Chapter 409: Water Demon Ape
Of course, Zhang Ruochen would not recklessly charge into the depths of the valley. First, he activated the heavenly eye at his brow, using his spiritual power to probe through layers of poisonous miasma. At the bottom of the deep valley, he saw a black, cold pond.
An extremely dangerous force emanated from the cold pond, forcibly repelling Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power.
"Such a formidable power—could a powerful barbarian beast be living in that cold pond?"
Zhang Ruochen seized the two disciples of Grandmaster Long Ze, intending to extract some information from them first.
Grandmaster Long Ze's two disciples were called Great Wilderness Mage and Little Wilderness Mage.
At this moment, both Great Wilderness Mage and Little Wilderness Mage knelt on the ground, looking up at Zhang Ruochen as if he were a deity, kowtowing incessantly.
Great Wilderness Mage said, "Grandmaster Long Ze committed many evils, and dying at your hands, young hero, is what he deserved. From now on, we are willing to follow you to the death, to be your servants."
Little Wilderness Mage added in a trembling voice, "I too am willing to follow you, young hero, to serve you in every way, with absolute loyalty."
Having witnessed Zhang Ruochen's immense power, they no longer dared to challenge him. Only by submitting completely could they have a chance to survive.
If even Grandmaster Long Ze was killed with a single strike, killing them would be effortless for Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Tell me, what is in the cold pond at the bottom of the valley? And where did Grandmaster Long Ze obtain the Black Water Liuli Crystal?"
Great Wilderness Mage, eager to please Zhang Ruochen, quickly replied, "In the cold pond lives a demon ape. It is the true ruler of the entire Demon Ape Ridge. Grandmaster Long Ze and we were merely its servants."
He continued, "The Black Water Liuli Crystal that Grandmaster Long Ze had was a reward from the demon ape. I heard that recently, the demon ape is at a critical stage of breakthrough, and it consumes the flesh and blood of two women every day to increase its yin-cold energy."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes turned cold, and a powerful aura radiated from him. "Are those the women imprisoned in the dungeon?" he asked in a deep voice.
That aura pressed down on Great Wilderness Mage and Little Wilderness Mage like a mountain, making it hard for them to breathe, as if they would be crushed to death by the force.
"Young hero, spare us! We were only following the orders of that old scoundrel Long Ze to capture those women. If we didn't do as he said, we too would have died," Great Wilderness Mage pleaded.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Tell me, how strong is that demon ape?"
Great Wilderness Mage was startled. Could this young master be planning to confront that demon ape?
That demon ape was a fearsome presence throughout the entire Five Elements Continent.
Despite his shock, he answered honestly, "That demon ape's strength is terrifying. Just the cold demonic energy from its body can force us two brothers to the ground, unable to lift our heads. Even that old scoundrel Long Ze probably couldn't withstand a single blow from it."
Little Wilderness Mage's face turned pale. "Young hero, I advise you not to provoke it. Once angered, it could shake the entire Five Elements Continent."
Zhang Ruochen said, "You mentioned it's at a critical stage of breakthrough. Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for me to eliminate it."
He was determined to obtain the Black Water Liuli Crystal.
At the bottom of the valley, in that black cold pond, there was likely a large amount of Black Water Liuli Crystal. Otherwise, the demon ape wouldn't have made it its lair.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen had discovered that Black Water Liuli Crystal contained the purest water-element power. If he could refine a large quantity, he might be able to cultivate the "Water Spirit Treasure Body."
Although a treasure body was a level lower than a saintly body, it was far superior to an ordinary physique.
Cultivating a Water Spirit Treasure Body would allow Zhang Ruochen to advance further in martial arts.
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Purple Lightning Sword and walked step by step toward the depths of the valley.
Watching Zhang Ruochen's retreating figure, Great Wilderness Mage and Little Wilderness Mage exchanged glances, seeing fear in each other's eyes.
"We should flee, as far as possible. Once the demon ape gets angry, everything within a hundred miles might be razed to the ground."
"That man is too arrogant. Going up against the demon ape means certain death."
They immediately rushed out of the valley, into the dense forest, fleeing at top speed.
The deeper Zhang Ruochen went into the valley, the colder it became.
As he approached the black cold pond, he released his space domain and used the power of space distortion. In an instant, Zhang Ruochen vanished from the ground.
Wrapped in his space domain, Zhang Ruochen concealed his aura and dove into the black cold pond, searching for the demon ape's lair.
Though the surface of the cold pond appeared small, the water expanded greatly as he went deeper.
At the bottom of the cold pond, the temperature was extremely low. Martial artists at the Heavenly Extreme Realm who dove below a hundred meters would surely freeze to death.
However, the spiritual energy in the water was incredibly dense, dozens of times richer than outside. Even in the Kunlun Realm, this would be considered a cultivation treasure land.
"How strange. With such a low temperature, the bottom of the pond hasn't frozen."
