The eagle that the elephant man transformed into flew at incredible speed, covering over a hundred miles in an instant.
"That man from the Dragon Nation is escaping! We can't let him take the Evolution Fruit for himself! Everything in this secret realm belongs to all of us!"
"Baka! My Evolution Fruit! Don't even think about taking it!"
"Everything should belong to our Kimchi Nation, whether it's Dragon Nation's traditions or the Evolution Fruit that man is holding!"
"Chase him!"
…
The awakened from other nations immediately reacted when they saw Chen Jie fleeing into the distance.
However, just as they tried to activate their talents to pursue him, a huge shadow appeared behind them, covering everyone.
They all turned to look and saw a massive red-eyed demon monkey, the size of Mount Tai, glaring furiously at Chen Jie in the distance.
"Roar!"
The demon monkey pounded its chest in anger and let out a furious roar.
Seeing these people from other nations, whose forms were somewhat similar to Chen Jie's, it assumed they were allied with him.
Unable to catch Chen Jie at the moment, the demon monkey vented its anger on them instead.
It raised its massive hand and slammed it downward, displacing air with a crackling sound.
"Boom!!!"
The demon monkey's huge hand smashed into the crowd without hesitation.
The clever and highly talented ones managed to dodge just in time.
The slower, clumsier ones were crushed into pulp, sinking into the mud, impossible to dig out.
After dealing this blow, the demon monkey didn't waste any more time.
It immediately resumed its chase toward Chen Jie.
The map of this secret realm wasn't very large, and as long as it kept pursuing, the demon monkey was confident it would eventually catch the one who stole its Evolution Fruit.
Seeing the demon monkey charge off, the surviving awakened from the various nations finally dared to speak.
"What kind of monster is that? Baka! Luckily, I'm fast enough, or I'd be dead right now!"
"My God, I didn't provoke this monster! God, forgive me, spare my life!"
"It's all that Chen Jie's fault! I almost ended up buried with him!"
…
All the awakened from the various nations had broken out in a cold sweat after that strike.
Yet, despite lingering fear, they looked in the direction Chen Jie had fled and got up to follow the demon monkey.
One after another, they activated their talents!
They transformed into beams of multicolored light and gave chase.
Even if in the end Chen Jie was killed by the demon monkey and they couldn't get the Evolution Fruit, they could still benefit from scavenging the battlefield.
A person who could casually pass through the Land of Thunder surely carried secrets worth exploiting.
…
"Master, this demon monkey's endurance is terrifying. I'm afraid I can't hold out much longer!"
The elephant man glanced back at Chen Jie, sounding exhausted.
He had flown dozens of miles, yet the demon monkey still relentlessly pursued him.
And he was only a mere fifth-tier awakener.
Being chased by a seventh-tier awakener and still surviving this long was already remarkable.
Chen Jie listened to the elephant man, then turned to glance at the furious demon monkey.
"Got it! Keep going a bit longer!"
Chen Jie said calmly.
Given the situation, he had no choice but to act.
But as a fifth-tier awakener, his chances weren't great.
Unless…
Chen Jie looked at the Evolution Fruit in his hand.
Since being plucked, the fruit had been channeling energy into his body.
Even holding it alone provided a steady boost.
What if he consumed it…?
But such immense energy, without preparation, naturally made Chen Jie a little uneasy.
"Roarrr!"
The terrifying roar of the demon monkey behind him snapped Chen Jie back to reality.
The monkey's rage only intensified as it pursued. If it caught him, the result would be death.
Making up his mind, Chen Jie gritted his teeth and bit off half of the Evolution Fruit.
The moment it entered his mouth, he felt a burst of sweetness.
"No obvious side effects so far?"
He quickly consumed the rest of the fruit.
This was something he had risked everything to obtain—there was no way to waste it.
Once the entire Evolution Fruit was consumed, warmth spread through his lower abdomen.
The fruit's energy transformed into pure essence, radiating throughout his body.
In less than half a minute, Chen Jie felt every muscle and tendon nourished by the fruit's essence.
His physical strength had certainly increased a tier.
But it wasn't enough!
The Evolution Fruit was a treasure that could make a mutant creature mutate again, elevating it an entire level.
How could it…?
Just as Chen Jie was dissatisfied with the fruit's effect, the warmth in his abdomen began to flare up.
This time, the true transformation had begun.
The surging, restless energy was unlike before…
It coursed wildly through his body, as if trying to break free from within him.
It was this frenzy of energy that made Chen Jie tremble all over…
Even affecting his balance!
"I have to suppress it!"
Chen Jie was drenched in sweat, his face alternating between red and pale.
The demon monkey behind him sensed the disappearance of the Evolution Fruit's aura, growing even more frenzied.
It accelerated with all its might!
Recapturing the Evolution Fruit was no longer possible, but it had to kill this human!
Its hatred toward Chen Jie had reached its peak.
"Master, this monkey is about to catch up! I can't hold out much longer!"
The elephant man urged repeatedly.
Already exhausted, his speed was dropping.
With the demon monkey accelerating behind him, the distance between them rapidly shrank.
Chen Jie's body was now emitting white steam.
He used the Chaos Xuanyuan Body to forcibly suppress the turbulent energy, then guided two streams of Hongmeng Clear-Pollute Qi to ensnare and absorb it.
During this process, Chen Jie truly felt reborn!
As he absorbed the frenzied energy, he sensed his body's tissues undergoing changes.
And the process accelerated rapidly!
It was reaching its peak, almost there!
Chen Jie felt the sensation of evolution…
"Ah!"
Suddenly, his body broke through a threshold, completing the transformation.
He shuddered violently, blinding golden light radiating from him.
His aura surged, reaching sixth-tier awakener level.
Thanks to the fruit's special properties, his cultivation also rose a tier after evolution!
No wonder this Evolution Fruit had caused nations to fight to the death in the last life!
"All right, that's enough!"
Chen Jie paused, signaling the elephant man to stop.
Next, it was time to face the demon monkey head-on.