Dark Demonic Ape

Above a small town on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a Griffon emanating a terrifying aura slowly flapped its Wings.

Standing atop the Griffon in black robes with his hands behind his back, Lin Feng looked down at the place he had not left long ago, yet he had no intention of going down for a look.

He had never belonged here from the very beginning. Perhaps the faint nostalgia he felt was only because this was where he had met Xiao Yi Xian.

As for Maple Leaf Tower, Lin Feng had already contacted the major families in the Imperial Capital. They would be able to lend a hand should it face a life-or-death crisis.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Lin Feng turned his gaze toward the core region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

"Although I have a top-grade Three-patterned Azure Spirit Pill refined by Elder Fa, along with two top-quality Five Elements Pills for Dou Ling-level use..." Feeling the Dou Qi within him that had yet to fully stabilize, Lin Feng could not help sighing inwardly. "As expected, battle cannot be avoided. Only through it can I lay a solid foundation and advance quickly."

"Dancing Spiral Griffon King, go!"

Gently patting the Griffon's head beneath his feet, Lin Feng gave the command to this Rank 4 Griffon.

"Roar..."

With an enraged roar toward the sky, Xuanwu fiercely beat its enormous wings, transforming into a massive streak of black light as it shot toward the core region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Atop a towering tree, Lin Feng stood upon a branch. As for Xuanwu, it had long vanished without a trace.

His gaze fixed on the troop of monkeys playing in the orchard below, a trace of eagerness flashed through Lin Feng's eyes before he quietly suppressed it.

"Forget it. It was already improper to force a trade with them last time. It would not be right to bully them again this time."

Looking at the Monkey King and several Monkey Generals sunning themselves atop the Giant Stone as though nothing could disturb them, Lin Feng could not help smiling.

"Let these spirits of the forest continue growing freely like this forever."

As his words fell, Lin Feng leaped away and silently disappeared from the spot, unnoticed by any monkey.

However, had Lin Feng looked closely enough, he would have noticed a golden monkey among the troop, its gaze seemingly no different from the others'.

Yet the occasional flashes of cunning in that newborn little monkey's eyes were astonishing, as though its intelligence was no weaker than a human's.

Of course, none of that mattered to Lin Feng. At this moment, he was swiftly making his way through the forest.

His goal on this trip was to find at least a mid- to high-level Rank 4 Demonic Beast to battle, stabilize his Dou Qi, and prepare himself for his next rapid advancement.

"Perhaps," a wild ambition rose in Lin Feng's heart, "I might even be able to challenge a Fifth-order Demonic Beast. I just need to watch out for the Amethyst Winged Lion King at the mountain range's center. That fellow is not someone I can deal with yet."

A trace of solemnity flashed through Lin Feng's eyes. "Even if I possess a Flying Dou Technique, before an Amethyst Winged Lion King that naturally excels at flight, I would merely be showing off before a master."

"Unless I can advance to a mid- or high-level Dou Wang."

Lin Feng had always treasured his life greatly. Besides, there were now two lovely women waiting for him to protect.

After traveling for half an hour, Lin Feng stopped before a great canyon.

"This should be the place." Looking at the pitch-black canyon that seemed capable of swallowing everything, he said, "According to Mu Chen, a solitary Rank 4 Demonic Beast—the Dark Demonic Ape—lives within this Dark Canyon."

"Mu Chen provided this information three years ago. From what he sensed, the beast's aura was only at the middle Rank 4. However, this type of Demonic Beast possesses an exceptionally powerful body. Its only weakness is that once it enters battle, it falls into a berserk state and its intelligence greatly declines."

Mu Chen's description flashed through his mind. Lin Feng rubbed his chin, a glint of wisdom appearing in his eyes.

"Three years is not long for a Demonic Beast. Even if it is extraordinarily gifted, it could at most have reached the peak of Rank 4. There is no way it has advanced to Rank 5. It is still within my grasp."

"However..." Five-Colored Light appeared in Lin Feng's palm as he slowly sent it into the area. "I still need to conceal our auras."

In the blink of an eye, after the ball of light merged with the ground, colorless curtains of light immediately rose around the area. As time passed, they swiftly enveloped the entire canyon.

"This Five Elements Sealing Technique truly has limitless potential. Classifying it as a high-level Mysterious Tier technique is still underestimating it. It would not be excessive to say it rivals an Earth Tier Dou Technique." The delight in Lin Feng's tone was unmistakable. "But who could have imagined that a person with all five attributes coexisting would exist in this world?"

"After only a little study, I developed this method of using the light curtain to isolate auras and disturbances. It can even absorb the energy of heaven and earth on its own. If no one destroys it, it may very well continue cycling forever."

