Martial Saint with Passives

But the tyrannical killing intent in the Black-armored Giant’s chest, far from subsiding, blazed even more fiercely, as if doused with boiling oil!

His dark red pupils scanned the darkness, frantically searching for his next target!

"ROAR!!!"

Just then, a deafening roar, filled with brutal ferocity, suddenly erupted from above and to the side!

The sound waves rolled out, shaking the leaves from the trees!

Jiang Che snapped his head up!

There, on the steep cliff face ahead, a massive figure was looking down on him!

It was none other than a gigantic, ape-like Black Beast!

Its size was nearly identical to the Black-armored Giant’s. Its body was covered in dark red fur as stiff as steel needles, and its muscles were gnarled like mountain rock!

Its beastly, lantern-sized eyes gleamed in the darkness with a ferocious, crimson light, locked tightly onto Jiang Che!

Early Stage of Refining Organ!

It was definitely an Overlord Level Black Beast in this region!

Jiang Che’s heart clenched.

He was no longer the ignorant boy he once was. He knew exactly what a Black Beast of this level signified!

Especially this one. Its power was far beyond any he had encountered before!

The great ape was clearly drawn by the scent of blood and the violent aura of the battle.

It seemed to regard the Black-armored Giant as a challenger invading its territory, and the ferocious light in its eyes intensified!

"AOOOW!"

With a furious roar, the great ape’s massive body leaped down from the cliff with surprising agility!

Its massive claws tore through the air, bringing a foul stench as they swiped viciously at Jiang Che’s head!

The speed was astonishing!

Jiang Che dared not be careless. With a roar, he met the attack head-on, his massive black-armored fist whistling through the air!

BOOM!!!

The clash of claw and fist was like two high-speed war chariots colliding!

A visible shockwave erupted, blowing away a ring of the surrounding mist!

Jiang Che felt an overwhelming force, like a mountain crashing down on him. The ground beneath his feet cracked and splintered!

His body slid back several steps uncontrollably!

The Scale Armor on his arm was actually scored with several deep cracks!

The great ape, in contrast, only staggered slightly!

’Such immense power! Such hard claws!’

Seeing that its first strike had failed, the great ape’s ferocity only grew!

It attacked with both claws in a flurry of scratches, tears, pounds, and smashes, like a furious storm!

Its movements were broad and sweeping, filled with primal power!

Every blow was heavy and powerful, strong enough to split mountains and shatter stone!

What was even more terrifying was that its attacks faintly contained a kind of combat technique; it wasn’t fighting with Barbaric Power alone!

Jiang Che roared again and again, struggling to defend himself.

But the difference in their Realms was now laid bare.

The great ape’s Refining Organ Level Demonic Power was far more condensed and powerful than his Force Integration Qi Force! Every collision sent his Qi Blood churning!

His Black Armor was constantly being torn open, only to rapidly heal thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities.

But its attacks were too relentless!

SHLICK!

In a moment of carelessness, the great ape’s sharp claws viciously tore through the Scale Armor under Jiang Che’s ribs, leaving several wounds so deep the bone was visible! A sharp pain shot through him!

Jiang Che roared in pain, his massive body sent staggering backward.

If not for the astonishing defense of his Black Armor Form, coupled with the constant healing from his Rejuvenation Talent...

...that single blow could have severely injured him!

He was horrified. ’The strength of this King of Black Beasts is far beyond what I expected!’

However, just as the great ape prepared to press its advantage...

A flicker of something incredibly human-like—doubt, and... apprehension?—flashed through its brutal, crimson eyes.

It stared intently at the wounds under Jiang Che’s ribs, which were visibly squirming and knitting themselves shut. Then, it glanced at his opponent’s seemingly tireless aura, an aura that only grew more ferocious with every clash.

Next, its massive nostrils twitched a few times, as if catching the faint human voices from the direction of the camp carried on the wind.

The great ape froze!

It didn’t attack again. Instead, it let out a low growl and took several wary steps back!

Its beastly eyes scanned Jiang Che up and down, filled with scrutiny and an indescribable... wariness?

Finally, as Jiang Che watched in high alert, the great ape suddenly spun around. Its huge body scrambled up the cliff face with incredible agility, and with a few bounds, it vanished into the misty depths of the mountain forest!

It left behind only a series of dull thuds and its low, warning growl echoing through the valley.

Jiang Che didn’t dare to relax his frayed nerves until the great ape’s presence had completely vanished.

He panted heavily, the Black Armor on his chest rising and falling erratically.

Though brief, the life-and-death struggle had been exceptionally perilous.

If the great ape hadn’t inexplicably retreated, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

What shocked him even more was the look in the great ape’s eyes as it retreated.

It was nothing like the chaotic, murderous instinct of an ordinary Black Beast.

Instead, it held a kind of... calculated assessment, something approaching intelligence?

’This Black Beast is actually intelligent?!’

This discovery completely changed his understanding of Black Beasts.

Furthermore, the intense battle acted like a torrential downpour, completely extinguishing the tyrannical fire of slaughter burning in his heart.

Reason had retaken control.

Not daring to delay, Jiang Che’s massive body quickly shrank, and the Black Armor receded like a tide.

He quickly put his discarded clothes back on.

He then walked over to the four mangled, bloody corpses and, steeling himself against the stench of blood, began to search them carefully.

The haul was meager. He only found some gold notes and a few vials of unknown Elixir Pills. He didn’t find any Secret Manuals.

To his surprise, however, in an inner pocket on one of the corpses, he found another one of those small, hard, ice-cold stones that glowed with a faint green light—just like the one from before!

Jiang Che frowned slightly. He didn’t know what it was for, but he put it away carefully anyway.

Once he had finished all this, he suddenly remembered Tang Qiaoqiao!

’That bastard Xie Xingwen took her!’