The figure finally emerged fully from the water.
He stood only about ten feet tall, little different from an ordinary ape.
Yet his imposing aura was entirely different.
Especially those eyes.
Those eyes were deep and bright, their pupils seemingly reflecting all things in Heaven and Earth, the past and the future.
They held an insight.
An insight before which every secret in the world seemed to have nowhere to hide.
The Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey.
He understood yin and yang, knew mortal affairs, mastered coming and going, and evaded death to prolong his life.
Those few words were embodied to the fullest in the figure before them.
And yet.
At this moment, he showed none of the legendary bearing of an overlord who commanded Heaven and Earth, overturned rivers, and churned seas.
His body was slightly taut, his muscles bulging, clearly poised to strike or flee at any moment.
His eyes remained fixed on the swaying figure high in the sky, the depths of his pupils filled with wariness and dread.
He sensed the terrifying power contained within that seemingly drunken fellow, who looked ready to topple at any moment.
That power was beyond his ability to contend with.
Beyond even his ability to imagine.
And so he was afraid.
But he did not flee.
After all, with such an overwhelming gulf in strength, his chances of escape were all but nonexistent.
Silence.
A long silence.
Above the Huai River, misty rain blurred the air, and water vapor spread everywhere.
Countless Water Tribe beings watched from afar, holding their breath in concentration, not daring to make a sound.
Their gazes shifted between Gu Changqing and Wuzhiqi, indescribable tension and excitement surging within them.
At last.
Wuzhiqi spoke.
His voice was low and hoarse, carrying the damp quality that came from