Copper Fox Ape

Packs of wolves were unique overlords in the Cloudridge Mountains.

There were vicious beasts like tigers, leopards, bears, and wolves, any of which alone could kill the gray wolves in these woods.

Yet if the gray wolves gathered in a pack, even these fierce beasts would not provoke them lightly.

However, the situation had gone far beyond whether to provoke them or not.

In the depths of the woods, something was making the wolf pack feel terror.

Su Yan's gaze flickered slightly. He raised his hardwood bow, urging the Darkwater Centipede and the Velvetfire Scorpion to hurry toward the valley where the sound came from.

The location was not far from the valley of the wolf howls, and traveling down the mountain through the night was out of the question anyway, leaving him no choice but to scout it out personally and decide whether to retreat or stay.

Handling it this way was always better than waiting for trouble to find him.

His speed was extremely fast, resembling a shadow beneath the moon, cutting through the trees and steadily approaching the valley.

During this time, the wolf howls grew increasingly distinct, accompanied by a deep roar that contrasted sharply with the high-pitched howling.

It's a beast, but not an ordinary one, or it definitely couldn't have driven this wolf pack to such an extreme.

He hurried forward, gripping his longbow and holding a long arrow ready.

With a commotion like this, it could only be a Savage Beast.

If it's early First Tier, I'll figure out a way to fight it. If it's anything higher, I'm out of here!

Having made up his mind, Su Yan's gaze was bright, and his courage surged like a torrent.

Passing through a stretch of dense forest, Su Yan stopped behind a large tree on a small slope.

The moonlight was bright, tree shadows danced, and a mere hundred meters ahead lay the valley.

Surrounded by trees, it was an open space covered in low bushes and creeping vines that failed to conceal the terrain—a mountain flat right beside a stone cliff.

This is the habitat of the wolf pack.

Such terrain was naturally unusual, looking more like the living quarters of gregarious animals.

Su Yan looked closely, his pupils contracting slightly as a shock struck his heart.

It was a fierce ape standing two to three meters tall, with copper whiskers and long fur, bulging muscles, a face resembling a fox by three parts, and sharp teeth, though it looked much more like a violent ape of the mountains.

This fierce ape was truly ferocious. With a palm the size of a millstone, it snatched up and snapped the spine of a gray wolf attempting a sneak attack.

Splintered bones dripped with bloody froth, and the twitching corpse was grasped in the fierce ape's hand to be used as a weapon.

Just then, three or four gray wolves lunged forward. The fierce ape roared furiously, sweeping the gray wolf corpse in its hand like a weapon.

Dull sounds of impact echoed alongside the cracking of bones, and flesh and blood flew under the moonlight, staining the ground red.

Awooo!

With a wolf howl, the remaining dozen or so gray wolves gathered, led by a thick-maned gray wolf nearly the size of a tiger, its cold eyes fixed intently on the fierce ape.

Such a huge wolf King!

Su Yan felt a jolt in his heart. Perhaps having consumed heavenly treasures like a Treasure Plant, this Gray Wolf King's size had almost surpassed its original form, showing signs of entering the Quasi-First Tier.

The wolf pack gathered, but the fierce ape simply picked up the gray wolf corpse in its hand, chewing hungrily and devouring the flesh without treating the wolf pack before it as any great threat.

Thud, thud, thud.

It ripped the wolf carcass apart in one bite, chewed twice, dropped the bloody half, and charged forward in massive strides.

Its build was exceptionally heavy, its footsteps sounding like rolling thunder.

The Gray Wolf King let out a howl, and all the gray wolves launched an attack together, rushing respectively at the fierce ape's arms, ankles, and neck.

The fierce ape's arms, resembling stone pillars, swept horizontally and batted the gray wolves flying.

Seizing the moment and taking advantage of the high ground of a large boulder, the Gray Wolf King pounced down, aiming straight for the back of the fierce ape's neck as it stood turned away.

Its movements were lightning fast, striking like a shadow and arriving in a flash.

Yet right as they crossed paths, its Fang barely managing to bite into the back of the neck, the fierce ape's huge palm batted the Gray Wolf King away.

Charging forward in long strides, it slammed a foot down onto the Gray Wolf King's spine, crushing it flat into a messy pulp of flesh and blood.

Seeing their king dead, the remaining gray wolves whimpered, tucked their tails, and fled into the forest, never daring to make another move.

Seeing this scene, Su Yan's gaze brightened as a sharp edge began to emerge.

Beneath the moonlight, the copper-yellow fierce ape had its back to Su Yan. Its neck was trickling blood—though the wound wasn't large, its health bar had essentially been revealed.

The fact that the wolf king could injure it meant its formidable power had limits.

The sheer strength displayed in the recent battle was also within his observation and did not exceed his expectations by too much.

It's only right that I play the mantis stalking the cicada.

