A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 173 - 144: Another Skill Gained, Master of Butchery

The slightly shorter black-armed ape didn't follow the footsteps of its elder brother. Its vicious brown eyes were fixed intently on the hunter, who was barely clinging to life.

It struggled to suppress its hunger, as the rules dictated that it could only eat after its elder brother had finished his snack.

The black-armed ape was a ferociously brutal creature, with the males being violent and the females being mad.

The males would even go so far as to kill their own offspring to mate with the females.

After giving birth, the females refrained from mating for several years, focusing solely on taking care of their young.

Initially, they would cradle their young in their arms, later letting them ride on their backs, sleeping together every night, until the offspring were able to live independently.

The males were willing to kill their offspring to indulge their wild nature, highlighting the cruel nature of the black-armed ape.

Deep in the forest, the distant roars gradually faded away, like the receding tide.

The thick layers of leaves and branches blocked the mottled sunlight from above, creating a dark and chilling atmosphere.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but the slightly shorter black-armed ape still hadn't seen the return of its elder brother.

The hunters, who had been so frightened they wet themselves and passed out, occasionally twitched and made noises that irritated it greatly.

After enduring for another half an hour, the slightly shorter black-armed ape could no longer bear it. Its nostrils flared, releasing two streams of white breath.

How could capturing a bold hunter who could shoot arrows take so long?

Just as it was feeling puzzled, the sound of something heavy being dragged suddenly arose.

It was as if a body was moving through the soft, muddy ground, pushing aside the withered grass and leaves.

Elder brother is back!

The black-armed ape felt an indescribable excitement, not due to missing its kind, but because of the numerous "snacks" alive and well before it. Not being able to feast was truly torturous.

But immediately after, its wrinkled and ugly face stiffened, revealing a look of human-like shock and confusion.

Deep in the dark, ink-like forest, a tall silhouette gradually became clear. As footsteps drew nearer, it seemed like a brush painting, sketching out a figure clad in hunting gear with a bow and arrows.

Why is it a person?

Where is elder brother?

The black-armed ape's gaze froze, and then it saw an even more horrifying scene.

The exceptionally thick neck drooped, and the vicious head seemed like it had been smashed fiercely by a sledgehammer. Thick, glue-like blood dripped drop by drop, leaving a trail on the ground.

Elder brother has been killed!

Being a creature with some semblance of human nature, the slightly shorter black-armed ape turned and fled, running for its life. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Its thick feet pounded "thud thud" on the ground, covering several meters in just a few breaths!

"You're not even thinking of avenging your kind? So lacking in beastly spirit."

Bai Qi sighed, stepping on the black-armed ape that had been hammered to death, and then leaping into the air.

Ever since he had heard from Master Li about how Ninghai Zen trained diligently in the White Ape Skill, which was one of the five techniques when he was young, Bai Qi invested considerable effort into this body technique.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two feathered arrows pierced the forest, embedding into the thick back of the black-armed ape.

Although the creature had a strong physique, its muscles and tendons were as tough as steel wire, undaunted by ordinary arrows and weapons.

"But you can't escape my poisonous arrows! The faster you run, the deeper the poison works!"

Bai Qi leisurely followed behind. His Golden Python Bow, soaked and tanned with a large python tendon for several years, was forged with hundreds of kilograms of refined iron. Paired with the Profound Gold Arrow, it was more than capable of taking down great demons.

What's even more remarkable is that if activated with force, the arrowhead could be imbued with a potent poison.

One of the six materials, "glue," was made from boiling down the blood and flesh of a python with a small amount of lime, repeatedly filtered and reduced, then used to bond the dry materials and tendons, coating the surface.

Simply channeling one's qi blood into the feathered arrow made it akin to being soaked in poison, truly an opportunistic yet essential tool.

"Collapse! Collapse! Collapse!"

With Bai Qi's three urgent calls, the second black-armed ape staggered, collapsing with a thud, rolling a couple of times before losing its strength against a massive tree.

To be safe, he stood on the trunk for a moment before drawing his bow and arrow again, releasing with a whoosh, piercing its neck.

Creatures that became enlightened often had awakened intelligence. Though some beastly instincts remained, retaining a habit of raw eating, they weren't foolish.

Feigning death to deceive the opponent, seeking a chance to strike at the brink of death.

This tactic was common, requiring careful vigilance.

"...it should be dead."

Bai Qi jumped down, holding his bow with his left hand, striding towards the seemingly dead black-armed ape.

At the moment of approaching, a sudden foul wind arose, and two pitch-black, thick forelimbs slammed together like clapping thunder, forcibly squeezing the tall silhouette.

The slightly shorter black-armed ape roared skyward, its dark green tendons suddenly taut, channeling explosive and terrifying strength.

Repressing the pain of the arrow piercing its neck and the paralysis of poison spreading through its body, it finally waited for this despicable human to fall into its trap.

"Do you even know how your elder brother died?"

Bai Qi's hunting attire fluttered with the sudden gust, as if a hurricane had emerged from nowhere. His tightly bound hair flew, yet his lips slightly curled, having anticipated this. Under a surge of qi blood, he moved faster than the black-armed ape, striking with the Arhat Hand infused with Horse-shaped Hammering Strength.

His two hands, fingers coming together as if grasping an empty space, channeled strength through to their extremities. Muscles and bones trembled in unison, a force of overwhelming power winding together into a single, incredible speed, landing before the black-armed ape's tree-trunk-like arm could strike!

Thud!

It sounded like muffled thunder rolling through the mountain forest, startling flocks of birds into panicked flight.

Bai Qi swung his fist like a hammer, smashing against the black-armed ape whose musculature and bones were shattering.

Bang! Bang! Bang—

Deep, continuous sounds echoed, ceasing only after more than ten breaths.

"No wonder Master had me practice with my hands, loosening the muscles and bones. It's like a flood of qi blood, suddenly flowing more freely."

After dealing with the two black-armed apes, Bai Qi felt a sense of comfort throughout his body, gripping the ape's head and dragging it away.

Placing the two corpses side by side, he used the hunter's short knife to slice open their chests, allowing the blood to gush forth.

Once satisfied, he rolled up his sleeves, gripped a fist-sized heart, squeezing out about half a bowl of thick blood, pouring it into his almond-shaped flask he carried with him.

Estimating the hours left in the day, with time still ample, he decided to gather some dry branches, setting up a campfire.

Then, cutting off a few two-finger-length pieces of fresh meat, he skewered them on peeled, sharp branches and roasted them over the fire.

The poison imbued into the arrows had long been drained with the blood, and Bai Qi took care to avoid vital areas, certainly not intending to drop dead here.

"Two monster hides, blood, and flesh are all valuable things. Leaving them here would be too wasteful."

Bai Qi considered that hauling the several thousand-pound black-armed apes back alone wouldn't be easy; the blood and dirt could soil his clothes, not to mention the effort required to descend the mountain.

He planned to wait for the few hunters who had been fortunate enough to survive, to help lift and call upon the villagers to carry them back to the village.

"Skinning, bleeding, eating, offering a full service, allowing the beasts to die with peace and leave with ease. I'm truly a benevolent person."

Satisfied, Bai Qi felt the spirit within him tremble—

[You have slain the black-armed apes and properly processed them, realizing the skill of "Slaughter"]