In the wilderness, where few dared to tread, the ground was covered with layers of decaying leaves, making the air thick and heavy.
Two figures moved cautiously through the forest. Ancient trees, their ages unknown, blocked out the sky, allowing only slivers of light to pierce through the canopy.
On a dark tree, a similarly dark snake coiled itself around the trunk. In one corner of the forest, a pack of forest wolves watched with bloodthirsty eyes.
Inside a hollow of another tree, a black and blue spider's eight eyes gleamed with an eerie blue light.
Under the shade, outside a massive wasp nest, finger-sized wasps buzzed around, searching for targets.
"The sun's setting," Alex looked up at the sky. The sun was moving west, casting a yellowish hue. The wilderness forest was already enveloped in an early twilight. After carefully surveying their surroundings, he pointed to a desolate stone mountain a mile away and said, "Let's pick up the pace. We'll rest there tonight."
Chu Xin turned to look and instinctively frowned but didn't argue. She simply quickened her pace.
Soon, they arrived at the base of the desolate stone mountain. Looking up, they saw steep peaks with sparse vegetation, giving it a lifeless appearance.
"A place like this is not suitable for habitation. Few fierce beasts would choose to nest here, making it safer for the night," Alex explained, seeing Chu Xin's confusion.
They found a relatively clean cave and spread beast dung bought at a high price in Nanzhou City around the entrance. After taking other precautions, they finally felt safe enough to relax.
The wilderness was extremely dangerous, posing life-threatening risks even to top-tier experts. Alex and Chu Xin, with their second and third-tier skills, were among the weakest martial artists in the Nine Provinces, let alone in the more perilous wilderness.
"Sigh! The road here is so tough. We barely covered a hundred miles today. When will we reach our destination?" Chu Xin complained as she took off her boots, revealing her reddened feet, and massaged them. "Alex, how much further do we have?"
Chu Xin's soft, gentle voice brought Alex out of his thoughts. He turned to look at her, first drawn to her delicate, beautiful feet and then to her slightly flushed face.
"We started at noon and covered a hundred miles in half a day, which is fast. Iron Arm Monkey Mountain is nearly a thousand miles from Nanzhou City. If everything goes well, we'll reach it in about ten days," Alex replied. His system's predictive functions helped them avoid dangers and travel at the fastest safe speed, unlike other martial artists who often faced unexpected challenges.
"Another ten days?" Chu Xin pouted. "Can't we go any faster? The conditions here are terrible. I don't want to stay longer than necessary."
"No, the wilderness is too dangerous. One careless mistake could lead to severe injury or death," Alex shook his head. "Our current speed is the fastest we can safely manage. Most top-tier martial artists wouldn't cover half the distance we did in a day."
"Alright," Chu Xin muttered, clearly unhappy but not arguing further.
Seeing her downcast, Alex asked, "Xin'er, are you alright? Hungry or something?"
"No, I ate plenty at noon and don't have an appetite now," Chu Xin replied, her mood noticeably low.
Alex spoke gently, "It's getting late. I'll take the first watch. You should get some sleep."
"Okay," Chu Xin nodded, lying on the thick blanket they had spread on the smooth rock floor. Under Alex's watchful eyes, she slowly drifted into sleep.
In the faint firelight, her skin took on a warm glow, making her look like a serene sleeping beauty.
"Silly girl, you've had a long day. Rest well," Alex murmured, sitting beside her. He gently stroked her hair, his eyes full of tender affection. He knew she followed him into the wilderness more for his sake than hers.
With Alex's help, Chu Xin had completed Li Jun's side quest and achieved over 1% world completion. She could safely exit the mission at any time. However, she stayed, unwilling to break her promise to Alex, worrying about him venturing into the wilderness alone.
...
The next morning, at dawn, Alex woke the still-groggy Chu Xin, and they set out again. There were no paths in the wilderness, only brambles, overgrown grass, and fallen leaves everywhere.
Wherever people walked, they would push aside brambles and weeds, sometimes cutting through them to make progress. This left a visible trail for others to follow, creating a makeshift path. However, over time, these paths became difficult to distinguish.
The wilderness was perilous at night, but Alex had planned thoroughly. Every resting spot was carefully chosen, resulting in minimal danger. The only notable threats were a demon bear and two silver-scaled pythons.
Unfortunately for them, Alex had set up traps before resting each night. As an expert in internal martial arts, he didn't sleep deeply but meditated, keeping his senses sharp for any disturbances.
The bear and pythons met a gruesome fate, falling into Alex's traps and losing their lives. Their gallbladders provided valuable medicinal ingredients, and their meat made a delicious meal for Chu Xin.
Ten days later, Alex and Chu Xin, now with tattered clothing, arrived at their destination—Iron Arm Monkey Mountain. The mountain towered into the clouds, with its peak shrouded in mist, looking like a scene from a fairy tale.
Iron Arm Monkey Mountain was vast and steep. Alex, with Teng Qingshan's skills, had no trouble climbing it. However, Chu Xin's abilities were limited, and following him up the mountain would be dangerous.
"Xin'er, the mountain is dangerous. I'll find you a safe place to stay. If you face life-threatening danger, don't hesitate. Return to the real world, and we'll meet again there," Alex said, looking at her weary face. The ten days in the wilderness had taken a toll on her, making her look nothing like the energetic girl she once was.
