"Eleven percent of my True Essence — that's two Moon Blades, or withstanding two sneak attacks from the Stone Monkey King. Relying on the Moon Gleam Gu or the White Jade Gu alone won't cut it. The only chance is to seize the moment the Stone Monkey King attacks me and unleash a Moon Blade to kill it!" A tactical plan flashed through Fang Yuan's mind in an instant.
The Stone Monkeys' defensive capabilities were nothing special. The Stone Monkey King choosing this kind of sneak attack only confirmed its weakness — low defense.
A single Moon Blade could cut down five or six Jade-eyed Stone Monkeys in one stroke. Even if it couldn't kill the Stone Monkey King outright, it would deal devastating injuries.
But don't think it would be easy. Pulling this off was extremely difficult. Even a team of Gu Masters would fail without a Gu that could detect invisibility.
"This monkey is cunning. It keeps holding back — is it waiting for my True Essence to run out? Fine. I'll trust the Spring Autumn Cicada once more and take this gamble!" Fang Yuan made his decision in an instant, a cold gleam flickering in his eyes.
He stood in place, arms hanging at his sides, holding the collar of his upper garment. Slowly, he closed his eyes until only a thin slit remained. More startling still, he withdrew the White Jade Gu's protection.
The consumption of True Essence in his Empty Orifice came to an immediate halt. But at the same time, the white jade glow that had been shielding his entire body vanished.
The Stone Forest was filled with the furious roars and agonized screams of Stone Monkeys, but to Fang Yuan these sounds seemed to grow more and more distant.
A deep silence enveloped his mind.
He waited calmly for the Stone Monkey King's attack.
When it struck, that would be the moment the battle was decided.
Waiting...
Waiting...
Suddenly, the Spring Autumn Cicada in his Empty Orifice pulsed once more.
Chirp!
The next instant, a deafening crack exploded beside Fang Yuan's ear, and the Stone Monkey King materialized out of nowhere on his left!
"White Jade Gu!" A sharp light blazed from Fang Yuan's eyes as the white jade glow enveloped his entire body.
The Stone Monkey King's fist smashed into Fang Yuan with savage force, nearly knocking him off balance. The True Essence in his Empty Orifice plummeted by half a tenth, leaving only the other half!
The cunning Stone Monkey King missed its strike and immediately vanished again!
Fang Yuan had no time to counterattack, but the instant was enough for him to flick the garment upward.
He felt it catch something. A force tugged the garment outward, trying to drag it away.
The garment wasn't a steel net — to keep it from tearing, Fang Yuan released his grip in time. He watched as the garment, wrapped around something, darted around at an astonishing speed.
"Now!" A cold gleam flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes. The fate of this battle hinged on the Moon Blade in his hand, and his mind was as calm and clear as ice.
The Stone Monkey King was, after all, a beast. With the garment covering its face, it panicked instantly.
It shrieked wildly, calling for the Stone Monkeys under its command to help, while charging around erratically with the garment still draped over its head — making sudden, unpredictable turns in every direction.
A moon-blue Moon Blade sliced through the air at an angle and struck the Stone Monkey King dead on.
The Stone Monkey King let out a shrill scream as its body was forced into view.
It looked no different from ordinary Jade-eyed Stone Monkeys, except it was three times their size, and its eyes blazed with a blood-red glow.
A long, deep wound stretched from its chest all the way down to its left thigh. Blood gushed continuously from the gash.
It wasn't dead — but it was grievously wounded, the stench of death already clinging to its entire body. Clutching its wound in terror, it vanished once more.
Fang Yuan's garment had been sliced open by the Moon Blade, leaving a long tear as it fell to the ground. But the bloodstains still revealed the Stone Monkey's position — it was retreating in a panic, with no intention of continuing the pursuit. A wound this severe, left untreated, would surely kill it.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Yuan retreated toward the stone door. After unleashing the Moon Blade, only a wisp of True Essence remained in his Empty Orifice, and his combat power had plummeted.
The battle appeared to be a draw, but in truth, Fang Yuan had won.
The Stone Monkey King's injuries would not heal anytime soon. The more blood it lost, the weaker it would become.
Fang Yuan, on the other hand, could use Yuan Stones to rapidly replenish his True Essence and restore his fighting strength.
Without a Gu that could detect invisibility, and without any means of wide-area attack, Fang Yuan had nonetheless prevailed against a stronger opponent through sheer combat experience and an iron will that never faltered under pressure.
"Monkeys, foxes, badgers... creatures like these possess intelligence beyond ordinary beasts, which makes them cunning. But precisely because of that, they lack raw ferocity — once seriously wounded, they flee. If it were a wild bull or a wild boar, the more injured they became, the more violent they'd grow. This Monkey King appears to carry only a single Gu. That Gu grants invisibility, but it can't even conceal bloodstains. If my guess is correct, it's a First Transformation Hidden Stone Gu."
Fang Yuan mulled over his thoughts. With the memories in his mind, the Stone Monkey King held no more secrets from him.
"The battle is decided." Fang Yuan retreated into the stone chamber and closed the stone door, using Yuan Stones to replenish his True Essence.
After a short while, his True Essence was restored to its peak. He pushed open the stone door and ventured back into the Stone Forest.
The Stone Forest was still in chaos, but far less so than before.
"After this upheaval, the entire Stone Forest monkey hierarchy will be reshuffled. The Stone Monkeys will migrate and reorganize, and lone wanderers will form new groups. The passage I painstakingly cleared will likely vanish as a result."
Fang Yuan's heart sank. He had to kill the Stone Monkey King before that passage disappeared completely.
Otherwise, clearing it again would consume a vast amount of time. By the time he reached the heart of the Stone Forest again, he would be facing a fully healed Stone Monkey King.
Press the attack against a cornered foe — never let pride turn you into the fool who spares his enemy for the sake of empty reputation.