Zhang Liwei, facing the impending threat of the Bloodthirsty Fiend Apes, fortified his resolve. He adopted a defensive posture, strategically waiting for the right moment to launch his counterattack. The malevolent aura of Demonic Qi emanating from the apes was almost suffocating, pulsating with raw power and evil intent.

As the first ape lunged towards him, Liwei readied his staff and declared, "Yellow Emperor Stone Spear!" Channeling his Qi, he unleashed a spear of Earth Qi that shot towards the beast. The spear struck the ape squarely, inflicting a deep wound, but this only fueled the ferocity of the remaining apes, intensifying their brutal assault.

With the apes now closing in, Liwei prepared his next move. "Stone Forest Sword Array!" he called out. Instantly, sharp spikes of earth shot up from the ground, targeting the apes' feet. Their roars of anger echoed through the air as they attempted to navigate the unpredictable spikes, which impeded their advance with a ruthless efficiency.

In the midst of this chaos, Liwei sensed one of the apes preparing to pounce. He quickly activated his defensive technique, "Golden Lotus Bulwark!" Qi shields spiraled around him, forming a formidable barrier. The ape, undeterred, leaped at Liwei, its fist enveloped in a dense cloud of Demonic Qi, aiming a devastating blow.

The ape's fist collided with the Qi shields, shattering the first few layers but unable to break through completely. The Golden Lotus Bulwark held strong, significantly reducing the impact of the attack.

In that critical moment, Liwei grasped the gravity of his narrow escape. He realized that without the staff and its defensive powers, the ape's blow would have been devastating, reducing his Stone Body Method to mere fragility.

With the protective Qi shields swirling around him, Liwei seized the opportunity for a counteroffensive. He targeted the ape most weakened by his earlier attack, its mobility reduced from wounds on its feet. "Stone King's Golden Needle!" he exclaimed, focusing his Qi. A golden beam of Earth Qi burst forth, piercing the head of the injured ape, leaving a neat, lethal hole. The beast's gaze locked with Liwei's for a fleeting moment before it fell to the ground, lifeless. "One down, four to go," he muttered under his breath.

Preparing for the next onslaught, Liwei's mind was a whirlwind of tactical planning. Each action needed to be meticulously calculated; the margin for error was nonexistent against these formidable foes. The Staff of the Earth Dragon had already demonstrated its value in combat, tipping the scales in his favor, but the battle was far from won.

The remaining apes, enraged by the fall of their kin, began to encircle Liwei, their bestial roars echoing menacingly. "I mustn't let them surround me," Liwei thought, retreating to maintain distance while keeping a wary eye on the advancing beasts. Despite his efforts, the apes, quicker and more agile, were closing in.

In a strategic move, Liwei slammed the end of the staff into the ground. "Stone Forest Sword Array, rise!" he shouted. Spikes of earth shot up, impaling the foot of one of the apes, rooting it in place. Liwei didn't miss his chance. "Stone King's Golden Needle, strike!" he commanded. The needle of Qi shot out once again, finding its target in the ape's chest. The beast howled in agony, clutching its chest, before collapsing to the ground, joining its fallen comrade in defeat.

"Two down, three more to go," Liwei muttered, his breath quickening. Despite the staff's amplification, his Qi reserves were depleting rapidly. As a low-level cultivator, he was operating at less than half his usual capacity.

The remaining three Bloodthirsty Fiend Apes, driven to a frenzy with bloodshot eyes, synchronized their attack. In a moment of calculated aggression, they hunkered down and then, as one, sprang towards Liwei. Anticipating the heightened threat, Liwei acted swiftly. "Fist of the Earth, unleash!" he cried out, launching a series of Qi boulders towards the oncoming apes. His aim was not to harm but to disrupt their coordinated assault and maintain a safe distance from their deadly reach.

As the boulders flew, the apes, mid-leap, found themselves bombarded. The impacts caused them to wince and falter, their momentum slightly hampered. Yet, one managed to breach the barrage, coming alarmingly close to Liwei. Its razor-sharp claws swiped at him, narrowly grazing his cheek and drawing blood. Four stark red lines appeared on his skin, a vivid reminder of the perilous dance between life and death unfolding in this confrontation.

Quickly regaining his focus, Liwei targeted the encroaching ape. "Fist of the Earth, strike again!" he shouted, propelling a concentrated volley of Qi boulders at the beast. While retreating, he deftly maintained his footing, his practiced movement techniques keeping him nimble and balanced even under the intense pressure of the beasts' relentless advance.

Each second of this battle pushed Liwei to his limits, challenging him to utilize all his skills, his Qi, and the transformative abilities of the Staff of the Earth Dragon. With three formidable enemies yet to be defeated, Liwei braced himself for their next onslaught. His resolve was unshaken; he was determined to safeguard his village and face down the demonic threat with unwavering courage.

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The sight of blood on Zhang Liwei's face seemed to ignite a frenzied bloodlust in the demonic apes. They charged with a reckless abandon, eyes alight with a primal, insatiable thirst for violence. They lunged at Liwei, intent on tearing him apart and quenching their thirst with his blood. The situation grew dire, and Liwei felt the encroaching grasp of despair.

