Quinn Shepherd seemed to have anticipated this. With one hand, he grabbed the Demon Ape’s Thunderclap Monk’s Staff, swinging both the ape and the staff in a powerful arc and smashing them hard into the ground. With his other hand, his five fingers flicked out one after another—six crisp explosive cracks rang out, shattering the curved blades of yuanqi cast by Lina the Spirit Fox.
"Aaargh—"
Suddenly, the Dragon-Elephant surged forward on all four legs, seizing the moment while Quinn was occupied with the Demon Ape and Lina. With a thunderous crash, it lowered its head and rammed Quinn, sending him flying!
The instant the Dragon-Elephant sent Quinn flying, its trunk suddenly stretched out, snatching Quinn from midair and yanking him back. With another swing, it drove Quinn headfirst into the ground, planting him upside down.
The Dragon-Elephant yanked Quinn out of the earth, ready to slam him down again. Suddenly Quinn’s leg technique shifted—he kicked free of the trunk, unleashed a flurry of over a hundred kicks to the beast’s face, and sent the massive creature flying.
"Tiny runt, down!"
The Demon Ape’s massive, muscular body was wreathed in Azure Dragon qi. Just as Quinn finished kicking the Dragon-Elephant away, the ape slammed a huge palm down, pinning Quinn to the ground. Roaring, it lifted its thick, stubby leg and stomped viciously toward Quinn!
Crippled Joe’s Heaven-Stealing Leg Art—Trample-Through-Sumeru!
Pinned to the ground, Quinn instantly twisted, rising on one leg with his body parallel to the earth. His other leg shot up to meet the Demon Ape’s massive foot.
He unleashed the same move—Trample-Through-Sumeru—though his execution was loose and unorthodox. Still, the force behind it was just as astonishing!
The Demon Ape grunted, stumbling backward, then grabbed the Dragon-Elephant’s tail and swung the giant beast at Quinn. At the same time, Lina the Spirit Fox flicked her tail, whipping up a howling wind—dozens of curved blades tore through the air, spinning like wheels as they slashed toward Quinn!
Suddenly, a whistling rush of wind split the air. Quinn’s heart skipped—he quickly dodged Lina and the Demon Ape’s attacks, then followed the sound. In the forest, he spotted over a hundred armored men and women leaping like shadows, racing toward the upper Yong River.
A few of them noticed Quinn and immediately halted, glancing around. One man looked at Quinn, the Demon Ape, and the white fox, and asked in surprise, "Hunters?"
"Don’t get involved—we need to move!"
Another whispered, "The ship’s almost here! We have to form the array on the river before it arrives!"
"Is this wise? Someone saw us—if word gets out, it could be trouble for us…"
"There are plenty of reclusive experts in the Great Ruins—don’t stir up trouble. Move, quickly! His ship is fast; if we miss it, we’ll regret it!"
The group picked up speed, vanishing into the forest in a blur.
Quinn frowned, muttering, "Those people don’t seem like locals. They’re heading upstream—looks like they’re planning an ambush. That one even wanted to kill us to keep us quiet. Not exactly friendly… Lina, Big Guy, see? Honest folks like us always get the short end—we’re liable to get killed just to silence us."
Lina nodded earnestly, completely agreeing. The Demon Ape curled its lip. "Trust? Hah!"
Quinn was about to speak when the Dragon-Elephant barreled over, ramming him and sending him flying. The Demon Ape, furious, pinned the beast to the ground and gave it a savage beating. "Stop. Got it?" he snarled.
The Dragon-Elephant howled miserably. Quinn had half a mind to beat it himself, but seeing the Demon Ape thrash the poor brute until it was barely recognizable, he let it go.
This Dragon-Elephant was a rare beast from the gorge next to Calamity-Seal Palace, ruling its own territory with raw, brute force. It and the Demon Ape had always been at odds, constantly brawling over prey. But ever since Quinn became lord of the gorge and taught the Demon Ape to cultivate, the Dragon-Elephant was no longer a match for him.
The Demon Ape regularly came looking for trouble, beating the Dragon-Elephant a dozen times over. Eventually the beast couldn’t take it anymore and surrendered, becoming the Demon Ape’s mount—quite a spectacle.
But the Dragon-Elephant was a bit dim—not nearly as clever as the Demon Ape or Lina.
Quinn’s eyes flashed. Suddenly, he vaulted up the waterfall and landed atop the ridge; beyond lay the Yong River, with sheer cliffs dropping below.
The river surged with chunks of ice. Even now, floes covered the water—at this time of year, no boats ever sailed here.
Just then, Quinn spotted a multi-storied warship breaking through the ice, speeding upriver. The vessel smashed its way upstream, plowing through floes with impossible speed—utterly baffling.
