Joining Forces to Beat the Monkey

"That's the situation. Considering that you've already broken through to Dou Wang and have spent so much time running around outside the academy, the academy has specially approved your participation in the expedition to the Fallen Fire Sect."

"What do you think?"

Su Qian briefly explained the mission to Qin Han.

What did he think?

What else could he think?

Qin Han had been wondering what excuse he could use to slip out of the academy. Now that an opportunity had fallen into his lap, how could he possibly refuse?

"Great Elder, what exactly happened to the Fallen Fire Sect back then? How could an ancient sect comparable to Jia Nan Academy collapse overnight, leaving not a single person behind?"

Amid his excitement, Qin Han could not help asking.

At the question, Su Qian fell into thought. His brows furrowed tightly, as though he were recalling something.

"The story circulating outside is... that Yun Qianhang, the Sect Leader of the Fallen Fire Sect, wanted to gather the power of the entire sect and forcibly raise the grade of the Myriad Stars Flame."

"Unfortunately, he failed. The flames backfired, and in the end, the entire sect was dragged down with him."

Qin Han keenly caught several key points.

"Raise the grade of the Myriad Stars Flame? How is that possible? There's no such claim anywhere on the Dou Qi Continent!"

"There's also no claim on the Dou Qi Continent that after coming into contact with Heavenly Flames for some time, one can condense a flame seed within the body."

Su Qian gave him a look that told him to think it over himself. So only you, brat, are allowed to be a freak, while everyone else has to be normal?

Qin Han smiled awkwardly.

"Don't underestimate the Fallen Fire Sect's Myriad Stars Flame Scripture. Even the Headmaster greatly admired Yun Qianhang's Fire Control Technique back then."

"Great Elder, do you believe that explanation? The Fallen Fire Sect was so proficient in fire control, yet it ultimately burned itself to death playing with fire. Isn't that contradictory?"

Qin Han hit the nail on the head.

"So what if it is contradictory? The Fallen Fire Sect being wiped out overnight is a fact. The sect being turned upside down is also a fact. Other than the Myriad Stars Flame being detonated in such a calamity, I can think of no second possibility."

Su Qian shook his head slightly, a trace of reminiscence flashing across his aged face.

"Enough. What happened in the past is no longer important. I cannot leave the academy to accompany you on this trip. Headmaster Hu Gan will lead the team, and elders from both the Inner and Outer Academies will accompany you. With such a lineup, you can walk sideways through the Black Corner Region. You and Zi Yan are only going to broaden your horizons."

"Never act rashly when trouble arises. Go back and prepare. You leave in three days."

"Yes, this student understands!"

Qin Han bowed in acknowledgment.

The moment he stepped out of Su Qian's room, which carried a faint scent of books and the oppressive aura of Dou Qi, and the heavy wooden door closed behind him, Qin Han felt an undisguised ferocious aura coming from beside him.

He did not even need to look to know that the Maniac King was looking for trouble again.

With a nimble flash, Zi Yan stepped in front of Qin Han.

With her hands on her hips and her little face raised, her impossibly delicate features were filled with the words, "I'm very unhappy" and "Come fight me."

"Hey, you're Qin Han, right? Fight me. If you lose, you're not allowed to tell the Great Elder."

As she spoke, she rolled her wrists. Though she looked like a little girl, the sense of power poised to erupt from her made the surrounding air seem to freeze.

Looking at Zi Yan, who resembled a Humanoid Fierce Beast, Qin Han's scalp tingled slightly.

Go head-to-head with this little ancestor, whose strength was absurd and recovery ability monstrous?

Even though he had just broken through to Dou Wang and had two kinds of Heavenly Flames at his side, it would definitely not be a pleasant experience.

If he lost, he would definitely end up black and blue.

If he won, this little ancestor would surely train desperately to win back her honor until he ended up black and blue anyway.

In a flash, Qin Han decisively raised one hand as if to stop her. "Stop!"

"Hm?"

Zi Yan narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Her fist did not swing out for the moment. "What? Want to beg for mercy? That won't do!"

"Fighting one of our own is boring. I'll find you another punching bag—one where you get benefits if you win."

"Benefits?"

Zi Yan's attention was indeed drawn away somewhat. "What benefits? Let me make this clear first: I'm not interested in ordinary Medicinal Herbs!"

"Of course they aren't ordinary."

Qin Han pointed toward the Back Mountain. "You remember that big monkey guarding the Core Body Tempering Milk, right?"

The moment she heard "big monkey" and "Core Body Tempering Milk," Zi Yan's little face immediately fell, followed by a surge of resentment and embarrassment.

That Snow Demon Heavenly Ape was immensely powerful, thick-skinned, incomparably strong, and held the advantage of the terrain.

Several times, she had relied on her strength to force her way in, only to be smacked senseless by its violent Ape Palm and flee back in a sorry state.

"Hmph! That Stupid Monkey!"

Zi Yan huffed angrily, clenching her little pink fists. "When I grow up, I'll eat it sooner or later!"

"We don't need to wait until you grow up. If we join forces today, even if we can't beat it, we can still take the Core Body Tempering Milk. Even if we can't kill it, we can piss it to death. What do you say?"

Qin Han proposed.

Zi Yan immediately perked up, sizing Qin Han up and down as though assessing the quality of this newly advanced Dou Wang "punching bag," as well as the feasibility of his proposal.

Beating up the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape to vent her anger + obtaining the Core Body Tempering Milk—the allure of that combination was clearly far greater than simply beating Qin Han up.

Especially when she recalled the humiliation of being sent flying by that Ape Palm before...

"Can you really do it?"

She asked for confirmation one last time. The gloom on her little face had already cleared away, leaving it full of anticipation.

"I guarantee I won't hold you back. My flames work wonders against thick-skinned Magical Beasts."

Qin Han patted his chest in assurance.

"Good!"

Zi Yan clapped her hands and jumped up.

"Let's go find trouble with that Stupid Monkey right now! If you dare lie to me, or if you don't pull your weight when the time comes..."

She waved her little fist, her meaning obvious.

Qin Han smiled and promised he would not, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

He had successfully redirected the conflict, while also securing a powerful fighter and a top-tier Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure. This was no loss.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick.

Three figures landed soundlessly behind a huge boulder on the Back Mountain. Not far ahead, a pitch-black mountain cave lay in plain sight.

Frost had formed along the edges of the cave entrance, while strands of chilling air completely out of place in the surrounding environment seeped outward. This was the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape's lair.

The moment Zi Yan landed, she excitedly poked half her body out from behind the boulder. Her Purple-gold Eyes stared fixedly at the cave entrance, and her small nose twitched as she sniffed. Her fists were already clenched until they crackled as she said in a low voice, "This is it! That Stupid Monkey's den. The smell is still as disgusting as ever!"

Han Yue wore a moon-white dress, appearing especially ethereal amid this grimy environment.

Qin Han had dragged her over from the academy midway through the journey. Qin Han and Zi Yan would be responsible for restraining the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape, while Han Yue would enter and retrieve the treasure.

Looking at the battle maniacs beside her—one big and one small—both eager to fight, Han Yue could not help rubbing her brow.

Her head truly ached.

One was the little tyrant of the Inner Academy, blessed with immense strength and utterly unaware of what caution meant. The other looked mild-mannered, yet was actually outrageously bold—a newly advanced Strong Expert who dared provoke a fifth-tier Magical Beast just after breaking through to Dou Wang.

This combination was probably more worrying in terms of destructive power than the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape itself.

"Hehe, don't worry, don't worry."

Qin Han turned and reminded her, "Your side is the key. The Jade Bottle, Jade Shovel, and the Cold Jade Box for concealing its aura—have you prepared them all?

"When collecting the milk, you need to use Dou Qi to wrap it extremely gently. You can't touch it directly, nor can you use metal tools. These points..."

Zi Yan impatiently shot Qin Han a glare, waving her little hand with an old-fashioned air. "So much nonsense! Yue'er, hurry up and hide. Watch how I beat it flat!"

Han Yue nodded helplessly and said no more.

Her moon-white figure flashed, silently darting toward a crack in the mountain pass. After a few leaps, she vanished into the shadows of the scattered rocks, concealing her aura.

"Maniac King, you'll take the lead and draw its attention. I'll look for an opportunity to interfere with it using my flames and create a chance for you to land a heavy blow."

With everything prepared, wings sprang out from Qin Han's back as he shot toward the space above the cave entrance.

"Quit babbling! Just attack!"

Zi Yan gave a sharp cry, clenched her right fist, aimed at the black cave entrance below, and threw a punch!

There was no flashy glow from a Dou Technique—only the purest, most tyrannical power gathering together.

The air before her fist let out a series of overloaded Bang Bang explosions. A purple Fist Strength condensed to the extreme crashed toward the cave entrance like a falling meteor!

"BOOM—!!!"

The Fist Strength struck the rock wall above the cave entrance solidly, and the entire mountainside shook violently.

A massive crater instantly appeared above the cave entrance, with cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.

Almost at the same moment—

"ROAR—!!!"

A deafening roar filled with towering fury suddenly exploded from the depths of the cave...