Four directions: Black Minotaur, Jackal Marauder, Rhino Brute, Monkey King.
The lead Skyward Ranger weighed his options in silence. The towering Black Minotaur and Rhino Brute were quickly ruled out. The Jackal Marauder, dual-wielding curved blades and known for his speed, also made escape from that direction seem unlikely.
In the end, all three Skyward Rangers fixed their gaze on the monkey, whose presence barely registered any demonic aura or spiritual power.
Just then, the Owl Sentinel circling overhead drew his bow to full and let an arrow fly toward the three men.
"Kill—!"
As the bowstring rang out, the three Skyward Rangers, brandishing their various weapons, charged toward the monkey.
At that moment, they failed to notice the strange smiles on the faces of the other fiends—those they considered more troublesome—who merely watched the spectacle, clearly with no intention of helping.
The monkey's face remained impassive as he tilted his body slightly, gripping the Cloudwalker Staff single-handed. When the three Skyward Rangers rushed up, he spun and swept the staff horizontally, striking the lead ranger's shield.
"Clang—!"
The lead Skyward Ranger's eyes widened in horror. A sweet taste rose in his throat as he was sent flying through the air toward the Rhino Brute, blood spraying in his wake.
While one Skyward Ranger was still airborne, the other two had yet to recover from the shock of what had just happened. The monkey gripped the Cloudwalker Staff horizontally in his hands, dashed forward, and sent both remaining rangers flying.
At that moment, the Rhino Brute swung his massive axe through the air, smashing it down on the Skyward Ranger flying toward him—cleaving him clean in half.
The next moment, a swarm of little fiends shrieked and pounced, tearing the two Skyward Rangers who lay howling on the ground into pieces.
The battle was already over.
With a faint glance at the chaotic scene, the monkey hoisted the Cloudwalker Staff onto his shoulder, turned away expressionlessly, and found a comfortable spot to sit cross-legged, watching from afar as the once-terrified little fiends cheerfully cleaned up the battlefield.
A hunched, white ape demon, dressed in a cloth robe and blind in one eye, emerged from the nearby grass and stood beside the monkey, handing him a fruit.
Taking the fruit, the monkey began to gnaw on it.
"Is it tasty?"
"It's alright."
"Just found it. If you like it, there’s more over there." White Ape pointed to the side and added cheerfully, "I need to collect the souls of those three Skyward Rangers, then check on the little ones who were hurt but survived."