Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 67: Chapter 65: The Ape King Brought to Justice

Everyone rode the Talisman Bird through the forest, temporarily retreating from Cangyun Ridge.

Chu River was the last to land, and at this moment, his heart was still filled with shock. He knew that Ji An had already comprehended the Perfection Level of the Small Cloud Rain Technique, and the time he had spent practicing the Geng Metal Finger should be less than two years.

Chen Moxuan heard a mournful ape cry from behind, followed by a series of ape cries, full of violent energy.

He curled up the corners of his mouth in a smile, chuckling, knowing that the loss of a Cyan Wood Ape at the Eighth-Layer Qi Refining was not insignificant to the beast horde.

He thought that if they could bring down this group of ape demons, they would surely reap a great bounty of Jade Spirit Fruits, and his heart burned even hotter with desire.

The group flew out four or five miles from Cangyun Ridge and landed in a slightly open area. In the center of the clearing lay a large stone covered in moss, about the height of a person.

Jiang Qiuyue’s cheeks were flushed as she hurriedly said:

“Junior Brother Ji, I want to ask a question. Can the power of the middle-grade talismans you draw reach your level?”

Everyone else’s eyes also became fervent. If the opponent’s talismans could also reach the same level, the success rate of the beheading operation would be much higher.

“The Geng Metal Talisman is slightly weaker than the spells I cast, but not by much.”

Chen Moxuan’s eyes flashed as he said in a deep voice:

“Junior Brother, lend me a talisman for a test.

It’s not that I don’t trust you, but the upcoming action involves everyone’s life safety, so we have to be cautious.”

“Better safe than sorry. As the team leader, senior brother, that’s exactly how you should be.”

Ji An agreed with Chen Moxuan’s cautiousness. He took out a Geng Metal Talisman from his storage bag and handed it over.

To activate a talisman doesn’t require a casting process, only consuming a very small amount of magical power, making it an essential tool for cultivators for urgent and powerful attacks.

Chen Moxuan activated the talisman, and a flash of golden light penetrated the stone, causing the talisman’s spiritual power to exhaust and shatter into fragments that drifted away in the wind.

This time, being close, everyone experienced a slight stinging sensation in their eyes, and felt even more astonished.

’I’ve heard the elders say that when any spell is comprehended to the Perfection Level, it represents a cultivator beginning to understand the essence of that spell. It truly is so.’

Chen Moxuan sighed inwardly. The spell he devoted the most effort to was the Explosive Flame Technique, yet despite honing it for ten years, it still hadn’t reached Perfection. Some people truly are favored by heaven.

Chu River found a tree branch and stuck it into the small hole created by the magical attack.

After feeling that it had reached the bottom, he pulled out the branch and measured it with his hand, inhaling sharply as he said quietly:

“It’s nearly a foot deep.”

“Everyone, step back.”

Chen Moxuan said this and suddenly thrust a magic sword into the stone, laughing self-mockingly:

“Barely half a foot, the destructive power is not on the same level.”

Ji An gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Qi Refining Stage cultivators can’t control a magic sword quickly enough, the kinetic energy isn’t sufficient, and the cross-section of a magic sword is much larger than the attack surface of the Geng Metal Finger, encountering more resistance and failing to show the expected destructive power.

Among cultivators, there is a type of Sword Cultivator. They choose rare materials to forge a magic sword, then refine it with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and the essence of sun and moon over time, ultimately endowing the sword with spirit and transforming its form and quality.

True Sword Cultivators focus only on delicacy and purity, trusting their lives to a single sword, breaking through the sky and ten thousand clouds with it.

But that is a path chosen only after Foundation Establishment. Without Foundation Establishment, one can only use spell techniques to control ordinary magic swords like Chen Moxuan, which, though adequate, have limited power.

Sword Cultivators are famed as the most deadly in the Cultivation Realm. They are not high in aptitude requirements but demand extreme comprehension of sword intent, making them few in number.

Jiang Qiuyue, not caring about the team leader’s self-deprecation, smiled like a flower:

“Junior Brother has twenty Geng Metal Talismans. If we all rush in together, killing the Ape King shouldn’t be hard.

The current difficulty is how to quickly approach the Ape King without wasting magic talismans on other ape demons.”

“Exactly, everyone think carefully.”

Chu River clapped his hands and laughed, agreeing.

Chen Moxuan also felt pleased but suppressed his excitement and motioned with his hand, saying:

“Don’t rush. The attack range of spells is only two zhang, much shorter than the attack range of controlling magical artifacts. We must prepare for not quickly killing the Ape King before launching an attack.”

