The old monkey’s turbid eyes burst out with veins of immortal light as he looked toward Jiang He’s direction.
Did that boulder actually alert it?
Jiang He was left inwardly surprised. Could that thing be sentient like the Star Core of Mars?
Still, just as he was thinking about moving that boulder back to his farm for use as a manmade mountain, the boulder erupted with godly radiance, startling the old monkey beneath it.
As disguise was unnecessary since he was found out, Jiang He promptly revealed himself, laughing. “I’ve entered this place by mistake, and came with no ill intent. Please do not hold it against me, Brother.”
That old Daemon Monkey rose to its feet, a look of wariness flashing in its eyes as he quietly muttered, “A full-fledged Heavenly Immortal? What is your sect, Brother? Mount Huaguo had yet to reveal ourselves, but aren’t you overstepping, invading our mountain like this?”
Clearly, he doubted that Jiang He had entered Mount Huaguo by mistake, and was even convinced that Jiang He was the immortal of a certain sect.
“You must have mistaken me for someone else, have you not?”
Jiang He explained, understanding what the old Daemon Monkey was actually saying. “I am not from any immortal or demonic sects, and the immortals of the many other sects have yet return.”
“Do you really take me for a fool?”
The old monkey laughed coolly. “You’re not from any sect? What, were you an untitled cultivator who rose from the ranks of the common folks? The planet has yet to recover Spirit Qi for years, and even if a mortal or untitled cultivator would gain great providence to obtain a Daoist legacy, it is impossible for them to cultivate up to full-fledged Heavenly Immortal.”
Blowing on its own beard and glaring straight at Jiang He, “It took me over eighteen hundred years to cultivate up to Heavenly Immortal when I served the Grand King back then… with the profaneness of present, how much harder has becoming immortal become?”
Those words stirred Jiang He immensely.
He remembered how his mouth was getting numb from eating Thunder Dao Fruits day and night, which left him falling apart—he had even started peeing lightning flashes and farted thunderclaps, and so promptly sighed. “You are right, Brother. Becoming immortal is so difficult… I myself had weathered profound obstacles before reaching where I am today.”
“Spare me the nonsense!”
The old Daemon Monkey barked impatiently, “These are the forbidden grounds of my clan, Brother. Please leave at once.”
“Oh, please don’t.”
Jiang He chuckled. “As the saying goes: all who step through your door is a guest—isn’t it inappropriate for you to chase me off just as I enter?”
“What do you want?”
The old monkey snorted coolly, and its aura began to rise just then.
Its cultivation had degraded down to only full-fledged Mahayana, but he soon reverted to Heavenly Immortal in the space of several breaths. As he extended his hand, the ground in the distance began to quake, and a steel staff with bands of rust shot out of the ground and landed in his grasp.
“Brother, my clan has remained secluded for years and do not wish to make an enemy of you. Leave right now, or don’t blame my lack of courtesy.”
The old Daemon Monkey chided once more.
Jiang He shook his head, appearing a little cornered then.
What is this old thing even talking about?
This is the first time you’ve met me, so you were supposed to fight me without a word. Then, I would use retaliating as an excuse to whisk that boulder away as well… how perfect would that be?
However, Jiang He became too embarrassed to do so when he saw the old Daemon Monkey’s reaction, and asked with a smile, “Calm down, Brother, I’ll leave… but before I go, can I just ask… how much for that stone?”
Jiang He put up a finger then and exclaimed, “I’ll pay you well!”
“Insolence!”
Infuriated, the old Daemon Monkey attacked and swung his staff at Jiang He. The rusty staff shone actually shone in dazzling immortal light just then, firing a shadow through the air that shot directly towards Jiang He.
Jiang He raised his fist and punched out, the Immortal Dao in his body unleashing horrific flashes of thunderbolts as he punched through the shadow. “Brother,” he said unhappily, “Sentiment should remain even if a deal falls through. Moreover, I’m just asking—do you have to attack me just because you’re not selling?”
Nonetheless, the old Daemon Monkey had bounded through the air and reached him in a flash, roaring, “How dare you insult the greatest treasure of my clan! I shall have you fall here today, even if it means my life!”
