บท 41: Chapter 41: A Single Sword Overwhelms Titan – Unstoppable Rewards Await
Xiao Wu's words struck like a needle piercing Er Ming's chest, the declaration echoing relentlessly in his mind, impossible to ignore or erase.
Er Ming's fists clenched, veins bulging as his yellow-hued eyes flared with murderous intent. His voice erupted in a thunderous roar:
"Despicable human pretty boy! If you've got the guts, stop hiding behind Sister Xiao Wu! Face me in a duel!"
In the world of beasts, only the strongest males were worthy of a mate.
To Er Ming, the only way to reclaim Xiao Wu was to defeat—or even kill—Zhou Yi.
"Er Ming, what do you think you're doing?"
Xiao Wu's voice was filled with fury.
Did he dare treat her words as if they were nothing?
Yet Er Ming ignored her completely, his gaze locked onto Zhou Yi.
Just as Xiao Wu was about to unleash her wrath, Zhou Yi gently pulled her behind him. Facing the towering black gorilla, he smiled faintly and said,
"If you want to fight, I'll humor you.
"But not here—we wouldn't want to wreck Xiao Wu's home, would we?"
With that, Zhou Yi's figure blurred like lightning, his movement as ethereal as a celestial being, spanning several zhang in an instant as he headed toward the valley's outskirts.
"At least you've got some courage!"
Er Ming let out a deafening roar, using both his hands and feet to chase after Zhou Yi.
"Er Ming!"
Xiao Wu stomped her foot angrily.
"Don't worry," Yan Rou said, placing a reassuring hand on Xiao Wu's shoulder. "Zhou Yi is quite strong. It won't be easy for Er Ming to defeat him. Let's go watch!"
"Alright!"
Xiao Wu and Yan Rou followed in pursuit.
When they arrived in the forest, they were greeted by the sight of Er Ming attacking Zhou Yi with a frenzy.
However, Zhou Yi moved like the wind, effortlessly dodging each of Er Ming's strikes.
"Roar!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Er Ming's roars reverberated through the forest. His speed was impressive, but Zhou Yi was even faster and more agile. Frustrated by his inability to land a blow, Er Ming's temper flared.
In his rage, he activated his ultimate ability—Gravity Domain Control.
Zhou Yi suddenly felt an immense weight press down on him, as though his body was burdened with thousands of catties.
While Zhou Yi also possessed a Gravity Domain, he had no intention of dragging out the fight. After all, his cultivation level wasn't high enough to sustain a prolonged battle against a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast like the Titan Giant Ape.
"It's time to end this."
Zhou Yi murmured softly as he drew his Frost-Defying Sword.
Sword energy surged, sharp and unrelenting.
"Die!"
Er Ming, confident that Zhou Yi was immobilized and had no choice but to fight head-on, grinned maliciously. To him, this human—this rival for Xiao Wu—deserved only one fate: death.
Even if Xiao Wu hated him afterward, it didn't matter.
This human couldn't be trusted. He was surely after Xiao Wu's Soul Bones.
Only Er Ming truly loved her.
"Stop!"
Xiao Wu cried out, recognizing the murderous intent in Er Ming's eyes.
"One Sword to Part the World!"
With Zhou Yi's cultivation at Rank 42 and his mastery of the Perfection-Level Nine Swords of Dugu, his understanding of this technique had reached new heights.
Combined with the unrivaled power of the Frost-Defying Sword, a devastating sword energy erupted, splitting the earth beneath it.
Wherever the sword's energy passed, all obstacles silently cleaved in two, reduced to dust.
Even before the sword arrived, its intent struck first.
Er Ming, poised to crush Zhou Yi with a palm, felt his fur stand on end like steel needles. An unprecedented sense of danger engulfed him.
Soul Power surged through his body, muscles bulging like inflated balloons, as he transformed into an unyielding mountain. Black energy swirled around him, pushing his defense to its limits.
And then the sword energy struck.
