Chapter 104: Joining Forces

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Joining ForcesSeeing the heavy casualties among the Yellow Level disciples of their respective sects, Yuan Ci, Taoist Qingxuan, Wen Xiangrong, and Bian Xiqi had the weaker disciples from their sects retreat to the outskirts, ready to strike opportunistically, while they, the four Profound Level powerhouses, took positions on four fronts and joined forces to attack the White Ape. Four Profound Level early-stage Martial Artists joining hands to fight the White Ape, whose strength was comparable to a mid-stage Profound Level Martial Artist, surprisingly found themselves evenly matched, each side holding their ground. The fight between the disciples of the four great sects and the White Ape was fierce, and Fang Bai, hidden in a small grove of trees to the west, found it quite the spectacle. With Fang Bai’s discernment, he deduced that the eventual winner of this intense battle would be the four great sects. However, even if the four great sects emerged victorious, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. Up to now, the four great sects had suffered around thirty casualties, nearly a third of their strength lost. Fang Bai could imagine that after the four great sects killed the White Ape, they would certainly fight fiercely over the treasure left by the Heaven Level Martial Artist, and by then, it was likely that few would remain. And he, lurking in the shadows, would undoubtedly be the final beneficiary. In truth, Fang Bai could probably seize the treasure of the Heaven Level Martial Artist without much effort if he acted now. But the disciples of the four great sects and the White Ape were already seeing red. If Fang Bai showed himself now, he would likely immediately become their target and be surrounded. If he got entangled, it would be a significant trouble. Therefore, Fang Bai was not in a hurry. Without absolute certainty, he would not rashly make his move to seize the treasure. Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh— Unwilling to be trapped in a fight by Yuan Ci, Wen Xiangrong, and the other four powerhouses, the White Ape suddenly went berserk. Its body spun rapidly, and at the same time, it kicked out in a continuous chain, feet skimming the ground. seaʀᴄh thё NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the midst of the dust and smoke, the fragments of rock kicked up by the White Ape flew like rain towards the several dozen disciples from the four great sects surrounding it. The rocks, large and small, kicked with the White Ape’s full force, possessed tremendous power. Even Yuan Ci, Wen Xiangrong, and the other powerhouses dared not face them head-on and hurriedly dodged. As they dodged, the several dozen disciples behind them were in big trouble. Thump— Thump— The sound of rocks piercing flesh was unceasing, and the screams rose and fell in succession. As blood sprayed, another twenty or so disciples from the four great sects were wounded or killed. Standing behind Yuan Ci, the two Yellow Level Martial Artists Wuzhen and Wuxing bore the brunt of it. Under the onslaught of the stony rain, their chests and abdomens were almost simultaneously penetrated, and they died on the spot. "You beast, I will send you to the Western Paradise!" Upon seeing two of his fellow disciples die gruesomely, Yuan Ci’s tiger-like eyes bulged with rage as he roared furiously into the air. His roar contained the power of the Buddhist Lion Roar, and his breath broke through, turning into a sonic wave that struck the White Ape. At the same time, Yuan Ci’s Zen Staff swept out in a move "Sweeping a Thousand Armies," aiming for the waist of the White Ape. Yuan Ci’s Buddhist Lion Roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, echoing throughout the whole valley. The disciples of Misty Rain Tower standing opposite Yuan Ci, especially the weaker ones, turned pale and felt dizzy from the sonic strike, losing their balance and collapsing to the ground. Yuan Ci’s Zen Staff, nearly two meters long and weighing over a hundred kilograms, was swept out with his full strength. The formidable and vigorous force seemed as if it could flatten a small hill in front of him. Taoist Qingxuan, Wen Xiangrong, and Bian Xiqi, these three great Profound Level Martial Artists, would never dare to meet head-on the sweeping Zen Staff of Yuan Ci; their only option would be to evade. Yet, the White Ape stood proudly in place, motionless until the Zen Staff neared its waist. Then, it suddenly reached out its hand and, astonishingly, caught Yuan Ci’s Zen Staff with a single palm. Although Yuan Ci was chubby with a large head and a hulking body, he was still much smaller in comparison to the nearly two-meter-tall White Ape. Moreover, the strength of the White Ape was that of a mid-rank Profound Level, and Yuan Ci was merely at the initial stage of Profound Level. Although this was just a slight difference in the realm, the disparity in strength was at least double. Both the man and the ape were power-type experts, and in every aspect, Yuan Ci was clearly at a disadvantage. When the White Ape grasped his Zen Staff, the sweeping force was suddenly blocked, causing Yuan Ci to tremble from the recoil, and his palms felt immense pain. If Yuan Ci had released his grip on the Zen Staff the moment it was caught, he would not have been injured. However, he stubbornly clenched his teeth and held on, resulting in his palms cracking from the immense recoiling force, with blood soaking his hand. Roar— The White Ape also suddenly let out an angry roar. Though its roar was not a Cultivation Technique, it affected the disciples of the four major sects even more than Yuan Ci’s Buddhist Lion Roar, causing those below high-rank Yellow Level to suffer ringing in their ears, unable to stand steady. Even Yuan Ci, who was directly facing the White Ape, experienced a momentary dizziness. In a confrontation between experts, a momentary dizziness was definitely a major flaw. And this flaw could be fatal. In the instant Yuan Ci was dazed, the White Ape’s body surged forward along the Zen Staff it held, closing the distance between them to about one meter. Then with a direct punch, it struck Yuan Ci’s chest. Poor Yuan Ci, a Profound Level Martial Artist and among the top experts of the Shaolin, was struck in the chest by the White Ape, shattering his internal organs and killing him instantly. With Yuan Ci’s demise, the remaining dozen or so Shaolin disciples lost their mainstay and instantly lost the will to fight, retreating one after another. The death of Yuan Ci and the withdrawal of the Shaolin disciples drastically increased the pressure on the disciples from the other three major sects. Although Taoist Qingxuan, Wen Xiangrong, and Bian Xiqi were united in appearance but divided in secret, allies on the surface but rivals in the dark, Yuan Ci’s death inevitably evoked a feeling comparable to the sorrow of one seeing a like-minded comrade fall. "Taoist Qingxuan, Mr. Wen, we can’t hold back any longer. If we don’t go all out, not only will we fail to obtain the relic, but we may also be defeated by this white-furred beast one by one and all be killed!" Bian Xiqi suddenly shouted aloud. He could see very clearly that both Taoist Qingxuan of Qingcheng Temple and Wen Xiangrong of Misty Rain Tower had been holding back in their fight against the White Ape, only using eighty percent of their strength as they were saving something for the upcoming battle for the Heaven Level Martial Artist’s relic. Even Bian Xiqi himself had only been using ninety percent of his strength, holding back a little. Yuan Ci of the Shaolin had indeed given his all, alas, due to a moment of carelessness, he was killed by a punch from the White Ape. And with Yuan Ci’s death, the Shaolin were essentially out of the treasure hunt. If the four Profound Level experts had worked together wholeheartedly, Yuan Ci might not have died, and the situation would not have deteriorated to this extent. With Yuan Ci’s death, the morale of the disciples from the four major sects plummeted, and the White Ape instantly gained the upper hand, switching from defensive to offensive. The disciples’ attempt to seize the Heaven Level Martial Artist’s relic had ignited the White Ape’s ferocity and killing intent. After killing Yuan Ci, its ferocity intensified, seemingly intent on completely annihilating all the disciples from the four major sects, its attacks becoming more and more fierce.