Chapter 593: What a Ferocious Black Myth Monkey

Chapter 593: Chapter 593: What a Ferocious Black Myth Monkey

Xu Yunfan hesitated no longer. "Lead the way. Now."

Yang Jian naturally had no objections. He had been twisted, cleansed, and re-educated by the Banner Spirit. Aside from his hope that more people might escape the Celestial Realm for a future chance at rebuilding, he was now completely and utterly loyal.

Xu Yunfan could naturally sense Yang Jian’s thoughts, which made his skin crawl when he thought about the Ten Thousand Souls Banner—no, the Star Spirit Banner.

’No wonder the Primordial Sect rated the Ten Thousand Souls Banner as one of the must-have Magical Treasures. Not only is its growth potential immense, but it also contains all sorts of mysterious properties.’

’Cleansing and re-educating a Banner Spirit to revere only the banner’s master is just standard procedure.’

At Xu Yunfan’s command, the Star Spirit Banner in his sleeve hummed. A profound radiance erupted from it, transforming into a deep stream of light that pierced through the void, like a gaping wound in the night sky, pointing straight to the west.

He transformed into an Escape Light and followed close behind.

The scenery along the way was one of utter apocalypse.

As time passed, the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi of this world grew increasingly depleted. The ruins of colossal palaces, once as majestic as mountains, now lay toppled upon a dry and fractured Immortal River. Immortal Mountains that had once brimmed with Spiritual Mechanism were drained of all Vitality by an unseen force, turning them into massive, skeletal stones.

The river of stars reflected in the firmament was no longer brilliant and magnificent. Instead, it resembled viscous, disgusting tears of blood, pulled by an invisible force, chaotically surging toward a bottomless, dark abyss.

The Power of Law Devouring from the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm became increasingly distinct, echoing in his mind like the grating sound of a giant beast gnawing on bones.

’It has a bit of a modern Lovecraftian feel to it.’

Xu Yunfan silently averted his gaze, guarding his Heart and Spirit.

The aura emanating from the World Heaven’s devouring was of too high a level. Staring at it for too long could easily get one trapped within it.

After just two or three Hours, a towering black stone cliff on the desolate, silent land suddenly slammed into view.

Its shape was ferocious and bizarre, its five peaks splayed out toward the sky like fingers. It resembled the hand of a colossal Deity struggling to emerge from the depths of the earth to tear the heavens asunder.

The entire structure was a deep, somber black, gleaming with a cold, metallic light. A heavy aura that seemed to suppress everything emanated from it. This was the western Five Finger Cliff.

From the deepest part of the cliff, where the five giant fingers interlaced and closed like a hand, a faint yet tenacious aura could be felt, as stubborn as magma in the earth’s core.

Violent!

Unyielding!

A savagery that threatened to punch a hole through the heavens!

Although the aura was weak, it was like an inextinguishable spark, stubbornly flickering in this cold, desperate place.

A glint flashed in Xu Yunfan’s eyes. Through the resonance of auras, he knew he had come to the right place.

He slowly descended, his True Skill circulating quietly as a Protective Spiritual Light formed from his Magical Power, shielding him from the tragic Evil Qi that permeated the base of the cliff.

Concentrating his spirit, he looked closer.

In the pitch-black shadows between the giant, interlocking fingers, which formed a cage-like structure, a small tuft of monkey fur remained, looking like a scorched flame.

A furry head, half-buried under dust and rock fragments, struggled to lift itself. Its two Golden Eyes, once as brilliant as suns, were now as dim as embers buried deep underground. Yet, in their depths, a stubborn fire still burned.

His bared lips were caked with dried blood and hardened stone dust. Every struggle triggered the residual golden light of the Buddha Seal, which sizzled like a red-hot branding iron, scorching what little was left of his flesh and bone.

When those eyes saw Xu Yunfan land, they fixed on him with an untamable wildness, staring defiantly.

Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow.

’What a Demon Monkey. Quite the temper!’

A hoarse growl, like a broken Bellows, was forced from the monkey’s throat, mixed with the sound of grinding, dislocated bones.

"What filthy vermin is this, daring to bother your Grandmaster Sunx?"