It was the pinnacle of offensive power: relentless, uncompromising, and lethal.
Boom!
Sword energy clashed with Er Ming's formidable physique, sending dust and debris flying.
Xiao Wu and Yan Rou's eyes widened, their jaws dropping in disbelief. Their hearts pounded in their chests.
"Zhou Yi! Er Ming!"
As the dust settled, Zhou Yi stood tall in his pristine white robes, the Frost-Defying Sword in hand. His calm demeanor exuded the aura of a true swordmaster.
Meanwhile, Er Ming crouched defensively, his massive arms crossed over his chest. A deep diagonal sword wound stretched across his arms and chest, cutting half a chi deep, exposing the bone within.
If not for Er Ming's exceptionally tough body and immense Soul Power, Zhou Yi's sword would have cleaved him in two.
Even so, the injuries were severe.
Boom.
Er Ming's massive body collapsed like a toppled mountain.
"Er Ming!"
Xiao Wu rushed forward in alarm. After examining him, she finally sighed in relief.
Although Er Ming was gravely injured, his thick hide and sheer resilience ensured he would survive.
Lying on the ground, Er Ming stared blankly at the sky, his spirit crushed.
Not only had he lost in love, but even his proud strength had been utterly defeated—by a human, no less.
For the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming, this was a blow too heavy to bear.
His will had been completely shattered by Zhou Yi.
Yan Rou, being experienced and understanding Er Ming's current feelings, decided to take Xiao Wu and Zhou Yi away, leaving Er Ming alone to calm down.
Xiao Wu's presence here would only make things harder and more awkward for Er Ming. Besides, there was no danger to Er Ming in this place.
Upon returning to the valley, Zhou Yi finally had the time to review the rewards he had received this time.
Although Yan Rou wasn't the protagonist—or even a significant supporting character—she was, after all, Xiao Wu's mother and a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. The rewards for this encounter were exceptional.
There were two rewards in total:
Reward One: Martial Skill Fusion Card
Reward Two: Golden Bell Shield
The Martial Skill Fusion Card could combine multiple martial skills, discarding unnecessary elements to refine them into a more powerful technique. It could fuse up to three martial skills.
This reward was decent.
However, the truly extraordinary reward was the Golden Bell Shield.
While the Golden Bell Shield might sound mundane to some, this particular version was one of the Four Divine Arts of Shaolin. It was created by a martial arts grandmaster, Bodhi Dharma, after feeling that the previously developed Child Arts had not reached the pinnacle of perfection. This second set of supreme martial arts was known for its unparalleled defense, earning it the title of "The Greatest Defense Under Heaven."
It comprised twelve levels. Upon mastering the twelfth level, one would not only achieve an impervious body but also become immune to water, fire, and poison. Furthermore, one could forego sleep and sustain boundless energy, an extraordinary ability.
Once Zhou Yi mastered the twelfth level of the Golden Bell Shield, forget fighting ten opponents—he could take on a hundred without issue.
However, cultivating the Golden Bell Shield was exceedingly arduous.
Aside from Bodhi Dharma himself, almost no one had ever perfected all twelve levels.
But Zhou Yi wasn't worried—he could simply accumulate experience points.
How exhilarating!
After reviewing his rewards, Zhou Yi informed Xiao Wu and Yan Rou of his decision to leave.
Originally, he had planned to take both Xiao Wu and Yan Rou with him. Unfortunately, Yan Rou refused to leave.
Though Xiao Wu was excited and eager to explore the outside world, Yan Rou insisted on keeping her behind, citing that Xiao Wu had just recently achieved human transformation and still needed guidance. She promised that Xiao Wu could accompany Zhou Yi when he returned next time.
Zhou Yi didn't push the matter. Under Xiao Wu's reluctant gaze, he decided to stay one more night and leave the next day.
Late Night
Zhou Yi rested in Xiao Wu's room, while Yan Rou stayed with Xiao Wu.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Wu quietly got up and sneaked out of the room, leaving behind a sleeping Yan Rou.
