Chapter Thirty-Four: Battling the Demon Ape, The Golden Dragon Emerges

Upon hearing Huo Ling’er’s startled cry, the old man who had been leisurely drinking and eating nearby was taken aback. He quickly stood up, looking toward Huo Ling’er with concern, thinking the beast milk might be poisoned.

Ignoring the small child who was trying to snatch back the bottle, Huo Ling’er stared in awe at the beast milk in her hand. Unable to resist, she took another small sip. Instantly, runes flashed across her body, and streams of red flame burst forth as if she were a phoenix reborn from the ashes.

Seeing Huo Ling’er clutching his milk bottle and refusing to let go, Shi Hao grew anxious. He paid no heed to the flames that could melt metal and stone erupting from Huo Ling’er’s body. For years, the beast milk he drank contained the essence of the Fire Phoenix, the monarch of all flames. Its milk naturally held the imprints of the way of fire, and Shi Hao was long since immune to any blaze.

He snatched the bottle back and, seeing that more than half the milk remained, breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Huo Ling’er, seeing the bottle reclaimed by the little one, was not angry. Her eyes sparkled as she asked, “Little brother, where did you get this beast milk?” She had taken an accidental sip and immediately sensed its extraordinary nature. After another hearty drink, her cultivation, which had long been stagnant, broke through in an instant, reaching the peak of the Blood Transmutation realm—just a step away from entering the Cave Heaven realm. This delighted her beyond measure.

The little one replied irritably, “Got it from the ferocious beast Feiyi. If you want more, go get it yourself next time.”

Half-believing, Huo Ling’er exchanged a glance with the old man, who immediately understood. In a flash, he vanished from sight. He was a guardian sent by the Fire Nation’s Emperor to protect the young princess, his cultivation already at the Inscription realm. A single Feiyi was nothing to him.

Huo Ling’er’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she smiled at the little one, who had already returned to the fire to resume roasting meat. “Little brother, where are you from? How can you wander alone in this vast wilderness at such a young age? The great wilds are so dangerous!”

Shi Hao had not intended to answer, but remembering his master’s instructions, he replied irritably, “I’m from Stone Village. My master sent me to travel through the wilds.”

“Your master sent you alone into the wilds? Isn’t he afraid you’ll run into danger?” Seeing the little boy, even younger than herself, with no protector by his side, Huo Ling’er felt indignant.

Shi Hao rolled his eyes and said to Chenxing, “What danger could there be? Do you think everyone is like you, needing a protector just to go out and play? Besides, my master is incredibly powerful and cares for me deeply—he’d never let me get into danger!” His face was full of pride.

Far away in Stone Village, Chenxing listened to the little one’s boastful words and felt a pang of exasperation. He had hoped to let the boy temper himself, but his own excessive care had left Shi Hao with no sense of danger and boundless trust in his master, never believing he could be put in harm’s way.

Thinking of the Golden Spirit he had sent to protect the little one, and his own divine sense that constantly trailed after him, Chenxing could only sigh at his own overprotectiveness. Well, as long as he could change his disciple’s tragic fate, that would suffice. After all, the main purpose this time was to let him meet Huo Ling’er. In the future, when he faced enemies across the world and waged bloody battles, his Dao heart would naturally become steadfast.

Meanwhile, Huo Ling’er, hearing the little one shamelessly extoll his master’s power, curled her lips in disbelief. “My father is the Fire Nation’s emperor—did I ever mention it? How powerful can someone from a tiny mountain village possibly be?”

At that moment, the two of them heard a thunderous rumble in the distance, interspersed with beastly roars. Huo Ling’er immediately stood up and looked toward the source, only to see a figure racing toward them at breakneck speed—the very same old man who had just gone to find Feiyi beast milk for her. A thousand feet behind him, a savage ape, over two meters tall, was bellowing furiously in pursuit. Runes wound about its body, and it radiated an aura like that of a demon king descending, filling the entire wilderness with deadly silence.

This ape was not particularly gigantic—just over two meters tall, with half-foot-long black fur that gleamed menacingly. Most astonishing of all, it possessed a pair of black leathery wings, allowing it to soar through the sky. Just moments before, it had descended from above. In addition, a pair of thick, grotesque black horns jutted from its head.

“Miss, run! That’s a Beast King, a Demon Ape—we’re no match for it!” the old man roared desperately.

Huo Ling’er, barely seven or eight years old and sheltered all her life under her father’s protection, had never seen such a savage beast. In the face of this demon ape, she was paralyzed with fear, rooted to the spot.

Seeing this, even the usually composed little one paled. He grabbed the dazed Huo Ling’er and bolted, not forgetting to snatch the roasting meat from the fire as he fled. This beast king was far beyond their ability to handle. How had the old man provoked such a monster?

