Wei Zhong didn't rush into action. Instead, he spent another year in secluded cultivation, meticulously consolidating his cultivation base. Then, without anyone's knowledge, he secretly departed.
This mission to capture the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey was top secret, and Wei Zhong was determined to leave no trace of his movements.
After altering his appearance and suppressing his cultivation aura, Wei Zhong re-entered the Dongting Secret Realm and headed straight for the Autumn Maple Forest.
Gazing at the crimson maple leaves, Wei Zhong extended his divine sense to locate the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey. Strangely, despite thoroughly scouring the entire forest, he found no sign of it. Instead, he encountered numerous First and Second-Tier Spirit Monkeys.
Has this Third-Tier Spirit Monkey left this place? Or could it be...?
Wei Zhong arrived at the stone forest, following the path he remembered through the towering cliffs. Ascending the long stone steps, he finally spotted the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey amidst the ruins.
The monkey was sitting before the formation protecting the Spirit Medicine Garden, scratching its head in frustration.
Suddenly noticing Wei Zhong, an unfamiliar intruder on its territory, the monkey let out a furious roar. The roar alerted a large group of First and Second-Tier Spirit Monkeys, who swiftly surrounded him.
Wei Zhong gazed at the Third-Tier Spirit Monkey with a smile.
He had already activated the Dao of Time, his cultivation base rapidly ascending from Late-Stage Foundation Establishment to Early Core Formation, and then to Mid-Stage Core Formation.
"Let's test your mettle with my Mid-Stage Core Formation cultivation first," he thought.
With a light tap of his foot against the air, Wei Zhong suddenly burst through the spirit monkeys' encirclement, his figure vanishing in a flash.
The Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey sensed danger. It suddenly noticed dark clouds gathering overhead, threatening to unleash a torrential downpour in an instant.
How could it possibly rain in this Secret Realm? it wondered. And why is the rain confined to this small area above me?
Drip! Drip!
A few raindrops splattered on the arm of a Second-Tier Spirit Monkey, causing it to stumble as if struck by a massive weight, instantly losing its balance.
Whump! A torrential downpour followed, engulfing the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey and its surroundings.
The other spirit monkeys barely managed to flee with all their might, but no matter how desperately the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey darted and dodged, the dark cloud stubbornly clung overhead, the relentless rain shadowing its every move.
Realizing this was a trick by a Human Race cultivator, the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey pounded its chest with a furious roar, its crimson fur instantly bursting into flames.
The intense heat evaporated the falling raindrops, creating plumes of steam that momentarily obscured the rain and granted it a brief respite.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion shattered the air.
It wasn't lightning, but the violent detonation of the black orb Wei Zhong had activated with the Flying Throwing Technique.
Sensing the lethal danger, the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey roared again, intensifying the flames enveloping its body. It crossed its arms before it, conjuring a blazing shield of fire.
Yet all its efforts proved futile. Like a fragile glass pane shattering, the black orb pierced through the fire shield and slammed directly into the monkey's arms.
Crack!
The sound of fracturing bones echoed, followed by a tremendous explosion. The brick ground beneath it shattered from the impact of the Flying Throwing Technique, sending shards of stone and dust flying.
A disheveled crimson figure leaped from the wreckage—the battered Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey.
Wei Zhong, observing from the clouds, suddenly noticed thick green vines coiled tightly around the monkey's arms.
The cushioning effect of the vines surprisingly prevented the Flying Throwing Technique from completely shattering the monkey's arms, resulting in only minor fractures.
Searching for the black sphere, Wei Zhong noticed its trajectory had shifted, as if the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey had deflected it using a force-dissipating technique.
Just as Wei Zhong stood behind the dark clouds observing the spirit monkey, the creature simultaneously detected his presence.
Ignoring its injuries, the monkey let out another furious roar, stomped heavily on the ground, and leaped toward Wei Zhong.
"At this height, what makes you think you can reach me?" Wei Zhong scoffed.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, the spirit monkey, now exhausted, suddenly reignited its flames. Twin trails of fire erupted beneath its feet, propelling it upward like miniature jet engines.
Wei Zhong's eyes widened in astonishment. "Is this a new trick it learned after failing to fly against us last time? Truly worthy of being a Third-Tier Spirit Beast—remarkably clever!"
Despite his surprise, Wei Zhong's gaze remained calm. The monkey's improvised maneuver was painfully slow, far slower than even a Foundation Establishment cultivator's flight speed, let alone Wei Zhong's, now a Core Formation cultivator.
To Wei Zhong, this petty trick was no more threatening than a child's clumsy fist swings.
