Chapter 638 - 415: Giant Ape

Chapter 638: Chapter 415: Giant Ape

It took heavy steps, crushing an untold number of giant trees, covering dozens of feet with a single stride as it approached. The ground shook continuously, as if an earthquake had struck.

Xu Yang flew for over a dozen miles. Only when he felt the terrifying aura had stopped moving did he turn his head to look back.

He saw the giant ape grab the two Fire Bears he had just killed and begin devouring them in massive bites. It didn’t pursue him.

"I’m probably just an ant in its eyes. It didn’t think it was worth wasting the effort for this tiny bit of meat, but what a pity..." he thought.

He hadn’t had the time to check the lair of the two Fire Bears. There should have been some good things inside, but now, even if there was an Immortal Elixir in there, he wouldn’t dare go back.

Descending from the sky, Xu Yang strolled through the mountains. Half an hour later, as the sky grew dark, he found a cave to settle in. He took out the Essence Blood of the Celestial Essence Third Layer Exotic Beast and consumed it.

The Essence Blood melted in his mouth, transforming into boundless Essence Qi that surged into his limbs and bones. He activated the Azure Dragon Dominating Body to begin Refinement. Before he knew it, the night had passed.

[Acquired Celestial Essence Third Layer Exotic Beast Essence Blood, Points +50]

[Acquired Celestial Essence Fourth Layer Exotic Beast Essence Blood, Points +300]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 4626]

Xu Yang glanced at the panel and casually added a point to his lifespan. He ate some dried meat and continued refining the Exotic Beast Essence Blood.

By evening, all the Essence Blood had been refined, and he opened his eyes.

[Azure Dragon Dominating Body·Second Layer (6415/10000)]

It had been over four months since his Azure Dragon Dominating Body broke through, and its progress had already passed the halfway mark.

Casually closing the panel, Xu Yang concealed his aura and walked out of the cave. He picked some wild fruits outside and roasted a bit of beast meat for dinner. The night quickly passed.

The next day, Xu Yang left the cave and roamed the mountains for another day, finding a stalk of Spirit Medicine.

By evening, he settled into another cave. Sensing that his body had mostly adapted to the sudden surge in power, he took out the Essence Blood of the Celestial Essence Fourth Layer Fire Bear.

"The Essence Blood of a Celestial Essence Fourth Layer Exotic Beast probably isn’t enough to make the Azure Dragon Dominating Body break through to the Third Layer in one go, but it shouldn’t be far off," he thought.

He held high expectations for this Essence Blood. However, hoping it would push the Azure Dragon Dominating Body to the Third Layer in a single stroke was unlikely; it would probably only increase the Azure Dragon Dominating Body’s progress by around two thousand points.

Xu Yang opened the bottle cap. The faint silver-tinged Essence Blood emitted a refreshing fragrance. Though only the size of a fist, it weighed over a dozen pounds.

He didn’t consume it all at once; instead, he swallowed just a third of it. In an instant, the surging Essence Qi resembled a burst dam, stretching Xu Yang’s body until it swelled slightly.

He hastily recapped the bottle and circulated the Azure Dragon Dominating Body to refine it. It took two days to refine all the Essence Qi completely, bringing the progress of the Azure Dragon Dominating Body past the seven thousand mark.

He rested for another two days. Once his body finished adapting and he had completely mastered all of his power, he once again consumed the Essence Blood for Body Refining.

Ten days later, a terrifying aura surged around Xu Yang. His lean, robust muscles looked as though they were cast from gold and iron. A vast, ancient presence blanketed the surrounding hundreds of feet, sending nearby Exotic Beasts fleeing in terror.

Surging Dragon Qi seeped into his muscles, bones, skin, and flesh, unceasingly nourishing and cleansing his body.

"The Refinement is finally finished!"

Xu Yang opened his eyes. Two streaks of sharp light flashed past, his gaze seemingly turning corporeal. He felt terrifying strength coursing through his entire body. With a gentle clench of his fist, the air let out a popping sound, and an immense sense of power arose within him.

[Azure Dragon Dominating Body·Second Layer (8538/10000)]

With the Essence Blood of the two Exotic Beasts, his Azure Dragon Dominating Body Second Layer Perfection wasn’t far away.

"I need to head back!" he realized.

Calculating the time, he noticed it had been over three months since he entered Jade Dragon Mountain. If he didn’t return soon, the Celestial Strategy Academy would probably assume he had died here.

The Celestial Strategy Academy had specific rules regarding this: even for outdoor experiential learning, a student’s absence could not exceed half a year. Once someone failed to return to the Academy for over six months, they would be treated as dead, even if they were still alive.

Moreover, he had now completed two of the three missions. Once he returned and collected his reward credits from the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List for the past three months, he would have enough credits to exchange for a Spirit Bone Martial Technique.

Cultivating a Spirit Bone Martial Technique was better done sooner rather than later. Spirit Bone Celestial Prides like Qi Ning had likely started cultivating theirs long ago. If he wanted to catch up to them, he needed to put the cultivation of a Spirit Bone Martial Technique on his agenda as soon as possible.

Besides, he also needed to go back and check his standing; over three months, his ranking on the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List might have dropped.

Packing all his belongings, Xu Yang left the cave. He chose an untraveled route, continuing to search for Spirit Medicine and Exotic Beasts while making his way back to the Celestial Strategy Academy.

...

Celestial Strategy Academy!

At some point, a rumor that Xu Yang had died in Jade Dragon Mountain began to spread. Since he hadn’t returned in over three months, many people believed the claim.

"Those who cross me, Du Ziming, never meet a good end! Even if I don’t lift a finger, the heavens will still take care of him for me," Du Ziming gloated, utterly thrilled.

"I didn’t expect Xu Yang’s story to end like this. It’s a pity I never managed to beat him even once," Lu Ren murmured, his feelings indescribably complex.

He had wanted Xu Yang dead so he wouldn’t have to experience that nightmare-like feeling ever again. Yet, upon actually hearing of Xu Yang’s death, he felt a wave of regret. Not being able to defeat Xu Yang with his own hands would be a lifelong lament.

"Trash. How could you die before I could kill you with my own hands?" Huo Xiaochen hissed, his expression exceedingly ugly.

By not killing Xu Yang himself, he would never be able to reclaim his pride. In the future, when his name shook the world, people would still say that if Xu Yang had been alive, Huo Xiaochen wouldn’t amount to much.