Chapter 66 – Xiong Pi
The Aqua Cavern’s Black Ape King?
Chen Xi couldn’t help but feel it was absurd. That’s one of the seven great demon kings, this Xiong Pi really thinks highly of me!
“Senior Chen Xi, thank you for entertaining us today, we’ll be taking our leave first.”
“Yeah, we have important matters to attend to and will come disturb Senior on another day.”
“Farewell!”
It wasn’t just Chen Xi, the expressions of all the other greater demons changed unceasingly when they heard Xiong Pi. They bid their farewells to Chen Xi and left right away as if they were avoiding the plague. From the beginning until the end, they didn’t spare Xiong Pi a single glance.
Mu Kui couldn’t help but become anxious when he saw this, and swiftly sent a voice transmission. “Senior, that Black Ape King governs thousands of kilometers of the vicinity, and possesses a terrifying cultivation at the Violet Palace Realm. Which demon would dare disobey him? Although the Seventhgold Swordbamboo is valuable, Xiong Pi is obviously bringing harm to you and you must not agree to his request.”
Chen Xi neither agreed nor disagreed when he heard this and only gazed at Xiong Pi.
Now that Chen Xi had attained the Violet Palace Realm, his surrounding aura seemed to be indifferent, yet it carried along with it a trace of a formidable oppressive force from merging with the heavens and the earth.
Xiong Pi was only at the perfection-stage of the Congenital Realm and he quickly succumbed to the pressure from Chen Xi’s gaze, then he shook his head and sighed. “Never mind, since Senior is unwilling, then take it as I, Old Xiong, never mentioned it.” As he spoke, this tall and sturdy bear demon revealed a rare trace of helplessness and sorrow as he turned around to walk off in large strides.
“Can you tell me the reason?” Chen Xi asked.
“My young brother died miserably at the hands of the Black Ape King. As an elder brother, can I not seek revenge for him?” Xiong Pi stopped dead in his tracks and only spoke out word by word after a long time, his slow voice filled with sorrow and resentment.
Younger brother?
Chen Xi suddenly thought of his own younger brother, Chen Hao. He thought of the scene when he saw Chen Hao’s right hand crippled outside Pine Mist City, how overwhelmed with grief he was at the time, and he was stunned for a while.
It has already been three months now. I wonder if Little Hao has entered the Wandering Cloud Sword Sect. With Instructor Meng Kong accompanying him, he probably didn’t encounter any mishaps, right?
Chen Xi pondered for a moment and said, “I’m extremely curious, why are you sure that I can kill the Black Ape King? I want to know the reason.”
Xiong Pi swiftly turned around and said in surprise, “Senior, you’re willing to help me?”
Mu Kui who stood nearby frowned as he said, “Old Xiong, do you think that Senior Chen Xi would agree under the state of not knowing anything?”
Xiong Pi took a deep breath as if he was restraining the excitement in his heart and said slowly, “That Black Ape King possesses the weakest strength amongst the seven great demon kings. Although he advanced to the Violet Palace Realm a long time ago, he’s only cultivated up to the 4th star Violet Palace Realm.”
Mu Kui laughed out of extreme anger. “Senior Chen Xi has only just broken through to the Violet Palace Realm and you want him to kill a 4th star Violet Palace Realm Black Ape King?”
Xiong Pi expression remained unchanged as he continued. “This information is indeed unable to help Senior, but I feel that Senior will battle the Black Ape King sooner or later. One mountain cannot house two tigers, I presume Senior understands this logic better than I.”
“Moreover, I’ve already obtained the news that Li Hu died at your hands. Li Hu was the trusted subordinate and informant of the Black Ape King and had always helped the Black Ape King patrol his territory. Now that Li Hu is dead, the Black Ape King will surely not let the matter go.” Xiong Pi tossed out another bombshell.
“Li Hu is the trusted subordinate and informant of the Black Ape King? Impossible, how could I not know?” Mu Kui cried out in alarm and had an expression of disbelief. If it was really as Xiong Pi had said, then he would be in imminent danger as well. After all, Li Hu had died on Moon’s Embrace Mountain, and it was common knowledge that he, Mu Kui, had the closest relationship with Chen Xi…
“How would Li Hu be an informant for the Black Ape King if you knew?” Xiong Pi asked rhetorically.