But then, unexpectedly, a voice both familiar and comforting reached Liwei's ears amidst the chaos. "You've fought well, my disciple. Fear not, for your master is here to aid you."

Relief washed over Liwei as Master Yan appeared at the most crucial moment, just as the battle was tilting against him. Master Yan stood with an air of mystique, his hands weaving through intricate gestures, his voice intoning ancient, enigmatic chants.

A vibrant green aura, pulsating with the essence of life, enveloped Master Yan. "Wood Binding Shackles!" he exclaimed, his aura extending like tendrils, burrowing into the earth around the apes. The apes, sensing danger, roared fiercely, baring their daunting fangs.

The earth trembled vigorously beneath them. In an astonishing display, roots erupted from the ground, coiling swiftly around the apes' feet, rendering them immobile.

Master Yan's calm and steady voice reached Liwei. "Now, my disciple, seize this chance and vanquish them."

Grasping the opportunity, Liwei called out decisively, "Stone King's Golden Needle, pierce!" He aimed precisely at the heads of the ensnared apes. One by one, they fell, their threats extinguished by the combined might of master and disciple.

Breathing heavily, Liwei turned to Master Yan. "Master, that was close. I owe you my gratitude. Are my parents and the villagers safe? Where have you taken them?" he asked, concern lacing his words.

However, Master Yan simply offered a knowing smile, his form beginning to fade as if he were a mirage. "Master, master!" Liwei cried out in dismay.

But in an instant, Liwei was engulfed in darkness once again. Master Yan, the apes, even the familiar surroundings of Green Willow Village, all had vanished. "What just happened? Where am I?" Liwei murmured, his mind swirling with confusion and disbelief.

The enigmatic voice echoed once more in the void. "You have shown skill in exploiting your enemy's weakness and the wisdom to work alongside allies to achieve what you alone cannot. This is where your true strength lies," it noted thoughtfully. "Many of your predecessors, though more adept in cultivation, fell in their quests, overcome by greater foes. Yet, perhaps in someone like you, with average talent but a profound care for the common folk, lies the potential for a different outcome. Remember, I am but a key to unearthly secrets. Fully unlock my mysteries, and the deeper truths of this world will reveal themselves to you."

A wave of relief swept over Liwei as he grasped the nature of what had transpired. It was all a trial, an assessment of his skills and determination. The harrowing thought of Green Willow Village under siege had been part of this testing ground. The experience was so lifelike, the memory of the apes' foul odor still lingered in his senses.

His surroundings began to shift, blurring as the sensation of traversing between realms enveloped him. A familiar voice reached out to him, tinged with concern. "Liwei, Liwei, can you hear me?" Feng Hao's face appeared before him, etched with worry. Liwei stared back, his face a canvas of confusion and lingering uncertainty from the ordeal. Was it all just a test, or was there a deeper meaning to it?

The trial may have concluded, but its echoes remained with Liwei, stirring contemplations about the cryptic voice's message and the true essence of the Staff of the Earth Dragon.

Zhang Liwei, still reeling from the surreal experience, glanced at his hand. The staff, which had transformed into a weapon nearly as tall as he was, had reverted to its original form. It was once again a simple, unassuming rod of forearm length, carved from what seemed like petrified earth. The mystic symbols and the ornate Qilin decoration that had adorned it in the trial were gone, leaving it looking inconspicuous and mundane.

Liwei, still grappling with the surreal experience, turned to Feng Hao. "How long was I out?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Feng Hao, looking slightly bewildered, replied, "It was no more than five breaths, Liwei. Why? What happened to you?"

"This... it felt like a lifetime passed in there," Liwei said, pondering aloud. "Time must move differently in whatever realm I was in. Was it all just a dream, or something more?"

His gaze then swept across the cavern in search of Qingtu, but the earth tortoise was nowhere to be found. "Qingtu's gone," Liwei remarked with a hint of sadness. "Let's head outside, Feng Hao."

Once outside the waterfall, where they had first encountered the tortoise, its absence was palpable. "Master Yan once said caring for such a creature brings good fortune," Liwei mused. "He wasn't wrong."

Holding the staff, Liwei decided to put it to the test. As he executed the techniques from his trial, the staff reacted just as it had in the mystical realm. Earth Qi surged, forming both offensive and defensive manifestations.

Feng Hao's eyes widened in disbelief. "Liwei, how is this possible? What's going on?"

Liwei, still processing the staff's abilities, responded, "This staff... it amplifies and alters my Qi techniques. But there seems to be more to it than that." He paused, choosing to withhold the full extent of what he had learned.

Feng Hao, impressed, said, "This must be a blessing from the heavens, Liwei. A reward for your good deeds and karma."

Liwei smiled, a sense of gratitude and renewed purpose filling him. "Thank you, Feng Hao. This is indeed a fortunate encounter, one that might change my path in ways I never expected."

This moment marked a pivotal turn in Zhang Liwei's path of cultivation. Unbeknownst to him, his journey on the Dao had taken a significant new direction. The staff, seemingly simple yet profoundly mystical, had not only altered his combat abilities but had also set him on a path filled with unknown possibilities and challenges. As Liwei and Feng Hao continued their journey, the staff would undoubtedly play a crucial role in Liwei's cultivation and the mysteries that lay ahead on his path to understanding the Dao.