Peerless Demon Immortal

The ape spirit and the caterpillar remained vigilant, their eyes fixed on the giant snake coiled around the fruit tree. The snake flicked its tongue in and out, its icy gaze sweeping across them, exerting an invisible pressure that weighed heavily on their minds.

As time passed, this intangible pressure grew stronger. The caterpillar managed to endure it better, but the ape spirit, lacking any real combat experience, began to falter under the psychological strain. His body trembled slightly, and his gaze wavered. If this continued, he would likely crumble without even putting up a fight.

The caterpillar quickly noticed the ape spirit’s condition and let out a sharp, guttural cry. The sound reverberated like a morning bell or evening drum, striking the ape spirit’s heart and restoring his shaken resolve.

The giant snake hissed twice, as if mocking them. Its cold eyes lingered disdainfully on the ape spirit before shifting to the caterpillar. Though the snake had the power to kill the caterpillar, it was wary of the caterpillar’s strength, knowing that even in death, the caterpillar might strike a fatal blow.

Deciding not to waste any more time, the snake focused its attention entirely on the caterpillar, ignoring the ape spirit completely. To the snake, the ape spirit posed no threat; he lacked the weapons or abilities to harm it. And indeed, the ape spirit had no means to counter the snake at this moment.

The caterpillar, sensing the snake’s intent, braced himself. His crimson eyes locked onto the snake’s every move, his spines standing erect, and his body compressing in preparation. Thanks to the ape spirit’s earlier treatment, his wounds had mostly healed, allowing him to move without reopening them.

Both demon beasts stood poised, neither willing to make the first move. They waited, each hoping for the other to reveal a weakness, knowing that only then could they strike decisively and inflict serious damage.

The ape spirit watched the tense standoff, unable to do anything but wait. Instinct warned him that any sudden action would provoke the snake’s wrath, potentially giving the caterpillar an opening but likely costing him his life. Not ready to die, he chose to remain still and observe.

The tension between the two beasts escalated, their auras growing stronger. When their energy reached its peak, a gust of wind blew through, carrying a stray leaf that momentarily obscured their vision. In the next instant, both beasts lunged at each other, moving so fast that the ape spirit felt only a rush of wind beside him.

Bang!

The caterpillar was sent flying backward. The ape spirit, reacting quickly, rushed to catch him. Despite his considerable strength, he underestimated the force of the snake’s attack. He staggered back ten steps before falling to the ground, finally halting the caterpillar’s momentum.

The giant snake, though victorious in the clash, was not unscathed. The caterpillar’s impact had left it dazed, forcing it to coil up and recover. Fortunately, the snake’s ample reserves of sun and moon essence allowed it to regain its composure quickly. It turned its gaze back to the caterpillar.

The caterpillar, however, was in far worse condition. Blood streamed from his head, his pale body trembling from the loss of vital fluids. He was dangerously close to the brink of death.

The ape spirit, seeing the caterpillar’s dire state, hurried to treat his wounds. Though he managed to stop the bleeding, he could still sense the caterpillar’s weakening life force. Frustrated and desperate, he scratched his head, unable to think of a solution.

The giant snake, indifferent to their plight, focused solely on its goal: killing the caterpillar and capturing the ape spirit to claim his inheritance. The thought of the ape spirit’s mysterious abilities filled the snake with anticipation, driving it to attack without hesitation.

Having learned from its earlier mistake, the caterpillar avoided direct confrontation. Compressing and springing his body, he dodged the snake’s strikes. The ape spirit, relying on his agility, also leapt away, narrowly escaping harm.

The snake’s attack missed, leaving it with a mouthful of dirt. Furious, it turned its attention back to the caterpillar, ignoring the ape spirit entirely. The ape spirit, prepared to flee, stood frozen in confusion, unsure of what to do.

The caterpillar, meanwhile, was exhausting every ounce of strength to evade the snake’s relentless pursuit. The snake, moving with equal speed, closed the gap between them. The caterpillar’s injuries and blood loss began to take their toll, slowing him down and allowing the snake to draw closer.

The snake, unaffected by its earlier wounds, maintained its top speed. Its green eyes gleamed with excitement as it neared its prey. When the caterpillar was within reach, the snake lunged, its massive jaws wide open, venomous fangs glinting coldly as they aimed for the caterpillar’s midsection.

The caterpillar, aware of the impending attack, found himself powerless to evade. His injuries and fatigue left him dizzy and disoriented. He let out one final, defiant roar as the snake’s jaws closed in.

Seeing the caterpillar in mortal danger, the ape spirit summoned an unprecedented burst of strength. Grabbing a stone the size of a human head, he focused intensely. In that moment, time seemed to slow, and his essence flowed seamlessly into the stone. The once-dull rock began to emit a faint glow. With the snake’s jaws just centimeters from the caterpillar, the ape spirit hurled the stone with all his might.

Though the ape spirit stood nearly two hundred meters away, the stone shot forward like a bullet, kicking up dust and debris in its wake. Its speed astonished even the ape spirit, who felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as the effort drained his energy.

The stone did not disappoint. The snake, unable to dodge, took the full impact. The rock struck the unprotected flesh beneath its scales, embedding itself deeply. The force lifted the snake’s massive body-easily weighing over a ton-off the ground, sending it flying nearly two meters before it crashed back down.

The caterpillar, bracing for death, had little hope that the ape spirit’s stone would save him. He had seen the ape spirit’s strength before and doubted it could match the snake’s. But when he noticed the faint glow of the stone, a flicker of hope ignited in his heart, driven by an inexplicable intuition.

His instincts proved correct. The stone struck with such force that it sent the snake flying, narrowly saving the caterpillar. Dust and debris enveloped the scene, obscuring the caterpillar from view.

While the caterpillar and ape spirit were merely astonished, the snake was utterly shocked. The impact felt like an unstoppable force, and the embedded stone left it writhing in pain, unable to rise.

As the dust settled, the caterpillar, despite his weakened state, approached the snake cautiously. Seeing the snake incapacitated, he felt a small sense of relief. The ape spirit, dragging his exhausted body, confirmed the snake’s defeat and let out a sigh of relief.

The snake’s green eyes burned with frustration and despair as it watched the two approach. Unable to defend itself, it awaited their next move.

To its surprise, the ape spirit stepped forward and removed the embedded stone, stopping the snake’s bleeding before signaling the caterpillar to leave.

The caterpillar initially wanted to kill the snake to eliminate any future threat, but the ape spirit blocked his path, chattering insistently. Reluctantly, the caterpillar abandoned the idea and followed the ape spirit into the depths of the forest, disappearing from sight.

The snake watched their retreating figures, its eyes filled with complex emotions. But survival took precedence. It began to heal itself, knowing that the scent of blood would soon attract other beasts-or worse, demon beasts.

Thanks to its abundant reserves of sun and moon essence, the snake quickly regained mobility. Without lingering, it slithered away in the opposite direction of the ape spirit’s departure.

As the snake had predicted, several demon beasts arrived at the battlefield shortly after. Finding only bloodstains, they dispersed. Some, driven by instinct, began fighting among themselves, filling the once-quiet orchard with the sounds of battle once more.