This divine ape was incredibly robust, its entire body golden, with arms that extended past its knees and a pair of black horns atop its head, giving it a ferocious appearance.
“Whoosh!”
The Arm-Spanning Divine Ape was notoriously hot-tempered. No sooner had it spoken than it struck, its claw slashing forward with bone-chilling gale-force winds, tearing through the void.
Its nails were also golden, half a foot long, curved like iron hooks, and razor-sharp.
Shi Hao remained seated, not even bothering to rise. Huo Ling’er was worried—after all, the opponent was a powerhouse from beyond their realm, absurdly strong. Fearing that Shi Hao might be underestimating his foe and suffer for it, she prepared to intervene, especially since she had already ascended to the Heavenly Deity realm.
But Shi Hao pulled her back, keeping her seated calmly beside him, his expression serene, devoid of joy or worry.
The Arm-Spanning Divine Ape’s gaze turned icy. How dare this man be so dismissive, treating it with such disregard? Its killing intent surged, and its golden claws blazed even brighter, now wreathed in a hundred layers of bone runes!
Since arriving in the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, who would dare slight them? Its master, Lin Tian, had swept through the world unchallenged—no Heavenly Deity could withstand ten of his strikes, most falling in a single blow!
Lately, the ape had been acting in Lin Tian’s stead, attending numerous grand gatherings and suppressing the so-called geniuses of province after province, leaving them humbled. Its arrogance had swelled beyond measure.
Everywhere it went, it was met with reverence and fear. Even as Lin Tian’s battle beast, it commanded respect. But now, faced with such a man, it seethed with indignation.
Its claw was now within three feet of Shi Hao, the black void fissures nearly reaching his body, threatening to rend him apart.
The ape sneered. This man’s arrogance and disrespect meant it wouldn’t hesitate to strike lethally, delivering a bloody lesson to all.
“Foolish creature, die!” it spat, its golden nails elongating as they shot toward Shi Hao’s face, aiming to pierce his skull with five bloody holes.
Gasps erupted—it was too fast, the area already drowned in golden light.
A chill ran through the crowd. Everyone knew Shi Hao was strong, but he hadn’t even moved yet—was it too late? If even Shi Hao were injured, the Upper Realm would truly have no one left to challenge these outsiders.
Then, abruptly, the golden light dimmed. The divine ape recoiled violently as crystalline droplets splashed, mingled with streaks of blood—an eerie sight.
The crowd froze, scrutinizing the scene before a collective realization dawned, followed by relief.
The ape roared in fury. Its nails had been severed, blood dripping as they fell to the ground. Its fingers throbbed as if pierced by needles, crimson liquid seeping out.
“You dare belittle me like this!” it bellowed, its eyes blazing like twin golden suns. Shi Hao hadn’t even stood up or drawn a weapon—he had merely flicked a cup of wine, splashing it onto the golden claws and shattering them effortlessly.
This was beyond insulting—and terrifying. This man was a monstrous opponent, surpassing any genius the ape had encountered in the Three Thousand Dao Provinces.
“Belittle you? You’re just a trained battle servant, strutting around here and looking down on the Three Thousand Provinces. Did you expect me to respect you?” Shi Hao said flatly.
The onlookers shuddered. Truly, this was Shi Hao—deflecting the divine ape’s attack with a mere cup of wine, shattering its golden claws. His reputation was well-earned.
“Die!”
The ape’s fury erupted. After days of reverence, being scorned now darkened its expression. It unleashed its clan’s supreme technique—the Arm-Spanning Fist!
Its right arm swelled, elongating and thickening, its fist like a golden sun exploding from the void toward Shi Hao.
Yet, pitifully, that massive fist was halted by a wine cup, trapped atop it, immobile and wracked with agony.
Even Huo Ling’er beside Shi Hao widened her eyes, truly sensing just how formidable the man beside her was.
That cup was mere jade, not a weapon—yet Shi Hao had used it to restrain an exceptionally powerful Heavenly Deity, immobilizing its fist.
“Ah—!”
The ape screamed, its fingers in excruciating pain. It retreated hastily, realizing the harder it pushed, the worse the agony became—its knuckles had already fractured.
Moments later, its hand was a mangled mess, bones twisted beyond recognition.
Only then did the crowd grasp Shi Hao’s terrifying strength. Many had only heard rumors, but witnessing it firsthand was utterly staggering.
This was an outsider who had effortlessly crushed the geniuses of the Three Thousand Provinces, unstoppable and peerless.
Yet to Shi Hao, it wasn’t even a battle against a formidable foe—it was like disciplining an ordinary monkey. The ease of it sent shivers down their spines.
“Truly, Shi Hao has cultivated an invincible aura. Among his peers in the Three Thousand Provinces, he has no equal,” murmured Xiao Yue, the Fairy in White, her ethereal beauty tinged with awe, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
She had seen Shi Hao in the Ancient Immortal Ruins, heard of his unstoppable momentum, slaying Heavenly Deities with ease, exuding an air of invincibility.
But witnessing it firsthand was another matter entirely. Now, she understood just how extraordinary he was.
If it were her, even going all out, she might not be able to subdue this Arm-Spanning Divine Ape. Yet Shi Hao had suppressed it with a mere gesture—the gap was staggering.
