Battle the Demons!

In the darkness.

Everyone waited on tenterhooks.

No one knew whether the Flood Dragon would attack again.

Something at Xu Yuan's waist suddenly vibrated.

He took out his walkie-talkie and pressed the button.

"Shh—shh—"

After a burst of static.

"Colleagues, hold on. Our high-level cultivators are on their way."

"I repeat."

"Hold your positions and protect the civilians nearby!"

Xu Yuan's expression shifted. His eyes met Yang Xiaobing's, Zhao Afei's, and Jiang Xueyao's.

They all grew excited.

High-level cultivators were coming to this massacre?

Who would it be?

In truth.

Every high-level cultivator was a treasure of humanity, a figure at the pinnacle of civilization, a star of blinding brilliance.

And these high school students knew those stars like the backs of their hands!

But the massacre had been covered up for years.

No one knew what had really happened!

"If I get to see a high-level cultivator fight the Flood Dragon, I'll accept failing this monthly exam."

Zhao Afei clenched his fists and spoke excitedly.

"Xiao Bing, what's happening outside now?" Jiang Xueyao could not help asking.

"The Flood Dragon seems to be looking for something..." Yang Xiaobing frowned. "Why do I feel like it's preparing another spell? Wait, something's coming this way."

The next second.

Her eyes flew wide, and she murmured in a daze:

"A Qi Refining Middle Stage demon... it's here..."

Qi Refining had nine layers in all.

The middle stage covered the fourth, fifth, and sixth.

Demonic beasts were already stronger-bodied than humans, and this one was at a higher Qi Refining level as well—

The situation turned grim at once!

Their hearts jolted, and they all looked toward the subway entrance.

One breath.

Two breaths.

A huge, furry black body crawled down the steps.

It was a Giant Ape.

"Buy me some time," Jiang Xueyao whispered.

She retreated a few steps and slipped into the crowd.

Xu Yuan's expression shifted.

He had no idea why the exam had thrown such a question at them—

Against a Qi Refining Middle Stage demonic beast, an ordinary student had virtually no chance of winning.

Was this a bug in the exam?

But since Jiang Xueyao had said that, perhaps she had a way!

"Hey, monkey brother."

Xu Yuan spread his arms, offering a warm greeting while stalling for time.

"You know me?" The Giant Ape fixed its blood-red eyes on him and looked him up and down.

"I know a great demon of your kind. It swore brotherhood with several other great demons, and they all called themselves Great Sages," Xu Yuan said.

The Giant Ape eyed him uncertainly, its voice rumbling like muffled thunder. "If even half a word of that is a lie, I'll pound you into a meat patty."

It walked toward Xu Yuan, step by step.

Xu Yuan smiled and walked to meet it.

I have to stay away from the crowd.

Yang Xiaobing had exhausted her spiritual energy.

Jiang Xueyao needed a little time.

If he let the demon ape reach the crowd, the moment a fight broke out, casualties would be devastating.

"Come on, then. Tell me which great demon you mean."

As it spoke, the Giant Ape raised both arms high over Xu Yuan, cruelty spreading across its face.

One hammer blow was all it would take to end the fight!

It had not believed a word Xu Yuan said!

"Afei."

Xu Yuan's shout rang out.

Zhao Afei gritted his teeth, formed a spell seal with both hands, and roared:

"Watch this!"

Blazing flames surged upward and rushed at the Giant Ape.

Pill Flame!

At the sight of fire, the Giant Ape instinctively thrust its arms forward to block it.

The flames scorched the fur on its arms.

That was all.

A Qi Refining First Layer cultivator had too little spiritual energy; the flames he unleashed could only do so much.

And the Giant Ape's defenses were far beyond those of an ordinary demon!

"A child dares play with fire?"

The Giant Ape sneered and lunged at Zhao Afei.

In a panic, Zhao Afei slapped the storage pouch at his waist and released a puppet over three meters tall, cast entirely of metal, to shield him.

Crash!

The Giant Ape swung a long arm almost casually, sending the puppet flying and smashing a hole in the wall.

What terrifying strength!

Zhao Afei scrambled backward on hands and knees.

The killing intent on the Giant Ape's face deepened, and it lunged even faster.

One pounce, and the student would be dead!

At that hairbreadth moment—

Pfft.

A soft sound.

The Giant Ape froze, trembling all over, then slowly turned its head.

At some point.

Xu Yuan had drawn his sword and stabbed it straight into the ape's rear!

The Qiong Jia Sword's power, Blowing Snow—

"Channel spiritual energy to activate this power, and your next sword strike will be twice as fast!"

