Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: The Beast’s Fierce Retaliation, the Brave Strengthen Their Resolve

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Lin Fan gripped the emerald-green longsword in his hand. The blade emitted a low hum, as though responding to the surging spiritual power within him.

The strange light in the giant ape’s eyes grew ever more intense, like two deep pools of ghostly fire. It seemed to be preparing some terrifying eruption.

He could feel the air around him growing sluggish. The pressure weighed against his chest like something tangible, making it difficult to breathe.

He dared not let his guard down in the slightest.

Drawing a deep breath, Lin Fan circulated the wood spiritual energy within him to its utmost limit. Emerald light surged around his body, forming a thin membrane that shielded him completely.

His gaze remained locked on the giant ape, while the longsword in his hand was poised to strike, ready to meet the next wave of attacks at any moment.

The air was thick with tension, like the suffocating stillness before a storm.

Then, without warning, the giant ape unleashed a deafening roar.

The sound was no longer merely savage. It was filled with something sinister and mysterious, like a summons from the deepest reaches of hell.

Immediately afterward, black radiance began to spread across the giant ape’s body. It grew brighter and brighter, burning over its enormous frame like black flames.

Under the shroud of that dark light, the giant ape’s body began to swell once more. Its already mountain-sized form rose several yards higher, its muscles knotting and bulging with explosive power.

It opened its cavernous mouth. A thick stench of sulfur rushed toward Lin Fan, followed by a jet of black flame that shot from its throat. It was a hellish blaze carrying the aura of utter destruction, howling toward him.

Lin Fan’s pupils contracted sharply. He could sense the terrifying power contained within the black fire.

Before that force, he felt unbearably small.

With no time to think, he instantly drove his wood spiritual energy to its limit. The emerald membrane before him solidified in an instant, transforming into a sturdy shield.

The black flames slammed violently into the emerald shield, releasing a thunderous boom.

The shock wave tore the surrounding trees from the earth by their roots. Sand and stones flew through the air, while the ground was scorched black, hissing as the acrid smell of burning filled the air.

The shock wave carried tremendous force, causing Lin Fan’s body to tremble slightly.

“What power!” Lin Fan clenched his teeth as he felt the immense pressure bearing down on the shield.

He could clearly sense the corrosive force within the black flames gradually eating away at his wood-spiritual shield.

“Roar!” The giant ape growled again, a hint of smugness in its voice.

A cruel glint appeared in its crimson eyes, as though it were mocking Lin Fan’s futile struggle.

At that moment, Li Yun spoke in a grave voice. “Be careful. There’s something wrong with these flames.”

The black fire continued to burn. Its darkness seemed like an endless abyss, intent on swallowing Lin Fan’s shield whole.

Lin Fan could feel the shield’s strength gradually weakening, like a dam riddled with cracks and tottering beneath the assault of a flood.

Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead, slid down his cheeks, and fell to the ground, where they instantly became wisps of steam.

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His body bore an enormous pressure. Every inch of his skin felt as though it were being crushed beneath a heavy weight. Breathing was difficult, and his ears were filled with the roaring of the flames and the sizzling sound of the black fire corroding his wood spiritual energy.

He knew that once the shield broke, he would find it difficult to withstand the flames. Oppression and urgency flooded his heart.

Yet Lin Fan did not remain on the defensive.

Suddenly, he dispersed the shield, drawing a cry of alarm from Li Yun.

In the instant the guardian beast was caught off guard, Lin Fan shot toward it like an arrow loosed from the string.

Using the unique ability of his Wood Spirit Body, he wove through the flames. The black fire licked at his body, yet could not truly harm him.

His figure flickered in and out of sight amid the flames, like an elf glimmering in the darkness.

The guardian beast’s eyes widened. Clearly, it had not expected Lin Fan to make such a move. It tried to swing its enormous arm and block him, but Lin Fan was simply too fast.

“Hmph. Do you think you can defeat me like this?” the giant ape roared, its voice shaking the air around them.

