87: The ferocious monkey

Xiaoyao Realm.

Xu Le had just logged into the Xiaoyao Realm, and before he could even enter ranked mode, a massive wave of messages flew toward him.

[Ding! Someone has forcibly used a Death Duel Card on you. Constructing Death Duel Space...]

[Ding! Someone has...]

After eighteen consecutive flashes, the messages finally stopped.

[Ding! Detected an excessive number of forced death duels. Sorting and organizing...]

[Sorting complete.]

Swish!

Xu Le appeared in the familiar Death Duel Space.

His opponent was clad in heavy armor, wrapped tightly from head to toe, and sat atop an exotic beast that looked somewhat like a lion with two horns on its head.

Codename: "Rider Number One Under Heaven."

Xu Le used his Divine Eye to look over; the opponent was a Level 62 SS-rank Professional—a Suanni Knight.

The Suanni he rode was rumored to be one of the nine sons of the Dragon, with excellent attributes and skills.

More importantly, it actually possessed the talent "True Dragon Bloodline."

In a sense, it really was a Dragon!

"So you're 'If Your Kung Fu Is Bad Don't Come Out and Be a Bastard'!"

"Seeing me, do you have anything to say?"

Xu Le nodded. "I suggest you check a dictionary before reading my name again."

Although he had also looked at a dictionary to come up with the name, who would know if he didn't say anything?

Ning Xiaokai was furious. Had he not checked the dictionary? He had just forgotten!

Simply outrageous!

"You really are as despicable and shameless as Yaoyao said!"

Ning Xiaokai pulled down his visor and immediately began a charge.

Through Xu Le's Mind Link, the Little Demon Monkey kept transmitting thoughts of "Fight, fight, fight!"

"Fine, perform well. If you lose, no food for you."

With a casual wave, the Little Demon Monkey appeared.

"Squeak, squeak..." (Guaranteed to complete the mission.)

The Little Demon Monkey charged toward Ning Xiaokai. At the moment they were about to collide, its body suddenly split into two, attacking the Rider Number One Under Heaven from both the left and right.

"I can't be bothered to tangle with you. Crushing your master is the same!"

Ning Xiaokai thought, completely ignoring the Little Demon Monkey as he continued his charge.

"Squeak, squeak..."

The Little Demon Monkey was furious. After entering combat, its current Agility was as high as 6,900 points, not a bit slower than the charging Suanni.

It turned around, leaped, and directly executed a "Strike to the Head."

Without a weapon, it used its fists directly.

After one punch, the Clone followed with a jump, also using "Strike to the Head" and smashing a fist onto Ning Xiaokai's head.

Then, the two Little Demon Monkeys clung to the Suanni, unleashing various Moves.

Twin Winds Piercing the Ears!

Twin Dragons Piercing the Pearls!

Monkey Steals the Peach!

Old Monkey Climbing the Tree!

...Various Moves were performed with ease, raining down on Ning Xiaokai's body.

At first, he was startled.

Two "clangs" from the punches—after damage reduction, each punch still dealt nearly 1,200 points of damage to him.

One had to know he had a base 50% damage reduction, plus the buffs from the Suanni and his equipment; he could even hold his own against a Lord-rank monster of the same level.

Yet those two punches had exceeded a thousand.

Fortunately, the subsequent damage was only two or three hundred points.

"The advantage is mine!"

Ning Xiaokai thought as he closed in on Xu Le.

He gripped his great spear, pointing it at Xu Le.

With the Suanni's charge, he didn't need to thrust forward with force to unleash double the attack power and knock the target back.

"Squeak, squeak..."

Seeing its master about to be hit, the Little Demon Monkey stopped its routine, directly having its Clone block the front while it jumped to the back and yanked hard on the tail.

The Suanni's eyes turned red. Its tail was no mere decoration; it whipped toward the Little Demon Monkey's head with a crack that broke the air.

The Little Demon Monkey was faster, easily dodging while delivering a kick toward the beast's rear.

Ow~ Roar!

The Suanni yelped in pain but continued to charge forward, crashing into the Little Demon Monkey's Clone.

That was it—no one was sent flying.

The Clone, which had activated its Battle Aura Shield, wasn't knocked back, though its shield was left with only a sliver of health before being shattered by Ning Xiaokai's spear.

With the charge interrupted, Ning Xiaokai had no choice but to stop and fight the two Little Demon Monkeys.

