Chapter 666: Blocking Giant

To be frank, with the overall strength of Xu Yang's team, they had nothing to fear from even top-tier experts in the Divine Realm like Chen Xi Sunset, much less this gorilla before them.

However, no one truly wanted to make an enemy of this formidable gatekeeper. While his terrifying physical strength might not be enough to injure Xu Yang's team, he could effortlessly block their path forward.

"258, besides this path, are there any other shortcuts to the inner route?"

The old man shook his head helplessly, letting out a sigh.

"If there were other paths, why would I have brought you here? I told you this is the inner route, which is naturally the easiest way to reach our destination. If you decide to abandon this direction, we'd have to go all the way back to the plains battlefield and then choose an outer route, taking a huge detour. This would significantly increase our chances of missing the Moonless Sky Teleportation Festival. Many areas on the outer routes have barrier seals that even my corpse puppets can't cross, so it's uncertain whether we'd even be able to reach our intended destination by taking those alternative paths."

Upon receiving this answer, Xu Yang no longer hesitated. He immediately shook his head at the gorilla.

"We've made our decision. We can't agree to your request for now. We need to fight you first before making a final judgment. If you're just big and your strength is negligible, then you don't deserve the name Taishan. However, if you truly possess the courage to hold off a thousand men by yourself, then some cooperation might not be out of the question."

Xu Yang's words sounded more like a taunt to the gorilla, but the creature was remarkably straightforward. After a moment's deliberation, it finally nodded.

"Very well, since you wish to fight me, begin!"

With a knowing look, Xu Yang gestured to Long Kun. "Brother, it's your time to shine."

Long Kun nearly turned to stone upon hearing Xu Yang's words.

"This is truly a brother through thick and thin, boss! I'll remember this!"

Long Kun's small frame, compared to the enormous gorilla, was surprisingly not even as robust as a few of its toes.

"Haha, from a distance, you might still look somewhat human, but standing this close beneath my feet, you truly resemble a swarm of ants."

Long Kun, too, seemed thoroughly provoked by the gorilla's words, which ignited an endless fighting spirit within him.

"Once the fight begins, you won't look down on your grandpa for being small anymore."

The moment he finished speaking, Long Kun's incredibly powerful Phoenix bloodline erupted. The aura of a divine beast's bloodline was indeed extraordinary; despite his significant size disadvantage compared to the gorilla, the instant the complete Phoenix totem manifested behind him, its light became the undisputed center of the entire battlefield.

"Oh my god, I actually saw a phoenix! This is incredible! You might not know this, but on the Magic Continent, phoenixes are revered as the supreme kings of all beasts!"

The three mages gasped in awe, their voices accidentally reaching Long Kun in the middle of the battlefield. The fellow immediately started to gloat.

"Heh heh, Boss, did you hear what they said? Hmm, you'd better treat me well, or one day I might just go with them to the Magic Continent and become their leader!"

Xu Yang shrugged indifferently. At that precise moment, the gorilla's enormous fist slammed down. Because of his absentmindedness, Long Kun took the full impact of the blow and, in just one encounter, was sent crashing into the nearby mountain wall by a fist larger than his entire body.

"Cough, cough! You big black lump, you hit so hard! Watch my Phoenix Fire burn all your monkey hair clean off!"

"You're the monkey! Your whole family are monkeys! I am Taishan the Giant Ape!"

The gorilla seemed to strongly dislike being called a monkey. When Long Kun called it that, it immediately went berserk again. Its two immensely thick forearms shot up, and it began furiously beating its chest. Each powerful strike released a golden protective aura around its body, boosting its physical defense to an extreme level.

"My heavens, Boss, have you ever seen such a terrifying giant ape beast? This guy looks so fierce! But he's also so imposing, I almost feel bad attacking him."

As he fought, Long Kun sent a soul message to Xu Yang, who was observing from below.

"If I'm not mistaken, this type of giant ape isn't called Taishan but Titan. They are a special ape species that was already extremely rare in ancient times. This species doesn't need to consume external energy; they can continuously gain cultivation enhancements as they age. Every ten years, their physical strength and power attributes advance to a new level. Judging by this massive creature before us, he's at least hundreds of thousands of years old. It would be no exaggeration to call him the king of this mountain. I'm not sure if he has any other special identity, but in any case, you must do your best to contend with him."

Receiving Xu Yang's firm command, Long Kun was helpless. He could only sigh, shake his head, lament his unfortunate fate, and continuously unleash incredibly powerful Phoenix Fire upon the giant ape.

Although an entity with such monstrous physical strength was incredibly difficult to deal with, Long Kun's advantage lay in his ability to fly. By continuously projecting flames from the air, he could, to a certain extent, suppress the opponent with sustained attacks.

"Ahaha, Old Taishan, how are you liking it? How does it feel to bathe in my Phoenix Fire?"

Long Kun finally achieved the desired effect. He hysterically unleashed his fiery power upon Taishan in the valley below, truly making the massive creature look disheveled. At least in terms of momentum, Long Kun had completely gained the upper hand.

"You little insect, you're provoking someone you shouldn't, aren't you? I'll show you true cruelty right now!"

The moment Taishan finished speaking, he suddenly pushed off with his hind legs, and his colossal arms stretched horizontally. Using only his arms, he firmly gripped the stone walls on either side of the valley, leveraging himself twice in an instant. His massive body then launched into the air. With an incredibly swift grab, he snatched the still-gloating Long Kun into the palm of his hand, right in front of Xu Yang and the others below.