After checking the light curtain once more, Soul Force surged from his mind and enveloped his entire body. Once he was certain his aura was completely concealed, Lin Feng leaped forward and vanished into the dark canyon.

Walking silently through the pitch-black canyon, Lin Feng felt a faint sense of doubt. "This place may be shaded from the light, but it should not be so dark that one cannot see anything, right?"

"Good thing Soul Force can serve as my sensory vanguard. Otherwise, if the Dark Demonic Ape suddenly ambushed me, I would truly die in the Magical Beast Mountain Range before accomplishing anything."

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Lin Feng sensed a massive cluster of violent energy ahead. In terms of sheer quantity alone, it surpassed even Lin Feng, a Five-star Dou Spirit who cultivated the Five Elements Art.

"Huff..."

After sensing it carefully, Lin Feng let out a breath of relief. "Fortunately, it has not reached Rank 5. Otherwise, in such a dark environment, I might truly not be its match."

As he gradually drew closer, Lin Feng's Soul Force wrapped around him ever more tightly. Dou Qi surged in his palm, ready to unleash a terrifying strike at any moment.

Training was training. Beating yourself half to death and then ensuring your safety afterward—that was training. Otherwise, it was gambling with your life.

"Whoosh..."

A piercing sound echoed through the dark canyon. Then, within Lin Feng's perception, the ape, roughly five zhang tall, suddenly leaped into the air.

"Roar..."

After being struck by Lin Feng's sneak attack, blood continuously sprayed from the Dark Demonic Ape's right arm, yet it seemed not to care at all. It first roared furiously toward the sky, then wildly pounded its chest, producing thunderous sounds that shook Lin Feng's eardrums, almost like a sonic Dou Technique.

Seeing this, Lin Feng merely smiled faintly. Rather than retreating, he advanced. Dou Qi wrapped around his fist as he charged barehanded toward the Demonic Ape.

"Roar..."

Seeing this, the Dark Demonic Ape violently smashed apart a nearby Stone Pillar, then swung it up and brought it crashing down at Lin Feng.

"Rumble..."

The instant the Stone Pillar collided with Lin Feng's fist, a tremendous shockwave erupted. Massive clouds of dust surged up, and before they could begin to disperse—

The man and ape both tacitly retreated some distance before charging at each other once more.

The booming resounded throughout the canyon. Though the surroundings were utterly dark, anyone hearing such unceasing, violent collisions could surely imagine how brutal the battle was.

After an unknown number of clashes, the ape suddenly hurled the badly shattered Stone Pillar at Lin Feng. After Lin Feng easily dodged it, the ape roared again, leaped high into the air, raised its fist with its five-zhang body, and swung down fiercely at Lin Feng.

Yet Lin Feng, who had sensed the movement through Soul Force, felt no fear whatsoever. This was exactly the kind of intense collision he wanted; otherwise, how could he rapidly stabilize his Dou Qi?

Moreover, with every collision, Lin Feng could clearly feel his body accelerating its absorption of the Monkey Wine's medicinal power, rapidly growing stronger. This was precisely why he had come to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, so he had no intention of using techniques such as the Five Elements Sealing Technique or the Flying Dou Technique.

Ignoring the cracks in his palms and the blood that streamed endlessly from them, Dou Qi Armor once again covered his body. With a kick off the ground, Lin Feng slammed into the Dark Demonic Ape rushing down from the sky.

"Rumble..."

Violent energy fluctuations erupted between the man and ape, ruthlessly leveling the surroundings. As though locked in a stalemate, the two hung suspended in the air for an instant.

"Boom..."

Suddenly, one large and one small figure were both blasted backward, smashing fiercely into the canyon walls with an explosive crash.

"Pfft..."

Lin Feng spat out a mouthful of clotted blood. Wiping it away, he slowly said, "I never expected this ape's body to be so tough. Although I did not use any Dou Techniques, my physical strength and the high-quality armor formed from Five Elements Dou Qi are no weaker than those of an ordinary peak Dou Ling. Yet we still ended up mutually injured."

After raising his eyes to sense the Dark Demonic Ape's condition, Lin Feng brushed his hand over his Storage Ring. Two bottles of Third Grade healing pills appeared in his palm. He opened one and poured it into his mouth, then tossed the other near the Dark Demonic Ape, which was continuously letting out low growls.

"Such a fine training opponent cannot disappear just like that. These are healing pills. They can treat your injuries."

As his words fell, Lin Feng did not care whether it understood him. Dou Technique Wings spread from his back, and with a single beat, he shot into the sky.