Volume One, Chapter 18: The Ape Beast

"Kill them all! If a single beast escapes, I’ll have every one of you carrying an extra thirty pounds of gear," shouted a middle-aged man with three stars on his shoulder straps, shouldering a heavy blade.

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers were gripped by a bloodthirsty frenzy, their presence radiating murderous intent. Lu Jing, finally free of the burden of protecting Qiqi and no longer needing to conserve his strength, unleashed his full capabilities.

He charged into the swarm of beasts, targeting the low-level creatures. His blade traced several arcs, each several yards long and terrifyingly fast. The beasts were packed too densely to dodge at such close range, and in an instant, a thick mist of blood exploded into the air.

The surrounding soldiers noticed, and many couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn, this kid is a freak!"

While everyone else was taking the opportunity to catch their breath, he was the only one bizarrely charging back into the fray. Seeing his unstoppable momentum, the beasts recoiled in fear. His strength was too terrifying; for the low-level beasts, rushing him was suicide—a level of stupidity even they wouldn't commit.

The others watched in astonishment, eyes wide, filled with questions. Wasn't he just a student? What level of awakening did he even have? Why was he so fierce? Didn't he get tired?

At that moment, Lu Jing was intoxicated by the sensation. The cycle of his spiritual power being completely drained and then replenished made his internal circulation more precise. His body was erupting with greater potential; every muscle and sinew fused perfectly, multiplying his strength and further enhancing his speed.

But one cannot be too arrogant, or they will soon be slapped back to reality. Lu Jing proved this with cold, hard facts.

With a dull thud, Lu Jing was sent flying by a single punch. Although he managed to block with his blade and activate his lightning-infused defense, the blow was too heavy. He hit the ground, coughing up blood, his entire body trembling in agony.

"Have you decided how you want to die?"

Lu Jing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart skipping a beat. The beast had spoken human language—that shouldn't be possible. Only demons above the eighth rank could speak, and those of that level wouldn't dare appear here for fear of the Sky-Eye surveillance system.

Lu Jing scanned the creature. It was an ape-like beast, the first of its kind he had ever seen. It was massive, with powerful limbs and a bulky frame, a broad chest, deep-set wrinkles, and a pair of scarlet eyes.

"Human," it growled, its voice low. "I can sense that your aura is still that of a mortal. Yet, that strike of yours was terrifyingly powerful. Are you an SSS-rank spiritual vessel hiding your true aura?"

Lu Jing’s face remained calm. He looked at the beast with deep, steady eyes and replied softly, "Guess."

With that, he moved.

He was incredibly fast, but as he closed in on the ape-beast, the surging spiritual power radiating from it acted as a barrier, slowing Lu Jing’s speed by thirty percent and making his strikes sluggish. The beast’s fist slammed toward him like thunder, carrying an unstoppable force that completely neutralized his blade. Outpowered, Lu Jing was forced to retreat.

Without hesitation, Lu Jing poured all his spiritual energy into his blade. This was a life-or-death struggle; he had to give everything to secure even a sliver of survival.

"Whoosh..."

Lu Jing pushed his speed to the limit and swung.

"Full Moon."

The Fallen Leaf blade traced a circle in his hand, unleashing 108 compressed blades of energy toward the beast. The creature reacted quickly, instantly forming a protective barrier of spiritual energy.

But the power of the "Full Moon" was stronger than it had anticipated. The barrier was shredded layer by layer, and the icy blades of energy pierced its skin.

"Drip... drip..."

Lu Jing’s heart sank. He hadn't expected his all-out attack to only graze the skin on the beast’s arm, drawing a mere few drops of blood. The gap in strength was too vast.

"You must die!"

The beast was thoroughly annoyed; it hadn't expected a human ant to be able to hurt it. More than that, it was stunned by his talent. This human could not be allowed to live. It had a perverse desire to see this human genius wear an expression of despair—vivid and amusing.

*Run!*

At that moment, Lu Jing had no intention of continuing the fight. Their strength was clearly not on the same level. If he didn't run now, when would he?

He channeled every bit of his newly recovered spiritual energy, pushing his muscles and bones to their absolute limit. He transformed into a streak of green, bolting toward the rear. His speed was so fast that even the ape-beast was stunned.

But it quickly gave chase. This kid knew too much; he could not be allowed to survive.

As they chased and fled through the swarm, they drew the attention of everyone nearby.

"Battalion Commander, help!" Lu Jing shouted as he ran.

*Damn, is this kid shameless? Aren't human prodigies supposed to value their pride over their lives?*

"Help me!" Lu Jing yelled at the top of his lungs.

His voice quickly alerted the reinforcements behind, and they rushed toward the scene.

"Damn it."

The ape-beast was not known for its speed, and Lu Jing was incredibly fast. It couldn't keep up. Seeing the tide turn, it had no choice but to give up, turning around to vanish into the swarm.

Lu Jing was saved.

"Student, are you alright?" asked Wu Jianghua, who was shouldering a massive blade.

*Pfft...*

Lu Jing coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. His head was spinning, and he felt like he could pass out at any moment. Sharp pain radiated from his chest, his face was bruised and swollen, and his back had taken a severe impact. Because he had pushed his bones to the limit, every joint throbbed with stinging pain.

"Get him to the hospital, quickly!" the soldiers shouted to their comrades, one picking him up while another supported him.

"Wait," Lu Jing said, forcing himself to stay conscious.

"What is it?"

"Take me over there."

"Huh?"

The soldiers followed Lu Jing’s trembling finger to the spot where he had fought the ape.

"Please... I dropped my blade there."

Hearing this, the soldiers were moved. To them, their weapons were the "family" that stayed by their sides the longest.

"Alright."

Without further hesitation, they carried him over. Perhaps because of Lu Jing’s earlier efforts, the beasts in that area had been mostly cleared, making it relatively safe.

"Let me take it myself, please."

Lu Jing struggled to crouch down, retrieved the Fallen Leaf blade, and tucked it into his spatial converter, taking a few other things from the ground along with it.

A moment later, he could no longer hold on, and he blacked out.

"Lu Jing."

In his final moment of consciousness, he seemed to hear the worried voice of Qiqi.