The abruptness of the Golden-eyed Ape King caught everyoneâs attention at once.Â
âWhat issue might there be, Ape King?â
âMy issue relatesâŚto the Core Stone. Wouldnât it be in your control throughout the entire plan?â
âWhat does the Ape King mean by that?â
Contempt flashed across the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs eyes. âThe plan you propose is a sound one. Hiding all us soulbeasts and springing us where the Beast Taming School is. Thatâs a fine plan. Not even the Beast Taming School would be able to win against this many of us. HoweverâŚitâll be hard to say what happens when we begin fighting. Itâs to be expected that there will be casualties. Now if the one in possession of the Core Stone, namely you, dies, or something else happens to the Core Stone, how will we soulbeasts return to the forest? We would have to make our way through the Empire. How many attacks from soul cultivators would we experience during that trip? That is my issue!â
ââŚâ
Bai Yunfei narrowed his eyes. The Golden-eyed Ape King was basically saying he didnât have the power to âprotectâ the Core Stone! In other words, he wanted for the Core Stone to be given to someone else!
Several of the other soulbeasts like the Bloodhowl Wolf King and Violet Dragon King narrowed their eyes as well, but there was also a small group of soulbeasts that nodded. They couldnât fault the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs words!
It was true that the entirety of this plan was dependent on the Core Stone. Many of the soulbeasts harbored thoughts of âsafeguardingâ the Core Stone themselves. There was a possibility that one of these soulbeasts wouldâve contested Bai Yunfei for it. He was the only soul cultivator here, after all. The only reason it wasnât done already was due to Bai Yunfei being under the Bloodhowl Wolf Kingâs âprotectionâ.
As shocking as Bai Yunfeiâs strength was when he helped the Bloodhowl Wolf King, those were merely rumors to the rest of the soulbeasts here. None of them had personally witnessed Bai Yunfeiâs strength and were doubtful of how strong he really was.
Power was something soulbeasts valued more than soul cultivators did. Power demanded respect over all else. A person could be nice and hailed as the âsaviorâ to many, but it was inherently useless if they didnât have the power. Without that power, that person would never be able to command true respect and inspire loyalty.
And so what the Golden-eyed Ape King said struck a chord in many of the soulbeastâs minds, such as the Stegosaurus King. He was saying what several of them feltâŚÂ
Bai Yunfei could tell that several of the soulbeasts were beginning to agree with the Golden-eyed Ape King. âThen, does the Golden-eyed Ape King mean to say that I should hand over the Core Stone?â
His words carried a hint of steel to themâwho would possibly let âsomeone elseâ hold onto something like a Regalia?
âI am only pointing out a potential problem for the benefit of us all. The safety of the Core Stone is paramount in this plan. IfâŚyou donât wish to hand it over, thatâs fine. As long as you can prove that you are capable of protecting the Core Stone in the future battle.â The Golden-eyed Ape King replied.
âAnd how does the Ape King suggest I âproveâ that?â
âItâs simple,â A dangerous gleam of light flashed across the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs eyes. âFight me! Prove to me your strength!â
The entire hall went silent. Many soulbeasts looked incredulous at the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs wordsâa fight? A class eight soulbeast was challenging a Soul King to a battle? Wasnât that just unfair? How the Golden-eyed Ape King was able to issue a challenge like that without a problem proved puzzling to everyone hereâŚÂ
But Bai Yunfeiâs answer only served to amaze everyone even further.
âOh? And how shall we fight?â
Not even the Golden-eyed Ape King was expecting that.Â
âA spar will suffice! You only need to show your strength! How about thisâI will use three moves! If you can endure those three moves, then thatâll be the proof of your strength!!â
The soulbeasts were thunderstruck. Had the Golden-eyed Ape King no shame?