Laughing out loud, Jiang He went out to meet the old Daemon Monkey and fought him barehandedly, holding the daemon at a disadvantage after just a dozen blows exchanged.
Its white fur was left floating through to the air and he coughed blood. “If I wasn’t injured internally and lost my cultivation, one strike is all it would take me to kill you!”
Pow!
Jiang He sent the old Daemon Monkey slamming into the ground just as it spoke.
After Jiang He landed as well, he punched him a few more times, sending him flying out of the ground with a cracked skull and profuse bleeding.
Stamping his foot on the old Daemon Monkey’s chest, Jiang He sneered. “You old thing… you are all talk and no skill. It’s not like I’ve never killed True Immortals, and would I be scared of you even if you recovered your peak condition?”
The old Daemon Monkey glared at Jiang He viciously with bloodshot eyes.
Nearby, many Daemon Monkeys had arrived and encircled them, each of them glaring ferociously and chattering endlessly.
Ignoring the Daemon Monkeys, Jiang He put some strength into his foot until the old Daemon Monkey started coughing blood, and asked, “Tell me. Are you selling that boulder or not?”
“No!”
Even if he was pinned beneath Jiang He’s foot, there was no fear in the old Daemon Monkey’s eyes as he growled, “My Grand King was born from that divine stone! How could I sell it?”
Jiang He was dumbstruck.
He did a double take.
What was going on?
The monkeys of Mount Huaguo… your Grand King?
Was it not Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equaling the Heavens, who had sprung out of that stone?
So, as he had theorized, the world view was now progressing towards a Revival of Mythology, huh?
Still, Jiang He was not all that surprised, and composed himself before saying, “Brother, could we talk this through? How about this—I won’t ask for the entire divine stone, just a chunk.”
“I…”
The old Daemon Monkey coughed blood at that. Was this supposed to be ‘talking this through’?
Still, a chunk…
His gaze changed then, and murmured through grating teeth, “What’s your offer?”
“Oh?”
Jiang He lifted his foot and said, “That would depend on your cutting, Brother. If it’s fist-sized, I would not want it even if you give it to me for free… though I could offer five thousand superior-grade spirit stones if it’s the size of that divine stone.”
The divine stone which lay before them was at least over three meters tall.
Having half of it was already fantastic, and once Jiang He took it home and planted it… would it not grow considerably?
Moreover, its origin was incredible since it was the divine stone left after Nüwa mended the skies… there was nothing more fitting to decorate his farm as a fake mountain.
“No!”
Nonetheless, the old Daemon Monkey shook its head and exclaimed, “The divine stone of my clan is a priceless treasure… I absolutely would not sell it for eight thousand superior-grade spirit stones!”
Jiang He frowned.
What is it with this old thing?
Just now it was bent on fighting to death with me, and now it’s acting like this?
It wouldn’t sell the whole divine stone, but is willing after it is cut?
Hence, Jiang He tentatively offered a different price, “A thousand superior-grade spirit stones.”
The old Daemon Monkey’s gaze twitched, his paws which he held behind him twitching as he grinded his teeth and growled, “Are you trying to insult my clan, Brother?”
Hah!
Jiang He hence turned around and strode out toward the distance.
Taken aback, the old Daemon Monkey quickly asked, “Where are you going, Brother?”
Even so, Jiang He did not respond and kept walking straight ahead. When the old Daemon Monkey called out a few times but saw that Jiang He was not turning back, he promptly exclaimed, “I’ll sell, Brother! I’ll sell all ten thousand superior-grade spirit stones…”
Jiang He, however, kept walking, leaving the old Daemon Monkey stamping his feet in frustration before giving chase and catching Jiang He by the arm. “Eight thousand!” He seethed. “I will only ask for eight thousand superior-grade spirit stones. Here, I’ll sell you the divine stone left by Divine Nüwa when she mended the skies.”
“Oh?”
Jiang He stopped walking then, and asked in surprise, “Divine stone fragment?”
The old Daemon Monkey laughed naively as he quickly took out a huge rock that was almost two-meters tall. “Back then, my Grand King shattered the divine stone when he sprung out of it, but aside from the largest stone, there were also nine more fragments. I could sell all nine fragments to you at once if you want, Brother!”
