As Ao Xuan drew closer, he realized just how fierce the battle ahead was. Violent winds swirled with sharp golden metal energy, slicing through the air. When they brushed against his cyan-gold Taoist robe, the water patterns on the hem shimmered with faint spiritual light. The dark red rocks beneath his feet were covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and the remains of beasts that hadn't escaped in time were embedded within—some bones pierced by the wind, others torn to shreds by sharp claws. Clearly, this had been one of the battlefields.
Turning around a shattered cliff, the scene in the open space ahead suddenly came into view. Ao Xuan instinctively restrained his aura. A hint of surprise flashed across his dragon pupils, followed by undeniable joy.
In the center of the open space, a tiger and an ape were locked in a bitter fight.
The White Tiger was pure white, its fur as cold as frost. Its four claws glinted with icy golden metal light, and each pounce let out a sharp whistling that tore through the air.
It stood a hundred zhang tall, and the "king" character mark on its forehead glowed with silver spiritual light—undoubtedly the innate mark of the White Tiger.
At this moment, its front claws were embedded in the rock, its scarlet tiger eyes fixed on the white ape opposite. A low growl rumbled in its throat, and its body was stained with patchy red blood—whether splattered or its own, no one could tell.
The white ape, however, was completely different from ordinary ferocious beasts.
Its fur was as white as snow, and its body was only over ten zhang tall—much smaller than the White Tiger, yet surprisingly agile. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, its arms were half a foot longer than those of ordinary apes. In its hand, it held a thick innate stone staff wrapped in grayish-brown earth-element spiritual energy.
Knowing its strength was no match for the White Tiger, it never clashed head-on, only dodging and weaving through the terrain. Sometimes it climbed the branches of towering ancient trees to avoid the White Tiger's powerful claw strikes. Sometimes it used rocks as cover, stabbing the White Tiger's joint gaps with precise thrusts of its staff. Even when the White Tiger pounced empty-handed, it leaped onto the tiger's back in an instant, slamming its staff fiercely toward the back of the tiger's head.
"Roar—!"
The White Tiger roared in pain, suddenly shaking its body violently, trying to shake the ape off its back. But the white ape clung on like glue, its legs tightly clamping the tiger's waist and abdomen, one hand grabbing the fur on the back of the tiger's neck, and slamming its staff down again.
Helpless, the White Tiger suddenly crashed into a nearby boulder. With a deafening "boom," the boulder shattered. But the white ape used the force of the collision to drift away like catkins, landing steadily on a rock three zhang away, and even stuck out its tongue in a provocative grimace at the White Tiger.
"You rascal monkey! Hopping around like a flea—dare to fight me head-on!"
The White Tiger's eyes widened in anger. The golden metal spiritual energy around its body surged, and the gravel on the ground automatically floated up, shooting toward the white ape. But the white ape still refused to engage. With a wave of its staff, a thick earth-element spiritual energy barrier appeared in front of it, blocking the gravel. At the same time, its figure had vanished into the nearby bushes, leaving only a few crisp laughs behind. "Foolish tiger—who wants to fight you head-on? This old Yuan will just wear you down and see how long that brute strength of yours lasts!"
Ao Xuan hid behind an ancient tree, watching with great interest.
This white ape was extremely intelligent. It not only knew how to use its agility to its advantage but also accurately grasped the White Tiger's character flaws—knowing the tiger was irritable, it deliberately provoked it with taunts, making it launch exhausting pounces again and again.
Although the White Tiger possessed the golden metal law and fierce combat power, it was hindered by its impulsive temperament. Several times after being provoked by the ape, its attacks became disorganized. The killing rhythm it should have maintained was gradually led astray by the ape.
After fighting for several days, the surrounding area was in complete chaos. The White Tiger's breathing grew heavier and heavier, its snow-white fur matted with sweat and blood. The once sharp golden metal claw wind had slowed down significantly. Earlier, to pounce on the ape hiding behind a rock, it had taken a staff strike head-on with its front paw. On the surface, there was no visible injury, but it ached fiercely. The White Tiger grew more and more angry, its body trembling, fur standing on end. As an innate creature, when had it ever suffered such a loss?
In contrast, the white ape was still calm and composed. Leaning against an ancient tree, it picked at the white fur on its chest with its staff, teasing. "Foolish tiger—can't hold on anymore? Hurry up and hand over that Golden Metal Spirit Crystal, and this old Yuan might spare your life, letting you crawl back to your own territory!"
The White Tiger stared fiercely at the white ape, its claws scratching deep marks in the ground, but it didn't launch another reckless attack. It knew it had consumed too much energy. Several of its recent pounces had been slowed by fatigue. If it forced another attack, the cunning ape would surely seize the opportunity—and it would truly be defeated here.
