Chapter 125: The Red-Haired Great King

It was not out of arrogance that Zhou Qian acted, nor was it because he looked down on others after achieving a minor breakthrough. In reality, he had already gauged the depth of the Red-Haired Great King. This old ape spirit, with four hundred years of cultivation, could be handled solo by his senior brothers or sisters, provided they had attained the tenth level or higher of the Qingyun Heart Sutra and had manifested their primordial spirits into infants. While the combined strength of two disciples and one ape was slightly inferior, they held the advantage of being hidden while the enemy was exposed. By striking when the foe was unprepared, it was not impossible to overcome a stronger opponent with their own lesser strength.

Inside the Old Ape’s secret passage, the elder white ape drew the layout of the cave on the ground. Zhou Qian mapped out the strategy, with Lu Xiaoxian occasionally adding her own ideas. The outcome would be revealed by the following day.

*Clatter!* A bronze cup smashed against the forehead of a small monkey spirit who had come to report. Red and white matter sprayed everywhere. The nearby demons and spirits trembled in terror; the Great King’s temper had been growing increasingly explosive these past few days.

On the main throne, the ape demon’s copper-bell-sized eyes widened, radiating a chill that froze the bones. His full coat of red hair stood on end—each strand a yard long and as thick as a copper coin. He shoved the long table in front of him aside, sending fruits, beast meat, and wine crashing to the ground in a cacophony of sound. Only as he stood up did his true stature become apparent.

His massive frame stood five yards tall. His four limbs were thick and long, tipped with claws over a foot in length. His fangs were ghastly, his arms as thick as water vats, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Have you still not found the old white ape that murdered my son?" the ape demon roared, his voice thunderous.

"R-reporting to the Great King, we have not found him yet!" another small monkey spirit stammered, kneeling on the ground.

"Then what use are you?" Just as he was about to kill the messenger, a goat spirit with a human body and a cunning appearance stepped forward and bowed. "Great King, perhaps you should listen to your subordinate."

"Speak!"

The red-haired old ape had conquered many mountain spirits after seizing the peak. This goat spirit was one of them, known for his wit and penchant for scheming—a "dog-headed strategist" of sorts who often offered hare-brained ideas. Yet, in this instance, he appeared deeply suspicious.

"Great King, please consider: after the Young Great King was murdered, I have been pondering if it was truly the work of that old ape spirit. After all, the Young Great King was highly skilled, even superior to that old ape, and his subordinates were fiercely loyal. Even an ambush would have been difficult to pull off."

"Oh? You mean to say my son was killed by other demons—"

"Or perhaps," the goat spirit emphasized, "the old white ape brought in helpers!"

"Where would that old white ape find helpers? If he had any, he would have summoned them long ago! Why wait until today?"

"I have heard that the ancestor of the old white ape was once on good terms with the sword immortals of the Qingcheng Sect. If the old white ape borrowed the power of a sword immortal, it is not impossible—"

"Impossible!" The red-haired ape clearly feared the Qingcheng Sect. He shook his head and said, "The snobbish Qingcheng nose-pickers have never concerned themselves with the spirits of these nearby mountains; they would not interfere in this. Furthermore, if they truly wanted my life, they would come directly. There is no reason to kill my child."

Just as the goat spirit was about to speak, a crane demon darted into the cave, wings flapping, its voice shrill and grating. "Great King, Great King! I saw that old white ape heading west from the sky! He went west!"

"Good, good, good! This old monkey finally couldn't hold back! Retrieve my treasure; I shall tear him limb from limb!" the red giant ape exclaimed with delight.

"Great King, beware of a trap! That old white ape didn't appear sooner or later, but chose this exact moment to show himself. Does he not know that the Crane Vanguard has been patrolling the mountains ever since the Young Great King died?" the goat spirit hurriedly cautioned.

"So what if it is a trap? That old white ape is no match for me!"

With a wave of his hand, four sturdy black apes carried in a round stone the size of a human head. This stone was pitch black—it was undoubtedly the "immortal stone" the old white ape had spoken of.

The red-haired giant ape weighed it in his hand, nodded with satisfaction, and strode out.

"If the Great King must go, perhaps you should take more subordinates."

"You lot cannot ride the clouds; you would only be a burden!"

After the goat spirit rushed out of the cave, he saw only flying sand and rocks as a cloud of black mist ascended into the sky, flying west with the crane demon.

At the same time, two heads poked out from the Old Ape’s secret passage, peering outside through the gaps in the vines.

"Senior Brother, the red-haired monkey has been lured away!"

"Just as the elder ape predicted, this red-haired ape is reckless and dim-witted. We hadn't even deployed all our plans before it took the bait. Let us strike while the opportunity remains!"

"Agreed!"

A streak of red light shot out from the vines, heading straight for the cave entrance. The guarding apes had no time to react before a flash of white light circled their heads, sending their skulls tumbling to the ground. They charged into the cave. The once-beautiful scenery—where fragrant orchids withered, strange rockeries were scattered, ancient bridges were destroyed, and pines were broken—was now a scene of utter ruin, littered with filth, excrement, and flies.

The black ape spirits, seeing the intruders, roared and snarled. Some revealed their true forms—ape spirits, tiger monsters, and bull demons—each several times larger than common livestock. Others, half-human and half-demon, brandished blades and spears. Though they lacked technique, each blow carried the weight of ten thousand pounds, sending rocks flying.

