65: Chapter 65 Get out here, you bastard, Yuan Jin.

Just as the golden ape was about to leave to carry out the task assigned by the Black-Scaled Bear King...

Suddenly, a massive sonic boom rang out. The Black-Scaled Bear King and the golden ape immediately became alert, looking around to find the source of the sound.

"Who is it? Stop hiding and come out for me!"

The Black-Scaled Bear King opened its bloody maw, baring sharp fangs, and let out a deafening roar toward the sky.

Raging flames ignited on its paws and back as it assumed a combat stance.

The golden ape hid behind the Black-Scaled Bear King, its eyes warily scanning the surroundings.

Responding to the Black-Scaled Bear King was a thirty-meter-long Ice Flying Blade that came streaking toward it.

The Black-Scaled Bear King stood up, Pitch-black Flames burning intensely on its paws. It then swung a paw, sending a ball of black fire toward the Ice Flying Blade.

The two attacks collided with a deafening boom. The surrounding trees swayed violently; some were ignited by the raging fire, while others were frozen into ice sculptures, emitting wisps of cold mist.

"Didn't you hear me? Come out!"

The Black-Scaled Bear King couldn't stand this annoyance and let out a series of roars.

Just as it finished speaking, a massive figure appeared beside the Black-Scaled Bear King—it was Bai Xuan. With a swipe of his Eagle Claw, he left several bloody gashes on the Black-Scaled Bear King's body. At the same time, the Black-Scaled Bear King's massive frame was sent flying, snapping over a dozen towering trees before coming to a halt.

"Your strength and defense are quite good, but your temper is a bit lacking."

Bai Xuan's voice reached the ears of the golden ape and the Black-Scaled Bear King.

"It's you!" the golden ape exclaimed in shock.

It had fled from the Daxing Mountain Range and had naturally witnessed Bai Xuan's terrifying power. Scared witless, it slumped to the ground, its body trembling uncontrollably.

The scenes from back then were still vivid; it had personally seen Bai Xuan slaughter a large group of fierce beasts. Even then, he possessed power far beyond other beasts of the same period, and now he had become even more terrifying.

Fear filled the golden ape's eyes: "You're actually alive!"

"Get lost and stay to the side," Bai Xuan said, giving the golden ape a contemptuous glance.

Bai Xuan naturally couldn't remember such a minor character; perhaps he had seen it before.

"Yes, yes, I'll get lost right now." The golden ape turned and bolted, climbing up a large tree and standing on a branch to watch the scene unfold.

It was very obedient to Bai Xuan and did not leave.

Perhaps it also knew it couldn't escape Bai Xuan's grasp, so it chose to be honest and follow his orders.

Even the Black-Scaled Bear King's powerful scale defense had been torn open by a single claw, leaving it bloodied. The ape certainly wouldn't be able to withstand a single strike!

"Who exactly are you?! What are you doing here?"

The Black-Scaled Bear King hissed as it sucked in a breath of cold air from the pain. Its paws were covered in black flames as it glared viciously at Bai Xuan. At this moment, it was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

"I'm giving you two choices now: either serve me, or die."

Without further ado, Bai Xuan gave the Black-Scaled Bear King its two options.

This was the Black-Scaled Bear King's only chance to survive.

Bai Xuan felt that the Black-Scaled Bear King's personality didn't meet his standards.

But he still gave it two choices. If the answer was no, Bai Xuan would kill it without hesitation in the next moment.

"Wishful thinking! Even if I die, I will never submit to you!"

The Black-Scaled Bear King roared at the sky, then dropped to all fours and charged fiercely at Bai Xuan.

In the next second, the Black-Scaled Bear King's head was separated from its body. Blood spurted from its neck like a fountain. Its massive frame lost control and finally collapsed, though it still thrashed instinctively.

"How... how is this possible?!" The golden ape had seen everything that just happened. With just a single strike, he had killed the Black-Scaled Bear King! This was simply too powerful!

Bai Xuan's Eagle Claw grabbed the massive bear head, and then, as if eating a snack, he tossed it into his mouth. The Black-Scaled Bear King's enormous body was also sucked into his maw.

"You, monkey, come here." Bai Xuan looked toward the golden ape.

After a moment of hesitation, the golden ape jumped down from the tree and walked toward Bai Xuan with trepidation.

"Eagle King, does your humble servant have any business with you?" The golden ape recognized reality; though its heart was full of anxiety, it forced a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Was that big idiot just now the king of this place?"

"Yes, but he isn't anymore, because you ate him."

"Give me a brief rundown of the situation here."

The golden ape kept it brief and told the truth, reporting the situation to Bai Xuan without daring to hide anything. It wasn't tired of living like the Black-Scaled Bear King, who insisted on fighting even when clearly outmatched.

In fact, its relationship with the Black-Scaled Bear King was more like a partnership where each got what they needed for mutual benefit.

The golden ape had its own tribe. Having fled here to an unfamiliar place, it was eventually subdued by the Black-Scaled Bear King and became a capable assistant.

Now that the Black-Scaled Bear King was dead, its tribe was developing quite well.

Although they were only considered upper-middle tier in the forest, it was enough for survival.

"I see. That Black Bear King was quite ambitious."

Bai Xuan gained a general understanding of the situation. He was quite satisfied with this place; it would be best if it could be used by him, and if not, he'd just kill them—it wasn't as if they were indispensable.

"He had ambition, but his brain wasn't up to par. He had courage but no strategy, and a very bad temper."

The golden ape couldn't help but voice its opinion of the Black-Scaled Bear King.

"You're quite good. Are you interested in serving me?"

Bai Xuan looked at the golden ape with interest. This fellow was quite tactful and met his standards.

"However, its strength was truly a bit lacking, being at the Second Rank, Sixth Stage."

While its talent was considered very good among ordinary fierce beasts, it was far from enough to manage a large tribe.

"It is my honor that the Eagle King thinks highly of me." The golden ape bowed its head to show respect.

"Very good. You're quite capable; I have high hopes for you." Bai Xuan smiled at this sight.

This monkey was smart and had some understanding of humans. But as said before, its strength was poor. However, it was more than enough to assist other black bears in finding more spiritual energy resources.

"Thank you for the praise." The golden ape scratched the back of its head sheepishly.

"What is your name?"

"Yuan Jin. I am the leader of the Great Strength Ape Tribe and was the advisor to that big idiot just now, coming up with plans for him."

Yuan Jin answered truthfully.

"You certainly know quite a lot. Well then, Yuan Jin, go and gather the Black Bear King's subordinates here."

Bai Xuan said. Next would be the matter of choosing a new Black Bear King. Since he had killed their Bear King, they would probably be quite angry.

"If they were unwilling, he would just kill them all to save himself the trouble of looking for them individually."

"Gathering them together to deal with them all at once would save a lot of time and effort."

"Yes, I'll get right on it." Yuan Jin's tone was extremely respectful.

"By the way, let me tell you in advance: my sense of smell is very keen."

The implication was that he had memorized its scent; if it dared to run, he would definitely find and kill it.

...