Chapter Nine, The Ape Sovereign

The sound echoed far into the night, startling the local people. They quickly discovered the two individuals in confrontation, and then were filled with unexpected joy as the ape-men rushed towards their side, while the wise ones gathered behind Haoran, of course, keeping a considerable distance, not daring to approach too closely

The Ape Elder was about to unleash the third surge of wood spirit energy when Haoran, without a moment's hesitation, shot an arrow first. The Ape Elder swiftly raised his sword to slash, and with a soft "bang," the sword shattered into two pieces. A surge of hot blood rushed to his throat, nearly causing him to cry out.

He sought to avoid conflict, preparing to downplay significant matters and trivialize minor issues. The respected primate had a clear understanding in his heart, his expression complex, seemingly greatly moved yet unwilling to yield. After pondering for a long time, his gaze suddenly turned cold, and he shook his long sword, unleashing a fierce sword energy directed at Haoran, exclaiming: "First, let me test my treasured sword"

The speed of the arrow was too fast, and the Ape Man Elder was completely unprepared. By the time he sensed the danger, it was already at his face, leaving him no time to evade. He hastily raised his sword to parry.

The murderous aura of Haoran fluctuated, and the Ape Man Elder was extremely tense. Judging from the previous arrow, the opponent's cultivation was extraordinary, and the arrow itself was of exceptional quality. It would be difficult for him to gain any advantage, and if things went poorly, he might lose his life here

As Hao Ran approached, he nocked an arrow and drew his bow, ready to strike at any moment, yet his gaze was fixed on the opponent, observing with keen interest.

The venerable ape man gritted his teeth and said, "These short-haired rodents first entered the Huangmu Forest, slaughtering the ape man tribe, sparing neither women nor children nor the elderly, their methods are exceedingly cruel, I see..."

When the atmosphere is grand, the momentum surges, occupying an absolute advantage, and the tone becomes more moderate: "There is no need for friends to show off their strength. Although blue wood and yellow earth may not harmonize, they coexist peacefully overall. I hope everyone values harmony and engages in friendship; why must we end up in mutual destruction?"

Haha, I think this is how it should be. Meeting each other is fate; let’s consider today a misunderstanding, with both parties bearing responsibility. Let’s be friends!" Haoran smiled broadly, lowering his bow and arrow as a gesture of goodwill. "Lingyou, please lead the ape-men back now. Let today’s events end here, and do not bring it up again in the future. How does that sound?"

The wild ape has a large head, big eyes, and a wide nose, with its head covered in thick gray fur. Its body and limbs are identical to those of Homo sapiens, and it possesses a particularly strong physique, with a tiger-like back and a bear-like waist. It is dressed in a green robe, and the fur on the back of its hands is relatively sparse.

The primate elder sensed the terrifying presence of Haoran. Faced with a formidable enemy, he dared not relax his vigilance. His watchful eyes were fixed on Haoran, fully alert, with an expression of shock that he could not conceal. He had quietly entered the territory, only to unexpectedly encounter a disciple of the Homo sapiens' spiritual gate. Even as cracks appeared on his long sword, he remained utterly oblivious.

With a loud bang, the arrow shattered into pieces, causing the Ape Man Elder to tremble violently. His blood surged, and he experienced unbearable pain in his arm, with most of his body going numb. The treasured sword nearly slipped from his grasp, and in a panic, he floated back several zhang, landing atop another tree.

There is a strange saying circulating in Lingmen, claiming that both Homo sapiens and hominids evolved from ancient wild apes, sharing the same root and origin. Haoran finds this quite laughable and firmly believes it to be untrue, stating, "Nonsense, Homo sapiens is Homo sapiens; how could they possibly share the same ancestor? It is utterly absurd; hominids may have originated from wild apes, but that is a different matter."

The indigenous tribes of the Lanmu District were entirely unfamiliar to Haoran, and he did not know how to respond. He made an effort to recall the actions of his father and the figures in the books from years past, waving his hand and saying: "Get up, I am a disciple of Yeling, merely passing through this place. It just so happens that I encountered the invasion of the ape-men, and I dealt with it casually... Oh, what are your losses?"

Boom! The clash of gold and green sent shockwaves through the air, causing both individuals to be propelled back several zhang.

The arrow glinted coldly, exuding a fierce killing intent. The heart of the Ape Elder trembled, and his treasured sword was damaged. If he did not leave soon, the consequences would be unimaginable. He brandished his broken sword and said, "Alright, my spiritual friend, I will remember your mercy in this matter, and I will repay it in the future." He then turned and sped southward, shouting, "What are you still doing here? Get lost!" The group of apes spread their legs and followed closely behind. He brandished his broken sword and said, "Alright, my spiritual friend, I will remember your mercy in this matter, and I will repay it in the future." He then turned and sped southward, shouting, "What are you still doing here? Get lost!" The group of apes spread their legs and followed closely behind.

The group of apes moved with great haste, quickly disappearing into the dense forest, leaving even the bodies in the traps uncollected. Haoran was perplexed; were they so indifferent to the deaths of their kin? Had they grown accustomed to it? Or was this a custom among the apes?

Haoran furrowed his brows a few times, feeling somewhat hesitant. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to lower his bow and leap to the ground

Haoran was also contemplating that since this fellow had acted first, he was in the wrong, and eliminating him would be justifiable. The ape-man spiritual master was like a mute eating bitter herbs, suffering in silence, but the Hundred Bindings Venerable was a pillar of the Spirit Sect; the death of one was no trivial matter, and he would certainly not let it go easily. The disputes in the future would be endless.

