Chapter 20: The Battle with the Water Ape

"Unfortunately, there are no million-valued demonic beasts for me to hunt, and I haven't encountered a single one above the eighth level of Qi Gong."

Observing the "demonic core" of the Demon Spider, Yang Qi sighed in admiration as he put it away: "Hunting more to support the household, and honing my skills in real combat. Although my current cultivation is at the sixth level of Soldier Qi, I am no longer afraid of seventh-level experts. Only eighth-level experts can make me feel pressure. However, if I venture deeper into the Black Corpse Mountains, I might encounter many eighth-level demonic beasts acting together, which would mean certain death for me."

Now, he was no longer afraid of individual demonic beasts.

However, if he encountered a group of demonic beasts, it would still be terrifying. For example, last night's "Demon Spider" was at the seventh level, but if there were seventeen or eighteen of them, Yang Qi would have to flee, or even be unable to escape.

One must know that the silk of the "Demon Spider" can shoot through the air and bring down eagles.

"Regardless, I will venture deeper! If I can capture an eighth-level demonic beast, it would be worth at least a million Qi Gathering Pills. With these pills, my elder brothers, who manage the family, will have an easier time."

After some thought, Yang Qi gritted his teeth and darted into the dense forest again.

In the sky, the thunderstorm grew stronger, with thunderclaps shaking the earth. Some lightning seemed to come directly from the mountains, and many mountain floods began to surge in the dense forest. At this point, Yang Qi had reached a place in the Black Corpse Mountains where few people ventured, a place only Qi Sect experts could penetrate.

Roar!

Suddenly, a huge sound came from the distant mountain flood.

"What is that? Such a powerful roar." Yang Qi was startled; the air rippled, and his mind buzzed from the roar, as if struck by a large hammer.

He immediately moved, leaping over the turbulent streams and rapids, covering a hundred steps in a single bound. He cautiously avoided the mountain floods and soon appeared at the edge of a cliff. A massive waterfall cascaded down, with the force of a thousand galloping horses.

However, at the base of the waterfall, a magical beast was bathing.

Indeed, it was bathing in the flood, or perhaps... practicing.

That powerful roar had come from this magical beast.

The magical beast was a giant ape, standing as tall as two or three people, with white fur and green eyes like a fierce ghost. It stood on a boulder at the base of the waterfall, its hands repeatedly striking upward, splashing water everywhere.

At this moment, it was a stormy and lightning-filled night, with the waterfall towering a hundred feet high, its water surging down with immense force. Even a small mountain could be reduced to powder, but the white-furred giant ape was using its Qi Gong to resist! With each strike of its palms, a true qi iron palm the size of a millstone shot out, seemingly trying to make the waterfall flow backward.

Roar!

As Yang Qi's gaze fell on the white giant ape, the ape sensed it immediately. It turned its head, and its eyes directly found Yang Qi's hiding place.

No matter how well he hid, it seemed to see through everything.

The moment the white ape's gaze landed on him, Yang Qi felt a mysterious sensation as if his soul had been locked. Even if he fled a thousand miles away, he might still be unable to escape the white ape's perception.

"Locking the soul from a thousand miles away? Damn, an expert, an absolute expert. This white ape's Qi Gong cultivation is at its peak, absolutely refined. Just in terms of realm, it probably surpasses my father, and its Qi Gong depth far exceeds his. I am no match! I wonder if it has reached the Qi Sect realm?"

Without hesitation, Yang Qi turned and fled.

This kind of demonic beast was beyond his ability to contend with. The "Locking the Soul from a Thousand Miles Away" realm was something his father had not achieved.

"Locking the Soul from a Thousand Miles Away" refers to the qi perception generated when Qi Gong cultivation reaches its peak. Once a person is locked, even if they flee a thousand miles away, they cannot escape.

This expert at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Gong, almost reaching the ninth level, was far beyond Yang Qi's realm. If Yang Qi could break through to the seventh level, he might have a chance to fight, but at his current sixth level, he would surely die.

Moreover, this was not a human but a giant ape. From its form, it was clear that its true qi was at least three to four times that of an average expert.

However, Yang Qi wanted to leave, but the giant ape would not let him.

With a roar, the white ape struck a palm, and the deep pool below the waterfall, under the influence of its Qi Gong, formed a flood dragon that broke through the air and flew toward Yang Qi, covering over three thousand steps. The flood dragon opened its massive mouth, expanding and sucking, ready to bite.

"Trouble."

Yang Qi's body moved, dodging like a catapulted stone.

The flood dragon "bit" the tree where he was hiding, and the tree immediately splintered, as if bitten by a dragon's mouth.

From the force, if it had bitten him, he would have been crushed to pieces.

"A single strike can reach three thousand steps with Qi Gong, truly formidable." Yang Qi was once again amazed.

