The edge of Er Han’s blade reflected the midday sun, luring a monstrous, bloodthirsty gleam that mocked the Crimson World’s quiet play. Deep within the green-skinned, three-armed ape, a sense of deep unease stirred, its savage eyes fixing on Gan Jing with a low, discontented roar.

The wolf pack tensed at the beast’s growl, their necks drawing back sharply. Their bodies shuddered as if jolted by an arcane current. They dug their powerful hind legs deep into the snow, kicking up a spray of mud and slush, and collectively lunged at Gan Jing, mouths agape and claws extended.

Gan Jing ran at full throttle, the Dou Jin surging through him with an indescribable smoothness. The wolves, usually swift shadows, now seemed to move in slow motion. He could see every movement of the dozen-odd predators with perfect clarity, even predicting their next instantaneous action.

The distance closed rapidly. The lead wolf stretched its jaws to their widest extent, the opening nearly squeezing the fearsome teeth that could snap a child's arm, dripping viscous saliva as it locked onto Gan Jing’s throat.

Gan Jing could smell the rank breath emanating from the wolf’s maw. His fingers spun, clenching into a fist, yet his feet never faltered their sprint. Mid-air, he swung his arm toward the lunging wolf, his fist connecting with a solid thud against the creature’s nose. The sound of bone shattering echoed like a series of wooden sticks being snapped in rapid succession.

The pouncing wolf jerked violently in the air, crimson blood trailing as it was hurled back, skidding two meters upon impact before its four limbs seized up in spasms. It was dead before it hit the ground.

Wolves, dogs—all beasts shared one paramount advantage: their extraordinarily keen sense of smell.

Gan Jing recalled reading that this very strength was also their greatest vulnerability; a severe blow struck precisely there could instantly induce death.

The second wolf veered to Gan Jing’s left flank. He thrust his arm outward, his five fingers flipping to clamp onto the beast’s skull, and without even looking, he flung it sideways. This beast, weighing several dozen pounds, was thrown like a stone, leaving a gray streak in its wake, crashing heavily into another approaching wolf.

The two bodies collided. Just as the fading echo of the first bones breaking died away, the sound of new fractures erupted again, sharp and continuous. Foul-smelling blood began to ooze slowly down the sharp, pale shards of bone protruding from the wolves’ ravaged forms, continuing to roll for several rotations before finally coming to rest.

Shui Lianying’er’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in disbelief as she watched Gan Jing plunge into the wolf pack. How could these fierce, swift predators be so fragile in his hands? Less substantial than soft dough, they perished like toys in the blink of an eye, lacking even the strength to resist. Could it be… had he finally become a Demon-Slaying Warrior?

Gan Jing’s feet struck the ground again, a fierce, cold light flashing from his eyes as he swept across the remaining wolves. The bloody killing intent made the others flinch mid-attack. Gan Jing’s right elbow smashed the head of the nearest wolf to pulp.

A wolf, its fearful eyes momentarily hiding a flicker of vicious triumph, dropped its body almost flat against the snow, its jaws snapping shut as it clamped down ruthlessly on Gan Jing’s lower leg!

“Xiao—” Before Shui Lianying’er could finish shouting the first syllable of his name, the wolf’s mouth had already fiercely bitten down on Gan Jing’s rear leg!

Bang! A sound akin to colliding stones echoed across the combat zone. The triumph in the wolf’s eyes rapidly vanished. Its sharp teeth had failed to break his shin, unable even to pierce his calf muscle and skin. It felt as if it were gnawing on solid timber; the muscle only gave way slightly under the pressure of its jaws.

The other wolves, witnessing this bizarre scene, momentarily forgot their attack, staring at Gan Jing in incomprehension. How could teeth capable of dispatching most prey utterly fail this time?

Gan Jing looked down at the wolf gnawing his calf and offered a pleased smile. “The Fengyun Golden Body is exactly as I anticipated. Not only has my physical strength increased, but my resilience is far greater. This meager force is nowhere near enough to breach my body and injure me.”

His fingers spread and clamped onto the wolf’s head. His index and middle fingers stabbed directly into its eyes. The sudden, intense pain caused the wolf to open its mouth to howl, but Gan Jing simply yanked his arm up and hurled the creature away, where it struck and killed another wolf nearby.

In just a moment of contact, four living, struggling wolves had become cold corpses. Gan Jing’s gaze swept over the rest of the pack; they simultaneously drew back in unison, glancing at each other. Their long tails tucked tightly between their hind legs, they turned and scattered, fleeing in four different directions.

The green-skinned, three-armed ape watched the fleeing wolves and unleashed several enraged roars toward the sky. The wolves did not pause their flight, disappearing into the nearby thicket without a backward glance.

The instincts of the wild told the wolf pack this “food” was terrifyingly savage; it could turn them all into its food.

The ape roared again in fury. Its three arms lifted high, and the muscles beneath its jade skin suddenly swelled, making its already robust frame even more massive. In an instant, the green hue of its skin deepened noticeably, shifting to a dark, inky green.

