Chapter 67: The Water Ape
Boom!
The spot where he had just been standing exploded violently, and a dark figure flickered beneath the surface of the water.
Song Changsheng was both shocked and furious he hadn't noticed that a demon beast had been lying in the ambush. He had nearly fallen into its trap.
"Ha!"
He immediately hurled the treasure gourd in his hand toward the shadow. The gourd collided with the figure, sending up a tremendous splash, but in the blink of an eye, it was sent hurtling back.
Song Changsheng's face went pale as he cried out, "A second-rank, low-grade demon beast?!"
Whoosh!
The shadow shot up from the water, carried by a column of water, charging straight at him.
Only then did Song Changsheng get a clear look at his opponent. It was a creature nearly ten feet long, shaped like an ape, with crimson eyes, a sharp snout full of fangs, and long gray hair. It had four ears, long arms, and a tail like a steel whip it was a water ape.
"Raaahhh!"
The water ape let out a piercing sonic screech. Song Changsheng quickly sealed off his hearing and summoned the Water Origin Shield, positioning it in front of himself.
Szzzt!
The water ape's claws slammed into the shield, showering sparks everywhere.
Song Changsheng retreated dozens of meters in a flash. When he looked down at his shield, he saw three deep claw marks gouged into its surface.
He gasped. That shield was a spiritual artifact forged from elite Guishui essence water yet it had been nearly torn apart by that beast!
The water ape showed a disturbingly humanlike smirk before diving back into the water. In an instant, it shot out from the side, claws flashing with cold light.
It was too fast Song Changsheng had no time to dodge. Instinctively, he summoned the Lu Wu Bell to shield himself.
Clang!
The claws collided with the bronze bell, unleashing a deafening chime that sent waves rippling across the lake. The water ape, stunned by the sound, momentarily halted its assault.
"Control!"
Song Changsheng seized the opening and unleashed his full power. He cast the Water Manipulation Technique, summoning thick jets of water from all directions to strike the beast.
But the water ape was brimming with demonic energy. Its whip-like tail lashed out in a wide arc, detonating the water jets in midair they couldn't even get close.
Horrified, Song Changsheng retreated again.
But the water ape was even faster. With lightning speed, its tail struck the Lu Wu Bell, sending both the bell and Song Changsheng flying, crashing heavily into the water and throwing up a massive splash.
A second-rank, low-grade demon beast was comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the early stage. It was already formidable, and here it was in its home element water. From the start, the battle had been a one-sided slaughter. Song Changsheng barely stood a chance.
The only reason he wasn't already dead was his sharp spiritual senses and the high-grade artifacts protecting him. Any other peak Qi Refining cultivator in his place would have perished without a trace.
Though he'd been hurled into the water, most of the impact was absorbed by the Lu Wu Bell, so Song Changsheng was only slightly injured. The moment he hit the water, he dove and began to flee into the depths.
The water ape let out an eerie shriek and gave chase at high speed.
Feeling the beast rapidly closing in, Song Changsheng entered a state of cold, focused calm. The water ape was powerful, but he still had a few trump cards left.
He had a second-rank, low-grade talisman, a protective jade pendant from his mother, a substitute death paper doll, and an array inscribed within his body that he hadn't used yet. If he deployed them wisely, a comeback wasn't impossible.
"I have to create the right moment to use the talisman." Song Changsheng's thoughts raced. In terms of sheer destructive force, the talisman left by Song Luhua was his best shot.
But it was a one-use item. If he used it, it had to count.
"Time to go all in!" A fierce light flashed across Song Changsheng's face. Running wasn't an option the water ape was far faster than him in the water. If he kept trying to flee, he'd only die more miserably.
His mind focused, and the Yin-Yang Duality Array activated. An invisible domain unfolded, and the energies of yin and yang transformed into a giant black-and-white pair of scissors, slicing toward the water ape's neck.
The water ape's eyes glinted with a mocking, humanlike sneer. Demonic energy surged around it, and a deep blue shield appeared, stopping the scissors cold.
"Raaahhh!"
It howled triumphantly.
Song Changsheng's eyes widened in fury. Now! he roared, "Suppress!"
The Lu Wu Bell in his hand instantly expanded hundreds of times in size, descending from the sky like a mountain. Though his cultivation was lacking, the bell had a spirit of its own, allowing him to barely control it through sheer force of will.
Seeing the golden bell bearing down on it, the water ape no longer dared to be careless. It first shattered the yin-yang scissors, then raised both arms to block the descending Lu Wu Bell.
"Slay the beast!"
Song Changsheng activated the Yin-Yang Duality Array again. The tremendous energy drain made his face turn deathly pale. This time, the yin and yang forces condensed into a massive black-and-white greatsword that cleaved downward toward the water ape pinned beneath the bell.
The beast was exerting all its strength to hold off the bell. When it saw the incoming strike, it howled and ignited its demonic energy in defense.
The blade was mere inches from its head, but it couldn't push through. The fight had entered a deadlock.
Song Changsheng's face was drained of all color. The immense expenditure of energy had pushed him to his limit, and the formation was beginning to falter.
The water monkey, highly intelligent, immediately saw that Song Changsheng was like an exhausted arrow at the end of its flight. Realizing this was its chance to strike back, it gathered all of its strength and exploded with power in a single instant.
The overwhelming force shattered the black-and-white great blade and sent the Lu Wu Bell flying.
But on Song Changsheng's pale face appeared a smile of triumph. The talisman in his hand burned away in a flash.
"Second-rank, low-grade [Heavenly Sword Talisman]!"
A beam of sword light burst into the sky, slicing through the water monkey's chest faster than lightning, continuing into the stone wall behind it and carving out a several-zhang-long scar.
The water monkey's victorious grin froze on its face. Staring at the line of blood beads emerging from its chest, its eyes filled with bitter unwillingness. With a shrill scream, its body split in two and plunged into the dark river.
Though Song Changsheng's face was as white as paper, he couldn't hide his excitement. He had gambled and won. By feigning weakness, he lured the water monkey into unleashing its full strength without caution.
And at the exact moment of its full power release when its defense was at its weakest, he activated the Heavenly Sword Talisman, delivering a fatal strike.
He reached out and recalled the Lu Wu Bell, gently tracing the beast carvings on its surface, and murmured, "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead here today."
The Lu Wu Bell trembled slightly, as if in response.
Song Changsheng placed it back into his spatial pouch, briefly regulated his breath, and then dove underwater to retrieve the water monkey's corpse. After all, this was a second-rank beast; its body was full of rare materials for artifact crafting none of it could be wasted.
With practiced ease, he dismantled the claws, fangs, tendons, and bones. The remaining flesh and skin he burned to ash and scattered into the dark river.
Though technically edible, the thing was humanoid in shape. Eating it just felt... wrong. Burning it was the cleanest solution.
Once he finished, Song Changsheng swam back toward the underground lake. Now that its guardian beast was dead, that stalk of Black Jade Ghost Lotus was his for the taking.
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