But that Golden Metal Spirit Crystal was an innate treasure condensed from the golden metal spiritual energy of the Western Wasteland. It could help it stabilize its White Tiger origin. Without this crystal, it might not be able to break through before the Dragon-Han Catastrophe. How could it be willing to give up?
Just as the White Tiger was caught in a dilemma and the white ape was about to provoke again, Ao Xuan's figure flickered, landing between them like a gentle breeze. He raised his hand to form a seal, and pale blue water fortune energy surged from his palm, instantly transforming into a translucent water curtain that separated the white ape and the White Tiger.
As soon as the water curtain took shape, the white ape's staff strike toward the White Tiger hit it. The earth-element spiritual energy barely touched the water curtain before being cleverly deflected by the water fortune energy, flowing away along the water ripples. The water curtain didn't even ripple much. The White Tiger's instinctive claw strike also landed on the water curtain. The moment the golden metal cold light collided with the curtain, it was wrapped up and dissolved, leaving not a single trace.
"Fellow Daoists, might I ask you to stop fighting for a moment?"
Ao Xuan's voice was clear and melodious. The water ripples on the curtain flowed slowly, actually softening the stagnant killing aura around them. Even the floating gravel on the ground slowly fell, no longer carrying hostility.
The white ape gripped its staff vigilantly, its white fur standing on end. Its bright, intelligent eyes sized Ao Xuan up and down. "Who are you? Dressed in such fancy clothes—why meddle in this old Yuan's business with this tiger?" Although he was intelligent, he knew the person in front of him was not to be trifled with. That water curtain seemed gentle, yet it had easily defused both his and the White Tiger's attacks. This strength was stronger than any innate creature he had ever seen.
The White Tiger also restrained some of its ferocity, but its tiger eyes still held hostility. Its nose twitched as it sensed the faint Azure Dragon aura on Ao Xuan.
Innate Divine Beasts had an inherent connection to each other's origins. It could clearly feel that the aura on Ao Xuan was pure, without chaotic turbid energy or Luo Hu's demonic flames—definitely not an enemy. But the White Tiger still remained cautious. In the Primordial World, countless creatures had turned against each other over innate treasures. Who knew if this person had come to kill them and seize the crystal?
Ao Xuan smiled slightly, dispelling the water curtain. The Azure Dragon mark between his brows glowed with cyan-gold spiritual light, and the water fortune and wood-element laws around his body flowed naturally, carrying a reassuring and gentle aura. "My name is Ao Xuan, the innate Azure Dragon, controlling the eastern wood element and water fortune. I passed by here just now and saw you two fellow Daoists fighting. Unbearable to watch innate divine beasts kill each other, I stepped in. May I ask why you are fighting?"
Upon hearing this, the white ape let out a breath, lowering his vigilance somewhat. He pointed to the crystal floating in the center of the open space. "That's the Golden Metal Spirit Crystal! Condensed from the golden metal spiritual energy of the Western Wasteland for ten thousand years, it can help this old Yuan temper his wood-element spiritual body, making my movement even more agile. But this tiger insists on snatching it, saying that golden metal is its origin and the crystal should belong to it. It even attacked my monkey clan!" By the end, the white ape's voice turned cold, and his grip on the staff tightened.
The White Tiger let out a low growl, its voice filled with anger. "My name is Cang Lie! This crystal contains pure golden metal origin, which is most compatible with my White Tiger lineage! I want it to stabilize my origin and prepare for the upcoming kalpa. You're a wood-element ape—what use do you have for a Golden Metal Spirit Crystal? Besides, it was your monkey clan that stole the spiritual fruits I hid in my cave first—I only attacked in retaliation!"
Ao Xuan followed the white ape's pointing finger and saw a fist-sized crystal floating in the air in the center of the open space. Pure golden metal spiritual energy flowed within it, its light sharp yet not dazzling—truly a rare innate treasure. He shook his head with a smile, walking over to the crystal. A wisp of pale blue water fortune energy from his fingertip brushed across the crystal's surface, and the crystal slowly fell into his palm without the slightest resistance.
"Fellow Daoists, you may not know this, but although this Golden Metal Spirit Crystal is precious, it does not belong to just one person." Ao Xuan held the crystal in his palm, looking at the white ape. "Fellow Daoist White Ape, you cultivate the wood element. Although golden metal restrains wood, the sharpness of golden metal can temper wood-element spiritual energy—just like cutting wood with a knife. While it removes excess, it makes the wood stronger. If you use this crystal to temper your body, not only will your movement become more agile in the future, but your physical body will also be able to withstand the claws and fangs of ferocious beasts. Isn't that better than just improving your movement?"
