The Third Sky Screen (XI)

Beneath the sky screen.

Many people paled in shock.

They had never expected members of the Dark Guild to be tailing Chen Linjian's party!

Who did not know how notorious the Dark Guild was in Glory City?

They were essentially people to be executed the moment they were caught.

Now everyone could only pray that this party would never fall into the Dark Guild's hands. Those worth a great deal might still be released after a ransom was paid, but those worth little would truly have no fate but death.

At the City Lord's Mansion.

Nie Li frowned as well. These fellows from the Dark Guild were trouble, too.

Everyone knew that the Dark Guild members hiding within Glory City generally did not exceed Gold Rank. At most, they were five-star Silver Rank.

Yet finding just a handful of people in Glory City, with its population of hundreds of thousands, was simply unrealistic.

Chen Linjian's expression was ugly as well. Fortunately, they had not encountered the Dark Guild during their trip to Gulan City.

Ye Zong watched the sky screen. Suddenly, he felt as though he had sensed something, but it vanished after the briefest instant.

He frowned. Was it my imagination?

At the Sacred Family.

Li Yunhua's expression finally darkened. He could only pray that the sky screen would never show his face clearly.

The moment it did would be the moment he died.

Shen Hong stroked his chair's armrest. He had already sent Deacon Elder Shen Ming to make arrangements. All would be well if Li Yunhua's face stayed hidden, but if anything went wrong, Li Yunhua would have to die first.

There was no other choice. Dragon Fiend still had some need for Shen Hong and the Sacred Family as insiders within Glory City.

Suddenly, an exceptionally handsome man in a pale white robe appeared in the hall.

"Oh? Shen Hong, it seems something extraordinary has appeared in Glory City. Rebirth... how interesting."

Shen Hong's pupils contracted. Apart from him, only Li Yunhua was in the hall now.

"You've finally come."

On the sky screen, Azure-Armed Giant Apes appeared one after another, carrying either fragments of the city wall or great tree trunks on their arms.

Their numbers were growing, and the people at the rear raised their bows and crossbows.

Chen Linjian also sensed trouble. Six Azure-Armed Giant Apes had already surrounded them. The more that gathered, the more likely they were to attack the party, so they needed to strike first and seize the advantage.

Just as one Azure-Armed Giant Ape was about to pounce, Nie Li fired an arrow straight into its forehead. The ape let out a cry, then fell to the ground dead.

The remaining Azure-Armed Giant Apes recoiled in fright at the sight of their dead companion.

"Now's our chance!"

With the Sharp Sword in hand, Chen Linjian immediately ran forward, stepped onto the corpse, and leaped up. Catching another Azure-Armed Giant Ape off guard, he plunged the Sharp Sword into its body.

By the time Chen Linjian returned, the Azure-Armed Giant Ape's corpse had hit the ground as well.

"Young Master Chen is mighty!"

"Brother Nie Li, excellent shooting!"

Shen Yue stood there in disdain. In his eyes, anyone who missed a target that large had to be blind.

He aimed at one and fired!

The shot went just wide. The Azure-Armed Giant Ape even turned around and pointed its backside at Shen Yue. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to be mocking him.

Shen Yue: ...

I refuse to believe this!

He fired several arrows in succession, but the Azure-Armed Giant Ape dodged them all with ease, never forgetting to mock him.

Just as Shen Yue was about to fire again, he reached behind him and found that he had no arrows left.

Nie Li's arrows were right beside him. Just as Shen Yue reached toward them, Nie Li, who had already noticed, moved a little farther away.

Behind them, Huyan Lanruo and Ye Ziyun could not help laughing.

Others tried shooting as well, but none of them hit their targets.

The Azure-Armed Giant Apes were far too nimble.

Nie Li, however, continued to maintain his standard of one kill per arrow.

Suddenly, a tremendous roar filled everyone with a sense of foreboding.

Nie Li said, "That roar came from a Silver-Rank Demon Beast!"

Chen Linjian asked, "Can you tell its exact rank?"

Nie Li said, "It's close to Gold Rank. We can't handle it!"

With a leader at their head, the other Azure-Armed Giant Apes grew savage as well and prepared to attack.

Nie Li immediately suggested that everyone retreat into the Jungle. There were plenty of trees there, and these enormous demon beasts would have trouble moving around.

The party immediately charged into the Jungle. Nie Li leaped onto a tree trunk. A capable archer needed to stand at the highest point and overlook the entire battlefield.

Everyone brought their abilities into play, furiously slaughtering the Azure-Armed Giant Apes.

An icy aura emanated from Ye Ziyun, and ice immediately formed around the three darts hovering before her.

The three darts struck three Azure-Armed Giant Apes that were about to pounce, while Huyan Lanruo finished them off with a short knife.

When another Azure-Armed Giant Ape appeared, Huyan Lanruo immediately used her Snow Cherry Demon Spirit.

After that Azure-Armed Giant Ape charged into the illusion, its vicious expression instantly changed. There was a female ape before it.

It immediately beat its chest and flexed its muscles, displaying its masculine might.

Suddenly, the female ape vanished. When the Azure-Armed Giant Ape went over to look, another Azure-Armed Giant Ape charged out ahead of it. The two of them fought until one beat the other to death.

Huyan Lanruo walked away, hiding both her deeds and her glory, but did not forget to blow a kiss to Nie Li on the tree trunk.

Nie Li was simply thankful that the Snow Cherry Demon Spirit did not work on him.

With more than a dozen Azure-Armed Giant Apes slain, the Silver-Rank Azure-Armed Giant Ape became even more enraged. It pounded its chest furiously and roared at the sky.

Nie Li felt a terrible sense of foreboding. He knew that creature was summoning its companions.

Chen Linjian knew they were in trouble as well. If they kept fighting like this, they would be worn down until they died.

Nie Li recalled the map. "There should be traps left by earlier visitors near the fortress!"

Chen Linjian was not one to dither. He immediately ordered the entire party to retreat toward the fortress.

As he waved for everyone to retreat, an Azure-Armed Giant Ape suddenly leaped in front of him and raised its enormous palm to strike.

"Young Master Chen, watch out!"

One of the men shoved Chen Linjian out of the way, paying the price as that enormous palm sent him flying instead.

"No!"

The man was slammed straight into a tree, his body hanging limply.

Nie Li hurriedly kept firing, finally driving that Azure-Armed Giant Ape away.

Chen Linjian rushed over, but the man only managed to lift his hand slightly before he died.

Chen Linjian cried, "A-Ming!"

Seeing their companion die, the others burned with rage. One of them chased down that Azure-Armed Giant Ape and killed it in a single blow.

Nie Li could do nothing. No matter how many arrows he fired or how quickly he shot, he could not keep up with the rate at which these Azure-Armed Giant Apes appeared.

Chen Linjian also knew this was no time for grief. He split the party into six teams and ordered them all to regroup at the fortress.

Beneath the sky screen.

At the City Lord's Mansion.

Chen Linjian's expression was grim. Every one of these subordinates had followed him with unwavering loyalty. He had never expected to lose several of them in Gulan City.

Thankfully, Nie Li had been there. Otherwise, even more of them would have died.