Herbaceous Poison

Among the many uses of Purple Mist Grass was its potent toxicity to ape-like demon beasts. Ape-like beasts below Silver Rank could rarely withstand its effects.

In this world, everything had its natural nemesis!

Nie Li had killed a Green Arm Giant Ape with just one arrow?

Everyone exchanged puzzled, astonished looks.

Only Hu Yan Lanruo and Ye Ziyun knew that Nie Li had smeared some kind of potion on the tip of the arrow.

Even so, hitting a Green Arm Giant Ape so easily was no small feat.

Seeing Nie Li kill the Green Arm Giant Ape with a crossbow bolt, Chen Linjian shouted, "Everyone, take out your crossbows!"

Chen Linjian's men all brought out their crossbows. They could use them to hunt down the Green Arm Giant Apes!

Shen Yue also took out a crossbow. Looking at the finely made weapon in his hands, he felt resentful. Why was Nie Li better than him at everything? Ever since Nie Li had appeared, Shen Yue had felt himself growing farther and farther from Ye Ziyun. Now she completely ignored him and treated Nie Li differently instead, filling Shen Yue with maddening jealousy.

It was only a Green Arm Giant Ape. How difficult could it be to shoot one?

Shen Yue loaded a bolt into the Light Crossbow, crouched low, and slowly moved to the wall. He aimed at a Green Arm Giant Ape in the distance, his expression intensely focused as he lined up his shot.

Everyone's eyes fixed on Shen Yue by the wall. They held their breath.

"A Green Arm Giant Ape is such a huge target. It can't be that hard to hit!" Shen Yue pulled the trigger—but just as he did, his hand trembled.

Whoosh! A flash of cold light sliced through the sky. A moment later, the bolt thunked into a tree trunk in the distance, at least five or six meters from the Green Arm Giant Ape.

Shen Yue's face twitched. His expression turned ashen.

Everyone looked at one another, fighting to hold back their laughter. If they laughed out loud, Shen Yue would never be able to show his face again. They understood that he was trying to compete with Nie Li, but surely he could do it without making himself look so ridiculous?

Shen Yue was nearly going mad. He had been sure he could hit the beast. Why had his shot gone wide the moment he pulled the trigger?

Seeing everyone suppressing their laughter, Shen Yue felt humiliated. For a moment, he thought he saw a faint smile of disdain in Ye Ziyun's eyes. Damn it, he refused to believe this! He hurriedly took out a second bolt and loaded it, fumbling in his haste. Then he immediately aimed at the Green Arm Giant Ape in the distance.

The bolt flashed through the air, but moments later, as if it had run out of strength, it dropped to the ground.

Shen Yue hadn't loaded the bolt properly, so it had flown only a short distance before falling.

At last, everyone burst into laughter. Shen Yue's skill was nowhere near good enough, yet he had insisted on imitating Nie Li by shooting a Green Arm Giant Ape. He'd only made a fool of himself. Had Shen Yue come here just to make them laugh?

Chen Linjian struggled to suppress a grin. He walked over and patted Shen Yue on the shoulder. "Brother Shen Yue, maybe you should leave it. This thing isn't for you!"

Shen Yue's face turned purplish-blue. The laughter rang painfully in his ears. He hated Nie Li all the more—Nie Li had made him lose face in front of everyone!

If Nie Li had known what Shen Yue was thinking, he would have felt completely innocent. He hadn't done anything at all!

Shen Yue stood there holding the crossbow, unsure whether to put it away or keep holding it. He wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground.

In his previous life, Shen Yue had been extremely arrogant and had mocked Nie Li relentlessly. Remembering this, Nie Li's lips curled into a cold smile. "Just because I can do something doesn't mean you can!"

Nie Li's words ignited Shen Yue's anger. He roared at him, "This is all your fault! I'm going to kill you!" The veins on Shen Yue's face bulged as he raised his crossbow and aimed it at Nie Li, nearly out of his mind. As a direct descendant of the Sacred Family, Shen Yue had always been exceedingly proud. Under Nie Li's provocation, he had lost all reason.

With a slap, Chen Linjian knocked the crossbow out of Shen Yue's hands and barked, "Enough!"

When Shen Yue looked up and saw Chen Linjian's cold expression, he felt utterly dejected. Everyone was on Nie Li's side now. He turned away in frustration and walked off.

Everyone watched Shen Yue's retreating figure and whispered among themselves.

"I never thought Shen Yue was that kind of person!"

"He has no manners worthy of a noble!"

Nie Li's gaze was cold. He remembered how the Sacred Family had abandoned the city and fled in his previous life, and what Shen Yue had done. For people like him, and a family like that, Nie Li wouldn't feel the least bit sorry even if they were destroyed!

Ye Ziyun watched Shen Yue's lonely figure, then walked over to Nie Li. "Nie Li, Shen Yue is kind of pitiful."

At Ye Ziyun's words, Nie Li frowned. He hadn't expected her to feel sorry for Shen Yue. Ye Ziyun was too softhearted; in his previous life, she had agreed to marry Shen Yue after his endless pleading. Yet before they were even married, Shen Yue had fled the city with the Sacred Family.