He raised his arm and casually cast a Flying Throwing Technique at the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey's leg, instantly destabilizing its balance and sending it plummeting from the sky.
"Time is pressing. Let's finish this quickly."
Wei Zhong drew his black greatsword. The Blackwater Spirit Garment enveloped his body, transforming him into a nine-foot-tall Blackwater Giant. This was a minor application of the Blackwater Spirit Garment, inspired by a technique he had seen Ling Hua use.
The Blackwater Giant wielded the greatsword like an adult brandishing a dagger, making the scene somewhat comical. Wei Zhong shook his head. The black water then surged upward, instantly enveloping the greatsword and forming a colossal blade with a black metal core and a sheath of solidified black water spiritual power.
The Blackwater Giant lightly stamped its foot and swung the massive sword in a powerful arc as it charged toward the spirit monkey. To subdue such a spirit beast, one had to beat it into submission.
The Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey, undeterred by Wei Zhong's close-quarters assault, stood its ground and braced to meet the blade head-on without flinching.
Thud!
The heavy sword slammed down on the Spirit Monkey's head, unleashing a tremendous force that instantly drove the creature to its knees.
"Submit, and I'll spare your life," Wei Zhong transmitted telepathically, inwardly musing, "A Third-Tier Spirit Monkey should be intelligent enough to understand me."
Upon hearing these words, the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey raised its head, its eyes blazing like fire as it glared at the towering Blackwater Giant above. A defiant roar erupted from its throat.
Wei Zhong's heart quickened with satisfaction. He knew the Spirit Monkey had understood his message, but its pride as a Third-Tier Spirit Beast prevented it from yielding immediately.
"Hmph, still stubborn, are you?"
A black orb shot forth from Wei Zhong's body and landed on the heavy sword. It was the Primordial Water Pearl, his Lifebound Magical Treasure, which had long since advanced to the Third-Tier.
Channeling spiritual energy into the pearl, Wei Zhong instantly multiplied its weight, adding tremendous pressure to the sword.
The combined force surged severalfold, forcing the struggling spirit beast beneath to collapse onto both knees. Its arms, which had been bracing against the blade, were now pinned tightly against its skull.
Panic seized the Spirit Monkey, and a series of frantic squeaks filled the air.
Wei Zhong didn't understand beast speech, but he knew the creature was likely begging for mercy.
Without haste, Wei Zhong withdrew his heavy sword and focused his divine sense, condensing it into a True Seal that floated toward the Spirit Monkey's head.
Faced with imminent death, the True Seal effortlessly imprinted itself within the creature's Sea of Consciousness.
Now at the Core Formation stage, Wei Zhong's divine sense was vastly stronger than during his Foundation Establishment days. Yet the number of True Seals he could condense remained unchanged at seven. However, each seal was now significantly more potent than before.
With the first True Seal successfully imprinted, Wei Zhong instantly sensed a subtle, indescribable connection forming between them. He could now roughly understand the creature's thoughts and intentions.
"Spare me, Master! Spare me!"
Its words were clearer and more articulate than those expressed by Nine-Colored or Big Gold. Was this the difference between a Third-Tier and a Second-Tier spirit beast?
Wei Zhong retracted the Primordial Water Pearl and his heavy sword. The Golden-Eyebrow Spirit Beast collapsed in relief, flopping onto the ground and panting heavily, its tongue lolling out in exhaustion.
Having imprinted one True Seal, Wei Zhong had no intention of stopping. He condensed four more True Seals in succession and imprinted them into the creature's Sea of Consciousness.
The True Seal Treasure Manual stated that contracting a spirit beast of a higher tier required multiple True Seals.
Wei Zhong's Core Formation cultivation base would last for only another hour at most before reverting to his Late-Stage Foundation Establishment realm. The strength of his True Seals would diminish accordingly. To ensure the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey wouldn't rebel, Wei Zhong used all the True Seals he could muster on it, except for the two he reserved for Nine-Colored and Big Gold.
Confirming that the Third-Tier Spirit Beast had become his contracted companion, Wei Zhong dispelled his Blackwater Spirit Garment and carefully scrutinized the monkey before him.
"It looks much like an ordinary White-Browed Red Monkey, just more robust. Its white eyebrows have turned golden, and its crimson fur is even more vibrant."
As Wei Zhong examined the monkey, chattering sounds echoed from the surrounding area. The other spirit monkeys that had fled earlier, sensing the situation had calmed, were now cautiously gathering again.
Wei Zhong gazed at the troop of monkeys and asked the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey, "Do you wish to come with me?"
