Bang!
Zhang Ergou's body was smashed against the thick trunk of a tree once again.
He snapped a tree, as thick as his embrace, clean in half.
"Pfft..."
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Zhang Ergou struggled to get up. He had been fighting the ape for so long that his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
Yet, the damage he had inflicted on his opponent was negligible.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
The ape's footsteps resounded in Zhang Ergou's ears again. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his hand gripping the iron spear trembling.
...
"Brother Er Gou can't hold on much longer. We have to think of something. This can't go on like this."
Li Zhan stared intently at the battlefield. Zhang Ergou was already covered in blood.
"Hey, wait for me."
Seeing Li Zhan jump down from the tree, Qu Yao quickly followed.
"What are you doing?"
Li Zhan frowned. As an alchemist, staying in the tree was the best option for Qu Yao.
Moreover, Zhang Ergou was clearly at a disadvantage in the current battle.
"Don't underestimate me. I'm not just a weak woman who only knows alchemy."
Qu Yao proudly lifted her head, a stark contrast to her previously frail demeanor.
"Look, someone is approaching the battleground."
"They're courting death. Trying to snatch the spoils at this time? Aren't they afraid of being stomped to death by the ape?"
"Haha, who are these two fools?"
"Wait, look. One of them seems to be the third-ranked female alchemist from this alchemy assessment."
"An alchemist, not refining pills but going to fight? Does she think her life is too long?"
The surrounding "fishermen" who saw Li Zhan and Qu Yao rushing towards the battlefield, all jeered.
What the people did not notice was that although Zhang Ergou was being battered by the ape, a section of the area behind him remained completely undamaged.
There, a person was lying. Su Dan Novel Network
"Cough, cough, Zhang Ergou, this is what I, Li Xun, owe you."
Li Xun coughed with difficulty. His perception of Zhang Ergou had changed completely.
If it weren't for Zhang Ergou, he would have been smashed into a meat patty by that ape by now.
His gaze was fixed on Zhang Ergou's not-so-imposing back.
Li Xun secretly made a resolution in his heart.
"Be careful, Zhang Ergou..."
At this moment, he shouted out, but his voice was too low to carry far.
Seeing the ape's massive palm about to strike Zhang Ergou's head, Li Xun closed his eyes in pain.
...
"There are still two hours until the secret realm assessment ends. Will something happen?"
"Not only are the points for Zhang Ergou and Li Xun stagnant, but the points for nearly half of the disciples have not increased. Could it be that an unmanageable demonic beast has appeared in the secret realm?"
"We don't know. The secret realm is only opened for the assessment of new disciples each time."
"Moreover, there are realm restrictions on those who enter the secret realm. We have no way of knowing how much the demonic beasts in the secret realm have grown."
The peak lords were all restless. Some gazed at the entrance to the secret realm, while others kept their eyes fixed on the points leaderboard.
They wanted to know what had happened.
What caused the current situation.
"Let's wait a bit longer. If there's no movement by the agreed time, we'll break through and go in to check."
Jian Ying, the peak lord of Sword Peak, said with a solemn expression.
His proposal was agreed to by all the elders and peak lords present.
The disciples participating in the assessment were all promising talents that the alliance had painstakingly found from various regions of the continent. If they were all lost in the secret realm.
It would not only damage the alliance's reputation but also be a severe blow to the alliance's future.
After Jian Ying finished speaking, the others fell silent, waiting with anxious expressions.
Only the sound of wind could be heard whistling on the vast mountaintop.
...
"Li Zhan, you feint attack from the right rear, and I'll harass it from the left rear. We'll disrupt the beast's vision."
While rushing towards the battlefield, Qu Yao and Li Zhan formulated a combat plan.
Li Zhan nodded. He had no objections. Both of them had lower cultivation bases than Zhang Ergou, so they could only harass the ape from a distance.
Making it distracted would allow Zhang Ergou to escape his predicament.
Thwack!
Just as the ape's giant palm was about to land on Zhang Ergou's head, a sound of penetration through skin was heard.
Li Zhan's arrow was steadily shot into the ape's back.
The ape paused for a moment, and Zhang Ergou narrowly escaped a blow that would have nearly splattered his brains.
The giant ape turned its head and saw a small monkey provoking it from behind.
The attack that caused it pain had been shot by that guy.
Li Zhan swung his longbow, nocked an arrow, and shot. His movements were clean and decisive.
Splat!
The ape swatted away the incoming arrow with its palm and strode towards Li Zhan.
Li Zhan's face changed drastically, and he quickly leaped backward.
"Beast, die..."
Qu Yao shouted crisply. A ball of flame, enveloped in terrifying energy, shot towards the ape.
Sizzle...
The ape's fur, in contact with the flames, instantly burned away a large patch.
"Roar..."
The ape roared in pain, turned, and swatted at Qu Yao.
"Ah..."
Qu Yao was struck by the ape's palm and was sent flying backward.
Seeing Qu Yao being swatted away, the ape ignored her and turned back towards Li Zhan.
Li Zhan's expression grew increasingly grim. The ape's steps appeared slow, but it reached him in just a few strides.
If he were to be struck by it, Li Zhan could already imagine the outcome.
But at this moment, the distance between them was no longer enough for him to nock another arrow.
"It's over, it's over. Please don't hit my face."
Li Zhan closed his eyes in anguish, muttering to himself.
"Haha, I knew those two were seeking death."
"They're truly overestimating themselves. How dare a mere Golden Core stage dare to provoke that behemoth."
The voices of the onlookers never stopped. They had no sympathy for the outcome of Li Zhan and Qu Yao.
It was all their own doing. People had to pay for their choices.
After a long while, the giant palm Li Zhan had imagined did not land on him.
When he slowly opened his eyes, they widened in disbelief.
Roar!
The ape's pained roars echoed throughout the forest. Everyone nearby felt their ears throbbing with pain.
But they could no longer care about their own pain. Like Li Zhan, they all rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
They saw a black spear shaft inserted into the ape's nape.
Blood spurted out. Zhang Ergou held the long spear in one hand and tightly gripped the ape's head with the other.
The giant ape roared and shook its head frantically.
But no matter how violently it shook, Zhang Ergou did not let go. Instead, he tightened his grip, and the spear in his hand plunged deeper.