Little Monster, how dare you interfere in the conflict among the earthlings. Hao Ran relaxed his left hand, and with a whoosh, a sharp arrow shot through the air

He is quite conflicted. Since he has already left the Blue Wood District, it doesn't matter how much trouble he causes; those old fellows will handle it. Yet, deep down, he still cannot bear it. After all, he has lived here for half his life. Sigh, forget it. After all, Ling Xu has treated me well, so I should not cause him any trouble.

The sword energy appeared in a light green hue, arriving in an instant. Haoran let out a cold snort, realizing that this fellow was cultivating the Wood vein, and his power was still somewhat lacking. Almost simultaneously, he raised his short bow, and a golden flash of lightning was released. "Little Fur Monster, seeking death!" He did not wish to provoke further trouble and only exerted half of his strength.

With a calm and carefree demeanor, he smiled and retorted, "May I ask why the spiritual friend has invaded the Bluewood District? Hehe, a distinguished disciple of the Spirit Sect, oh, and still a venerable master of the Hundred Ties, actually bullying the locals, doesn't seem very honorable, does it? Is your sect planning to go to war with the Nine Sects?"

"Shut up!" Haoran's expression changed dramatically as he shouted, stopping him from arguing: "It is wrong for them to slaughter the ape-men, but can you guarantee that the ape-men have never massacred the tribes of the wise men?"

Everyone immediately fell silent and instinctively parted to the sides

Just as the words were spoken, the moment arrived swiftly; the person had already reached the outer perimeter of the encirclement. Haoran silently exclaimed that it was bad, for indeed, it was a primate elder, tall and robust, exuding a powerful aura, who immediately drew his bow.

In mid-air, thousands of sparks erupted, accompanied by a thunderous roar that shook the earth. The local people covered their ears and hurriedly retreated.

Haoran, like an arrow drawn back, exuded a fierce killing intent and shouted: "You ignorant fool, are you unconvinced? Come again, how much more can you withstand?"

The venerable ape remained silent, understanding Haoran's intention. There had been an agreement between the two spiritual sects to avoid mutual destruction, prioritizing negotiation, and forbidding disciples from intervening. Now, not only had he intervened, but he had also crossed borders to commit murder, which could be seen as a serious provocation to the Nine Sects, potentially leading to an all-out war between the spiritual sects and the library.

The old man stopped in front of the crowd, his aged eyes scanning everyone. He struck the ground forcefully with his wooden staff: "What are you standing there for? Hurry back, make the most of your time to repair the village and tend to the wounded... Leave the iron grass and iron arrows."

The ape-like being, having blocked several arrows, has suffered severe internal injuries and has already lost more than half of its combat capability, not daring to move at all

The ape-like venerable one soared into the air, and once again, a surge of wood spirit energy filled the space. Having acted hastily just moments ago, this time, with all his might, the second arrow of righteousness followed suit in perfect unison.

The Homo sapiens warriors erupted in cheers, excitedly shouting "Oh, ah!" as all the spears were thrown into the air, and the scene became electrified. "We shall go to pay our respects to the esteemed one!" someone shouted, and the crowd responded in unison, surging towards Haoran.

The venerable ape man was momentarily taken aback, his eyes shining with intensity, and he exclaimed: "I cannot concern myself with past grievances, nor do I have the energy to investigate each and every one. However, having witnessed the bloody scene in the village with my own eyes, it is simply unbearable to behold, and I can no longer turn a blind eye to it"

After a moment of silence, the Ape Elder coldly said: "May I ask which spirit friend you are? Under which spirit master did you study?"

The primate elder bit down hard on his lower lip, his gaze flickering uncertainly. He had suffered significant losses and knew full well that he was far from being a match for Haoran. Haoran, expressionless, had his bow drawn, ready to unleash a lethal strike at any moment

"Enough, all of you step back!" A voice of reprimand came from behind the crowd, old yet resonant, carrying an indescribable authority

In the indigenous tribe, the chief holds absolute authority. Everyone suppressed their excitement and, in unison, bowed three times to Haoran as a sign of respect, silently turning to leave. Only one of the highest-ranking and most formidable warriors remained, along with a thin middle-aged man.

An elderly man approached slowly, leaning on a wooden staff. His hair and beard were completely white, his face was lined with wrinkles, and he appeared extremely aged. Most strikingly, he wore a light gray cloth garment, while the others were all wrapped in animal skins. It was evident that this old man was the leader of the tribe

Is that so? Haoran sneered repeatedly, fixing his gaze on the other party, causing Xinmei's brows to twitch a few times: "A mere respected one, it is not your place to intervene. If something significant occurs, your sect will handle it... Hmph, do not quibble. I do not need to guess to know that you entered the country without your master's consent, right?"

The primate elder wielded a long sword, swiftly gliding past the treetops, and amidst the flickering sword light, seven or eight wise men quietly fell.

Haoran pondered: "A Spirit Master? Impossible, the speed is too slow... Oh, it's a disciple of the Spirit Sect. Goodness, he must have a hundred ties of cultivation. No, he is a quasi-Spirit Master, not weak in strength. Who is he? A disciple of the Nine Sects? A disciple of the Ape Clan? What does he intend to do?"

The conflicts among the indigenous tribes have a long history, frequently intruding into each other's territories to engage in battles, where killing each other has become a commonplace occurrence. The entangled grievances are complex, making it difficult to discern who is right and who is wrong.

The elder brought two individuals before Haoran, knelt on the ground, and respectfully bowed three times, saying: "Leader of the Tiemu tribe, Tiemu; Great Shaman, Tiecao; Elder, Tiejian, pay their respects to the esteemed one." Some tribal names are the same as the names of their leaders, passed down through generations, and the Tiemu tribe is one such example. The Great Shaman, also known as the Wise One, ranks just below the leader and is said to communicate with the deities, overseeing the tribe's life, death, and health. The Elder is the bravest warrior, responsible for hunting and defending against formidable enemies.