A day later, Hai Bodong took Qing Lin and headed to the Black-Corner Region.
Two more days passed, and Yun Yun, unable to refuse the continuous urging from the Yunlan Sect, as she was its sect leader, departed from Desert City.
A week later, Nalan Yanran emerged from her seclusion, having advanced to the ninth star of the Dou Master level.
By this time, the influence of the Lofty Cloud Pavilion had already enveloped Desert City and several surrounding cities, expanding at a noticeable pace.
Although expansion inevitably led to casualties, Chen Mo had established a few rules:
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No burning, killing, or plundering.
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No targeting ordinary civilians.
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Temporary avoidance of conflicts with the government.
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Absolute obedience to orders.
...
In a mountain range bordering the Jia Ma Empire and the Cloud Empire.
"Grand Pavilion Master, we've spotted a fourth-tier magical beast near a waterfall," a subordinate hurriedly reported.
"Pfft!" Warm blood sprayed from the head of a third-tier magical beast. Chen Mo used his spear to extract the beast's magic core and tossed it to a subordinate responsible for collecting them. He then wiped the blood from his hands and asked, "Where's Pavilion Master Sha?"
"Pavilion Master Sha and a few brothers are keeping watch near the waterfall."
"Let's go take a look."
During this period, Chen Mo had been hunting magical beasts in this mountain range to enhance his combat experience while also accumulating Luck Points.
Name: Chen Mo
Race: Human
Cultivation: Seven-star Dou Master (he had recently broken through another star).
Luck Points: 6,700
Cultivation Method: Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength
Dou Skills: Nethergod Spear, Devil's Wings, Extreme Flame Skill, Body Like a Swimming Dragon, Thousand Thunder Incantation.
Items: Aura Concealment Technique, Fantasy Egg (Desire Pills and the like were stored in his Storage Ring).
Functions: Treasure Chest Lottery, Plunder, Mall.
Faction: Lofty Cloud Pavilion.
Dharma Body: Hellish Salvation.
Not far from the waterfall, on a tree.
Chen Mo leaped onto the tree and landed beside Sha Luo.
"Grand Pavilion Master, it's a fourth-tier magical beast known for its ferocity—the King Kong Magic Ape. It's a bit tricky," Sha Luo said with a grave expression. During this time, they had jointly hunted a fourth-tier magical beast and had some experience in this regard.
But now, they were dealing with the King Kong Magic Ape, a beast that grows stronger and more frenzied in battle, especially when it smells blood.
Once it goes berserk, it will relentlessly pursue you until one of you dies.
There was once a newly advanced Dou King who provoked this beast.
The result was two deaths.
Because the Dou King had just advanced and was not yet proficient in using Dou Qi Wings, he initially had the upper hand. However, after enraging the King Kong Magic Ape, he was relentlessly beaten and chased for over a hundred miles until his Dou Qi was exhausted, and he was pummeled to death.
The ape also died from excessive blood loss.
Hence, it was later said that it's better to provoke a fifth-tier magical beast than to mess with the King Kong Magic Ape.
With the former, if you escape, it might not chase you. But with the latter, once it goes berserk, it's either you or it that dies.
Chen Mo frowned as he watched the King Kong Magic Ape bathing under the waterfall.
Indeed, what Sha Luo said was also his concern.
But if they let it go, they would be giving up over 4,000 Luck Points.
Chen Mo was reluctant to do so.
After pondering for a while, Chen Mo said, "I'll take the lead later. You all prepare the poisoned arrows on the crossbows and wait for my command."
Before heading out to hunt magical beasts, Chen Mo had specially ordered a batch of powerful crossbows and adamantine crossbow bolts designed to penetrate armor. He had also purchased some potent poison from a pharmacy.
When dealing with the fourth-tier magical beast, the Swift Wind Giant Wolf, Chen Mo didn't exert his full strength. He merely broke through the wolf's armor, then shot a crossbow bolt into its body. After the poison took effect, he finished it off with a final strike.
After all, the armor of a fourth-tier magical beast was difficult to penetrate, even with custom-made crossbow bolts.
"If the Grand Pavilion Master were to personally intervene, it would undoubtedly be a swift victory," Sha Luo flattered, expressing his strong confidence in Chen Mo.
After some preparation.
Chen Mo's Devil's Wings materialized behind him, and he soared into the air.
Below the waterfall, the King Kong Magic Ape seemed oblivious to the impending danger, leisurely bathing in the water.
At that moment, a sharp whistling sound came from behind the ape.
It was a black spear.
The spearhead was ablaze with scorching Thunder Fire, creating ripples in the air as it flew.
"Roar!"
Just as the spear was about to pierce the ape's back, it moved its massive fist and struck the spearhead.
The black spear dissipated.
But its fist was also pierced by the spear, and blood gushed from the wound.
The ape was enraged and immediately locked its gaze on Chen Mo, who was hovering in the air not far away.
With a furious roar, the ape raised its palm, and a water column shot up from the pool below the waterfall, forming a dragon that soared through the air, covering over a hundred meters in an instant, heading straight for Chen Mo.
Just as it was about to swallow Chen Mo whole.
The latter formed a spear in his hand, wielding the Extreme Flame Skill with such force that, with a few swings, the water dragon turned into droplets and fell to the ground.
Seeing Chen Mo so easily dispel the water dragon, the King Kong Magic Ape was momentarily surprised, but then a ferocious expression appeared on its face, its massive fangs bared.
Its enormous body leaped into the air, bringing with it a surge of water, and swung its massive fist toward Chen Mo in mid-air.
At this moment, the advantage of flight became apparent.
The Devil's Wings flapped, and Chen Mo's body rose higher, causing the ape to miss its target.
"Thousand Thunder Incantation."
Thunder descended as commanded.
The ape, leaping in the air with no point of leverage, was inevitably struck by the thunder, and the protective aura around its body, similar to Fighting Energy Armor, was shattered.
Boom!
The King Kong Magic Ape's body crashed heavily into the river below, splashing water everywhere.
"Fire the arrows!"
Chen Mo commanded.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
From the surrounding dense forest, countless poisoned arrows shot out, streaking through the air like a dense rain, heading straight for the ape.
Roar, roar, roar.
The ape stood up from the river, letting out several furious roars. Its intelligence was not low; from the dense arrows coming from all directions, it was clear that it had been ambushed. The human before it wasn't just trying to provoke it—he wanted its life.
Its massive fists struck the river below, creating a surge of water that formed a steel-like wall around its body.
All the arrows struck the wall, but not a single one managed to penetrate.
"It even knows how to use water to block. This beast's intelligence is quite high," Chen Mo frowned as he observed the scene below. It was proving more difficult to handle than he had anticipated.
"Thousand Thunder Incantation."
Several more bolts of thunder struck down, but aside from dispersing the defensive water and the ape's protective armor, they didn't cause significant damage.
Seeing that it couldn't hit Chen Mo for the moment, the demonic ape instead began attacking the surrounding members of the Lofty Cloud Pavilion.
"How dare you!"
Helpless, Chen Mo had no choice but to descend and confront the demonic ape head-on.
But Chen Mo clearly had little patience.
"Beast, since you don't want to live a moment longer, I'll send you to the afterlife ahead of schedule."
"Behold my Dharmakaya, Hellish Salvation!"