Chapter 701: Sister Sparrow, I Am Here

One month later.

Shen Mo returned to the place where it had all begun—the nest of the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow.

The first time he arrived in the Eastern State Heaven and Earth, he had fallen near this very nest. Back then, the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow had even treated him as a caretaker, raising him within the nest for several years.

As for the petrified beast egg, he had already obtained it and completely absorbed the essence of the Void Beast within.

The Void Beast’s blood and essence were incomparably powerful. Because of this, the number of his Dao patterns once again increased dramatically.

At present, his total Dao patterns had already reached four hundred and fifty. The final goal of five hundred Dao patterns was no longer far away.

“Sister Sparrow, I am here, Sister Sparrow!”

Shen Mo infused his voice with spiritual power, and it spread outward like a surging wave of air, quickly echoing in all directions.

Before long, a clear and resounding cry echoed from the horizon. Immediately after, a massive shadow that covered the sky rushed closer.

Shen Mo looked up and laughed with delight. The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow hovered above, and behind it followed a miniature version of itself.

It must have been the young offspring that had only grown during this period.

Whoosh!

A violent gale erupted, and the surrounding trees, flowers, and grass could not withstand such a storm, all being blown backward in disarray.

Shen Mo, however, stood calmly in place, unshaken.

The next moment, the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow landed gracefully, like a dignified and elegant noblewoman.

Yet its child’s landing was far less graceful.

The little one planted its face into the ground, forcibly carving a trench more than thirty zhang long before managing to stop with its beak.

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow’s elegant grooming of its feathers came to an abrupt halt. It let out a low, displeased cry.

The youngster scrambled back to its feet, its face visibly filled with embarrassment.

Shen Mo burst out laughing. “It’s nothing, Sister Sparrow. Children just learning to fly will naturally lack elegance. As long as it can fly, that is all that matters.”

“Who cares how it takes to the air?”

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow rolled its eyes gracefully.

The little one seemed to understand human words and looked at Shen Mo with gratitude several times, feeling an unusual closeness toward him.

From the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow’s mouth came a pleasant voice. “You have come to me because the promise between us has been fulfilled?”

Shen Mo nodded. “Shaoyang Manor has been destroyed, and Lei Jinglong is dead.”

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow was stunned.

That Shaoyang Manor would be eradicated—it had already guessed. For Shen Mo, that was not difficult.

But to hear that even Lei Jinglong was dead—it had not expected that.

And it had not even had the chance to take action.

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow had long dwelled within the Mangcang Mountain Range and knew little of events in the outside world.

At most, it sensed that the demon race had begun to stir.

As for more specific matters, it was completely unaware.

Shen Mo then recounted the recent events, not in great detail, but clearly enough to explain the sequence.

“So that is how it was…”

After listening, the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow let out a cold laugh.

“Good riddance. To dare lay hands on my child—he deserved death!”

In its heart, the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow cared little for great causes or justice. It only knew one truth: anyone who dared try to steal its child must die.

“My promise still stands. Come back with me to the nest. I have four supreme-grade saint artifacts there—choose whichever one you like.”

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow spoke calmly.

“Very well.” Shen Mo smiled.

When they returned to the nest, however, they discovered a group of Mountain-Moving Giant Apes sneaking toward it.

These creatures, skulking about in secrecy, were caught red-handed by Shen Mo and the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow.

“Hou, hou, hou…”

The leading Mountain-Moving Giant Ape let out an awkward cry.

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow’s eyes grew increasingly fierce.

The giant apes scratched their heads anxiously, at a loss.

This big bunch was supposed to be out foraging, so why had they suddenly returned?

They only ever dared sneak into the nest when the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow was away. If it came to a real fight, they were no match for it.

For decades it had been the same—each time the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow left, they never stopped harboring such thoughts.

“Hou, hou, hou!”

The leading Mountain-Moving Giant Ape suddenly noticed Shen Mo. Its eyes lit up with cunning, and it pointed at him while roaring loudly.

As if to say, they were here to fight Shen Mo.

Shen Mo could not help but laugh. Fight me?

If this had been during those first years after he fell into the Mangcang Mountain Range, and the Mountain-Moving Giant Apes had sought to fight him then, he truly might not have been able to defeat them all.

After all, they were physically powerful, enormously strong, and numerous.

He could have certainly beaten the leader, but subduing the entire group and making them yield was unlikely.

These creatures even dared provoke the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow, and had done so persistently for decades, never knowing fear—like honey badgers with no concept of backing down.

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow cast them a strange look.

This human cultivator had even slain Supremes, yet they wanted to fight him?

That was pure courting of death.

“Very well, I accept your challenge.”

“In the past, you never won. I can assure you, you will never win in the future either.”

Shen Mo smiled faintly.

“Hou, hou, hou!”

The Mountain-Moving Giant Apes could understand human speech. Hearing this, they grew furious.

The leader in particular was enraged, its enormous bloodshot eyes glaring wide.

It gestured with its hand, signaling for Shen Mo to come forward for a duel.

Yet before Shen Mo had even walked halfway, the group of apes charged him all at once, abandoning any sense of single combat.

Shen Mo did not manifest other divine forms, only summoning the image of the Battle Demon Ape.

The Battle Demon Ape was itself a simian, most skilled in hand-to-hand combat. The longer it fought, the stronger it became. The heavier its injuries, the more terrifying it grew.

The sounds of flesh-on-flesh combat resounded in the depths of the Mangcang Mountain Range.

Even the Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow was somewhat stunned by the sight, quickly shielding its youngling’s eyes with its wings, as if to say: this scene is too bloody—children must not watch.

Yet the little one was lively and eager, wanting badly to see how a mere human cultivator would deal with dozens of Mountain-Moving Giant Apes.

And then it was shocked.

That seemingly small human cultivator was like unbreakable steel.

The apes’ fists struck him without even breaking his skin, but with a casual punch, he sent them flying, howling in pain.

In less than a hundred breaths of time, dozens of Mountain-Moving Giant Apes were sprawled on the ground.

Some clutched their heads, others their bellies, all rolling about in agony.

“Do you submit?”

Shen Mo asked indifferently.

Though covered in wounds, the leader roared furiously and pointed at the form of the Battle Demon Ape, as if protesting that Shen Mo had used a divine form, making the duel unfair.

Shen Mo sneered. “You pack of apes ganged up on me, and you dare talk about a duel?”

The leader’s expression turned awkward.

“I’ll ask you again—do you submit? If not, we can continue.”

Shen Mo spoke casually.

His physical body was overwhelmingly strong. Even after thrashing dozens of Mountain-Moving Giant Apes, he was far from exhausted. Another round would be nothing.

“Hou, hou, hou!”

The apes cried out in terror, retreating again and again.

No more fighting, no more fighting—by no means would they fight again.

The leader whimpered a few times in grievance, then led its troop away with tails tucked.

“Sister Sparrow, how exactly did you end up with such a grudge against them?”

Shen Mo asked curiously.

The Heaven-Shrouding Sparrow rolled its eyes. “They’re obsessed with fighting. Since I am the strongest in this area, they fixate on challenging me every day.”

Shen Mo could not help but laugh helplessly.

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