Chapter 126: Returning to the Mountain

The Red-Haired Tongbi Ape was truly a formidable specimen of its kind, holding the upper hand even while facing three opponents. Its monstrous claws clashed against the White Angelica immortal sword, sending sparks flying in every direction. This "Heavenly Demon One-Qi Hunyuan Claw" was exceptionally overbearing and rigid; even a spiritually-attuned immortal blade struggled to damage it. Instead, the White Angelica sword hummed incessantly, clearly having met its match.

As the Willow Wood sword and the Flying Silk sash launched their assault, the red-haired ape simply swept its giant, fan-like palms to parry them. Zhou Qian flicked his finger in a sword-seal, causing his flying blade to spin and weave through the gaps between the ape’s fingers. The white light circled the creature's legs, but it merely shaved off a few monkey hairs, failing to even pierce the old demon's hide.

"Ha! You little brats, you can barely control your flying swords, yet you dare to come and kill this king? What audacity!" The red-haired ape roared, its thunderous voice echoing between the stone walls.

With strides of seven or eight yards, it ignored the steep rocks and crags, shattering them as it charged toward the pair, its eyes burning with a murderous intent that sought to tear them limb from limb.

Fortunately, the Flying Silk was a Tiangang-level ultimate artifact, possessing various powers that managed to obstruct the ape's path. The red sash expanded in the wind, growing to nearly twenty yards in length. It twisted and swirled rapidly, finally binding the red-haired ape tightly, while extra strands anchored themselves to the surrounding cliffs for support. Zhou Qian couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration; his junior sister’s progress over these past few days was truly astonishing.

"Purple mist rises, red clouds appear, the Flying Silk refines the demon!"

Countless rays of rosy light erupted from within the sash, piercing through the fabric and striking inward. The red-haired ape began to howl in agony as its demonic body was squeezed, emitting a creaking sound. Wisps of white smoke drifted out, accompanied by the faint, acrid scent of burning flesh.

However, the ape was no ordinary beast. Rolling waves of demonic energy poured forth, whipping up a gale, and for a moment, the battle reached a stalemate. Zhou Qian felt a pang of unease; when it came to sheer cultivation, his junior sister was no match for a five-hundred-year-old demon. As expected, sweat began to bead on her delicate forehead, and her hand seals trembled as she neared her limit.

The more critical the situation, the more Zhou Qian forced himself to remain calm. With his meager mana, his sword could not even pierce the demon’s skin. How could he help his junior sister defeat it?

*Rip!* The sound of tearing silk echoed. A black stone the size of a human head burst through, tearing a large hole in the sash. Two giant, furry palms followed, ripping the Flying Silk apart entirely. The giant ape’s body reappeared, casting a dark shadow over the two of them.

"Gack, with only the shallow cultivation you two possess—"

Before the words could finish, a streak of white light shot out from the rocky ground like lightning. With a sharp crack, stone fragments scattered. The red-haired ape, caught in the midst of its arrogance, was completely unprepared as the fierce sword light slashed across its eyes. Filthy blood sprayed out, and the demon let out a mournful roar.

Zhou Qian had secretly steered his flying sword into the ground, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush. In the blink of an eye, he had struck, aiming for the neck; when that failed, he carved out its eyes.

In its blinding agony, the red-haired ape faltered, its monstrous claws pausing for a fraction of a second. The old White Ape, also no amateur, seized the opportunity. Merging with its sword, it transformed into a crystalline, murderous beam of light, piercing through the ape's "Heavenly Demon One-Qi Hunyuan Claw." The demonic energy dissipated, and the demon core split in two, losing its luster before falling to the ground.

The ape’s vitality waned rapidly. Knowing this was the time to strike while the enemy was down, Zhou Qian pulled a gourd from his waist and sprinkled a handful of thunder-fire pellets forward. Lu Xiaoxian also produced three small jade cones; as the daughter of the Yangyang Peak master, she was well-equipped. These "Evil-Warding Cones," carved from century-old warm jade and inscribed with anti-demonic incantations, were specifically designed to suppress such creatures.

Thunder and fire exploded, black smoke billowed into the sky, and three jade lights drilled into the ape's heart, liver, and lungs. After a long while, the smoke cleared, revealing the wretched state of the old ape—flesh and blood scattered, bones exposed. Knowing its end was near, the Red-Haired Tongbi Ape threw the immortal stone it held. It appeared before the two youths in an instant, but just as it did, the White Angelica sword arrived. With a loud *bang*, the blade and stone collided. The five-hundred-year-old Tongbi Ape finally collapsed and died.

The two young sword immortals looked at each other, breaking into a cold sweat. Truly, one could never afford to be careless!

***

"Thank you, Senior Ape, for saving our lives!"

"Old White Monkey, you are so amazing!"

"It was a mutual endeavor. Without the help of you two great immortals, my mountain ape clan would have continued to suffer indefinitely," the Old White Ape chuckled. Having consumed the golden elixir, its cultivation had surged, and its demeanor was now calm and poised, devoid of its previous humility.

"What exactly is this treasure? Why is it so heavy?" Lu Xiaoxian curiously ran to where the round stone had landed. She tried to lift it with her small hand but couldn't budge it. Using all her strength, she still had no luck and turned to Zhou Qian, pouting, "Senior Brother, this rock is being disobedient!"

Zhou Qian and the Old White Ape stepped forward to inspect it. Zhou Qian tried to lift it, but it only cleared the ground by an inch or two before he lost his grip and it crashed back down. He clicked his tongue in wonder, "It must weigh tens of thousands of pounds!"