How could a Peak Late-stage Soul King survive a challenge like that? Not even a Half-emperor would be capable of withstanding three moves from a Soul Emperor! The Golden-eyed Ape King was clearly taking things personally with Bai Yunfei!Â
The death of the Wind Ape King by Bai Yunfeiâs hand was definitely weighing on the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs mind. If this wasnât some type of grudge, then this challenge was definitely meant to be a way for the Golden-eyed Ape King to âdisciplineâ Bai Yunfei and vent his anger.
That line of reasoning would make sense if the Golden-eyed Ape King and Wind Ape King were friends, but they werenât. Bai Yunfei taking care of the Wind Ape King shouldâve been of great help to the Golden-eyed Ape King. But the truth of the matter was: Bai Yunfei killed a member of the ape clan. As a fellow member of the same clan then, the Golden-eyed Ape King had a problem with Bai Yunfei.
It also couldnât be denied that his âexcuseâ was an arbitrary one either. He meant to say that on behalf of the other soulbeasts.
The irritation on the Bloodhowl Wolf King was noticeable to be seen by all. Just as he was about to speak on Bai Yunfeiâs behalf, howeverâŚÂ
âIf thatâs what the Ape King wants, then I accept your challenge!â
Many of the soulbeasts began to doubt their own hearing. Had they heard wrong? Was Bai Yunfei actually going to accept the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs âchallengeâ?!
âRecklessâ, âarrogantâ, âa frog in the wellâ.
Words such as those were thrown about in several of the soulbeasts minds.
Even the Ancient Crocodile King was looking surprised. Where had Bai Yunfeiâs confidence come from?
The Bloodhowl Wolf King had to refrain from a sigh upon hearing Bai Yunfeiâs words. âNitpicking the Golden-eyed Ape King might be, but itâs true that several soulbeasts doubt Bai Yunfeiâs strength. This should convince them otherwiseâŚâ
He wasnât worried about Bai Yunfei at all. Of the two fighters, it was the Golden-eyed Ape King he was more worried about, in truth. But who was he to argue if the Golden-eyed Ape King was willing to stick his neck out for a bigger share of the pot?
The Bloodhowl Wolf King was the one with the greatest understanding of Bai Yunfei. Three moves wouldnât nearly be enough to stop Bai Yunfei, even if they fought with the intent to kill. The Golden-eyed Ape King would certainly not have an easy time with Bai Yunfei as an opponent.
It was with surprise that the Golden-eyed Ape King began to laugh. âHaha! Youâve guts! Then letâs take this outside! Show me what youâve got!â
Then as if afraid that Bai Yunfei would back out on his words, the Golden-eyed Ape King teleported out from the hallâŚÂ
Bai Yunfei rose from his seat to follow. Bowing to the soulbeasts gathered there, he spoke, âItâs only natural that one would want to see the strength of who they fight along with. Witness me, and see if my strength is up to your standards.â
Then he too disappeared from the hall.
On the outside, a single person waited high up in the skies for Bai Yunfei to appear in front of him.
âPlease instruct me well, Ape King.â Bai Yunfei spoke.
âBe careful then, thereâs no shame in admitting defeat if youâre scared!â Cackled the Golden-eyed Ape King.
âBzzzâŚâ
A wave of soulforce emerged from the Golden-eyed Ape King as he prepared for battle. It ran across the world like a tidal wave of power and caused multiple rays of golden light to appear everywhere. Gathering above the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs head, the golden rays of light soon consolidated to form the image of a giant golden ape!
âRoarrrr!!!â
An ear-splitting roar emerged from the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs mouth, followed by a golden flash of light. His right arm rose into the air before crashing straight down onto Bai Yunfei!
Above him, the giant golden ape mimicked the Golden-eyed Ape Kingâs motions. A miniature sun came to life in the apeâs hand to fall upon Bai Yunfei!
With how bright and massive this ball of light was, it felt like a golden meteor was descending from the outer heavens!
Fear crept into the eyes of all the witnesses; this was a move filled with a power beyond most of them! A move that wasnât just fueled by elemental power, but byâŚthe Law of Metal!
Using the Law of Metal to attackâŚthe Golden-eyed Ape King wasnât pulling any punches with Bai Yunfei!