The so-called "Hundred-Step Divine Fist" means that Qi Gong can be projected a hundred steps away, breaking wood and splitting stones. However, beyond a hundred steps, the true qi dissipates, and its power greatly diminishes.

With Yang Qi's current Qi Gong cultivation, he could strike five hundred steps away, farther than a bow and arrow, but three thousand steps was unimaginable. This white ape, however, could attack at a distance of three thousand steps with a single strike of its Qi Gong, terrifyingly powerful.

"Hmm?"

Seeing Yang Qi dodge its attack, the white ape seemed surprised, but then a cruel smile appeared on its face. Its large fangs were exposed, and its white fur floated in the wind, not a drop of water touching it. Swish!

Its massive body flew out of the waterfall, and behind it, its Qi Gong condensed into a pair of golden wings, much larger and more powerful than the "White Crane's Wings."

"Great Peng Qi Gong?"

Just as Yang Qi realized this, the white ape descended, its giant palm bringing a violent current, grabbing down.

Instantly, the air around him turned into a fierce vortex, and he was restrained by a hidden force, like a small boat in a storm, unable to break free.

A catastrophic disaster was about to descend.

With his Qi Gong, facing the white ape's attack, he was unable to move, showing how fierce the white ape was. If it were in Yan Capital, it could rival the city lord, Yan Gufeng.

"Kill!"

Faced with such pressure, the only option was a desperate fight.

Yang Qi's fighting spirit was also ignited. At this critical moment, he did not back down. His body swelled, his muscles and bones expanding, and the Qi Gong of the Divine Elephant Subduing Hell Technique fully activated, emitting a demonic aura that intimidated all the demons and monsters in the mountains and rivers.

Buzz... In his hand, a冥神之枪 (Ming Shen Zhi Qiang, Spear of the Nether God) appeared. He did not dodge but charged forward, aiming straight for the white ape's throat with a straightforward, unadorned strike.

The white ape was startled, its face showing shock. It sensed the destructive aura of the Spear of the Nether God, which exerted pressure on its soul.

Clang!

A flood of water appeared from its hand, condensing into a massive club, striking the Spear of the Nether God.

Instantly, the immense force sent Yang Qi reeling back. The Spear of the Nether God dissipated, and the power of the club penetrated his meridians, rushing into his qi sea, causing a chaotic explosion, trying to damage his body.

"Thunderous Giant Elephant!"

He roared inwardly, and the Thunderous Giant Elephant within his body moved, resolving the injuries in his meridians.

Under such immense pressure, his long-stagnant "Divine Elephant Subduing Hell Technique" broke through again. The fourth particle in his body suddenly awakened, and a vast true qi flowed through his limbs and bones, enhancing his body with the strength of four ancient giant elephants.

Spear!

He grabbed the Spear of the Nether God again, and within his dantian, a hellish vortex formed, driving the spear forward. It shot out like magic, arriving at the white ape's chest.

The white ape did not expect its opponent to break through again, with a surge in Qi Gong. However, it would not let Yang Qi go. In its eyes, Yang Qi was valuable, and it wanted to capture him, force him to reveal his cultivation techniques, and even absorb his true qi.

With the wisdom of this white ape, it far surpassed that of ordinary humans.

The flood club in its hand spun like a windmill, shaking and vibrating, causing the water to explode and strike the Spear of the Nether God again. The spear was shattered, and the demonic aura within it deeply pierced its soul, making its true qi less agile.

Yang Qi finally caught a breath, and he struck continuously. Dozens of Spears of the Nether God formed a matrix, shooting toward the white ape.

At the same time, his body leaped like a large bird, using the six killing moves of the Invincible King Fist, each strike targeting vital points, attacking the white ape's massive body.

Roar!

The white ape seemed to feel unprecedented frustration, its ferocity unleashed. It raised its club, and with the power of its Qi Gong, countless tons of floodwater condensed into a steel-like wall, layer upon layer, both hard and soft. The Spears of the Nether God pierced through dozens of layers but could not penetrate further. The water wall continuously moved, sometimes as hard as steel, sometimes as soft as cotton, and the combined force instantly neutralized all the momentum, causing the Spears of the Nether God to disappear within the water wall.

"Mountain!"

The white ape shattered the matrix of the Spears of the Nether God, and its Qi Gong became even more violent. It roared, and instantly, a massive flood from the deep pool and waterfall was lifted, forming a water mountain, crashing down on Yang Qi.

Indeed, it was a water mountain, formed by the floodwater under the influence of Qi Gong, flying through the air, pressing down, covering several yards, and leaving Yang Qi no place to hide or escape.

"I want to see what you can do."

Yang Qi was not afraid. He spread his hands, fully exerting the "Divine Elephant Subduing Hell Technique," striking the water mountain. His iron fists moved like the wind, his body majestic, with the strength to carry a mountain.