leopard had died earlier, where a pool of thick, dark-red blood still pooled on the ground.
Mu Chen retrieved a bottle, carefully scooped the blood into it, and tucked it away. Only then did he turn to make his way back to find his teammates.
…
While Mu Chen was dealing with his own perilous pursuit through the forest, his teammates back in the valley were also facing no small amount of trouble.
“Howl! Howl! Howl! Howl!”
When he had left, the valley had only echoed with scattered ape cries and the sounds of combat with a few awake beasts. Now, however, it was in utter chaos. Countless large, fiery-red heads were howling in rage, threatening the humans trapped below. They hurled massive boulders that rained down like a ferocious hailstorm, completely surrounding the group and cutting off their escape. Facing such overwhelming numbers, those trapped in the valley found themselves in a dire situation.
“Damn it, these beasts have all woken up!”
Lin Zhong and his men struggled to dodge the flying boulders, staring warily at the dense horde of rock-throwing Fire Spirit Apes. After Mu Chen had lured the Fire Spirit Ape King away, they had moved quickly to harvest the Jade Spirit Fruit, but time had run out too quickly. The Fire Spirit Apes affected by the tranquilizing incense had awakened one after another. Now, they had completely surrounded the group, cutting off any hope of escape.
“What do we do now?”
Tang Qian'er and Mo Ling were both deathly pale. After all, they were still young and inexperienced, and their mental fortitude was nowhere near as tempered as Lin Zhong's seasoned group. The terrifying scene before them left many of the disciples weak in the knees.
“Prepare to break through!”
Lei Cheng growled in a deep voice. Slung across his back was a bag filled with glowing, round, emerald-green fruits, their faint, refreshing fragrance wafting through the air.
“Lin Zhong, lead your men and protect them! Don't let anything happen to them!”
Lei Cheng barked out his orders rapidly. He and his men were seasoned veterans with rich combat experience, but even though disciples like Tang Qian'er were not weak, trying to force their way through this massive horde of Fire Spirit Apes would likely result in them being torn to shreds in an instant.
“Understood!”
Lin Zhong nodded. They no longer dared to look down on these green disciples from the Northern Spiritual Academy. Mu Chen’s sheer courage in drawing away the Fire Spirit Ape King by himself earlier had left them all shaken. They knew full well that if he hadn't done so, they would likely have perished long ago.
“Go!”
Lei Cheng gripped his long saber, his sharp gaze turning fierce. Powerful spiritual energy erupted from him as he charged forward, plunging straight into the horde of Fire Spirit Apes. His saber flashed in wide, sweeping arcs, carving out a bloody path.
The team members followed in tight formation, keeping Tang Qian'er and the others protected in the center. The entire group pushed their spiritual energy to its absolute limit, their dense blade-light weaving a defensive barrier that repelled the lunging Fire Spirit Apes.
“Swish! Clang! Crash!”
Even with Lei Cheng, an expert at the early phase of the Spirit Wheel Stage, leading the charge, the sheer number of Fire Spirit Apes was simply overwhelming. Before they could break through very far, several team members were struck and wounded. Gritting their teeth, they pressed on, fresh blood continuously staining their long sabers.
“Die, you beasts!”
Lei Cheng's saber cleaved a Fire Spirit Ape's head in two, but even more of them instantly swarmed forward, drawing a furious roar from him. Anxiety gnawed at his heart. Was today truly the day they would all perish in this desolate mountain valley?
The faces of Tang Qian'er, Mo Ling, and the other disciples grew increasingly pale as they stared at the ferocious pack of Fire Apes surrounding them. Just as despair began to take root in everyone's hearts, an abrupt change occurred. The pack of Fire Apes suddenly fell into chaos, shrieking and screeching in sheer terror as if they had encountered something utterly horrifying.
“What?”
Lei Cheng looked on in astonishment. His gaze locked onto a spot not far away, where the slender figure of a youth was bounding toward them like a swift deer.
“It’s Mu Chen!” Tang Qian'er cried out in joy the moment she recognized his face. For some reason, even though Mu Chen's strength was far below Lei Cheng's, the sense of security he brought was far greater.
“What is he holding?” Lin Zhong and the others, possessing sharper vision, noticed a bulky object in the youth's hand. The surrounding Fire Apes were recoiling in fear, seemingly terrified of that very object.
“It’s a head…” Lei Cheng froze, a flicker of disbelief and horror rising in his eyes. “It’s the head of the Fire Ape King!”
“What?!” Lin Zhong and the others gasped, their hearts trembling with shock. Could Mu Chen have actually slain the Fire Ape King? How was that even possible?
“Get over here, quick!” While everyone was still dazed with disbelief, Mu Chen shouted, hoisting the Fire Ape King's head high in his right hand. The surrounding Fire Apes instantly scattered in terror. To them, the Fire Ape King was the ultimate terror, yet someone had decapitated him. How much more terrifying must this human be?
Their low intelligence prevented them from overthinking; driven purely by beastly instinct, they only knew fear.
"Let's go!" Overjoyed, Lei Cheng waved his hand, leading the group as they quickly slipped through the panicked, fleeing pack of apes to reach Mu Chen's side. As they drew closer, they saw the hideous, freshly severed head still dripping with blood. It was indeed the Fire Ape King, without a shadow of a doubt.
Lei Cheng and Lin Zhong exchanged glances, their eyes wide with sheer disbelief. How on earth had a kid like Mu Chen managed to pull this off?
Mu Chen paid no heed to their expressions. He quickly led the group out of the valley, placing the Fire Ape King's head right at the entrance. Terrified, the remaining fire apes inside kept their distance, staying hundreds of meters away and not daring to approach.
The group ran like mad. Only when they were far from the valley did they collapse one by one onto the dry leaves, completely spent. They lay there panting, their limbs aching with exhaustion. Even Lei Cheng was drenched in sweat, gasping heavily for breath.
Mu Chen was in no better shape. He slumped against a tree, feeling as though every bone in his body was about to fall apart. It had been a truly heart-stopping ordeal; he had come incredibly close to losing his life.
"Are you alright?" Tang Qian'er asked, walking over to him. Her beautiful eyes, though weary, shone brightly as she looked at the youth. It was clear that his actions today had deeply moved her.
"I'm fine," Mu Chen replied with a smile. He looked up, only to find Lei Cheng, Lin Zhong, Mo Ling, and the others staring at him intently. They were clearly still in disbelief that he had carried out the Fire Ape King's head and rescued them all from the valley.
"Don't look at me like that," Mu Chen chuckled, shaking his head. "It was pure luck. I don't have the strength to kill the Fire Ape King on my own." He then turned to Lei Cheng with a grin. "But Brother Lei Cheng, the mission was a complete success. Shouldn't we divide the spoils now?"
"Haha!"
Hearing this, Lei Cheng and the others burst into hearty laughter. He unslung the sack from his back and opened it. A dazzling, jade-green light spilled out, and a faint, sweet fragrance filled the air, making everyone's eyes light up in anticipation.
Mu Chen peered eagerly into the sack. Inside lay several round, plump, and glossy fruits—the Jade Spirit Fruits. A satisfied smile spread across his face. Their grueling struggle had finally paid off.