Chapter 33: Shaking Heaven Giant Ape

Description

After a night of rest, everyone’s condition had improved somewhat, but to be safe, Wu Yan (Yan) still had everyone rest in place for an additional day.

According to what the Sect Master had said, the Secret Realm would be forcibly closed on the fifth day after opening.

And today happened to be exactly the fifth day since the Secret Realm opened.

In the early morning, the mist on the wasteland had not yet completely dissipated. A pale sun had just leaped over the horizon, plating this dead silence of ruins with a thin layer of gold.

Wu Yan (Yan) and her group were fully equipped and ready to set out.

After their rest, everyone’s spirit and energy had recovered quite a bit.

Even Wu Yan (Inner) seemed to have had a good sleep. Early in the morning, she floated in the air full of energy, directing Gu Jian to scout the path to the left and complaining that Bai Zhiqiu was too slow at washing her face—acting like a supervisor with far too much stamina.

“Let us go. Before the Secret Realm ends, let’s see if we can find some Fortuitous Opportunities for Junior Brother Gu and the others, as well as for you, Miss Bai.”

Wu Yan (Yan) fastened Severing Delusion to her waist and stood at the front of the group.

Just then—

“Swoosh—!!!“

A sharp sound of breaking air suddenly rang out, piercing the tranquility of the early morning.

Everyone snapped their heads up to look.

Far off in the northwest, a burst of five-colored spiritual light soared into the sky. It exploded at high altitude, forming a massive, perpetually flowing pattern of five-colored petals that did not dissipate for a long time.

That was a signal forcibly ignited with spiritual power. Even from a hundred miles away, one could feel the urgency and despair contained within it.

“It is a distress signal!”

Bai Zhiqiu’s expression changed, and a Lopan instantly appeared in her palm. “That pattern, radiant with the circulation of the five elements… It is the Taiqing Sect’s ‘Five Elements Emergency Summoning Order’! Only when encountering an emergency situation would those of the Taiqing Sect send out a distress call of this level.”

“Taiqing Sect?”

Wu Yan (Yan)’s gaze narrowed.

The Taiqing Sect was one of the five major sects of the Righteous Path, with deep strength and heritage. In particular, their Master Brother Xie Wenyuan was a standout among the younger generation, his “Five Elements Taoist Arts” being superb.

To push them to the point of sending an emergency summoning order meant the opponent was absolutely not simple. It was likely a large force of Demonic Cultivators or a high-rank demonic beast.

“Senior Sister—”

“We save them.”

Wu Yan (Yan) did not hesitate for a second, her voice sounding decisive.

“The Righteous Path alliance stands together for mutual aid. Since we have seen it, we cannot ignore it. If we sit by and watch today, who will come to save us if we fall into danger in the future?”

She turned to look at everyone, her eyes firm. “Full speed ahead! Qingyao, Miss Bai, I must trouble you to stay in the center of the formation. If the situation turns sour, immediately take the three junior brothers and leave.”

Several streaks of light soared into the sky, cutting through the silence of the wasteland. With a momentum that refused to look back, they streaked toward the direction where the spiritual light had exploded.

The clouds were churning; a fierce battle was unavoidable.

—

The biting cold wind that had been howling across the wasteland seemed to be snapped off by an invisible giant hand as the group approached the location where the spiritual light had exploded.

In its place was a heavy pressure that was suffocating.

That was not just a fluctuation of spiritual power; it felt more like a suppression from a higher-dimensional law. It made the surrounding air become incredibly thick, making every breath feel like swallowing grit.

“W-What is going on?”

The sprinting Gu Jian suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face instantly turning pale.

He felt as if his heart were being squeezed by an invisible giant hand, making every beat exceptionally difficult.

The heavy sword in his hand hummed uncontrollably—a primal shiver when facing a superior predator.

Wu Yan (Yan) did not speak.

She simply gripped Severing Delusion tightly.

“Tsk, how unlucky.”

There was no hint of fear in Wu Yan (Inner)’s voice, only the irritation of being disturbed. “Little Wu Yan (Yan), that big fellow up ahead is a bit troublesome. That is an Ancient Demonic Ape, and its aura isn’t right. Its cultivation shouldn’t be something allowed in this Secret Realm. It has broken through the restrictions of the rules.”

“Broken through the restrictions? Could it be the Nascent Soul Stage?” Wu Yan (Yan) paused slightly, her heart sinking.