Fortunately, Zhou Qian and Lu Xiaoxian were no slouches. Their flying swords moved like lightning, white light piercing through the air; it severed throats upon contact and shattered stone like paper. In moments, four or five minor demons lay dead, blood flowing into a river with a heavy, pungent stench. These spirits, while intelligent, had not refined their demon cores and could not manipulate demon energy to defend themselves, leaving them severely suppressed.

Lu Xiaoxian was even more formidable. Her pair of red silk ribbons flashed back and forth, nearly covering the entire cave. Whenever she wrapped them around an ape or bull demon, she shattered their very souls, killing them invisibly. Furthermore, she pinched her fingers in a continuous rhythm, chanting under her breath. She was performing a highly advanced spell known as "Xun Wind and Frost Qi," refined from the Ninth Heaven’s Xun Wind and Arctic frost. The junior sister did not have such power on her own; her mother, Su Ru, had felt pity for her darling daughter and helped refine it into a spell-seed talisman, injecting it into her dantian. To use it, she only needed to channel her magic.

Suddenly, nine frigid currents manifested, dancing and swirling violently. As the cold energy exploded, the entire cave was covered in a layer of thick ice in an instant. Hundreds of spirits were frozen solid, and with a series of *crackling* sounds, their bodies shattered into countless pieces. Lu Xiaoxian’s face turned pale; with her fifth-level Qingyun Heart Sutra power, the spell had consumed most of her energy.

Though Zhou Qian was not harmed by the spell, the cold was biting, feeling as if it would freeze his very soul. He quickly embraced the little girl who had recklessly cast the spell and diverted his sword light to finish off the remaining spirits.

However, there was one formidable opponent: the goat spirit. It drove its two horns, which transformed into golden light, toward the pair. Zhou Qian quickly steered his willow-wood sword to meet them.

The white light of the willow-wood sword remained unfazed in a one-on-two fight. After all, it was authentic Qingcheng sword art, far superior to the goat spirit’s crude, wild methods. However, the Qingcheng sword technique, handed down from the Golden Immortal Guangchengzi, emphasized stability. Each move was broad and sweeping. While majestic and flawless, it was difficult to finish off the goat spirit in a short time.

Changing his style, Zhou Qian switched to the Old Ape’s sword technique. He had only learned the basics over a day or two, but the goat spirit was flailing wildly, and the styles matched perfectly. Where the goat spirit saw no flaws, Zhou Qian’s complex sword movements forced it into a panic. The sword light flashed, weaving a net that descended upon the demon. The creature, in its desperate panic, created an opening. Zhou Qian seized the opportunity, bent the sword light, and pierced the goat spirit’s occiput, gouging out a massive hole as blood blossomed.

With the goat spirit gone, the remaining minor demons were largely slaughtered, save for three or four who fled, though they could pose no further threat.

"Junior Sister!"

"Senior Brother, I was wrong~" Lu Xiaoxian said pitifully.

Zhou Qian sighed. He understood her high spirits in their first battle, but using such a powerful spell was counterproductive. If a minor spirit had seized the chance to ambush them, her death would have been in vain. He had seen too much of this in the martial world; the most appropriate move was often the best one. This was the wisdom learned between life and death.

A jade-colored light darted in from outside. The elder white ape landed and said urgently, "The red-haired demon couldn't find me and is on his way back. Immortals, prepare yourselves!"

Zhou Qian smiled bitterly. "I had hoped to use the complex terrain of the cave to ambush the red-haired demon, but looking at this scene, even a fool would know something is amiss."

It was as he said: the cave was translucent, filled with bone-chilling cold and white mist, like a winter’s day. Anyone could see that a powerful spell had been cast.

"What then?"

"That depends on you, Elder Ape. You know this mountain terrain best. Choose a suitable place to battle him. We killed his offspring and slaughtered his cave; the ape demon is vengeful, and believing we are trying to escape, he will not let this rest."

The elder white ape led Zhou Qian out. Two beams of light shot away. Within moments, a black cloud descended, and a roar shook the entire Ape-Public Mountain. Rolling demonic energy surged as the black cloud churned and gave chase. One pursuing, one fleeing, they had already covered a hundred miles...

"Senior Brother, look!" Lu Xiaoxian, with her sharp eyes, spotted a jagged, rocky area.

"The old ape has chosen this place too!"

The two beams of light descended into a crevice in the mountain—a gap ten yards wide, filled with overlapping, jagged rocks and a rugged path, perfect for restricting the giant ape’s massive frame.

The three moved through the gap. The ape demon, stupid and unaware of the danger, landed as well. His massive form crushed the rocky edges as he charged straight at them. Demonic energy swirled and condensed with his inner core, forming a solid, monstrous claw. It was the "Heavenly Demon One-Qi Hunyuan Claw," an exceptionally powerful technique that could crush ordinary immortal swords.

Fortunately, the elder white ape had obtained the White Angelica Sword and consumed the essence of a millennium-old golden pill, causing his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. With a release, ten yards of golden light erupted. The sword was suffused with immortal energy—no common blade. As they fought, sparks flew. The ape’s giant claw struck, but the sword light was agile, spitting out rainbows and counter-striking. Having mastered the full Old Ape Sword Technique, his swordsmanship was becoming increasingly formidable.

The other two joined in, one unleashing the willow-wood sword and the other the red silk, engaging the giant ape together...