Chapter 9 Susano’o

In the heart of the Fallen Forest's core area, a sudden roar erupted from a towering mountain, resonating loudly: "Damn! King Kong is dead? Who did this? Who dares to slaughter my kin within these woods?"

The terrifying reverberations echoed amidst the mountainous peaks, toppling numerous ancient trees and sending beasts scattering in fear.

"Boom~Boom~Boom~" Resonating footfalls echoed rhythmically, akin to thunderous eruptions shaking the very skies.

From the darkness emerged a colossal figure, revealing itself to be a towering and formidable demon ape. Adorned with resplendent golden fur, its robust muscles rippled, resembling small mountainous contours, showcasing the terrifying might of the demon ape. Rage burned within its blood-red eyes, fixedly gazing towards a specific direction in the east... the valley where the three-eyed King Kong ape resided within the inner domain!

In the valley of the inner domain, Feng Zichen's satisfaction grew as he gazed into the dotes within his eyes. Finally, he possessed a genuine trump card. Empowered by the Mangekyo, he now rivaled even the most revered titans across the continent.

While his strength had been formidable before, facing external powerhouses from the world beyond the Fallen Forest, particularly those within the Sanctuary, had left him somewhat uncertain. Despite having certain tricks up his sleeve, he remained unsure of their effectiveness against Sanctuary elites.

Now, armed with the Mangekyo, Feng Zichen harbored the confidence to confront the most formidable and respected sanctuaries on the continent.

"Alright, the Three-eyed King Kong Ape is vanquished, and the kaleidoscope writing wheel is mine. It's time to depart," Feng Zichen declared, rising to head back to his inner camp. However, the system's voice suddenly intervened—

"Ding~ Random task posted: Survive with a stick of incense in hand while being pursued by the Heaven-Tearer Demon Ape, a pinnacle creature of the Sanctuary, who's furious due to the host's killing of the three-eyed King Kong Ape."

"Task background: Host enraged a Sanctuary king, the Demon Ape, by killing the inner domain's overlord, the three-eyed King Kong Ape."

"Task reward: 500,000 redemption points and an artifact, the Grassblade Sword!"

Feng Zichen's elation quickly turned to frozen concern. Facing a pinnacle Sanctuary creature like the Sky Ripper? Is this a joke? While he harbored some confidence in facing Sanctuary elites, he wasn't looking for such an intense challenge immediately.

The gulf between a Sanctuary pinnacle entity and a novice in the Sanctuary is immense. Although it might not result in instant defeat, surviving half the duration in front of a Sanctuary pinnacle creature is incredibly tough. And the system expects him to survive with just a stick of incense? This was more than just a bit challenging...

Just as Feng Zichen contemplated fleeing, a deafening roar startled him. Turning around, he faced the ferocious demon ape descending from the skies, resigned to his fate. It was time for a fight.

The Sky Tearing Demon Ape hung ominously in mid-air, its blood-red eyes brimming with malice. As it locked eyes with Feng Zichen, a crushing pressure bore down on the earth. It felt as though a mountain was ruthlessly crashing down upon him, an imposing pressure that showcased the true might of a Sanctuary powerhouse.

Was this the reason why Sanctuary elites dominated over other warriors? Unleashing the power of the Sanctum to suppress opponents, rendering even those who had yet to step into the Sanctum only half as strong. Under such circumstances, victory against a Sanctum powerhouse seemed bleak.

However, despite the overwhelming pressure, Feng Zichen's strength remained relatively undiminished, as the system allowed him to disregard such imposing forces.

A glint of surprise flickered in the Demon Ape's eyes; the boy before him, aged seventeen or eighteen, stood unfazed under the natural sanctuary pressure he emitted. There was no hint of struggle; his resilience and talent were truly astounding. It was no wonder King Kong had fallen into his hands.

As he harbored these thoughts, the countenance of the Demon Ripper grew increasingly ferocious, his words dripping with fury. His booming voice echoed like thunder across the celestial realm: "Human child, did you slay King Kong?"

Feng Zichen drew a deep breath, maintaining composure as he calmly responded, "If you mean the three-eyed Vajra Ape, then yes, it was me..."

In an instant, the Heaven Ripper Ape heard the confirmation it sought. Without hesitation, it unleashed a dominant and unyielding punch. The sheer force shook the very fabric of space, compressing the air within a 100-meter radius into a potent column. The resulting air cannon hurtled towards Feng Zichen at an alarming speed.

Gasping for breath, Feng Zichen sensed an impending aura of demise hurtling towards him. He was stunned by the sheer terror of this power.