“Correct. Although it was forcibly pushed up by external forces into a Pseudo-Nascent Soul, it has the enhancement of the Secret Realm because it is the guardian beast of this place. Even as a Nascent Soul, it is not comparable to an ordinary Nascent Soul. At any rate, it is enough to tear you into pieces.”

Wu Yan (Inner) let out a lazy yawn, but her tone carried a hint of warning. “With your current cultivation, charging in is just seeking death. I suggest you turn around and leave; don’t worry about the life and death of those Righteous Path wastes.”

Wu Yan (Yan) did not answer, her gaze only becoming colder.

When the group climbed over a long ruined wall and truly saw the scene before them, the last shred of hope was thoroughly shattered.

What was originally a grand plaza had now turned into a massive meteorite crater.

At the bottom of that crater, the Five Elements Grand Array that the Taiqing Sect took pride in was already broken to pieces, turning into fragments of spiritual light all over the ground.

Of the five Taiqing Sect disciples, only one remained conscious now. The rest lay in pools of blood, their fates unknown.

The once elegant and spotless Heaven’s Favorite of the Taiqing Sect, Xie Wenyuan, was currently half-kneeling on the ground.

The Whisking Dust in his hand was left with only a bare handle. His Daoist robes were shredded and he was covered in blood. His right arm, in particular, was twisted at a bizarre angle, clearly broken.

And standing before them was a small mountain.

It was a giant ape dozens of meters tall.

Its entire body was covered in ink-black scales, and every scale burned with purple-black demonic fire. Its eyes were like two blood moons, radiating an aura of tyranny and madness.

A Shaking Heaven Giant Ape.

However, it was likely a demonic ape now. Behind it, the shadow of a massive demonic god loomed faintly, and the surrounding space constantly collapsed and reorganized with every breath it took.

“Roar—!!!”

The demonic ape let out a roar. The sound waves swept out like a tangible shockwave, instantly vibrating the surrounding broken walls and debris into fine powder.

It raised its massive palm and slammed it down ruthlessly toward the struggling Xie Wenyuan and the others.

Something wasn’t right.

Alarms went off in Yu Qingyao’s heart.

In her previous life, she had also seen this giant beast, but back then it wasn’t bloodthirsty like this. On the contrary, in her previous life, it would even actively lead cultivators who were lost in the Secret Realm back to the main group.

Is this the work of those damned Demonic Cultivators again?

While she was thinking, the voice of Wu Yan (Yan) reached her ears: “This is a Nascent Soul Stage demonic beast!”

Before her voice had even faded, Wu Yan (Yan)’s figure had already turned into a streak of white light, instantly cutting into the battlefield.

“Gu Jian, take the Taiqing Sect people away!”

Wu Yan (Yan) let out a sharp cry, her voice exploding like sudden thunder.

“Cover Senior Sister! Attack!”

Gu Jian roared, swinging his heavy sword. A several-yard-long earthen yellow Sword Chi slashed toward the demonic ape’s ankle.

He retreated while fighting, not forgetting to evacuate the Taiqing Sect members at the same time.

Facing a Nascent Soul Stage enemy, Bai Zhiqiu no longer held anything back. She held an abacus in her left hand and the Lopan in her right.

Several beads on the abacus shattered, transforming into several golden chains that wrapped toward the demonic ape’s arms. The needle on the Lopan spun rapidly as several small-scale harassment arrays were generated under the demonic ape’s feet in an instant.

Yu Qingyao did not retreat with Gu Jian’s group. Instead, she threw out talismans she had bought from the Tianbao Pavilion like scattering water onto the demonic ape’s body.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The group’s attacks landed on the demonic ape, exploding into clouds of smoke.

However, as the dust cleared, not even a single white mark was left on the demonic ape’s black scales.

That was absolute defense—the chasm between realms.

The demonic ape’s movements only paused slightly. Then, those blood-moon eyes shifted, locking onto these ants who dared to provoke it.

There was no anger in its gaze, only the indifference of looking at dust.

It gave a light huff and waved its hand casually.

“Boom!”

A terrifying invisible force field erupted instantly.

The gravity within hundreds of meters around the demonic ape increased several times over in an instant!

“Ugh!”

Yu Qingyao and Bai Zhiqiu, who were still attempting to attack, only felt their bodies grow heavy as if they were carrying Mount Tai on their backs.

Fortunately, Gu Jian and the others, whose cultivation was lower, had followed Wu Yan (Yan)’s orders and already moved a distance away with Xie Wenyuan and the others. Only because of this were they not directly crushed.