Ambush Success

"Agh!"

A piercing scream echoed outside the hot spring lake, causing the Iron-Arm Apes inside to bolt out with lightning speed.

Nearly fifty Iron-Arm Apes stood on the shore, each one silent, staring at the approaching figure walking upright – an Iron-Arm Ape much larger than the rest!

Ordinary Iron-Arm Apes were slightly shorter than humans, but this newcomer stood nearly nine feet tall (about 2.2 meters), its entire body a fiery red, save for a small tuft of silver fur on its chest.

"Agh agh~"

The towering Iron-Arm Ape chuckled at the sight of the five ripe Vermillion Fruits in the lake, then eagerly rushed to the water's edge and leaped, clearing over ten yards to land steadily on a rock in the center of the lake.

With two more small hops, it reached the Vermillion Fruit sapling in the middle of the lake, sniffing deeply at the rich aroma. The Iron-Arm Ape leader's face displayed an expression of intoxication. After a moment, it carefully plucked a crimson Vermillion Fruit with its simian paw!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With a few leaps, all five ripe Vermillion Fruits were harvested. The towering Iron-Arm Ape was also very considerate, afraid of damaging the fruits. It grabbed a random rock and used its claws, as sharp as divine weapons, as tools to quickly cut and hollow it out, soon fashioning a stone cup.

"Agh!"

The towering Iron-Arm Ape placed the five Vermillion Fruits securely in the cup and roared. Immediately, nearly thirty Iron-Arm Apes followed it, hopping and jumping away, leaving only a dozen to guard the area.

The towering Iron-Arm Ape leader led thirty Iron-Arm Apes for nearly half a mile, arriving at a forest depression. Strangely, the small path had many upturned weeds, as if someone had been doing some major construction.

"Agh agh agh!"

The Iron-Arm Ape leader noticed two young Iron-Arm Apes hesitating behind it, turning to reassure them with a few calls that everything was fine. It had seen many scenes like this where the ground had been dug up.

The Wildlands teemed with diverse species, and many demon beasts burrowed. Even among ordinary animals, there were hedgehogs and pangolins, masters of digging. Dug-up ground was normal, so the Iron-Arm Ape leader didn't pay much attention.

"Thump... thump..."

Suddenly, a figure shot out from the canopy above the Iron-Arm Apes, scattering over a dozen fist-sized spheres in mid-air. These spheres exploded upon landing, and a cloud of green mist instantly engulfed the group of Iron-Arm Apes.

"Agh agh!"

"Agh!"

"Agh agh agh!"

The Iron-Arm Apes cried out in agitation, but they couldn't immediately escape the mist because they had to protect the Vermillion Fruits in their leader's hands.

"Agh~~~"

The Iron-Arm Ape leader was a seasoned veteran. It reacted quickly after the mist spread, issuing commands to direct the Iron-Arm Apes. However, it didn't notice a pair of golden vertical pupils glinting coldly in the green patch of ground less than a foot in front of it.

"Shhh..."

The Verdant Python, Qing Ling, who had been instructed by Gu Sheng, shot out the moment the Iron-Arm Ape leader opened its mouth to cry out. It opened its bloody maw and bit half of the Iron-Arm Ape leader's body, then whipped its head and slithered away frantically with its prize towards the designated location.

"Agh~~"

"Agh agh agh~"

Not long after Qing Ling left, the Iron-Arm Apes realized something was wrong. They scattered in all directions, fleeing the mist. But when they regrouped, their leader and the Vermillion Fruits were gone.

Two miles away from the hot spring lake, Gu Sheng and Chu Xin waited quietly in a forest clearing. Before them, a dark and massive hole in the ground led to an unknown destination.

"It's coming!"

Gu Sheng's sharp ears picked up a different sound of wind from the hole. He quickly pulled Chu Xin aside.

"Roar~"

Just as they moved, a snake as thick as a bucket, emerged, carrying an ape-like creature in its mouth.

"Pfft~"

Qing Ling, the Verdant Python, spat out the heavily injured Iron-Arm Ape leader onto the ground.

The demon beast was no longer as beautiful as before. From its abdomen upwards, its upper body was a bloody mess, with bare white bones visible in some places. However, even with such severe injuries, it still clutched the stone cup containing the Vermillion Fruits in its arms.

"Agh~"

The Iron-Arm Ape leader struggled to stand, hissing at Gu Sheng, Chu Xin, and the beast, hoping to scare them away.

"Roar~"

Qing Ling, the Verdant Python, flicked its tongue at the Iron-Arm Ape, and without waiting for Gu Sheng's command, pounced.

The battle between the Iron-Arm Ape leader and the Verdant Python ended quickly. The Iron-Arm Ape, ambushed by Qing Ling, was already severely injured. After a brief struggle, the congenital demon beast, whose individual strength was no less than Qing Ling's, met its end, leaving behind a mangled corpse.

"Let's go!"

Gu Sheng used a piece of cloth to wrap the stone cup. After confirming that the Vermillion Fruits were intact, he and Chu Xin climbed onto the back of Qing Ling, the Verdant Python, and the two humans and beast quickly left the ambush site.

"Agh~~~"

Not long after Gu Sheng left, another towering Iron-Arm Ape leader arrived with a hundred Iron-Arm Apes. Seeing the miserable state of the Iron-Arm Ape leader on the ground, the Iron-Arm Apes roared in anger and scattered to track down the enemies.

At the foot of Iron Arm Ape Mountain, Gu Sheng and Chu Xin rode Qing Ling, the Verdant Python, back to their residence. The two humans and beast formed a circle, and under their 'intense scrutiny,' Gu Sheng took out the five Vermillion Fruits one by one and placed them on a stone plate.

The Vermillion Fruits were crimson, like red apples, and emitted an alluring fragrance. Qing Ling, who usually obeyed Gu Sheng, had already become restless, occasionally rubbing its large head against the edge of the stone plate.

"This is yours!"

Gu Sheng divided the Vermillion Fruits onto three stone plates, keeping only one for himself and one for Chu Xin, giving the remaining three to the Verdant Python, Qing Ling.

"Roar~"

The Verdant Python, Qing Ling, roared excitedly. With a flick of its tongue, the three Vermillion Fruits vanished. Then, its body trembled, and it slowly lowered itself to the ground, gradually closing its fragmented gold eyes.

"Eat up!"

Gu Sheng handed a Vermillion Fruit to Chu Xin, then picked up his own and began to eat. "Snap!" The Vermillion Fruit wasn't soft like a ripe fruit; instead, it was tender and crisp. Gu Sheng devoured the entire fruit in one gulp.

As soon as the Vermillion Fruit entered his body, it transformed into a scorching hot current, flowing through his meridians and finally converging in the dantian in his abdomen. Gu Sheng clearly felt a warmth in his abdomen, a very comfortable sensation. As the hot currents merged into his dantian, the walls of his dantian seemed to melt, expanding continuously!

Sizzle~~~

The dantian space continued to grow, and after about half an hour, the dantian finally stopped expanding, and the faint heat dissipated.

Now, his dantian was shaped like an oval egg. This shape caused his Inner Force to naturally rotate, vertically and horizontally... Inner Force vortices intertwined, with the center of the dantian being the center of the vortices.