Understanding his words, the monkey scratched its fiery red fur in agitation, then turned to its kin and let out a roar.
The spirit monkeys responded with a chorus of chirps, prompting the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey to turn to Wei Zhong and chirp twice more.
Wei Zhong roughly understood its meaning: now that he was leaving, the clan would need a new leader, and the monkey was offering to follow him instead.
Wei Zhong chuckled and tossed a jar of Second-Tier Azure Spirit Brew to the monkey.
The Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey sniffed the jar, its face instantly lighting up with delight. It caught the jar, tore off the seal, and began to guzzle the spirit wine.
The wine's medicinal potency seeped into its body, instantly soothing the injuries it had sustained during its earlier battle with Wei Zhong.
Within moments, the entire jar was drained.
Licking the empty jar with lingering satisfaction, the monkey gazed at Wei Zhong with hopeful eyes.
"There's more spirit wine," Wei Zhong said, "but you'll have to trade for it."
He produced a jar of Red Spirit Wine, which he had plundered from the monkey's lair. "Teach me how to brew this wine, and I'll give you another jar."
As he spoke, Wei Zhong shook another jar of Azure Spirit Brew, then with a flick of his sleeve, stored it back into his Grotto-Heaven.
The tantalizing glimpse of the coveted wine, yet unattainable, instantly agitated the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey. It grabbed Wei Zhong by the arm and dragged him toward a ruined area nearby.
Led by the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey, Wei Zhong found himself before another red spirit wine pool.
Unlike the previous one, the spirit wine in this pool was only a pale red, and various spirit fruits and medicines lay scattered around its edge, indicating that the brewing process was only halfway complete.
The Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey grabbed a spirit fruit and began demonstrating the refining process to Wei Zhong. However, due to the fundamental differences between humans and monkeys, Wei Zhong could only vaguely grasp the general idea, remaining somewhat unclear about the specifics of the refining method.
Nevertheless, he now knew all the raw materials required to brew this type of spirit wine. With a little experimentation, he was confident he could replicate it in no time.
"Good. The spirit wine is yours."
Wei Zhong tossed a jar of spirit wine to the monkey, who caught it gleefully and guzzled it down in one go, emptying the entire jar in a single gulp.
Even for a Third-Tier Spirit Monkey, downing a jar of Second-Tier Azure Spirit Brew like that is astounding. Those two jars were my supply for several months.
Wei Zhong's lips twitched slightly. Fortunately, after finishing the jar, the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey didn't ask for more.
Patting its bulging belly with a satisfied burp, the monkey pointed at the spirit wine pool and asked:
"Master, do you wish to take this spirit wine with you?"
After the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey's demonstration, Wei Zhong understood that the spirit wine in the pool was nearing perfection, requiring only a few finishing touches.
Without hesitation, Wei Zhong waved his sleeve and collected all the perfected Spirit Liquid, along with the surrounding Spirit Fruits and Medicines, before leaving the ruined chamber.
Outside, the spirit monkey troop had been waiting patiently. As Wei Zhong and the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey emerged, a chorus of chattering cries erupted.
Wei Zhong glanced at the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey beside him. "They call you 'Great King' and beg for your blessings," the monkey explained.
Wei Zhong smiled faintly, having no interest in becoming a monkey king.
These monkeys must have seen me reward the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey with the Second-Tier Azure Spirit Brew. What a bunch of drunks.
With another wave of his sleeve, Wei Zhong released over a dozen jars of spirit wine.
This time, it wasn't the Second-Tier Azure Spirit Brew, but a First-Tier version he had casually brewed in his spare time. Its potency was significantly lower, but it should suffice for these First and Second-Tier spirit monkeys.
As the jars landed, the monkeys immediately descended into a frenzied scramble.
When one of the jars shattered amidst the chaos, the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey roared in protest.
The spirit monkeys immediately ceased their frenzied scramble. Several Yellow-Browed Spirit Monkeys took charge, gathering all the spirit wine and preparing to distribute it in an orderly fashion.
With a Third-Tier Spirit Monkey leading them, they're surprisingly disciplined, Wei Zhong thought.
He glanced at the Golden-Eyebrowed Red Monkey, pondering for a moment before declaring, "From now on, you shall be called Golden Eyebrow."
The monkey, delighted with its new name, leaped up excitedly and tugged at Wei Zhong's robes, pointing toward the Spirit Medicine Garden, now shrouded within a formation.
"Treasures inside!" it chattered.
So, this monkey has also been eyeing the treasures within the ruins of this abandoned sect. That's probably why they moved their lair to this place.
