"Swish, swish, swish…"
Sixteen crossbow bolts pierced the air, transforming the ten-thousand-year Giant Strength Gorilla into a bristling porcupine in mere moments.
The greatest flaw of the spirit master system was glaringly evident: without using their spirits, spirit masters were significantly weaker.
Some tool spirit masters, for instance, had bodies so fragile that even ordinary blades could harm them.
Even Titled Douluo were not exceptions to this.
(Dustheart: "Are you talking about me? Hmph.")
Spirit beasts, on the other hand, were different. As long as they hadn't taken on human form, their combat capabilities remained consistently formidable.
"Roar…"
The sudden assault enraged the Giant Strength Gorilla. Thankfully, its thick hide ensured that the bolts only pierced its skin without causing any severe injuries.
Still, the pain was undeniable.
Tang San's eyes flickered with astonishment. This isn't how the script was supposed to go!
Shouldn't it have been instantly killed?
After a brief moment of thought, Tang San pulled the trigger again, unleashing another 16 bolts.
The Zhuge Crossbow could load 48 bolts at once, and it featured two firing modes: single-shot and rapid fire, which released 16 bolts in quick succession.
After his second volley, Tang San immediately fired the final 16 bolts, emptying the crossbow.
He then stowed the weapon and summoned the Clear Sky Hammer. With its appearance, three purple spirit rings shimmered around him.
"Roar…"
After the first ambush, the Gorilla wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. Tang San's second and third volleys didn't land so easily.
Despite its large frame, standing over five meters tall, the ten-thousand-year Giant Strength Gorilla wasn't as slow as it seemed.
A layer of spirit power formed a protective shield around the Gorilla, deflecting all 32 bolts with ease.
Against ordinary thousand-year spirit beasts or spirit kings who hadn't activated their spirits, Tang San's Zhuge Crossbow might have secured an instant kill.
But this was a ten-thousand-year spirit beast—a mid-to-high-tier one at that!
Dai Mubai shook his head as he observed.
Tang San, supposedly known for his combat acumen, was fumbling.
The Zhuge Crossbow could fire single bolts, so why didn't he let the Gorilla waste its spirit power shield while slowly kiting it? Once the shield was exhausted, it could've been killed easily.
And what about the Dragon Beard Needle? Did Tang San create it solely to deal with Zhao Wuji during the exam?
After using it once, it had sat collecting dust in Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges. A weapon designed to penetrate defenses and armor, and it hadn't been used again!
Was this a case of Tang San forgetting its existence, or was it the author forgetting?
Ever since he added spirit rings to his second spirit, Tang San had nearly abandoned the use of Blue Silver Grass.
Instead, he now relied on the Clear Sky Hammer—a weapon so heavy that, with just three thousand-year rings attached, it weighed over 1,500 pounds!
If he attached ten-thousand-year rings, wouldn't he be unstoppable?
Dragging his hammer, Tang San charged at the Gorilla. He refused to believe that a creature roughly equivalent to a spirit king would be so difficult to defeat.
Though his spirit power level was only at the Spirit Elder stage, the combined enhancements from his two spirits' rings and his torso bone meant his strength rivaled that of a typical spirit king.
This was why Tang San dared to attempt absorbing a ten-thousand-year ring at the Spirit Elder stage.
Closing in, Tang San swung the Clear Sky Hammer in a semicircular arc, bringing it crashing down toward the Gorilla.
The Gorilla's eyes glowed red. It had no doubt: this was the sneaky "monkey" that ambushed it!
Dispelling its spirit power shield, it raised its massive fist, aiming directly at Tang San.
Due to their size difference, Tang San could only aim for the Gorilla's knees unless he jumped or struck its toes.
But Tang San knew better than to meet the Gorilla's attack head-on.
Its fist wasn't targeting the Clear Sky Hammer but rather Tang San himself!
Ten-thousand-year spirit beasts possessed considerable intelligence, and this Gorilla was willing to trade injuries to crush the audacious "monkey."
As Tang San prepared to dodge using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, the Gorilla's left arm swept sideways.
The sheer force sent Tang San flying, hammer and all, for dozens of meters. He crashed to the ground near Dai Mubai.
"Pfft…"
Tang San spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body numb. The power of the ten-thousand-year Giant Strength Gorilla was terrifying beyond belief!
This isn't doable. Truly not doable!
It was well known that gorillas' arm lengths, relative to their bodies, were longer than their legs. Moreover, their arm strength far surpassed their leg strength.
This was even more pronounced in the Giant Strength Gorilla, a creature renowned for its overwhelming power.
Due to his previous encounters with Tyron and Titan, Tang San had underestimated the Gorilla. That arrogance led him to charge recklessly into battle.
"Tang San, I told you this beast wasn't easy to deal with. If Teacher Zhao were here, I'd support your efforts to hunt it."
Dai Mubai glanced sideways at Tang San, his voice tinged with reproach.
Tang San wanted to retort but couldn't find the words. He felt several of his bones were broken, and his internal organs had taken a severe shock.
Previously, his training with gravity had left him with latent injuries. Now, those injuries flared up violently.
"Pfft…"
Another mouthful of blood spurted out, and Tang San finally felt slightly better.
"Boss… Dai… I… underestimated it…"
"I didn't… dodge…"
Tang San spoke haltingly. Only after taking the Gorilla's devastating blow did he truly understand Dai Mubai's earlier warnings.
He'd thought Dai Mubai was just trying to dissuade him from taking risks. He hadn't realized the warnings were genuine.
If the Gorilla could severely injure him with one blow, how could Dai Mubai fare any better?
Indeed, with three thousand-year rings on his Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San's strength was now on par with Dai Mubai's.
If he acquired a ten-thousand-year fourth ring, he was confident his combat power would surpass Dai Mubai's—his only weakness being his inability to fly.
"You're badly injured now. Lingling and Jiangzhu aren't here. Unless you absorb a spirit ring to break through, you won't recover. Should we head back to the Academy, or should I help you hunt another spirit beast?"
Dai Mubai hoisted Tang San off the ground and began retreating. As he ran, he spoke calmly.
Spirit masters could recover some injuries after absorbing spirit rings.
In the original story, Tang San had healed most of his wounds after absorbing the Man-Faced Demon Spider's spirit ring.
However, hidden injuries were beyond such restoration.
Tang San felt indignant at Dai Mubai's suggestion…
(End of Chapter)