Heaven Ape had timed his move perfectly, fully anticipating Bear King Bran's counterattack. There was no way he'd let Bran get his way. The instant Bran spun around, Heaven Ape was already at his flank. Bran's mountainous body was anything but agile—he only caught sight of Heaven Ape's afterimage before a wave of agony shot through his side.
That black staff strike landed square on Bran's waist, and the sheer force sent his mountain-sized body flying dozens of meters, smashing through countless giant trees before finally coming to a stop.
Heaven Ape had calculated everything—once Bran spun around, he'd be unable to dodge this attack. It was the perfect blind spot, guaranteed to hit.
The blow cracked several of Bran's ribs, but thanks to his thick hide and solid flesh, it wasn't fatal. Still, the pain and humiliation gnawing at him were almost unbearable.
Bran glared at Heaven Ape, eyes burning with fury, and let out a monster's roar. That attack had snapped him out of his blind rage, bringing him back to his senses.
Transforming into his true form in such a cramped clearing was pointless—he couldn't fight properly at all. Only by reverting to his beast body could he battle Heaven Ape for real, and his hatred for the youth who'd provoked him grew even deeper. Anyone who could drive him into a frenzy had to be cunning beyond belief.
Bran shifted back into human form, checked his waist, then sneered at Heaven Ape: "Is that all you've got, Heaven Ape? I thought that black staff of yours could knock me flat. Turns out you're weaker than I expected."
"Save your boasting—this time, you won't be laughing," Heaven Ape shot back.
Heaven Ape swept his black Wujin staff through the air, unleashing a flurry of stick shadows at Bran. Bran's defenses were tough, but now he was wounded—his movements were bound to slow, and if he pushed too hard, he'd only make things worse. He couldn't afford to go all out.
Heaven Ape had banked on this—it's why he dared to attack Bran so relentlessly. Otherwise, he would've grabbed Evan Chu and fled ages ago.
Bran swung his copper hammer with all his might, unleashing a barrage of hammer shadows at Heaven Ape. But as he launched the attack, a flash of pain crossed his face.
Boom! Another thunderous crash echoed through the forest. Both fighters were blasted dozens of meters apart. Bran's copper hammer smashed into Heaven Ape's arm, while Heaven Ape's black staff struck Bran right in his wounded spot again.
Heaven Ape barely took any real damage from that hit—his staff absorbed most of the hammer's force, and only about thirty percent of the impact landed on his shoulder.
But his own staff landed solidly on Bran's waist. Even though Bran's counterattack canceled out half the force, striking an injured spot made the damage several times worse.
Heaven Ape's strike shattered the rest of Bran's ribs in his waist—and this time, it even hurt his internal organs.
Bran coughed up a mouthful of blood, then climbed furiously to his feet and roared, "Heaven Ape, you dare wound me? Today you'll see the true power of Bear King Bran!"
With that, Bran's entire body began to glow with a gray light. Just like Evan Chu, his skin bristled with countless earth-element spikes, each one radiating a ghostly glow.
Evan Chu was startled by the change. Bran's mastery of earth element was way beyond his own. Evan knew those earth spikes were made of a super-hard kind of stone—he'd have to reach at least Divine Martial Realm Seventh Layer before he could create something like that himself.
Just as Evan Chu was puzzling over this, Fox King Cyril suddenly spoke up: "Young man, I only want to take the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox back to the fox clan. I have no wish to be your enemy, so don't force my hand."
"Why should I give her to you? Even if you try something, I'm not afraid. Go ahead and see for yourself!" Evan Chu shot back.
Right now, Fox King Cyril really was caught in a dilemma. If he killed Evan Chu, even if he got the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, he'd have to watch his back—once she grew stronger, she'd be even more dangerous.
"Can't you see I'm doing this for her sake? Can you help her reach nine tails? Do you have enough energy for her to absorb? Do you have the fox clan's ten-thousand-year legacy techniques? You don't. If she stays with you, she gets nothing but danger. But I can give her all of that—help her become a true Nine-Tailed, and one day, Fox Clan's king.
I hope you'll think this over. Because you've cared for the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, I won't make things hard for you. Just consider it carefully—I know you want your friend to grow stronger, right?" Cyril said.
"Big Bro, let me out—I have something to say," Violet Thunder Fox suddenly called to Evan Chu.
Evan Chu had no idea what Violet Thunder Fox wanted to say to Cyril, and he was worried. Violet Thunder Fox appeared at Evan's side, a flash of violet light transforming her into a young girl.
Cyril's face lit up at the sight of Violet Thunder Fox. "I hope you'll come back to the fox clan with me. I can make you the pride of our whole clan," he said eagerly.
"So you're the Fox King. I didn't expect you to be a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox too. If I'm not mistaken, you have seven tails already, but the eighth is probably out of reach," Violet Thunder Fox said.
"You can see my strength? How is that possible—could your bloodline be truly pure?" Cyril stared at Violet Thunder Fox in shock.
"I'm not sure, but I can see you have seven tails, that's for sure. I really don't want to go back to your clan. I appreciate your offer, but please don't trouble my Big Bro. And I'm not his spirit pet, don't get the wrong idea—we're true siblings, even closer than human ones," Violet Thunder Fox said.
Meanwhile, Heaven Ape and Bran were locked in a fierce struggle—neither could get the upper hand. But Bran had been wounded from the start, and was weaker overall. Now he was fighting desperately, his body already covered in injuries.
"What will it take for you to return to the fox clan with me? I promise not to harm your Big Bro," Cyril said, dropping all kingly pride.
Violet Thunder Fox pointed at Bran. "Kill him, and I'll go with you. If you can't, then don't push me. You know some of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox clan's secret arts—if I really leave, you may never see me again."
"Kill Bran? That's impossible—he's my ally. If I did that, the Northern Beast King Hall would be destroyed by the Eastern and Southern Halls. We'd be wiped out," Cyril said, troubled.
"Don't worry. If you kill him, the Western Beast King Hall will become your ally—I can guarantee it," Evan Chu said.