Titan Giant Ape's Challenge!

"Er Ming, stop!"

Sensing Er Ming's aura, Xiao Wu abruptly stood in front of Chu Fan and spread her arms. "Big Brother, Er Ming listens to me the most. You saved Mom, so now I'll protect you."

"Sister Xiao Wu, this is a human—a cunning human." Er Ming lowered his arms, planting them on the ground as he glared furiously.

Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips and threatened, "No, Big Brother isn't a bad person. She saved Mom and even told me stories. If you dare come any closer, I won't talk to you anymore."

Chu Fan shook his head.

This little girl, do I need you to protect me?

Dancing Ji extended a hand and covered her smile lightly.

"Sister Xiao Wu, don't let humans deceive you."

"Damn it! Cunning human, do you dare fight me?"

Er Ming roared, and a wave of pressure spread outward, startling flocks of birds into flight throughout the forest. He slammed both hands against his chest with a resounding bang, bang, utterly enraged.

"I see your scars have healed and you've forgotten the pain. You're deliberately asking for a beating."

Chu Fan did not take Er Ming seriously, but seeing Xiao Wu acting as though she were protecting him filled him with delight. He stepped forward, pinched Xiao Wu's cheek, and smiled. "Xiao Wu, don't worry. Little Brother Er Ming can't do anything to me."

"Little brother?" The instant Er Ming heard Chu Fan call him little brother, his fury surged. A mere human, no different from an ant, dared insult him?

Er Ming narrowed his eyes and swept a glance over Chu Fan, shaking his head disdainfully. "That Titled Douluo I met before had some skill. But a brat like you? I'm afraid one roar from me would scare you limp."

"Er Ming, stand down. Duke Chu is my benefactor. Do not be disrespectful." Dancing Ji hurriedly tried to stop him as well. She did not want her savior to get into a conflict with Er Ming.

She knew Chu Fan was powerful. He had managed to rescue her from Bibi Dong's grasp in Spirit Hall, but she did not believe Chu Fan could defeat the immensely strong Er Ming.

Soul beasts differed from Soul Masters. Soul beasts possessed tough muscles and skin that Soul Masters found difficult to penetrate, especially Titan Giant Apes, whose defenses were even more astounding. Chu Fan's spear would find it hard to inflict any damage. If they compared strength alone, even Da Ming might not gain the upper hand.

What Chu Fan could rely on most was his speed, but she knew that against a Titan Giant Ape, speed was useless.

"Auntie, I don't believe it. There isn't a single good human." After saying that, Er Ming glared at Chu Fan. He had suffered at Spirit Hall's hands during the day and was already full of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent it.

You brainless, brawny idiot. You actually dare blame us humans for it.

"Luckily, Er Ming can't hear that. Otherwise, he'd tear apart half the forest." Dancing Ji let out a breath of relief, glad that only she could hear Chu Fan's thoughts.

"Auntie, you said he saved you. Then this brat must be very strong, right?"

"Yes. Duke Chu alone rescued me from Bibi Dong's hands and even healed my injuries."

Dancing Ji answered directly, which instead caused Er Ming to freeze for a moment. He did not believe a human could be that strong. At most, he had used some tricks. Auntie must have said that because she was afraid Er Ming would bully him.

"I think he's all show, just like those humans—cunning and sleazy. Looking at how sleazy he is, he's probably a spy sent by the humans."

Er Ming's words nearly angered Chu Fan to death.

Is your brain full of water? You actually called me sleazy? No, I have to teach you a proper lesson today and let you know the consequences of biting people at random.

Hearing Chu Fan's thoughts, Dancing Ji smiled in amusement. "Since Duke Chu says so, it seems he is confident."

After pondering for a moment.

"That's right. Duke Chu is a divine envoy, so naturally he does not fear Er Ming. Er Ming truly needs to learn a lesson as well. Otherwise, with that rash temper of his, he will surely suffer when he encounters Soul Masters like Bibi Dong again."

Chu Fan looked at Er Ming and said with a smile, "Naturally. I'll play with you. If you win, I'll let you do whatever you want with me. But if you lose, you'll listen to everything I say. How about it?"

"Fight me? Brat, you're courting death!" Er Ming flew into a rage, rubbing his fists together. His eyes locked onto Chu Fan as though he wanted to tear him to pieces.

At that moment, Chu Fan paced with his hands behind his back. "What's wrong? Are you afraid?"

Chu Fan looked at the Titan Giant Ape with utter disdain.

Da Ming was stunned when he heard that. It was not because Chu Fan's words frightened him; for a human to challenge Er Ming, his strength must surely be that of a Titled Douluo.

"This brat is pretty arrogant. Let me see what he's capable of."

Da Ming swept over him with a stream of spiritual power, only to discover that there was not the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power around Chu Fan. He was like a bottomless abyss.

"Could he be an ordinary person?" Da Ming was filled with doubt.

Seeing no trace of worry on Dancing Ji's face, unease immediately rose in his heart. He knew Auntie understood this human before them best. Since she was at ease letting him fight Er Ming, that meant he possessed a certain level of strength.

There were two kinds of people one could not see through. One truly had no Soul Power fluctuations and was an ordinary person.

The other could conceal their Soul Power and keep it from leaking out. Such people were the most terrifying. He did not believe Chu Fan, who had rescued Auntie from Bibi Dong's hands, could be an ordinary person. That left only the second possibility.

"Brat, you're this arrogant? Watch how I teach you a lesson."

Seeing that Er Ming was not taking this seriously, Da Ming hurriedly sent him a message. "Er Ming, be careful. Do not underestimate him. And stop when it's enough. After all, he saved Auntie. Just drive him out of the forest."

Er Ming turned his head and smiled at the Sky Azure Bull Python. "Don't worry, Big Brother. Watch me smash him flat and see who the little brother is today."

"Ah, this Er Ming... That rash temper of his is going to cost him." Da Ming sighed softly.

"Cunning human, watch me smash you into pulp." Er Ming looked down at Chu Fan on the ground from high above. At that moment, Chu Fan was like an ant on the earth, as though Er Ming could crush him to death with one stomp.

Er Ming suddenly grew more imposing, his enormous body becoming as massive as a mountain. Every part of him was covered in powerful muscles more terrifying than granite.

His lantern-sized eyes glared wrathfully at Chu Fan. Like the god of death, they seemed to hook souls and steal spirits.

"Great Vajra Hammer!" Er Ming drove both fists down at Chu Fan with tremendous force. They moved so swiftly that dust rose behind the enormous, boulder-like fists.

For other soul beasts, an advantage in speed usually meant a lack in strength. But Titan Giant Apes were different. Wherever they appeared, they were absolute overlords, possessing unparalleled strength and speed.

Their attacks and defenses had virtually no weaknesses. Even a hundred-year Titan Giant Ape could contend with other ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

When the Titan Giant Ape's fist landed, the ground trembled with it. The earth shook and mountains quaked, and thunderous booms resounded through the sky. That punch possessed the power to split mountains. When he raised his arm, a deep crater five meters across had appeared in the ground.

Even a Titled Douluo would have difficulty recovering for ten days or half a month after taking a punch like that. Of course, Chu Fan was an exception.

Just as Er Ming was smugly certain he was about to hit Chu Fan, Chu Fan vanished from where he stood and appeared somewhere else in the next instant.

"Teleportation?"