Jun who was watching all of this play out was looking on with a complex expression. Yang Su’s words echoed in his mind and something within him was being ignited.
‘I won’t be left behind. Even though my cultivation is gone I’ll get it back, no, I’ll surpass my previous cultivation. And if anything when I meet them again I’ll be stronger than everyone.’
Jun didn’t know it, but everyone had the same mindset as him. They were all aiming to become the strongest of the group, to be the one who achieves the most during this seclusion training.
It was a competitive spirit that was developing between them and would soon come to define their friendship as a group.
Li Shen looked up at the sky and let out a sigh at this outcome.
However, a sort of relaxed feeling was felt in his chest. For once, just this one time, he won’t think about everyone close to him.
‘Just let me be selfish this once. Then I’ll go back to caring-Li Shen.’
Something heavy he hadn’t noticed before fell off his shoulder as he said that. He closed his eyes before opening them to reveal a brilliant light glistening within them.
Li Shen soon spun around and lifted Jun on his shoulder.
“Your too slow.”
He said before raising into the air.
“Tai.”
Li Shen called and Tai suddenly appeared on his shoulder. He had entered the dimension using his spatial ability.
“I want you to check on everyone intermittently.”
He wanted to make sure they were safe, at least allow them to have a safety net albeit without their knowledge.
Tai nodded but before he could leave, Li Shen suddenly patted his head to stop him.
“This is as much training for you as it is for the others. Head west from here until you see a forest, it should have something beneficial for you and Little Snow, I couldn’t get it last time because I was too focused on leaving.”
Tai wondered what that was but he only leaned into Li Shen’s pat for a moment before he turned and leaped off his shoulder to disappear into the void.
Li Shen then turned towards the mountain-filled horizon. A wide grin formed on his face as he saw a giant white ape the size of a small mountain approaching his direction.
Li Shen then laugh heartily before he said in a booming voice.
“Big White! How’s it been, do you miss me?!”
The white ape let out a snort that caused visible puffs of air to shoot from its nostrils.
Jun turned his head to look at it and his face instantly paled in terror.
He hadn’t even heard this mountain of a beast approach. Seeing it so close almost caused his heart to leap out of his throat.
BANG!
A loud noise suddenly echoed out as the ape’s hand demolished a small mountain peak. It was simply trying to lean against it to walk but the sturdy mountain couldn’t handle its weight.
Terrifying, absolutely terrifying
“M-Master, what is that?”
With a smile, Li Shen said.
“It’s a great white ape, a species of Demonic Beasts that rules the Western territory. You should get over this quickly as you’ll come to realize while we travel that this is just a normal size for the beasts in here. This place is ruled by giants for us but for them, they and this world are at a normal size.”
Jun heard that and his spine tingled with apprehension.
“But don’t worry, your Master has dealt with them before. As long as you quickly run away before they approach you then you’ll be fine.”
Jun had felt a sort of comfort when he heard Li Shen’s early sentence, but hearing the latter his facial expression froze.
He was going to die in this place, he was definitely going to be squashed to death by some giant beast. He can’t even imagine what the others would be facing all alone.
“Master, will the others be alright if beasts like this exist in here?”
Jun couldn’t help but ask in worry.
Without removing his gaze from the approaching great white ape, Li Shen responded.
“I don’t know, I hope they will. However, you should focus on this for now. I want you to watch our fight closely, you use the spare, so this is an opportunity for you.”
A platform made by Li Shen manipulating the Wind Qi appeared and he placed Jun on top of it.
As it slowly retreated, Jun stared at Li Shen in shock.
“Master, your planning to fight it?!”
“Don’t worry, he only has physical strength and close combat attacks. And when it comes to a clash in physique I’m not one to back down. Just watch from a distance.”
As the platform retreated further, Jun astonishingly saw Li Shen started to increase in size.
From a few feet, his figure steadily grew to match the massive ape. His body which was once floating in the air had its feet touch the ground.
Jun was dumbstruck, he never saw this ability from Li Shen before. He knew Li Shen could somehow increase or decrease his size, but he didn’t think it was to this extent.
Li Shen was currently standing at about four hundred meters while facing down the equally monstrous great white ape of the same size.
The ape seeing this seemed to scowl.
Li Shen smiled and said.
“Don’t worry I won’t go bigger than this.”
Li Shen assured as if there was a time previously when he had beaten the crap out of this ape after growing larger than it. And indeed he had.
He fought this ape before he went through his physique tribulation. It didn’t show him any mercy and pummeled him black and blue, he barely manage to escape. Once he left its territory, like most beasts inside here, they wouldn’t bother chasing him. But right after he went through his physique tribulation he immediately came back here and outsize him.
Li Shen had taken his sweet time increasing his size and weight to force it to submit.
The ape looked at Li Shen skeptically as if he could understand him. It then stared at Jun behind Li Shen before an understanding light flashed past its eyes.
“You get the idea.”
Li Shen said before he walked forward, a long staff made from metal Qi slowly started to materialize in his hand.
The white ape seeing this beat its chest and let out a battle cry. It then reached behind a nearby mountain and lifted what seemed like a metal pole that was half its size.
However, the setting sun reflected off it, and if one looked closer one would come to realize it was more like a crystal than metal.
The ape allowed its staff to land on a nearby mountain which was immediately obliterated sending rocks raining everywhere.
Jun was practically shivering at the sight, but he listened to Li Shen’s words and watch carefully.
“Come, let’s go a few rounds for my disciple to see your skills.”
Li Shen spoke softly but to Jun, his voice boomed loudly in the surroundings. Li Shen then twirled his staff a bit before positioning it behind him.
He then casually motions for the ape to come.
The ape let out a large puff of air through its nostrils before its mountain of a body moved, and the staff it was holding dragged on the ground.
However, as this beast charged forwards Jun notice something.
“Huh?”
Despite its size, its steps were barely audible.
“How is it doing that?”
Jun asked in shock but he didn’t shift his focus as the ape reached Li Shen and swung its staff.
No sound of wind friction was produced as it went for Li Shen’s head. Li Shen shifted to the side and easily dodged it, however, he suddenly ducked hurriedly as the ape’s arm flexibly twisted mid-strike to follow his movements.
Jun’s eyes narrowed at that.
He understood why Li Shen wanted him to watch.
“This ape, its comprehension of the staff is extremely high! It's almost terrifying how such a large beast can use the staff so expertly.”
Jun wasn’t a staff user but a spear user, however, the two weapons had similar qualities that could allow their users to gain insights and learn from each other. His eyes didn’t blink as he watched the ape make several more swings towards Li Shen.
Although Li Shen easily dodge them, the ape’s swings seemed to be getting quicker and quicker. It even looked as though he was reading Li Shen’s pattern of dodging as the staff would change directions mid-strike only to have Li Shen’s body move in front of it soon after.
This forced Li Shen to block with his staff for the first time.
A loud bang echoed out that sounded like a thunderclap right next to Jun’s ears. His body actually shook from the sound vibrations right before the shockwave almost knocked him off the platform.
Li Shen took several steps back to defuse the blow. After which he looked at the ape and commented.
“You sly bastard, your skills improved from last time haven't it?”
The ape let out noises while a smug expression played on its face.
Li Shen raised his staff and said.
“Fine, let’s start the real fight.”
He didn’t wait for the ape and instead move forwards, his steps that weren’t so elegant as the ape's shook the ground as he charged.
With a swoosh, his staff pulled all the wind around it as he attacked the ape.
Like this, Li Shen fought with the great white ape while Jun watched on with wrapped attention.
**
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