Chapter 264: Pursuit

Seeing that their commander was still alive, the Xiazhou army breathed a sigh of relief and once again thought of the "bounty."

As He Chunhua fled the giant ape, He Lingchuan arrived from the opposite direction. He drew his Soaring Dragon Spear from his storage ring and thrust it directly into the ape's right eye. The massive ape stood over ten feet tall; even on horseback, He Lingchuan needed a long spear to reach its eye.

When the giant ape saw him, its eyes instantly reddened, clearly recalling the humiliating incident of being pinned beneath the Walnut Skiff. Just then, the bony plate above its eye suddenly extended, completely covering its right eye.

He Lingchuan's long spear immediately met the defense.

The black-gold spearhead, forged with extraterrestrial meteorite iron, possessed unparalleled sharpness and hardness compared to ordinary blades. The bone plate shattered, and the Soaring Dragon Spear plunged into the giant ape's right eye, causing blood to gush out. However, the bone armor offered considerable resistance, and He Lingchuan's momentum was spent, so the spear tip didn't penetrate deeply. Suspended in mid-air, he was just considering how to withdraw the spear and strike again when the giant ape let out an earth-shattering roar and snatched him!

Its hand shot out faster than before. He Lingchuan, believing the ape was still slowed by the spell, was caught completely off guard. The "Lag" character on its forehead shattered simultaneously, dissipating into nothingness. Evidently, that spear thrust had ignited its ferocity to such an extent that even the spell could no longer restrain it.

He Lingchuan immediately felt his body constricted, as if all his blood and energy were being squeezed into his limbs and head, leaving only one hand free to move. He felt like a balloon, easily about to burst. The Floating Life Blade was also jammed at his waist, impossible to draw.

Elder Liang, witnessing the scene, gasped, "How is that possible!"

He had practiced this specific incantation for a full twenty-five years, fifteen of which were dedicated to a vow of silence, meaning he had voluntarily been mute for fifteen years, not uttering a single word. This intense self-discipline channeled all his refined energy into nurturing the incantation, allowing its power to deepen. This particular one-word spell placed minimal burden and backlash on him, and its immense power meant that even if cast upon the Pavilion Master of the Cloud-Piercing Pavilion, it could not be broken in just a few breaths.

Yet, this giant ape accomplished it. How?

He Chunhua's eyes were wide with anguish. "Chuan'er!"

Other Xiazhou soldiers bravely extended their spears to stab, but how could they possibly pierce the demon ape's bone armor? It was nothing more than a tickle.

The giant ape showed no mercy. The moment it seized He Lingchuan, it squeezed with immense force! Given its strength, crushing He Lingchuan would have been effortless.

However, it suddenly felt its hand empty; the sensation of squeezing something solid vanished. It opened its palm to see that the little thief who had injured it twice had indeed disappeared into thin air! Yet, something extremely small and light seemed to have fallen into its palm. Before the giant ape could examine it closely, it was blown away by the wind.

Simultaneously, He Lingchuan abruptly reappeared behind it. Before the demon ape could react, the Floating Life Blade was already out of its sheath. A cold flash sliced across both of the demon ape's ankles, cutting through the gaps in its bone armor and severing its Achilles tendons in a single strike! The demon ape let out a pained howl, turned to swipe at him, and simultaneously took a step back. That single step brought excruciating pain.

He Lingchuan was also startled. If he hadn't promptly thrown out the Ghost Shadow Cicada Shell and employed the "Substitute a Plum for a Peach" technique, he would likely have been crushed like a burst balloon by then.

He Chunhua's despair instantly turned to elation. "Chuan'er, give me the Ghost Eye Bow!" he commanded.

He Lingchuan dodged the demon ape's attack, swiftly retrieved the Ghost Eye Bow and arrows, and tossed them over without hesitation. Yes, how could he have forgotten this supreme treasure? However, he was unwilling to trade his life for its power.

He Chunhua took the bow and arrows, but instead of using them himself, he thrust them into the hands of a nearby guard. "Shoot!" he commanded in a deep voice. The guard, without hesitation, took the bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the giant ape.

The spectral eye on the bow began to spin wildly, whispering fragmented suggestions into his ear. The guard stated resolutely, "I sacrifice five years of my life!" Upon receiving the offering, the spectral eye immediately opened and locked onto the giant ape's face.

With a "whoosh," the arrow soared from the string. The giant ape, not far away, seemed to sense the danger and abruptly sat down, dodging the arrow aimed at its face. However, it was oblivious to the unique properties of the Ghost Eye Bow, which proved to be its undoing. The arrow flew past, then curved around, accelerating a second time as it returned. Although the ape did possess eyes on the back of its head, and even temporarily grew another arm from its back to snatch at the arrow, it was too late.

With a dull thud, the demon ape was struck in its right back, a large mass of flesh and blood exploding outwards. From He Chunhua's vantage point, he could see a gaping hole blown through its right chest.

"Kill it!" he commanded, and the Xiazhou forces surged forward. With its right eye and right chest severely wounded, and its left Achilles tendon severed, the demon ape was no longer as formidable as before. As the saying goes, "a broken drum gets beaten by everyone." The bone armor around its wounds had fallen away, offering no resistance to human blades and spears. The pain of its injuries compelled it to retreat. The demon ape propped itself up and, with a mix of leaps and frantic crawling, swiftly fled towards the countryside, completely disregarding the arrows and javelins pursuing it. Any obstacle in its path was simply crashed through. Its left leg was useless, but with three limbs still functional and its life at stake, its speed was surprisingly swift.