Mu Kui was finally in a panic and he had a bewildered expression as he cast his gaze at Chen Xi. He was a Congenital Realm greater demon after all, and had lived in the Black Ape King’s territory for more than a thousand years, how could he not know how formidable the Black Ape King was?
“In that case, regardless of if I help you or not, I would still encounter the vengeance of the Black Ape King?” Chen Xi asked coldly.
Xiong Pi didn’t speak, but his attitude said everything.
“Alright, I’ll take your Seventhgold Swordbamboo, but I won’t take the initiative to make a move against the Black Ape King unless he comes knocking on my door.” Chen Xi said this because he was worried that Xiong Pi had deceived him.
“Thank you, Senior. No matter if it’s a success or failure, I, Old Xiong, will never forget the great kindness of Senior in this lifetime!” Xiong Pi knelt on the ground with a thump, then kowtowed three times with three resounding bangs. When he raised his head, tears were already flowing out from his eyes.
When this straightforward, big and tall fellow had acquired Chen Xi’s promise, he seemed to have put down the load he’d carried within his heart for many years. He cried silently, he cried sorrowfully, and he cried in joy!
——
“Fellow Daoist Yuan Tong, please swiftly come to the Moonhowl Ridge, there’s an urgent matter to discuss — Signed: Zhan Feng.”
At Aqua Cavern, a white haired young man in green robes stared blankly at the message in his hand and he muttered, “I wonder what Old Freak Roc wants to do, his tone seems so anxious. I’m afraid this fellow hasn’t only invited me, could it be that something great is about to occur?”
It was at this moment —
Swoosh!
A white feathered spirit bird flew in and transformed into a beautiful female demon who shouted anxiously. “Great King, a disaster is imminent!”
The white haired young man is green clothes was precisely the owner of Aqua Cavern, one of the seven great demon kings, the Black Ape King Yuan Tong. He glared at the beautiful female demon in displeasure and asked, “Xiao Ru, how many times have I said it? You must be calm on every occasion and great event, what use is being panicked? Hurry up and speak, what has happened?”
The beautiful female demon was Xiao Ru, and she took a deep breath before saying swiftly, “Great King asked me to look for Li Hu, but unexpectedly, the tiger demon died long ago!”
“What?” Yuan Tong was stunned.
“Not only that, I passed by Moon’s Embrace Mountain, and not only did I discover the corpse of Li Hu, I noticed many greater demons gathered together at its hillside, and they seemed to be congratulating a human cultivator.”
Yuan Tong was stunned again. “Human cultivator?”
“Yeah, those greater demons addressed him as Chen Xi. According to my observations, that person seems to have only just advanced to the Violet Palace Realm, and that’s the reason why it drew these greater demons to pay their respects together.”
“No wonder. So it turns out that it was this human cultivator that advanced to the Violet Palace Realm a few days ago.” Yuan Tong finally wrapped his head around the matter, and a trace of ferociousness flashed on his fair face. “Hmph! You’re on my territory, but not only do you not come pay your respects to me, you instead kill my trusted subordinate, Li Hu. You’re truly courting death!”
“Great King, that person does indeed deserve death. But the most detestable one is instead that Spiritdove Mountain’s Xiong Pi. He actually took out a one meter long Seventhgold Swordbamboo and offered it to that human cultivator…”
“What! Seventhgold Swordbamboo? And it’s even one meter long?” Before Xiao Ru could even finish speaking, Yuan Tong’s expression had become excited and he roared loudly. “This damn bear demon. He actually dared not offer such a treasure to me? Truly damnable!”
“Great King, this Xiong Pi had a condition for offering up the Seventhgold Swordbamboo. The condition was that the human cultivator must agree to kill… Kill…” Xiao Ru spoke falteringly.
“Kill who?” Yuan Tong as already angered to the point he had a savage expression, demonic qi raged on his entire body and he looked extremely terrifying.