Ink green! Shui Lianying’er stared at the ape in shock. Legends claimed that when a green-skinned, three-armed ape reached a certain stage—a transformation marked by the deepening of its skin tone—it represented a qualitative leap in destructive power. Ink green was the apex state of the jade green phase, barely half a step away from the legendary blue skin! Its destructive capability far surpassed that of a normal green-skinned ape!

This creature ranked among the most powerful of all beasts that had evolved into Demon Beasts. A tenth-level Warrior would have virtually no chance of victory without a superior weapon. This ink-green-skinned ape was even stronger than the ordinary specimens.

“Quick, the blade!” Shui Lianying’er darted out of the cave entrance and rushed toward Gan Jing’s battle saber. She gripped the hilt and lowered her shoulders slightly, immediately realizing the weapon was far heavier than she had imagined. She stared in astonishment at Gan Jing, who was sprinting empty-handed toward the ape. “He has been wielding such a heavy weapon as if it were merely a simple wooden stick?”

Gan Jing, his confidence bolstered by easily repelling the wolves, felt his Dou Jin churning repeatedly. He strode toward the ape, a hint of heightened battle spirit illuminating his already intent eyes. “Excellent! I am no ordinary tenth-level Warrior, and you are no ordinary green-skinned, three-armed ape. Let us see who is stronger!”

A texture resembling tree bark suddenly emerged on the ape’s ink-green skin. In that instant, its external armor visibly hardened once more. Its arm swept toward a solitary tree beside it; with a sharp crack echoing through the valley, the bark shattered and flew outward, and the tree, as thick as an arm, snapped and fell backward, its roots torn from the ground, churning up soil.

The ape crouched down, propelling its body forward with its thick legs. Its massive, towering form moved with surprising agility through the snow, showing none of the expected clumsiness of size. Instead, its bulk only served to emphasize its quickness.

Across the white expanse, the ape bounded like a slender, agile monkey, moving like a streak of green lightning. Its right arm shot straight out, resembling a siege ram’s wooden pile aimed squarely at Gan Jing’s face.

Its arm was exceptionally thick, and its body so tall; the wind displaced by its limb whistled ominously, as if someone were swinging a massive club out of thin air.

The ape’s strike carried terrifying momentum, a savage wildness mixed with the force of a trained warrior. The compressed wind slammed into Gan Jing, threatening to crush his breath. He recognized this advantage: the superior intellect of a Demon Beast over a mere wild animal, giving the feel of facing a genuine warrior. Listening to the wind, the power was undeniable.

If this demon beast reaches the blue skin stage later, just how terrifying will it become?

Gan Jing’s left arm shot out like a spear, meeting the ape’s massive arm head-on. He blocked that primal, furious punch entirely. The meeting of man and beast resonated with the brittle sound of bone and muscle clashing, the impact shaking the piled snow upward significantly.

A flicker of surprise crossed the ape’s eyes. Its charging momentum was abruptly halted by the opposing punch. It did not withdraw its right arm but held it steady against Gan Jing’s fist, while the left arm, already pulled back during the collision, swung down in a hammering blow.

Gan Jing’s right shoulder jolted, his legs bending slightly as he sank his stance, bringing his right arm up to meet the ape’s left punch. The snow that had just bounced up returned to the ground with another shuddering jolt.

Exhilarating! Gan Jing felt no pain in his knuckles, only the thrilling sensation that the collision of their fists was drawing out even greater Dou Jin and strength from within him!

The ape grimaced as its two fists met Gan Jing’s defense, revealing an expression of pain, but its eyes quickly held more suspicion. Why does this feel like punching stone in a rocky forest? My bones really ache!

In an instant, the look of doubt morphed into fierce excitement. Its third chest arm, taut like a drawn bowstring, jabbed directly toward Gan Jing’s sternum at close range.

Almost simultaneously, Gan Jing lifted his right leg, which had been slightly trailing, and drove it forward in a frontal kick, like a battering ram aimed directly at the ape’s lower abdomen.

The fabric of the Warrior’s uniform was loose, suited for jumping and kicking; the trouser legs snapped with a rapid, crisp rhythm, like several people applauding together, the speed pushed to its absolute limit.

Boom! Boom!

The two muffled impacts landed almost simultaneously. Gan Jing took the ape’s punch to the chest, feeling an immediate, sharp burning sensation. He staggered backward several steps, his feet carving deep impressions into the frozen earth beneath the snow, an earth as hard as stone.

Did I really publish a third chapter today? Why is there a third chapter? I need to explain this. Gao Lou is a relatively emotional, or perhaps simple, person.

There are three reasons for the bonus update: First, I was touched by everyone’s support, and in a fit of excitement, I decided to post again.

Second, I made a promise to a few friends to prove that Mu Ne is Mu Ne, and I am me. Because of this, I said I would recommend a song in today's update chapter, but I completely forgot. The recommendation time tomorrow is too late, so I seized the moment while I felt inspired to post this instead. This song, "For the Dragon," is quite good.

Third, as people from my hometown would say, a dog’s stomach can’t hold dry rations—if I felt like updating, I updated.

Well, the third chapter is here. Please vote for next month’s tickets.