The Suanni bit with its massive maw, whipped its powerful tail, slashed with sharp claws, and could even spit fireballs; its various skills were all powerful.

Ning Xiaokai was even stronger. Although the Suanni was bought for him by his Family, he had personally tamed it.

One person and one mount fought the two demon monkeys. Although they were temporarily at a disadvantage, it wasn't obvious.

Time slowly passed.

60 seconds went by.

The Little Demon Monkey's Clone disappeared.

Ning Xiaokai was overjoyed and immediately executed "Soul-Shaking Spear"!

The rider borrowed the "steed's" power, and the Suanni borrowed the rider's might.

This spear was infused with all of the Suanni's Strength and Agility, as well as his own Strength and Agility.

The two combined into one, capable of unleashing triple damage, with a speed that was beyond measure.

This single spear had once heavily wounded a Level 60 Lord-rank monster.

Ssh!

The air itself seemed to be pierced through.

The Little Demon Monkey was caught off guard, and the spear struck its shield.

The shield trembled slightly.

That's it?

The Little Demon Monkey sneered inwardly. After being hit for so long, its shield's health had already been stacked to over ten thousand.

Stab away!

With another punch landing on the Suanni, the cooldown for the True and False Clones completely ended.

The Little Demon Monkey's body shook, and an identical Clone appeared once more.

"No! No! No!"

Ning Xiaokai lamented to the heavens. The Clone that had just disappeared was back already; wasn't this like an infinite refill?

How was he supposed to play?

This battle was unwinnable.

He gritted his teeth and charged directly at Xu Le, letting the two Little Demon Monkeys attack as they pleased.

The Little Demon Monkey was almost ecstatic. Its fists fell like raindrops. Its current speed was twice as fast as before; it could easily throw six or seven full-power punches per second.

Its attack power had also doubled. With the Clone's help, in less than three seconds, Ning Xiaokai's health bar was emptied.

[Ding! You have defeated Rider Number One Under Heaven in a forced death duel. Time taken: 64 seconds. Obtained 8 xiaoyao coins.]

Ning Xiaokai was so angry he wanted to spit blood. He was an SS-rank Professional with a Suanni of True Dragon Bloodline, yet he was wiped out by a monkey and only lasted 64 seconds. Where was the justice?

Was he still the peerlessly defensive Suanni Knight?

"No! I must have my revenge!"

...Five-second countdown.

Five... As Xu Le prepared for the next battle, the Little Demon Monkey desperately transmitted its thoughts: "Back, back, back..."

"You've had enough already?"

Xu Le thought this monkey was too easily satisfied and sent it back directly.

As soon as it entered the Contract Space, the Little Demon Monkey took advantage of the buffed power that was still active and sprinted toward the immortal coil.

"Squeak, squeak..." (I'm definitely eating this peach today, I said so!)

The Little Silly Crow flew over and dropped its signature Light of Punishment.

The fan-shaped light covered half the space, with three of the beams aimed squarely at the Little Demon Monkey.

"Did you think I wouldn't dodge like last time?"

"Naive!"

The Little Demon Monkey produced a Clone; one leaped toward the sky, while the other bent down and rolled across the ground.

Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!

Ten fireballs flew out, hitting the Little Demon Monkey in the air that had no way to maneuver, blowing it into white light as it dissipated.

The Little Demon Monkey rolling on the ground shuddered. Just as it was about to stand up, a streak of white light rushed into its Sea of Consciousness.

Spiritual Interrogation!

"Master let me promote to SSS-rank, yet I'm stealing Master's peaches. Am I even still a monkey?"

"But the peaches are so delicious..."

"Ungrateful, unthinking of repayment, and even stealing—do I deserve this Battle Demon Monkey Bloodline?"

"But a Battle Demon Monkey is still a monkey! Is it a crime for a monkey to eat peaches?"

...After more than ten minutes, the Little Demon Monkey finally overcame its greed. When it opened its eyes, it found itself locked in a Wood Prison, with the other contracted beasts glaring at it.

Those looks were as if they were looking at a piece of scum.

Little Demon Monkey: (´⌒｀.)

...Inside the Death Duel Space.

Xu Le easily defeated eighteen challengers.

He harvested a total of 144 xiaoyao coins.

As the death duels ended, a message from the Xiaoyao Realm flew over.

[Respected Gu Nao Dang Tian, your xiaoyao coins have reached 100. Would you like to sign up for the 9th Hope Cup Tournament?]