The figure stepped out of the shadows. Its hairy body glowed silver under the dim moonlight as the creature walked towards to downed Shi Xuegang. “Not so tough now huh” the primate creature scoffed as he slowly walked forwards.

Shi Xuegang could barely make out the creature’s features through his tired brain and blurred vision. The mysterious rosy smelling gas was severely dampening on his processing and thinking capability leaving him helpless.

The silver furred creature in front of him was a small primate reminiscent of a chimpanzee except this one was obviously a demon beast with silver fur. In his left hand was a small pink rose, it looked quite harmless, elegant even. The flower’s petals were sleek and appeared glossy. From its head emitted a pinkish transparent smoke.

“That smoke” Shi Xuegang barely made out before collapsing onto all fours, ‘Shit, got to stay awake’. “Oh, I see you’ve figured it out, it seems you have some intelligence after all human” that last word was spoken with such malice that even the ape demon’s face contorted in hatred and disdain.

“Grah” Shi Xuegang stood up and punched out at the ape who returned his blows. The two traded several hits before the ape deflected the prince’s punch and kicked him on the knee forcing him into a kneeling possession before kicking him in the lower jaw sending him flying.

He ape did not lose his momentum as he began to wail on the prince. Punches were thrown at the prince’s body causing him to grunt in pain. “Yah” the ape punched the prince in the stomach so hard that he spit our a mouthful of blood. The prince collapsed onto his kneels holding onto his stomach gasping for breath.

“Your species think you’re all so special running around hunting us, well I’ll tell you what you really are. Prey, that’s what you are, not the hunters but the prey” the ape demon walked forward until he was directly in front of the prince.

“Personally I have nothing against humans, it’s the way things are, the natural order in which our world was built upon. Humans are the prey while we are the true hunters. But then, you humans learned to cultivate and fought back against your hunters, trying to hunt your predators.” The ape scoffed at the last phrase. “It’s ridiculous , humans are food not competition” the ape let go of the flower and stood there, his shadow loomed over the prince.

Without a second though, the ape slammed down with both arms onto the princes back. “Gah” Shi Xuegang cried out spitting out blood, below him spawned a large crater. This creator split the wood causing the brach to give way sending both human and demon beast tumbling to the forest floor.

“Grah” with another leap, the ape leaped onto the prince and rode towards the ground his feat on his bleeding face. “Rah” the ape slammed his feat into the princes face with amplified force.

“Boom!” The two landed creating a small.

“You know, I would’ve left you alone in your own pitiful humanity but you hunted someone you shouldn’t have” the ape added more pressure causing the nearly unconscious prince to cry out in pain. “Old Tai was my brother, my family. You should’ve been the one that was eaten not him” at this point the ape began crying open tears as his face contorted in sadness.

“Uahhh, old Tai, this worthless monkey was useless and couldn’t help you. Now you’re dead because of this inferior prey” the ape bawled his eyes out as he mourned for his lost friend.

Years ago, a lone monkey met a wondering tiger deep in the basic beast forest. Both were orphaned and alone, both were weak. Both were demons who not only preyed on humans but also each other. Yet these two decided to help one another survive, they did everything together from eating to hunting to sleeping.

The tiger later suffered an enormous injury in which not only his cultivation fell but also his superb sense of smell. Having sworn a brotherhood, the monkey stayed by his brother’s side and helped him adapt to his hew circumstances. However days ago, when the monkey was away, one human attack the tiger in hopes of gaining his beast core.

The two struggled mightily but the tiger couldn’t survive, he was too handicapped and too weak. If he was at his original power then he would’ve killed the human but sadly fate had other plans.

The tiger was the very same Qiong Qi winged tiger that Shi Xuegang rough mere days age. Now this monkey is out for revenge. Out of the two, the tiger was always stronger by a gap, but the monkey was smarter. He knew that due to Shi Xuegang’s recent breakthrough as well as his companions, he would likely not be able to win. So he devised a plan and picked a forever sleep rose.

