Bang!
With a deafening boom, the hard ground cracked!
The Wind Baboon, as massive as a small mountain, landed with a crash, carrying the terrifying pressure of a five-to-six-thousand-year Spirit Beast. At the spot where it had just swung its sharp claws, a deep pit half a foot deep had appeared, with gravel scattering everywhere.
"Watch out!" Bei Bei's sharp cry rang out almost simultaneously.
At that critical moment, Liu Yuan, Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao had already dodged in different directions at high speed.
Huo Yuhao only felt a gust of strong wind pass by him. In the next second, he was hoisted up by the waist by an irresistible force. The wind whistled in his ears, and his vision spun.
By the time he came to his senses, Liu Yuan had already brought him to a safe area over ten meters away and set him down steadily.
"Big Brother Liu Yuan..."
Huo Yuhao, still shaken, looked up at Liu Yuan.
He saw that the other's profile appeared exceptionally calm under the flickering firelight, as if the soul-stirring sneak attack just now was merely a trivial farce.
On the other side, the equally quick-reacting Bei Bei and Tang Ya had already met the Wind Baboon head-on!
"Vile beast! Don't you dare be so arrogant!" Bei Bei roared, and a brilliant blue-purple light suddenly erupted from his body.
A majestic phantom of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon flashed behind him, and a powerful dragon's might spread out. Three spirit rings—yellow, purple, purple—instantly rose and circled his body.
Facing this Wind Baboon, whose cultivation far exceeded the previous one, he held nothing back. His opening Move was as powerful as a thunderbolt!
"First Spirit Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
"Second Spirit Skill, Thunderous Momentum!"
"Third Spirit Skill, Thunder's Wrath!"
Bei Bei's body was completely enveloped in dazzling lightning, his Aura climbing steadily.
The dragon claw on his right arm became more solid, and purple thunderous power surged wildly, as if it were about to tear the air apart.
At the same time, with a loud shout, countless tiny electric snakes burst from him, quickly weaving together in the air to form a vast web of lightning that descended upon the Wind Baboon!
"Xiao Ya, harass from the flank!" Bei Bei reminded her in a deep voice.
"Understood!" Tang Ya cried out, her short blue hair moving without wind under the surge of spirit power.
Three spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple—also lit up beneath her feet.
Countless slender yet tough Blue Silver Grass vines burst from the ground like living venomous snakes, coiling around the Wind Baboon's limbs from all directions in an attempt to restrict its movements.
Her Spirit Ability, "Blue Silver Grass Parasite," had also been quietly activated. Some seeds mixed among the vines were waiting for an opportunity to invade the Wind Baboon's body.
However, the chasm in strength could not be easily bridged by clever coordination alone.
"Roar—!"
The Wind Baboon let out an even more violent roar. Facing the imposing lightning web, a hint of disdain flashed in its eyes.
It took a deep breath, its chest swelling high, and then spat out a green tornado wind blade!
Rip—
The lightning web collided with the wind blade. After stalling for less than half a second, it was torn to shreds by the highly condensed wind element power, dissipating into a sky full of electric sparks.
Immediately after, the Wind Baboon ignored the Blue Silver Grass coiled around its legs—which were snapped instantly by its muscular strength—and kicked off the ground. Its massive body, with an agility completely at odds with its size, turned into a black whirlwind and crashed straight toward Bei Bei!
"Not good!" Bei Bei's pupils constricted.
In his haste, he held his Thunder Dragon Claw across his chest to block, but that overwhelming force was impossible to withstand.
With a dull thud, Bei Bei was struck as if by a heavy hammer. Letting out a muffled groan, he was sent flying far away, crashing heavily into a giant tree that would take two people to embrace before he finally came to a stop, a trace of blood already leaking from the corner of his mouth.
Having landed a successful blow, the Wind Baboon did not pursue. Its blood-red beastly eyes suddenly turned toward Tang Ya on the side, hatred and killing intent boiling to the peak at this moment!
The Wind Baboon, having fallen into a frenzied state, was now planning to attack indiscriminately!
"Roar!"
The Wind Baboon let out a hoarse roar and flashed forward, carrying a foul wind and intense killing intent, its claws aiming straight for Tang Ya's throat!