"Triple Rashomon!" Feng Zichen swiftly deployed his last-resort defensive ninjutsu, summoning three formidable Rashomon barriers to shield himself.

The air cannon struck like a thunderous missile, breaching the three Rashomons in an instant. The residual force dissipated as the third Rashomon shattered into pieces.

The force behind that punch was terrifying! Feng Zichen inwardly gasped, realizing that the Sanctuary pinnacle monster indeed possessed an overwhelming strength, capable of rupturing his defensive ninjutsu with a single punch. Was this the power of a Sanctuary Peak Monster? Truly frightening...

However, Feng Zichen was mistaken. While the Sky Ripper Demon Ape was named for rending the sky and indeed held unmatched strength among Sanctum creatures, not all Sanctuary Peak Beasts wielded such terrifying power. Furthermore, despite its incredible strength, the Sky Ripper lacked any mystical abilities, hence its power was not as invincible as Feng Zichen had assumed.

Of course, for the current Feng Zichen, the Sky Ripper remained an immense threat, with a colossal strength disparity between them.

"Trouble!" As the Sky Tearing Demon Ape readied its right fist, a dazzling light materialized on its robust arm. A terrifying surge of power radiated outward, indicating that this punch would be delivered with full force.

"Susano'o Release!!!" Feng Zichen bellowed inwardly, the Mangekyo in his eyes whirling as he unleashed astonishing ocular powers. A blood-red skeleton emerged around him, rapidly growing to form a towering, ten-meter-high blood-red skeletal warrior, akin to an enlarged blood-red skeleton armor enveloping him, an eerie and fearsome sight.

The Sky Ripper gazed at this peculiar skeletal entity with a hint of concern. Although immensely robust against ordinary Sanctuary Beasts, it seemed to provoke an intense reaction within itself. Why did it sense a looming sense of mortal danger after a few punches? It was perplexing...

Unwavering in its millennia-long dominance over the Fallen Forest, despite its internal doubts, the Sky Ripper unleashed a punch.

"Fist Quake!!!" This punch condensed the entirety of the Sky Tearing Demon Ape's formidable might, seemingly causing disturbances in the surrounding space. The void rippled in layers as the punch collided with the blood-red Susano'o Nenghu's external skeletal structure.

"Boom..." The tremendous force hurled Feng Zichen back tens of meters, the ensuing shockwaves pulverizing the nearby landscape into disarray.

The Sky Demon Ape scrutinized the lengthy scratch, narrowing its eyes slightly. Based on the sensation just now, the human child should still be alive...

As the dust cleared, Feng Zichen emerged. The colossal and formidable Susano'o Nenghu stood resiliently, although the chest area had been shattered, appearing quite battered. Yet, shielded by Susano'o Nenghu, Feng Zichen sustained no injuries, albeit looking a bit fatigued.

"Phew... This punch was nearly ten times more potent than the previous one. Luckily, Susano'o could withstand it with its tremendous strength; otherwise, I'd be finished this time." Feng Zichen's expression reflected both fear and excitement, marveling at Susano'o might. This was only the basic Susano'o. The advanced form with flesh-and-blood skin promised even greater defense. Then, he might truly have reason to fear the Sky Ripper Demon Ape.

Observing Feng Zichen's nearly unscathed condition, the Sky Ripper seemed to realize its underestimation of this peculiar technique...

Feng Zichen rose, and with the aid of the Mangekyo manipulation, the shattered skeleton began mending, reconstructed by the influx of ocular power.

"Tsk tsk, this Susano'o consumes a significant amount of ocular power. It nearly drained half of it within minutes, hardly sustainable for extended use."

Surveying the swiftly restored Susano'o, Feng Zichen couldn't help but feel a slight headache. It seemed to demand considerable effort to activate and maintain.

Now aware of Susano'o prowess in defense against the sky, Feng Zichen was somewhat exhilarated. Facing the pinnacle of Sanctuary power for the first time, despite the glaring strength disparity, he, armed with the Mangekyo and an array of trump cards, harbored a flicker of confidence in his survival. Opportunities to confront such a formidable adversary seldom arose, especially one as grand as the Sky Ripper. Moreover, he hadn't engaged in a thrilling fight to the finish for quite some time.

Youth was not devoid of recklessness. At only seventeen, Feng Zichen was seized by the impetuousness of his age. Confronted with such a scenario, an internal yearning for battle surged. Come what may, the final conflict in the Fallen Forest had to be an epic confrontation!