Chapter 68: Dark Gold Ape
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"I can certainly confirm that the green copper belongs to the Central Province." The unscrupulous Taoist pondered briefly, then continued, "Back then, the matter stirred up quite a commotion. The most widespread rumor was that the Demon Emperor stole the Eastern Wasteland's human race's supreme treasure, the Desolate Tower, intending to use it as a burial object when his lifespan ended. The Desolate Tower was indeed lost during that period, and everyone believed he was responsible. Besides that, there was another, more obscure legend. It claimed that the Desolate Tower wasn't stolen by the Demon Emperor. He did make a move searching for burial goods, but what he actually stole was a mysterious artifact from the Central Province. As for this piece of green copper, it's utterly enigmatic. Few in the Eastern Wasteland know of it, and even those who have heard of it don't understand it clearly."
"Is that all you're basing your judgment on?" Ye Fan looked puzzled.
"The Demon Emperor's tomb never revealed the Desolate Tower, which disproves the first legend. Naturally, I connected it to the green copper." Saying this, the unscrupulous Taoist slapped himself directly. "I never imagined that after a lifetime of treasure hunting, I'd be blinded by a piece of green copper and let it slip through my fingers."
"How did you come to your senses later? What made you realize something was wrong?"
"Because its ordinariness defied all logic. It had not a single flaw. Every method I used was fooled. Looking back, that was clearly the biggest flaw. Even ordinary scrap copper couldn't be this 'ordinary'..."
Ye Fan deliberately sighed. "To think I was so transcendent, casually tossing away an artifact comparable to the Desolate Tower like a worn-out shoe. Too bad no one saw it. I imagine I must have looked like a deity descending to the mortal world back then—peerless in grace, unmatched across the ages."
"Are you trying to provoke me? Looking for a beating, are you?" The unscrupulous Taoist's nose nearly twisted with anger.
Although Ye Fan found the fat Taoist quite unscrupulous, he wasn't a vicious or evil person, so he wasn't particularly afraid of him. "Calm your anger, Daoist. Right now, your most urgent task is to figure out how to fish that piece of green copper out. Maybe the Desolate Tower is also down there in the yin tomb. Perhaps you haven't lost a treasure at all; on the contrary, you might end up with two."
"The Desolate Tower can't be in the yin hall!" Despite saying this, the unscrupulous Taoist still released Ye Fan and carefully considered what to do next.
"Screw it, I'll give it another try!" The fat Taoist walked back toward the black pool. He couldn't let go of the mysterious green copper, obsessed with it.
"Boom!"
Just then, a massive whirlpool suddenly appeared in the black, frigid pool. A ferocious, grotesque beast rose and fell, emerging from the dark water. Its entire body was pitch-black, as if cast from dark gold, exuding an eerie aura.
Its shape was bizarre. It had three heads. The central head resembled a human-like ape, while the left and right heads were those of a bird and a snake. Its body was like a "nether horse" forged from dark gold. It had no feathers or fur, covered entirely in black scales that gleamed with a metallic luster, making it appear powerful and formidable.
This was a massive beast over ten meters long, roaring in the water with a deep, guttural growl that made Ye Fan feel his soul grow light, as if it were about to leave his body.
"Calm your mind and focus your spirit!" the fat Taoist shouted in a low voice. "So such a thing really exists. It dwells in the world's ultimate yin places. Its roar can shatter a person's soul. It's an extremely powerful strange beast called the Dark Gold Ape..."
This hideous, enormous beast, shimmering with dark light, had three heads, but only the central ape head possessed intelligence. The left bird head and right snake head could unleash divine abilities but had no thoughts, controlled by the central ape head. Hence, it was called the Dark Gold Ape.
However, there were also legends that the bird and snake heads, seemingly forged from dark gold, could also awaken intelligence. Once the Dark Gold Ape evolved to that level, it became terrifying. Unless a top-tier expert intervened, it couldn't be destroyed. By then, its magical power would be overwhelming.
Ye Fan listened, committing it to memory. He calmed his mind and spirit, enveloped by the radiance emanating from the fat Taoist. His soul stabilized, and the floating sensation disappeared.
"Boom!"
At that moment, the Dark Gold Ape suddenly surfaced in the black water, churning up immense black waves that surged toward the fat Taoist and Ye Fan.
"Chi!"
