"So, you're just a monkey trainer."
Yan Shouyi surveyed his surroundings. These monkeys were no longer the little sprites of Mount Emei. Their eyes gleamed with primal, bestial lust for slaughter, their fangs bared, their claws sharp, awaiting Qi Dongqiang's command to swarm forward, tear their prey apart, and feast on flesh and blood!
Not only were they armed with axes, hooks, and forks, but some even wore rattan armor and hats fashioned from turtle shells.
Monkey King Huanhuan, clad in armor he'd found from somewhere, though clearly ill-fitting, possessed formidable defense. He wielded a short axe, its blade stained with blackened blood, testament to countless lives, human and animal, it had taken.
Qi Dongqiang stood on high, commanding the monkey horde, and sneered at Yan Shouyi:
"That day, when the Qing Si Gu erupted, the disciples of Mount Emei had almost no power to resist. I led the monkeys into their mountain gate, equipped just like this... Hahaha! Mount Emei, a renowned sect in the Xuanmen, was destroyed by my hand alone. How laughable!"
Qi Dongqiang, his true nature revealed, was utterly arrogant and boastful, flaunting the destruction of Mount Emei as his personal glory.
This successfully enraged Yan Shouyi!
"The stench on the monkeys earlier masked their killing intent. I was too careless," Yan Shouyi said coldly. "I should have killed you all when I was still at the foot of the mountain!"
"It's not too late to act now!" Qi Dongqiang laughed heartily. "I've been eager to test the skills of you, Lu Ban's descendant!"
Qi Dongqiang pointed his long staff at Yan Shouyi and roared, "My children, heed my command—kill him!!"
Chitter chitter chitter!
The monkeys were ecstatic, their faces filled with greed.
For wild beasts, once they tasted human flesh and blood, it became an addictive obsession.
This troop of monkeys had already had a taste and had endured a long period of restraint. Now, with another opportunity, how could they not be even more excited, throwing themselves at Yan Shouyi and his companions with all their might?
Thus, with Qi Dongqiang's command, all the monkeys charged forward!
Yan Shouyi did not hesitate. He instructed his companions, "Zhuge Ji, protect Daoist Jinbi. Everyone else, join me in slaying these demons!"
These monkeys were no longer ordinary; they could be considered demons.
Zhuge Ji, lacking combat prowess, drew his dagger for self-defense and stood by Daoist Jinbi.
Long Feicheng drew his Caiwei Sword to hack at the monkeys.
Ye Tianyuan threw out several shadow puppets, controlling a few strong monkeys to attack the others.
These monkeys, previously aligned, were suddenly backstabbed by their own kind, their eyes wide with confusion, as if questioning the controlled monkeys: "Are you crazy, I'm your teammate!"
However, the controlled monkeys delivered a fatal blow to their comrades: "I'm stabbing teammates!"
Tian Jue'er's methods were even more direct. As the battle began, she turned and performed the "Lin Daiyu Uprooting Weeping Willows" technique, then, grabbing thick tree trunks, she smashed them at the monkeys.
A few monkeys, unable to dodge, were hammered into the ground by Tian Jue'er like piles, their brains splattering.
Seeing his "children" suffer such damage, Qi Dongqiang could no longer sit still.
He leaped up, raising his long staff high, and swung it down at Ye Tianyuan!
Ye Tianyuan's face turned ashen. The monkeys he controlled were still some distance away, making it impossible for them to return to his aid in time.
As Qi Dongqiang's staff drew nearer, Yan Shouyi's figure suddenly appeared in front of Ye Tianyuan.
He gripped his saber with both hands, held it across his body, and with a clang, blocked Qi Dongqiang's staff!
Ye Tianyuan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling an immense sense of security with Chairman Yan present.
"You all focus on the monkeys. Qi Dongqiang is mine."
Yan Shouyi paused, then added, "This time, I'll have him kneeling within three moves!"
Three moves!
It was worth remembering that when Yan Shouyi fought Huang Qingcang previously, he had been somewhat cautious, boasting he would defeat Huang Qingcang within ten moves.
Although Huang Qingcang's combat power had later decreased after it was discovered he was being controlled by a shadow puppet master, resulting in his defeat within five moves... Qi Dongqiang, no matter how inferior, couldn't be that much weaker than Huang Qingcang, could he?
Daoist Jinbi, unaware of Yan Shouyi's true depth, urged Zhuge Ji, "How can Yan Shouyi handle this fellow alone? Hurry and help him!"
Zhuge Ji shrugged helplessly. "Daoist, I have no combat ability. I'd only be a hindrance if I went up!"
"Alas, Yan Shouyi is ultimately too young, too arrogant!" Daoist Jinbi spoke bluntly, his concern for Yan Shouyi evident.
Long Feicheng, who was busy attacking the monkeys' lower extremities, interjected, "When Brother Yan dealt with Huang Qingcang before, he relied purely on his physical strength. He didn't use any spells! Now, against Qi Dongqiang, if Brother Yan wished, he could end him with a single sword!"
By "a single sword," Long Feicheng actually meant using the Ancestral Dragon Sword to unleash "Yi Jian Wen Tian." But against someone like Qi Dongqiang, it was obviously unnecessary to waste True Dragon Purple Qi.
Even setting aside Yi Jian Wen Tian, Yan Shouyi still possessed countless formidable techniques!
"Hmph, three moves? I'd like to see how you defeat me in three moves!" Qi Dongqiang's pride was also piqued, and a resolve to fight Yan Shouyi to the bitter end began to form in his heart.
Yan Shouyi stepped forward, summoning his Xi Lin Armor and the Buddhist Golden Body, and cast a Golden Light Spell upon himself.
This was essentially maxing out his defensive buffs.
Qi Dongqiang knew well the power of Yan Shouyi's Buddhist Golden Body, a defense that even Huang Qingcang couldn't breach. Thus, he dared not give Yan Shouyi too much time and swung his staff directly towards Yan Shouyi's crown!
This blow could pulverize even a massive rock!
Yet, Yan Shouyi did not dodge. He met the attack head-on, his head held high!
Qi Dongqiang's expression darkened. "Not dodging? Then I'll smash your skull!!"
*Bang!!!*
A muffled thud echoed. Yan Shouyi truly took Qi Dongqiang's staff blow with his head. Dust billowed from beneath his feet, and a wave of energy sent surrounding trees toppling. Some monkeys even lost their footing and were thrown to the ground.
However, Yan Shouyi remained unharmed!
Qi Dongqiang's pupils contracted instantly to pinpricks. In his stunned moment, Yan Shouyi swept his saber horizontally!
Although Qi Dongqiang reacted instantly and retreated, the Zhan Po Saber still sliced open Qi Dongqiang's chest!
A bloody gash, thirty centimeters long and bone-deep, was torn across his chest, and blood gushed out instantly, staining Qi Dongqiang's hunting attire!
Qi Dongqiang, veins bulging on his forehead from the pain, stumbled back more than ten paces.
A monkey scurried forward, grabbed some herbs it had found somewhere, chewed them, and smeared them onto Qi Dongqiang's wound.
The wound immediately stopped bleeding!
Having lived in the mountains with the monkeys, Qi Dongqiang knew many effective folk remedies. This hemostatic medicine was something Qi Dongqiang had prepared in advance, and this monkey essentially served as the troop's "medic."
Only Long Feicheng, witnessing this, gasped and asked, "Aren't you afraid of getting rabies like this???"