Inside the living room, Liu Xi exhaled deeply as he sat down, then looked toward Zi Yan.
"Zi Yan," he said lightly, "show me what you found. If the materials aren't useful to me, I'll refine them into pills for you."
Zi Yan's eyes brightened. She tapped her storage ring, and with a flash of light, a pile of herbs appeared in her arms. She scampered over, beaming.
"Big Brother, help me refine these!"
Liu Xi took the herbs, flipping through them one by one. "Purple Heart Grass, Snow Ganoderma, Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma, Cloud Spirit Fruit…" he murmured, his brows furrowing.
He looked up at her. "These are fine ingredients, but not what I need. This the 'treasure' you were talking about?"
Zi Yan shook her head quickly, a little embarrassed.
"There's more! I sensed something really powerful in the back mountain — but a huge white monkey's guarding it! And it can transform too! When it changes form, I can't beat it!"
Liu Xi's gaze sharpened. 'A white ape that can transform and become even more ferocious… Could it be a Snow Demon Sky Ape? Then the treasure it's protecting must be Earth Core Body Tempering Milk.'
He thought for a moment, glancing at Xiao Yixian. 'Pity… I've already reached the Dou Wang realm. The Earth Core Body Tempering Milk won't help me much, but it could help Xiao Yixian rebuild her body.'
Zi Yan puffed out her chest, her violet eyes blazing with excitement. "Big Brother, that monkey's definitely guarding something amazing! If we go together, we'll beat it for sure!"
Liu Xi smiled. "All right then — let's go."
He stored the herbs back into his ring and rose to his feet. "No need to wait. Today's as good a day as any. Yixian, you stay here. Zi Yan, lead the way."
"Yoing Master, your injuries…" Xiao Yixian's soft voice carried a hint of worry.
"Big Brother, my herbs…" Zi Yan's voice turned small and pitiful as she watched the ingredients vanish into Liu Xi's ring.
Liu Xi chuckled faintly. "It's only a Rank 5 Magical Beast. Hardly a threat. And don't pout — or do you think your Big Brother's going to steal a few herbs from you?"
Zi Yan grinned sheepishly.
---
The Forest Beyond the Inner Academy
Deep within the misty mountain forest behind the Inner Academy — a land long untouched by human feet — countless heavenly herbs and earthly treasures grew. Yet most were guarded by beasts; few ever succeeded in claiming them.
A streak of blue and a streak of violet tore through the sky like lightning — Liu Xi and Zi Yan.
"Zi Yan, how much farther?" Liu Xi called out.
Zi Yan raised her hand and gestured energetically. "Big Brother, if this is how far we've flown from the academy, then the monkey's den is about this much farther!"
"So we've covered three-fourths of the distance," Liu Xi concluded.
"Uh-huh!" Zi Yan nodded eagerly.
Ten minutes later, they arrived above a small mountain valley nestled against a cliff. Zi Yan clenched her tiny fists, her violet eyes gleaming. "Big Brother, I'll lure that stupid monkey out first!"
"Be careful," Liu Xi reminded.
"Don't worry! I'll be fine!" she chirped, then darted forward, hovering above the valley. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted, her voice echoing across the cliffs:
"Hey, stupid monkey! My Big Brother's here today! Be smart and hand over the treasure — maybe we'll spare your monkey life!"
"ROAR!!!"
The roar that followed shook the entire valley. From the mouth of a massive cave, thunderous footsteps echoed, and a towering white giant ape, nearly four zhang tall, stepped into the open.
Its body radiated a chilling frost aura. Steam-like breath puffed from its nostrils, two white clouds twisting in the air. Its limbs were long and powerful, with claws the size of a man's head. When it casually raked the rock wall beside it, the stone crumbled like paper.
Two blood-red eyes locked onto the hovering Zi Yan — filled with murderous rage.
"You damned little thief! You dare come steal from me again? I'll tear you apart today!"
The ape pounded its chest like a drum, the sound booming through the valley. With a deafening roar, it bent its legs and leapt skyward, leaving twin craters where it had stood.
SWOOSH—CRACK!
The air split apart as its massive claws came crashing down toward Zi Yan. The attack's sheer force made the air tremble.
Zi Yan's violet eyes flashed with excitement rather than fear.
"Hmph! Stupid monkey — I'll show you my strength today, right in front of Big Brother!"
Her blood of the Ancient Void Dragon ignited, her aura soaring. Purple light flared around her tiny fists as she charged forward, her battle intent boiling over.
No dodging — no fear.
Just a straight, head-on clash.
BOOM!!
The collision of fist and claw sent out a violent shockwave, flattening the surrounding trees and tearing the earth apart. Leaves and dust filled the sky.
Though Zi Yan's power rivaled the ape's, her small frame gave her no advantage. The impact sent her spinning backward through the air.
But she quickly steadied herself, shook her small fist, and shouted with fiery determination, "Come on then, you dumb monkey!"
With a blur of violet light, she charged again.
The Snow Demon Sky Ape roared furiously, twisting its huge body. Muscles rippled beneath its snowy fur as it swung its massive claw. Zi Yan flipped nimbly in midair, narrowly dodging, her sleeve brushing past the icy gale.
"Too slow!"
She pivoted midair and kicked hard — her tiny foot slamming into the ape's chest.
BANG!
The ape crashed into the mountain wall, the impact shaking loose a rain of stones. A spiderweb of cracks spread across the rock.
As Zi Yan prepared to chase, the ape suddenly opened its maw wide.
"ROOOAR—!"
A blizzard-like storm erupted from its mouth.
"Ahh!"
Caught by the freezing wind, Zi Yan's small figure was flung back like a drifting leaf. Her petite form made her nimble, but left her nowhere to brace against the gale.
"You'll die here, little thief!" the ape howled.
Its body erupted in crimson light, the white fur glistening blood-red. The aura around it surged wildly — stronger, colder, and filled with madness.
Liu Xi's eyes narrowed sharply. 'Even as a child, Zi Yan can fight evenly with an adult Snow Demon Sky Ape... Truly worthy of the Ancient Void Dragon bloodline. But now that the ape has entered its berserk state, its power is close to a 5-Star Dou Wang…'
He stepped forward, Dou Qi surging around him. 'Looks like it's my turn.'
(End of Chapter)
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