The black bear appeared rough and unrefined, yet its mind was as cunning as a fox.
Initially, it had truly paid no mind to the Four-Winged Blood Horse, and out of gratitude for its voluntary informant status, it had no intention of pursuing the matter.
However, it hadn't expected this Four-Winged Blood Horse to be so audacious, daring to openly deceive it in front of someone important.
The Four-Winged Blood Horse's repeated attempts to stop its assault on the black-furred ape were not for its own safety, but to save the black-furred ape.
It was infuriating that it had been so careless, actually being fooled by it.
Still, such a minor trick wouldn't fool it for too long.
The black bear cast a cold glance, then slammed its thick paw down onto the ground.
A surge of hidden energy burrowed into the earth from the direction of the bear paw, streaking forward like a bolt of lightning.
With a rumbling sound, rocks and stones fractured, tearing open a bottomless chasm.
"Hiss!"
The Four-Winged Blood Horse let out a neigh, its four wings behind it blurring into an afterimage as it rapidly retreated.
However, no matter how fast it was, it couldn't match the furious strike of a Great Demon who had undergone tribulation.
Just as it was about to be overtaken by the hidden energy, a dark silhouette crashed down in front of it. Its powerful fists smashed into the ground, the force of the punches canceling out the hidden energy, erupting with a thunderous roar.
The Four-Winged Blood Horse looked at the silhouette blocking its path, a sigh of relief mixed with concern.
"Jingang..."
The black-furred ape, Jingang, did not turn its head, instead staring intently at the black bear in front.
Its dark fur, stained with blood, clung to its body in patches, mixed with dirt, making it look quite disheveled.
The black bear paused for a moment.
The black-furred ape Jingang had been listlessly held in its grasp just moments ago, but in the next instant, it had broken free and intercepted its attack, truly earning its respect.
"I underestimated you, but even if you can stand, you will only become a stepping stone for my Black Bear tribe."
Since it could defeat the black-furred ape brothers, the first time would lead to a second and a third.
The black bear was utterly convinced.
However, the recent interruption had completely eroded its patience.
Since the black-furred ape brothers were still stubbornly resisting, it might as well completely raze the ape demon's lair. It refused to believe that it wouldn't find their treasures even if it dug up the earth.
It strode forward and stomped its foot towards the head of the black-furred ape leader, a savage thrill flashing in its pupils.
Its bear paw was three to four times larger than the black-furred ape's head. With this stomp, one could easily imagine the tragic scene that would unfold.
The Four-Winged Blood Horse closed its eyes in terror, unable to bear witness.
"Squeak squeak!"
The monkey demons, with excited expressions, desperately tried to rush forward to intervene but were blocked by other demon beasts that had recovered. They could only watch this scene with wide, furious eyes.
Bang!
The black bear felt resistance from beneath its foot, its expression freezing as it lowered its head in surprise.
It saw a thick arm, with muscles bulging, beneath its paw. The arm was covered in ferocious wounds.
The black-furred ape still had strength left?
A thought flashed through the black bear's mind, and in the next moment, it felt a world-shattering force coming from above its paw. Its massive body was instantly sent flying.
The black bear's two companions, seeing this, quickly moved to catch it.
However, that force seeped into them through the black bear's body.
The pupils of the two black bears constricted as they too were knocked away by the impact of the black bear's body.
Finally, the three black bears crashed into the mountain wall, creating a concave pit several dozen feet deep before they finally stopped.
All the demons were stunned by the sudden turn of events, staring blankly at the black silhouette standing as firm as a mountain.
The black-furred ape leader seemed oblivious to the gazes of the other demons, slowly and steadfastly approaching the mountain wall.
The thudding footsteps, like muffled thunder, struck the consciousness of every demon present.
"Cough, cough."
As the three black bears scrambled out of the pit, they no longer possessed their former confidence. Their gazes towards the black-furred ape were now filled with apprehension.
Especially the leading black bear, it knew best the changes in the black-furred ape.
The force just now was not something that could be used by someone in the Tribulation Crossing stage.
Upon closer inspection, it now noticed subtle changes in the black-furred ape leader's body.
The black-furred ape leader’s physique remained robust, but it seemed to be slightly smaller than before, its fur also dimmer. Most importantly, its beast eyes now seemed devoid of any emotion, as if it had reverted to a mere wild beast, with only its most primitive instincts remaining.
"Something's wrong, this is too wrong."
The black bear muttered to itself, a sense of dread rising in its heart as the black-furred ape leader approached.
Gritting its teeth, it roared, "Attack together!"
It refused to believe that with so many demon beasts, they couldn't handle one injured black-furred ape.
Most of the demon beasts led by the black bear were those who relied on the Black Bear tribe for survival.
Therefore, they dared not disobey its command.
A portion of the demon beasts that had been fighting the monkey demons began to change direction, launching attacks towards the black-furred ape.
The remaining ones were responsible for intercepting the increasingly frenzied monkey demons caused by the black-furred ape.
The Four-Winged Blood Horse, knowing it was no match for the combined might of the demons, seized the opportunity when all attention was focused on the black-furred ape and bolted.
Its choice was undoubtedly correct. In the next moment, various demon beasts surrounded the black-furred ape Jingang and unleashed their attacks simultaneously.
The black-furred ape leader's situation was even worse than Jingang's, as in addition to facing those demon beasts, it also had to contend with the three black bears.
For a time, the whimpers and roars of the demon beasts filled the air.
The black-furred ape leader’s robust body was no longer in good condition, with many wounds exposing bone.
Yet, it seemed oblivious to the pain, or perhaps the intense pain had ignited its bestial nature, making it even more ferocious than before.
Lower-ranking demon beasts, swept away by its punch, cried out in agony, collapsing to the ground, their lives extinguished.
Although the black bear was not as weak as them, it still struggled greatly with the black-furred ape's increased strength.
It noticed other demon beasts showing signs of wavering and immediately shouted, "The black-furred ape has used a secret inherited technique. It can't hold on for long. Kill it, and the monkey demons' treasures will be ours!"
The black bear's timely shout revitalized the anxious demon beasts, who redoubled their efforts.
As one side weakened, the other grew stronger. The black-furred ape leader began to lose ground.
Furthermore, the black bear's guess was correct; the bloodline power within the black-furred ape was gradually being depleted and would soon run out, at which point the black-furred ape would completely lose its combat effectiveness.
The black-furred ape leader's clouded consciousness gradually resurfaced as its bloodline power waned. It sensed that the ensuing development was highly unfavorable and a hint of determination appeared in its beast eyes.
Even if it died, it would not allow Monkey King Mountain to become a playground for these demon beasts.
It cast a glance at the black-furred ape Jingang, who was being besieged by the other demons, then turned and located the black bear within the throng. A grin spread across its face, and disregarding the attacks, it vanished and reappeared before the black bear.
Before the black bear could even react to what was happening, it was seized by a pair of thick arms wrapped tightly around its neck.
The black bear's expression changed drastically.