"It's you. I thought it was someone else."
Upon seeing the Black-furred Ape King, Black Bear felt a surge of displeasure. They had been on the verge of finishing off the Black-furred Ape, only to have their efforts ruined by this uninvited guest. However, this Black-furred Ape was no match for him; even if they joined forces, they would still be no match for his three brothers. Thus, Black Bear quickly regained his composure and let out another sarcastic laugh.
"I was going to spare your life, but you chose to seek death. It truly surprises us. But that's fine, since you brothers have such deep affection, we'll send you both on your way together. Roar!"
Black Bear's low growl was the signal to attack. As the roar spread outwards, the three Black Bears charged towards the Black-furred Ape King from different directions. Their clumsy forms possessed a speed that belied their appearance. Within moments, the Black-furred Ape King found himself surrounded by the three Black Bears.
"Ah! Die! Die! Die!" the Black-furred Ape King roared, a faint glow emanating from its body. It swung its fists wildly and without a discernible pattern, yet it managed to parry the attacks from the three Black Bears. For a time, only the muffled sounds of their mutual assaults could be heard.
"Roar!"
Just then, the yet-to-recover elder Black-furred Ape joined the fray. The five beasts, with their similar fur colors, were soon locked in combat. The aftershocks of their battle spread outwards from their center. The fierce collisions echoed through the heavens and earth like spring thunder, creating countless reverberations.
Rumble.
Monkey King Mountain began to tremble violently under the intense impacts, its interior emitting bone-chilling roars. Hearing the massive commotion from within Monkey King Mountain, the two Black-furred Apes instinctively paused their movements for a moment. Monkey King Mountain was their tribal gathering place, the place they depended on for survival, and the ancestral land of their king. Naturally, they did not wish for their sacred mountain to be destroyed.
However, their momentary distraction provided an opportunity for the three Black Bears. Seizing the moment, the three Black Bears launched their strongest attacks simultaneously without hesitation. Although the Black-furred Ape brothers reacted in time and raised their arms to defend themselves, they were still knocked down by the immense force transmitted from the bear paws.
Crash!
Crash!
The Black-furred Ape brothers were sent crashing into a deep pit, one after the other, and neither could climb out for a long while. Black Bear chuckled triumphantly, stepped forward, and peered down into the pit. He saw the disheveled elder Black-furred Ape lying obliquely against the pit wall, spitting blood.
"Gak!"
"Hahahaha!"
Black Bear burst into laughter, showing no shame for ganging up on them. In the eyes of demonic beasts, only victory mattered, not the means. Black Bear was naturally proud of crushing his former rivals underfoot. He glanced at the monkey tribe, whose morale had plummeted with the defeat of the Black-furred Ape, and a strong sense of glee spread across his furred face. Therefore, he was in no hurry to finish off the remaining monkeys, choosing instead to look down triumphantly at the elder Black-furred Ape struggling at the bottom of the pit. He relished the sight of the other's bitter resentment and inability to retaliate, as it brought him immense satisfaction.
In the distance, hidden within the crevices of the rocks, the Four-winged Blood Horse and the Snow Leopard dared not even breathe, their beastly eyes filled with anxiety and unease. Their cultivation levels were far inferior to that of the Black-furred Ape King, and they had been left far behind, only now arriving. Moreover, because the monkey tribe and the invading beasts were locked in a furious battle, neither had noticed their arrival, allowing them the chance to lie hidden here without being drawn into the conflict.
"Mu-Mudan, what should we do?" the Four-winged Blood Horse's voice trembled slightly. In fact, it wasn't just its voice; its four hooves were also shaking. It couldn't remember how it had even gotten here. It was too dangerous, far too dangerous. The scent of blood and burnt flesh constantly permeated the Four-winged Blood Horse. It was terrified. Its strength was utterly insufficient in a place like this. If it encountered even a slightly stronger demonic beast, it would only be beaten. What's more, this was a battle between the monkey tribe and the Black Bears; it had nothing to do with it, so why should it get involved in such a mess?
Though it thought this, it was still unable to turn and flee. The Four-winged Blood Horse couldn't understand why, so it turned to the Snow Leopard for help, hoping to get the answer it sought from it. The Snow Leopard crouched low, its golden eyes flashing with a cold gleam. It said, "Save King."
"Are you mad? How can we save him? Those three Black Bears could flatten us with a single paw. We can't even get close to them, let alone save King. We can't do it." The Four-winged Blood Horse chattered incessantly, its tone agitated and uneasy. It couldn't understand why Mudan, who was usually the most rational, would say something so fanciful today. Even if it and Mudan charged forward together, they wouldn't be enough to fill the Black Bears' teeth, let alone save King. Now, they should be leaving...
The Four-winged Blood Horse paused at this thought. So this was its true intention. Cowardly and timid. Facing its most shameful aspect, the Four-winged Blood Horse lowered its head in shame.
"Then let's leave now." The Snow Leopard raised its head, looked at the Four-winged Blood Horse, and said coldly.
Okay... The Four-winged Blood Horse moved its lips, wanting to agree, but found that it couldn't utter the words aloud. It blinked in surprise, looked at the Snow Leopard, whose expression suggested it expected this, and finally understood something. It let out a long sigh for itself, and asked a question with the same words but a completely opposite meaning.
"What should we do?"
The Snow Leopard was not at all surprised by the Four-winged Blood Horse's choice. It turned its head to look in the direction of the Black Bears and said sternly, "Keep them busy and give King some time." The Snow Leopard had not been neighbors with the monkey tribe for long, but because of the Black-furred Ape King, it had come to understand the monkey tribe, especially the Black-furred Ape clan, better. The Black-furred Apes were considered royal blood among the monkeys. Although the Black-furred Ape King was not as formidable as his elder brother, he was still an imposing figure among the other monkeys. They would not be defeated so easily. The Snow Leopard believed that if it could stall the two Black-furred Apes for some time, they would surely be able to counterattack.
"But how do we keep three Black Bears busy?" the Four-winged Blood Horse asked nervously, swallowing hard. The Snow Leopard closed its eyes in thought, then opened them and looked at the Four-winged Blood Horse, "It requires you to take a risk. Do you dare?"
The Four-winged Blood Horse trembled under the Snow Leopard's gaze, then stammered, "W-what is there that I don't dare to do? I'm not even afraid of death, so what else would I be afraid of?" The Snow Leopard did not expose its pretense but nodded affirmatively, offering the Four-winged Blood Horse some comfort. The Snow Leopard lowered its voice and whispered its plan into the Four-winged Blood Horse's ear. As the Four-winged Blood Horse listened, its legs turned to jelly. This was indeed a risky plan. It was truly going to risk its life this time.