Second-Rank Demon Bird

After chatting for a few moments, Xu Lei got down to business. "We found a Purple Apricot Tree, but a First Rank Late Stage Great Strength Ape is guarding it."

"Purple Apricot Fruit? How many are there?"

Qin Qing asked excitedly.

Purple Apricot Fruit could enhance one's cultivation power and was suitable for Qi Refining Cultivators.

"When we found the Purple Apricot Tree, there were over twenty fruits. We don't know how many remain now."

Xu Lei said that the Great Strength Ape guarded the Purple Apricot Tree, and there was no guarantee it had not eaten some of the Purple Apricot Fruit in the meantime.

"Time waits for no one. Let's set out at once! Once Fairy Ye sets up the Formation and we lure it inside, we'll have it in the palm of our hand."

Xu Wu urged.

Shen Long had no objections either. It was better to get the Purple Apricot Fruit sooner rather than later.

"Then let's go. Let's hope everything goes smoothly."

Xu Lei said, and the group left Green Bamboo Courtyard.

After leaving the Marketplace, Xu Lei brought out the Azure Cloud Boat and stepped aboard. Shen Long and the other seven followed him onto it.

Xu Lei formed a hand seal, and the Azure Cloud Boat slowly rose into the air, flying toward the heavens.

Five days later, the Azure Cloud Boat landed in an open area. Not far away stood a stretch of Cyan Bamboo Forest.

Shen Long and the other seven stepped down from the Azure Cloud Boat. Xu Lei put it away, cast a defensive spell on himself, and headed toward the bamboo forest.

At a thought from Shen Long, a watery blue light screen appeared and shielded his entire body as he followed.

Ye Yutang and the other five each cast a defensive spell on themselves and followed.

They did not move quickly. Their eyes swept over their surroundings, their faces full of vigilance.

Half an hour later, they stood at the foot of a steep mountain peak. Halfway up the mountain was a cave several zhang wide, and dense vegetation covered the slopes.

"The Great Strength Ape is in that cave."

Xu Lei said, pointing at the cave halfway up the mountain.

Ye Yuqing and Ye Yutang took out Formation Flags and Formation Disks to set up the Formation. Once they had finished arranging it,

Cyan light blazed beneath Qin Qing's feet as he rushed up the mountain.

Ye Yuqing took out a cyan command flag and poured cultivation power into it. A dazzling cyan light lit up across the flag, pouring forth a vast cloud of cyan mist that enveloped the seven of them.

When the cyan mist dispersed, they had vanished as well.

Before long, a loud beastly roar rang out from within the cave. The entire mountain peak trembled slightly, and Qin Qing burst from the cave, panic written across his face.

He wore a suit of yellow armor, formed from the Earth Armor spell.

Qin Qing raced down the mountain. Before he had gone far, a massive yellow Giant Ape charged out of the cave. It stood over a zhang tall, bared its fangs, and was covered in yellow bristles.

The Great Strength Ape possessed immense strength, enough to uproot mountains and topple seas. It was not easy to deal with.

The Great Strength Ape raised its right foot and stomped fiercely on the ground. The earth trembled slightly as more than a dozen thick yellow Earth Spikes burst from the soil and shot toward Qin Qing.

The yellow Earth Spikes struck the yellow armor with a series of dull thuds. The armor remained intact, but Qin Qing slowed down.

He hurriedly brought out a Cyan Flying Knife and severed the yellow Earth Spikes. At that moment, the Great Strength Ape caught up, closing to within a zhang of Qin Qing.

A Cyan Vine as thick as an adult's arm burst from the ground and wrapped around the Great Strength Ape's right leg. The ape tore at it with all its strength and snapped it, but another Cyan Vine of roughly the same thickness soon burst from the ground and coiled around its left leg.

It easily tore apart the Cyan Vine, only for another thick Cyan Vine to burst from the ground and wrap around its right leg.

The Cyan Vines could not restrain the Great Strength Ape, but Qin Qing had used the opportunity to escape to the foot of the mountain.

