Chapter 548: Chapter 548: The Bait

A deafening, earth-shattering roar erupted from the depths of the azure fog, causing the ancient tree trunks to vibrate violently. The chaotic chatter of the lesser primates silenced instantly as the thick blue mist parted, revealing a horrifying sight.

Sprinting forward on all fours were five massive Monkey Commanders, their heavily muscled, human-like frames tearing through the underbrush with terrifying speed. But behind them loomed a nightmare—the Troop Leader. Standing nearly three meters tall, its charcoal-colored fur was crisscrossed with brutal battle scars, and its massive, razor-sharp fangs protruded aggressively from its lower jaw. Its presence radiated the suffocating pressure of a beast at the absolute peak of its tier.

In a single instant, the Blood Moon mercenary formation completely collapsed.

"Run! It’s the Leader! It’s a wipe!"

The previous facade of brotherhood and discipline evaporated into nothingness. It was a chaotic scramble for survival; camaraderie and loyalty meant absolutely nothing in the face of certain death. In a disgusting display of cowardice, the axe-wielding leader and his vice-captain were the absolute first to abandon the group, using their movement techniques to sprint toward the outer perimeter, leaving their wounded men behind to be torn apart.

The remaining two rearguard mercenaries, terrified out of their minds, bolted directly toward Ethan and Mary’s position. Their eyes were wide with malicious desperation. They weren’t trying to fight their way out together—they were explicitly aiming to draw the pursuing Monkey Commanders toward the two strangers, hoping to use Ethan and Mary as a meat shield to buy themselves a few precious seconds of escape.

"Out of the way, peasants!" the shield warrior screamed, his face twisted in panic as a Commander closed the distance behind him. "Die for us!"

Mary completely panicked. Her instincts screamed at her to defend herself, and her trembling hands rapidly raised her hunting bow, aiming a steel-tipped arrow at the incoming men.

But before she could release the string, a large, warm hand clamped firmly around her wrist. Ethan’s grip was like an unyielding iron vice, completely neutralizing her movement. With effortless strength, he gently forced her arm down, lowering the bow.

"Calm down, Sister Mary," Ethan whispered, his voice incredibly smooth, completely devoid of fear or urgency despite the oncoming stampede of monsters and men. "Press yourself against me, and do not make any sudden movements."

Driven by pure terror and an overwhelming, submissive need for protection, Mary didn’t hesitate. She threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso from behind. She pressed her voluptuous body completely against him, her massive, soft breasts flattening flush against Ethan’s broad, crimson-clad back. The intense heat of her mature body and her frantic, heavy breathing radiated straight into his spine.

Ethan didn’t even flinch. His eyes remained fixed on the incoming mercenaries.

The two fleeing mercenaries didn’t care about the terrifying stillness radiating from the crimson-clad youth. Seeing that Ethan wasn’t moving, the scarred shield warrior bared his teeth in a grotesque grin of survival. "Thanks for the distraction, brat!" he screamed, preparing his iron blade to shove Ethan directly into the path of the beast if needed as he ran past.

But Ethan didn’t even shift his weight. He simply stood there like an immovable mountain, his arms casually resting at his sides, allowing the two panicked men to sprint past his flanks.

Right behind them, the azure fog tore open.

Three massive Monkey Commanders erupted from the brush. Their muscular, human-like bodies were slick with dark blood, and their eyes burned with a primal, bloodthirsty frenzy. As they leaped through the clearing, their massive nostrils flared. They didn’t even look at Ethan or Mary—their animal instincts completely locked onto the terrified, moving targets who were actively screaming and running away.

BOOM!

The ground shook as the lead Commander executed a monstrous leap, closing a twenty-meter gap in a fraction of a second. It descended directly onto the back of the shield warrior. The impact was deafening; the mercenary’s spine shattered with a sickening CRACK as he was slammed face-first into the dirt.

"AGHHH! MY LEGS! H-HELP ME!" the man shrieked, the raw terror tearing his vocal cords apart as he pinned his hands into the mud, trying to crawl away.

But the Mist Monkeys had a uniquely sadistic method of hunting. They never granted their prey the mercy of a quick death. The Commander pinned the screaming man down with its massive, leathery knees. With a casual, horrific display of raw physical force, it grabbed the man’s left arm and pulled.

RIP!

"ARRRGHHH! STOP! PLEASE, GOD, STOP!"

The arm was torn completely out of its socket, spraying a fountain of hot, crimson blood across the azure moss. The warrior’s screams reached a pitch that didn’t sound human. Before he could even faint from the sheer agony, the second Commander descended onto his lower torso. Its long, filth-encrusted claws plunged directly into his abdomen, ripping the flesh open like wet parchment. The beast buried its maw into the open cavity, violently pulling out his still-throbbing heart and devouring it whole while the man’s eyes were still wide, staring in absolute, dying horror at his own viscera.

"No... No! This can’t be happening!" the second mercenary screamed, stumbling over a root as he witnessed his companion being dismantled like a piece of livestock. He scrambled backward on his hands and knees, covered in his partner’s blood. "Get away from me! Get away—"

Before he could stand, the third Commander seized his ankles. With a brutal jerk, it snapped his legs backward at the knees, ripping the joints apart. The clearing descended into a chaotic, bloody symphony of snapping bones, splashing gore, and desperate, fading gurgles of pain. The beasts systematically tore off limbs, prioritizing the hot, iron-rich internal organs and hearts while their targets were still conscious and screaming, leaving the heads for last.

A few meters ahead, the main mercenary leader who had abandoned his men didn’t make it much further. The three-meter Troop Leader had completely cut off his escape route. A single, sweeping backhand from the colossal alpha smashed the leader’s two-handed axe into splinters and crushed his chest cavity into a bloody pulp, dragging him back into the center of the clearing to be consumed in the exact same savage manner.

Throughout the entire, blood-drenched massacre, Ethan remained completely serene. Behind him, Mary was trembling so violently that her teeth were chattering, her face buried completely into his back, her heavy breasts heaving in silent panic against his leather armor as the metallic stench of blood filled the air.

As the last mercenary’s screams finally choked out into a wet rattle, the massive Troop Leader slowly rose to its full height. It stepped over the mangled, armless corpses of its victims, its glowing red eyes locking directly onto Ethan. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The three-meter monster didn’t attack. Instead, it pulled back its black lips, exposing a row of massive, razor-sharp silver fangs in a grotesque, intelligent grin.

-------------------

From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??