Chapter Fifty-Four: The Golden-Furred Demon Ape

Golden-Furred Demon Ape

Beneath the bronze gate, within the enormous skull of the gigantic golden-furred demon ape’s skeleton, a ghostly azure orb of light suddenly flared to life. With its appearance, the lifeless bones of the demon ape were instantly wreathed in a dense miasma of death, as though it had emerged from the very underworld—a sight both eerie and uncanny.

From the ape’s skeletal frame, an unceasing tide of deathly energy surged forth like a flood. In its wake, a tremendous wave of power began to spread. Then, under Nangong Xue’s astonished gaze, the skeleton of the golden-furred demon ape slowly rose to its feet. Its hollow eye sockets held not the slightest spark of life—only endless deathly gloom.

Watching the sudden stirrings of the demon ape before him, Ye Cheng, hidden beside a cliff wall not far away, narrowed his eyes. The shock in his gaze had yet to subside. Sensing the energy fluctuations radiating from the ape’s bones, Ye Cheng could tell that, while powerful, this force was still a notch below that of the silver-furred demon ape outside.

“What exactly is that orb of light?” Ye Cheng wondered, staring at the glowing sphere inside the demon ape’s skull. He couldn’t quite discern what it was. Clearly, the golden-furred demon ape hadn’t truly come back to life—it was merely being controlled by the azure orb within its head, which was drawing together the lingering power that had not yet dissipated from the bones.

“I hadn’t expected there would be such a guardian here,” came Mu Lao’s voice in Ye Cheng’s mind. “Judging by its appearance, this golden-furred demon ape must have died long ago. Only a remnant will remains, controlling its body to stand watch.”

“That orb… is it the ape’s residual will?” Ye Cheng found it hard to believe there could be such a thing as a lingering consciousness. But then, recalling that Mu Lao himself was in a soul state, Ye Cheng felt a bit more at ease. After all, those at a certain level of cultivation possessed abilities that defied common understanding.

“If an ordinary person clings to a deeply held conviction, that faith would fade away upon death. But if that person is an accomplished martial artist, with a soul hundreds of times stronger than most, the obsession held in life can solidify after death into a persistent will—continuing the task to which they devoted themselves,” Mu Lao explained.

“Just like this golden-furred demon ape before us,” he added.

Ye Cheng pondered briefly, then fixed his gaze on the bronze gate, murmuring softly, “This Golden Ape King must be guarding what lies beyond that bronze door!”

“Indeed, that’s very likely,” Mu Lao agreed.

Ye Cheng’s eyes burned with curiosity as he looked at the gate. What could possibly be behind it, to warrant such tireless guardianship—even beyond death—by an ancestral figure of the Demon Ape clan?

…

A thunderous roar erupted from the fleshless maw of the golden-furred demon ape, sending out waves of sound that whipped into a howling gale—an utterly bizarre spectacle. Not far away, Nangong Xue’s ears rang with the deafening cry, as if thunder had shattered against them. A grave look flashed across her cold, beautiful face. She hesitated briefly, then bit her lip, her features set with resolve. In the next instant, her figure shot forward, racing straight for the bronze gate.

Her intent was clear—no matter how formidable the golden-furred demon ape, she would enter that bronze door.

“Roar!” A green light flashed in the giant ape’s eye sockets as it glared at Nangong Xue, rushing headlong toward it. With a furious bellow, its massive skeletal hand clenched into a fist, and then punched forward. A huge fist, glowing with a ghostly green light, hurtled toward Nangong Xue, sweeping across the entire passage and tearing the air as it came.

Watching the rapidly enlarging fist, Nangong Xue sensed that, though it glimmered with green energy, the force it carried fell short of the level of the Yuan Realm. At best, it equaled the peak of the Blood Qi Realm. Slightly surprised, she quickly realized that, despite its brief revival, the ape had been dead for far too long—its remaining strength was nearly exhausted.

With that thought, the tension on her face eased somewhat. Moving with agility, she summoned a surge of powerful blood energy from within.

“Peak of the Blood Qi Realm!” Ye Cheng was startled as he felt the concentration of blood energy emanating from Nangong Xue, but then he gave a wry smile. In a powerful clan like Yongle City, which boasted numerous Yuan Realm experts and even ancient Dan Realm cultivators, Nangong Xue—as the heiress—enjoyed resources the Ye family could scarcely imagine. For her to possess such strength at her age was to be expected.

Such cultivation, at the peak of the Blood Qi Realm, would mark one as a prodigy in a place like Luoyang Town. Joining any faction there, one would hold the rank of elder or higher. Thinking of this, Ye Cheng’s lips twisted in bitter self-mockery: “The gap between people is truly vast.”

“You really underestimate yourself, boy,” Mu Lao chided. “You may not have reached the full mastery of the Blood Qi Realm, but your true strength can already rival it—and even the peak of that realm is not beyond your reach.”

“Consider how little time it’s taken you to achieve this. In terms of background, you can’t compare with her, but in terms of innate talent, you far surpass her. Heh, if you can fully unlock your Devouring Physique, never mind Yongle City—this whole world will be yours to claim,” Mu Lao said.

Ye Cheng’s bitterness faded at Mu Lao’s words, replaced by a faint smile. Indeed, his Devouring Physique would be his greatest asset in the future.

While Ye Cheng and Mu Lao exchanged these brief words, Nangong Xue was already moving. Her delicate steps were light as lotus petals, and with each one, her slender fingers wove intricate seals through the air. As her ten fingers made their final crossing, a clear, cold voice rang out from her lips:

“Blood Qi Shield!”

A dense surge of blood energy poured from her body, and in front of her outstretched hand, a faint shield of blood energy suddenly formed. Just as the shield appeared, the giant green-glowing fist slammed into it.

Boom!

The massive fist crashed against the shield, a deep, muffled thud echoing through the passage. Nangong Xue shuddered, a touch of pallor rising to her face. She staggered back several steps, but managed to withstand the full force of the attack.

Whoosh!

Even as she steadied herself, the gigantic skeleton of the golden-furred demon ape closed in again. Both fists swung wildly, each blow carrying wild force, as they pounded relentlessly toward the now-pale-faced Nangong Xue.

End of Chapter Fifty-Four: Golden-Furred Demon Ape