“Kill…”
“Speak quickly!”
“Kill you, Great King.”
Bang!
Yuan Tong smashed his palm against the nearby table and it instantly transformed into a pile of powder.
“Dammit! Dammit! They all deserve to die!” Yuan Tong was transformed from a Black Ape that was cruel and ruthless by nature. At this moment, under his explosive rage, patches of hair that were black and like steel needles instantly surged out from his fair face, then his mouth opened wide and two rows of sharp fangs instantly grew out by 60cm and were exposed in the air.
Howl!
Yuan Tong emitted a long howl towards the sky, his billowing voice that contained monstrous cruelty rushed out of Aqua Cavern and surged within an area of 500km, shocking the demons that were cultivating nearby to drop flat on the ground and ceaselessly shiver.
After a long time.
Sounds of intense breathing echoed out, seeming to be suppressing the flames of rage in his heart.
“Detestable! I have to go for the matter Old Freak Roc called me for. Never mind, I’ll properly torture these damnable things to death after I return from Moonhowl Ridge!” Yuan Tong’s low, deep, and cruel voice surged ceaselessly within Aqua Cavern.
——
Three days passed by.
Mu Kui instead felt as if it was three years, as every second caused him to be unable to rest in peace.
Could it be that Xiong Pi deceived us? The Black Ape King utterly doesn’t plan to look for trouble with Senior Chen Xi?
Mu Kui was unable to wrap his head around it. It was precisely because he couldn’t wrap his head around it that living through these past few days was too painful. He felt as if he was an ant that was waiting to die, but he just happened to not know when death would come…
When he thought of this, Mu Kui couldn’t help but gaze into the distance. Within the sea of clouds on the precipice, he saw a tall and thin figure cultivating his sword technique. The figure’s clothes danced lightly in the wind and his sword moved like the wind; his expression was serious and concentrated, and his posture was agile and graceful.
Senior Chen Xi’s disposition is indeed steadfast like a rock!
Mu Kui already didn’t know how many times he’d praised Chen Xi. Every time his thoughts were restless and uneasy during these three days, he would come to this spot. As long as he saw Chen Xi’s figure, his heart would feel much more at ease, as if he wouldn’t be afraid even if the sky collapsed.
Actually, Chen Xi’s pressure was no different from Mu Kui. He never expected that he’d only just advanced to the Violet Palace Realm, but he’d already offended the Aqua Cavern’s Black Ape King because he killed Li Hu. However, since he was unable to hide, he instead spent all of his pressure and thoughts on cultivating.
The Violet Palace Realm was a completely new realm, a qualitative transformation. If he wanted to exert all of his strength and control this strength with both skill and ease, then he must practice diligently and bitterly.
At the moment, he was cultivating the Windflow Divination Sword, and what he held in his hand was shockingly the one meter long Seventhgold Swordbamboo.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sword lights waved out. They were like a swift gale that howled out with speeds that were swift like bolts of lightning, and they tore through the sky to leave behind numerous residual sword marks.
The first move in the Windflow Divination Sword — Galeflash Shadow!
Supposedly, when cultivated to the limit, or in other words the unity-stage, it would be possible to slash a falling leaf into over 1,000 orderly and even fine threads with a single wave of the sword as it was incomparably swift.
Moreover, what caused Chen Xi to be joyous was due to the extreme sharpness of the Seventhgold Swordbamboo and the extremely terrifying vigorous thunder qi contained within it; when he executed the Galeflash Shadow, not only was it extremely swift like lightning, it also added an awe-inspiring destructive force to his attacks, and its formidable might exceeded his expectations.
“I already mastered my sword technique to the advanced-stage before. If I’m able to break through to the unity-stage in a short amount of time, then I ought to have an extra bit of assurance when battling the Black Ape King.”
Time trickled by.
At the side of the precipice covered in a sea of clouds, sword lights swept out like a myriad of waterfalls, as some emerged, some would die out, and Chen Xi was like a tireless puppet as he immersed himself into his infinitely profound sword technique.