Tom was also horrified as he stared at the Titan Giant Ape. What the hell is this thing? What did it eat to grow so big?
Ye Zi, who had just obtained her soul ring, had already fallen unconscious under the overwhelming pressure of the Titan Giant Ape's aura.
Shen An watched as the Titan Giant Ape closed in, his mind racing to figure out why it was targeting them, but he couldn't come up with an answer.
However, at the speed the Titan Giant Ape was moving, it would catch up to them in less than ten breaths.
A fierce glint flashed in Shen An's eyes. He flew low on his sword, taking the opportunity to toss Tom and Ye Zi onto a tree, while he himself chugged a speed potion and fled like mad.
"Ahhh!"
But how could Shen An possibly outrun the Titan Giant Ape, even with the speed potion?
Seeing Shen An within arm's reach, the Titan Giant Ape's eyes revealed a human-like cruelty.
You're the one who hurt Sister Xiao Wu. I'll crush you to dust!
A massive, furry hand reached out to grab Shen An. In that moment, Shen An felt utter despair.
Since arriving in the Douluo Continent, this was the first time he had experienced the scent of death so vividly.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion rang out, and the Titan Giant Ape suddenly froze, its movements halting as if someone had stabbed it in the backside.
Shen An knew the explosion was Tom's doing, but what kind of bomb could possibly harm the Titan Giant Ape?
The Titan Giant Ape's face twisted in pain—its backside had been blown up.
At the same time, a cat darted out. It was Tom, who had somehow climbed onto the Titan Giant Ape and planted Tuffy's firecracker in its rear end, stunning the ape for a few seconds.
Tom ran while making a disgusted face. He had personally climbed in to plant the firecracker, but there was no other way. To save Shen An, he had to endure the humiliation.
The Titan Giant Ape's eyes turned bloodshot. It no longer cared about Shen An; all it wanted now was to kill this damn cat. Who could understand the pain of having your backside blown up?
Tom looked back at the Titan Giant Ape in terror, his legs moving like lightning. Every time the Titan Giant Ape was about to catch him, Tom would pull ahead by just a hair, always staying just out of reach.
The Titan Giant Ape's lantern-sized eyes burned with even greater fury. It pounded its chest with its fists, its roars like rolling thunder, scaring Tom into running even faster.
???
The Titan Giant Ape was confused. How could a cat that didn't even seem to be a hundred years old burst with such incredible speed?
Soon, the Titan Giant Ape gave up thinking. Its brain wasn't capable of handling anything more complex.
It decided to keep chasing the cat. Muscles were reliable. If it couldn't catch the cat, it was only because its muscles weren't big enough and its speed wasn't fast enough.
The Titan Giant Ape looked in the direction Tom was running with a hint of excitement. Ahead was the territory of its big brother—the Sky Azure Bull Python, the king of the Star Dou Forest.
Hmph, you chose the path to heaven, but you walked straight into hell.
With the two kings of the forest working together, this cat was dead for sure!!!
Tom quickly reached a high cliff with a waterfall cascading down. Seeing a large lake in the distance, Tom remembered one of his old tricks.
Tom raised an eyebrow, his mouth curling into a mischievous grin. He turned to the Titan Giant Ape and stuck out his tongue, taunting it.
The Titan Giant Ape, already furious, became even more enraged. It stomped its foot, causing the entire cliff to tremble.
Seeing the Titan Giant Ape charging at him, Tom didn't hesitate. He turned and leaped off the cliff, performing a perfect diving pose with his arms and legs together. His descent was so fast it seemed to defy the laws of physics.
"Plop!"
The lake's surface rippled slightly as Tom entered the water. His swimming skills were top-notch, and he quickly dog-paddled to the shore.
At the bottom of the lake, the hundred-meter-long Sky Azure Bull Python was stunned. Having lived with the Titan Giant Ape for countless years, it had sensed its brother's rage as soon as the chase began.