Lin Fan did not answer. His gaze only grew more resolute as he drew closer and closer to the guardian beast—close enough to see every strand of fur on its body and feel the heat radiating from it, along with its thick sulfurous stench.

“You’re courting death!” the giant ape bellowed, preparing to meet his approach.

A cold smile curved Lin Fan’s lips. In the next instant, he was already before the guardian beast.

His figure appeared like a ghost against the giant ape’s chest. Pressed against its rough, scorching fur, he was assaulted by the heavy stench of blood and sulfur.

Without the slightest hesitation, he poured the wood spiritual energy gathered within him furiously into his palm. Emerald light, sharp as a blade, drove violently into the giant ape’s body.

“Roar—!”

A shrill cry of agony rang through the mountain forest. The giant ape’s enormous body convulsed violently, like an earthquake.

Its crimson eyes filled with pain and disbelief. Its former arrogance vanished in an instant, replaced by boundless terror.

It twisted its body frantically, swinging its massive claws wildly as it tried to fling Lin Fan from its back.

Rumble!

The surrounding rocks were smashed to pieces beneath the giant ape’s enormous body. Fragments rained down as the air filled with dust and the stench of charred earth.

Lin Fan clung tightly to the giant ape, his fingertips sinking deep into its hardened flesh as he felt the violent tremors wracking its body.

He gritted his teeth and endured the tremendous impact generated by the beast’s desperate struggles.

The wood spiritual energy within him surged into the giant ape like a flood bursting through a breached dam.

That emerald force rampaged through the giant ape’s body like countless sharp blades, slicing through its flesh and meridians.

One horrifying crack after another began to appear across the giant ape’s body. Black blood erupted from them like lava, filling the air with a vile, pungent stench.

The beast let out a pained howl. Its voice grew weaker and weaker, while the power that had once surged through it ebbed away like the tide.

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Lin Fan felt the giant ape’s resistance gradually weakening. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a smile of victory.

An indescribable sense of accomplishment rose within him.

“It’s useless. You can’t escape,” Lin Fan said in a low voice, a trace of barely restrained excitement in his tone.

Suddenly, the giant ape’s shriek stopped abruptly. Its enormous body stiffened, and every movement ceased.

“What’s happening?” Li Yun asked in confusion.

At that moment, the giant ape’s body began to tremble once more. An unprecedented radiance suddenly erupted from its crimson eyes, as though it intended to gather every last ounce of strength for one final strike.

The giant ape released a roar that shook heaven and earth. Its crimson eyes burned with a crazed will to fight, as if it meant to reduce the entire world to ashes.

It refused to accept defeat. It would exhaust the last of its strength and utterly destroy the insignificant human before it!

The giant ape’s enormous body suddenly leaped into the air, charging toward Lin Fan like a cannonball.

It swung its colossal fist, wrapped in savage power, as though it intended to grind Lin Fan into dust.

Lin Fan showed no fear. He drew a deep breath and summoned every bit of wood spiritual energy within him. Emerald radiance blazed around his body, making him appear like a god descended from the heavens.

“Come on!”

With a roar, Lin Fan charged straight into the giant ape’s attack.

The longsword in his hand transformed into a streak of emerald lightning, tearing through the air as it thrust directly toward the giant ape’s chest.

Two mighty forces collided in midair, unleashing an ear-splitting explosion.

Violent waves of energy swept outward. Trees were ripped from the ground, mountainsides split apart, and the entire valley trembled as though the end of the world had arrived.

Lin Fan felt a force like collapsing mountains and overturning seas crash into him. His body was hurled backward and slammed heavily against a boulder, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

The giant ape had also suffered a devastating blow. Its enormous body staggered several times before finally crashing to the ground, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sky.

Lin Fan struggled to his feet. Pain wracked his body, but an unyielding flame burned in his eyes.

He looked up and saw, not far away, a spiritual herb glowing with a gentle radiance as it swayed softly in the breeze…

“Just… a little more…”

Gritting his teeth, Lin Fan stretched out a trembling hand toward the spiritual herb…

Seeing this, Li Yun hurriedly flew forward.

“Lin Fan, be careful!”