This strike's speed was even faster and more ruthless than when it attacked Bei Bei!
"Xiao Ya!" Bei Bei's eyes nearly split from rage. He struggled to get up, but his roiling blood made him powerless to do so.
"Sister Xiao Ya!" In the distance, Huo Yuhao was even more pale with fright, his heart jumping into his throat.
Tang Ya's movement technique was far less agile than Bei Bei's. Facing this lightning-fast fatal blow, she had no time to dodge at all. She could only watch helplessly as the cold, glinting claws rapidly enlarged in her vision, the shadow of death instantly enveloping her.
Time seemed to slow down infinitely at this moment.
Despair was written all over Tang Ya's face, Bei Bei's eyes were filled with anger and helplessness, and Huo Yuhao's heart was occupied by immense fear.
And at this very moment of life and death!
A voice filled with anger rang out clearly in everyone's ears.
"Courting death!"
Before the words had even faded, a gold-green stream of light pierced the night sky without warning, cutting between Tang Ya and the Wind Baboon at a speed that completely transcended everyone's understanding.
It was Liu Yuan!
He had moved at some unknown point.
In Huo Yuhao's eyes, Big Brother Liu Yuan, who had been standing beside him a second ago, turned into a blurry phantom in the next, as if he had crossed the distance of space to appear directly in the center of the battlefield.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
Along with a low shout, light surged from Liu Yuan's body.
A sacred and magnificent emerald-green Divine Dragon phantom soared behind him, and a terrifying dragon's might, originating from the primordial era, descended like the sky collapsing!
Under this pressure, the five-to-six-thousand-year Wind Baboon, which had been incredibly fierce, actually trembled as if struck by lightning. Its movements stiffened for a moment, and its eyes revealed a fear rooted deep within its Bloodline!
Liu Yuan's body also changed accordingly; he entered a "half-human, half-dragon" Dragon-man state.
Fine emerald-green dragon scales appeared on his forehead, and his eyes turned into majestic golden vertical pupils. A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, emerald green and entwined with brilliant light, suddenly lit up beneath his feet!
"First Spirit Skill—Extreme Speed!"
Buzz—
The spirit ring shone brightly, and the power of the ultimate Law of speed erupted!
Under everyone's horrified gazes, Liu Yuan's figure instantly vanished from where he stood.
No, it wasn't a disappearance, but rather he was so fast that neither the naked eye nor mental force could capture him at all!
The fear that had just appeared in the Wind Baboon's eyes had not yet fully spread before it was replaced by endless shock.
It only felt its vision blur, and the Aura of that tiny human vanished without a trace.
Its fatal claws ultimately only tore through the air in vain.
However, the shadow of death had already descended from behind it.
Puchi—
An extremely faint sound, like a sharp blade piercing tofu, rang out.
There were no flashy Moves, nor any surging release of spirit power.
A figure solidified once more behind the Wind Baboon; it was Liu Yuan.
He maintained a posture with his right hand's fingers joined like a sword, thrusting forward. His fingertips had easily sunk into the Wind Baboon's back, precisely piercing the heart that was still beating violently.
"Heh... heh..."
All of the Wind Baboon's movements came to a screeching halt.
Its massive body stiffened in place. It lowered its head with difficulty, inch by inch, looking in disbelief at the two fingers protruding from its chest, covered in faint dragon scale patterns.
On the fingertips, spirit power condensed; there wasn't even a trace of blood.
In its crimson beastly eyes, madness and hatred receded like a tide, replaced by extreme shock, bewilderment, and the boundless fear of its life rapidly fading away.
Even in death, it did not understand why this human... was so fast? So fast that even its thoughts could not keep up, so fast that death itself seemed so abrupt and absurd.
Thud.
Liu Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, and the Wind Baboon's massive body fell limply to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
It twitched twice and then completely lost all signs of life.
The entire process, from Liu Yuan's strike to the Wind Baboon's death, happened in a mere flash.
Quiet.
A deathly silence.
The campfire in the forest continued to crackle, and the night breeze blew through the treetops, making a rustling sound.
But none of this could break the tangible shock currently enveloping the hearts of Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao!