Chapter 53: The Sea Demon Ape!

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“Knock, knock, knock.”
Ye Xiao’s urgent knocking echoed sharply down the silent corridor.
The door quickly opened. Zhuge Lingyun, draped in a cloak, furrowed his brow. “So late, what’s the matter?”
Ye Xiao handed over a note. “Xu Beichen has issued a kill order—one hundred thousand spirit stones for my life.”
“The news has already spread; I fear a large number of assassins will soon swarm the Mu family.”
Zhuge Lingyun took the note and quickly scanned it by candlelight, his expression growing increasingly grave.
“Senior Brother Mu Bai is severely wounded; a long journey is unwise,” Ye Xiao whispered. “We must leave tonight.”
Zhuge Lingyun pondered briefly, then nodded decisively. “Wake Du Mao. Meet at the back gate in fifteen minutes.”
Under the ink-black night, the three quietly departed the Mu mansion.
Du Mao rubbed his sleepy eyes, mumbling, “In the dead of night, not even a peaceful sleep...”
“Enough nonsense,” Zhuge Lingyun hushed him. “Let’s head to the Ye family ancestral grounds first. Didn’t Gu Chen give you a pill?”
Ye Xiao nodded silently.
The three sped toward the city outskirts under cover of darkness.
Ye Xiao glanced back at the tall walls of the Mu estate, silently praying, “Senior Brother Mu Bai, Han Qi, take care.”
...
Five days later, at the Ye family ancestral grounds.
The neglected ancestral hall lay overgrown with weeds, the broken walls exuding a stench of decay.
Ye Xiao deftly pushed aside a thicket of brambles, revealing a hidden mechanism beneath.
“Click.”
A faint sound, and the ground slowly split open a narrow fissure.
“Follow me.”
Ye Xiao led the way into the dim passage.
Du Mao shivered. “This place is so eerie...”
Zhuge Lingyun ignited a small flame at his fingertip, illuminating the damp stone walls.
His gaze swept over the mottled sword scars on the wall, deep in thought.
At the end of the passage was a simple stone chamber, where a white-haired elder sat cross-legged on a stone bed, eyes closed.
“Senior.”
Ye Xiao bowed respectfully.
The Sword Guardian slowly opened his cloudy eyes, scanning the three before resting on Ye Xiao. “Your Blood Divine Vein cultivation is decent, but not enough.”
Ye Xiao’s heart jolted. “You noticed?”

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“The blood aura on you is too strong,” the Sword Guardian shook his head. “Time is running out.”
Ye Xiao briefly recounted recent events: Mu Bai’s capture, the volcanic battle, and Yue Wuxia’s warning.
“Xuanhuang Sect...” the elder scoffed, “you’re no match yet. The Chaos Sword Manual is the key.”
Zhuge Lingyun suddenly tensed, eyes flickering with suspicion as he looked at the elder.
He sensed a faint yet profound aura, like facing an unfathomable mountain.
The Sword Guardian seemed to sense it too and glanced at Zhuge Lingyun. “A boy from the Falling Leaf Sect? Is that old leaf still alive?”
Zhuge Lingyun hurriedly saluted. “Master has not appeared for many years.”
“Hmph, still preferring to vanish like a ghost,” the elder said, then turned his gaze back to Ye Xiao. “Go see your sister.”
Ye Xiao nodded and moved toward another door deeper in the chamber.
Pushing it open, a waft of medicinal fragrance greeted him.
On a simple wooden bed lay Ye Yanran, pale as paper and breathing so faintly it was nearly imperceptible.
“Yanran...” Ye Xiao whispered, voice choked with emotion.
He carefully took out the jade bottle Gu Chen had given him and handed it to the Sword Guardian who had followed.
“What’s this?”
“A pill from a senior, said to temporarily suppress Yanran’s injuries.”
The Sword Guardian uncorked the bottle and sniffed lightly, raising an eyebrow. “Nine-turn Resurrection Pill? Quite the heavy-duty remedy.”
He gave Ye Yanran a single blue pill. “This might buy her three to five more years.”
Ye Xiao’s tension eased slightly. “Thank you, senior.”
“Don’t celebrate yet,” the elder warned, dousing hope with cold water. “This only delays the inevitable. To cure her completely, you must retrieve her immortal bone.”
Ye Xiao clenched his fist. “I will take it back from Xu Beichen!”
...
The next morning, the three bid farewell to the Sword Guardian and headed for the Liuyue City teleportation array.
“Where to next?” Du Mao stretched and asked.
“East Domain, near Qingdao,” Zhuge Lingyun spread out a map. “The nearest teleport point is Donghai City.”
The teleportation array in Liuyue City was housed within a tall tower at the city center.
After paying the spirit stones, the trio stepped onto the platform; a blinding white light flashed, blurring their surroundings.
When their vision cleared, the salty sea breeze hit their faces.
“So this is Donghai City?” Du Mao looked around curiously.
They stood in an enormous circular plaza, surrounded by towering city walls. In the distance, blue sea met the horizon.

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Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from within the city, followed by a chorus of screams.
“What’s going on?” Ye Xiao gripped his sword hilt, alert.
Crowds flooded into the plaza from the streets, faces etched with terror. Someone shouted, “Monster! There’s a monster in the city!”
Zhuge Lingyun’s expression darkened. “Something’s wrong. Donghai City has a protective array—monsters can’t sneak in silently.”
Another explosion, closer this time. The ground trembled slightly as a plume of smoke rose in the distance.
“Let’s get out of here!” Ye Xiao pulled the others toward the wall.
At that moment, a shadow burst from the smoke. Buildings crumbled where it passed, pedestrians were crushed and mangled.
“That’s... the Sea Demon Ape?” Du Mao’s eyes widened in shock.
The figure solidified: a three-zhang tall giant ape, covered in scale-like coarse hair, its eyes blood-red.
It roared, swinging massive arms, snapping a tavern building in half.
“No!” Zhuge Lingyun stared fixedly at the ape’s forehead. “It’s being controlled!”
Ye Xiao followed his gaze and saw a blood-red crystal embedded between the ape’s brows, radiating a demonic glow.
“A Blood Soul Crystal?” Ye Xiao recalled the Sword Guardian’s warning about evil artifacts. “Someone’s controlling it!”
The ape seemed to sense their gaze, suddenly turning and unleashing an ear-splitting roar.
“Run!”
Zhuge Lingyun shoved them aside and threw three talisman scrolls from his sleeves.
“Boom!”
The talismans exploded before the ape’s eyes, momentarily blocking its sight. The three slipped into a narrow alley.
“What now?” Du Mao panted.
Zhuge Lingyun’s face was grave. “Find the puppeteer first. The Blood Soul Crystal’s control range is limited—they must be inside the city!”
Ye Xiao gripped his broken sword, feeling a faint vibration through the blade.
He suddenly recalled Yue Wuxia’s words—East Domain near Qingdao held the answers he sought.
But for now, they had to handle the crisis before them.
“Sir, what do we do now?”
Du Mao asked.
Zhuge Lingyun looked at the panicked crowd and said solemnly, “First, we deal with this beast!”
...
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