Summoning the Purple Cloud Wings, Xiao Yan rushed towards the source of the beast’s roar like a bolt of lightning. In less than ten minutes, he approached the area where the roar was heard, and while hearing the roar, he could sense several strong and powerful auras. The strength of these auras was comparable to that of Lin Yan, and perhaps one or two were even stronger.
Feeling these auras, a subtle surprise rose in Xiao Yan’s heart. Lin Yan had already reached the peak of a Dou Ling, and if there were others here even stronger, it meant that… could there be Dou Wang level experts here as well?
This thought flashed through his mind, and Xiao Yan became slightly more cautious. He carefully suppressed the fluctuations of his Dou Qi, slowing his breathing, and with a slight flutter of his Purple Cloud Wings, he stealthily glided into the dense forest.
Entering the woods, Xiao Yan quickly retracted the Purple Cloud Wings and nimbly darted through the trees like a agile monkey. After a short while, his field of vision suddenly opened up, and when his gaze swept over a small valley above the forest, his face was filled with increasing astonishment.
Outside the forest lay a small valley surrounded by mountains, with its entrance resembling a gourd. At the mouth of the valley, a white giant ape, standing at least thirty to forty feet tall, stood erect. The white ape exuded a fierce icy aura, and its heavy breaths formed plumes of white mist from its large nostrils. Its arms were long and slender, with paws the size of two adult heads. Occasionally, as it swung its paws, gusts of force would fiercely shoot out, shattering the nearby boulders. Its blood-red eyes brimmed with brutality and killing intent, and they were currently glaring fiercely at six figures around it.
“Surprisingly, it’s a Snow Demon Sky Ape. These guys are quite bold. An adult Snow Demon Sky Ape’s strength is enough to crush gold and crack mountains. Although this one seems to have just entered adulthood, it’s still at least on par with a three-star Dou Wang…”
Xiao Yan was instantly surprised at the sight of the giant ape at the valley entrance.
“Those guys aren’t weak either,” Old Medicine’s voice sounded indifferently.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan hastily directed his gaze to the six people surrounding the Snow Demon Sky Ape. When he saw the emblem on one person’s chest, his expression changed slightly: “These guys are all students from the Inner Academy? How can their strength be so formidable? Huh? Senior Sister Han Xue is here too?”
At the end, Xiao Yan let out a sudden exclamation. He had spotted a graceful woman standing at the far left, dressed in a cool silver dress and with a head of brilliant silver hair—it was Han Xue, who had a good relationship with Xiao Yan in the Inner Academy.
“Why are they all gathered here?” Xiao Yan frowned slightly. Although he didn’t recognize the others besides Han Xue, he could tell from the emblems that, within the Inner Academy, apart from the top ten “Strong List” experts, who else would have the courage to hunt a Dou Wang-level Magical Beast?
“Heh, this big guy is really tough, Han Xue. Is there really something valuable inside? Don’t lead us here to do your dirty work for free. Even some of the Inner Academy elders can’t handle this Snow Demon Sky Ape. If we fight it one-on-one, none of us stand a chance. If it goes berserk, we’ll be in big trouble.”
While Xiao Yan was pondering, a rough voice suddenly spoke up. Glancing over, Xiao Yan saw a muscular man with a bit of stubble on his face. He was at least two heads taller than an average person, creating a sense of immense pressure. Most notably, he held a massive black iron hammer in his right hand, which reflected a thick, dark light under the sunlight. Judging from the bulging veins on his arm, the hammer must weigh a considerable amount.
“Don’t worry, Senior Brother Yan Hao. I’m aware of the danger, so I wouldn’t joke about this. If anything goes wrong, Senior Brother Yan Hao can come and ask for my responsibility, and I won’t shirk it,” Han Xue said softly, her voice as clear as a mountain spring, making everyone feel a coolness flow through them.
“Haha, Yan Hao, Han Xue knows how to measure things. There’s no need to doubt her. If there really is something valuable in the valley, it will be a great benefit to us. With only four months until the competition, if we can improve our strength, the position of elder is within reach,” a clear laugh echoed, and Xiao Yan’s gaze followed the voice. He inwardly praised the speaker, a handsome young man in a green robe, aged around twenty-six or twenty-seven. This age often marked the shedding of youthful arrogance, and he appeared friendly and charming, making him very likable.
