Chapter 53: The Guardian Giant Ape

In the void, a mighty human cultivator was locked in fierce battle with a ninth-rank demon beast. On the ground below, a host of Spirit Kings and even Spirit Emperors clashed with demon beasts in a savage melee.

"These... any one of them could have ruled supreme in their own territory, and yet here they are... How did experts become so common, so worthless..." Ye Feng felt his entire worldview on the verge of collapse.

In the past, even an Innate master would be regarded as a heavenly figure. Shedding Heaven City, the greatest city for thousands of miles around, had clan leaders who were, at best, Innate experts themselves.

But now, there was a mass of Spirit Kings and Spirit Emperors locked in combat...

"Heh! Anyone who could detect the birth of a treasure in this place is hardly ordinary, are they? Besides, Shedding Heaven City is just a tiny mountain city, nothing more!" Ye Tianya tousled Ye Feng's hair with a smile as he spoke.

Only Fifth Uncle's face was less than pleasant; he looked at Ye Feng in frustration. "All great clans, and yet why is my own junior so timid? Hasn't seen the world at all..."

...

The battle in the void raged on. From time to time, surges of spiritual power overflowed, flattening distant mountain ranges.

The human cultivator wielded a heavy sword with sweeping, forceful movements. Where the blade passed, space itself shattered, crisscrossing the void with beams of light stretching for hundreds of feet.

Yet, this fellow looked nothing like a true master. With every strike, he would shout loudly, "Take that... and that, and that..."

Opposite him, the Black-armored Profound Tiger was hard as iron, its jet-black wings flapping to conjure up gales of spiritual power, matching the mysterious human blow for blow.

The duel had gone on for nearly half an hour, neither side able to overcome the other, locked in deadlock.

Below, humans and demon beasts were similarly locked in an unending, tangled struggle.

On the human side, more than a dozen factions watched coldly, none showing any intention of joining the fray.

A roar...

Once again, a beast’s cry echoed through the void as a giant green python, hundreds of feet long, appeared. Its entire body was shrouded in a misty green fog; wherever it passed, vegetation withered and died in the blink of an eye.

"An ancient Heaven-reaching Python... I just happen to be missing a main ingredient for my elixir; your inner core will do nicely!" To Ye Feng's left, a cold-faced man in black took a slow step forward.

Roars upon roars...

But in the next moment, space fluctuated violently as one massive demon beast after another emerged from the void. Judging by their auras, each was the equal of the Black-armored Profound Tiger.

"Tianya! Watch over Feng’er; our clan could use a guardian beast as well!" Fifth Uncle grinned, his gaze fixed on a giant ape nearly ten feet tall in the distance.

"Fifth Master Ye, if you don’t act now, humanity is finished!" Not far away, an old man standing atop a mountain hefted a halberd, his figure flickering as he charged at a colossal, winged lion.

"The Arm-Extending Ape is claimed by the Ye family! The rest of you may divide the other beasts as you wish!" Fifth Uncle strode into the void barehanded, as if on a casual stroll.

A furious roar...

The giant ape, already possessed of intelligence, bellowed in rage at Fifth Uncle’s words, its powerful arms thundering against its chest.

Another enraged roar...

The ape lashed out with its long arm, swinging a mighty blow at Fifth Uncle!

"The Arm-Extending Ape is famed for its strength; as a juvenile, it could move mountains and fill seas. Once mature, its fists can shatter peaks, its feet crack the earth, and it wields profound powers—truly a formidable foe," Ye Tianya explained to Ye Feng as he observed the battlefield.

"Then I'll trade blows with you head-on!" Fifth Uncle shouted, golden spiritual energy flaring around him as he unleashed a Dragon-Grasping punch.

The fist shadow was peerless, every pore visible, swiftly drawing spiritual power from the surrounding world.

A hiss...

Like a branding iron plunged into water, the void sizzled with blue smoke as the ape's fist shadow quickly dissipated.

"Bind."

