Volume One, Chapter 16: Battling Beasts Through the Perilous Pass, with the Spirit Herb Within Reach

The crimson eyes of the giant ape locked onto Lin Fan beneath, its enormous nostrils exhaling twin streams of white breath, as if in the next moment it would crush him utterly.

Lin Fan felt excruciating pain coursing through his body. The shattered fragments of his broken long sword were deeply embedded in his palm, blood dripping between his fingers, spreading into small bloodstains on the ground.

Yet his gaze remained resolute, devoid of any hint of retreat.

The guardian beast unleashed a deafening roar once more, a powerful sonic wave striking Lin Fan's chest like a heavy hammer, causing his vital energy to surge turbulently. A bitter taste welled in his throat, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Roar!” The giant ape launched the first attack, its massive claw descending with overwhelming force directly toward Lin Fan’s head.

Before the claw arrived, a fierce gust swept through the air. Lin Fan's scalp tingled, death’s shadow enveloping his entire body.

At the critical moment, he suddenly rolled to the side, narrowly evading the lethal blow.

“Boom!” The giant claw slammed heavily into the earth with a deafening crash, instantly gouging out a huge crater and sending shards of rock flying.

Lin Fan dared not pause for even a moment. He swiftly rose, channeling the wood spirit energy within him. Countless verdant vines burst from the soil, coiling around the giant ape’s massive claw like living serpents.

The ape winced in pain and struggled mightily, snapping the vines with a sharp crack. The broken tendrils cut shallow wounds across its arm, drawing thin streaks of blood.

The onlooking disciples held their breath in anxiety. The ape’s strength was terrifyingly immense; even cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining stage found it nearly impossible to withstand.

Enraged, the giant ape swung its claw again, faster and more forceful this time.

Lin Fan narrowly dodged once more, but the ape’s relentless assault was like a raging storm, unceasing and overwhelming. Gradually, he felt his strength waning.

“I must find its weakness!” Lin Fan thought fiercely.

Enduring the agony, he kept his eyes locked onto the giant ape, searching for a flaw.

Suddenly, he noticed a patch of fur on the ape’s chest that was slightly lighter in color, as if...

“Watch out!” a voice shouted abruptly—it was Li Yun’s warning.

But it was too late. The giant ape’s tail swept like lightning, sending Lin Fan flying like a kite with a broken string. He crashed heavily onto the ground.

Pain wracked his entire body, every bone seeming to groan under the torment. Blood spilled from his mouth, dripping down his chin onto the rocky earth, staining it crimson.

The giant ape let out a triumphant roar, as if proclaiming its victory.

Step by step, it closed in on Lin Fan, its enormous shadow enveloping him, death’s specter looming again.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth against the pain, struggling to open his blurred eyes.

He clearly saw the crimson glare and tightly bared fangs of the giant ape, a suffocating wave of helplessness washing over him.

Yet, despair did not take root. Instead, a stronger fighting spirit ignited within his heart.

He could not fall here—too much remained unfinished, too many dreams yet unrealized.

“Hmph!” Lin Fan growled low, forcing himself to rise despite trembling limbs, refusing to back down.

His gaze hardened on the giant ape, silently formulating a plan.

No longer merely defending, he charged toward the guardian beast, using the surrounding terrain—trees and rocks—to evade the ape’s attacks.

This sudden change caught the giant ape off guard. Its massive frame felt clumsy among the forest, while Lin Fan moved like a nimble leopard swiftly weaving through the trees.

Each strike from the giant ape was deftly avoided. In one dodge, Lin Fan countered with a punch to the ape’s abdomen. Though not powerful, it caused the creature a sharp sting.

The ape roared furiously, enraged by Lin Fan’s unexpected retaliation.

Seizing the moment, Lin Fan charged again toward the ape’s chest, his mind singularly focused—the lighter patch of fur might be its weakness.

