The Titan Giant Ape strode forward, each step making the ground tremble. But it was moving a little slower than before, clearly having left that area and entered a safer one.
Ji Ye sped up, his figure tracing an arc through the air as he circled around to the Titan Giant Ape's front.
Then he slowly descended onto the crown of a giant tree, folded away his wings, and looked down at the enormous beast before him.
The Titan Giant Ape stopped.
Its two lantern-like eyes narrowed slightly as it stared at the gray-clad youth standing atop the tree.
In its palm, Xiao Wu also raised her head. The moment she saw Ji Ye, she froze.
"Ji Ye?" Surprise colored her voice.
"How did you catch up?"
Ji Ye didn't answer her. Instead, he looked at the Titan Giant Ape and let the corner of his mouth curl slightly.
"As expected of one of the rulers of the Star Dou Forest—a hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape, Erming."
Xiao Wu's pupils contracted sharply.
How did he know Erming's name? She had never told anyone—not even Tang San knew.
Her breathing quickened, and unease welled up inside her.
"Erming, put me down." Xiao Wu struggled a little. The Titan Giant Ape hesitated for a moment, then opened its hand.
Xiao Wu leapt down from its palm and stood before Ji Ye, looking up at him.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
The smile at the corner of Ji Ye's mouth deepened.
"Don't you think this is a perfect opportunity to take you back to Spirit Hall?"
Xiao Wu's face instantly turned deathly pale.
She took two steps back and bumped into the Titan Giant Ape's leg, her body trembling slightly.
"Y-you said what?!"
"I said," Ji Ye replied calmly,
"I'm taking you back to Spirit Hall."
Xiao Wu bit her lip, tears glimmering in her eyes.
Looking into Ji Ye's calm eyes, she suddenly felt like a mouse watched by a cat, unable to escape no matter how hard she ran.
Her lips trembled, and the words squeezed through her teeth.
"Erming, kill him."
The Titan Giant Ape tilted its head back and pounded its chest. It raised its enormous fist high and roared at Ji Ye.
Ji Ye stood where he was without dodging.
A transparent spatial barrier appeared before him.
The Titan Giant Ape's roar was sent directly into another space.
Confusion flashed through Erming's golden eyes, then gave way to anger.
It raised its enormous fist and slammed it down hard against the transparent spatial barrier once more.
A muffled boom rang out.
Ji Ye's figure vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he appeared on Erming's shoulder, the translucent Void Sword already in his hand.
Shhk!
The blade slipped silently into the gap between Erming's shoulder blades.
There was no blood, no wound, but Erming let out a roar that shook the heavens.
That blow had clearly hurt. It was as if an invisible blade were twisting between its bones.
"Roar—!"
Erming swung a hand toward its own shoulder, but Ji Ye had already vanished.
The next second, he appeared behind its knee and thrust again, sliding the sword into the joint.
Shhk!
Erming's knee buckled. Its massive body staggered and crushed several trees.
Xiao Wu stood some distance away, watching Erming's agony as her eyes instantly reddened.
"Erming!!!"
Erming shook its head and fixed its golden eyes on the wavering gray figure in the air, an angry roar rumbling in its throat.
"Roar!"
It raised its right fist and slammed it toward Ji Ye. The punch came wrapped in immense force, moving with incredible speed.
This time, Ji Ye didn't dodge.
His third Soul Ring lit up.
"Third Soul Skill."
"Void: Absolute Domain." Ji Ye's voice fell.
Centered on him, a spherical space ten zhang in diameter twisted violently.
The moment Erming's fist entered the domain, its direction was forcibly altered. Its target shifted several zhang, and it crashed into the open ground to Ji Ye's left. The earth caved in, leaving a deep crater as rubble flew everywhere.
Erming froze.
What was going on?
Was it seeing things?
Erming refused to believe it and swung again. The blow was twisted aside once more.
It swung again—and missed again.
It could clearly see the human standing right there, yet its fist never hit him.
Ji Ye's figure flickered within the domain, appearing in a different spot each time. Every appearance came with another thrust of the Void Sword.
Shoulder joint, elbow joint, knee joint, wrist joint—every strike found its mark, slipping precisely between the bones. There were no wounds and no blood, yet Erming's insides suffered significant damage.
Erming's roars came faster and faster, each one more agonized than the last.
Its movements began to slow. A piercing pain flared through all its joints, keeping it from throwing its fists with full force.
It dropped to one knee, its massive body crushing the shrubs beneath it. Its labored breathing sounded like bellows.
Xiao Wu could no longer bear it.
She rushed forward several steps, tears rolling from her eyes, her voice breaking with sobs.
"Stop! Ji Ye! Don't hurt Erming anymore!"
Ji Ye stopped in midair and looked down at her.
The tip of the Void Sword still hovered above the back of Erming's neck.
"Oh?"
Xiao Wu's lips trembled, her voice hoarse.
"I... I'll go with you. Just stop."
Erming struggled to raise its head, a low whimper rumbling in its throat.
"Xiao Wu, you can't..."
"Don't worry, Erming."
Xiao Wu wiped the tears from her face and forced a smile.
"If he really wanted to kill me, he would've done it already."
Anger and unwillingness flashed through Erming's golden eyes. Its fist clenched and loosened, clenched and loosened, but its body could no longer hold up. The bruising in its joints left it barely able to stand.
Ji Ye put away the Void Sword, descended from the air, and stood before Xiao Wu.
He reached out and ruffled the crown of her head, his fingers passing through her hair. His touch was gentler than before.
"That's more like it."
Xiao Wu bit her lip but didn't pull away.
Ji Ye glanced at Erming, kneeling on one knee, then at the ruined woods around them before turning his gaze back to Xiao Wu.
"Let's go."
He took Xiao Wu by the wrist and turned to walk in another direction.
That way skirted the spot where the Shrek group was and avoided the Man Faced Demon Spider's territory. It was a secluded path leading to the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.
Erming remained kneeling where it was, its golden eyes fixed on the direction the two had disappeared in.
A low, resentful roar came from its throat, but it was too badly hurt to stand back up.
Ji Ye led Xiao Wu through the dense forest, fallen leaves crackling beneath their feet.
Xiao Wu kept her head lowered and let him lead her, without saying a word.
Ji Ye wasn't in a hurry either, and didn't walk quickly.
After a while, Xiao Wu suddenly spoke.
"Going so slowly, aren't you afraid Erming will catch up?"
"It can't catch us."
Before you continue