83: Which volume king is in Chapter 83 again?

The Strange Beast Forest is located in the core area of the Spirit Gathering Secret Realm. It is vast and boundless, occupying nearly half the area of the entire Secret Realm.

The forest as a whole has a sloped structure, with the terrain gradually rising from the outer layers toward the center.

The outer layer is as flat as a plain, with lush vegetation and tall, dense trees.

The inner forest has complex terrain, containing wetlands, swamps, canyons, caves, and more, all intricately distributed.

At the very center stands a mountain peak that towers into the clouds, as if it were a pillar supporting the firmament.

This mountain is named Poyun Peak, its summit covered in ice and snow all year round, with raging blizzards creating an extremely cold environment.

Such complex and varied terrain has created a wonder within the forest where tropical, temperate, and frigid ecosystems coexist.

It nurtures diverse Strange Beasts and rare resources.

It can be said that the Spirit Gathering Secret Realm is not only an excellent Trial Grounds, but also a massive resource vault containing endless Treasure Trove.

And more than half of those resources come from the Strange Beast Forest.

Whether it is the precious minerals in the forest or the various parts from the Strange Beasts, they are rare gems in the outside world.

However, for the trial-takers, what they care about more is points.

In the Strange Beast Forest, you can earn points just by killing Strange Beasts. The deeper you go, the more powerful the Strange Beasts you encounter, and the more points you earn.

At the center of the forest, at the foot of Poyun Peak.

A burly man stood on the spot, his sword-like eyebrows slanting up into his temples.

He took a deep breath, and the long halberd in his hand flashed with light for an instant before vanishing into thin air.

On the ground in front of him lay a massive giant ape.

This giant ape was called a Stone-Skin Ape, five meters in length, with its body covered in a layer of grayish-brown, stone-like scales.

Although it was called a Stone-Skin Ape, its scales were not just any ordinary stones found by the roadside.

These scales had a special texture, containing strange toughness and hardness, and were considered rare treasures in the eyes of an Artifact Refiner.

Defensive martial equipment made from these scales was exceptionally tough, capable of easily withstanding a full-force blow from an ordinary Middle Stage Tiangang Realm Martial Artist.

However, at this moment, the giant ape's supposedly impenetrable scales were shattered, leaving behind a shocking wound.

Clearly, it was a fatal blow.

[Killed a Third-Order Advanced Strange Beast, Stone-Skin Ape, gained 3000 points]

"Having dealt with this Strange Beast, my ranking should be able to surpass Zhong Haoran now."

The man checked the ranking with slight anticipation, but his expression suddenly darkened the next moment.

"I'm still in second place? Could Zhong Haoran have already surpassed me by 3000 points?"

Since entering the Secret Realm, the ranking between him and Zhong Haoran had been like a seesaw, alternating back and forth between the top spot and the runner-up position, neither willing to give way.

This fierce competition completely ignited the fires of competitiveness in both of them, and they began to compete intensely, leaving the third-place contestant far behind.

His strength was on par with Zhong Haoran's, and the gap in their rankings was minuscule.

Just a moment ago, he had unleashed his strongest killing technique, successfully breaking through the Stone-Skin Ape's defenses and killing it in one blow.

A Third-Order Advanced Strange Beast has combat power comparable to a Late Stage Tiangang Realm Martial Artist.

Logically, the points gained from killing such a powerful Strange Beast should have allowed him to surpass Zhong Haoran in the rankings in one go.

"If that's the case, then I'll climb Poyun Peak!"

Third-Order Advanced Strange Beasts are very hard to find in the outer layers, but while they aren't exactly as numerous as cow hairs on Poyun Peak, they are far more common than in the outer layers.

More importantly, the overlord of the Strange Beast Forest—a Lord-level Strange Beast—inhabits this Poyun Peak.

As long as one can successfully kill the Lord-level Strange Beast, one can directly obtain 50,000 points.

By then, there would be absolutely no possibility for Zhong Haoran to surpass him again.

Looking at the mountain peak towering into the clouds before him, a flash of determination crossed the man's eyes.