"Okay," Chu Xin nodded, knowing she was a burden to Alex in her current state.
Alex found an abandoned cave at the mountain's base and left enough food and water for Chu Xin. He then sealed the entrance with a large stone and began climbing the Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, gripping the rock's protrusions and crevices.
Huff! Huff!
Alex was searching for traces of Iron Arm Monkeys in the Iron Arm Monkey Mountain when he suddenly heard the sound of rushing wind. In the distance, he saw four or five fiery red figures grabbing branches and swinging through the forest.
Focusing his gaze, he saw that the red figures were five ape-like creatures, covered in red fur with blue eyes and unusually long arms. Their forearms were even longer than their legs, and they were as thick as thighs, making their strength undeniable.
Alex thought to himself, "According to the records, the Iron Arm Monkeys' forearms and claws are their most dangerous parts. Those arms are incredibly strong, capable of easily tearing apart fierce beasts."
Alex's eyes were drawn to the Iron Arm Monkeys' 'iron arms,' which seemed as if they were forged from divine weapons, impervious to blades and spears. Their claws were exceptionally sharp, capable of crushing boulders. Each Iron Arm Monkey possessed strength exceeding 100,000 pounds, making them more formidable than most top-tier fighters.
"Yaa!"
Suddenly, an Iron Arm Monkey let out a strange cry, startling Alex, who quickly hid behind a large tree.
With his current second-tier strength, wielding only 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of force, Alex knew that any adult Iron Arm Monkey could easily overpower him, tearing him apart like a ragdoll. He had no intention of becoming their prey.
"Yaa!"
"Yaa, yaa!"
"Yaa~~~"
The Iron Arm Monkeys' cries turned frantic as if they had discovered something terrifying.
"Hiss! Hiss hiss! Hiss hiss~~~"
Amidst the rustling of leaves and low hissing sounds, Alex looked towards the source of the monkeys' agitation. A huge green python head appeared in front of them, its golden eyes fixed on the small monkeys that frequently hunted its kin.
A rustle came from the grassy ground as a massive snake body emerged from its camouflage. The snake, as thick as a water barrel and nearly thirty feet long, looked menacing from afar.
"A Green Python! At this size, it's almost a Green Jiao!" Alex's eyes narrowed. The Green Python wasn't particularly strong among demon beasts. A smaller Green Python might be easily taken down by three Iron Arm Monkeys. However, this one was a giant, turning the hunters into prey.
Alex recalled, "If I remember correctly, Teng Qingshan encountered three Iron Arm Monkeys hunting a Green Python."
A bright thought crossed Alex's mind. "The Iron Arm Monkeys are known to live in groups, with 100,000 of them on this mountain. They usually hunt in threes and fives. A Green Python this large means it's a common prey for them. The presence of multiple Green Pythons suggests this mountain is also a habitat for them..."
Ideas swirled in Alex's mind as he formulated a plan.
"Hiss~~"
The Green Python coiled its massive body, hissing as it eyed the five Iron Arm Monkeys, clearly satisfied with the feast that had come its way.
"Yaa!"
"Yaa, yaa, yaa!"
"Yaa yaa yaa~~~"
The Iron Arm Monkeys shrieked, splitting up to encircle the Green Python, baring their teeth to warn it off. As the dominant species of Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, they had hunted Green Pythons before. But this time, luck wasn't on their side—they had encountered a giant.
The Green Python's strength grew slowly over time, and at nearly thirty feet long, it was almost a primordial beast. Ordinary Iron Arm Monkeys stood no chance against it, unless they were led by a silver-haired monkey king.
"Yaa, yaa, yaa!"
The Iron Arm Monkeys communicated with frantic cries. Three of them formed a triangle, confronting the Green Python, while the other two leaped to nearby trees, each grabbing a trunk as thick as a grown man's waist.
"Crack!"
Their sharp claws easily sliced through the trees as if cutting through tofu.
Whoosh!
The two Iron Arm Monkeys hefted the trees and hurled them at the Green Python.
Boom! Boom!
As the trees neared the python, a green blur flashed, deflecting the trees. It was the python's thick tail, swinging like a steel whip.
"Yaa~~~"
A shrill cry was abruptly cut off as one Iron Arm Monkey was ensnared by the python's tail, lifeless in an instant.
Boom! Boom!
The trees crashed to the ground, the remaining Iron Arm Monkeys having dodged aside. They regrouped, each holding a tree trunk, their cries tinged with panic and fear as they watched their companion being brought towards the python's jaws.
Roar~
The Green Python let out a roar, spitting a stream of green liquid onto the ensnared monkey.
"Yaa~~~"
The semi-conscious monkey let out a pained cry as its tough skin began to sizzle, white smoke rising as it was corroded. Soon, it was a bloody mess.
Satisfied that its prey was ready, the Green Python opened its jaws wide and swallowed the Iron Arm Monkey whole. The other monkeys continued to scream in horror but dared not attack or flee.
They knew they stood no chance against this giant. Running away would only expose their backs to the python, making them easy targets.
Their only hope was to band together, avoiding the fate of being picked off one by one.
"Yaa!"
Just as the Green Python was about to swallow its prey, the Iron Arm Monkeys made their move. The two leading monkeys hurled their trees at the python, while the other two aimed their larger trees at the python's golden eyes.