The Demon Ape, Lina, and the Dragon-Elephant clambered up after him, settling beside Quinn. The Demon Ape yanked out a pine tree, stripped off a handful of needles, and offered them to Lina.
Lina quickly shook her head. The Demon Ape grunted, "Eat. Strong!"
Lina laughed, 'I don’t eat that.'
The Demon Ape shoved the pine needles toward the Dragon-Elephant. 'Eat. Strong!'
The Dragon-Elephant shook its head, but the Demon Ape pinned its head and beat it again, snarling, 'Eat!'
Tears in its eyes, the Dragon-Elephant silently munched the pine needles. Only then was the Demon Ape satisfied, plopping down and leisurely eating pine needles himself. Lina couldn’t help but say, 'Big Guy, you know, Dragon-Elephants aren’t vegetarians—they eat meat, like dragons, not elephants.'
The Dragon-Elephant was deeply moved and nodded repeatedly.
The Demon Ape sneered, 'Vegetarian. Strong! Me, vegetarian, strong!'
Tears streaming, the Dragon-Elephant kept eating pine needles.
The warship drew closer. Quinn saw armored soldiers everywhere on deck, and beneath a fluttering canopy sat a young general, imposing and at ease.
On the broad deck, several artists were painting, each with a copper mirror over a yard tall propped before them.
Nearby, a few soldiers dressed like herdsmen kept opening iron cages, releasing golden eagles from the ship.
Quinn quietly activated his Divine Firmament Heaven Eye and saw that images appeared on the copper mirrors—green mountains and clear waters, constantly shifting.
Suddenly, an eagle’s cry rang out. Quinn looked up to see a golden eagle soaring overhead.
He instantly understood: "The images in the copper mirrors are what these golden eagles see! What kind of spell is this—turning the eagle’s vision into mirror images? That’s it—the artists are mapping the Yong River!"
The golden eagles flew high, surveying the land around the Yong River, which was then reflected onto the copper mirrors for the artists to paint. By traveling upstream, they could map the entire river.
"Who are these people? Why map the Yong River? What do they plan to do with it?"
Quinn blinked, puzzled.
At that moment, a soldier hurried beneath the canopy, knelt on one knee, and saluted: "General Quentin Shaw, someone is watching from the shore!"
The young general under the canopy raised his brows and glanced toward Quinn. Quinn’s heart skipped; as the general’s gaze swept over, it was as if two blinding beams of light flashed, turning his vision snowy white—he couldn’t see a thing!
Lina and the Demon Ape gasped, quickly covering their eyes. Only the Dragon-Elephant kept munching pine needles, oblivious.
"Just ordinary villagers by the river."
General Quentin Shaw closed his eyes, feigning sleep. "Even my gaze is too much for them—no threat, ignore them."
"Yes, General!"
The soldier hesitated. "Seven months ago, by imperial order, you raided Minister Ian Young’s home. He’s famous for integrity and often speaks for minor sects. He’s from Clearflow Sword Sect and highly respected. You raided his home, threw him in prison, and oversaw his execution. I fear his followers may attack us on the way."
General Quentin Shaw sneered, "The Emperor ordered the raid and execution. What’s it to me? Ian Young sought fame, even accused the Imperial Preceptor of treason and urged the Emperor to kill him—outrageous! He tried to sow discord between the Emperor and Preceptor, scheming for his own gain. He deserved worse than death."
He massaged his temples and sighed. "The Emperor ordered me to raid and execute him because I’m the Preceptor’s disciple, personally promoted by him. It’s to show the court that imperial favor for the Preceptor is at its peak, and to warn traitors to give up. Some people just don’t understand politics—they bring it on themselves."
The soldier replied, "Still, there may be fame-seeking loyalists lying in wait for us…"
General Quentin Shaw waved his hand. "I want Ian Young’s followers to show themselves—then I’ll wipe them out in one sweep!"
He walked to the bow and looked at the surging, ice-laden river, then at the cliffs on both sides. "The Preceptor ordered me into the Great Ruins to map the Yong River for the sake of the nation—so we can annex the Great Ruins. Those traitors don’t appreciate his intentions and want to kill me, disrupt our country—they deserve death."
Just then, a young noble stepped out of the cabin. He wasn’t fat, but his face was babyish, with a red mark on his brow and a folding fan in hand. He laughed, "People like that—famous for being loyal and upright—are ridiculous! It’d be best if all those so-called loyalists died off!"
General Quentin Shaw quickly turned and saluted. "Seventh Young Master."
Seventh Young Master looked up at the mountains, where the shadows of Quinn and the Demon Ape stretched over the warship.
He smiled. "General Shaw, I’m going ashore for a stroll. If those loyalists show up, let me handle them."