272: Chapter 272 The ferocious ape is furious

The one-eyed man approached with a sinister grin, his Water-Dividing Spikes pointed at Ye Tian's heart. "Hand over the ancient sword pill, and I'll give you a quick death!"

Ye Tian lay prone on the cold cobblestones, gasping for breath. Blood gushed out incessantly, his vision blurred, and his True Yuan was exhausted; even moving a finger was difficult.

Was he... really going to die here?

Unwillingness! Rage! Concern! Longing... all sorts of emotions churned within his consciousness, which was on the verge of collapse.

Just as Ye Tian closed his eyes in near despair, preparing to detonate the last trace of the ancient sword pill's Origin in his Dantian to perish together with his enemies...

"Roar!!!"

A terrifying roar filled with absolute fury suddenly exploded from the wooded hills above the lakeshore!

The sound waves rolled out, shaking the lake water into a churn and making the cobblestones jump!

Immediately after, a golden figure entwined with pale flames, carrying a terrifying pressure that made the Soul tremble, crashed down between Ye Tian and the one-eyed man's group!

Boom!!!

The ground shook violently, and gravel flew everywhere. The wild airwaves forced the one-eyed man and his crew back repeatedly, their faces instantly replaced by terror.

As the dust settled slightly, a hideous giant ape appeared. It was about ten feet tall, its pale-golden fur burning like fire, with pale-golden fleshy wings on its back and a flickering flame pattern on its forehead. Its right claw was entwined with a strange flame of interwoven blood-red and pale-white. Like a ferocious god protecting its young, it stood before Ye Tian!

Its giant eyes, burning with golden flames of rage, were locked onto the one-eyed man and his group. Its fangs were grim as it let out low, thunderous, threatening growls.

It was indeed the Dragon Ape!

It had descended in its combat form!

"Mas... ter..."

The Dragon Ape glanced down at the dying Ye Tian in the pool of blood behind it. Its golden eyes were instantly filled with explosive rage. It slowly turned its head toward the one-eyed man and his crew, its voice hoarse and cold, filled with a killing intent that sought to destroy everything: "You... all deserve to die!!!"

The terrifying pressure of the Huahai Realm swept across the entire Jade-Fragment Beach. The small cobblestones on the shore clicked and clacked under this pressure, jumping and shattering continuously.

The cold lake water was agitated by this aura, kicking up waves of unusual ripples.

"A... a Huahai Realm Yao Beast?!"

The one-eyed man's single eye was filled with horror, and his stubble trembled slightly.

He had spent years living on the edge of a blade on the water and had seen many ruthless characters. He had even felt the aura of Huahai Realm experts from afar, but this was the first time he had faced an ancient exotic beast clearly in a state of violent rage and overflowing with Evil Qi at such close range!

That sense of being crushed, originating from the difference in life level and absolute power, made the hair on his body stand on end. His heart nearly jumped out of his throat.

The four water ghosts behind him were in even worse shape. The two at the True Martial Fifth Stage who used hidden weapons felt their legs go soft and collapsed into the shallow water, their faces ashen.

Although the tall, thin water ghost and the short, stout one barely remained standing, the hands holding their weapons were shaking violently, their eyes filled with fear.

This group was considered a dominant force in the black markets of the waterways around Yunni City, relying on their ruthlessness. But facing the Huahai Realm, their combined attacks and swimming skills became a joke!

It was a qualitative gap!

"B... Boss... what do we do?"

The short, stout water ghost's voice trembled; he was almost on the verge of tears.

No matter how great the temptation of the ancient sword pill was, one had to be alive to take it!

The one-eyed man was, after all, a ruthless man who had emerged from blood. After the initial terror, a deeper greed and ruthlessness were instead triggered.

He stared fixedly at the Dragon Ape blocking Ye Tian, then glanced at the dying Ye Tian in the pool of blood behind it—who still tightly gripped that dark-gold ancient sword pill. Madness flashed in his single eye.

"Don't panic!"

The one-eyed man lowered his voice and spoke urgently to his subordinates. "This beast is strong, but looking at its appearance, it just had a Breakthrough not long ago. Its aura is still a bit unstable, and it wants to protect that kid!

We'll spread out and harass it from a distance. Don't fight it head-on!

A-Shui, A-Huo, use your tools to target that kid!

Force this beast to be distracted!

Skinny, Iron Pillar, come with me. Use the 'Black Water Poison Miasma' and the remaining parts of the 'Gold-Entwining Net' to trap it for a moment!

Once we succeed, grab that sword pill and immediately use water escape!

Once we're in the lake, even a Huahai Realm might not be able to catch us!"

His thinking was clear, and he instantly formulated a seemingly feasible tactic.

Attack what the enemy must save, harass and restrain, create an opportunity, and snatch the treasure to flee.

It had to be said that to rise to the position of a leader among water bandits, he did indeed possess some quick-wittedness and courage.

