Chapter 159: Battle Against the Demonic Ape (Part I)

The days that followed saw Moon-Gazing Island return to its customary tranquility.

Having gathered all the necessary materials and carved out some free time, Qin Ming began a new round of brewing. Following the steps in the Divine Scripture of the Wine Immortal, he combined the spiritual ingredients and placed them into a specially crafted steamer. Utilizing the Devouring Spirit Venom Flame for heating and distillation, he spent two days and two nights producing over a dozen jars of Jade Flood-Dragon Wine.

He then stored them away in the cellar beneath the purple-gold bamboo forest.

...

Aside from this, Qin Ming had recently fed a monster core each to the Dark Water Crocodile and the Silver-Winged Frost Bee.

After all, these were part of their spoils of war.

On this particular day, Qin Ming was leisurely sipping tea under the Dragon-Blood Divine Tree at the entrance of his immortal cave, holding a jade slip detailing puppet arts. Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"After feeding you so many heavenly treasures, you are finally going to break through!"

"Not bad, not bad indeed!"

The Dark Water Crocodile had just transmitted a mental message to him: the monster core it had swallowed was almost entirely digested, and it was now ready to break through to a Tier 2 mid-grade great monster.

Qin Ming immediately flew over to the cave dug by the Dark Water Crocodile to stand guard for it.

Boom!

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth rushed into the body of the Dark Water Crocodile like a broken-down floodgate.

This continued for several hours, and the aura emanating from the Dark Water Crocodile began to rise steadily.

With its eyes tightly closed, its demonic power circulated incessantly through all its limbs and bones.

Finally, its body shuddered abruptly, and a formidable aura spread outward.

The scales on its body also underwent a transformation, changing from purple-gold to a dark golden hue intermingled with a hint of blood-red. Its massive form grew another notch, and explosive power brewed and surged within it.

The Dark Water Crocodile slowly opened its vertical pupils, radiating an aura that looked down upon all monsters, accompanied by a fierce and terrifying might!

At this moment, the Dark Water Crocodile could probably put up a fight even against a Tier 2 high-grade great monster.

As the breakthrough concluded, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered around gradually dissipated.

Shrinking its form, it crawled to Qin Ming's feet and proudly lifted its head.

"A heavenly-grade bloodline truly is extraordinary; cultivation is indeed remarkably fast." Qin Ming patted the head of the Dark Water Crocodile.

To be honest, he felt a twinge of envy for this fellow.

He then went to check on the Silver-Winged Frost Bee, only to find that it was still deep in slumber.

Although the Silver-Winged Frost Bee had yet to break through, demonic flowers had bloomed once more on the Vine of Longevity. For it, reaching the Tier 2 mid-grade was merely a matter of time.

Outside the spiritual island, following Wu Jiang's continuous intelligence-gathering over this period, Qin Ming learned that the situation in the Immortal Cultivation World of the Lingqi Archipelago had grown extremely tense in the wake of the upheaval at Chaye Island.

"The Thunder Origin Sect has suffered a massive loss this time. Not only did they forfeit a Tier 3 spiritual vein, but they also dragged an affiliated clan down with them," Qin Ming commented indifferently as he sipped the Spirit-Gathering Tea by the lake.

Wu Jiang took a small sip of the spiritual tea, wearing an expression of lingering aftertaste, and then said, "Indeed! Daoist Qin's words are spot on, especially after a fiend like Zhao Wuyang managed to escape. It has left everyone panic-stricken and become a thorn in the side of the Thunder Origin Sect."

"I've also heard that the monsters in the Beast-Roaring Mountain Range have recently started showing frequent signs of abnormal activity."

"It seems that not only the demonic ape's faction is restless, but other monsters are also growing unruly."

"Word is that the Vast Sea Immortal City has even specially organized a Monster Defense Army for this very reason."

"Combined with these complex factors, even the previously irreconcilable standoff between the Spirit Feather Sect and the Thunder Origin Sect has noticeably buffered."

"Alas! This situation changes at a moment's notice!"

Qin Ming nodded. "Mm, it has been somewhat unsettled lately. Caution is paramount."

"By the way, how are your two children faring with their cultivation in the Thunder Origin Sect?" Qin Ming asked, recalling the matter.

Upon mentioning this, Wu Jiang's face instantly fell as he sighed, "Sigh~ I never expected the chess game between the Thunder Origin Sect and the Spirit Feather Sect to reach a point of a life-and-death struggle."