The scent of this flower was enough to put most targets below the Spirit Severing realm to sleep instantly. Its effects would even work on stronger opponents over time. Because Shi Xuegang was heavily distracted the past day he did not notice the sleep gas that invaded his system. This gas was also enhanced by the ape demon’s own magic making it nigh undetectable.

“And now… human, you die” the ape lifted his feat one final time preparing for a final blow.

“Stop”

“Give me that” FengHuang raised her hand out towards Baskirk. The dark skinned man took the last of the delicious berries and held them protectively.

“No, you’ve eaten too much, let me have some” Baskirk argued back to the woman. “What? Why you little” FengHuang’s eyes flashed in raging fire. The entire room was suddenly filled with an oppressive blazing aura. Holding our her hand again FengHuang commanded “Last chance, Give me those”.

“Never, sister or not I will not hand them over. I’ve never tried these before and every opportunity I get you’ve ruined it. This time they’re mine” not hesitating Baskirk gobbled the Barries into his mouth. This action set the sect mistress off so much that she screamed the image of a phoenix flashed behind her.

“Well sorry but you already had plenty before, besides I’ve never tried them” Baskirk defended himself and crossed his arms, “I pay you back at a later date”. This seems to have calmed FengHuang down but this changed immediately as Ao Shuidi opened her mouth.

“Honestly FengHuang, you’re such a child sometimes, it’s just some berries” Ao Shuidi muttered while drinking some tea. “How could you say that, those ‘some berries’ are million year old fruits crystal moon berries exclusively grown by Chang’e in her own garden. They’re one of the most expensive delicacies in all the three realms. That was my last stash” FengHuang yelled back at her.

“Well you shouldn’t have brought it out then” seeing Ao Shuidi’s smug face made FengHuang’s blood boil, ‘Why that bitch’. The blazing aura around the red dressed woman intensified to a point were the viewing mirror was starting to be disturbed.

“Would you cut that out, some of us are trying to watch” this angered response came of an obviously annoyed Ezzel who sat with his arms crossed while glaring at the arguing bunch.

At the current moment, Xue Hui and Shu Meiyan had chosen to retire for the night, Orochi had opted to go back to his experiments while Hei Hainan went to manage sect duties. Now only FengHuang, Baskirk, Ezzel, Ao Shuidi and Hou jin had stayed and the last one fell asleep.

Felling guilting FengHuang shut off her aura, “My apologies, my anger got the better of me”. “That seems to happen way too much” Ezzel turned back to the viewing mirror. ‘Honestly, these two’s petty rivalry gets too heated sometimes. Guess we’re just luck they’re too professional to let it spill to the public’ Ezzel grimaced at how the public would react if they find out these two almighty gods are reduced to bickering children at the face of each other.

“I don’t get, what’s so interesting about these three sleeping guys” Ao Shuidi questioned. “You haven’t been paying attention but there’s a silverback titan hunting them, specifically Shi Xuegang” Ezzel answered his eyes on the meditating figure of the prince Shi.

“It seems somethings about to happen” Baskirk commented. On the mirror the silverback titan attacked the prince sending him fleeing onto another tree. Their fight would rage on for a few seconds before the effects of the rose took affect on the prince.

“This is not good” FengHuang grimaced as the ape demon got the upper hand and wailed on the prince, “This is really not good”. Shi Xuegang was backed into a corner with no ways to escape. “We should pull him out” FengHuang did not want the young man to be beaten up this badly, such a beating could be detriment to his future growth.

“No, He can take it” Ezzel continued to observe the fight. FengHuang looked at him in surprise “What? Don’t you see the boy is gana be scarred at this rate, physical wounds can heal but mental ones? A devastating beat down like this can severely affect his mental state stunting his growth”. Ezzel shook his head and pointed at the mirror, “There is no need for us to interfere, look, someones already on the case”.

On the screen, an awakened Josh Tyler had arrived with Da Chang in tow.