Leo looked towards the direction of the valley, wondering how Thunder Dragon and Fire Rose were faring.
Leo and Violet moved quickly, arriving at the valley mentioned by the foreigners within seven or eight minutes.
Around the valley, the leaves of the trees were all red, looking vibrant and striking.
From within the valley came roars of strange beasts and sounds of fierce fighting.
Clearly, a battle was taking place in the valley.
Leo and Violet exchanged a glance and swiftly entered the valley.
Inside, towering red-leafed trees stood tall, each over thirty meters high, their leaves like fiery canopies.
At the far end of the valley stood a dozen trees different from the red-leafed ones. These trees were only about ten meters tall, with fan-shaped, green leaves. Among the green leaves hung clusters of blue fruits, small enough to be held several at a time in one hand.
In front of the blue-fruited trees, on an open ground, dozens of large, strange apes were beating their chests and roaring angrily. Encircled by these apes were more than ten people, locked in a temporary standoff.
These strange apes were called Iron-Arm Apes, with red fur and explosive muscles covering their bodies. The blue fruits were known as Forcebloom Fruits, which could greatly enhance physical strength when consumed by humans or beasts. Iron-Arm Apes loved Forcebloom Fruits and used them to boost their power.
The people surrounded by the Iron-Arm Apes were Espers from Atraria, including Fire Rose, Thunder Dragon, and Barrow. On the ground lay the corpses of over a dozen Iron-Arm Apes and three or four human bodies, also Atrarian Espers whom Leo did not recognize.
Leo noticed one particularly tall Iron-Arm Ape, nearly ten meters high, with faint golden hair on its forehead. This towering ape was clearly the king of the group.
Fighting against the Iron-Arm Ape King was an elderly man with graying hair. He was not an Esper but a Martial Cultivator named Channing, the leader of the Atrarian team entering the Enchanted Realm. Judging by his wounds, Channing was struggling in his battle against the Iron-Arm Ape King.
Iron-Arm Apes possessed immense strength and formidable defense. Ordinary attacks felt like mere scratches to them. Additionally, their attacks carried fire damage.
With a roar from the Iron-Arm Ape King, the battle resumed. Apart from Channing and the Iron-Arm Ape King, most fights involved two or three Iron-Arm Apes attacking a single Atrarian Esper or Martial Cultivator. Many were injured to varying degrees.
The only ones unscathed were a middle-aged couple and a beautiful young girl in a blue dress. The man was Maximillian and the woman Natalee, both S+ level Espers. Maximillian wielded a large blade while Natalee held an icy white sword. Their strength surpassed that of the Iron-Arm Apes, and nearly half of the ape corpses on the ground were their doing. They would rush to aid any Atrarian Esper or Martial Cultivator in danger.
Despite their efforts, three or four people had been caught off guard and killed by the Iron-Arm Apes.
The girl in the blue dress was not with Thunder Dragon and his group. She had been there when they arrived and had already picked some Forcebloom Fruits. Despite her youth, she was incredibly powerful, even more so than Maximillian and Natalee. Half of the ape corpses on the ground were her doing.
At that moment, she floated in mid-air, forming intricate hand seals with her fingers. Blue transparent raindrops appeared before her. With a point of her finger, the raindrops formed a line and shot towards an Iron-Arm Ape’s forehead. The first drop pierced its skin, drawing blood. The second drop entered its head, causing it to roar in pain. When all the raindrops had entered its head, it exploded in a shower of blood. The massive body of the Iron-Arm Ape fell to the ground with a thud.
Fire Rose watched in shock at the girl’s powerful attack. She was grateful for this mysterious girl’s presence; without her, their losses would have been much greater, possibly even total annihilation.
The most terrifying foe was the Iron-Arm Ape King. Apart from Channing, Maximillian, and Natalee, no one else could withstand its punches.
As Fire Rose marveled at the girl’s strength, an Iron-Arm Ape launched a fierce punch at her. Startled, she leapt up, fire energy bursting from her body to form three flaming lotus flowers before her. With a point of her finger, the flowers shot towards the ape’s head and exploded before impact, blinding one of its eyes. The pain drove it into a frenzy as it roared angrily and swung its fiery fists wildly.
Fire Rose paled and retreated rapidly. As she backed away, another Iron-Arm Ape appeared behind her and swung its fist at her. If hit, she would be severely injured if not killed.
In that critical moment, a large blade suddenly appeared and slashed at the ape’s fist. Though it did not sever the fist completely, it left a deep gash down to the bone. The ape roared in pain and withdrew its hand. Maximillian seized the opportunity to move forward and slash its throat with his blade. Blood spurted as the ape fell to the ground with a thud.
“Thank you for saving me, Senior Maximillian,” Fire Rose said gratefully.
Maximillian shook his head and rejoined another battle zone.
Fire Rose remained vigilant, her fire energy forming two blades as she charged at another approaching Iron-Arm Ape. Unfortunately, these apes did not fight one-on-one; soon another attacked her as well.
With a serious expression, Fire Rose fended off attacks from two apes while saying to Thunder Dragon, “Captain, why are there so many apes here? It feels like they’re gathering specifically to attack us.”