’Tsk tsk. To think this big fella would act like a child, getting mad at me and storming off!’ Zhaang Ye rubbed his head, chuckling to himself. After his amusement passed, he felt a pang of regret. ’His strength is quite impressive. If he were by my side, I’d be much safer in the outer regions of the Barbaric Beast Forest. A pity I made him so angry he ran off.’

Having spent all this time with the Mammoth, Zhaang Ye had subconsciously come to see it as a partner. With it gone from the valley, he no longer had the heart to stay. He jumped down from the stone cliff, gathered his things, and was just about to leave when he suddenly heard a thunderous rumbling from outside.

Zhaang Ye looked up and saw that the once-majestic Mammoth now looked utterly wretched. Two arrows were sticking out of its rump, its thigh was covered in cuts, and a broken spear was dangling from its head. What shocked Zhaang Ye most was that a large patch of the Mammoth’s treasured golden fur had been burned away, leaving it in a sorry state.

Zhaang Ye burst out laughing. "Big fella, did someone try to roast you?"

Hearing Zhaang Ye’s voice, the seemingly docile Mammoth flicked its large ears and let out a long, loud snort from its trunk, looking thoroughly incensed. After a moment, it calmed down, blinked at Zhaang Ye, and let out a low rumble while gesturing with its trunk.

"Don’t tell me you found something good again?" Seeing the Mammoth gesturing, Zhaang Ye was at a loss for words. "You’re not asking me to go with you, are you?"

RUMBLE.

Zhaang Ye rubbed his forehead and forced a smile. "Big fella, the enemy has so many experts that even you took a major beating. Even if I join you, we won’t be a match for them, right? One wrong move, and I could lose my life. I don’t dare to help you with this."

The Mammoth tilted its head, seemingly pondering Zhaang Ye’s words. After a moment, it rumbled again and began gesturing, as if explaining something to him.

Zhaang Ye watched for a moment before asking tentatively, "Are you saying you managed to seriously injure them?"

The Mammoth nodded proudly, its gaze fixed on Zhaang Ye with fervent hope.

Zhaang Ye fell silent, carefully weighing whether he should take the risk and follow the Mammoth.

’The Mammoth is stronger than a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Third Layer, but weaker than one at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer. Although it’s injured, it managed to escape. That means its opponents were most likely Martial Arts Third Layer Martial Artists, and they must have been wounded in the fight as well...’ After secretly assessing their strength, Zhaang Ye finally made up his mind. ’The Mammoth has lived in this forest its whole life. Anything it considers valuable must be incredibly useful. Cultivation has always been like dancing on a blade’s edge. To achieve a breakthrough, you need a heart that forges ahead with courage. If I don’t even dare to fight for a treasure that’s right in front of me, what kind of Martial Artist am I? I might as well go home, get married, and raise a big family! I’m in!’

His mind made up, Zhaang Ye waved to the Mammoth and said, "Let’s go!"

The Mammoth let out a joyous cry, spun around, and charged back out of the valley.

Too lazy to walk, Zhaang Ye pushed off the ground and leaped onto the Mammoth’s back, concealing himself within its long fur.

The Mammoth carried Zhaang Ye on its back, charging wildly until it soon reached a small hill roughly ten miles from the valley. Four or five people were standing on the hill. Before the Mammoth had even drawn near, a voice cursed, "Fuck! That Long-haired Elephant is back! Lin Li, Zhou Xiong, Wang Qing—you three go and slaughter it!"

At the command, three figures immediately descended from the hill. Hidden on the Mammoth’s back, Zhaang Ye watched from a distance and sensed that all three of their auras were stronger than his own. They were clearly all experts at the Martial Arts Third Layer.

All three were covered in bloodstains, clear evidence that they had sustained serious injuries during their earlier fight with the Mammoth.

Zhaang Ye was secretly delighted to see that the three were indeed injured. Although his cultivation was only at the Peak of Martial Arts Second Layer, his Gentle Wind Slash was a remarkably profound Saber Technique, and he had twice succeeded in killing experts of the Martial Arts Third Layer. With his strength, he should be able to take down one of the Martial Artists with a surprise attack.

The Mammoth was strong enough to face three Martial Arts Third Layer Martial Artists at once without falling into a disadvantage. If Zhaang Ye killed one of them and then coordinated with the Mammoth’s attack, it was highly likely they could take down another. The enemy party had five members in total; after killing two, they would gain the flexibility to either press the attack or retreat.

ROAR! The Mammoth bellowed in fury and shot toward the three Martial Artists like an arrow.

"You damned Long-haired Elephant, you dare to provoke us? Just go and die!" someone cursed loudly, followed by the WHIZ of several arrows being loosed.

Startled by the sound of arrows piercing the air, Zhaang Ye quickly pressed himself into a low spot on the Mammoth’s back.

One long arrow flew just over Zhaang Ye’s head, while the other two struck the Mammoth. Fortunately, the Mammoth’s hide was tough and its flesh thick; one or two mere arrows were simply not enough to injure it.

As the Mammoth closed the distance, someone shouted, "All-out attack! Kill it!"

WHOOSH! The three Martial Artists of the Martial Arts Third Layer sprang into action. Two of them used a bizarre Footwork Technique, trying to circle around and attack the Mammoth from behind. The third leaped into the air, planning to land on the Mammoth’s back and launch his attack.

The man who had leaped into the air was a lean, middle-aged man wielding a Hundred Refinement Sharp Sword. Although he was injured, his Martial Arts Third Layer strength was still intact. Wielded with his full power, the Hundred Refinement Sharp Sword drew a long arc of Sword Light, creating a howling gale.

The back was the Mammoth’s weak point. Despite its tough hide, the lean middle-aged man was confident that his sword could pierce its skin and inflict a grievous wound.

The Sword Light flared brightly, just about to strike the Mammoth’s back.

The Mammoth’s powerful vitality completely masked Zhaang Ye’s aura. Even with his Martial Arts Third Layer strength, the man had failed to detect that another person was hiding on the beast’s back.

Suddenly, Zhaang Ye moved. The saber in his hand slashed out in an instant.

The light from his saber flashed faintly in the air.

Gentle Wind Slash!

Only the gentle wind could be seen, not the blade!

Although Zhaang Ye’s cultivation was still at the Peak of Martial Arts Second Layer, he had already faintly touched the threshold of the Martial Arts Third Layer. This Gentle Wind Slash, unleashed with his full power, was as mighty as a strike from an expert of the Third Layer.

Caught completely by surprise, the lean middle-aged man’s mouth fell open in terror. He only managed to let out half a scream before Zhaang Ye’s Gentle Wind Slash sliced him in two, and his bloody corpse tumbled from the sky.