Immediately after that, on the other side of the foot of Poyun Peak.

A man dressed in moon-white robes, holding a long sword, moved with light, graceful steps, as ethereal as floating clouds.

Behind him, dozens of vines as thick as a wrist were in hot pursuit like ferocious pythons, leaving the vegetation everywhere they passed in a mess.

Facing the exceptionally dangerous vines, the man kept his eyes tightly closed, his body swaying leisurely as if taking a stroll in a courtyard, skillfully dodging the vines' attacks time and time again.

Suddenly, the man stopped in his tracks.

"Found it."

In an instant, he snapped his eyes open, and an extremely sharp Sword Intent radiated from his body.

Just as the vines were about to surround and crush him, he thrust his sword forward, his True Qi moving agilely like flowing water, rapidly covering the blade in a spiral shape.

His figure shot out like an arrow from a string, his speed so fast that it was almost impossible for the naked eye to track, instantly shredding the surrounding vines into pieces.

With the remaining force, the long sword pierced straight through a tree as thick as one could embrace, leaving a deep spiral sword mark.

The next second, the tree actually let out a wail like an injured beast, its trunk twisting and deforming as a large mouth filled with sharp teeth slowly appeared, with green sap gushing out and emitting a foul stench.

[Killed a Third-Order Advanced Strange Beast, Green Wood Coiling Vine, gained 3500 points]

"Phew, that was truly dangerous."

Although the man said that, a relaxed and comfortable smile hung on his face as he checked his ranking on the leaderboard.

"Huh? I gained 3500 points, so why did I drop to second place instead?"

Before this, he had firmly held the top spot for two hours, and furthermore, he had just successfully killed a Third-Order Advanced Strange Beast that was extremely rare in the outer layers; his top position should have been even more secure.

"Could it be... that brute Xiang Tian has climbed Poyun Peak?"

The man looked up at Poyun Peak, which pierced the sky, and fell into deep thought.

There are far more powerful Strange Beasts on Poyun Peak than outside the mountain, and the efficiency of obtaining points is much higher.

However, the Lord-level Strange Beast is also on Poyun Peak.

Besides its own powerful strength, a Lord-level Strange Beast can also command other Strange Beasts.

If one were to accidentally trigger a beast tide, the situation would become extremely tricky.

Only one day has passed since the Spirit Gathering Secret Realm opened. Apart from him and Xiang Tian, those two overachievers, most people are still wandering on the edge of the outer forest.

To climb Poyun Peak, it is best to wait for the main force to assemble.

By then, even if a beast tide is triggered, dealing with it will be much easier and safer than doing it alone.

"It's just that the number of Advanced Strange Beasts on the mountain is limited. Every one that Xiang Tian kills reduces my chances of earning points."

"The longer I wait, the more difficult it will be to catch up with his point gap..."

A light flickered in the man's eyes, and after some intense internal struggle, a flash of resolution suddenly appeared.

"The path of the Dao of Martial Arts should always be about striving to be the best."

"As a representative of the Taichu Martial Mansion, this top spot is mine to take!"

With that said, he strode toward Poyun Peak.

In reality, Zhong Haoran and Xiang Tian had taken turns being in second place.

First, Xiang Tian took second place, and right after, Zhong Haoran surpassed Xiang Tian, relegating him to third.

Because of this coincidence, they both mistakenly thought the other had taken first place, completely unaware that a third party had intervened in their rivalry.

And the one who discovered this third party was the third-place guy who had been left far behind by Zhong Haoran and Xiang Tian.

After arduously killing a Third-Order Intermediate Strange Beast, he suddenly discovered that he had actually dropped to fourth place.

"Who is this overachiever again?"

He was full of astonishment and, in his frustration, threw his weapon hard onto the ground.

With a "clang," the weapon struck the ground, just like his shattered mood at that moment.

Immediately after, his body went limp, and he sat down, leaning against a large tree, his eyes full of exhaustion and helplessness.

"What's the point of competing? I worked myself to death only to drop another rank."

"I'm done!"