Though the light around their mouths was faint, it was still visible.
Xiao Chen was genuinely surprised. These dozen or so giant apes seemed to understand the rudiments of cultivation. He could not help but recall the legends of the mortal world—tales of spirits and monsters that refined the essence of the sun and moon to attain enlightenment.
Among the troupe, the four-armed blood-red ape was the most extraordinary. The moonlight it inhaled and exhaled condensed into a ball of radiance that flickered in and out of visibility. Moreover, a faint luster shimmered across its entire blood-colored pelt. It had clearly opened its spirit and grown into a creature of some power.
For the next two evenings, the dozen giant apes came at dusk to share in his food and drink. Of course, they could never eat their fill—their appetites were far too vast—but they savored the taste all the same.
A tiger's roar echoed from the distant woodlands, then abruptly ceased. Before long, a dozen agile beast shadows bounded over. The four-armed blood-red ape carried a saber-toothed tiger over three meters long and dropped it before Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen's heart tightened. This strange ape's combat prowess was truly formidable. The saber-toothed tiger had been killed in a single blow—its entire skull was shattered. One could imagine the terrifying power in those four arms.
After the apes departed, Xiao Chen resumed circulating his qi-refining technique to heal his injuries. Time was life; he had no choice but to seize every moment to restore his strength.
Oddly enough, the little single-horned celestial horse had not been seen for two days, as if it had vanished. Xiao Chen worried for it, fearing it might have met with misfortune. This island was far too mysterious and perilous.
Not until the celestial horse reappeared the following day did his anxiety subside. The little heavenly steed was still timid and curious—it fled at the slightest disturbance. Apart from coming to share the ambient spiritual energy during cultivation, it loved to secretly observe Xiao Chen, much like a curious child.
Three days passed, and Xiao Chen's body recovered smoothly. But on that very night, danger arrived. Zhao Lin'er had finally appeared. The royal celestial maiden had broken through the blockade of the ancient ferocious dragon and tracked down Xiao Chen's trail. This time, she did not intend to fail again. She was resolved to eliminate this great threat in one battle.
She stepped lightly, moving with an ethereal grace. Beneath the watery moonlight, in this primeval forest, she was utterly peerless—radiant enough to brighten the entire woodland. Coupled with the terrifying beast roars around her, she seemed all the more otherworldly and pure, like a celestial maiden descending upon this savage island.
Though she possessed a face that could overshadow the moon and a beauty that could topple kingdoms, Xiao Chen had no heart to admire her. To him, she was a goddess of death.
He did not flee outright. Instead, he calmly retreated toward the giant apes' territory.
The dozen apes were still inhaling and exhaling moonlight. When they saw Xiao Chen enter their domain, they made no hostile move. Several days of sharing meals had made them accept him as a neighbor.
Zhao Lin'er pursued with her divine sword in hand, calm and determined. But when she reached the forest of jagged rocks, she froze. The dozen giant apes stood among the stones like enormous steles, casting long, towering shadows under the moon.
At the same time, streaks of light passed in and out of their mouths as they worshipped the moon, drawing in its essence. It was obvious at a glance that these were all enlightened anomalous beasts.
Zhao Lin'er hesitated. She knew these strange beasts were fearsome, but she had only just located Xiao Chen. She could not let this chance to destroy him slip away. The longer she delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for her. She could not allow him to continue recuperating.
She activated the Illusory Light Shadow-Stepping Art and charged into the rock forest. The Rainbow Sword Art unfolded, and a blaze of multicolored light rose into the night sky.
"Roar!"
The blood-red ape in the center let out a sharp howl. Moonlight wreathed its body, making it appear both mysterious and terrifying. Its towering form rushed forward like the wind. A claw-arm nearly two meters long clanged against the rainbow light, and the long sword threw off a cascade of sparks.
The royal celestial maiden was shocked. This four-armed strange ape possessed boundless strength and its flesh was actually impervious to blades!
One strike told Zhao Lin'er how fearsome the ape was. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned to flee. But dark shadows flickered—a dozen massive silhouettes moved like ghosts and blocked her escape.
"Roar…" The apes howled ceaselessly, their demonic shadows crowding the moonlit night.
Xiao Chen watched from a distance in silence. That the giant apes were enlightened was within his expectations, but he had not expected them to be so "righteous" as to trap Zhao Lin'er like this.
The royal celestial maiden's face had changed color. She wanted to break out immediately. She pushed her cultivation to its utmost limit, her body turning into a beam of rainbow light as she wove through the rock forest.
"Pfft!"
Blood burst forth. A dazzling rainbow beam pierced through a giant ape's chest. The Rainbow Sword Art was a famed divine scripture of immense power; the rainbow light directly tore through the ape's body, killing it on the spot.
Zhao Lin'er gained some confidence. Apart from the four-armed strange ape, only the claws of the other apes were as hard as iron; their bodies had not yet reached the state of invulnerability.
"Roar!"
The four-armed blood-red ape gave a mournful howl and charged to the front, attacking Zhao Lin'er with wild fury. Beams of rainbow light struck its body, but they could barely injure its bones and sinews, only producing a clanging sound. The blood-colored fur shimmered with an alien sheen under the moon.
Clearly, the ape chief was enraged. Cold, murderous light filled its eyes, brimming with boundless hatred. It swore to tear Zhao Lin'er apart.
Given Zhao Lin'er's cultivation, she might have been able to fight this enlightened beast to a standstill. But with over a dozen other apes surrounding her, she was in constant danger.
And at that moment, Xiao Chen charged in as well. At this point, words were useless. Only fists would decide the outcome.
"Rip!"
A section of Zhao Lin'er's sleeve was torn to shreds by an ape, revealing a segment of her arm, smooth as fine jade. At the same time, the enraged blood-red ape seized the long sword in her hand. Its monstrous claw snapped the blade with a single twist!
By then Xiao Chen had already attacked. He had always believed that the strongest weapon was the body itself. Discarding the iron sword, his hands traced a series of mysterious trajectories, unleashing a resplendent curtain of light that descended toward Zhao Lin'er.
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