At that moment, a monkey climbed back up the vine to deliver the news. The other monkeys stood guard around Ye Yu, occasionally scratching his back with utmost respect. When Master Xuan attempted to step onto the green vine, they immediately shouted loudly and bared their teeth at him.
“Haha, if you don’t want to come, then don’t come. Ye Yu, I’d like to see which of these monkeys can rescue you,” said Master Xuan. “One day you’ll beg me—my patience is excellent; there’s no need to rush. There are plenty of peaches here. Since the monkeys can find food for you, I won’t have any trouble either.” “Bah, begging me? I’m quite young myself, old man. Just wait patiently and see who ends up begging whom,” Ye Yu replied.
The mystic was taken aback and found himself utterly helpless.
An hour later, the scout monkey returned, accompanied by thousands of other monkeys. The group scaled cliffs and walls toward the peak where the mystic resided, each shouting commands as they advanced. In no time, over a hundred monkeys had climbed up—their actions ranging from wielding wooden sticks to throwing stones at him or even spittingslaver, saliva, slobber, dribble, sputa “Haha, old man—if your precious sword was taken by the monkeys, it’s not my fault,” said Ye Yu. “Of course, if you’re willing to apologize to me, given our close relationship, I might let you off.” “That little thing really thought I was some weakling when the tiger wasn’t showing its power; he even sent a whole group of monkeys to harass me. It seems he won’t realize how formidable I am unless he faces some punishment,” thought Master Xuan. He then struck down with his palm, and there was a loud “bang!” The large blue stone shattered instantly, startling all the monkeys.
“Nightfeather, do you really expect these evil monkeys to stand by your side? Just look who I am—I won’t be polite today,” he declared, letting out a loud roar as his combat energy surged forth, his entire body radiating silver light and his killing aura rising skyward.
The monkeys were utterly astonished. They heard Ye Yu shout, “Run! This is a Holy Swordsman—you can’t stand a chance against him!” Without needing his words, the monkeys immediately turned and leaped down the cliff; dozens even jumped directly from the high peak. Remarkably agile, they landed safely on the trees below after falling from great heights, all unharmed.
“These are all your subordinates, haha, Ye Yu. Do you really think these monkeys can cause me trouble? Then I won’t hold back,” said Master Xuan, before lifting his blade and stepping onto the green vine as he charged forward like an arrow.
Realizing the situation was dire, the monkeys didn’t even care about being reprimanded by Ye Yu; they scrambled and rolled along the other end of the green vine to escape.
“Hey, bullying children—what kind of hero is that?” Ye Yu cried out in panic. He saw Master Xuan strike him with several blades; the silver blade energy moved as swiftly as lightning, leaving him pale with fear. Before the blade even left its sheath, mere blade energy swept past his body, instantly shattering the animal skin he wore into fragments that fell from the air. Ye Yu felt a chill run down his spine and looked down to find himself completely naked.
“I’m just teaching you a lesson—it’s not bullying,” Master Xuan said, then struck Ye Yu’s buttocks several times hard with the blade, causing him to scream in pain.
The mystic burst into several hearty laughs, then followed the green vine to another mountain peak. When the monkeys on that peak saw him approaching, they all cried out loudly and vanished in an instant.
The mystic descended the mountain peak, thinking to himself: “This child simply can’t escape any time soon. Since I haven’t fully recovered yet, there’s no need to rush things. When the time comes, I’ll force him down and use physical coercion—just as Aoba suggested—and he won’t dare refuse.”
As he walked forward for dozens of miles, he encountered numerous bizarre creatures along the way but never met a single person—this place had never been visited by anyone. The mystic was utterly curious.
At that moment, a river blocked his path; its waters surged violently and posed extreme danger, teeming with countless fish while remaining cool and refreshing. His spirit was instantly uplifted as he thought to himself: This is truly a wonderful place.
After taking a comfortable bath, Master Xuan did not turn back. Instead, he traveled upstream for about three li when he suddenly heard a thunderous roar of water that shook the heavens and earth.
A sudden thought struck him, and he hurried forward. The riverbed was growing narrower by the moment; relying on his agile movements, he advanced along pine branches clinging to the cliff face. After navigating several bends, a waterfall dozens of meters high cascaded down from above, its mist rising into the sky.
“This is a wonderful place, haha. It would be better to spend my days here among mountains and wild beasts than to struggle in the mundane world,” sighed Master Xuan, his mind completely at ease now; everything about the Red Sun Empire had become utterly insignificant to him.
As he was lost in thought, a flash of green light seemed to pass beneath the waterfall, accompanied by a faint sound of “whoosh, whoosh!” from the water. A sudden impulse struck the mystic; relying on his exceptional skills, he darted forward like lightning. The sound lingered faintly behind the waterfall. He released his combat qi, guided it through his body, and surged directly into the water below—a highly risky move. The torrential flow nearly swept him into the deep pool below.