Since the Titan Giant Ape was heading toward its lake, the Sky Azure Bull Python had decided to wait and ambush the intruder.
But instead of a human, a blue cat fell into the water. The Sky Azure Bull Python's eyes widened in shock, but before it could react, the cat had already swum to the shore.
Tom glanced at the Titan Giant Ape, which was now leaping off the cliff in a rage, and showed no signs of panic. He crouched on all fours, his head lowered toward the lake, and opened his mouth wide. Like drinking from a straw, he began sucking up the lake water, swallowing it in massive gulps.
"Slurp~ Slurp~"
The Sky Azure Bull Python didn't bother looking at the Titan Giant Ape leaping from the cliff. Such a height was nothing to its brother. Instead, it watched the cat from beneath the water with great interest.
In its ten thousand years of life, the Sky Azure Bull Python had never seen anything like this. What is this cat trying to do? Drink the entire lake? How ridiculous! The Sky Azure Bull Python's eyes were filled with mockery.
Wait... no! The Sky Azure Bull Python's massive head suddenly froze. The lake, which had once been deep enough to hide its enormous body, was now more than half empty. At this rate, its massive form would soon be fully exposed.
The blue cat had already seen it and was now blinking at it.
In reality, Tom was utterly shocked. What the hell is this thing? It's so huge! All he could do was blink politely.
"Not good! Er Ming, be careful! Protect your head!"
A thunderous roar, like the bellow of a bull, echoed through the air.
As the Sky Azure Bull Python spoke, the lake was completely drained, and its massive body was fully exposed.
The Titan Giant Ape, still in mid-air, plummeted headfirst into the now-dry lakebed. Its lantern-sized eyes were filled with confusion. Where's the water???
The Sky Azure Bull Python closed its eyes, not daring to watch what came next. As for catching its brother? No way. With the Titan Giant Ape's speed and size, catching it would only leave the Sky Azure Bull Python bruised and battered.
"Boom!!!"
A sound like a mountain collapsing rang out as the Titan Giant Ape's head slammed into the muddy lakebed. Most of its body was buried in the dirt, with only its thick legs sticking out into the air, looking utterly ridiculous.
Seeing this, Tom didn't hesitate. He immediately bolted, his belly full of water not slowing him down in the slightest.
No way am I sticking around. I just dealt with one giant, and now there's an even bigger one in the lake? This is too much for a cat to handle!
The Sky Azure Bull Python slowly moved toward the Titan Giant Ape, which was now stuck in the mud like a carrot. It coiled its body around the ape and, with a mighty heave, pulled it out.
The Titan Giant Ape was flung out, its eyes filled with rage as it let out a deafening roar.
Instantly, all the soul beasts within a several-hundred-meter radius fled in terror, not daring to look back. Among them was a certain blue cat.
"Er Ming, tell me everything that happened," the Sky Azure Bull Python said, its gaze lingering on the direction Tom had fled. This cat gave it a strange feeling.
The Sky Azure Bull Python felt a growing unease. This cat was too bizarre. It had drained the entire lake, yet its body showed no signs of change.
Wait... if the water was gone, didn't that mean its home was gone too? The Sky Azure Bull Python froze again. The lake it had slept in for ten thousand years had been drained by a cat.
All that was left was dry land. What was once a paradise-like lake now looked eerily barren.
"Roar!!!"
Damn cat, I'm going to swallow you whole!!!
An even more terrifying roar than the Titan Giant Ape's echoed through the forest. The already panicked soul beasts now ran even faster.
What's going on with the two kings of the forest today? They've both gone mad! Any soul beast with a shred of intelligence couldn't help but wonder.
Tom, riding on the back of a sprinting leopard, heard the two furious roars. He casually glanced back in the direction he had come from, a happy grin spreading across his face. He raised a paw to his cheek, his big eyes blinking.
Cat wink!
Now, it was time to find Shen An.