Chapter 76

After seven or eight days, the black gold ore was left with only a few scattered small pieces. Qian Jüan was very satisfied. Wei Shíqī had made him realize the strengths of physical cultivation, and he began to consider suggesting to his master after returning to Qianren Peak that they should train a batch of physical cultivators. However, he was unaware that ordinary people capable of embarking on the path of physical cultivation were even rarer than sword cultivators. Among the three hundred or so people in the Yunya Sect, less than half a percent practiced the Howling Moon Technique, and those who successfully cultivated their bodies were even fewer.

For several consecutive days without a moment's rest, Wei Shíqī still looked spirited. He raised the iron pickaxe, aimed at a black gold ore the size of a thumb, and struck it forcefully. There was a "ding" sound, the rock split, and the pickaxe bounced back, numbing his palm.

Qian Jüan exclaimed, "Hmm," took the pickaxe from him, and chipped away the broken rocks. A large piece of black gold ore was embedded in the rock, and the scattered pieces they had seen earlier were just the tip of the iceberg.

This piece of black gold ore was unusually large! Qian Jüan was both surprised and delighted. He carefully chipped away the surrounding rocks, revealing a black gold ore the size of a head. The purple light shimmered like stars in the night sky, flickering and captivating to the eye.

Qian Jüan, not trusting Wei Shíqī, took over himself, channeling his primordial energy to strike the rock with the pickaxe, gradually peeling the black gold out of the rock. He was somewhat worried, as Cao Yu was watching him closely. He wondered how much he would have to pay to secure this largest piece of black gold. Cao Yu smiled, having read his mind, and was calculating how to gain the most benefit for herself.

Both of their gazes were drawn to the black gold ore. Wei Shíqī retreated into the shadows, circling around the mountain's belly. The walls were pitted and seemed to have been hit by a powerful force, with small rock fragments scattered everywhere, and the black gold ore had been completely mined out. Looking up along the rock wall, the height of the mountain's belly was unknown, dark and indiscernible. The tunnel they had come through was hidden in the darkness, making it hard to locate.

He sighed, realizing that only by flying with a sword could they leave this place.

The black gold ore was deeply embedded. Qian Jüan struck hard with the pickaxe, and with a "thud," he actually broke through the rock wall, revealing an unknown layer. Cao Yu's eyes lit up, and she gently pushed a glowing talisman, which floated in front of him. Qian Jüan used the pickaxe to pry, and the rock wall caved in, exposing a white, bone-like hole.

Why was everything so pale? Before Qian Jüan could take a closer look, countless small bones poured out of the hole, spilling onto the ground. A bone-chilling atmosphere spread wildly, though invisible, it felt as if a cold hand was touching their bodies.

The talisman flickered and suddenly went out. Cao Yu fumbled in the dark to remove the night-bright talisman and whispered, "It's demonic energy!"

Qian Jüan dropped the pickaxe and took several steps back. The Stone Fire Sword was drawn, emitting a red light that illuminated his face. With the sword in hand, he calmed down and said in a deep voice, "Cao Shimei, can the night-bright talisman still be used?"

Cao Yu silently activated the talisman in her hand, and the light flickered, much dimmer than before.

The white bone fragments on the ground began to twitch, colliding with each other and merging when they found matching pieces. The speed increased, gradually forming the shape of a demonic creature. Qian Jüan's unease grew stronger. He made a sword gesture with his left hand, and the Stone Fire Sword transformed into a red light, striking the bone creature with great force.

Wei Shíqī's heart skipped a beat. Only then did he realize that the two strikes Qian Jüan had made earlier had not been powered by primordial energy, but were just to force him down the cave.

The creature extended its arm and grabbed the Stone Fire Sword tightly. A red flame erupted, wrapping around its hand and arm, burning them to a stub. However, this delay allowed the creature to form its body and stand steadily before them.

It was a two-headed, four-armed monster, with a human-like shape but a skull for a head, a sunken forehead, and protruding jaw with sharp fangs. Its upper body was long, and its lower limbs were short, making it look strong and formidable.

Cao Yu laughed lightly, "It's a two-headed fierce ape, restless even in death, its soul causing trouble."

Qian Jüan showed no fear and called out, "Let's work together and finish it quickly to avoid any future trouble."

Cao Yu waved her sleeve, and a pale gray sword light flew out, circling and looking for an opportunity to strike.

The two-headed fierce ape opened its mouth in a silent roar, pounding its chest with its fists. It inhaled deeply, and the black gold ore flew up, attaching to its bones like a thick armor, protecting its chest and limbs. Seeing the situation, Qian Jüan immediately activated the Stone Fire Sword, which shot towards the ape's head like a meteor. The ape crossed its four arms to block the flying sword, and the red flame was absorbed by the black gold ore, leaving it unharmed.

Seeing the Stone Fire Sword fail, Cao Yu lightly commanded, and the Heart Stealing Sword drew an arc, striking the ape's side but was blocked by the black gold ore. Qian Jüan retracted the Stone Fire Sword, no longer attacking recklessly. At his current level, he could only use the Fire Departure Technique to activate the red flame five times. The ape was not afraid of the red flame, and using his primordial energy would be futile. He noticed that the ape's skull was not protected by black gold.

He called out, "Cao Shimei, aim for its head!"

The ape's four arms protected its head, and the Stone Fire and Heart Stealing Swords darted back and forth, striking the ape's vital points but were blocked by the black gold, unable to injure it.

It turned out that the black gold ore was not natural but had transformed from a black gold armor on the two-headed fierce ape. The ape had died in the Heavenly Passage Array, its body turning to ashes, and its soul hiding in its bones. The Kunlun Ancestor used great power to suppress the bodies of the slain demons under the Sky-Connecting Ridge. The black gold armor was crushed into pieces by the Snow Spirit Peak, and the mountain's belly collapsed, forming a large hollow. The ape's soul narrowly escaped and slept for tens of thousands of years before slowly waking up. Its cultivation was greatly diminished, and it had no effective means against the two young sword cultivators.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Cao Yu waved her sleeve, and the sect's magical tool, the Shimmering Golden Rope, shot out like a snake, entangling the ape's legs. She pulled with all her might, but the ape did not budge. It reached out and grabbed the rope, pulling it towards itself, but the rope kept flowing out of Cao Yu's sleeve, offering no resistance.

The two-headed fierce ape misjudged its strength, revealing a slight weakness. Its four arms relaxed slightly, and Qian Jüan took the opportunity to strike through its elbow, hitting its eye socket. The red flame erupted, melting the ape's skull into pieces. At the same time, Cao Yu activated the Shimmering Golden Rope, binding the ape tightly like a big dumpling, rendering it immobile.

Qian Jüan let out a clear whistle, and the Stone Fire Sword aimed at the remaining head. The red flame struck again, destroying both heads of the ape. Its four arms drooped, and it slumped to the ground, the black gold ore attached to its bones falling off with a clinking sound.

"Done!" Qian Jüan sighed in relief, feeling a bit dizzy. He had used the red flame four times, pushing him to his limit. Cao Yu, on the other hand, seemed to have plenty of energy left, clearly not using her full strength. He was somewhat annoyed and kept his guard up.

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