By now, the demon ape was upon the old man. Realizing he could not escape, the old man let out a furious cry, turned, and smashed his treasured staff at the ape. Runes swirled and struck the beast, but to no avail—the demon ape’s body was innately impervious, and the old man’s cultivation was far inferior.

Knowing he was doomed, the old man’s eyes flashed with resolve. He hurled himself at the demon ape, his entire body erupting in black-red flames. With a thunderous boom, he self-destructed at the beast’s side, hoping to buy Huo Ling’er time to escape. The explosion did inflict some wounds, but only superficial ones. In pain, the demon ape howled skyward, spread its wings, and charged after the two children.

Dragged along at breakneck speed, Huo Ling’er saw the old man self-destruct and cried out in grief, “Uncle Huo!” She tried to break free and rush at the demon ape to avenge him, but Shi Hao kept a firm grip on her hand.

Seeing Huo Ling’er struggling to dash toward the beast, Shi Hao could only shake his head at such foolishness—was she trying to get herself killed? Remembering his master’s instructions, he stopped, stuffed the roast meat into her hands, and said, “You run ahead. I’ll try to hold it off. If things go wrong, I’ll find you.” Without waiting for her reply, he drew the dagger his master had given him and charged at the approaching demon ape.

Staring blankly at the roast meat in her hands, then at the small figure darting toward the beast, Huo Ling’er’s cheeks streamed with tears. That tiny silhouette was forever etched into her young heart.

As he dashed at the demon ape, the little one muttered, “Master, please, please keep an eye on me! I really don’t want to die here and get eaten by this thing!”

Hidden in the shadows, the Golden Spirit, who was monitoring the situation, couldn’t help but smile wryly at the little one’s antics—about to face a beast king, yet still babbling nonsense. Shaking his head, he focused intently, ready to intervene if the boy’s life was truly threatened.

The demon ape, infuriated by such impudence, erupted with golden radiance. Muscles bulged as its massive claw swept down at Shi Hao’s tiny form.

The little one was undaunted. His blood surged, and behind him seemed to appear the phantoms of a dragon, tiger, and phoenix, threatening to devour the world. With a shout, he swung his tiny fist at the ape’s claw. With a thunderous crash, he was sent flying dozens of yards, but the demon ape, letting out an earth-shaking roar, clutched its injured paw and glared murderously at the boy.

Seeing the little one thrown aside, Huo Ling’er was terrified. She rushed to help him up, but the boy flipped to his feet with a grin. “That was a satisfying blow, wasn’t it, big guy?”

It turned out that as their fists collided, Shi Hao had secretly gripped the dagger Chenxing gave him. When their fists met, he had slid the blade between his fingers and wounded the demon ape. He now knew that the beast’s strength surpassed his by far, and without any treasure arts, he could not win. Yet, the demon ape would not find it easy to kill him, either.

Clutching the dagger, the little one grinned triumphantly. Just as his master had said, this blade could cut through any beast’s hide. Without it, he could never have pierced the demon ape’s fist and inflicted such a wound.

The enraged demon ape let out a sky-shaking roar. Its eyes flashed with savage light, and it swooped down from above, runic power blazing like a golden sun crashing toward the little one.

Shi Hao knew better than to take another direct hit. Though he had managed to injure the beast with the dagger, he himself had suffered internal injuries from the raw force. He shoved Huo Ling’er away, sending her dozens of yards back, and used the momentum to dodge the beast’s blow, calling out in midair, “Master, save me!”

In Stone Village, Chenxing watched all this through his divine sense and felt a headache coming on. Was this really the future sovereign who would defy all of eternity? One exchange and he was already crying for help. Had he raised the boy to be useless? He also knew the beast king was far beyond the boy’s current means. Sighing, he sent a few instructions to the Golden Spirit and then closed his eyes—well, to meditate…or rather, to nap.

Receiving Chenxing’s message, the Golden Spirit no longer concealed himself. His aura soared, and at that instant, every savage beast in the wilderness cowered in terror, prostrating themselves, not daring to resist. Even the purest-blooded beast kings felt the pressure, as if an ancestral beast king had returned, compelling their bloodlines to worship their emperor.

In nations with beast-blooded peoples, countless creatures knelt in reverence. A golden sun radiated supreme might, blinding all who looked upon it, while within, a dragon’s shadow coiled and roared, lording over heaven and earth. Golden blood energy surged forth, painting scenes of divine phenomena.

Across countless ancient realms, the human emperors—rulers of lands spanning millions of miles—also offered solemn sacrifices to the heavens, as if celebrating the return of a distant ancestor.

Now, the demon ape that had been chasing the little one was groveling on the ground, trembling, its former terrifying aura utterly vanished.