This was a towering old ape covered from head to toe in pitch-black fur that stood erect like steel needles. As it looked at the group before it, deep hostility flashed through its eyes, while low growls rumbled from its throat.
This was a warning!
Xiao Chen stepped forward and gestured to the old ape, patiently explaining through motions in the hope that it could provide some clues about Zhao Lin'er.
He knew that these spiritually aware giant apes could understand what he meant.
Bai He simply watched in silence, observing the exchange between two different species.
Before long, several young apes emerged from the stone forest, accompanied by a giant ape with brown fur. Only then did Bai He understand why the old ape had shown such deep hostility earlier—it had been guarding the young apes of its troop.
After Xiao Chen's patient, repeated gestures and explanations, the black-furred old ape finally managed to grasp his meaning. It turned and leaped into a stretch of Primeval Forest.
It had gone to find the other giant apes.
After waiting for over half a shichen, long howls rang out. A towering Four-Armed Blood-Colored Demon Ape led more than a dozen giant apes out of the Primeval Forest.
The Blood-Colored Demon Ape growled as it circled the group several times. When it saw Bai He—especially the dazzling silver-white dragon horns atop his head—deep wariness flashed in its eyes. After giving Bai He a long look, the Four-Armed Blood-Colored Demon Ape turned and approached Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen kept gesturing and explaining to the Blood-Colored Demon Ape, but it could not understand him. Only after Xiao Chen drew images of Zhao Lin'er and Little Pegasus on the ground did the intelligent Blood-Colored Demon Ape finally understand his meaning.
After roaring a few times at the giant apes, the Four-Armed Blood-Colored Demon Ape took the lead, bounding toward a certain direction in the ancient Primeval Forest with Bai He and the others following.
The Blood-Colored Demon Ape was extraordinarily gifted. Its four powerful arms were incredibly nimble, and it swiftly swung, flipped, and leaped among the towering ancient trees, leaving Bai He and the others far behind.
Yet with everyone's full effort, they could barely keep up and avoid being completely left behind.
Could only monkeys be this agile?
After crossing several Mountain Ranges in succession, the Four-Armed Blood-Colored Demon Ape finally stopped before an ancient Primeval Forest filled with rolling hills, refusing to go any farther no matter what.
Something in the Primeval Forest ahead seemed to fill it with immense dread, making it unwilling to enter lightly.
Since the Blood-Colored Demon Ape no longer wished to proceed, Bai He and the others could not force it. They could only assume that some danger lay within the Primeval Forest ahead.
The Blood-Colored Demon Ape let out a low growl, then shot into the air. Its four arms seized thick branches as it turned and swung away without looking back, vanishing into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.
"Let's go!"
Seeing that the Blood-Colored Demon Ape had left, Xiao Chen sighed and led Bai He into the dangerous Primeval Forest before them.
After crossing two hills, low beast roars began to faintly drift from ahead. They were not loud, yet they carried an inexplicable sense of oppression.
As they continued onward and passed through a dense thicket, the group gradually drew closer to where the beast roars originated.
Along the way, they began to find corpse after corpse scattered through the forest. On closer inspection, they were all unfamiliar cultivators. Their deaths had been horrific; their bodies had been torn apart alive.
Pools of blood covered the ground nearby. Blood even stained the branches and leaves, while a pungent, nauseating stench of gore drifted through the woods.
More and more people were entering Dragon Island, but their overall quality was beginning to decline. Dragon Island was not the blessed land they imagined. This was a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak!
After walking for some time, the beast roars grew closer and closer. They finally reached their source and saw the truth behind the tragedy in the forest.
Ahead, a towering Demonic Shadow was slaughtering people without restraint.
The towering Demonic Shadow gave off low beastly roars as it pursued cultivators fleeing in all directions. Whenever its massive claws swung, bloody light burst forth.
Countless cultivators screamed as the Demonic Shadow tore their bodies apart. Blood splattered everywhere, red and green organs spilling across the ground, while a thick, pungent odor filled the surroundings.
As they drew even closer to the scene, the Demonic Shadow's true appearance finally became clear before Bai He and the others.
Its tall, muscular body stood nearly three meters high. Messy brownish-yellow hair fell over its shoulders, a pair of wolf ears stood erect atop its head, and a thick, powerful striped tiger tail lashed restlessly behind it.
"Keao?!"
Xiao Chen cried out softly as he stared at the Demonic Shadow before him.
Although its appearance was exactly the same as Xiao Chen remembered, its aura was now vastly different from before.
If he had still seemed somewhat human when Xiao Chen first saw him, now he was far closer to a beast—ferocious and cold-blooded, green light gleaming in his eyes, his voice like a beast's roar. He was like a humanoid savage beast.
After smashing the head of the last surviving cultivator with a claw, the green light in Keao's eyes gradually receded. The beast-like aura surrounding him began to fade as the animal nature in his mind ebbed away and reason returned.
"Who is it? Come out!"
Once his violent animal nature receded, his beast-like spiritual senses returned. Keao immediately detected Bai He and the others hiding nearby. He instantly turned his head toward Bai He and Xiao Chen.
"Not good!"
Bai He and Xiao Chen's expressions changed abruptly. They had been discovered!
But just as Bai He and the others prepared to retreat, countless thick green vines suddenly burst from the earth. They writhed wildly, forming a green Vine Wall that blocked the group's path.
Amid a series of soft chuckles, a green-clad figure emerged from nearby.
The newcomer was slender and wore linen-colored clothing. His features were ordinary, but he had long dark-green hair, and even his pupils were pale green. As he passed through the dense forest, the branches before him automatically moved aside, making him seem quite extraordinary.
It was Yarold!
The young Forest Clan powerhouse with long dark-green hair smiled faintly as he slowly walked to Keao's side.
The two looked calmly at Bai He and the others, while an atmosphere of grim killing intent gradually spread in every direction.
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