Thinking of defeat before thinking of victory is the method he has used to thrive after so many years of demon hunting.

Though some opportunities may be missed, the advantage lies in safety.

Being overly aggressive and competitive can unexpectedly lead to paying with one’s life.

The reason why Chu River’s predecessor team member fell was precisely due to greedy advance.

Ji An lightly coughed and said:

“I think it’s best to stick with the original plan, to lure out some Cyan Wood Apes, and clip the Ape King’s wings as much as possible.

If the Ape King stays near the Jade Spirit Fruit Tree and doesn’t leave, then the task of finding food surely falls on other ape demons, and we can seize this chance to ambush.

It’s not necessary to wait until facing the Ape King to use talismans. Killing some late-stage Qi Refining ape demons with the Geng Metal Talismans is also an option.”

The destructive power of the Geng Metal Finger gave him great confidence, and he wanted to accumulate more combat experience when facing small groups of demon beasts.

Chen Moxuan nodded with a smile: “That’s what I thought. If we spend some more time chewing through these ape demons, the gains will be greater than usual.

Junior Brother Ji, if you focus on attacking, about how many times could you cast the Geng Metal Finger?”

The demon beasts near Mo Ya Mountain are tough bones, but if we can gnaw through them, the rewards will be considerable and worth the effort.

“Twenty times.”

Ji An reported a rather conservative number. Although at full force he could cast the Geng Metal Finger over thirty times, he had to save some magical power for unforeseen events.

If his hit rate were high enough, so many talismans, plus his own efforts, could theoretically kill off about seventy to eighty percent of the ape demons.

But demon beasts aren’t fools, especially foxes and monkey-type demon beasts. If they are on guard, the hit rate will drop significantly.

Chen Moxuan nodded slightly. After taking down some ape demons, they could attempt a focused assault with the Geng Metal Talismans.

“Let’s proceed according to Junior Brother’s plan.”

Five days later.

Near the Jade Spirit Fruit Tree on the mountainside of Cangyun Ridge, the area was strewn with the corpses of ape demons.

The plan initially went smoothly. The team engaged in guerrilla warfare, successively killing two Seventh-Layer Qi Refining ape demons and seven Mid-stage Qi Refining ape demons.

To prevent other passing demon-hunting squads from reaping their spoils, they decided to carry out a frontal assault.

However, no one expected that this Ape King knew a wood element magic with a very strong healing effect, capable of healing any ape demon that wasn’t killed in a single strike to the point they didn’t completely lose combat power.

Furthermore, the Ape King, being close to advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, far exceeded expectations in both defense and speed, making even the Perfection Level Geng Metal Finger unable to execute a one-hit kill.

The frontal assault dragged into a war of attrition. The Geng Metal Talismans were all used up, yet the Ape King remained unscathed.

They eventually changed tactics, with Chen Moxuan and others containing the Ape King, while Jiang Qiuyue and Ji An focused on killing other ape demons.

With a sudden, anguished cry cut short, the two-person-tall enormous Ape King was filled with rage.

It roared, swatting away the flying magic sword, disregarding the attacks from behind, and charged madly at Ji An. That human had killed its offspring and its last mate!

The Ape King, bathed in green blood, had a resolute glint in its eyes.

Chu River shouted: “Dodge first!”

At that moment, facing the charging Ape King, Ji An wore a grave expression.

With continuous combat over the past few days and summarizing experiences, his level of magical combat had improved significantly, no longer as raw as at the beginning.

He understood that even with the effect of the Wind Control Technique on him, his speed could not match the Ape King.

If that beast was determined to chase him, there was no escaping.

Several talismans appeared in Ji An’s hand, while he simultaneously controlled the Stone Turtle Shield to block the Ape King’s attack.

The Ape King attacked in rage, slapping the magical artifact flying with one blow.

Its emerald-green eyes revealed cruelty, then reflected a swath of blue.

Ji An activated a Water Curtain Talisman and promptly activated two in succession.

The Ape King’s attack was obstructed, leaving no suspense about the outcome.

Half a quarter-hour later, the Ape King exhausted its demonic power and could no longer activate its talent technique.

Ji An pointed from a distance and a flash of golden light appeared, a finger-width bloodied hole forming at the Ape King’s brow, with emerald spiritual blood gushing out. Subsequently, the magic artifacts struck upon it one after another.

The Ape King’s pupils dilated, collapsing and never rising again.