The Feather Token

"Let him go!"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape was not concerned about Lei Bei's swordsmanship; as long as his body was in the water, the water would absorb any damage.

As Su Fang said, he was almost invincible in the water, and there were few ways to restrain him.

But the Great Sage of the Water Ape never expected that he would fail to protect the person he wanted to protect.

Jin Chang was too fast, and his movements from the shadows were almost impossible to defend against. Not to mention Su Fei couldn't defend against him, even Su Fei's dead father, Su Fang, couldn't.

Faced with such an opponent, ordinary cultivators can only escape the relentless pursuit by leaping through the air.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape saw through Jin Chang's weakness at a glance, but Jin Chang felt a bit bitter, having no idea how to defeat the great demon in front of him.

All he had to rely on was the hostage he held.

If the Great Sage Water Ape hadn't cared about Su Fei, he would likely have barely escaped with his life.

"Perhaps we can have a good talk," Jin Chang said.

"I can watch Su Fang die, and I can watch his son die too," the Water Ape Great Sage said in a deep voice. "You should know that guardians of our caliber are not strongly constrained, and we act more based on our own whims!"

"That's why we're talking, not fighting," Jin Chang said.

"I hate negotiation, and I hate threats even more. I'm only giving you ten breaths," said the Great Sage Water Ape. "If you don't release Su Fei, I will kill this swordsman in ten breaths and begin hunting you down. I hope you can escape this secret place!"

Can't we talk?

"Ten!"

Just as Jin Chang's heart skipped a beat, the Great Sage of the Water Ape had already begun the countdown.

Whether the Great Sage of the Water Ape truly cares about Su Fei's life is something Jin Chang needs to test with his own.

The time given by the other party was very short, so short that Jin Chang could hardly make a thorough consideration in such a short time, and even made it difficult for him and Su Fei to communicate even a word or two.

"You won!"

When the Great Sage of the Water Ape counted to 'two', Jin Chang uttered a low voice, and his body faded away like a phantom.

Before the count of 'one' could even finish, countless drops of water from the pool had already shot out and surged toward the direction Jin Chang was fleeing.

Damn it!

As his body moved through the darkness, Jin Chang felt countless water droplets covering the direction he was traveling.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape's pursuit of him was not a close chase, but an explosive deployment, disregarding his every move and using countless waves to almost completely cover the underground space.

Jin Chang squeezed his body towards the passage, and only then did he catch a glimpse of Zhang Xuezhou sweeping away the dust with a look of disgust, while holding up a small torch to light his way forward.

Before he could disappear into Zhang Xuezhou's shadow, Jin Chang felt a terrifying force grab his legs.

"Get down!"

"No!"

The cry of the Great Sage Water Ape came from beside his ear, and Jin Chang was greatly alarmed.

But the waves quickly enveloped the shadow of his entire body, and continued to envelop him as he moved backward.

"Help... help me!"

Jin Chang reached out and grabbed Zhang Xuezhou, but was quickly pulled back by the powerful waves of water.

After his body crashed heavily into the pool, a surge of water entered through his nostrils and rushed into his throat and abdomen, causing Jin Chang to struggle for a few seconds before falling into a coma.

"Somewhat strong, yet somewhat weak!"

Jin Chang's speed was uncanny, and his Technique Method was also extremely unique.

The Great Sage Water Ape had prepared for a duel between top-tier cultivators, but he hadn't expected that Jin Chang, whom he had captured with all his might, would resist so weakly, even less than one percent of Lei Bei's strength.

Looking at the unconscious body of the other person, and then at Lei Bei was still struggling, the Water Ape Great Sage felt as if he had used a cannon to kill a mosquito.

"How did you end up with such a demeanor? You're even worse than Su Fang!"

He muttered a complaint, feeling that a cultivator like Jin Chang would have had almost no chance of surviving in their era.

Without sufficient strength, there is no margin for error; even those with extraordinary cultivation cannot succeed. A single moment of carelessness will inevitably lead to death.

Only by possessing sufficient strength can they have a chance to escape when facing formidable enemies, rather than being brutally killed on the spot.

But he quickly put aside the matter of Jin Chang and Lei Bei, and even ignored Su Fei, who was still somewhat dazed on the shore, and stood up from the green pool with great solemnity.

"Golden Crow Great Emperor's good friend, you don't need to leave, please come in!"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape spoke in a deep voice.

An invitation was extended to Zhang Xuezhou, who was retreating in the passageway.

No adversary could obtain the Golden Crow Great Emperor's feather to start a fire, and the Golden Crow Great Emperor would not allow the feather to be used by anyone at will.

The corresponding feathers of the Golden Crow Great Emperor represent friendship; even if this friendship is not explicitly stated to be between Heavenly Court, it is at least a friendship belonging to the Golden Crow Great Emperor himself.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape hadn't seen a cultivator wielding a golden crow feather for a long time.

He extended an invitation, his voice carrying far and wide.

Zhang Xuezhou, who was retreating towards the back of the passage to escape, stopped and shook the feather he was using to light the way.

A feather sweeps away the dust in the passage, a feather lights the way forward, and also prevents one from being shot by traps.

Zhang Xuezhou never expected that the feathers he used for illumination would be recognized.

He vaguely recognized the voice, which emboldened him to stop his escape and take a few steps forward.

After traversing nearly two hundred meters, a giant ape, three zhang tall and clad in chains, came into view.

"It's you?"

It's you!

At this moment, Zhang Xuezhou no longer had an aged appearance. With so much time having passed and the need to move easily through the narrow passage, and with his identity recognized by Jin Chang, Zhang Xuezhou had long since returned to his normal physical form, simply wrapping a piece of cloth around his face.

When Zhang Xuezhou recognized the Water Ape Great Sage by his unique appearance, the Water Ape Great Sage also recognized the murderer who assisted Dong Zhongshu in killing Su Fang by recognizing his aura.

However, the feather that the Golden Crow Great Emperor held in Zhang Xuezhou's hand prevented the Water Ape Great Sage from having any intention of using it.

Compared to his friendship with the Beast Taming Sect, the Great Sage Water Ape was always a part of the Heavenly Court and had a very strong sense of nostalgia for everything in the Heavenly Court. This sentiment far outweighed the factors that bound him to the Beast Taming Sect.

"How is the Golden Crow Great Emperor doing now?"

The Golden Crow Great Emperor's feathers do not burn indefinitely; the essence of this burning lies in the Golden Crow Great Emperor's Demon Power.

Demon Power is consumed with use and dissipates over time.

The fact that Zhang Xuezhou could use a feather to start a fire on the spot can only prove that Zhang Xuezhou has met the Golden Crow Great Emperor in recent years, and that the other party may even have met the Heavenly Emperor.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape was thrilled and greeted Zhang Xuezhou with great courtesy, without bringing up the old story of their first meeting.

"I seem to recall you saying you were the water god of the Huai River?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully.

"Yes, I am the water god of the Huai River!"

Zhang Xuezhou did not respond directly, but instead asked the Water Ape Great Sage another question. The Water Ape Great Sage did not mind at all and responded again with great politeness.

This relieved Zhang Xuezhou.

The feather he held did have some use after all; it had run into a deity from the Heavenly Court's external affairs department, and the deity still recognized the Heavenly Court.