Chapter Twenty-Two: The Man Who Lives in Symbiosis with the Iron Golden Ape

Wang Junfeng remained silent. He already understood that his thunderous power had failed to take effect because the shimmering shield covering their bodies had blocked all contact between the lightning and them. He promptly put away the Hammer of Thunder and brought out a long spear in its place.

As a close-combat mage, Wang Junfeng's fighting style was unlike others. He didn't hide behind his teammates, chanting spells from afar; instead, he infused his spells into his attacks, merging them with melee techniques for a unique approach to battle.

Wind and thunder swirled around him. His expression was cold, shorn of the usual geniality and replaced by an imposing severity.

Seeing his demeanor, the leader of the paladins grew uneasy. Nevertheless, he stunned Fang Yuan first before retreating. Their adversary was coming straight for him—there was no choice but to withdraw!

Having suffered under the Storm Spear before, he knew all too well that their many layers of protection were useless against its power. Whoever had made this magic-immune weapon for a mage—he cursed them silently.

If Fang Yuan hadn't interfered, their group's control abilities would have easily subdued their opponent. But now, with a new player thrown into the mix, they had to focus their control skills on him, freeing Wang Junfeng.

Though his retreat wasn't slow, Wang Junfeng—bolstered by the storm—was even faster. Raising his spear, he lunged forward, and the leader's protective barriers were pierced as if made of flimsy paper.

The leader's face drained of color.

Luckily, the second paladin reacted swiftly, swinging a light hammer at Wang Junfeng and stunning him.

The third had to take over, stunning Fang Yuan ahead of time.

"Damn!" The leader cursed inwardly.

Fang Yuan's resistance was so high that their stun only forced control for a little over a second. All four needed to act together to reach the next round of cooldown. But now, the second paladin had used his control on Wang Junfeng, breaking the chain on Fang Yuan.

"Run!" The leader didn't hesitate, signaling his brothers to retreat.

The others didn't pause; they bolted.

As they fled into the woods, the fourth paladin cast a long-distance control, extending Fang Yuan's immobilization.

A little over a second later—

A roar thundered out.

Fang Yuan let loose a long howl, his form growing taller, swelling to three meters—a small giant.

Now, Fang Yuan resembled an ape-man, his body shining with a metallic luster. With a furious shout, he strode after the four fleeing figures, charging through obstacles like a tank, forging a path by sheer force.

Mu Rongxun and his companions watched in awe. Was this how those above the first tier fought? The paladins' relentless chain control, Wang Junfeng's weapon switching and mastery of wind and thunder, Fang Yuan's transformation—these were realms they had never touched.

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Junfeng followed Fang Yuan's trail. The four on the other side were despicable; though they were opponents, he didn't want Fang Yuan to fall to their tricks.

"Oh, not the face!"

"Easy, that hurts!"

Soon, cries for mercy echoed from the woods.

Mu Rongxun was curious—how did that big fellow become immune to their control? Clearly, he'd been subdued moments ago. Did growing larger make him impervious?

Mu Rongxun didn't realize how close his guess was to the truth.

On a previous quest, Fang Yuan had, by chance, merged symbiotically with a young Iron Golden Ape, gaining some of its traits. Once mature, the Iron Golden Ape evolved into the Ancient Kong Ape, a creature almost immune to magical attacks. Even as a juvenile, its magic resistance was formidable.

Thus, when Fang Yuan transformed into the Iron Golden Ape form, the paladins' stuns barely affected him.

Still, the paladins proved incredibly tough. Even as Fang Yuan manhandled them in his transformed state, their cries were loud and robust, showing no signs of weakness.

Their screams sounded less like injury and more like fear of pain.

Wang Junfeng, who had intended to help, quickly realized that Fang Yuan was handling the four brothers on his own and wisely watched from the sidelines. Fang Yuan was clearly in a rage; approaching him now would likely result in a beating.

The symbiosis with the Iron Golden Ape brought many benefits, but also a fatal weakness—irascibility.

"Oh! Oh!"

The paladins' lusty cries made Wang Junfeng shake his head. These fellows weren't truly bad—just foul-mouthed and annoyingly adept at chain control. With their layers of magical shields, Fang Yuan's formidable strength was largely neutralized.

"You won't hurt them like that; try this!" Wang Junfeng tossed his spear over.

Fang Yuan's bloodshot eyes cleared a bit. Grasping the spear, he stabbed downward; their defenses crumbled like paper.

"Damn you, Wang Junfeng! Just wait!"

Their faces turned green, but before they could say more, Fang Yuan's fists—like thunderbolts—rained down.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

This time, their screams were genuine.

The Iron Golden Ape's strength was terrifying. Even with armor, they were battered to the point of coughing blood.

Yet Wang Junfeng was speechless. Despite everything, the four paladins, aside from spitting blood, showed no other signs of distress—still energetic and full-throated.

On closer inspection, he discovered they were secretly healing each other.

Even so, Wang Junfeng didn't plan on exposing them. They might be foul-mouthed, but they were part of the paladin corps—an adventurer group united and resilient. As a solo wanderer, he didn't fear them, but provoking them wasn't wise. A lesson would suffice.

When Fang Yuan finally tired himself out and sat aside, the four paladins still looked ruddy and robust, nothing like men who had spat so much blood.

Mu Rongxun and his companions, watching nearby, couldn't help but marvel in secret.