Whoosh!
Almost as soon as Fairy Lingyue spoke, Xu Taiping used the Wind Shadow Step he had learned a few days earlier, darting out of the bushes like the wind.
Although he had learned only two steps of the Wind Shadow Step, the movement technique brought his running speed close to that of some ordinary demonic beasts. In just a few breaths, he entered Bamboo Creek Valley.
"Is that it?"
Upon entering Bamboo Creek Valley, he spotted the fire spirit mushroom at once. From a distance, it looked like a bonfire growing beside the creek.
"Yes. Cover it with the Demon Tiger's hide first, or it will burn you."
Although she had already explained this before they came, Fairy Lingyue could not help reminding him.
"All right."
As Xu Taiping answered, he spread out the Demon Tiger's hide in his hands and wrapped the fire spirit mushroom in it.
Whoosh!
Then he deftly drew the Fine Steel Saber at his waist and severed the fire spirit mushroom's roots with a stroke flush against the ground.
He sheathed his saber and picked up the fire spirit mushroom, his movements flowing like clouds and water. Clearly, he had rehearsed them in his mind many times.
This child really does put one's mind at ease.
Watching Xu Taiping's clean, efficient movements, Fairy Lingyue felt that her worries had been unnecessary.
Although she was concealing his aura while he took the fire spirit mushroom, seizing it would still be perilous if he failed to follow their plan.
It looks simple, but even an adult might not do as well as this little fellow when actually attempting it.
She murmured this to herself.
"Wait, those auras-this is bad!"
Just as Xu Taiping was about to dash out of Bamboo Creek Valley, Fairy Lingyue's soul suddenly sensed two auras with extremely powerful spiritual energy fluctuations, both rapidly approaching them.
"What's wrong?"
With the fire spirit mushroom on his back, Xu Taiping quickly stopped, clenching one hand into a fist and gripping his saber's hilt with the other as he assumed a fighting stance.
"The Fire-Patterned Python must have gotten into a fight with something powerful. It's too late to leave the valley now. Hurry and find somewhere inside to hide. I'll conceal your aura."
Fairy Lingyue spoke urgently.
A demonic beast on the Fire-Patterned Python's level was still beyond Xu Taiping's ability to handle.
"All right."
Xu Taiping glanced around and finally fixed his gaze on a deep pool near the valley's cliff wall. Without another word, he used the Wind Shadow Step to dart over and leaped into the clear water. Then he rested his back against the pool's stone wall, tilting his head up to watch quietly what happened above.
Since the Remnant Sunset Scripture included the Turtle-Breathing Technique, he was not worried about breathing underwater.
Bang!
Before the ripples on the pool's surface had fully settled, Xu Taiping heard a tremendous crash from the valley entrance.
"A giant ape?"
Through the clear water, Xu Taiping saw a giant ape some ten to twenty feet tall locked in a fierce fight with the equally enormous Fire-Patterned Python.
The Fire-Patterned Python also held a half-eaten ape in its jaws.
Although that ape was smaller than the one below, it was still at least ten feet tall.
Clearly, the ape held in the Fire-Patterned Python's jaws was the prey it had found while hunting, and the giant ape had come for that prey.
Bang!
Just then, the giant ape lifted a huge rock from the ground and slammed it toward the Fire-Patterned Python's tail.
Whoosh!
Despite holding its prey in its jaws, the Fire-Patterned Python remained extremely nimble. Before the rock landed, it pulled its tail away, then deftly lashed the giant ape across the belly, splitting flesh and sending the ape flying backward.
"That's a Mountain-Lifting Ape, and it has purple-gold eyes. It might even be a descendant of that Demon Saint. But this one's bloodline has already degenerated, leaving it no different from an ordinary ape. Otherwise, a true Mountain-Lifting Ape stands a thousand feet tall and could crush this Fire-Patterned Python with a single step."
Fairy Lingyue's voice sounded in Xu Taiping's mind.
"A thousand feet?"
Xu Taiping struggled to imagine that demonic beasts so enormous existed in this world.
"Ah, it swallowed the ape!"
Still marveling, Xu Taiping was startled by the sight of the Fire-Patterned Python swallowing the giant ape. He had never imagined it could swallow such an enormous ape in one gulp.
Roar!
As the Fire-Patterned Python swallowed the large ape, the other giant ape it had lashed away let out a roar of unbearable grief and rage. Scarlet demonic energy rose around its body, and it began hurling itself at the Fire-Patterned Python as though heedless of its own life.
"The one the Fire-Patterned Python just swallowed was probably the wife of the Mountain-Lifting Ape on the ground. Mountain-Lifting Apes form deep attachments and take only one mate in their entire lives. It must be planning to go berserk and fight the Fire-Patterned Python to the death."
Fairy Lingyue sighed.
Bang!
As she spoke, the Mountain-Lifting Ape planted one foot on the Fire-Patterned Python's tail, then slammed the huge rock in its hands toward the python's head.
Bang!
Amid a tremendous crash, the Mountain-Lifting Ape, its strength greatly increased after going berserk, struck the Fire-Patterned Python squarely on the head, forcing it to retreat into Bamboo Creek Valley.
Roar!
The Mountain-Lifting Ape would never let such an opening slip away. It leaped forward and pinned the Fire-Patterned Python's head to the ground, clamping its legs around the snake's body before pounding its head wildly with its fists.
After going berserk, the Mountain-Lifting Ape finally had the strength to fight the Fire-Patterned Python head-on.
"When demonic beasts go berserk, they burn their primordial demonic blood. Even if the Mountain-Lifting Ape wins in the end, it probably won't escape death."
Fairy Lingyue's voice grew even more sorrowful.
Boom!
Just as the Fire-Patterned Python was about to falter, it suddenly mustered all its strength, opened its jaws, and spat a mist of blood at the Mountain-Lifting Ape. The instant the blood mist left its mouth, it turned into a mass of flames that engulfed the ape.
Aaargh!
The Mountain-Lifting Ape screamed as the fierce flames burned it.
Even so, the Mountain-Lifting Ape, its entire body ablaze, continued pursuing the Fire-Patterned Python relentlessly.
The Fire-Patterned Python seized the instant the Mountain-Lifting Ape loosened its grip to flee swiftly into Bamboo Creek Valley, heading straight for the fire spirit mushroom.
"Is it looking for the fire spirit mushroom?"
Xu Taiping sent the question to Fairy Lingyue through his mind, somewhat worried.
"Yes. It probably wants to use the fire spirit mushroom to rapidly increase its strength so it can finish off the Mountain-Lifting Ape."
Fairy Lingyue agreed with Xu Taiping's deduction.
"Won't it go berserk too if it discovers the fire spirit mushroom is gone?"
Xu Taiping murmured to himself as he watched the situation unfold.
"That's possible. If it does, remember not to make a sound."
Fairy Lingyue reminded Xu Taiping once more.
"All right."
Xu Taiping gave a subtle nod and answered in his mind.
Roar!
Just as Xu Taiping had predicted, the Fire-Patterned Python flew into a rage upon discovering that the fire spirit mushroom had been stolen, opening its jaws to let out a furious roar.
Boom!
At that very moment, the Mountain-Lifting Ape, its whole body bathed in flames, leaped up from where it stood and followed the sound, driving a fist at the Fire-Patterned Python.
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