C16 My Strength Increased Greatly!

At that moment, Wang Pingfan was intent on finding a secure location to engage in secluded cultivation, harnessing the system's power to absorb life energy and advance his realm.

Soon, he stumbled upon a rudimentary cave. To his surprise, his luck had held; he hadn't encountered any demonic beasts in the area, and now he had found this excellent hideaway. As Wang Pingfan was about to enter, a startling roar erupted from within the cave.

A crease formed on Wang Pingfan's brow as a realization dawned on him. The absence of demonic beasts in the vicinity likely meant that a formidable creature claimed this territory as its own. With the roar still echoing, Wang Pingfan knew he had to back away; he was no match for such a creature at his current level.

But his retreat came too late. Emerging from the cave was a colossal white figure. Wang Pingfan gasped in astonishment—it was a long-armed white ape. Known to reach at least the Martial Master Realm upon adulthood, a group of these apes resided deep within Mount Tempest, led by a white ape of the Martial Marquis Realm. The one before him stood three meters tall, with arms stretching two meters long. Likely just reaching adulthood, it was not a foe Wang Pingfan could contend with, especially notable by the single golden hair on its forehead.

The white ape pounded its chest with its hands, roaring at Wang Pingfan, signaling a clear message: he had trespassed on its domain and it was ready to strike.

Wang Pingfan spun around, attempting to flee, but again, he was too slow. The white ape charged, launching a punch. With no other option, Wang Pingfan braced for the impact, but as the fist neared, he sensed the overwhelming fury of the ape and dropped his arms. The creature's presence was too menacing; blocking with his hands would only result in crippling them. Relying on his body's armor seemed the better choice to absorb the blow.

The strike landed squarely on Wang Pingfan's chest, shredding his clothes but leaving the armor unscathed. Propelled backward, he flew over ten meters, crashing through several large trees and clutching his chest, barely holding back a mouthful of blood.

Wang Pingfan was relieved he had his armor; without it, that punch could have left him with severe injuries. The white ape seemed puzzled as it scratched its head, apparently baffled by how such a small human could withstand its powerful blow.

When the white ape charged forward and swung another punch, Wang Pingfan was ready. He swiftly dodged, though the punch's fierce wind still stung his face. Realizing the danger, he didn't hesitate and bolted down the mountain. The white ape, furious at Wang Pingfan's escape, looked as if it would give chase but abruptly halted, turning its attention to the cave behind it. It roared in Wang Pingfan's direction but did not pursue.

In his frantic escape, Wang Pingfan hadn't noticed the ape's hesitation. He only stopped running when he realized the white ape was no longer in sight.

Leaning against a large tree, Wang Pingfan coughed up blood, chastising himself for his carelessness. He was lucky the white ape hadn't followed; he wouldn't have stood a chance with his current speed.

He knew he needed to find a secure location to refine the beast core and enhance his strength. Soon enough, Wang Pingfan stumbled upon a place shrouded in a faint poisonous mist, a deterrent to the local demonic beasts. But for someone who practiced the Chaos Scripture like Wang Pingfan, the poison was harmless, making it an ideal spot for training.

Settling into a meditative pose, Wang Pingfan summoned the external aid within him and began to absorb vital energy. A voice echoed in his mind, "Master, prepare for energy reception." Energy flowed from an unseen realm into Wang Pingfan's body, mending his wounds and bolstering his power. After two hours, he opened his eyes, elated. He had reached the pinnacle of a Six-star Martial Cultivator and was on the cusp of becoming a Seven-star Martial Cultivator, though he still needed more practical fighting experience.

An idea struck Wang Pingfan: why not seek out the white ape for another round of combat? Wearing his beast armor and with the ape seemingly restricted from leaving its territory, he might even achieve a breakthrough to Seven-star Martial Cultivator during the fight. After some deliberation, he decided to retrace his steps and confront the white ape. Jogging back, he encountered several demonic beasts, but with his newfound strength, he dispatched them with ease, each with a single punch.

When Wang Pingfan returned to the cave's entrance, he discovered a scene of disarray with scattered bloodstains, indicating a fierce battle had recently occurred. Shortly after, a white ape emerged from the cave, roaring at the sight of the human who dared to seek it out.

Observing the white ape, with a fresh claw mark still bleeding on its chest, Wang Pingfan surmised it had just endured a significant fight. This was advantageous for him; facing the white ape in its prime would have been a far greater challenge. He gestured to the ape provocatively, as if to say, "Come on, try to hit me."

Enraged, the white ape couldn't believe the audacity of this mere human challenging it, especially after it had just fought a bitter duel with a rival, leaving it with no outlet for its pent-up fury. As the human approached, seemingly courting death, the white ape charged, arms flailing. Wang Pingfan braced himself, his muscles taut and fists crackling with energy. He threw a punch that met the ape's, sending him flying back several meters, yet he managed to regain his footing. The ape, taken aback, stumbled three steps backward, astonished that the man had withstood a blow that previously would have sent him soaring.

Wang Pingfan couldn't help but feel elated. The ape must have been seriously wounded for him to have held his ground; otherwise, he would have been hurled even further. Undeterred, he charged once more, and though the ape struck out with its fist, Wang Pingfan absorbed the blow with his body, again being propelled several meters back. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and landed another punch, causing the ape to retreat less than two meters.

The white ape, now staring at the human before it, was infuriated that such a small figure could force it back. It pounded on its bleeding chest, seemingly impervious to pain, as Wang Pingfan launched another assault. With each of the ape's punches, Wang Pingfan harnessed the strength of his beast armor to endure the impact, all the while relentlessly striking back at the white ape.

After trading dozens of blows, Wang Pingfan finally coughed up fresh blood. Yet, instead of weakening, his aura surged, signifying a breakthrough to the Seven Star Martial Cultivator rank. The white ape, witnessing this, was flabbergasted. How could he still be standing? It too had taken a similar beating but was far more seriously wounded. Realizing Wang Pingfan had leveled up, the ape retreated into its cave.

Wang Pingfan chose not to pursue the creature into its lair. Despite his advancement, his injuries were not light, and he remained outside, focusing on regaining his strength.