Chapter 585: Furious Giant Ape

"Excellent!" The Fox Demon's expression sharpened, and she barked, "Prepare to move!"

At her command, all the cultivators of Fox Immortal Valley silently channeled their spiritual power, ready for battle.

"Roar!" A furious roar suddenly echoed from deep within the mountains, startling countless birds. The sound came from at least six to nine miles away, yet it still conveyed an immense sense of oppression.

Such was the might of an overlord-level demon beast!

A moment later, several streaks of light appeared in their sight, revealing Zhou Yuntian and the others who had left earlier.

Over a dozen of them had gone, but only seven returned. The grim fate of the missing individuals was apparent.

A towering figure undulated behind them, pursuing relentlessly like a maggot on bone. Though incapable of flight, the figure continuously leaped across the ground with astonishing speed, rivaling Zhou Yuntian's group even when they flew on their spiritual artifacts. Each landing shook the earth.

The faces of those being pursued were filled with panic. They pushed themselves to their absolute limits, raising their speed, yet they still couldn't shake off their pursuer.

Lu Ye focused his vision and discovered the dark figure was a giant ape covered in red fur – the Berserk Ape, an overlord-level demon beast marked on the detailed map!

It was unclear what Zhou Yuntian's group had done, but the Berserk Ape's eyes were now filled with savage fury, its chilling killing intent palpable, making the fleeing cultivators feel as if they had fallen into an eternal ice cave.

The Berserk Ape leaped high again, and a huge hand suddenly shot out, grabbing a cultivator who had fallen to the very back of the group.

Although Lu Ye wasn't particularly familiar with this cultivator, he had seen him several times among the Fox Immortal Valley members and knew he was an Eighth-level cultivator.

Yet, at this moment, this Cloud River Eighth-level cultivator, a strong presence across the entire Cloud River battlefield, was held in the Berserk Ape's hand like a helpless chick.

"Help me!" the man cried out in terror, raising his hand for assistance.

No sooner had he spoken than the Berserk Ape's massive hand clenched, and with a sickening crunch, the man exploded into a spray of blood, leaving not a single trace of his body.

This scene seared itself into the minds of the waiting cultivators, making their eyelids twitch and filling them with utter horror.

Before today's operation, the Fox Demon had informed them of its nature and objective. But even though they were all mentally prepared to sacrifice their lives for her, witnessing such a sight sent shivers down their spines, and an uncontrollable fear spread through their entire bodies.

Many cultivators instinctively recoiled, questions surfacing in their minds.

Could they truly defeat such a terrifying entity?

A Cloud River Eighth-level cultivator had been instantly crushed. This visual shock caused their initial resolve and confidence to melt away like snow under a blazing sun.

Facing such a creature, no one could feel safe!

"What is there to fear? Today, either it dies, or you die! No one is permitted to retreat!" The Fox Demon's full red lips parted, uttering words that were chilling to the bone.

At her words, the cultivators indeed stopped backing away. The fear slowly vanished from their faces, replaced by expressions of grim determination.

The Soul Secret Art the Fox Demon had implanted was at work; for the cultivators of Fox Immortal Valley, her words were an irresistible command.

Someone roared, "For Her Ladyship, we shall kill this beast today!"

The crowd surged with renewed fervor: "We shall kill this beast!"

In an instant, their fighting spirit soared.

The six miles were covered in a flash. Zhou Yuntian and his group, battered and fleeing, finally returned alive, with the Berserk Ape hot on their heels.

"Attack!" As the Fox Demon gave the command, the cultivators, dispersed in all directions, simultaneously struck. Spiritual energy surged chaotically, and countless artifacts and spells rained down on the Berserk Ape, instantly transforming its location into a vortex of death.

When the cultivators of Fox Immortal Valley attacked, the Berserk Ape was in mid-air. With the explosion of power from numerous artifacts and spells, the giant ape's massive form was directly blasted downwards, crashing heavily onto the ground.

The earth cracked, and dust billowed.

"Roar!" The ape scrambled to its feet, roaring furiously. A visible wave of air swept forward, tearing up nearby trees as if struck by a tornado.

Yet, it was met with an even greater barrage of artifacts and spells. Multi-colored lights erupted, painting the area in brilliant hues.

Thudding sounds rang out repeatedly as attacks pounded against the Berserk Ape. The massive ape, three *zhang* tall, stumbled backward under the relentless onslaught, its body swaying precariously.

Even after losing several members, there were still around eighty cultivators from Fox Immortal Valley. Such a concentrated force was terrifying.

For a moment, they managed to suppress the Berserk Ape's might.

Seeing this, the cultivators of Fox Immortal Valley were overjoyed. Many suddenly realized that this overlord-level demon beast wasn't as formidable as they had imagined, and they attacked with even greater ferocity.

Among all the cultivators, only Lu Ye and Xie Yunhan did not participate in the siege of the Berserk Ape.