Meanwhile, the Xinzhou forces recognized that the tide had turned. Success was impossible today; the Xiazhou army grew stronger with each engagement, and the numerous cultivators among them, whose divine arts and spells were amplified by elemental energy, were simply too much to handle. If they didn't leave now, they would be wiped out. Lord Baili, with a severed arm, signaled a retreat, guarded by his personal soldiers. Though called a retreat, it was more akin to a full-blown flight.

Back at the military camp, He Lingchuan rushed to He Chunhua. "Dad, are you alright?" "Probably a broken rib," He Chunhua replied, his face a little pale. "It's nothing serious."

He Lingchuan surveyed his surroundings. The Xiazhou army had sustained significant casualties; the demon ape's throws alone had crushed over twenty soldiers. Several disciples from the Cloud-Piercing Pavilion, fighting alongside the army for the first time, were also wounded. The medicinal ape Lingguang emerged from somewhere and began treating the injured. Food was strewn everywhere, and many tents and carriages were still burning. However, compared to the severe consequences of the military supplies being plundered, these losses were truly negligible.

If this batch of military provisions had truly been plundered, it would not only destabilize the northern front again but also severely undermine He Chunhua's hard-won prestige.

He Lingchuan said to He Chunhua, "Dad, you oversee things here. I'll go after that ape." Knowing the demon ape was gravely wounded and its threat greatly diminished, He Chunhua nodded. "Be careful of Dong Rui."

He Lingchuan blew a whistle, and his mount, the Piebald Beast, galloped out from somewhere, stopping before him. The area had been chaotic moments ago, and he'd worried the Piebald Beast might be injured, but it seemed the creature was quite astute, its coat still sleek and unharmed.

Switching mounts, he called Mao Tao, Shan Youjun, and others, then pursued the giant ape by following its trail. As he left the camp, he thought he heard He Chunhua giving another order: "Go to Bailu Town to check the situation, quickly!" Right, Xinhuang had been attacked, and there was no knowing the state of Bailu Town, where the defeated Xinzhou army had also retreated. However, the giant ape's escape route was precisely opposite to the Xinzhou forces, so he couldn't check on Bailu Town en route.

Tracking the giant ape was not difficult; its wounds bled like waterfalls, leaving obvious bloodstains even in the dark. The most crucial thing was not to let it disappear from sight, as He Lingchuan remembered that this creature could change size.

Fortunately, the terrain outside Xinhuang Town was quite flat, with only a few small hills appearing after several miles. Large trees were sparse, and the ground was covered in shrubs. This kind of terrain was least favorable for apes.

He Lingchuan led his group, trailing the ape, needing only to keep its retreating form in sight. Wounded beasts were the most dangerous. With fewer than ten people and no military support, the optimal strategy was to exhaust the demon ape's stamina as much as possible. Its large size made sustained effort difficult.

Indeed, after following it for ten *li*, the demon ape's speed noticeably slowed. Walking on three legs was difficult, especially with so many bleeding wounds; the faster it ran, the faster the blood flowed.

Just then, Shan Youjun suddenly alerted him, "Master, in the sky!" He Lingchuan looked up and saw what appeared to be a large bird circling in the night sky. Specifically, it was circling above the giant ape's head. "That's another one of Dong Rui's demon puppets," He Lingchuan squinted, but in the dark, he couldn't tell if anyone was riding it. This meant the Rock Wolf hadn't completed its mission.

At that moment, several wolf howls echoed from nearby. He Lingchuan looked in their direction and soon spotted a dark speck running from the distance, growing larger and larger in his vision. Speak of the Rock Wolf, and there it was.

Its tongue was lolling out, white mist plumed from its mouth, and they could hear its labored panting. From its appearance, it had been running for a long time.

"What happened?" He Lingchuan asked the Rock Wolf as it drew alongside the Piebald Beast. "Where's Dong Rui?" "On the bird's back!"

It turned out that after receiving its orders, the Rock Wolf had left the battlefield and tracked the demon ape's scent all the way back. Since Dong Rui had sent it, tracking the scent in reverse should lead it to its master, right? This logic was indeed sound. Soon, it located Dong Rui's figure over a hundred *zhang* away from the Xiazhou military camp. He was crouched on a civilian rooftop, surveying the battlefield, wearing his bronze mask, with a bald bird perched on his shoulder.

As it drew closer, the Rock Wolf could also detect his scent—a scent it would never mistake. A surge of both fresh and old grievances flooded its mind. It concealed itself in the shadows beneath the house, approaching silently.

However, Dong Rui's spiritual perception was too keen. The bald bird on his shoulder, in particular, seemed to sense impending danger and let out a loud "caw," forcing the Rock Wolf to leap and attack prematurely. Unfortunately, it was a step too late.

The bald bird suddenly enlarged, kicked off, and spread its wings, flying away with Dong Rui. The Rock Wolf missed its first pounce, then accelerated across the rooftop for a second leap, biting the bird's tail and desperately trying to drag it to the ground. The giant bird fiercely clawed at the wolf, almost blinding it. As they grappled, Dong Rui seized the chance to unleash a spell, injuring the Rock Wolf's front paw. This large bird was exceptionally powerful; it flapped its wings upwards, finally shaking off its extra burden. The Rock Wolf was left with only a mouthful of feathers. Unwilling to give up, it had pursued the large bird through the air all the way to this spot, where it coincidentally reunited with its master.