Zhang Ruochen faintly sensed a trace of Black Water Liuli Crystal power in the black cold pond.
Even without actively circulating his technique, that power continuously infused into his body, merging with his blood and meridians.
"Even if I don't get the Black Water Liuli Crystal, if I could cultivate in this cold pond for ten years, I could still develop a Water Spirit Treasure Body."
Now, Zhang Ruochen was certain that a large amount of Black Water Liuli Crystal lay at the bottom of the pond.
After diving about two hundred meters, there was no light in the water. Zhang Ruochen could only rely on his heavenly eye to see the underwater scene.
Below, a massive black shadow appeared, about thirty meters tall, covered in long black fur. From a distance, it looked like a giant ape.
"Splash!"
The demon ape was breathing and exhaling. With each inhale, a massive surge of water rushed toward it, entering its belly through nostrils as large as cave openings.
With each exhale, the water surged back like a giant wave.
An overwhelming power radiated from its body, as if a single punch could pierce through a mountain.
"Black Water Liuli Crystal."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on a rocky wall beneath the demon ape.
On the wall, black crystals were exposed, the smallest the size of a finger, the largest as big as a washbasin.
The Black Water Liuli Crystal he had refined earlier was probably one of the smallest among them.
Suddenly, the demon ape, in the midst of cultivation, detected Zhang Ruochen's aura and let out a roar.
Its giant eyes opened, shooting out two golden beams of light that pierced through Zhang Ruochen's space domain and struck him.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen was sent flying, crashing violently into a distant rocky wall, sinking into it and forming a large crater.
Fortunately, he had activated the power of the dragon pearl in time, forming a golden light shield to protect his body. Otherwise, that strike from the demon ape would have seriously injured him.
Enraged that someone could infiltrate the Black Water Cold Pond undetected, the demon ape threw a punch with lightning speed, nearly reaching twice the speed of sound. In an instant, its fist struck Zhang Ruochen.
"So fast!"
Before Zhang Ruochen could dodge or channel his true qi, the demon ape's fist landed on him, nearly breaking through the dragon pearl's defense.
The demon ape was like a towering demon, ferocious and infinitely powerful. It immediately threw a second punch.
But just as its fist descended, Zhang Ruochen's body vanished.
Almost silently, Zhang Ruochen appeared above the demon ape's head, having used a spatial displacement.
"Clang!"
The Purple Lightning Sword flew out, grasped by Zhang Ruochen's hands, and he slashed downward.
"Soul-Destroying Kill!"
Zhang Ruochen executed the final and most powerful move of the Thirteen Soul-Chasing Swords.
Dozens of purple lightning bolts, as thick as wine cups, converged at the sword tip, producing a thunderous roar, aiming to split the demon ape in two.
"Crack!"
The demon ape raised a hand, blocking the Purple Lightning Sword.
With a flick of its arm, a tremendous force erupted, sending Zhang Ruochen flying.
Zhang Ruochen's strike had only left a half-meter-long bloody gash on its palm—not a serious injury.
"Impressive. This demon ape must have cultivated a Water Spirit Treasure Body."
Through his heavenly eye, Zhang Ruochen could see that the demon ape's cultivation had reached the peak of the first transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Though both were at the first transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, the demon ape's strength far surpassed that of the former chief of the Poison Spider Merchant Guild.
The main reason was that the demon ape had cultivated a Water Spirit Treasure Body.
Zhang Ruochen immediately released his martial soul, and a dazzling white light radiated from his body.
Above his head, a soul shadow appeared.
Having absorbed half-saint light, Zhang Ruochen's martial soul was now comparable to that of a cultivator at the fourth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
The martial soul began to draw in heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, converting it into its own power, significantly boosting Zhang Ruochen's strength.
A martial soul comparable to the fourth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm didn't mean Zhang Ruochen could unleash the power of a fourth-transformation cultivator, as he was still only at the late stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
Nevertheless, with the aid of his martial soul, he had surpassed the limits of mortal martial artists. At his current strength, he was only slightly weaker than the demon ape, fully capable of fighting it.
"Let's fight."
Zhang Ruochen activated the dragon pearl's power, covering his body with a layer of golden dragon scales and sprouting a pair of massive dragon wings from his back. Holding the Purple Lightning Sword, he charged at the demon ape.
Heavenly and earthly spiritual energy continuously converged toward Zhang Ruochen, pouring into the Purple Lightning Sword. The sword's seventy-two basic inscriptions and three intermediate inscriptions were fully activated, unleashing the full power of this tenth-rank True Martial Treasure.
Zhang Ruochen's dragon wings flapped, pushing aside the pond water as he took the initiative to attack the demon ape. Wielding his war sword, the electric light radiating from the blade seemed to transform into a river of lightning.
(Written until 1:30 AM, finally finished. So tired. Too late, sorry. Time to sleep.)