However, he still underestimated the Dragon Ape's rage and overestimated the room for maneuver he and his men had in the face of absolute power.

Unfortunately, although the one-eyed man quickly made his deployment, the Dragon Ape didn't give these water ghosts any chance to execute their tactics at all.

Upon its right claw, the entwined blood-red and pale-white flames surged abruptly. A terrifying sword-bane that made even the Soul ache, mixed with the Dragon Ape's Origin Pale Pure Fire, exploded forth!

"Roar!!"

The Dragon Ape swung its right claw fiercely!

A crescent-shaped blade of fire, based on pale flames with destructive blood-bane dancing on the edges, tore through the air and instantly slashed toward the one-eyed man's group of five!

Its speed was extreme!

The power it contained caused the surrounding air to distort!

"Scatter!!"

The one-eyed man's Soul Flew Away and Spirit Scattered. He let out a wild roar and desperately lunged toward the side and rear.

The other four water ghosts also fled in a panic.

Chii!

"Ah!!"

The flame blade swept past.

The slowest one, the water ghost using a blowgun who was paralyzed in the water, was instantly engulfed by the pale flames along with his blowgun. Before he could even let out a full scream, he turned into a wisp of blue smoke, with hardly any ashes left!

Another water ghost who threw javelins was grazed across half his body by the blood-bane flames on the edge. That half of his flesh, bone, and even Soul vanished instantly!

The remaining half of his body stood frozen for a moment before crashing down, blood and internal organs spilling everywhere. His death was gruesome and terrifying to the extreme!

The tall, thin water ghost and the short, stout one fled a bit faster but were still grazed by the dissipating flames. Their protective True Yuan was like paper, instantly shattered. One lost an arm, while the other's back was scorched black to the bone. They fell into the lake screaming, their fates unknown.

The one-eyed man, relying on his Seventh Stage of True Martial Realm cultivation and rich escape experience, lunged desperately at the last moment, but his left leg was still grazed by a tiny thread of blood-bane fire.

The next moment, his entire left leg from the knee down vanished soundlessly!

The stump was as smooth as a mirror, with no blood flowing out because the wound was instantly "sealed" by that strange power of pure fire and sword-bane. However, the pain that went deep into his marrow and Soul still caused him to let out a shrill, inhuman wail. He fell onto the cobblestone beach with a splash, rolling frantically while clutching his severed leg.

With just one strike!

Of the five water bandits in the middle to Late Stages of the True Martial Realm, two were dead, two were heavily injured, and one was crippled!

This was the terrifying power of a Huahai Realm Yao Beast, especially a Dragon Ape possessed of strange flames and ancient sword-bane, in a state of violent rage!

It was overwhelming and left no room for suspense!

Gurgle...

In the distance, other trackers who had just poked their heads out of the lake water were somewhat dazed by the Dragon Ape's descent. Some had even harbored a glimmer of hope to fish in troubled waters. Seeing this scene, they all had their Souls fly away and spirits scatter. They abruptly pulled their heads back into the water and dove desperately away from the shore, no longer daring to have the slightest trace of greed.

"Mon... monster..."

The one-eyed man lay in a pool of blood. Looking at the approaching Dragon Ape, whose golden pupils held only cold killing intent, his single eye was filled with boundless fear and regret.

He knew he was finished.

ancient sword pills, wealth, and glory—none of it was worth mentioning in the face of life.

The Dragon Ape walked up to him and raised its right claw, entwined with terrifying flames, about to strike down and turn one of the culprits who had harmed its master into meat paste.

"Wait."

A cold voice suddenly came from the direction of the lake surface.

The Shadow Calamity Tower assassin in black, who had been injured by Ye Tian earlier and still looked pale, along with Ah Fu from the Wanren Sword Pavilion and two guards, had already leaped out of the lake and landed not far away.

They were soaking wet, and their breathing was somewhat uneven, showing that the tracking had not been easy. But seeing the Dragon Ape and the tragic scene before them, their eyes were filled with shock and solemnity.

The one who spoke was Ah Fu.

He took a step forward and cupped his hands toward the Dragon Ape, his tone as steady as possible: "This... Senior Ape King.

I am Ah Fu, the leader of the guards under Pavilion Master Ling Juexiao of the Wanren Sword Pavilion.

The one on the ground is a wanted criminal named Ye Tian, whom my Pavilion Master has specifically ordered to be captured. He possesses a stolen treasure of our Sword Pavilion.

I ask Senior Ape King to do us a favor and hand over this person and the treasure to me.

My Wanren Sword Pavilion will surely provide a generous reward. Spirit Pills, precious medicines, and even Cultivation Technique manuals suitable for Senior Ape King's cultivation can all be discussed."

He kept his posture very low, but his words invoked the Wanren Sword Pavilion and Ling Juexiao, carrying a hidden hardness within the softness.