Chapter 371 - Marginal Victory

Tang Wulin smiled as he watched the furious Diamond Baboon. “Now we just need to wait. Lizhi, give Yuanen a few pork buns. We need her in top condition as soon as possible. Once she’s ready, we’ll kill it.”

Challenging one trial after another without much rest had exhausted them. If not for their luck and their wits, they would never have made it this far.

Tang Wulin admired Yue Zhengyu and Yuanen Yehui’s strength. With two flight-capable soul masters in their team he could use many more tactics and pull off much more daring plans while maintaining minimal casualties.

The Diamond Baboon roared and kept jumping toward them, only to always fall short. Fifty meters was an impossible height for it to reach, and there was nothing it could climb. All it could do was howl at them.

The Bloodthirst effect on Tang Wulin and Yuanen Yehui soon dissipated and their complexions paled with the loss of strength. However, their bodies were strong and they could endure the feeling of weakness. They quickly ate a few pork buns, color returning to their cheeks as they did so.

The Diamond Baboon’s howls gradually died down as the crazed look in its eyes retreated and its body shrunk. Before the ten minute mark was reached, its enraged state seemed to have ended.

“I’ll go first!” Yue Zhengyu announced.

He extracted himself from the bluesilver grass and unfurled his wings, golden flames bursting into life as he dove down to the baboon. His holy sword manifested in his hand as an ethereal gold light surrounded him. All three of his soul rings were lit, as he constantly switched between his three soul skills. That golden light around his body seemed to have come from his third soul skill! This was an advanced soul skill manipulation technique that required high mechanical skill and powerful soul skills.

Yue Zhengyu stopped his descent meters away from the Diamond Baboon and hovered in place, his figure obscured by the light and flames.

“Light of Judgement!” He raised his sword toward the heavens. Light gathering around the tip of his sword, lighting the entire hall up like a miniature sun. Soon, the holy sword grew to ten meters in length!

Tang Wulin looked over at Yuanen Yehui, noticing the shock in her eyes.

This was Yue Zhengyu’s true power, which he had concealed this entire time. He really hid this much strength? Is this what a rich kid does, only choosing to reveal his power at the very end of the tower attack?

In that split-second, Yue Zhengyu’s Holy Angel was far stronger than Yuanen Yehui’s Fallen Angel! While having twin martial souls made her stronger overall, individually her martial souls were weaker since she had to spread her efforts between the two.

The air trembled as Yue Zhengyu slashed at the Diamond Baboon and sent it flying backward, golden flames devouring its body.

He had combined the power of all three of his soul skills to produce this frightening slash!

Yuanen Yehui chose this moment to attack too, transforming from a Fallen Angel into a Titan Giant Ape as she fell straight onto the Diamond Baboon’s head. The others dropped after her. There was no suspense in the outcome of the battle anymore.

The Diamond Baboon was still struggling to get up when Yuanen Yehui arrived, bringing her fists down to smash its head. Yet, a few feet before she struck it, its body twitched and instantly shrunk by a third. Her fists missed and struck the stone floor instead.

What?

Everyone stood there, stunned. Before they could react, the Diamond Baboon shot to its feet and headbutted Yuanen Yehui, sending her flying with a resounding thud. The Diamond Baboon followed up on its attack, delivering a punch to her stomach.

No one had expected the weakened Diamond Baboon to suddenly unleash such strength! They couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. Tang Wulin wanted to rush in to save her, but she was too far away and he wouldn’t make it in time. Everything had happened too suddenly. By the time he realized Yuanen Yehui was under attack, the baboon was already in pursuit.

The Diamond Baboon wasn’t injured, its eyes still filled with bloodlust. The entire time it had led them by the nose and luring them into a trap. Its enraged state hadn’t ended at all! This wasn’t a normal stupid Diamond Baboon. No, it was intelligent like the one that led the other Diamond Baboons in an uprising against the Titan Giant Apes long ago!

Yuanen Yehui barely managed to twist her body in time to, thrust out her fists to meet the baboon’s attack. Inches before the baboon’s fist struck her, she disappeared in a burst of silver light.

However, the Diamond Baboon’s fist didn’t strike empty air.

A whirlwind of light collided with its fist. The resultant shockwave shook the room and a blurry projectile shot back, headed towards the wall. A shield of water appeared between the projectile and the wall in an attempt to cushion the impact. The projectile was Xie Xie. He had done his best to mitigate the force behind the Diamond Baboon’s punch with his Light Dragon Storm, but he was no match for its strength.

“Xie Xie!” shouted Tang Wulin.

Everyone else had recovered from their shock now. Yue Zhengyu flew toward the Diamond Baboon, brandishing his holy sword once more.

The Diamond Baboon swelled once again as strength surged through its body again, but the bloodlust in its eyes was rapidly fading. Its enraged state was about to end. Yuanen Yehui attacked it as well, completely forgetting her differences with Yue Zhengyu.

With a boom, the Diamond Baboon was sent backward again. This time, however, its defenses were weaker, and its entire body was engulfed in holy flames. Yuanen Yehui descended, smashing her fists onto its head. Feet firmly planted on the ground now, she followed up with a straight punch, then an uppercut!

The Diamond Baboon was too weak to put up any resistance and could only get pummelled by her.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin rushed to Xie Xie’s side.

Gu Yue had teleported Yuanen Yehui out just as Xie Xie arrived in front of the Diamond Baboon’s fist. It had taken his all to put up a defense with Light Dragon Storm.

Originally, he was going to take the hit for Yuanen Yehui, but it was impossible for him to receive the attack and come out unscathed. The difference in strength between him and the Diamond Babon was simply too great. Instead, he planned to push her out of the way at the last minute.

However, Gu Yue had teleported Yuanen Yehui out of the way, foiling his plan to be the white knight saving the princess. Rather, he was even sent flying by the Diamond Baboon.

Tang Wulin’s vision reddened with rage. Xie Xie was an agility-type soul master! It was fundamentally impossible for him to endure such an attack. Xie Xie was lucky to not have died from the five-thousand-year Diamond Baboon’s attack! Even Yuanen Yehui in her Titan Giant Ape form would have been gravely injured by the baboon’s attack, not to mention Xie Xie.

Xie Xie lay prone on the floor, his eyes looking down at his limbs that were twisted in impossible angles. His spine was crushed. Even with the water shield cushioning the impact, his body couldn’t survive the attack.

“Xie Xie, Xie Xie!” Tang Wulin screamed. He rushed over to pick Xie Xie up.

As Tang Wulin held Xie Xie in his arms, his friend’s crippled body dissipated into specks of light. A moment later there was nothing left in his arms and a pale-faced figure appeared in the distance.

“Xie Xie…” Tang Wulin looked up to see Xie Xie, not a single hair out of place. Relief flooded him.

Xie Xie’s body swayed, then fell onto his butt. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his complexion paling. It was his clone that had taken the attack. Yet even though it was his clone, he still received much of the damage the clone sustained. Fear filled his eyes as he looked toward the Diamond Baboon.