Wei Zhong tapped Golden Eyebrow on the head. "We'll come back for them later."
He then stored Golden Eyebrow in his Grotto-Heaven, mounted his magic sword, and soared away.
Below, the spirit monkeys watched Wei Zhong's departure, dropping to their knees and repeatedly bowing toward the sky.
I wonder where these monkeys learned such gestures. Still, this group is undoubtedly more intelligent than others of its kind, Wei Zhong mused.
With that thought, he guided his Flying Sword toward the exit and left the Grotto-Heaven behind.
Wei Zhong shot out of the Secret Realm entrance in a streak of escape light, silently returning to Cloudglow Island.
When Ling Ziwei arrived for a visit, Wei Zhong feigned having just emerged from secluded cultivation. "Immortal Maiden Ling, it is my neglect that you grace my humble abode."
Ling Ziwei rolled her eyes at Wei Zhong's theatrics and pulled Xie Linghua aside to chatter animatedly.
Unperturbed, Wei Zhong reclined in a nearby rattan chair, retrieved spirit fruits and spirit wine, and began to leisurely sip and nibble.
As the two women's voices faded into background noise, Wei Zhong's gaze drifted to his cultivation interface:
Name: Wei Zhong
Cultivation Base: Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer (9%)
Cultivation Techniques: Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual - Grandmaster (97%);
Body Nourishing Art - Grandmaster (53%)
Lifespan: 276/305
After decades of cultivation, Wei Zhong had finally brought the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual to nearly the pinnacle of Grandmaster-level mastery. He estimated that another two years of effort would likely be enough to propel him into the next realm: Grand Master.
I wonder how much this will increase my cultivation speed, he mused.
The imminent advancement of the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual filled Wei Zhong with delight, but his dwindling lifespan cast a shadow of concern.
To subdue Golden Eyebrow, Wei Zhong had twice employed the Dao of Time, elevating his cultivation base to the Mid-Stage Core Formation realm. This endeavor had consumed a total of forty-eight years of his lifespan.
His once-abundant lifespan had dwindled to a mere twenty-nine years in the blink of an eye.
This meager lifespan wouldn't even suffice for two more applications of the Dao of Time. It seemed he would need to resort to Kryptonite-level cultivation again to replenish his lifespan.
"Dropping from the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment to the sixth will grant twenty-five years of lifespan."
"Eighteen years for regressing from the first layer of Early Foundation Establishment, and twenty-five for Late-Stage Foundation Establishment... the return isn't particularly great!"
"But there's no need to rush into Kryptonite-level cultivation yet. With Golden Eyebrow subdued and a Third-Tier Spirit Monkey guarding me, my safety is assured.
I can focus on gradual cultivation. If necessary, I'll simply linger in the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment realm for a few more decades."
Wei Zhong had been this methodical since his Qi Refining days, a testament to his extensive experience.
"Master! Master!" Xie Linghua's voice jolted Wei Zhong back to reality.
"What is it?" Wei Zhong opened his eyes, his expression puzzled.
"Sister Ling wants to speak with you, Master."
Wei Zhong finally turned his attention to Ling Ziwei, noticing her cheeks puffed out in a childish pout, a clear sign of her displeasure.
"Immortal Maiden Ling, please forgive this Daoist's absentmindedness. What urgent matter do you wish to discuss?"
Ling Ziwei finally exhaled in relief. "Fellow Daoist Wei, do you still have any Haoyuan Pills?"
Wei Zhong nodded. "Does Brother Ling need them?"
"Indeed," Ling Ziwei replied. "The bottle of Haoyuan Pills you gave us was completely depleted by my brother over a year ago. Although we later purchased a few more at the Market City, those are nearly gone as well. That's why I came to you—to acquire several more bottles."
Wei Zhong frowned, puzzled. "Does Brother Ling really require so many Haoyuan Pills? Consuming ten in just two years would cost over ten thousand spirit stones!"
Ling Ziwei looked slightly embarrassed. "It's mainly because our clan's spirit ground is inadequate, hindering my brother's progress and forcing him to rely on these medicinal pills for cultivation."
Wei Zhong nodded in understanding. The Ling Clan's spirit ground was only Second-Tier, which was indeed insufficient for a Core Formation cultivator like Ling Hua.
"Three years have passed," Wei Zhong said. "With Fellow Daoist Linghua's abilities, has he still not managed to secure a Third-Tier Spirit Land?"