Then he turned to the White Tiger. "Fellow Daoist White Tiger, you cultivate golden metal. It's true that the crystal can help you stabilize your origin, but golden metal is too rigid and easily broken. If you can use Fellow Daoist White Ape's wood-element spiritual energy to balance it before absorbing the crystal's power, you can not only make your golden metal spiritual energy more condensed but also avoid going berserk during cultivation in the future. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"
The white ape was stunned, scratching his head. The vigilance in his eyes gradually faded. "What you say makes sense... This old Yuan only thought the crystal would make me faster, but I never considered tempering my body." He remembered the embarrassment of being scratched by chaotic beasts before. If his physical body could really become stronger, he would have more confidence in protecting his monkey clan in the future.
The White Tiger also let out a low snort, the hostility in its eyes fading slightly. "I have heard of this balancing method... But this rascal monkey is too cunning—I have no desire to work with him." Although it said that, the White Tiger's eyes flickered. The benefits of the crystal were tempting, and the pure aura of merit from opening the sky on Ao Xuan proved he was not an evil person—there was no need for him to lie.
Seeing the two soften, Ao Xuan was overjoyed. He needed to find the Four Symbols allies, and the White Tiger was crucial. This white ape was intelligent and powerful in combat. If he could win him over as well, he would have more help in dealing with the kalpa in the future.
He placed the crystal on the ground, and cyan-gold spiritual light flickered at his fingertips. As the light brushed across the crystal, it slowly split into two halves—one glowing with even stronger golden metal spiritual light, the other wrapped in faint wood-element spiritual energy. Clearly, he had used wood-element and water fortune laws to adjust it according to their respective origins.
"This half has purer golden metal origin—it belongs to Fellow Daoist White Tiger. This half carries wood-element spiritual energy—it's yours, Fellow Daoist White Ape." Ao Xuan handed over the divided crystals. "If you don't mind, why not cultivate with me for a few days? I know a little about law balancing techniques and can help you absorb the crystal's power better."
The white ape took the crystal, and as soon as he touched it, a warm wood-element spiritual energy surged into his body. The fatigue from the previous battle dissipated 大半. His eyes lit up, and he bowed to Ao Xuan. "This old Yuan is Yuan Hao—thank you, Fellow Daoist Ao Xuan! I can tell you're an honest person. From now on, if you need anything, this old Yuan will never hesitate!"
The White Tiger also took the crystal. As the golden metal spiritual energy entered its body, the area on its paw that had been hit earlier felt an itch—clearly, the crystal's power was healing its injury. It let out a low roar at Ao Xuan and nodded.
Ao Xuan smiled, bowing to the White Tiger, then looked at Yuan Hao. "Fellow Daoist Yuan Hao, Fellow Daoist White Tiger, the Primordial World is still chaotic. Luo Hu's demonic flames have begun to infiltrate the Four Seas, and the Dragon-Han Catastrophe will soon arrive. I left the sea this time specifically to find the three innate divine beasts—the White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—and form the Four Symbols Covenant to jointly resist the kalpa. Would you two be willing to become my friends and support each other in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Hao jumped excitedly onto a nearby ancient tree, spinning his staff in his hand. "The Four Symbols Covenant? Great! It sounds awesome! This old Yuan has cultivated alone in the Western Wasteland for a long time and was just complaining about having no companions. If I can team up with you and this tiger, not to mention the kalpa—even if chaotic fiends come, I won't be afraid!"
White Tiger Cang Lie also nodded. He had seen the ferocity of demonized beasts in the Western Wasteland before and knew he could never survive the kalpa alone. Ao Xuan's proposal perfectly aligned with his intentions.
Looking at the ape and the tiger in front of him, warmth grew in Ao Xuan's heart. Although Yuan Hao was shrewd, he distinguished clearly between gratitude and resentment. The White Tiger was fierce yet straightforward and pure—both were good people.
He took out the Spirit Leaf Tea that Jiuling had given him from his storage bag, pinching out two leaves. Using water fortune energy, he condensed two drops of innate spiritual spring water, brewing two cups of clear spiritual tea and handing them to Yuan Hao and the White Tiger. "This is Spirit Leaf Tea from the Indigo Phoenix Forest, which nourishes the soul—please try it. Let's rest here for a few days first. After absorbing the crystal's power, we can go to the Southern Region to find Fellow Daoist Vermilion Bird together, how about that?"
Yuan Hao took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. A clear spiritual energy flowed down his throat into his soul, instantly clearing his muddled mind from the battle. "Great tea! Better than the fruit wine brewed by my little monkeys!"
The White Tiger also inhaled the tea in one breath. As the tea entered its body, the restlessness in its soul gradually faded, and its trust in Ao Xuan grew stronger.
The three gathered around the Golden Metal Spirit Crystal, some sitting, some standing. They occasionally exchanged a few words about their cultivation insights and discussed the route to find the Vermilion Bird.
This meeting with the White Ape Yuan Hao and White Tiger Cang Lie couldn't have been more successful. Ao Xuan was overjoyed.
With the help of these two friends, his confidence in heading south to find the Vermilion Bird grew even stronger.