Chapter Sixty-eight: The Miraculous Elixir

“You should go and rest for a while. It’s been hard on you these days.”

The appearance of Tiger Baisheng was closely tied to him; otherwise, if events had unfolded as usual, King Yurong would have lived carefree, never suffering such humiliation.

King Yurong saluted Yuan Wuyi with cupped fists before quietly leaving.

Not long after King Yurong departed, Yuan Wuyi suddenly spoke, “You’ve been discreet enough. Come out.”

A shadow slipped silently into the central hall—it was Black Moon.

While King Yurong was inside, Black Moon had waited outside, only entering stealthily after King Yurong left. But Yuan Wuyi had noticed him all along.

“Monkey King, I presume your cultivation isn’t weak?” Black Moon asked in surprise.

His concealment techniques should have been undetectable by anyone of lower realm, yet Yuan Wuyi’s spiritual sense had locked onto him the moment he entered, and Black Moon couldn’t fathom Yuan Wuyi’s cultivation at all. He suspected Yuan Wuyi was stronger than himself.

“What do you think?” Yuan Wuyi answered ambiguously.

“No need for words—I’m here because my master has agreed to your previous request.” Black Moon, unwilling to play games, got straight to the point.

“Oh? So where is it?”

“In my estate.” Black Moon tried to compose himself. He had thought his master would never agree to Yuan Wuyi’s outlandish demand, but the result was the opposite; his master had consented without hesitation, even retrieving the item for Yuan Wuyi immediately.

His master’s reaction made Black Moon take King Yurong more seriously.

“Let’s go then.”

Arriving at Black Moon’s estate, faint roaring sounds could be heard. No wonder there were no demon soldiers nearby; Black Moon had deliberately kept them away to avoid trouble.

“You’re meticulous indeed,” Yuan Wuyi remarked, impressed by Black Moon’s caution. The estate was riddled with at least seven traps. Now it was clear why King Yurong had been entrusted to Black Moon’s care.

After walking a while, pausing here and there, Yuan Wuyi drew closer to the source of the roars.

“That must be him.”

Yuan Wuyi stood before a massive iron cage. Inside, a huge fiery-red ape was bound with iron chains, roaring in frustration.

“Stop shouting and save your strength,” Black Moon called to the ape.

“Why am I here? Who are you?”

The ape’s crimson eyes glared at Black Moon and Yuan Wuyi. When it looked at Yuan Wuyi, its eyes trembled, unable to withstand his intimidating aura.

“We’re not humans—we’re demons,” Yuan Wuyi replied playfully.

“If you know what’s good for you, let me go. I belong to the ancient Fire Ape clan. If you—”

“Enough. You’re just a prisoner from the ancient Fire Ape clan. If you vanished, who’d care?” Black Moon interrupted.

This ancient Fire Ape was taken from his clan’s death cell by Black Moon’s master, his bloodline unusually pure. The reason for his imprisonment was never explained.

“I am a prisoner, true, but I’m a direct descendant. If you don’t want the Fire Ape clan’s vengeance, release me now.”

The ape kept threatening Yuan Wuyi and Black Moon. He was sentenced to death, but being brought out was a chance. He believed the clan’s reputation would intimidate them, and if he could talk his way out, he might see daylight again.

“You seem unaware of your predicament. Allow me to remind you.”

Black Moon strode to the cage, pulled a metal whip from his robes, and lashed the ape repeatedly. His master had explicitly instructed him to make the ape suffer.

Judging by his manner, this wasn’t the first time he’d whipped the ape.

“Every time I whip you, you say the same things. Can’t you say something useful?”

It was never the first time—the ape always repeated his threats. At first Black Moon was intimidated, but as time went on, he realized he’d been bluffed. With each whipping, he became more ruthless.

“I’ll stop, no more! Please don’t hit me!”

Black Moon had only struck a few times before the ape begged for mercy.

Such spinelessness—he’d expected a tough one, not a coward.

“Let him speak a few more words. They’ll be his last.”

“What do you mean by that—”

The ape tried to protest, but when he saw Yuan Wuyi’s next movement, his eyes filled with terror.

With a simple gesture, the ancient Fire Ape felt his vital blood boiling uncontrollably, streaming toward Yuan Wuyi.

His massive body shriveled, his once fierce eyes grew vacant.

“What... is this?” Black Moon whispered in shock.

Moments ago, the ancient Fire Ape was full of life; now, he was a shriveled corpse. What had happened?

Could it be that what befell the ancient Water Ape clan before was caused by Yuan Wuyi in the same manner?

Extracting the essence blood of the ancient Fire Ape and refining it into a pill was routine for Yuan Wuyi. Soon, a fiery-red pill coalesced before his chest.

The pill forged by the Devouring Demon Heart was worlds apart from the Blood Cloud Pill made with the myriad demon heart.

“Let’s call it... the Spirit Pill.”

The Blood Cloud Pill left side effects for its user, but the Spirit Pill had no such limitation, though its requirements were higher; ordinary demons’ Devouring Demon Heart wouldn’t accept it.

Not only did the ancient Fire Ape’s essence blood produce a Spirit Pill, but most of it was absorbed by the Devouring Demon Heart, which enhanced Yuan Wuyi’s affinity with the elemental spiritual energy around him.

“Even the primordial spirit is gone,” Black Moon thought.

While Yuan Wuyi refined the Spirit Pill, Black Moon secretly examined the ape’s corpse—there was not a trace of the primordial spirit left.

He didn’t know that not only the spirit, but the soul had vanished as well. With his cultivation, he couldn’t touch upon the soul’s level yet, though disciples of certain great Dao sects often delve into soul cultivation.

“Will you give it, or shall I?” Yuan Wuyi toyed with the Spirit Pill.

“You should, of course.”

If Black Moon handed the Spirit Pill to King Yurong, it would arouse suspicion. It was safest for Yuan Wuyi to deliver it himself.

“Let’s go then.” Yuan Wuyi was the first to leave Black Moon’s estate.

Unwilling, Black Moon double-checked the ancient Fire Ape’s corpse, but the result was unchanged.

“The Monkey King is dangerous. I’d better report this to my master.” It wasn’t cowardice—Yuan Wuyi’s power was truly unsettling.