Somewhere inside the Great Forest of Manzur.
Four bedraggled figures of female disciples clad in a fiery robe could be seen walking in a strange manner. Their expressions revealed their pain and beaded sweats continuously formed on their foreheads.
A strange mixture of smell constantly wafted from their bodies and they couldn't help but gag in disgust when they remembered the time when those disgusting bastards from the Thousand Swords Sect, sprayed and soiled their bodies with their foul liquids.
"I wonder where Senior Sister went..." One of them mumbled and the other three threw her a gaze which silenced her down. Bitter smiles surfaced on their faces. Because of their desire to live, they discarded the friendship that they nourished with Annie and they felt horrible about it.
Nevertheless, a small sprout of happiness and schadenfreude lifted in their hearts. At the least, they could live and that Senior Sister of theirs would definitely be captured by that Ape Vampire and possibly, eaten alive.
Dragging their aching bodies, they continued their journey.
~Roaaar!~
A fierce bestial roar shook the earth, and almost everyone staggered and fell on the ground with pale faces. They had sacrificed something extremely important for them and their nightmare was still not over? They felt indignant in their hearts. But they still gritted their teeth and stood up.
"Hey, Elder Sis...What is that?"
A female disciple listlessly pointed at the distance and their eyes widened in shock when they saw the approaching silhouette that fueled the nightmares inside their hearts.
It was the nine-meter silhouette of an Ape Vampire. Riddled with a brownish fur, its body stood tall and its eyes shone in a light of desire and excitement when it saw its prey.
The female disciples felt their impending doom and their knees couldn't stop shivering.
"No...That's impossible, Senior Brother One Strike should be keeping them at bay..." A female disciple mumbled, but realization struck her mind as her face paled as she whispered, "Could it be that they purposely let it go so that it could capture and eat us..."
At this moment of life and death, her mind finally worked as all of the girls stood up and scurried for safety. One of them even smashed a rock on her Junior Sister's leg in hopes that the Ape Vampire would consume her first.
"Ah! Senior Sister, you..." The junior disciple pointed at the assailant as the latter hysterically laughed and said, "You go stall it for us, Junior Sis, we will remember your sacrifice..." The words that she said felt touching, but when it reached the ears of the former. Her expression froze and she bitterly laughed.
Staring at the gigantic figure of the Ape Vampire that stood before her. Tears streamed down her eyes as the Ape Vampire thoroughly crushed her inside its palm.
This time, a younger disciple purposely tripped her Elder Sister as she stared at the latter who broke her ankles. Her eyes radiated a cold indifference which pierced through the soul of the latter.
"No, Junior Sis, don't leave me here...Don't go! Save me!" She shouted as the Ape Vampire noticed her presence and plucked her off from the ground.
The men from the Thousand Swords Sect who observed all this while couldn't help but reveal ugly faces when they witnessed the betrayals that unfolded right before their eyes. They almost couldn't believe that they fucked such crazy women and couldn't help but shiver when they thought about it.
Senior Brother One Strike stared at their despairing figures with an amused, yet indifferent expression on his face. No matter how saintly someone was when faced with the threat of death. Their true natures would always unfold. Even someone who looked like he couldn't kill a fly would decisively slice off the heads of his family for a chance of survival.
Remembering his ugly past, Senior Brother One Strike's expression turned colder. He completely lost interest in other people aside from killing them or venting his lust. Especially, women, whom he considered as the vilest of them all.
Just moments ago, they were comrades, but now, they easily abandoned those they considered as their lifelong comrades. All for the sake of their own survival. Unlike men that would never abandon the battlefield. That's how selfish, women were for him.
"Everyone of you, remember that you can only truly know a person on the battlefield. Because only in that place where they'll true natures will show..." Senior Brother One Strike commented and his fellow disciples nodded their heads in agreement. At first, they wouldn't believe his claims, but after witnessing the actions of the women, they were convinced.
"The Ape Stampede has started, however, these small fries aren't our goal..." Senior Brother One Strike explained, and his fellow disciples stared at him in curiosity.
"Our target this time is the Ape Vampire Count, a peak Spirit Tempering Realm beast." A small smile of anticipation lifted on his lips as he declared his goal. Everyone sucked cold breaths, but they knew that with Senior Brother One Strike in their side, they will definitely accomplish their goal.
The commotion caused by the Ape Vampire Stampede shook the entire Great Forest of Manzur. Almost every low-leveled beast disappeared from the outer region of the Forest and snuck deep inside the inner parts. The earth continuously trembled as they passed by and inside the temporary campsite of the Thousand Swords Sect, Senior Brother Kwydin had a premonition inside his mind.
"This tense air...Just what is going on inside the forest, is everyone safe?" He thought in his mind. Tightly clenching his fists, he couldn't help but blame himself for being so powerless. If he could just remove his seal, he would definitely avenge the deaths of his comrades.
Glancing at the center of the campsite, Kwydin could see a jet-black orb calmly floating in the air. He judged with his sharp intuition that the floating orb should be the key for the seal on their dantians. Once that orb was broken, then they would regain their strength.
Slowly inching closer at the orb, Kwydin clicked his tongue and his heart almost leaped out of his throat as a voice echoed throughout the entire campsite.
"Every disciple of the Thousand Swords Sect! Prepare yourself! An Ape Stampede is incoming!" Senior Brother One Strike instructed and everyone went into full alert, including the disciples of the Paradyne Academy.
"Bastard! Where did you bring Annie and the others?!" A male disciple noticed that the people who returned only belonged to the Thousand Swords Sect. The women were missing.
Senior Brother One Strike glanced at them as if he was looking at a bunch of retards before saying, "Huh? You're still asking for them? As if you don't know in your hearts about their fates..." He shook his head, "Stop being in denial and accept the reality..." He turned his back and walked away from them camp.
"You..."
The eyes of the disciples from the Paradyne Academy shone in a deep crimson light. Especially, the male disciple who couldn't stop the trembling of his body. Senior Brother Kwydin engraved Senior Brother One Strike's back inside his heart and swore that he will definitely kill him and the entire Thousand Swords Sect, one day.
There were only three female disciples remaining and they snuggled against each other as they silently cried their hearts out. Senior Brother Kwydin averted his gaze. If not for his powerlessness, he could've saved them from this plight.
Senior Brother One Strike stood above a podium and glanced at a distance. His expression along with his fellow disciples turned solemn as he saw the approaching visage of a fifteen meters tall Ape Vampire.
Unlike the normal Ape Vampires, not only was this Vampire taller, but it also possessed bulkier muscles and the aura that constantly enveloped its body gave off the fluctuations of a peak Spirit Tempering Realm Cultivator. Without a shadow of doubt, this newly-arrived Ape Vampire was definitely the Ape Vampire Count!