With a twist of his hand, an arrow was already nocked onto the hardwood bow. Against the moonlight, the arrow flew like a shooting star.

With a whistling shriek, three arrows flew at once.

Hearing the sound of breaking air, the fierce ape grew alert, but having never encountered a bow and arrow attack before, it failed to dodge in time before the missiles were right upon it.

The lead arrow was instinctively blocked, the fierce arrow burying itself into the thick, fur-covered palm.

The shaft snapped directly, and the arrowhead barely managed to pierce through the ape's palm without going all the way through.

The remaining two arrows arrived in quick succession. This time the copper fox ape failed to dodge and took direct hits to its body.

Roar!

The copper fox ape flew into an instant rage, its ape hands batting frantically and snapping the shafts. The tearing pain caused blood to flow continuously, driving it into a frenzy.

Its eyes, like bronze bells, were filled with ferocious intent, and it immediately spotted Su Yan shooting arrows from the slope.

It bounded forward like a meteor, knocking down numerous trees and charging like a siege battering ram.

Su Yan leaped forward, utilizing the agile footwork granted by mastery of Monkey Leap Step and Basic Archery to move swiftly.

His bow and arrow fired like a string of firecrackers, continuously launching projectiles like beams of light. Within two or three steps, he loosed five sharp arrows.

The copper fox ape snatched up a broken log from the side, swinging it with all its branches attached. This sweep batted three of the sharp arrows away.

Only the remaining two arrows managed to strike the copper fox ape's body, but having lost their momentum, this time they only broke through its skin.

Roar!

The copper fox ape hurled the broken log in its hand at Su Yan.

Su Yan jumped backward to evade the attack.

The distance between them was less than ten paces. The towering figure looked like an iron tower, its ferocious face clearly visible, and its roars shook the air itself.

Having lost the distance for ranged shooting, Su Yan didn't try to open the gap; instead, he met the charge head-on.

With Stance Training grounding him, his form resembled an old ape, his eyes flashing with provocation as he raised his hands from top to bottom for an Old Ape Strikes the Crown.

This strike carried immense weight, and even the copper fox ape felt the threat.

It raised its huge, furry hand to parry and counter the blow.

However, its hand was already injured, and this impact ruptured the wound further, driving the arrowhead deeper into the bone and tearing the laceration open by several inches.

The copper fox ape struck out in a furious beating. Su Yan dodged swiftly, slipping to its flank without hesitation, and delivered a Fierce Ape Elbow Strike straight to its ribs.

With his stance rooted to the earth and power rising from his waist, the blow carried no less than a thousand catties of force.

A sharp snap echoed as even the copper fox ape, with its copper skin and iron bones, cracked its ribs.

Injuries compounding upon injuries, the copper fox ape lashed out wildly in a grab.

Su Yan's momentum was spent, and before his strength could rise anew, unable to dodge, he could only raise his hands to brace and block.

With a dull thud, his tendons and bones creaked, and his body violently rebounded three steps back, one foot sinking deep into the soil before he finally discharged the accumulated force.

This beast packs a monstrous amount of strength.

A single blow had already revealed a strength far greater than that of a bear, tiger, or leopard. This fierce ape possessed at least First Tier strength, likely early First Tier.

Su Yan's gaze burned like fire, yet his fighting spirit soared. The Spirit Ape Dances with the Wind technique shifted his form into phantoms as he launched attacks all around the copper fox ape.

One unleashed ape claws and explosive hammer blows like falling stars, while the other moved with agile grace and fists as hard as iron.

Trading blows back and forth, they battered down an untold number of trees.

Amidst the shifting tides of offense and defense, however, fresh wounds accumulated on both their bodies.

Su Yan's savagery was stirred, and he refused to let the Darkwater Centipede or the Velvetfire Scorpion help.

His Fist Technique and Stance Training felt entirely forgotten in that moment, his surging blood and Qi roaring like a flood while his breathing rose and fell like flying arrows.

He fixed his eyes on the copper fox ape, watching it rear back for an explosive hammer blow.

He stepped forward to meet it, using a subtle twist of leverage to grab its wrist, and flipped it away with an Old Ape Toss and Throw.

Leaping into the air with fists clenched like hammers, he brought them crashing down in a crown strike. A loud snap echoed as he fractured a massive portion of the copper fox ape's sternum.

Looking at Su Yan then, his skin swelled as if scorched by fire, his blood and Qi rising like smoke, and faint white steam drifting from his entire body.

His form was a stance, his movement was a stance, his standing was a stance. As he stepped forward and saw the copper fox ape struggling to rise, he delivered a heavy punch.

His Fist Technique had completely fused into his being; Stance Training and Fist Technique had both been thoroughly mastered through this copper fox ape, achieving perfection!

With a crack, he snapped the copper fox ape's massive, thousand-catty-strong arm, then stomped down hard to break its cervical spine. With a single decisive blow, life and death were sealed.