The unscrupulous Taoist reacted swiftly. With one hand, he drew a circle, and a patch of cyan light spilled out, blooming like fireworks—dazzling and hazy—shielding both him and Ye Fan. The black mist and freezing water, capable of cracking stones, were all blocked outside. At the same time, he inscribed in the air, writing a large "Seal" character.
"Submit!"
The fat Taoist shouted softly. The "Seal" character in the void instantly blazed, as if carved from jade, tangible and substantial. With a whoosh, it flew forward.
"Thud!"
It struck the Dark Gold Ape solidly, emitting a hissing sound. Chilling black mist rose, gradually merging into the dark gold beast's body.
"Roar..."
The Dark Gold Ape violently shook its body. Its two drooping heads slowly lifted. The bird head opened its beak and instantly spat out a fierce bolt of lightning. The snake head flicked its tongue and spewed a stream of black flames, making even the air seem scorched.
"Extreme yin lightning and netherfire!"
The fat Taoist was greatly startled. He pulled Ye Fan back a few steps and spat out a small blood-red shield. It shimmered with specks of light, expanding with the wind to over four or five zhang in height, blocking in front of them.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Lightning danced, and black flames blazed, all crashing against the shield as red as blood. Crystalline red light flickered outward.
"This Dark Gold Ape is no ordinary creature. Its left bird head and right snake head seem to have once awakened intelligence, but someone pierced through them, causing them to lose it again!" The fat Taoist looked serious. If all three heads of the Dark Gold Ape had intelligence simultaneously, even a powerful cultivator encountering it would have to flee.
"Fortunately, the two heads aren't in perfect condition..." he murmured to himself. The Dark Gold Ape's fierce attacks made the shield, like red precious jade, shake violently, but it ultimately held.
"Slash!"
At that moment, a brilliant light shot out from the fat Taoist's bitter sea, like a bright moon—pure and luminous—straight toward the Dark Gold Ape.
"Thud!"
The central ape head of the Dark Gold Ape shot two beams of golden light from its eyes, striking the moon-like, radiant jade disk. Both trembled.
The unscrupulous Taoist showed surprise. "All three heads seem to have been severely wounded by someone. There are terrifying scars on them. It seems it once successfully awakened the intelligence of all three heads. If I'd encountered it back then, I'd have had no choice but to run."
Not only had the Dark Gold Ape's left and right heads lost their intelligence, but its central ape head had also suffered severe damage, unable to regain its former demonic might. Gradually, the unscrupulous Taoist gained the upper hand.
"Thud!"
But when the unscrupulous Taoist tried to suppress it, the Dark Gold Ape struggled violently. Its entire body erupted with blinding dark gold light, breaking free from its restraints and sinking back into the black pool.
"This thing is truly fearsome. If all three of its heads recover, few will be able to subdue it then." The fat Taoist looked grave.
Just then, the bottomless frigid pool suddenly churned violently. Something below seemed about to burst forth, far more intense than the Dark Gold Ape. Boundless waves surged from the black pool, and black mist billowed in all directions.
The mist coiled, bitingly cold. Many parts of the mountain ridge cracked, and numerous rocks turned to powder after the black mist swept over them.
"Daoist, didn't you say the yin tomb was hidden in the shadows and wouldn't surface? Why is it so terrifying now?"
"I might have accidentally done something that caused trouble."
"What did you do?"
"Several thousand meters deep in the black pool, I saw a damaged stone tablet inscribed with the words 'Nether Pool.' I pulled it out and threw it into the depths of the pool. I think after it sank to the bottom, it might have touched the Demon Emperor's yin tomb."
"Daoist, you didn't happen to smash that broken tablet onto the Demon Emperor's yin hall, did you?"
"At the time, who knew there was a Demon Emperor's yin tomb beneath the deep pool..."
"Splash, splash!"
At that moment, water churned in the black pool. A squad of yin soldiers in black iron armor emerged, each holding dark yin blades, exuding a deathly stillness.
"This is..." Ye Fan was shocked.
The fat Taoist also showed alarm, pulling Ye Fan back as he retreated. "What's going on? What's so strange about the Demon Emperor's yin tomb? Are there terrifying tomb guardians? What kind of beings are these!"
The black pool churned with waves. One by one, broken ancient war chariots emerged from the pool, carrying chariot-loads of yin soldiers. They were clad in tungsten iron armor, covering every part of their bodies, holding either dark yin blades or black nether halberds.
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