“Yan Hao?” Xiao Yan muttered the name to himself, feeling it sounded familiar.
“Lin Xiu Ya, you make it sound easy. This is a magical beast on par with a Dou Wang. Even with our strength, a single mistake could result in serious injury or death. Yan Hao is just confirming it; no one wants to go through all this trouble and come away empty-handed.”
A man with a slightly dark complexion rolled his eyes and spoke up.
“Lin Xiu Ya? So this is the Lin Xiu Ya that Lin Yan mentioned. No wonder even the arrogant Lin Yan showed some wariness when talking about him,” Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat. He had heard this name many times, and most students in the Inner Academy respected and admired him. While he might not be the strongest in the Inner Academy, his charisma was unmatched.
“Hehe, anyone who makes it into the top ten of the ‘Strong List’ has something up their sleeve. Though we might not be as strong as this Snow Demon Sky Ape, if we fight, it will likely be at a disadvantage,” Lin Xiu Ya chuckled, lightly tapping the green sword in his hand. A crisp sound echoed, and with the spread of his voice, strands of almost tangible wind spirals appeared around him, swirling incessantly.
“Everyone, such meaningless arguments are childish. Since you’ve all come here with me, it means that the item holds great allure for you as well. So, the first priority is to defeat this Snow Demon Sky Ape. You all know how precious it is. If word gets out, many people from the Black-Corner Region might come to steal it, and by then, it will be too late to regret it,” Han Xue’s brows furrowed slightly, and she spoke coldly.
Upon hearing this, the others chuckled and shrugged, not arguing. They turned their attention back to the Snow Demon Sky Ape in the center.
“Five of us will hold it off. Use whatever means you have. This guy isn’t easy to deal with. Han Xue, since your strength is still a bit lacking, don’t participate in the hunt. Instead, keep an eye on our surroundings.”
Lin Xiu Ya pointed his sword slightly at the ground, smiling lightly.
“Alright,” Han Xue hesitated slightly before nodding, her toes touching a boulder, and her figure gracefully retreated to a tree top with a wide view.
“Hehe, everyone, it’s been a while since we’ve fought together. Let’s see if you’ve improved,” Lin Xiu Ya smiled, and his green robes fluttered as a powerful aura surged from his body, seemingly surpassing that of a Dou Ling.
“Didn’t expect you to be half a step into the Dou Wang realm, truly deserving of being the champion among the freshmen,” Yan Hao, feeling the powerful aura from Lin Xiu Ya, exclaimed in admiration.
“Aren’t you close to that level too…?” Lin Xiu Ya shot Yan Hao a glance.
“Just a vague touch, not like you,” Yan Hao shook his head, gripping the black iron hammer tightly and swinging it fiercely, tearing the air with a sharp sound.
Following Lin Xiu Ya and Yan Hao, the other three also burst with their maximum auras, and all three were at the peak of Dou Ling. Their auras were not a bit weaker than Lin Xiu Ya’s.
“The Inner Academy is indeed a gathering place for geniuses. These guys are only around twenty-five, yet they’re almost at the Dou Wang level. Such talent would be considered exceptional anywhere,” Xiao Yan marveled, feeling the five powerful auras.
In the midst of the growing battle atmosphere, the Snow Demon Sky Ape’s red eyes became even more intense. Its black iron-like paws smashed heavily on its white-furred chest, causing visible waves of force to ripple out, shattering the surrounding boulders with a cracking sound.
“Foolish humans, do not dream of taking the ‘Earth Core Tempering Milk.’ Leave now, and I will spare you!” The Snow Demon Sky Ape raised its huge head, its blood-red gaze fixed on the group. After a moment of silence, a low, ferocious voice boomed in everyone’s ears.
“Huh, this Snow Demon Sky Ape is at the Dou Wang level and can speak?” Xiao Yan was initially startled by the Snow Demon Sky Ape’s action, but then he paused: “Earth Core Tempering Milk?”
He repeated the name, and after a moment, his body began to tremble violently, his face filled with a mix of shock and joy.
“Is there really ‘Earth Core Tempering Milk,’ a treasure of the earth, here?”
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