The silent forest was disturbed as crimson lightning flickered beneath the feet of a black-robed figure. Not far away, two hidden Rank 1 Crimson Ice Snakes were instantly charred black, filling the air with the scent of roasted meat.
Crimson Ice Snakes were ice-attributed, carried cold poison, and were adept at concealment. If bitten, one's body would gradually stiffen, their blood freezing solid within half a day without treatment, leading to death.
These creatures were commonly found in the outer regions of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, yet they were detested by mercenaries. This was because the chances of obtaining a magic core from them were extremely low, their small bodies provided little edible meat, and they held little value.
"Xiao Bai, one of them had a magic core. Are you just going to leave it?" Yao Lao, seeing Xiao Bai's unusually aggressive attack this time, which had shattered the magic core of the Crimson Ice Snake, couldn't help but speak up.
"I don't need it. I've got too many already!" Xiao Bai shook his head, his tone tinged with irritation.
His frustration wasn't directed at Yao Lao but rather at his five-day search through the Magical Beast Mountain Range. He had scoured over a dozen cliffs but still hadn't found the cave mentioned in the original story.
Moreover, the Magical Beast Mountain Range truly lived up to its name as a paradise for magical beasts—there were simply too many Rank 1 beasts, making them an endless nuisance.
At first, Xiao Bai had been quite interested in the beasts he encountered, carefully extracting any magic cores and feeling a sense of excitement, much like playing an online game and looting drops from monsters.
But now, he was utterly sick of seeing Rank 1 magical beasts. He had a newfound admiration for the "Sword God of Ten Miles," who could farm small monsters day in and day out without growing weary.
Had those two Crimson Ice Snakes not attempted to ambush him just now, he wouldn't have even bothered dealing with them.
"Take it slow. If what that Tian Canzi said is true, then with each cliff you search, the chances of finding the next one increase," Elder Yao said soothingly, floating out to comfort Xiao Bai, who was clearly growing impatient.
Xiao Bai rubbed his temples. Ever since entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he hadn't withdrawn his soul power even once. While the scanning range was limited and the consumption was low, the continuous use still left him mentally exhausted.
He also wondered where the mercenary group was with Xiao Yi Xian was. Over the past few days, he had encountered several mercenary teams, but none of them included a girl matching the description from the original story.
Hearing Yao Lao's words of comfort, Xiao Bai nodded. "For now, I guess I have no choice but to—" He paused, sensing something unusual in his surroundings.
"Hmm?" Yao Lao, who had been stroking his beard, also let out a soft exclamation.
"Why are there so many of these things here? Did we stumble into their nest?" Yao Lao muttered, puzzled.
"Elder, do you know what these are?" Xiao Bai asked. Although he could sense them with his soul power, he didn't recognize the creatures.
"Heh heh..." Yao Lao didn't answer immediately, his smile taking on a strange quality.
Moments later, strange magical beasts began appearing in the surroundings—more than twenty of them.
They resembled a cross between humans and apes, standing slightly taller than a person, with robust builds. Their skin was pale with a greenish tint, deeply wrinkled, and they were completely naked.
"Ugh, they're hideous!" Xiao Bai complained inwardly.
These bizarre magical beasts surrounded the duo, keeping a distance of about ten meters. They neither advanced nor retreated, their small, eerie eyes locked onto them.
Xiao Bai assessed their strength—over ten were Rank 2, while the rest were Rank 1. Nothing too concerning.
He was simply curious about what these indecent-looking beasts were up to.
"Roar!"
A deep roar echoed from afar. The magical beasts encircling them grew restless as a path about three meters wide suddenly opened in their ranks.
Turning toward the opening, Xiao Bai saw three even larger magical beasts slowly stepping into the circle.
Two were at the peak of Rank 2, while the third had even reached Rank 3.
"Elder, what kind of magical beasts are these? They seem rather intelligent," Xiao Bai asked, intrigued by the creatures that neither attacked nor retreated.
"Heh heh, kid, these are Co-Apes. And let me tell you, they're quite... interested in men too!" Yao Lao replied with a mischievous grin.
"Co-Apes!" Xiao Bai immediately understood. These were the infamous Co-Apes mentioned in the original story.
Yao Lao went on to explain that Co-Apes, while not highly intelligent, were a social species. Within their groups, the females were generally stronger than the males, making it a matriarchal society where males held lower status.
In addition to being interested in their own kind, Co-Apes also have a strong fascination with humans. Despite their ugly appearance, they have a high standard for human beauty. Male Co-Apes are attracted to beautiful human women, while female He Apes are drawn to handsome human men.
Some males, unable to endure life within the group, leave and live in solitude. Female Co-Apes, however, never leave the group. As a result, outsiders often believe that Co-Apes only target human women, unaware that this species has an appetite for both genders.
And the Rank 3 magical beast before Xiao Bai was a female Co-Ape.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bai felt utterly disgusted. As he looked around at these repulsive creatures, a cold light flickered in his eyes.
"Roar! Roar!"
Just as he was about to make a move, the Rank 3 beast suddenly growled at the two Rank 2 ones beside it.
The two beasts let out low grunts, seeming somewhat reluctant. The Rank 3 beast barked at them again before they grudgingly stepped toward Xiao Bai.
"That female Co-Ape is ordering those two to capture you and take you back to their den! Those two are reluctant because they're afraid you'll steal her favor!" Yao Lao, ever the commentator, explained the situation to Xiao Bai, as if he couldn't figure it out himself.
"Heh heh..." Xiao Bai forced back his nausea and let out a cold laugh.
Without holding back, he unleashed his late-stage Mortal Realm soul power, sending a shockwave in all directions. At the same time, the Yang Thunder of Bing Fire erupted from his body.
Sensing the boundless soul power, Yao Lao wasn't particularly surprised. But when the blazing crimson lightning appeared, he let out a startled cry and quickly floated upward, not wanting to waste any of his precious soul power on this.
"What a monster…!"
Yao Lao watched the scene below, his face filled with shock. He had never seen Xiao Bai go all out before.
Within a radius of over ten meters centered on Xiao Bai, crimson lightning crackled and flashed. The Co-Apes, first stunned by the soul shockwave, stood frozen in place. Then, the rapidly spreading lightning engulfed them.
The Rank 1 and Rank 2 beasts were incinerated into charred remains in an instant, while the Rank 3 beast only managed a muffled groan before holding on for two extra seconds—before perishing as well.
Sensing that no life remained in the area, Xiao Bai finally withdrew the Yang Thunder of Bing Fire.
Now, a perfectly circular scorched area surrounded him. Standing in its center, he could feel the intense heat radiating from the ground, wisps of smoke curling into the air. A burnt, foul stench filled the surroundings.
"Co-Apes shouldn't even exist. From now on, I'll kill every single one I see!" Xiao Bai, recalling the creatures' behavior earlier, felt sick to his stomach and spat out his words viciously.
He then shot Yao Lao a fierce glare. This old man was truly wicked!
Seeing Xiao Bai's expression, Yao Lao realized just how much he had been disgusted. He awkwardly rubbed his nose, admitting to himself that he might have gone a bit too far with his teasing.
But it wasn't entirely his fault! His disciple had always been nagging him, wanting to see Xiao Bai lose his temper. It had piqued Yao Lao's curiosity too.
Well, today he finally got to see it. Too bad Xiao Yan wasn't here to witness it!