God of War Descends!

But unfortunately, reality was not hypothetical. The Jade Shield was far too durable. The recoil from the Lightning Leopard's pounce had nearly broken its own claws, let alone inflicted any damage. Unable to stop its forward momentum, it crashed headfirst into Mistsplitter.

It died horribly...

"Hiss, my hand's a little numb."

Mo Yuqing's lips twitched slightly. Although the shield had protected her just now, she had actively thrust Mistsplitter forward. The Lightning Leopard's charge had been a little too fierce and strained her arm.

But overall, it wasn't a serious problem...

It was just that the Lightning Leopard at such close range was a little terrifying. Though it had died outside the shield, it had been pressed right against it.

"Bang!"

A tremendous crash rang out, and the Lightning Leopard was sent flying away. Zhongli smiled and extended a hand to her. "You look a little disheveled. Need a hand?"

"Oh."

Mo Yuqing looked at the Lightning Leopard beside her, then at Zhongli's bare hands, and instantly concluded that he was incredibly strong. He didn't seem like a simple shield-support type? No, he had said his Soul Power rank was higher than hers. It was normal for him to be a little stronger physically.

Their hands clasped together, but Mo Yuqing's small hand trembled slightly. She had clearly been injured just now, and pulling her up directly would probably hurt.

Zhongli moved closer, slipping one arm beneath her armpit and supporting her back as he helped her up. "No rush. Rest for a while first. Absorb the Spirit Ring once you've recovered."

Mo Yuqing bit her lip as she looked at the yellow Spirit Ring that had already risen from the Lightning Leopard's body, anxiety filling her heart. What if the Spirit Ring disappeared after resting too long? It would be better to absorb it quickly! Her arm was only slightly injured; she herself had been fine beneath the shield, so absorbing the Spirit Ring should not be a problem.

"Ah..."

Zhongli naturally saw through her thoughts, so he supported her over to the Lightning Leopard. Meeting her gaze, he said, "Go ahead and absorb it. It'll be fine."

The Lightning Leopard was not very old, only around four to five hundred years. Though that was somewhat beyond the limit, it was not necessarily impossible to try. There were undoubtedly two criteria for absorbing a Spirit Ring: physical strength and mental willpower. Zhongli had spent a long time with Mo Yuqing, so he naturally knew how her body was... how strong her body was.

Ahem. Besides, although her willpower was somewhat immature, it was quite good overall. She was a perfect unpolished gem. Absorbing a slightly more extreme Spirit Ring was not impossible; otherwise, Zhongli would certainly have stopped her.

"Mm, then... I'm counting on you."

Mo Yuqing looked at Zhongli somewhat bashfully. After pursing her lips, she quickly leaned closer and lightly pecked him on the cheek. Her little face slightly flushed as she said, "Now we're even. Mm... I'm relying on you!"

Feeling the dampness on his cheek, Zhongli was slightly surprised. But he quickly recovered and smiled. "No problem. You can always trust me. Always."

"Mm!"

Mo Yuqing felt much more at ease. She sat beside the Lightning Leopard and began absorbing its Spirit Ring.

"As Solid as Bedrock!"

Zhongli added another shield. It was better to stack more shields for protection; whenever it felt about time, he would refresh one. But he was not merely shielding her. He was also carefully observing their surroundings. Ever since Mo Yuqing had sat down, he had felt as though the atmosphere around them had changed slightly.

It seemed that something was coming...

Zhongli closed his eyes and focused on sensing the rocks around him, expanding the range of his perception. Though it was not explicitly stated on the panel, as the Geo Archon, he possessed such an ability. Perhaps because it was too basic, it had not been listed.

Zhongli's consciousness resonated with the rocks. Every pebble on the ground became his eye, observing everything around them, while the area under his observation continued to expand and stretch outward.

Very quickly, he found the source of that feeling. More than two hundred meters to the north-northwest, a giant ape was approaching them. The ape looked extremely dangerous, and it was also very old.

Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape

Approximately four thousand years old

Zhongli narrowed his eyes. If this creature approached Mo Yuqing, it could very well break the shield. Even if it could not, it could still disrupt her. He had to eliminate the danger! And quickly. If he could not return within eighteen minutes, the Jade Shield on Mo Yuqing would disappear, putting her in danger and leaving her vulnerable to interference.

"Hoo..."

Zhongli gently exhaled, stretching his body slightly until it crackled. As he walked toward the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape, he waved a hand, and a golden-and-brown spear instantly appeared in his grasp.

It was Vortex Vanquisher!

His pace grew faster and faster, and his eyes as he looked toward the distant Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape brimmed with fighting spirit. This could be called his first battle since coming to this world, and it was also a timed battle. Not only did he have to win, he had to win quickly.

Because they were rushing toward each other,

the distance between them rapidly closed.

Zhongli soon saw the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape. The monkey had crimson fur and stood over three meters tall. Its muscles were exceptionally developed, hard as brown bedrock. It looked immensely powerful. It was likely a soul beast that had run out from the center of the forest for some unknown reason.

"Roar!!"

The Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape roared, pounding its chest fiercely with both hands and baring its fangs in warning. Zhongli was not afraid. He even smiled—a battle-hungry smile.

"Come on, beast!"

Zhongli spun his spear and shouted proudly, the Jade Shield around him gleaming brilliantly.

"Roar!!"

The Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape roared again. Though it stood over three meters tall, its body was extraordinarily nimble. With a forceful kick of its legs, it leaped into the trees, swinging back and forth among the towering trunks as it continuously approached Zhongli, seemingly trying to make it difficult for him to predict the direction of its attack.

But would Zhongli be unable to deal with that?

How could that be possible!

"Planet Befall!"

Zhongli planted Vortex Vanquisher upright and fiercely struck the ground with its butt. Amid a resounding boom, the earth trembled with it. This was Geo Element Control. This was the ability of the Geo Archon.

"Boom!"

The rocks around the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape began growing wildly. As though they possessed lives of their own, they closed in on the ape from every direction, forcing it to flee everywhere to avoid them.

But the rocks grew too quickly, and they were everywhere. No matter where the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape ran, rocks would surround and attack it, making it exceptionally miserable.

However, it soon fixed its target on Zhongli, who stood in place. Its scarlet eyes seemed to burn with raging flames as it leaped from a giant tree once more, dodging the attacks of the rock spikes and evading the barriers formed by the rocks.

In the end, the Three-Eyed Scarlet Fire Ape descended from the sky and hurled its strongest punch at Zhongli!