Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

In the silent forest, a black-robed figure moved, crimson lightning crackling beneath his feet. Two hidden first-tier Crimson Ice Snakes nearby turned to charred husks, the scent of roasted meat wafting through the air.

Crimson Ice Snakes: Ice-attributed, bearing cold venom, adept at stealth. A bite without treatment within half a day would stiffen the body, freeze the blood, and lead to death. Common in the outer Magical Beast Mountain Range, they were despised by mercenaries—small, inedible, and rarely yielding magical beast cores, making them nearly worthless.

"Kid, one of those had a core. You don't want it?" Yao Lao asked, noting Xiao Bai's unusually aggressive strike, which shattered even the core.

"Don't need it. Got too many to carry," Xiao Bai replied, shaking his head, his voice laced with irritation.

His frustration wasn't aimed at Yao Lao. Five days in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and ten cliffs later, he'd found no sign of the cave from the original story. The range lived up to its name as a beast paradise—first-tier beasts were everywhere, grating on his nerves.

At first, Xiao Bai had been thrilled, eagerly collecting cores after each kill, like farming materials in a past-life video game. Now, the sight of first-tier beasts made him queasy. I've got new respect for the Sword God of Shili Slope, grinding small fry without tiring. He'd only bothered with those snakes because they'd tried to ambush him.

"Take it slow. If that Tian Can Zi was right, each cliff you check raises the odds of finding the next one," Yao Lao said, floating out to offer comfort, seeing Xiao Bai's mood.

Xiao Bai rubbed his temples. Since entering the range, he'd kept his soul force active. The scanning range was small, and the drain minimal, but the constant effort was wearing on his mind. He had no clue where Xiao Yi Xian's mercenary group was. He'd encountered several teams over the past days, but none had a girl matching the novel's description.

Nodding at Yao Lao's words, Xiao Bai paused. "For now, that's all—huh?" Something felt off.

"Hm?" Yao Lao's hand froze mid-beard-stroke, letting out a curious sound.

"Why so many of these things? Did we stumble into their nest?" Yao Lao muttered, puzzled.

"Senior, you know what these are?" Xiao Bai asked. His soul force had detected them, but he didn't recognize them.

"Heh," Yao Lao chuckled, his smile odd, offering no answer.

Soon, about twenty bizarre beasts emerged, surrounding them. They resembled a cross between humans and apes, slightly taller and far sturdier, with wrinkled, greenish-white skin. Hideously ugly, they were stark naked.

God, that's an eyesore! Xiao Bai groaned inwardly.

The beasts encircled them, keeping a ten-meter distance, neither advancing nor retreating, their small eyes glinting as they stared.

Xiao Bai sensed their ranks: a dozen second-tier, the rest first-tier. No real threat. But what were these shameless creatures up to?

"Roar!"

A loud bellow echoed nearby, stirring the beasts. Those in one direction parted swiftly, forming a three-meter gap.

Turning, Xiao Bai saw three larger, sturdier beasts stride into the circle, stopping close by. Two were peak second-tier, one third-tier.

"Senior, what are these things? They seem… intelligent," Xiao Bai asked, intrigued by their disciplined behavior.

"Heh, kid, these are Joy Apes. They're quite… fond of men too," Yao Lao said with a wicked grin.

"Joy Apes!" Xiao Bai realized, recalling the creatures from the novel.

Yao Lao explained: Joy Apes weren't highly intelligent but lived in groups, with females dominant—a matriarchal society, in past-life terms. Males held lower status. Beyond their own kind, they were drawn to humans. Though ugly, they had high aesthetic standards: male apes craved beautiful human women, females sought handsome men. Some males, unable to endure the hierarchy, left to live alone, while females stayed. Thus, rumors spread that Joy Apes only targeted women, with few knowing the species was… indiscriminate.

The third-tier beast before them was a female Joy Ape.

Xiao Bai's stomach churned. Glaring at the grotesque creatures, his eyes flashed with cold intent.

"Roar!"

As he prepared to act, the third-tier ape barked at the two second-tier ones beside it. They growled reluctantly, but after more roars, they grudgingly approached Xiao Bai.

"That female's ordering those two to drag you back to their cave. They're hesitant—probably worried you'll steal their spotlight," Yao Lao narrated gleefully, as if Xiao Bai needed a play-by-play.

"Heh," Xiao Bai sneered, suppressing his disgust.

His late-stage Mortal Realm soul force surged outward without restraint, while his Bing Fire Yang Lightning erupted from his body.

Yao Lao, sensing the overwhelming soul force, wasn't surprised, but the sudden burst of intense crimson lightning made him yelp and dart skyward. My soul force is too precious to let this kid drain it!

"What a monster," Yao Lao muttered, awestruck. He'd never seen Xiao Bai unleash his full power.

Below, a ten-meter radius around Xiao Bai blazed with crimson lightning. The Joy Apes, stunned by the soul shock, stood frozen, then were engulfed by the spreading bolts. First- and second-tier apes charred instantly; the third-tier grunted, lasting two seconds longer before collapsing dead.

Sensing no survivors, Xiao Bai recalled his lightning.

A scorched, circular clearing surrounded him, radiating heat. Wisps of smoke rose, carrying a burnt stench.

"Joy Apes shouldn't exist. I'll kill every one I see," Xiao Bai growled, still nauseated by their intentions, glaring at Yao Lao. This old coot's rotten!

Yao Lao, catching the look, rubbed his nose awkwardly. His prank had gone too far, fueled by Xiao Yan's constant griping about wanting to see Xiao Bai lose his cool. Well, mission accomplished. Too bad Xiao Yan missed it.