Both were responsible for activating the pre-arranged formations, so they flew in mid-air on their spiritual artifacts.

Watching the massive figure, enveloped in the light of artifacts and spells, constantly retreating, Lu Ye then looked at the Fox Demon standing among the crowd.

There was no hint of joy on the Fox Demon's face; instead, her expression was grave.

This made Lu Ye's heart sink.

The situation was not as optimistic as it appeared. Among all in Fox Immortal Valley, the Fox Demon undoubtedly had the clearest understanding of the Berserk Ape's true strength, and her expression spoke volumes.

Yet, in such a situation, Lu Ye couldn't fathom how the Berserk Ape could turn the tide. With over eighty cultivators focusing their attacks, what could even an overlord-level demon beast do?

Just as he was thinking this, another earth-shattering roar erupted from the Berserk Ape. It seemed the attack had driven this overlord-level demon beast into a complete frenzy. This roar was even more powerful than before; when the shockwave swept forth, Lu Ye, flying on his artifact, couldn't help but sway.

Lu Ye's eyes twitched as he looked forward.

In the chaotic, multi-colored light at the center, a dazzling crimson glow suddenly expanded, erupting like a miniature sun. Terrifying demonic energy swept outwards, and gasps of alarm rose from the cultivators' ranks as they instantly lost connection with their artifacts.

A series of clanging sounds followed as various artifacts, now devoid of spiritual luster, fell around the Berserk Ape.

This was caused by the overwhelming demonic energy unleashed by the overlord-level demon beast.

The next moment, the Berserk Ape, which had been suppressed, suddenly leaped high, breaking through the numerous seals. Its towering, imposing figure, carrying an unspeakable sense of oppression, plummeted directly towards the densest part of the crowd.

At that instant, Lu Ye's pupils constricted.

Without the interference of numerous artifacts and spells, the Berserk Ape's current state was clear. To Lu Ye's horror, after enduring over ten seconds of relentless bombardment from so many cultivators, the Berserk Ape was completely unharmed. Not even a single strand of its red fur was damaged. Dense, solidified demonic energy enveloped its body, forming an impregnable, rock-solid defense!

Lu Ye finally understood why the Fox Demon's expression had been so grave.

This overlord-level demon beast was even more powerful than he had anticipated.

In the previous situation, even a newly promoted True Lake realm cultivator wouldn't have emerged unscathed, yet the Berserk Ape was completely unharmed.

Lu Ye was still unsure of its exact strength, but its defensive capabilities were undoubtedly far more terrifying than those of some early-stage True Lake realm cultivators.

Without breaking through the demonic energy on its body, it was impossible to harm it.

If they couldn't even wound it, how could they hope to kill it?

Lu Ye secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, he hadn't held back when setting up the formations earlier, but had given his all and utilized everything he knew. Otherwise, this operation might truly end in disaster.

Amidst cries of alarm, the Berserk Ape crashed down.

The earth trembled, and cracks spread outwards like a spiderweb from its landing point.

Some quick-witted cultivators had already fled, but several others, slow to react, only thought of escaping when the Berserk Ape landed right in front of them.

It was too late!

The Berserk Ape simply extended a hand, grabbed the nearest cultivator, and in the man's terrified, desperate screams, slammed him violently into the ground.

The desperate cries abruptly ceased, leaving a bloody, mangled stain on the ground.

The Berserk Ape took a few more strides, caught up to another cultivator, and brought its colossal hand down. The cultivator didn't even have time to utter a sound before being flattened into a bloody paste.

It then turned, emitting short, guttural roars, and with an agility no one could comprehend, snatched up a third cultivator. Then, it opened its gaping maw and bit down.

Blood splattered, and the cultivator's upper body simply vanished!

The giant ape ceased pursuing the fleeing cultivators. It spat out the upper half of the corpse it had been holding in its mouth, blood staining the corners of its lips. Then, standing tall and proud, it raised its hands and began pounding its own chest.

Dull thuds echoed, like warhammers striking battle drums, making eardrums tremble.

As it pounded its chest, it also let out furious roars, showcasing the might of an overlord-level demon beast.

In mid-air, Lu Ye's formation flag swayed.

The Berserk Ape seemed to sense something, but before it could react, violent spiritual energy surged around it, followed by dazzling flames that shot skyward, turning a large area into an inferno.

A roaring sound erupted, spreading in all directions, as the flames engulfed the Berserk Ape's body.

The Exploding Formation!

Yet, the next moment, the Berserk Ape's robust figure burst out from the flames, its demonic energy surging around it, still completely unharmed.

This was an Exploding Formation that Lu Ye had enhanced with spirit stones, allowing it to gather power in advance. Its might was at least fifty percent greater than a normally deployed Exploding Formation. Even so, it failed to breach the protective demonic energy of an overlord-level demon beast.

"Kill it!" the Fox Demon roared.

The panicked cultivators seemed to awaken from a trance and once again launched their attacks toward the Berserk Ape.