Invincible Snake Emperor

Chapter 434: Chapter 430: A Group of People Courting Death (Part 1)

Leaving the Tree Spirit behind, Tu Xiao’an led the Bull Demon King toward the depths of Monkey Mountain.

It had to be said, Monkey Mountain was truly one of a kind. Though he hadn’t seen a single monkey yet, it reminded Tu Xiao’an of Huaguo Mountain from *Journey to the West*.

Wild fruits covered the mountainside. A dazzling array of various fruits grew everywhere—more than enough to stock several markets. The very air was thick with their sweet fragrance.

An hour before Tu Xiao’an arrived at Monkey Mountain, another group had reached its outer edges. There were fifteen of them in total, every one at least Rank Two in strength. Their faces were stern and incredibly grave, as if they were about to undertake some earth-shattering endeavor.

An old man with an impressive presence spoke in a deep voice, ”In a moment, we’ll charge straight in. Ordinary Monkey Monsters won’t be able to stop us. Once we reach the Ape King’s cave, the commotion will be so great that he’s sure to come storming out in a rage. Wolf Fang Team, your mission is simple: just stall the Ape King long enough for me to sneak into the cave and find the Monkey Wine. Then, our work will be done.”

Hearing this, the Wolf Fang Captain’s heart skipped a beat. His expression turned grave as he said, ”Elder Liu, you can’t be serious. The Ape King’s strength is second only to the Demon King Level! None of us has even reached Rank Three. How could we possibly stall him? You might as well just tell us to go get ourselves killed.”

”I only need three minutes. That’s all,” Elder Liu said. ”Your Wolf Fang Team has excellent teamwork. With the combined combat power of thirteen members, you can fight a Rank Three expert to a standstill. Surely you can stall the Ape King for a mere three minutes?”

”Well...” The Wolf Fang Captain inwardly shook his head. ’Is the Ape King just some ordinary Rank Three? Besides, this is his territory! There are tens of thousands of monkeys here. If every one of them just spat on us, it would be enough to drown our entire team.’

Elder Liu’s expression became stern. ”As long as you stall him for three minutes, I will honor our agreement, regardless of whether I manage to get the Monkey Wine. Furthermore, I’ll quintuple your payment.”

”Five times?” The Wolf Fang Captain and his teammates gasped. With that kind of money, the entire Wolf Fang Team could retire early. ’High risk, high reward,’ they thought.

Their resolve began to waver instantly. The Wolf Fang Captain exchanged looks with his teammates, then finally gritted his teeth. ”Alright, Elder Liu. But let’s be clear: we will only stall the Ape King for three minutes. The second our time is up, we’re retreating, no matter what.”

”Good. It’s a deal.”

Elder Liu smiled, satisfied. He thought to himself, ’You’re just the bait. Did you really think you’d be leaving here alive?’

Elder Liu shot the Mixed Blood, Young Master Qin, a cautionary glance, then bellowed, ”Go! We charge straight in!”

Trying to sneak into Monkey Mountain was simply impossible.

SWOOSH... SWOOSH... SWOOSH...

Instantly, fifteen figures blurred into motion, darting into Monkey Mountain. Their arrival was like a bombshell being dropped into a silent lake.

The once peaceful Monkey Mountain was instantly thrown into turmoil. Both ordinary and awakened monkeys swarmed out as if they had gone mad, intent on repelling the intruders.

BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...

In an instant, Sword Qi and Blade Qi filled the air. A desolate, murderous aura permeated the heavens and the earth. Amidst the glint of swords and blades, flesh and blood flew. Whether it was the Wolf Fang Team or the Rank Three Elder Liu, their every move was a killing blow. They slaughtered the intercepting monkeys without mercy, rampaging forward to carve a bloody path.

The air grew thick with the stench of blood. A cold steel flash across the neck, the sensation of life draining away—in their final moments, the monkeys knew they had fallen to the invaders’ blades, their spirits departing.

The scene was chaotic beyond belief.

This was why Tu Xiao’an and the Bull Demon King hadn’t seen a single monkey upon entering. The entire Monkey Race’s attention had been drawn to the group that came before them. They had swarmed to surround the intruders as if all hell had broken loose.

”Master,” the Bull Demon King said, frowning, ”the air is thick with the smell of blood.”

Tu Xiao’an had smelled it too. His eyes glinted. ”There’s a massive battle up ahead. It seems some human Martial Cultivators have forced their way in.”

”Who would be so bold as to charge in so brazenly? Are they that determined to die?” The Bull Demon King was shocked; he knew all too well how terrifying Monkey Mountain was.

Even a Demon King wouldn’t dare to take on Monkey Mountain without absolute resolve.

”Let’s fly up and take a look.”

Tu Xiao’an levitated into the air, and the Bull Demon King soared up to follow him.

’Interesting, very interesting.’ Tu Xiao’an hadn’t expected someone else to beat him to the punch and challenge the Ape King.

As the saying goes, the higher you stand, the farther you see. Floating in the air, Tu Xiao’an could now see a dense swarm of monkeys surging several kilometers away, moving like a crashing tidal wave.

It was a veritable sea of monkeys. Countless hairy creatures had surrounded the group, layer upon layer, and their individual shrieks blended into a chaotic roar.

”ROAR—”

”AWOOO—”

Mad roars erupted from within the circle of monkeys, as if all hell had broken loose. Large numbers of awakened monkeys threw themselves at the humans in a suicidal frenzy, and for a moment, the very earth seemed to tremble.

”Well now, isn’t this a lively scene,” Tu Xiao’an remarked, floating high above. His expression turned peculiar as he got a clear look at the group of humans.

The Bull Demon King chuckled. ”Master, I really underestimated these humans. I can’t believe they actually dared to charge into Monkey Mountain and challenge the Ape King. Are they insane? I’d wager they won’t last ten minutes.”

Ten minutes was a very conservative estimate. Surrounded by countless monkeys, they could be drowned by sheer numbers alone, to say nothing of the ultra-powerful Ape King waiting in the wings.

Tu Xiao’an frowned. He didn’t understand the purpose of their actions. It was a blatant suicide mission.

’Were they so eager to die?’ he wondered. ’All they have is one Rank Three old man, and he’s just an ordinary one at that.’

After all, even Tu Xiao’an, who had brought the Bull Demon King along, wasn’t entirely confident. This was the territory of the Monkey Race, deep within another’s sphere of influence. Anything could happen.

Within the encirclement, the Wolf Fang Team and Elder Liu fought desperately, killing the awakened monkeys that charged at them. Sword light unfurled, blanketing the area, while flashes from their blades sent flesh and blood flying.

The Wolf Fang Team had spent years in the Yaoling Mountain Range, and every member was an experienced Demon-killer. They coordinated seamlessly, dodging and weaving with nimble movements, flashing left and right. A glint of a blade would send a spray of gore into the air. A streak of Sword Qi would be followed by a shrill cry as another awakened monkey fell in agony.

Elder Liu, however, was even more terrifying. As a Rank Three Creature, his combat power was immense. Elemental Power surged around his body. A single, casual strike unleashed a force like a raging river, sending huge swathes of monkeys flying. Many were torn to pieces before they even hit the ground.

Though they appeared to be surrounded, they were fighting their way toward a new position: a massive cave not far away. It was the monkeys’ main encampment, a place only awakened monkeys were qualified to enter. It was also the Ape King’s personal lair.