Doubling Down

Zhao Wuji was shaken back several steps, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and immediately lay down like a corpse, playing dead.

Dai Mubai was sent flying, smashing through two trees before he finally stopped.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass snapped inch by inch, and the backlash made his chest tighten before he spat out a mouthful of blood. Zhu Zhuqing staggered when she landed, her right arm hanging limply at her side; she had clearly suffered a serious injury.

Ma Hongjun was thrown so hard he rolled across the ground several times, and even his phoenix flames went out.

Every one of them was badly injured, but not a single person retreated.

The Titan Giant Ape lowered its head and glanced at this group of humans who overestimated themselves. There was no emotion in its eyes, as though it were looking at a swarm of buzzing mosquitoes.

It grabbed Xiao Wu and turned, about to head toward the core region of Star Dou Forest.

"No—let Xiao Wu go!"

Tang San's eyes instantly turned red. Ignoring his injuries, he stomped hard against the ground and shot straight upward. Using the trunk of a nearby tree for leverage, he sprang into the air, both hands flashing across his waist like lightning—

More than a dozen streaks of cold light rose at the same time, shooting straight toward the Titan Giant Ape's eyes!

That was a Tang Sect hidden weapon technique, each streak of cold light aimed precisely at the vital points of the Titan Giant Ape's eyeballs. If it had been an ordinary soul beast, this move would at least have made it suffer greatly.

But the Titan Giant Ape was no ordinary soul beast.

It did not even look at those hidden weapons, nor did it so much as blink. The hidden weapons struck its eyelids with a series of crisp clangs, as if hitting an iron plate, without leaving even a mark.

Luckily, Xiao Wu had said "don't kill anyone" by the Titan Giant Ape's ear in time. Otherwise, for just that move, the Titan Giant Ape would absolutely have swatted Tang San to death like an annoying fly.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

At that critical moment, a furious roar exploded from the side.

A huge figure charged over from the direction of the forest's edge, so fast it was like a cannonball fired from a barrel. With every step it took, the ground shook along with it; that momentum was practically as if it meant to overturn the entire Star Dou Forest.

It was Growlmon!

And at this moment, Growlmon's eyes were bloodred, its whole body radiating a savage aura. It had clearly been completely ignited by fighting spirit.

"Growlmon?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the figure charging over. "Wasn't it stopped at the edge of Star Dou Forest with Qian Ren Shuang before? How could it appear here?"

"I don't know." Ning Rongrong shook her head, a hint of relief in her tone. "But no matter what, the current situation is good for us."

It was indeed good.

Because it was mindful of Xiao Wu still being held in its hand, the Titan Giant Ape was only using one-tenth of its strength at this moment—it was afraid that if it used too much force, it might accidentally crush Xiao Wu to death.

Growlmon, on the other hand, had fully unleashed its battle intent. Its combative genes were completely triggered in that instant, and on top of that, it had suddenly attacked from the side.

Growlmon's massive body slammed fiercely into the Titan Giant Ape, actually knocking this mountain-like giant beast down in one blow!

"Boom—"

The Titan Giant Ape's enormous body crashed to the ground, sending dust billowing up until it blotted out the sky, the earth shaking as if an earthquake had struck.

Everyone was knocked staggering by the shockwave, and several people were even flipped directly to the ground by the blast of air.

The corner of Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched even harder, and his gaze toward Growlmon was extremely complicated. "Is this really just a Soul King's fourth soul skill?"

He was a Soul Sage, and even after activating his Martial Soul True Body, he could do nothing to the Titan Giant Ape. Yet someone else's Soul King soul beast had directly knocked the Titan Giant Ape down? Didn't that make him, a Soul Sage, look completely useless?

Thankfully, Zhao Wuji was only grumbling inwardly. If Tang Hao, who was hiding in a tree nearby and watching the show, had heard him, that man would definitely have added another stab: Yes, compared to this Growlmon, you are useless among the useless.

"Forget it. Since it's come to this, might as well see it through."

Qian Ren Shuang's voice came from the direction of Growlmon's tail.

Though by nature, he preferred to avoid battle whenever he could, things had already reached this point. Growlmon's fighting spirit had been completely ignited, and he could hardly force it down.

"Fifth soul skill, Soul Skill Switch: Soul Ascension Evolution!"

Qian Ren Shuang pinched up his fifth soul ring. The purple soul ring flowed around his fingertips, turning into a streak of light that sank into Growlmon's body.

"MATRIX EVOLUTION—"

It was still that mechanical voice that came from no one knew where, cold and hollow, carrying a metallic echo:

"Growlmon evolves—WarGrowlmon!"

Light erupted from within Growlmon like a small sun rising in Star Dou Forest.

Compared to Growlmon, WarGrowlmon's body did not continue growing larger—it remained at roughly the same height as Growlmon.

The muscle lines across its whole body became even tighter, every muscle seeming like tempered steel forged through countless hammer blows, full of a sense of power.

Its entire head was encased in a metallic helmet, a suppressor used to restrain its savage instincts.

Its entire upper body was also fitted into a huge thruster, the metal shell reflecting a cold gleam beneath the sunlight.

Most eye-catching were its arms—the blade-like sections on both sides of its two forearms had now become a pair of enormous metal axe blades.

The Titan Giant Ape had only just recovered from being knocked down and had not had time to struggle when it saw the Growlmon before it evolve again.

At this, a trace of gravity flashed through the Titan Giant Ape's eyes.

The current situation was very unfavorable for the Titan Giant Ape.

If it resisted with all its strength, it naturally would not fear WarGrowlmon's brute force.

But the problem was that it was still holding Xiao Wu in its other hand.

If it resisted with force, its fist would instinctively clench, and with its current strength, Xiao Wu's petite body would probably be crushed into a smear of minced flesh in an instant.

It was afraid of breaking the thing it meant to protect.

The Titan Giant Ape could only maintain its current level of strength, barely holding off WarGrowlmon's attacks.

"Teacher Zhao! Boss Dai! Fatty! Zhu Zhuqing!" Tang San's voice rang out amid the chaos. "Let's attack this Titan Giant Ape's right foot together!"

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances and understood at once. Though all of them were badly injured, there was no path of retreat left now.

Four figures charged at the Titan Giant Ape's right foot at the same time.

"Qian Ren Shuang, why did you all come over?" Oscar asked, busy making recovery sausages and handing them out to everyone, while still finding a moment to speak.

Oscar's face was pale. Clearly, making so many sausages at once had nearly pushed him to his limit, but the work in his hands did not stop for even a second.

Qian Ren Shuang had already walked to Oscar's side. He shrugged, his tone casual, as if he were commenting that the weather was nice today. "That Titan Giant Ape was too close, and then it used a soul skill just now. Its aura instantly ignited my Growlmon's fighting spirit completely—so it charged over to start a fight."