What was there to pity about someone like him?

Furious, Nie Li glared at Ye Ziyun and said sternly, "What's there to pity about him? From now on, don't have anything to do with him. Otherwise, don't come see me again. A despicable man like him deserves to die!"

Scolded so harshly by Nie Li, Ye Ziyun pouted. You're not my boyfriend, so what gives you the right to tell me not to see other people? Though that was what she thought, in the end she made her choice: she wouldn't see Shen Yue again. Otherwise, she might not even be able to remain friends with Nie Li. Somehow, she seemed to care very much about what Nie Li thought. She just didn't understand why he hated Shen Yue so much. Could the two of them have some irreconcilable grudge between them?

Nie Li let out a long breath. He had been too worked up just now, which had made his tone too harsh. Still, it was good to warn Ye Ziyun.

Chen Linjian's men all tried to take on the Green Arm Giant Apes with their crossbows, but soon realized that their bolts couldn't do a thing to them. Though the apes were enormous, they were extremely agile. The moment they spotted a bolt, they dodged, and the shots all missed.

Only then did they realize how remarkable Nie Li's archery was.

After seeing yet another of Nie Li's abilities, Hu Yan Lanruo looked at him with eyes brimming with desire. Whenever she stood beside him, she struck all sorts of flirtatious poses, showing off her stunning curves, high breasts, and deep cleavage.

Nie Li was speechless at the woman. She could get in the mood anytime, anywhere. Hu Yan Lanruo was always cool and indifferent around everyone else, but she seemed especially interested in him.

"Brother Nie Li, I'll be counting on you from here on!" Chen Linjian said with a sigh. Of everyone present, Nie Li was the only one who could kill the Green Arm Giant Apes.

"Mm." Nie Li nodded slightly.

Nie Li began clearing the Green Arm Giant Apes along the way. His aim was so precise that he never missed. In his previous life, his archery had reached the pinnacle. Though his cultivation had only just reached Bronze 1-star, he was more than capable of dealing with ordinary Silver Rank demon beasts.

Everyone could only marvel at Nie Li's archery. Even a Silver Rank expert would find it difficult to dodge his bolts. No matter how the Green Arm Giant Apes tried to evade them, the bolts pursued them like shadows, striking after they were fired.

At some point, Nie Li had become one of the central figures in the group.

Just as Nie Li and the others were slowly drawing near their destination, Green Arm Giant Apes suddenly began appearing in greater numbers around them. There were more than twenty, all watching Nie Li's group menacingly.

A deafening roar rang out, and the ground shook violently beneath their feet.

Their eardrums felt as if they were about to burst. Everyone looked at one another.

"It's a Spirit Level demon beast!" Nie Li exclaimed in alarm.

Like humans, demon beasts were generally divided into Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and Legendary Ranks. Within each rank, however, there were ordinary, Spirit Level, and King Level beasts. For instance, an ordinary Green Arm Giant Ape could not form a demon spirit in its mind, but a Spirit Level Green Arm Giant Ape had already formed one. They often possessed the intelligence of a human in their teens, and were far stronger than ordinary Green Arm Giant Apes. As for King Level beasts, the demon spirits in their minds had condensed into liquid. They could partially transform their bodies into a humanoid form, and their strength was terrifying.

"What rank is it?" Chen Linjian asked in alarm, his expression changing.

"Silver 5-star, just a little short of Gold Rank," Nie Li said. He had confirmed its strength from the Green Arm Giant Ape's roar.

Nie Li frowned slightly. Demon beasts of the same rank were usually a little stronger than humans, especially intelligent beasts like Green Arm Giant Apes, which were extremely difficult to deal with. This Spirit Level Green Arm Giant Ape might be as strong as a Gold Rank expert.

With Nie Li's current strength, dealing with a beast like that would be extremely difficult.

As for Chen Linjian's group, the strongest among them was only Silver 3-star!

Silver 5-star. Chen Linjian frowned slightly. He hadn't expected to encounter a Spirit Level Green Arm Giant Ape here, let alone one at Silver 5-star. It would be extremely difficult to deal with. There were also many ordinary Green Arm Giant Apes lurking nearby. If they fought, the entire group could be wiped out!

In the distance, the Spirit Level Green Arm Giant Ape leaped onto the high wall and stood there, glaring at Nie Li and the others with a savage glint in its eyes.

"Come with me!" Nie Li shouted, then sprang into the woods beside them.

The others exchanged glances, then followed Nie Li into the woods.

Seeing this, the Spirit Level Green Arm Giant Ape flew into a rage. It beat its chest and stamped its feet, roaring again and again. A group of ordinary Green Arm Giant Apes seemed to take orders from it and swarmed toward the direction Nie Li and the others had fled.

Once they entered the dense thicket, the towering Green Arm Giant Apes found it harder to move.

"Form a defensive circle!" Chen Linjian roared. A group of Silver Rank experts quickly used the sturdy trees around them for cover and formed a ring, drawing their weapons.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

One Green Arm Giant Ape after another charged toward them. Nie Li swiftly raised his crossbow and fired bolt after bolt.