To wipe out this contingent of ape-men entirely, Master Pang Qian detached a portion of his force to escort the wounded back to Titan’s Light, while he led the remaining troops onward in pursuit. Yang Ying remained with the main contingent.
The ape-men had fled in such haste that they failed to clean up many traces, such as footprints and bloodstains, leaving behind crucial clues.
To conduct a more thorough search for the remaining ape-men, Sean proposed to Master Pang Qian that they split into small teams for a sweeping, dragnet-style search.
“While this increases the risk slightly,” Sean explained, “as long as each team remains vigilant against sneak attacks, they can signal upon contact and hold the line until reinforcements arrive. This approach works because the ape-men are already scattered, making quick regrouping difficult—a small team can handle one or two—and the longer we wait, the farther they get, reducing our probability of success. Thus, this operation is viable.”
Master Pang Qian remained noncommittal, turning to the two special team commanders: “What are your thoughts?”
Wen Yang’s expression hardened. He immediately snapped to attention, saluted sharply, and declared, “No problem! We will complete the mission decisively!”
The other team commander concurred with the proposal.
“Very well, it is decided,” Master Pang Qian finally nodded, though he added a crucial suggestion: “You may organize your own groups, but ensure a balanced distribution of long-range and close-quarters firepower within each unit. If an ape-man gets within five meters of you, your life could be in genuine danger.”
“Yes!”
The personnel quickly formed their groups, agreed upon a rendezvous time of eight o’clock that evening, and then departed to begin their separate searches, maintaining communication links.
Yang Ying joined Master Pang Qian’s group; it consisted only of the two of them. Tracking down a single ape-man was well within Master Pang Qian’s capability, so Yang Ying was merely following along to observe and learn.
The two followed the tracks left by the fleeing ape-men. Along the way, Yang Ying noticed that Master Pang Qian seemed to be in excellent spirits, likely due to the recent routing of the main ape-man force, and chatted easily with Yang Ying about the daily routines within the Nian Neng Temple.
Since these matters were recorded in the biographies, Yang Ying was able to engage in conversation and keep the Master company.
Their discussion continued until they arrived before a glacial cavern. Various signs indicated that an ape-man had entered the ice cave.
“Let’s go in and take a look. I have a feeling we will reap significant rewards here,” Master Pang Qian said, stepping boldly inside. Yang Ying followed closely behind.
The interior of the ice cave was stunning, like a crystal palace. The ancient, perpetually smooth ice walls refracted light, mirroring their figures like crystalline mirrors, displaying a captivating beauty that Yang Ying had never witnessed, even through his night vision systems.
Yang Ying considered turning off his night vision to better appreciate the natural spectacle, but then remembered that the cave was utterly devoid of external light; disabling the system would render him completely blind.
‘The pursuit of fish and bear’s paw cannot be simultaneously achieved; the same applies to clear vision and scenic beauty. Is this not sorrowful?’
Yang Ying’s internal reflection did not manifest in his actions; he maintained a steady pace, shadowing Master Pang Qian deeper into the cavern.
He checked his thermometer and discovered the cave temperature hovered around negative one hundred and eighty degrees Celsius. In such an extreme environment, any injured ape-man was essentially doomed; the unimaginably frigid air would send it to hell in place of the punitive force.
However, there was no blood on the floor, only a few faint scrape marks indicating recent passage by a living being. This was a true eon-old ice grotto, where the permafrost was as hard as refined steel.
Master Pang Qian spoke as they walked: “We must be close to our target. I can feel its spirit—it is highly agitated, steeped in hatred, rage, and sorrow, like a wildfire in the darkness. Its spiritual power is already quite advanced, superior to those we eliminated today. This must be their commander.”
“Master, what should I do then?” Yang Ying knew handling even an ordinary ape-man was difficult for him; dealing with their commander seemed insurmountable.
“You do not need to engage. Find a safe place nearby to observe; I will resolve this,” Master Pang Qian said, showing no concern regarding the outcome.
This confidence stemmed from the realization that not all ape-men possessed awakened psychic abilities. However, the probability of an ape-man awakening its powers was far greater than in humans. These individuals were called Higher Ape-men, forming an aristocratic caste within the Ancient Legion. Roughly one in every hundred ape-men was an Awakened, meaning the millions strong Ancient Legion contained nearly one hundred thousand Higher Ape-men troops. In contrast, the human population of the Solar System, reaching thirty billion, possessed only a meager ten thousand Awakened individuals—vastly fewer than the ape-men.
This disparity explained why the Ancient Legion could casually dispatch a fifty-member unit to Titan’s Light, while the Nian Neng Temple could not afford such luxury with its own Nian Neng Shi troops.
Humans did possess an advantage: their mental power was generally finer, making it easier for them to break through bottlenecks and achieve mastery. Ape-men psychic power was coarser, making high-level advancement difficult. This resulted in fewer Master-level ape-men compared to human counterparts.
This ape-man commander, capable of leading a fifty-man team, was considered skilled within the Ancient Legion, yet his level was only comparable to an ordinary Nian Neng Shi—hardly a threat before Master Pang Qian.
After a short walk, the two reached a relatively wide clearing, approximately one thousand square meters in size.
Yang Ying immediately spotted the ape-man commander standing on a slightly elevated platform, looking down at them with his feet planted wide and his hands clasped behind his back.
It was significantly more robust than the common ape-men, standing over two and a half meters tall. Its form-fitting protective suit accentuated its tightly knotted musculature, and a faint red glow emanated from its visor.
Master Pang Qian lowered his voice: “Go hide behind that large ice formation nearby. Be careful not to be caught in the crossfire.”
“Understood, Master. Be careful.”
Yang Ying retreated behind a massive ice boulder, watching the clearing.
Master Pang Qian approached the base of the platform and pointed his right hand toward the ape-man. The sharp icicles hanging above the ape-man’s head immediately fractured and plunged downward, aimed at the enemy.
The ape-man raised both hands, projecting a wave of psychic energy that caught the falling icicles, arresting their descent. It then slammed both hands downward, sending the ice missiles hurtling back towards Master Pang Qian.
Master Pang Qian changed his right-hand movement to a block, instantly freezing the icicles in mid-air. With another swing, he deflected them aside, then leaped upward with surprising agility onto the platform, activating his lightsaber in the process. His blade shone a pure blue, reminiscent of the Earth’s vast oceans.
Yang Ying grasped the tactical reasoning: the ape-man held the high ground, giving it a gravitational advantage when hurling objects with its psychic force. If Master Pang Qian attempted to throw objects upward from below, it would consume considerable psychic energy. Therefore, he needed to ascend to equalize the height advantage held by the ape-man.
The ape-man responded by activating its own red lightsaber, clashing it against Master Pang Qian’s. The blades met with a loud, sizzling crackle, and the rock-hard ice layer beneath their feet instantly fractured, revealing the immense power unleashed by their collision.
With a single surge of his sword-light, Master Pang Qian repelled the ape-man. Compared to the ape-man, the Master looked like a slight, diminutive figure, but it was clear that the power contained within the Master’s seemingly frail body surpassed that of the robust ape-man!