He glanced over his shoulder and saw the golden tiger still standing by the bird's nest, staring right at him from afar.
After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Bai turned back around and slowly continued towards the exit from the valley.
One step, two steps, three steps…
The golden tiger yawned lazily.
Green light sprayed fiercely from Xiao Bai's paws as he burst into a mad dash out of the valley, his figure a pale streak streaming over the ground.
The wind whistled in his ears as the scenery flew past. He was almost out.
In the next instant, the golden tiger was standing right in front of Xiao Bai. After a lengthy yawn, it took a long breath and glared at Xiao Bai with distain.
Xiao Bai slowly lay down, and rolled over like a kitten.
…
The eastern peak of Liang Duan Mountain.
Jiang Shaoliu panted for breath, his combat suit drenched in sweat.
A rolling sound like muffled thunder came from the ox-headed giant's belly as he slowly advanced.
Lin Yuetao's muscles quivered as he panted for breath, his silver color faded. One of his arms was hanging limply at his side.
"Doctor Jiang, I think we've underestimated them. They just keep getting stronger!" Lin Yuetao muttered through gritted teeth. "The more time they get to recover from crashing through the golden barrier up there, well… the less likely we are to get out of here alive!"
Jiang Shaoliu turned around and clenched his fists tightly.
Liu Guang, Chen Anguo, the skinny soldier and the burly soldier…
A few dozen exhausted military masters had climbed up to the third platform and were watching with pale faces, lacking the courage to step in.
Before Lin Yuetao could continue, a red light lit up on everyone's smart watches.
Beep beep beep…
Xu Jianjun's electronic voice sounded from every smart watch: "A golden ape has been sighted at the Huaguoshan viewing platform and has now entered Sector 2, heading for Liang Duan Mountain. Save your strength and disengage immediately."
"We'll all die if we don't fight back." Jiang Shaoliu dug out a slightly squashed red fruit from his pocket and said firmly to Lin Yuetao, "We can hold them off for a while longer. These two will be done for once our reinforcements arrive!"
"Reinforcements?" Lin Yuetao looked at Jiang Shaoliu quizzically. "Do you mean…?"
"Trust me." Jiang Shaoliu swallowed the rare fruit without hesitation and his true qi flared up so much his meridians hurt. Thick blood vessels bulged on his skin as his body absorbed the sudden influx of energy.
Without a word, Lin Yuetao reached into his pocket and popped a small capsule into his mouth. Soon, his silver colors exploded with burning energy. "This capsule will double my energy output for about five minutes. Let's do this."
Jiang Shaoliu didn't respond, firmly staring at the ox-headed giant. The pores on the back of his hands were all wide open and air was almost audibly swishing in and out.
A fierce look flashed over Oxhead's eyes as his huge fist tore through the air straight at Jiang Shaoliu's head.
True qi exploded in Jiang Shaoliu's leg meridians and his muscles bulged as he leaped to the sky and punched with the Ape Fist.
Bang!
A shockwave exploded outward as the two fists slammed into each other. Jiang Shaoliu flew away like a meteor, blasting out a deep trench and sending debris flying everywhere.
Oxhead staggered back a few steps, rubbing his arm. A hot jet of steam spewed from the vacuous expanse of his nostrils, but he pressed on.
Jiang Shaoliu coughed and struggled to stand up from the ground, blood trickling from his lips and nose, but his fists still firmly clenched.
Lin Yuetao roared and clashed against Horseface's fist, but was ejected backwards like a rocket, struggling to get back on his feet after rolling more than thirty meters away, his combat suit in tatters and his silver light almost completely faded.
The horse-faced giant regained his balance after only moving back a single step and glared fiercely at Lin Yuetao, advancing toward him with his heavy fists raised.
"Is that double the energy…?" Lin Yuetao's entire body ached. He turned back and forced a smile at Jiang Shaoliu: "Doctor Jiang, I'm afraid I can't hold on until the reinforcements you mentioned arrive. He's too strong."
With these words, Lin Yuetao crumpled down to the ground, panting weakly, his silver glow vanishing entirely.
Jiang Shaoliu scowled at the horse-faced giant, whose elongated face was already looming over the defeated Lin Yuetao, his mighty fist raised with terrible vigor.
"Get out of there!" yelled Jiang Shaoliu and dashed to block Horseface's descending sledgehammer fist.
The giant's arm recoiled slightly as it slammed into the dirt, blasting a deep pit into the earth and sending rubble flying, but Lin Yuetao was already gone.
Jiang Shaoliu landed thirty meters away, carrying the Lion Warrior in his arms.
"Put me down," Lin Yuetao wheezed weakly. "I'm the Lion Warrior! I will never be a burden on my men! Doctor Jiang, please put me down so I can die with dignity."
Jiang Shaoliu didn't speak, only slowly carrying him away.
Oxhead and Horseface walked after them side by side, getting closer with every step.
On the western peak of the mountain, Ruo Feng and his audience could hardly believe their eyes.
"Holy crap, how is that horse thing so strong? Lion Warrior is KO after one hit!"
"The minotaur is strong too, even Doctor Jiang can't handle it..."
"So, think they really have gold rings?"
"If Jiang Shaoliu and Lion Warrior couldn't beat them, who can?"
In their homes in Yungang City, many people put their hands together in silent prayer for Jiang Shaoliu and Lin Yuetao.
The livestream showed Jiang Shaoliu carrying Lin Yuetao away as the two golden giants closed in on them, slowly raising their earth-shattering fists to smite the puny humans.
Suddenly, they looked at each other uncertainly and turned around to gaze at something far away.
Jiang Shaoliu perked his ears.
Terrible roars were coming from somewhere not too far from Valentine Valley.
The roars and bellows continued one after another and the sound was becoming clearer and louder. Whatever it was, it was closing in fast on Liang Duan Mountain.
Horseface glanced at Oxhead anxiously.
Oxhead shrugged and turned back to Jiang Shaoliu and Lin Yetao with a fierce look in his eyes, raising his fist once more.
Jiang Shaoliu's muscles tensed, ready to spring to action at a moment's notice.
Another roar reverberated from inside Valentine Valley, shaking the entire western face of the mountain to its core. Loose stones slid and rolled downhill.
Golden light gleamed like a beacon beneath the feet of a giant figure, over thirty meters tall, as it stormed up the mountainside, covering dozens of meters with every step. Its arms and legs were like the trunks of ancient trees, its defined musculature extremely fierce, like steel cables.
Everyone on the third platform was frozen in place.
What kind of monster was this? The sound of its roar alone scared the two golden giants, and it hadn't even arrived yet!
How terrible was its might? Was it friend or foe?
A hulking figure shot past the edge of the third platform and high above it, followed by a violent rush of wind that almost knocked the tired soldiers off their feet.
Everyone looked up and stared at the sky with astonishment.
It was a…