Peerless Demon Immortal

For the past few days, Ape Spirit had been doing nothing but eating and cultivating. He had grown fond of the sensation of power gradually filling his body, and he noticed his appetite had increased at an astonishing rate. Just days ago, he could only eat three fruits at most, but now he could devour over twenty. His body was also growing rapidly; in just a few days, he had gone from a little over one meter tall to 1.2 meters, with muscles gradually forming across his frame.

All of this fueled his relentless drive to cultivate, and his efforts were not in vain. He could feel the emptiness within him slowly fading as the sun and moon essence filled the void.

Today, as usual, he sat at the cave entrance, absorbing the sun essence. But suddenly, his fur stood on end, and a sense of danger engulfed him. This was an instinctive reaction, a primal warning. He immediately stopped cultivating and retreated into the cave, hiding in a dark corner while keeping a vigilant eye on the outside.

The area outside the cave was eerily quiet, as though there was no threat at all. But Ape Spirit trusted his instincts; the sense of danger had not dissipated since it first appeared.

Time ticked by slowly, and the feeling of impending peril grew stronger, keeping Ape Spirit on edge and ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Finally, when the sense of danger reached its peak, the silence of the forest was broken by the rustling of leaves. The trees swayed, and a figure gradually emerged.

It was a caterpillar-a massive one. Its girth was over three meters wide, and its length stretched to a terrifying six meters. Its body was covered in brown spines, and its blood-red eyes glared at the cave with a murderous glint.

From his hiding spot in the cave, Ape Spirit locked eyes with the caterpillar. A chill ran down his spine, and his body trembled involuntarily. Instinct told him that this caterpillar was far stronger than he was.

The caterpillar had clearly sensed Ape Spirit’s presence but didn’t charge in immediately. Instead, it lingered at the cave entrance, pacing back and forth while keeping its gaze fixed on the inside. Although Ape Spirit was hidden in the shadows, his aura betrayed his location to the caterpillar.

At first, Ape Spirit was puzzled by the caterpillar’s behavior. But soon, he understood. The caterpillar’s hesitation was due to the lingering aura of the Old Demon.

The Old Demon, a great demon who had lived for tens of thousands of years, was an unparalleled force in the Demon Forest, the ancestral land of the demon tribe. Few had survived the battle of humans and demons, and even fewer had endured the periodic cultivator expeditions that occurred every century. The Old Demon had saved many demon beasts during those times, earning immense respect and fear. While he was alive, no creature dared approach his domain.

Even after his death, the residual aura he left behind kept ordinary demon beasts at bay. But as the aura gradually faded over the past few days, some creatures began to venture closer-though still cautiously.

Now, with the Old Demon’s aura completely dissipated, Ape Spirit’s cultivation had attracted this audacious caterpillar. Yet, despite its boldness, the caterpillar still hesitated to enter the cave, wary of the faint remnants of the Old Demon’s presence.

Realizing this, Ape Spirit relaxed slightly but remained vigilant, keeping his eyes fixed on the caterpillar.

As time passed, the caterpillar’s patience wore thin. It stopped pacing, its spines standing on end, and its blood-red eyes gleamed with determination. It had decided to charge in.

A wave of killing intent surged toward Ape Spirit, pressing down on him like a suffocating weight. His body tensed, his fur bristling as the sense of danger intensified.

Ape Spirit knew the caterpillar had grown impatient. He glanced around the small cave, understanding that if the caterpillar entered, he would have no room to dodge. Given the disparity in their strength, his fate would be sealed-he would become its prey.

Having gained intelligence through cultivation, Ape Spirit was no longer a mere beast. His heightened wisdom allowed him to assess the situation quickly. Staying in the cave would only lead to his demise. With this realization, he made a swift decision. In a blur of motion, he darted out of the cave, his speed surprising even himself.

The caterpillar was caught off guard by its prey’s sudden escape. After a brief pause, it let out a screech and began wriggling its massive body, charging after Ape Spirit.

Seeing the caterpillar grow larger in his field of vision, Ape Spirit, who had no prior combat experience, panicked. The sight of its spiny body filled him with dread. But relying on his agility, he flipped mid-air and narrowly avoided the caterpillar’s initial attack.

The caterpillar was furious that its seemingly guaranteed strike had missed. Without turning around, it rolled its massive body toward Ape Spirit, clearly intending to crush him with its spines.

As soon as Ape Spirit landed, he felt the ground tremble. Looking up, he was horrified to see the caterpillar barreling toward him. He let out a startled cry and bolted away. Fortunately, his recent cultivation had greatly improved his physical abilities, allowing him to run faster. But the caterpillar, having cultivated for much longer, was even quicker. It also began launching spines, which arced through the air toward Ape Spirit.

While fleeing, Ape Spirit glanced back and noticed the incoming spines. Screaming again, he pushed his speed and agility to their limits, dodging the spines before they could hit him. However, the distraction allowed the caterpillar to close the distance between them. Ignoring the spines embedded in the ground, the caterpillar relentlessly pursued Ape Spirit.

As the caterpillar drew closer, Ape Spirit accelerated and darted into the forest, hoping the towering trees would hinder his pursuer.

But his plan quickly fell apart. The caterpillar plowed through the ancient trees effortlessly, its massive body toppling everything in its path.

Ape Spirit was stunned by the caterpillar’s brute force. He increased his speed once again, relying on his familiarity with the area to weave through the forest and maintain some distance.

Suddenly, the caterpillar stopped. Ape Spirit, who had been keeping a close eye on its movements, noticed the unusual behavior and halted as well, curious about what it was planning.

The caterpillar began compressing its body. Its girth expanded from three meters to over five, while its length shrank to half its original size. The spines on its body gleamed with a metallic sheen, emitting a chilling light.

After a minute of compression, the caterpillar reached its limit. Its crimson eyes burned with a savage glint.

Then, with explosive force, the caterpillar’s body sprang outward. The recoil force shattered the ground, leaving a one-meter-wide crater. Propelled like a bullet, the caterpillar shot toward Ape Spirit at a speed that blurred his vision.

Ape Spirit felt an immense impact before he could react. He was sent flying, blood spurting from his mouth. The cracking sounds that accompanied the collision told him several bones had likely broken.

If not for the Old Demon’s initial enhancement of his body and the days he had spent absorbing sun and moon essence to strengthen himself, Ape Spirit would have been reduced to a bloody pulp by the caterpillar’s strike.

His body, like a broken kite, crashed through two ancient trees before slamming into a third, where it finally came to a stop. The final collision forced another mouthful of blood from him.

Lying on the ground, blood pooling around him, Ape Spirit’s body trembled. Despite his severe injuries, he refused to give up. Dragging himself upright, his eyes burned with an unyielding determination. At that moment, his desire to survive reached its peak.

He activated the sun and moon essence stored within him, circulating the energy through his body. The essence dulled his pain, allowing him to steady his trembling frame.

The caterpillar was shocked that Ape Spirit had survived its attack. Seeing him rise again and meet its gaze with defiance, the caterpillar, a seasoned demon beast, was enraged. That a newly-cultivated demon could withstand its full-strength strike was an insult. Screeching in fury, it compressed its body once more, preparing an even faster and more powerful attack.

This time, Ape Spirit, already injured, had no chance of dodging. The caterpillar’s next strike hit him squarely, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones breaking. Once again, Ape Spirit was sent flying.