The strike was so fast that even the Giant Ape failed to react. It hit a weak spot dead-on.

The rear was a weak spot for animals!

Becoming a demon did not change that!

"Hss—y-you—sir—please stop—please—"

The Giant Ape hissed through its teeth at Xu Yuan.

Its tone had even acquired a touch of "human courtesy and politeness."

Xu Yuan's gaze was icy.

Not only did the enemy refuse to surrender, it dared tell me to stop!

It's got some nerve!

He gave a cold snort, gripped the sword with both hands, and thrust it in and out hard and fast.

How sharp the Qiong Jia Sword was!

And his strength and agility boosted it further!

Then there were Xu Yuan's nine shallow thrusts and one deep!

The damage mounted rapidly!

So what if you're at Qi Refining Middle Stage? My pay-to-win sword has already found your tender weak spot!

The Giant Ape could bear no more. Clutching its backside, it leaped into the air and let out a savage roar:

"I'll swallow you whole, brat! No one can save you!"

A torrent of killing intent filled the underground passage.

With one hand over its backside, the Giant Ape balled the other into a hammerlike fist and swung it behind itself with all its might.

Xu Yuan turned and ran.

He ran toward the subway station exit.

That last move had drawn more than enough attention.

There was no way the ape would let him go.

"Brat! I'll kill you! Get back here and die!"

Roaring, blood streaming from its backside, the Giant Ape chased him at full speed.

The plan worked!

It had abandoned everyone in the subway station just to kill him.

Was Jiang Xueyao still not ready?

Thoughts flashed through Xu Yuan's mind. He stopped abruptly.

He had already climbed a long stretch of stairs and rounded a corner. If he ran a little farther, he would reach the surface.

Instead, he stood his ground, bent his knees slightly, and rested a hand on his sword hilt.

The next instant.

The Giant Ape rounded the corner and roared:

"I'll slaugh—"

A sword flashed toward its face like lightning and plunged into its mouth.

To anyone watching, Xu Yuan had already fled, only to leap back out from around the corner. He planted both feet against the Giant Ape and sprang high into the air.

The Giant Ape instinctively reached for him with both hands.

But the sword had already struck!

Xu Yuan channeled his spiritual energy and instantly activated the sword's divine power again: Blowing Snow.

This strike caught the ape even more off guard than the last—

The Qiong Jia Sword plunged straight into the Giant Ape's fang-filled mouth, its blade ringing with a piercing hum.

Flying Swallow Chain, Sword Shakes the Eight Wastes!

Pfft.

Eight lines of blood seemed to burst from the Giant Ape's head, forming a strange, dazzling scarlet flower in midair.

Activating Blowing Snow twice in a row had drained Xu Yuan's spiritual energy dry.

Now.

If the Giant Ape used its demonic power and unleashed a skill—

Xu Yuan would have no way to withstand it!

But in that instant, the situation changed again.

Xu Yuan let go of the sword and pulled the submachine gun from his back.

He aimed the muzzle at the Giant Ape's head.

At this range, he did not even need to aim!

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Flames spat from the muzzle as he emptied the magazine in a flash.

The Giant Ape stood frozen, both fists clenched like hammers. It seemed intent on enduring the attack long enough to unleash a skill.

Blood covered its head. Some wounds had been sliced open by Sword Qi; others were bullet holes.

Gravely wounded though it was, if only—

If only it could land one Wrathful Vajra Cannon Hammer—

The brat before it was dead!

The Giant Ape trembled all over as it raised both arms high—

"Stop trying to tough it out. You're not a Tyrant. Did you really think getting shot in the head was nothing?"

Xu Yuan spoke with gentle understanding as his hands swiftly changed magazines. He pulled the trigger again.

Now he stood on the Qiong Jia Sword lodged in the Giant Ape's mouth, submachine gun braced in his hands—

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—

Fire spat from the barrel.

The magazine emptied in an instant.

After all, it was a monster. Who knew whether it had some kind of resurrection spell?

He had heard that demons could come back to life.

Xu Yuan swiftly changed magazines.

Again!

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—

Whoa, could a monster in the Qi Refining Realm really take this much?

Change magazines.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Why had the light gone out of its eyes? Had it stopped loving him?

Change magazines.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

THUD.

The Giant Ape's massive body finally toppled to the floor, shaking the entire staircase.

Its head had burst into a mangled mass of flesh and blood, splattering across the floorboards.

Golden light rose from the corpse, forming a string of phantom coins.

What a haul!

Xu Yuan silently traced a cross over his chest, pressed his palms together, and murmured:

"Allah, forgive me."

...Hopefully this world didn't have any animal-rights activists.

Probably not.

Right?