"Wangyue and Wangfeng are currently doing all right; the sect places quite a bit of importance on them and is nurturing them well."

"I just don't know what the future holds. Had I known things would turn out this way, I would have had some regrets. Sending them into the Thunder Origin Sect so early was truly rather ill-conceived."

Hearing this, Qin Ming offered words of consolation: "Daoist Wu need not worry too much. The current situation is still too volatile to predict a winner."

"Let's hope so." Wu Jiang shook his head and sighed.

...

Another two days passed.

Peaceful days were always exceptionally rare.

Today, however, an uninvited guest arrived at Moon-Gazing Lake.

Qin Ming was currently in closed-door seclusion within his immortal cave to cultivate.

Abruptly!

He snapped his eyes open, and a powerful divine sense swept toward a location five miles outside Moon-Gazing Island.

The Dark Water Crocodile and the Silver-Winged Frost Bee also flew out from their nests, wearing expressions as if facing a formidable enemy.

When Qin Ming's divine sense landed on the figure hurtling toward Moon-Gazing Island, he couldn't help but gasp sharply!

"Double-Pupil Demonic Ape!"

At this moment, however, the fiend was covered in blood clots, seemingly having suffered quite severe injuries, and its aura—originally at the Tier 2 perfection stage—had dropped to the Tier 2 high-grade.

Even so, Qin Ming's entire nervous system tightened, and his expression grew gravely solemn.

"With the misty illusion barrier comparable to a Tier 3 grand array defending the place, it shouldn't be able to get in, right?"

As he spoke, Qin Ming had already summoned the two beasts to his side and swiftly sent a transmission talisman to Wu Jiang.

"A major event may occur on the island shortly. Take your clansmen and go into hiding first; do not come out for the time being."

Down on the island, Wu Jiang, who was sweating profusely while hoeing the spiritual fields, received the transmission talisman. Upon opening it, his face changed drastically!

"Quick! A major event is happening. Everyone, find cover and conceal yourselves."

...

Outside Moon-Gazing Island.

Panting heavily, the Double-Pupil Demonic Ape cast a bizarre pair of pupils at the pink mist shrouding Moon-Gazing Island, then glanced back over its shoulder.

Without a moment of hesitation, it executed its innate bloodline divine ability, "Law-Breaking Double Pupils," and leaped straight into the fog.

Two divine lights suddenly burst forth from the demonic ape's eyes. The misty illusion barrier, comparable to a Tier 3 grand array, proved entirely ineffective against it!

"Not only can it break laws, it can break illusions as well!"

Seeing the demonic ape charge in without a shred of hesitation—and heading directly in the direction of the main peak's back mountain—Qin Ming remained calm in demeanor. He communicated via mind to his two spiritual pets, "Prepare for battle!"

"If it's at the Tier 2 high-grade... then taking it on isn't entirely out of the question."

Had it been the Double-Pupil Demonic Ape at the height of its power, Qin Ming would undoubtedly have abandoned Wu Jiang's family and fled first.

They would have had to rely on their own good fortune.

But things were different now.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Shortly after, Qin Ming led his two spiritual pets flying toward the back mountain of the main peak, standing at full alert.

Just half an incense stick of time later, a massive black shadow appeared before Qin Ming's eyes.

The moment the Double-Pupil Demonic Ape pierced through the misty illusion barrier, it sensed a human and two beasts waiting ahead.

A look of startled suspicion crossed its face; it hadn't expected such a hidden paradise to exist here, let alone be inhabited by a cultivator.

Its gaze landed on the human in the center. Noticing he was merely at the Foundation Establishment initial stage, a look of disdain immediately crossed its face.

In the past, human cultivators of such cultivation level were beings it could crush to death by the handful on a whim.

Even more infuriatingly, the other party actually dared to keep demonic beasts as slaves. This was one of the reasons why beasts like itself despised humans so profoundly.

Roar!

Catching sight of the human cultivator, the Double-Pupil Demonic Ape let out an angry roar toward the skies, swung its heavy fists, and charged aggressively toward Qin Ming!

Qin Ming did not cower in the slightest. Burning with battle intent, his entire body erupted with vital blood and true qi. A towering blood-red ape phantom materialized behind him, its five fingers clenched into a fist. Spanning dozens of yards of distance, it met the demonic ape's charge head-on!