“Lin Fan, what are you doing?” Li Yun called out from afar, surprised by Lin Fan’s actions. But Lin Fan did not answer; his eyes never left that critical spot.

Just as the giant ape prepared another attack, Lin Fan halted abruptly, a strange smile creeping across his face.

He inhaled deeply, wood spirit energy rapidly converging within him, a mighty force surging through his veins.

The constellation diagram within him gleamed brightly as a vast tide of wood spirit power flooded his meridians.

Clenching his fists tightly, he felt unprecedented strength coursing through his body, a confident arc forming at the corner of his lips.

His legs bent slightly, then he exploded forward like an arrow released from a bow, hurtling toward the giant ape.

Simultaneously, the broken fragments of his sword began to glow a vibrant green. The shards gradually fused, coalescing into a long sword radiating a chilling verdant aura.

Runes of ancient origin flickered along the blade, as if harboring boundless energy.

Leaping high, Lin Fan’s green sword sliced through the air, aiming straight for the giant ape’s eyes.

The ape reacted swiftly, jerking its massive head aside just in time to avoid the fatal strike.

Yet the sharp blade still carved a deep gash across its cheek, black blood spraying out, the stench of iron filling the air.

Wounded, the giant ape roared deafeningly, its attacks growing fiercer yet slower.

Lin Fan seized the opportunity, his sword dancing like the wind, green sword qi lashing out like a torrential storm.

The ape’s huge body staggered back, deep wounds appearing, black blood staining its brown fur.

Lin Fan fought with growing courage, every strike precise and ruthless. He seemed transformed into an experienced hunter, calmly probing for the giant ape’s vulnerabilities.

The ape’s assault gradually weakened, fear and panic flickering in its eyes.

“Roar!” The giant ape let out a resentful bellow, turning to flee.

“Trying to run?” Lin Fan sneered, flashing forward in an instant, his sword aimed at the ape’s throat. “Now, it ends!”

He pushed his wood spirit energy to the utmost, becoming a green whirlwind spinning rapidly around the giant ape.

Every swing of his verdant sword sliced the air with a sharp whistle, leaving afterimages like countless green blades cutting through space.

Every attack from the ape was deftly avoided, while Lin Fan’s counterstrikes hammered mercilessly against it.

“Bang!”

Another fierce collision. Lin Fan’s blade tore through the ape’s thick fur, carving a deep wound. Black blood sprayed, splattering over Lin Fan himself.

He paid no heed, his sword moving like a living creature, agilely tracing the ape’s body, each strike unerringly accurate.

The giant ape’s roars grew weaker. Its massive form was covered in savage wounds, black blood nearly saturating its brown coat, leaving it in a pitiful state.

The watching disciples were left speechless, never having witnessed such a fierce battle. They had not imagined that the previously failed Lin Fan could unleash such overwhelming power.

They held their breath, eyes fixed tightly on the green figure in the arena, as if witnessing a peerless performance, hearts filled with shock and admiration.

Yet just as Lin Fan was about to utterly crush the giant ape, it suddenly ceased its attack.

Panting heavily, its enormous body trembling slightly, its crimson eyes flickered with a strange light.

This glow was different from the previous rage and fury—it carried a hint of cunning and malice, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, chilling to behold.

Lin Fan sensed the change instantly, his vigilance soaring to its peak.

He did not relax, gripping his verdant sword tightly. The wood spirit energy inside him surged like boiling water, ready to meet the ape’s next assault.

Li Yun looked at the suddenly quiet giant ape with a puzzled expression, sensing something amiss but unable to pinpoint what.

“Roar!” The ape growled again, a low, sinister sound no longer filled with anger but with a grim, deathlike wail.

At once, a strange aura emanated from the beast, thickening the air around them.

Lin Fan furrowed his brow, feeling the shift in the surrounding energy. The once fresh air now felt heavy and oppressive. His sword vibrated faintly, as if warning him.

Through the giant ape’s crimson eyes, that eerie glow intensified, as though some terrifying force was about to burst forth from within.