Beyond the waterfall lay a profoundly shady area, where the sound persisted incessantly and grew increasingly distinct. The mystic raised his head and saw a cave faintly visible at a height of about twenty zhang from the ground—precisely halfway down the waterfall. It turned out that the waterfall itself stood over forty zhang high and three zhang wide; had the mystic not possessed exceptional skill and courage, he would never have reached this spot.
The mystic sat quietly below with his blade in hand for a while, regulating his breath and channeling the primordial energy within him. Only when his strength had nearly fully recovered did he leap up. It turned out that masters possess a unique sense of danger; he vaguely sensed that something extremely perilous lay hidden above. He had initially intended to leave and return later once fully recovered to inspect the situation, yet his reluctance was overcome by curiosity, which prevailed over all other considerations.
He flew straight up and indeed came upon a cave. Its walls were exceptionally smooth, with a circular entrance about ten feet wide and not particularly deep—its end was clearly visible at a glance. As soon as he stepped into the opening, he was utterly astonished.
Inside this cave lies a large blue python, with a body as thick as a bucket. Its massive head continuously extends and retracts its bright red tongue, while a fist-sized lump of flesh protrudes from its head, trembling incessantly and emitting a constant “whoosh, whoosh!” sound.
“Good heavens, it turns out to be a peculiar snake that has cultivated here for hundreds of years, having devoured countless birds and beasts. This snake must possess an internal elixir; once it encounters me, it will certainly not show any mercy,” thought the master.
He sat holding the blade, neither rushing to attack nor drawing it. It turned out that the blade possessed a spiritual nature; if he were to draw it from its sheath rashly, he would have to expend part of his energy to resist the lethal aura emanating from it—making it wiser to leave it undrawn.
The green snake had practiced here for hundreds of years and had never before encountered any creature daring to act so arrogantly before it; it was naturally furious yet simultaneously grew wary. The Western World was already sparsely populated, and upon suddenly encountering the mystic master, it was startled, unable to identify what lay before it. The intangible aura of killing power emanating from the mystic master made it even more inclined to retreat.
However, the mystic sat at the cave entrance, making it impossible for the green snake to escape. After a brief standoff between the man and the snake, the latter finally could not endure any longer: “This creature appears to lack both sharp claws and teeth; it’s no more formidable than a giant frog. I mustn’ t be intimidated by it.” With that thought, the green snake opened its mouth, and a stream of venom shot out like an arrow.
The alchemist expelled his combat qi to deflect the poison, which dispersed into the air and transformed into tiny droplets floating around. Upon seeing this, he was startled and immediately closed all his body’s pores, realizing that he could no longer wait and that a swift resolution was imperative.
With that thought, Master Xuan rose to his feet, releasing a surge of combat energy throughout his body that glowed with silver light as he strode toward the green snake. The snake refused to yield, opening its mouth wide and charging headlong at Master Xuan.
A flash of silver appeared as the mystic raised his blade. Though the knife remained sheathed, its aura was intense; it struck the snake’s head with a forceful blow. A sharp crack echoed from the spot, accompanied by a streak of sparks. While the strike drove the snake back, it failed to inflict any harm upon it.
“What a scaly armor!” The master sorcerer was utterly astonished. The green snake struck with all its might, nearly dissipating his entire strength and forcing him out of the cave. With a cold snort, the sorcerer immediately sealed the entrance again.
“Since this blade cannot harm you, I’ll use both palms to counter it and see who is truly stronger!” thought the master. He then plunged the blade into the rock and, channeling all his energy, charged once again at the green snake.
“Whew!” The green snake lunged forward again. The cave was far too narrow for it to use its tail for striking; moreover, the mystic master was radiating a powerful combat aura, his entire body gleaming with silver light—making it impossible for the snake to attack him directly. Forced to rely solely on brute force, the snake attempted to first shatter the master’s protective energy field.
With a loud “bang!” the master priest struck the green snake’s head forcefully with his palm, sending it flying out of the cave once again. The impact left the snake’s entire body numb; it was thrown backward and collided with a hard rock. By the time it regained consciousness, the master priest had already sealed the cave entrance shut.
The snake grew increasingly enraged as the battle raged on, while Master Xuan grew ever more alarmed. His vital energy began to wane noticeably; by that night’s battle in the imperial capital, he had already suffered severe internal injuries. After these relentless confrontations, he was on the verge of collapse. This snake, having cultivated for a full century, was no ordinary being.
“Never thought I’d fail to defeat even a single snake today. Now that I’m about to leave, this snake might have some kind of spirit and will surely pursue me relentlessly!” thought Master Xuan. The situation was now dire—he had no way out.