"Sigh…"
Yan Rou opened her eyes, letting out a faint sigh.
Daughters truly grow up and leave you behind, she thought.
Xiao Wu's movements hadn't escaped her keen senses.
Moreover, she knew Zhou Yi's character well.
Xiao Wu sneaking off was like a lamb walking into a tiger's den.
"Brother Yi," Xiao Wu whispered as she slipped into Zhou Yi's room, snuggling into his embrace. The faint masculine scent emanating from him made her cheeks flush with warmth, and her expression was filled with joy and contentment.
Perhaps it was the lingering impression left by Heavenly Palace Mirage and One Sword to Part the World, or perhaps it was Zhou Yi's handsome appearance. Regardless, Xiao Wu had become deeply attached to Zhou Yi, especially after he gave her the Transformation Pill that allowed her to take human form.
As Zhou Yi held Xiao Wu's soft and delicate figure, he naturally wasn't one to let the opportunity slip by.
This audacious rabbit dared to come to him—how could he not act?
"Brother Yi… Mother is just next door…" Xiao Wu hesitated, her words cut off as Zhou Yi leaned in and kissed her.
In the adjacent room, Yan Rou quickly heard Xiao Wu's muffled sounds, similar to what she had once experienced herself. Furious, she tightly clutched her blanket, cursing Zhou Yi silently in her heart.
"Shameless!"
"Scoundrel!"
"Despicable!"
Beneath the faint moonlight, Er Ming sat up, his gaze listlessly fixed in the direction of the valley. His expression mirrored that of a defeated rooster, carrying his battered and scarred body toward the central Life Lake.
He sought out his elder brother, Sky Azure Bull Python, Da Ming, to seek revenge and justice.
Amidst the splashing water of the Life Lake, a massive creature emerged from its depths.
With the head of a bull and the body of a snake, its head alone spanned over four meters in diameter, and its glowing lantern-like eyes shone brightly. Its enormous, pitch-black snake body was several times thicker than a water barrel.
"Second Brother, how did you get injured so badly?" Da Ming's voice was filled with surprise as he observed the sword marks on Er Ming's body, unmistakably inflicted by a human. After all, no Soul Beast in the Star Dou Forest could harm Er Ming.
"Elder Brother, it was that wretched Zhou Yi…"
Er Ming recounted everything in detail.
Da Ming frowned deeply, and after a long silence, he finally said, "Focus on recovering. Tomorrow, I'll confront Zhou Yi myself!
"Humans are deceitful and treacherous. We cannot let Xiao Wu or Yan Rou fall victim to his schemes!"
"Understood!" Er Ming nodded resolutely, though his heart was still full of indignation.
Someday, he vowed, he would regain his dignity.
For now, he placed his hopes on Da Ming. Having tested Zhou Yi's strength, Er Ming had already disclosed all the details to his elder brother.
He was confident Da Ming would triumph over Zhou Yi, avenge him, and rescue Xiao Wu!
Little did they know, Zhou Yi had already unraveled Xiao Wu's secrets, leaving no opportunity for their plans to succeed.
Dawn
As the sun rose, droplets of dew clung to the leaves and grass, while the crisp morning air permeated the Star Dou Forest.
Inside the small wooden house in the valley, the morning sunlight playfully slipped through the windows, illuminating the flushed faces of Zhou Yi and Xiao Wu.
Curled up in Zhou Yi's arms, Xiao Wu rested her head against his chest. Traces of tears lingered at the corners of her eyes, though her face bore a radiant smile of happiness.
Holding Xiao Wu's soft and delicate figure, Zhou Yi felt an inexplicable sense of achievement.
Turning his attention inward, he accessed the system.
Compared to Yanerou's rewards, Xiao Wu's prizes were even more generous:
Reward One: Solitary Yang Finger
Reward Two: Blood Bodhi (a pouch containing 36)
Reward Three: Cultivation Technique Mastery Card (can perfect one technique)
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