Ling Ziwei sighed bitterly. "Third-Tier Spirit Lands aren't easy to come by. While Luochuan Prefecture is rich in resources, these lands are still rare, mostly controlled by established Core Formation clans or sects. The Chamber of Commerce does offer some for lease, but our Ling Clan nearly exhausted its resources helping my brother survive his Core Formation breakthrough."
"Moreover, the Ling Clan is vast, and we simply cannot afford spirit grounds of that caliber."
Wei Zhong finally understood. As a solitary Loose Cultivator, he typically traveled with only one or two companions. The spirit grounds he sought were small and relatively inexpensive because size didn't matter to him.
But the Ling Clan was different. Comprising tens of thousands of cultivators and ordinary people, from the highest echelons to the lowest, they needed more than a small island. They required a sprawling territory encompassing lands with tiers ranging from Third-Tier to First-Tier, and even stretches of ordinary mortal soil. Only such a vast area could sustain the entire Ling Clan's cultivation and livelihood.
Naturally, the price of such a spirit ground was far beyond the Ling Clan's current means. Compared to that, the Haoyuan Pills, which sold for over a thousand spirit stones each, seemed almost affordable.
Realizing this, Wei Zhong retrieved two bottles of medicinal pills and pushed them toward Ling Ziwei. "Brother Ling, if you ever need pills, don't hesitate to seek out this Daoist. Though my cultivation base is modest, I do possess some skill in alchemy."
Ling Ziwei stared blankly at the two bottles for a moment before producing three Thousand Spirit Water Stones and a Storage Pouch. "Here are the Thousand Spirit Water Stones the Ling Clan recently gathered, and this Storage Pouch contains twenty-five thousand spirit stones. Please verify the amounts, Fellow Daoist Wei."
Wei Zhong reached out and took the Storage Pouch, his divine sense sweeping through it to confirm the contents before focusing on the three Thousand Spirit Water Stones.
For the past three years, Wei Zhong had been acquiring these stones by posting tasks through the Cloud Gathering Merchant Guild, and he had no intention of stopping. He had already consumed over two hundred Hundred Spirits Water Stones to maintain his Hundred-Jun Heavy Water Spirit Body, and he couldn't even estimate how many he would need for the Thousand-Jun level.
Prudence dictated that Wei Zhong's stockpile of Thousand Spirit Water Stones still fell far short of what he needed.
Pocketing the three stones along with the pouch of spirit stones, Wei Zhong turned to Ling Ziwei and said, "If the Ling Clan can gather the spirit medicines required to refine Haoyuan Pills, you may also seek my alchemy services. The price will be significantly lower. Even if the Ling Clan faces financial constraints, I would be willing to extend credit for a few Spirit Pills to your elder brother. I trust he won't forget this small favor of mine."
"Then I thank you, Fellow Daoist Wei," Ling Ziwei replied with a graceful bow.
"The Ling Clan hasn't yet stooped to defaulting on Spirit Pill debts. However, should such a day ever come..." Ling Ziwei leaned closer, whispering into Wei Zhong's ear, "... "
Wei Zhong watched as her face flushed crimson. She abruptly tossed out her Flying Sword, seized it mid-air, and fled into the sky.
By the time Wei Zhong snapped out of his daze, she had already vanished without a trace, leaving only a streak of escape light in her wake.
Wei Zhong chuckled, clasped his hands behind his head, and gently rocked in his rattan chair.
Xie Linghua leaned closer, her curiosity piqued. "Master," she whispered, "what did Sister Ling say earlier? Why was her face so red?"
Wei Zhong playfully pinched Xie Linghua's cheek. "Ling'er, you know perfectly well! As the little worm in your Elder Sister Ling's belly, how could you possibly not know?"
"Hehe, Master, stop pinching!"
"Just pinch, just pinch!" Amid their playful antics, Wei Zhong's other hand strayed restlessly toward her waist.
...
After their brief interlude, Wei Zhong returned to his Grotto-Heaven, Ling Ziwei's audacious words still echoing in his mind.
"That girl really has some nerve," he mused, calming his slightly agitated thoughts.
I have too many secrets. It's unwise to form overly intimate relationships right now. To reciprocate her feelings, I must first secure the ability to protect my secrets.
After a moment's contemplation, Wei Zhong exhaled a long breath.
He then retrieved various Spirit Fruits and Spirit Medicines—the raw materials Golden Eyebrow had mentioned for brewing the Red Spirit Wine. Carefully recalling the steps Golden Eyebrow had taught him, Wei Zhong meticulously followed the spirit wine brewing process.
First failure, second failure...
Despite knowing all the steps, Wei Zhong found the difficulty of brewing this spirit wine far exceeded his expectations.