Others felt the same—thrilled yet tense, sighing in awe. They had heard of Shi Hao’s prowess, but only by witnessing it could they grasp his terror.
“Just you wait—I’ll fetch my master!” The ape finally understood the vast gulf between them. It was no match.
“Earlier, I told you to fetch him, yet you attacked me. Do you think this is a place you can come and go as you please?” Shi Hao said coldly, still seated.
“What do you want? I’m from beyond this realm, here to test your strength, to see if you’re worthy of entering the Heavenly Deity Academy. Do you mean me harm?” the ape snapped.
“You, a tester? The real challenger doesn’t show, sending a monkey to bully and scorn the heroes of Qing Province? This is an insult to the cultivators of the Upper Realm—do you think you’re in the right?” Xiao Yue Fairy rebuked from afar.
Others joined in, glaring at the ape.
“Do you not wish to enter the Heavenly Deity Academy, daring to oppose us like this?” the ape retorted.
“Enough noise!” Shi Hao said, finally acting. His right arm extended, his palm expanding as he reached for the ape.
“You dare!” the ape shrieked, darting backward into its five-colored divine bronze chariot, attempting to flee.
But Shi Hao, having cultivated three strands of immortal energy, possessed strength that shook the ages. Among his peers, he could battle any Heavenly Deity-level opponent.
Escape was impossible. The entire chariot was seized by that massive hand, fingers closing around it as Shi Hao refined it within his palm.
“No—!” the ape howled, desperately activating the chariot. Five-colored divine light erupted, images of sun, moon, mountains, and rivers manifesting from the bronze vehicle—a grand spectacle.
The giant hand in the void shook, causing the chariot to rumble as countless phantom deities and demons roared forth.
Yet with another swipe, all illusions vanished. The ape tumbled out, collapsing to the ground, utterly immobilized.
The ape was horrified. This chariot was no ordinary treasure—it was a sealed artifact of a sect master’s level, belonging to Lin Tian, merely lent to it.
Despite its immense power, the chariot had been suppressed, its runes and immortal energy intertwining as it submitted.
The ape broke into a cold sweat. This man was too formidable—even its master might not guarantee victory against him.
“The Three Thousand Dao Provinces has someone like you?!” it gasped, fear and shock mingling as it realized that, in Shi Hao’s eyes, it truly was just a monkey.
It couldn’t move, lying there as if every bone had been shattered. That giant hand had nearly refined it through the chariot.
The crowd inhaled sharply, their scalps tingling. Shi Hao had indeed dominated the Ancient Immortal Ruins, sweeping aside all foes.
Such feats, such methods—he was leagues ahead, standing atop them all, untouchable!
One might even say that, throughout history, even the strongest Heavenly Deities would struggle to match him. Few could rival him.
Perhaps only by reaching back to the previous era could one find opponents worthy of him.
“Hmm, there are still outsiders—they might serve as Shi Hao’s rivals,” someone mused.
Xiao Yue Fairy’s bright eyes flickered, her heart unsettled. Even having seen Shi Hao’s glory in the Ancient Immortal Ruins, she was still astounded. This man was too powerful—destined to soar, unbound by the Three Thousand Provinces, surely heading for vaster realms.
Others shared the sentiment, admiration laced with fear. The once-arrogant Arm-Spanning Divine Ape was like a child in Shi Hao’s hands—utterly outmatched.
“Treating me like this—aren’t you afraid of provoking my master? He’ll come to suppress you personally!” the ape threatened.
“I told you earlier—have him come himself. What’s a monkey like you meddling for?” Shi Hao replied indifferently.
But to the crowd, his words carried a different weight. They sensed dominance, an unyielding Dominance—Shi Hao was ready to act!
He would face the outsiders head-on, with absolute confidence.
Shi Hao eyed the ape. “What to do with you? I hear monkey brains are a great tonic—nourishing the soul, strengthening the spirit. Quite the delicacy.”
The ape’s fur stood on end, its golden pupils contracting violently. This man—did he intend to eat it?!
The crowd exchanged glances. The rumors were true—Shi Hao was not just an invincible youth, but also a glutton!
“Y-you—don’t you dare!” the ape stammered.
“Hmm, I have a friend who’s a Zhu Yan. Eating you would remind me of him. Fine, I’ll spare you—you can drive my chariot,” Shi Hao said, tossing the five-colored divine bronze chariot down, assigning the ape as his charioteer.
“For now, there’s no divine beast to pull it. You’ll have to do,” he added.
“You—!” The ape was livid, struggling to accept this humiliation.
“What ‘you’? Get moving. This chariot is decent—serve well from now on.” Shi Hao cast a restriction, then flung the ape toward the chariot.
“Aren’t you afraid my master will come for you, to kill you?” the ape snarled.
“Outsiders have been challenging the talents of the Three Thousand Provinces, haven’t they? I’m waiting for him. The sooner he comes, the better—I’d like to see how strong the geniuses of other ancient realms are at the Heavenly Deity Academy,” Shi Hao said.
The crowd sighed. Only Shi Hao could speak so casually, unconcerned about entering the academy as if it were a stroll in the garden.
“My master is coming! Don’t you dare run!” the ape yelled.
“Enough noise!” Shi Hao backhanded it, making it cough blood before sealing it firmly onto the chariot. Gazing at the horizon, he declared, “I’ll be waiting for him right here!”
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