Forcing out each word triggered the golden light of the Buddha Seal, which subjected his ruined body and soul to an excruciating corrosion. His aura dimmed further with each word, yet the ferocity of his will only seemed to be honed sharper by the torment.

Xu Yunfan said leisurely, "I never thought the seal left behind by the Western Buddha Head, Tathagata, would still possess such extraordinary power after his death."

Seeing the Demon Monkey’s violent gaze, Xu Yunfan began to walk around him, which seemed to agitate the creature immensely.

"What a fierce monkey. To still have such ferocity in this state."

Xu Yunfan was even more shaken than when he had heard Yang Jian’s account.

’This monkey seems more like the Sunx Wukong from a darker myth,’ he couldn’t help but wonder.

’After all, in a Celestial Realm like this, where so many things are not quite what they seem, it’s perfectly normal for a small discrepancy to lead to a massive divergence.’

"Are you willing to submit to me? If you are, I will free you."

Hearing Xu Yunfan’s words, the Demon Monkey bared his sharp fangs and laughed sardonically.

"Submit to you? My ass! Just wait till Old Sun gets out, I’ll smash your soul to pieces!"

"Such an arrogant monkey. It seems I really have to teach you a lesson."

The glint in Xu Yunfan’s eyes flared, and he hesitated no longer.

His vast, Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Divine Thought surged like a bursting dam, pouring into the Star Spirit Banner in his sleeve.

"Stars of the Celestial Sphere, Soul Capturing and Locking! Collect!"

He shouted silently in his heart.

BUZZ!

The body of the banner shook violently!

Ten thousand points of starlight suddenly flared, instantly converging on the banner’s surface into a line of silvery-white fire, condensed to the absolute limit.

This star-fire seemed to carry an aura of extinction capable of incinerating all things. It ignored all barriers, stabbing directly toward the Origin of the remnant Divine Soul hidden deep within the Demon Monkey’s dim Golden Eyes.

The Star Spirit Banner’s incomparably tyrannical Soul Capturing Power was fully unleashed.

However, the moment his Divine Thought touched that cluster of remnant soul-fire...

BOOM!!!

An unstoppable, savagely defiant will, arrogant to its very core, erupted like Earth Fire that had lain dormant for ten thousand years.

It was nothing like a remnant soul that had been imprisoned and worn down for millennia. Instead, it was like a ferocious god in its prime that had just been provoked.

The formless, intangible will was like thousands of red-hot needles surging back up the channel of his Divine Thought. It viciously stabbed at the Star Spirit Banner in Xu Yunfan’s hand, causing the banner’s surface to tremble violently—a reaction that took Xu Yunfan by surprise.

"HEY!!"

A roar that shook the heavens and split the earth, a remnant consciousness howling as if from the primordial past, rippled outward, thick with monstrous hatred and contempt.

"You think you can capture your grandfather’s Divine Soul with this wicked, broken banner?! Ptooey!

Even if I’m reduced to ash and my soul falls to the Nine Netherworld, Old Sun will never be a running dog for a heretic demon like you! Get... LOST!!"

The will lashing out from the remnant soul was as frenzied as a quenched blade, seeming to be on the verge of cleaving through the Protective Spiritual Light in front of him.

Far from being alarmed, Xu Yunfan grew even more delighted.

"Good, good, good. If I make you the main Banner Spirit, my Star Spirit Banner will surely rise to a whole new level."

’When that time comes, I might not even have to act myself. With just a shake of the Star Spirit Banner, I could summon this monkey and end battles in an instant.’

’Sweet!’

"Incorrigible."

Xu Yunfan’s eyes lowered, and the Magical Power within him surged.

"You no longer have a choice in the matter."

Then, Xu Yunfan’s hands flashed through a series of Seal Techniques with lightning speed.

"Eight Sceneries of Profound Capital, Refining Heaven and Creation, Cloud Scripture Cave Opening, Self-Cultivation, Wielding the Artifact."

Within his Dantian, the Eight Sceneries Cloud Qi—which had been nurtured for a long time until it resembled a sea of clouds connecting heaven and earth—was unleashed without reservation, like a volcano that had been dormant for a billion years finally awakening.

The Eight-Colored Clouds surged and roared. They were neither smoke nor fire and did not belong to the mortal Five Elements. They held within them the power to refine Qian and Kun and reshape creation.