Chapter 144 - 19: What is a Senior Brother?

As the thought crossed his mind, the vines beneath him rapidly softened, and Zhang Deming landed on the ground.

And as he landed, Light Wings appeared at his heels.

The moment he touched down, the Light Wings began to vibrate violently, but before Zhang Deming could shoot away, the tunnel he had come from collapsed.

Without a second thought, Zhang Deming turned and dashed toward another tunnel.

Just as Zhang Deming rushed into the tunnel, a dark figure shot toward him.

Acting on instinct, Zhang Deming dodged back, leaving the tunnel entrance and returning to the domed chamber.

RUMBLE...

As Zhang Deming dodged, the dark figure flew right into the domed chamber and slammed into the cave wall.

At that moment, the tremors throughout the dome began to subside as the final passageway collapsed.

Now, all four of the dome’s exits had caved in, turning it into a sealed chamber deep within the mountain.

In the final moments of the collapse, a colossal figure, following the dark shadow, rushed into the domed chamber.

ROAR...

The colossal figure, standing about six meters tall, roared at Zhang Deming the moment it charged in.

’Just as I thought. There’s another Qiu Ape.’

His expression soured further when he got a clear look at the Qiu Ape’s size.

’I thought there might be a male, since the other one was female.’

’Who would have thought... there is a pair of Qiu Apes in here. But they aren’t a mating pair; they’re a mother and daughter.’

And this Mother Qiu Ape before him had clearly surpassed the Apprentice stage; it was a genuine Tai Chi Demon Beast.

It didn’t seem weak in the slightest. Although it looked like it had just entered the Tai Chi Stage, this was enough to make Zhang Deming’s expression extremely grim.

He glanced to the side. ’If I wasn’t mistaken in that split second,’ he thought, ’was that dark figure a person?’

When Zhang Deming got a clear look at the figure, he paused, stunned. "It’s you?"

At that moment, Li Shifan was also pushing himself up, using his sword to prop himself up. He reached up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He, too, was taken aback when he saw Zhang Deming. "Senior Brother Zhang?" he asked, puzzled.

The two of them paused, then said in unison, "That group from before, were they your teammates?"

They both froze again after speaking.

’Ha, so we were both here to pick up the scraps?’

This was getting interesting. The two scavengers subconsciously glanced at the light source the other was carrying, a strange look on their faces.

"Your Cultivation?" Zhang Deming asked, puzzled.

"I’ve had a few lucky breaks, that’s all. Hasn’t Senior Brother Zhang also reached the Late Stage of Apprentice in just a few short months?" Li Shifan answered nonchalantly.

Zhang Deming: "..."

’You call that "a few lucky breaks"?’

’The last time we met, hadn’t you just broken through to Intermediate Apprentice?’

’Damn it, you’ve become an Advanced Apprentice in the blink of an eye. Who’s the real cheater here?’

’Did you awaken some kind of cheat system too? One that lets your Cultivation explode when you kill monsters?’

’Is that why you’re always hanging around the back mountains, your Cultivation skyrocketing?’

Staring at Li Shifan, Zhang Deming’s mind raced with possibilities!

ROAR...

While Zhang Deming was lost in thought, the Mother Qiu Ape roared at him again.

It had noticed that Zhang Deming was also holding a glowing crystal.

’Great. We each have one. Now the Mother Qiu Ape has its sights set on both of us.’

"Let’s team up, Senior Brother Zhang. The tunnels are all sealed, and there’s no way we can break through them quickly. In an enclosed space like this, there can only be one outcome."

"Either it falls, or we end up in its belly," Li Shifan said.

"You’ve got a lot of nerve. This is a Tai Chi Stage Great Demon," Zhang Deming said.

"So what if it’s a Great Demon? Do we have any other choice in this situation?" Li Shifan replied.

Zhang Deming nodded. "You’re right, there’s no other way. We have to face it head-on."

Before the two could get any more familiar, the Qiu Ape charged again.

"Sword Dao: Basic Sword Technique!"

Li Shifan’s entire aura changed, becoming sharp, piercing, and tinged with a cold aloofness.

Holding his Long Sword in one hand, he charged forward without hesitation.

He moved with an agile grace; clearly, the Mother Qiu Ape was a Power System type.

Li Shifan had already clashed with it before, so he knew how to handle it.

Zhang Deming didn’t hesitate either. The vines on his body began to change rapidly.

They once again twisted into the previous spider-like form, brandishing spear-like spikes as he charged forward.

CLANG...

The moment they made contact, a distinctly metallic clang rang out, and Zhang Deming’s expression shifted.

’This defense is insane! My vines, enhanced by the Thorny Earth Spike Technique, couldn’t even break its skin, let alone cause it any pain.’

’Aren’t Qiu Apes supposed to be known for their power?’

Zhang Deming looked at the Mother Qiu Ape’s glistening skin, dotted with metallic patches. ’It’s practically a body of steel!’

"Senior Brother Zhang, watch out! It’s a mutated evolution. It didn’t evolve purely for Power; otherwise, that last hit wouldn’t have just made me cough up blood—I’d be dead."

"After all, I don’t think my body could take a single hit from a pure Power-type Great Demon of the Tai Chi Stage."

"This thing’s body... I suspect it’s no longer purely flesh and blood."

"It’s highly likely it underwent a defense-based mutated evolution."

Li Shifan explained quickly as he dodged, sharing the intelligence he had gathered.

Zhang Deming paused. ’Another mutated evolution?’

’What the heck is going on with these back mountains?’

’Encountering one mutated evolution was already a freak occurrence!’

’Demon Beast mutations are supposed to be extremely rare.’

’But to run into two in a row, and in the Apprentice Demon Beast zone without even going that deep...’

’Is this really a coincidence?’

’That’s right, Panx Juan’er mentioned before that we should avoid searching to the south.’

’So did something happen in the southern part of the back mountains?’

Zhang Deming’s mind raced as he fought.