With a swirl of his long sleeve, the fist shadow in the air trembled and in a blink transformed into a golden dragon hundreds of feet long.

"This... this is the essence of spoken law! Has the Carefree King truly broken through in these fifteen years?" In the distance, some onlookers stared in shock at the dragon in the sky, exclaiming in disbelief.

A dragon’s song...

The giant dragon soared through the heavens, swallowing clouds and mist.

"Come with me, and spare yourself further suffering," Fifth Uncle said quietly, gazing steadily at the Arm-Extending Ape.

A furious howl...

The ape, enraged, threw back its head and roared, its arms flailing as a barrage of fist shadows filled the sky, crashing down upon Fifth Uncle with world-breaking force.

In an instant, the entire void was saturated with fist shadows, nothing else visible.

Clothes billowing, Fifth Uncle stood tall as a god of war. With a wave of his hand, an invisible barrier materialized before him.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

Endless fist shadows pounded the barrier, the force so immense the void trembled, cracks in space spreading everywhere.

Yet... the barrier, like a boat in a storm, tossed and shook but remained intact, steadfast in the air.

"Now, be bound!"

A dragon’s roar...

The golden dragon dived from the heavens, its scales glittering, its eyes beaming golden light that pinned the ape in place.

A thunderous crash...

As if crushed by a mountain, the ape tumbled helplessly from the sky.

A crisp snap...

With a sweep of its tail, the divine dragon sent the ape flying, embedding it deep into a mountainside.

Following close, a dragon claw reached into the mountain, grasping the debilitated ape and hauling it back.

"Will you yield?" Fifth Uncle asked, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at the ape.

"Damn! That old man is a monster! He subdued a ninth-rank Arm-Extending Ape with a mere gesture," muttered an elder of the Xiao clan, bringing Xiao Chong over to Ye Feng's side and cursing in frustration.

Before his words had faded, Fifth Uncle had already led the now human-sized, docile ape to Ye Feng.

At the sight of the meek Arm-Extending Ape, Ye Feng’s eyes twitched. Inwardly, he called Fifth Uncle a true freak.

Ah...

In the distant sky, a mighty human cultivator let out a miserable scream as a demon beast tore away half his body. Blood rained from the heavens as his lifeless corpse plummeted down.

Roars upon roars...

Ripples pulsed through the void as three giant eagles appeared overhead.

A shrill cry...

At the eagles’ call, every ninth-rank demon beast seemed to receive an order, swiftly breaking off from their opponents and gathering by the three eagles' side.

On the human side, the remaining eleven top experts quickly regrouped.

After this fierce battle, out of sixteen experts above the Spirit Emperor rank, five had fallen in an instant. Those who survived were all battered, their energies chaotic, clearly exhausted.

A few inadvertently glanced toward Ye Feng’s group, catching sight of the giant ape behind Fifth Uncle, and immediately drew sharp breaths.

Sensing their unease, the other ten turned to look as well. When they saw the ape, disbelief flooded their faces.

"Fifth Master Ye, you old devil, you quietly tamed that brute and didn’t even lend me a hand. Some friend you are!" The earlier old man hefted his halberd, glaring as he spoke.

"Heh! This monkey and I are fated; it followed me of its own accord!" Fifth Uncle smiled benignly, the picture of harmlessness.

Ye Feng could hardly contain himself, his heart pounding. This old man was always so unassuming, who could have guessed he was so terrifying? Such a scene, he couldn’t even be bothered to make excuses...

Sure enough, the usual holy patriarchs and elders nearly stumbled from the sky at Fifth Uncle’s words, their bodies swaying unsteadily.

"Hmph! I suppose all those beasts over there are fated for me too, yet none of them follow me!" another elder grumbled, pointing at the fourteen ninth-rank demon beasts in the distance.

With a sidelong glance, Fifth Uncle slowly replied, "Actually, I feel we’re fated as well."

At these words, the man’s face changed dramatically, and with a flash, he fled the scene as if for his life.