The Great Strength Ape had no intention of continuing the pursuit. It turned and headed back toward the cave, when a Crimson Fireball the size of a water vat fell from the sky and smashed into it. Roiling flames swallowed its body.

The Great Strength Ape let out an angry roar, turned around, and fixed a ferocious gaze ahead.

Qin Qing controlled the Cyan Flying Knife as it slashed toward the Great Strength Ape. The ape showed no fear and met it with its right fist.

The Cyan Flying Knife struck the Great Strength Ape's right fist with a dull clang of metal against iron, then flew backward.

Qin Qing activated a Fireball Talisman, which transformed into a Crimson Fireball as large as a millstone and smashed toward the Great Strength Ape.

Feeling the searing heat radiating from the Crimson Fireball, the Great Strength Ape did not dare take it head-on and tried to dodge. A thick Cyan Vine burst from the ground and bound its left leg. Just as it tore the vine apart, the Crimson Fireball slammed into its body.

More than half the Great Strength Ape's fur was burned away, completely enraging it. It strode down the mountain in great bounds.

Cyan light flared beneath Qin Qing's feet as he ran into the distance. The Great Strength Ape pursued relentlessly. When it reached the foot of the mountain, thick Cyan Vines burst from the ground one after another and bound both its feet.

The Great Strength Ape struggled with all its might, but it was useless.

Shen Long and the other seven revealed themselves as well, either bringing out Dharma Artifacts or casting spells to attack the Great Strength Ape.

Ye Yutang released the Li Fire Falcon, while Ye Yuqing released the Green Wind Tiger.

Two fists could not fend off four hands. Trapped within the Formation, the Great Strength Ape became a living target and was no match for Shen Long's group of eight. Before half an hour had passed, its head was severed by a Cyan Short Sword.

"It's finally dealt with."

Xu Wen said, delight appearing on his face.

They put away the Great Strength Ape's corpse, dismantled the Formation, and headed up the mountain.

Upon entering the cave, they found it dark and damp.

Sun Yang took out a Moonlight Stone for illumination. Before long, they reached the end of the cave and entered a cavern about an acre in size.

In the lower-left corner stood a purple fruit tree over a zhang tall, bearing nineteen oval purple fruits.

"Purple Apricot Fruit!"

Qin Qing's face lit up with joy.

"It ate quite a few. There are only nineteen left."

Sun Yang said with a frown.

They picked all the Purple Apricot Fruit. Xu Lei, Ye Yutang, Ye Yuqing, and Sun Yang received three each; Shen Long, Qin Qing, and Xu Wen received two each; Xu Wu received one Purple Apricot Fruit.

The Purple Apricot Tree was also worth quite a few Spirit Stones, but their Storage Bags did not have enough space for it, and it was inconvenient to carry. They could transport it with the Azure Cloud Boat.

They carefully dug out the Purple Apricot Tree. Xu Lei brought out the Azure Cloud Boat and placed the tree aboard.

They boarded the Azure Cloud Boat one after another. Xu Lei formed a hand seal, and cyan light immediately blazed from the Azure Cloud Boat as it flew outward.

After flying out of the cave, the Azure Cloud Boat rose toward the sky.

A piercing bird cry sounded. A huge Green Eagle appeared high in the air and swooped rapidly toward them.

"Not good, it's a Second-Rank Demon Bird."

Ye Yuqing's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly activated more than a dozen Fire Snake Talismans, which transformed into over a dozen Crimson Fire Snakes more than a zhang long and shot toward the Cyan Giant Eagle.

Xu Lei formed a hand seal, and the Azure Cloud Boat rapidly descended, landing on the ground.

A shrill whistling tore through the air as dozens of Cyan Wind Blades descended from above and slashed toward them.

At a thought from Shen Long, a Blue Water Screen appeared close against his body. He also brought out the Black Tortoise Shield, which circled around him without stopping.

He took out an Earth Escape Talisman and slapped it onto himself. Yellow light flashed, and a Yellow Light Screen appeared, enveloping his body as he burrowed into the earth and escaped using earth escape.