Monkey Demon Lair

River Pond Town was actually very remote,

nestled deep within a mountain range, relying on a river as its main route for transportation.

If not for the tiny Spirit Spring discovered nearby, and the Spirit Fruit Grove that had sprung up around it, providing a foundation for a cultivator faction's inheritance and growth,

no one would have come here to settle, let alone see it eventually develop into a small town.

Around the town,

mountains and hills stretched on without end,

with scarcely a trace of human presence.

No one knew what dangers lurked in the depths of those forests.

At this moment,

the large force advanced mightily into the mountains.

Under the guidance of Clan Cultivators, the scouting party made up of hunters relied on their extensive experience in the mountains and forests to follow the traces left by the Yao Monkey King's escape last night, leading the way ahead.

The newly joined Jianghu Rangers

leapt through the trees and forest around them, keeping watch and scouting for danger.

There was no shortage of dangers in the mountains and forests.

Aside from Demonic Beasts that ordinary people could scarcely resist, there were all kinds of jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, as well as venomous snakes hidden among the trees and grass.

The Jianghu Rangers were martial artists, after all. Their eyesight and hearing were far keener than those of ordinary people.

The main force in the middle

stuck close together as they threaded through the forest.

The dense undergrowth and trees in the mountains made the large force's advance rather exhausting.

At times like this, these ordinary people would occasionally look towards Zhang Qingyuan, Patriarch Zheng, and the other Immortals standing atop the leaves of the tall trees ahead as though suspended in midair.

Compared with the trouble they had weaving through the forest,

Zhang Qingyuan and the other cultivators at Spirit Essence Realm Mid Stage or above were far more carefree.

Standing atop the canopy,

with a light tap of their feet,

their sleeves fluttered as they passed over the sea of trees,

light and graceful as Immortals,

filling those below with envy.

"Patriarch Zheng, have you explored the situation around here before?"

Floating over the treetops like a feather, Zhang Qingyuan looked down from above, his gaze sweeping across the undulating green forest around them as he casually asked Patriarch Zheng beside him.

As far as the eye could see,

there was only an endless green sea, rising and falling like restless waves. Nothing unusual could be found.

The forest sea was calm and peaceful.

"Esteemed Immortal, when our ancestors settled here a hundred years ago, several families formed a cultivator team and swept through an area twenty to thirty li around here. Aside from the occasional Low-level Demonic Beast, we found no great threats or dangers."

Patriarch Zheng thought for a moment before answering.

"In the past, whenever the junior cultivators of our families developed Qi Sense, they would also train in these surroundings under the guidance of their elders. Over the past hundred years, our several families have come to understand the nearby environment rather clearly."

"I simply do not know where that Yao Monkey King came from. Last Time, when our several families organized a party to enter the mountains, we were ambushed and attacked by it. We had not even reached the Yao Monkey King's lair, so we still do not know what lies over there."

Zhang Qingyuan nodded

without speaking.

At least from Patriarch Zheng's words, this journey was relatively safe. Other than that Yao Monkey King, the chances of encountering another powerful Demonic Beast should not be high.

Moreover, he was advancing alongside a large force.

It was far safer than Last Time, when they had pursued the Spirit Devouring Rat in Azure Mountain Town.

If, Last Time, when facing the Crimson Fiend Yao Python,

Zhang Qingyuan had had the Hu Family cultivators by his side, he certainly would not have fallen into a situation where he had narrowly escaped death.

To put it bluntly,

if they encountered any danger,

with so many people behind him to cushion the blow, Zhang Qingyuan's chances of escaping alive were far higher than if he were alone.

Though the thought was somewhat dark,

everyone taking part in this operation understood it, whether they were the sturdy men forming the main force, or the Jianghu Rangers and mountain hunters who had come seeking a sliver of opportunity.

Should they encounter danger they could not withstand,

those lofty Immortals would naturally be the easiest to escape, while they themselves would be far more likely to fall into dire peril.

Yet they had still come.

Because they understood

that this was an exceedingly rare opportunity.

The Esteemed Immortal from the Cloud Water Sect had no interest in the corpses of those Low-level Demon Monkeys, while the alliance formed by the Zheng Family and several other Cultivation Families was willing to divide the rewards among the participants according to merit.

How could they easily give up such a fine chance to collect the flesh and blood of Low-level Demonic Beasts?

As for the danger of being used as Cannon Fodder,

if they did not take risks,

when would they ever obtain Immortal Destiny and step through the gates of cultivation?

There was no heaven-defying opportunity where Spirit Items simply fell from the sky while one sat waiting. They could only stake their lives on that thin thread of survival.

At the very least,

the Esteemed Immortal from the Cloud Water Sect had already been exceedingly generous.

The group advanced cautiously, passing through the forest.

After roughly half a day, the hunters tracking ahead arrived before a steep Craggy Barren Mountain.

The rocky slopes were sheer,

and sparse trees struggled to survive in the cracks between the cliff faces.

At the summit, where barren rocks stood in clusters,

caves of varying sizes dotted the spaces between massive boulders.

As the group arrived,

the monkey troop hidden behind the scattered rocks erupted into motion, scrambling in twos and threes onto the surrounding trees and atop the giant boulders. Looking down at the crowd, they bared their fangs and grimaced in intimidation.

For a moment,

a continuous chorus of shrieks rang out from the mountain rocks.

Every boulder, tree, and patch of grass was packed with monkeys,

numbering no fewer than several hundred!

The ordinary people around them

gripped their weapons tightly, their hands trembling slightly. Their faces were solemn as they stared at the densely packed monkey troop, somewhat nervous.

The two sides faced off.

"This should be the Yao Monkey King's lair."

Looking at the dense troop of monkeys on the barren mountain cliff, numbering no fewer than five hundred, Patriarch Zheng spoke gravely from the side:

"Yet we clearly killed so many demon monkeys last night. Why are there still so many Monkey Demons in this lair? And Last Time, that beast knew how to set an ambush when we entered the mountains. Why was there not even any warning this time, only reacting after we arrived?"

If the demon monkeys Zhang Qingyuan had killed last night were included,

the number of monkeys under the Yao Monkey King's command was likely close to a thousand!

Furthermore,

even the ordinary monkeys within the troop possessed immense strength, Not to Mention the numerous Low-level Monkey Demons among them!

Such numbers

made Patriarch Zheng and the decision-makers of the other families draw sharp breaths.

If Zhang Qingyuan had truly left without intervening earlier,

who could have stopped the revenge of these damned monkey beasts?

Some of the Clan Cultivators exchanged glances.

Those who had originally harbored slight misgivings about trading that precious fifty-year Spirit Peach for the Cloud Water Sect Immortal's aid found every last thought in their hearts vanish like smoke.

The patriarch had been wise indeed!

"Make a move. That Yao Monkey King should be here. Take this chance to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

With the order given,

the hunters at the front and some of the Jianghu Rangers

drew their bows and nocked their arrows,

shooting toward the mountain.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

For a moment,

arrows flew like a swarm of locusts!

One sharp arrow after another tore through the air, instantly piercing monkeys one after another and pinning them dead to the ground!

Last night, the demon monkeys had launched a sudden attack under cover of darkness,

so bows and arrows had not been of much use.

But now,

it was daytime.

On this Yellow Mountain Cliff, where there were not many trees to obstruct them, combined with the keen aim of the experienced hunters and the Jianghu Rangers, whose strength surpassed that of ordinary people, the arrows immediately unleashed incomparably powerful killing force!