Chương 46: The Green Ape's Fall

Bang! Zhang Huaijin's Vajra Palm slammed into the back of the Green Ape. Blood sprayed from the wound instantly. The ground cracked open all around as if a great dragon were turning over beneath the earth. Boulders shattered. Chaotic waves of residual energy rampaged in every direction. At this moment, Zhang Huaijin's blood qi roared like a dragon. His energy rose like a signal fire of wolves' smoke. Every move he made unleashed a terrifying fiendish aura. Threads of fiendish/baleful energy swirled around him.

The Blood Demon Bone Tempering Art constantly reforged Zhang Huaijin's bones, infusing his blood qi, and even his soul with a trace of that same fiendish/baleful energy. And that trace of fiendish energy made the Foundation Establishment Realm Realm Green Ape deeply wary. The two clashed furiously, both sides burning through immense reserves of power.

"Blood Demon Claw!" Vast blood qi condensed into a giant claw mark wrapped in fiendish energy. It crashed down like a falling mountain.

"Blood Hell Spear!" From his spine, Zhang Huaijin's blood qi surged upward, manifesting a sinister, awe inspiring blood red long spear. Whoosh! The air shattered around it. Boundless power swirled out as the spear transformed into a blood red streak of light. It shot straight for the Green Ape's eyes. These were all techniques from the Blood Demon Bone Tempering Art. By unleashing them all at once, Zhang Huaijin had pushed his blood qi to its absolute limit. Boom!

Now, a flicker of genuine dread finally appeared in the Green Ape's eyes. This was a second Level Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beast, a creature renowned for its physical strength. Yet after fighting for so long, it still couldn't put down this human? This human was only at the Qi Refining Realm! Was this one of those monstrous prodigies among humans? It had to kill him today. Otherwise, this would spell disaster for all spirit beasts in the purple dusk mountain range... Its mouth gaped open.

A streak of green light flashed out, and the very fabric of space around it seemed to crack faintly. A terrifying pressure erupted in an instant. Crack! The green streak howled forward with overwhelming, devastating force. Zhang Huaijin's body tempering techniques couldn't withstand it, they shattered visibly, one after another. The Blood Demon Claw and the Blood Hell Spear were destroyed in an instant. But by then, the green streak had also lost much of its power. Its true form was revealed.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A round, dark green inner core.

"A Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beast core..." Zhang Huaijin's expression shifted slightly. When a spirit beast advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm, it condensed a beast core within its body. All of its power was stored inside that core. And for a Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beast, the spirit beast core was its ultimate weapon. But if the core was damaged, the beast itself would suffer unimaginable harm. So unless absolutely necessary, a spirit beast would never reveal its core.

But now, the Green Ape was also deeply frustrated. As a spirit beast famous for raw strength, its attacking methods were limited. Yet Zhang Huaijin, by stacking his Qi Cultivation with his Body Cultivation, could vaguely erupt with power comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even as a Second Level Foundation Establishment Realm beast, it simply couldn't kill Zhang Huaijin quickly.

Because of the Realm-Breaking Pearl he possessed, Zhang Huaijin now had an Earth Fiend Spirit Body, a physique that grew stronger with every passing moment. He was also cultivating the Blood Demon Bone Tempering Art, which gave him body tempering techniques to fully leverage his physical power. The Green Ape had no choice left but to use its spirit beast core. And this was exactly what Zhang Huaijin had been waiting for. His hand swept across his storage pouch. A black shield rose instantly.

The shield's surface was etched with azure lines, carrying a hint of chilly, yin cold aura. A Tier 1, Upper Grade defensive artifact: the Mystic Nether Shield! Zhang Huaijin had obtained the material for this by chance at the Zhang family's Artifact & Talisman Pavilion, some Profound Nether Iron. He had refined it into this defensive artifact. Its grade had reached the very pinnacle of Tier 1 artifacts. Bang! The Green Ape's spirit beast core slammed directly into the Mystic Nether Shield.

The green core spun continuously, its terrifying power surging outward without end. The artifact's glow on the Mystic Nether Shield visibly dimmed, second by second. Roar! Then Zhang Huaijin opened his mouth wide and unleashed a roar. The sound was like the roar of a primordial ape, thunder rumbling directly inside the ears. It exploded into the Green Ape's consciousness. The Green Ape's eyes went dull for a moment. It felt as if hundreds of demons were screaming inside its head. Whoosh!

Deep within Zhang Huaijin's Sea of Consciousness, his soul churned. Under The Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram, nine Yin Yang divine needles vanished in an instant. Now, all nine divine needles in his Sea of Consciousness carried the fiendish energy. Threads of that fiendish energy, like slithering snakes, detached from the other needles and concentrated onto a single one. Silently. Piercing through space. They locked onto the Green Ape's head from every possible angle.

In an instant, the Green Ape's expression changed drastically. But it was already too late. A spirit beast's soul is inherently weak. Especially after being affected by Zhang Huaijin's sonic attack. Pfft! The nine Yin Yang divine needles pierced directly through the Green Ape's skull. The power of The Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram surged violently. The fiendish energy spread, tearing apart the Green Ape's soul from within. The light in the Green Ape's eyes visibly faded.

Deep in its gaze lingered a trace of unspeakable shock and despair. A human who practiced three different cultivation systems at once, wasn't this boy afraid of slowing his own progress? Wasn't he afraid of running out of time before his lifespan ended? But it was too late for such thoughts. The Green Ape's presence vanished completely. The spirit beast core floating in the air lost its glow. Zhang Huaijin used the Azure Serenity Sword to bat the core down, then put it away.

A Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beast core doesn't have much sentience yet. With the beast dead, the core was helpless prey. But Purple Mansion Realm and Golden Core Realm spirit beast cores already possess a sliver of intelligence. Even if you killed the beast itself, if you weren't careful, the core might still escape on its own. The world of cultivation was full of wonders. Zhang Huaijin panted heavily. Dragging his weakened body, he collected the Green Ape's corpse and immediately left the area.

Two hours later... In a hidden cave, Zhang Huaijin sat cross legged. Beside him lay the corpse of an Eighth Level Qi Refining Realm Iron Bone Bear. The Purple Spirit Tiger guarded its master, its eyes full of respect. Though its intelligence was low, it understood what kind of status a Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beast held in the outer reaches of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range... And its master had killed one. He was only at the Qi Refining Realm!

Though the Purple Spirit Tiger coveted the Iron Bone Bear's corpse, without its master's command, it didn't move a muscle. Huff... Zhang Huaijin exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes. Most of the spiritual power in his body had recovered. Most of his injuries had healed as well. Thinking back on the battle with the Green Ape, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Killing a Foundation Establishment Realm foe while at the Qi Refining Realm. If news of this got out...

who knew how many eyes would pop in shock…