"If my guess is correct, this treasure is what the ancestors spoke of: the Heavenly Demon Meteorite!"

"What is a Heavenly Demon Meteorite?" Lu Xiaoxian asked.

"It is a giant rock that fell from the nine heavens into the mortal realm. Such stones are initially thousands or tens of thousands of yards in size. Over countless ages, polished by infinite starlight and scorched by celestial fire, their essence is condensed and transformed, shrinking in size. Once they land in the mortal world, they possess various mysterious powers."

"Like the star fragments in the belly of Luoxia Mountain?" Zhou Qian asked.

"Not quite. Those fragments are likely influenced by bipolar magnetism and are 'magnetic mothers,' whereas this meteorite fell from the Six Desire Heavens into the mortal world, influenced by the aura of heavenly demons, thus becoming a Heavenly Demon Meteorite."

"It is also a superlative material for forging flying swords. It is a pity it fell into the hands of the Red-Haired King; it was like casting pearls before swine," the Old White Ape added.

"Since it is a treasure, shall we split it into three and each take a piece?" Zhou Qian proposed.

"I have already obtained the White Angelica sword; this treasure is of no use to me. I shall gift it to you two," the Old White Ape said with a laugh.

"That won't do. We killed the red-haired monkey together, so we should share the treasure!" Lu Xiaoxian insisted.

Zhou Qian agreed. Everyone loves an immortal treasure, but one must acquire it with integrity. The Old White Ape silently praised them, thinking that they were truly worthy of the Qingcheng Sect, possessing the noble character of immortals. Seeing their insistence, it no longer demurred and accepted a share.

The two humans and the one monkey took turns using their true fire to burn the stone. After much effort, they finally managed to split it into three pieces. This Heavenly Demon Meteorite, which the red-haired ape had refined and attuned to itself, was finally divided among the three.

The three sword immortals flew to the canyon where the Old White Ape’s secret passage was hidden. The canyon was covered in vines and creepers—a ruse set by Zhou Qian and the others to hide the entrance from the crane demons.

The Old White Ape opened the exit, and instantly, a cacophony of chirps and squeals erupted. Furry little monkey spirits and large ape monsters tumbled and jumped out, surrounding the Old White Ape. To prevent the red-haired ape from taking the clan hostage, Zhou Qian had hidden them in the secret passage earlier, and only now were they released.

"Alright, alright, I know. You can rest easy now. That Red-Haired King has been slain by these two sword immortals. From now on, we can live and play peacefully on Ape Duke Mountain! Aren't you going to thank them?"

The white-haired mountain apes surrounded the pair. Some kowtowed, some bowed, and the bolder ones climbed directly onto them, their little paws rummaging around as if looking for lice, which made Lu Xiaoxian giggle.

"Why don't you two stay on the mountain for a few more days? Let me play the host," the Old White Ape invited.

"Okay!" Lu Xiaoxian shouted first, fearing Zhou Qian might disagree.

Over the next few days, Zhou Qian sat and discussed the Dao with the Old White Ape, rising to spar with their swords. Both benefited immensely; Zhou Qian’s Ape Duke Sword Technique made significant progress, now on par with the Qingcheng Sword Technique, perhaps even more intricate in certain aspects. As for his junior sister, she spent her days playing in the mountains with the little monkeys—pounding herbs, cooking yellow essence, gathering pine nuts, brewing monkey wine, swinging on vines, and chasing wild beasts.

But all good things must come to an end. On this day, the Old White Ape specially opened a bottle of freshly brewed hundred-flower wine. They poured three cups, raised them in a toast, and drank.

"Senior Ape, the mountains are high and the waters long—we shall meet again!" Zhou Qian said solemnly.

"Grandpa White Ape, and little monkeys, I, Lu Xiaoxian, will definitely come back to see you!"

As their light transformed into a streak and ascended, fading into a black dot in the sky amidst the chattering of the monkeys, the Old White Ape sighed, a look of reluctance on its thunder-god-like face. After a long while, it muttered to itself, "Ancestors, you were right. The sword immortals of the Qingcheng Sect are truly extraordinary..."

"Senior Brother, when can we come back and play?" Lu Xiaoxian’s childish voice drifted back.

Clouds rolled by and a gentle breeze blew. Zhou Qian exhaled, sweeping away the lingering haze in his heart, and whispered, "There will be a day for that—there certainly will."

*Bang!* A streak of sword light, like a dragon from the nine heavens, instantly shattered the pair's defensive spells. The lingering momentum and howling gale sent the two disciples, He Qi and He Hua, tumbling into a giant mud pit.

"Senior Brother’s temper has been getting worse lately!" He Qi said, wiping the dirt from his face.

"It’s because of the Junior Brother and the Sixth Junior Sister. They’ve been gone for nearly a month without a word—it’s enough to make one worry!" He Hua murmured, refusing to get up from the ground.

"It’s a shame the Head Senior Brother let them go so confidently. I said at the time we shouldn't have let them; their mana is still shallow and they have no experience. Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

"What are you two whispering about? Get up! Today’s cultivation is not yet finished!" Qin Yu roared.

The two scrambled up, and just as they were about to make an excuse, they saw Qin Yu freeze. Then, they heard Lu Xiaoxian’s call:

"Head Senior Brother! Fourth Senior Brother! Fifth Senior Brother! We’re back..."