Cangmang Mountain Range, Deep in the Great Wilderness
"I am the true master of these Cangmang Mountains!" the King-tier Demon Ape roared, its demon wings unfurling with a thunderous flap. A blood-red, scarlet wind swept outward like lightning, enveloping half the mountain range.
This scarlet wind was no mere spectacle. It writhed like billions of imperceptible tendrils, greedily siphoning the life essence from all it touched. Grass withered, trees decayed, and beasts collapsed, drained of vitality.
At that moment, a faint, luminescent willow branch materialized in the air, its gentle glow shielding Stone Village. Without it, the tendrils within the scarlet wind would have invaded, reducing the villagers to desiccated husks in moments.
Witnessing this eerie, terrifying scene, Shi Yi abandoned any thought of spectating. He turned to flee, but halted almost instantly—not out of recklessness, but because a glowing willow branch had emerged from the void above his head, its faint green light forming a protective canopy around him.
"Liu Shen?" Shi Yi reached up, brushing the emerald branch. For a fleeting moment, it felt like touching Liu Shen's fingertips, and he sensed a subtle retraction, as if she'd consciously pulled back.
Before he could savor the odd sensation, another emerald willow branch slipped from the void and whipped his backside with a sharp crack.
"Slower than I expected, Shi Yi. You're not quite up to par," Liu Shen's voice rang out, serene yet laced with an inviolable sanctity.
"Not up to par?" Shi Yi's eyes flashed with indignation, the stinging pain on his rear momentarily forgotten. He leapt to his feet, as if ready to confront the unseen Liu Shen in the void.
"I thought you'd return in ten days. You dawdled for a month and a half," she said calmly.
"My sense of direction was off. I took a wrong turn—veered off by a few million miles," Shi Yi protested, his tone defensive.
While Shi Yi bickered with Liu Shen, the battle deep in the Cangmang Mountains between the King-tier Demon Ape and the Blazing Ox Demon had reached a fever pitch.
"Moo! You're not fit to rule these mountains! With the old suanni dead, I, Old Ox, should rightfully claim this range. How dare you covet it?" the Blazing Ox Demon bellowed, visibly enraged. Its nostrils flared, eyes bloodshot, and its massive hooves, wreathed in roaring flames, stomped the ground instinctively.
Unafraid of the Demon Ape, the Ox Demon ignited a ferocious blaze around itself, scorching half the sky and halting the scarlet wind's erosion of the mountains. Heavenly Fire, born of the cosmos, where thunder and wind clash, mountains and marshes breathe, and water and fire oppose. It can incinerate all things.
In the primal Eight Trigrams, Li—the Fire position—represents the south, the zenith of the sun, embodying yang energy. Guarded by the Vermilion Bird, it is the essence of fire. The Blazing Ox Demon wielded this Heavenly Fire, a formidable archaic species whose bloodline rivaled the Demon Ape's.
"Old Ox, if you seek death, I'll grant you a reunion with the old suanni," the Demon Ape sneered.
"Arrogant! We're evenly matched. Without devouring the suanni's true blood, you can't defeat me," the Ox Demon retorted, its flames blazing hotter.
"Is that so? Let strength decide who rules the Cangmang Mountains." The Demon Ape flapped its wings, moving like lightning. The same hand that had cracked open a wild variant's skull now aimed for the Ox Demon's head.
But the Ox Demon was not the helpless bear that was paralyzed by fear. It lowered its horns and charged, meeting the Ape head-on.
Their clash raged for three days and nights. The Demon Ape's body was riddled with wounds, while the Ox Demon, exhausted, moved sluggishly, its strength waning.
"Old Ox, we're too evenly matched. If we keep fighting, outsiders might seize the advantage. How about splitting the suanni's true blood?" the Demon Ape proposed cautiously, sensing several archaic species—slightly weaker than itself—lurking beyond the mountains.
"I've no objections, but what of the Cangmang Mountains?" the Ox Demon asked, its massive head finally lowering. It knew a fight to the death would benefit neither.
"Simple. We split it—one half for you, one for me. We co-rule," the Demon Ape said, sitting down.
"You're not human, and neither am I. It's an even split," the Ox Demon corrected, collapsing beside it.
"You're right, Old Ox. Humans are just our prey in this wilderness. After we divide the suanni's true blood, I'll hunt some human tribes for a proper feast," the Demon Ape said, saliva dripping as it recalled the taste of human flesh.
"If you're so capable, leave the wilderness and raid the Stone or Fire Kingdoms," the Ox Demon snorted.
"Do I look like a fool? Those ancient kingdoms have Human Emperors. I'd be courting death!" the Demon Ape scoffed, shooting the Ox Demon a disdainful glance.
At that critical moment, the old suanni—seemingly lifeless on the ground—opened its eyes. A blinding golden light erupted from its pupils, flooding the Cangmang Mountains with radiant gold. Grass, trees, and stones shimmered, as if the entire range had been transmuted into gold.
No one could have predicted it. The "dead" suanni sprang to its feet, its aged frame radiating the ferocious might of its prime. Yet, any discerning eye could see this was its final stand. Its life was at its end—this battle would be its last.
Boom! A sound like thunder from the ninth heaven shook the mountains. The suanni rose, swift as golden lightning, lunging at the two beast kings.
The Demon Ape and Ox Demon froze, their minds blank. How could the dead suanni have revived? Its aura matched its youthful peak, when it had dominated the wilderness as the true master of these mountains.
Splatter! It was too fast, too sudden.
Though the Demon Ape reacted, its earlier battle had sapped its strength. The suanni's golden light flashed, tearing off an arm and half its torso. Blood sprayed dozens of feet, leaving the Ape gravely wounded, teetering on death.
Crack! Before the Demon Ape could flap its remaining wing to flee, the suanni's jaws unleashed a thunderous bolt, a pillar of lightning that incinerated it on the spot.
"You faked your death!" the Ox Demon gasped, but before it could finish, a golden blur rushed it.
In an instant, the Ox Demon's massive horns—meters long—were ripped away with a chunk of its scalp, exposing gleaming bone. Merciless, the suanni struck again, shattering the Ox Demon's skull.
The sudden carnage stunned not only the beasts and birds lurking outside the mountains, who collapsed in trembling fear, but also Shi Yi, sheltered by Liu Shen's willow branch. He smacked his lips, awed by the suanni's ruthless efficiency.
Impressive. Worth learning from.
"I feel like a war correspondent," Shi Yi muttered, rubbing his chin. I'm mediocre at fighting, but I'm great at spectating.
Roar! A deafening bellow echoed, the suanni's terrifying presence blanketing the mountains. All the beasts and birds that had watched the bloody spectacle fled, save for Shi Yi. The suanni could feign death once—it could do so again. None wanted to be its next victim.
At that moment, the suanni's gaze turned toward Shi Yi.
"Young friend, for the sake of our acquaintance, might you grant this old one a final rest in the earth?"
_
If you want to support me and read advanced 100+ chapters and also other stories: patreon.com/Caluem