Chapter 117: A Pleasant Surprise

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: A Pleasant Surprise

Yun Mengling was holding the Little Black Monkey in her arms.

The adorable little monkey was indeed very endearing. Because of the Soul Contract, Yun Mengling also felt an inexplicable closeness to it.

Hearing Yi Xiaoyao’s voice, Yun Mengling looked over.

Because the three of them had signed the Soul Contract together, Yun Mengling now felt a similar sense of closeness to Yi Xiaoyao, causing her pretty face to blush faintly.

Now, she was bound to live and die together with the young man before her.

"Miss Yun?"

Seeing Yun Mengling staring at him in a daze, Yi Xiaoyao asked, a little embarrassed.

"Ah!" Yun Mengling snapped out of it and answered Yi Xiaoyao’s earlier question. "But if we want to leave this place, we don’t have enough power to open a spatial rift."

Yi Xiaoyao thought so too. Unable to come up with a solution for the moment, he found a spot to sit down and began to assimilate the Creation the Red Ape Great Demon had just given him.

First was the high-grade Earth Tier Demon Technique, the Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm.

Cultivating this powerful Demon Technique had a special requirement: one must possess their own Flame Power to refine the Demon Fire of various Fire Attribute Demon Beasts.

And since Yi Xiaoyao possessed the Seed of Heaven and Earth, he was naturally able to cultivate this technique.

As for refining the Demon Fire of Fire Attribute Demon Beasts, it was quite similar to refining Essence Blood with the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring Technique.

The Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm was divided into three stages: Minor Success, Great Success, and Peak. Their power corresponded to low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade Earth Tier, respectively.

The first stage, cultivation to Minor Success, allowed one to cast the technique using their own innate Flame.

The latter two stages required refining the Demon Fire of Demon Beasts to gradually increase the Palm Technique’s power.

Immediately, Yi Xiaoyao channeled his Seed of Heaven and Earth and began to cultivate the Palm Technique.

Meanwhile, after playing with the Little Black Monkey for a while, Yun Mengling also began cultivating the Celestial Demon Sacred Body technique she had obtained.

If they wanted to leave this place, they first had to increase their strength. Otherwise, even if they managed to get out, Ouyang Bing would just hunt them down again.

They both understood this, so they cultivated with extreme diligence.

Several hours later, Yi Xiaoyao suddenly thrust out a palm. A brilliant flare of light flashed, and a giant flaming palm, dozens of zhang tall, swelled in size as it shot whistling toward the outside of the palace.

BOOM!

A burst of scorching firelight instantly erupted in the dark space outside the palace. The giant flaming palm collided with the astral winds outside, completely annihilating the very same winds that Yi Xiaoyao had once been helpless against.

"The Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm... its power is truly terrifying!"

Yi Xiaoyao exclaimed in deep satisfaction. He hadn’t even used his full strength in that last palm strike, yet it already possessed such might.

He had now cultivated the Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm to the Minor Success stage, which was already equivalent to a low-grade Earth Tier Spiritual Skill.

To continue cultivating it further, he would have to refine Demon Fire. It was naturally impossible to find any Demon Fire in this place, so he could only make plans for that after leaving this space.

With this thought, Yi Xiaoyao gave up on cultivating the Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm for now. His heart stirred, and he couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Yun Mengling beside him.

At this moment, Yun Mengling was still cultivating the Celestial Demon Sacred Body, her entire body emanating a faint, holy white light that made her look ethereal and dreamlike. The Little Black Monkey was curled up on her lap, fast asleep.

The scene before him was like a painting, with Yun Mengling as the celestial fairy within it. Her skin was like fine porcelain, her lips like cherry blossoms, and her beauty was enough to topple cities.

For a moment, Yi Xiaoyao found himself captivated, and a sigh of admiration escaped his lips.

"So beautiful."

Yun Mengling seemed to have heard him. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint pink blush appeared on her face.

Yi Xiaoyao froze, realizing his gaffe. He gave a dry cough and quickly looked away.

He didn’t know why, but despite always being able to resist the allure of beautiful women, he had just failed to pass Yun Mengling’s test.

’Perhaps it’s because of the Soul Contract.’

Yi Xiaoyao gave himself an excuse and forced himself to stop thinking about Yun Mengling, calming his mind once more.

Then, a ball of crimson-gold Essence Blood materialized in Yi Xiaoyao’s palm.

This was precisely the Dragon Ape Essence Blood, containing True Dragon Bloodline, that the Red Ape Great Demon had given him.

"I wonder to what extent this Essence Blood can elevate my Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring Technique."

Muttering to himself, Yi Xiaoyao began to refine and absorb it according to the Secret Technique of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring Technique.

The next moment, however, his expression changed drastically.

He had only consumed a small fraction of the Essence Blood, but it had already allowed his Nine Heavens Dragon Soaring Technique to reach the peak stage, forming the Dragon Spirit Mark.

The remaining majority of the Essence Blood instantly transformed into a torrent of incomparably violent energy that, like a primordial beast, surged through Yi Xiaoyao’s meridians and crashed into his Dantian.

’Damn it, I underestimated the power of this Essence Blood!’

He cursed inwardly. Only now did he remember just how powerful a being the Red Ape Great Demon had once been. How could its Essence Blood be treated like the ordinary Essence Blood he had encountered before?

But by now it was too late. The violent energy rampaged inside his Dantian, threatening to burst it apart.

"Devour!"

With a low shout, Yi Xiaoyao began to frantically devour the energy within the Essence Blood, attempting to forcibly suppress the rampaging power.

In the process of devouring this energy, a sudden feeling spontaneously arose within him.

’I’m about to break through!’

A look of joy crossed Yi Xiaoyao’s face. He quickly swallowed several Realm-Building Pills and smoothly broke through to the Seventh Realm of Foundation Establishment. But it wasn’t over yet; the power was still raging.

In just half a shichen, Yi Xiaoyao broke through three minor realms in succession, reaching the Ninth Realm of Foundation Establishment!

Along with the rise in his realm, the remaining power finally calmed down, transforming into a small golden dragon that swam around in his Dantian.

This was a completely unexpected delight!

Before, Yi Xiaoyao and Yun Mengling had been worrying about how to leave this space.

But now that he had broken through to the Ninth Realm of Foundation Establishment and cultivated an Earth Tier Demon Technique like the Heaven-Shattering Demon Flame Palm, his strength was definitely comparable to the Golden Core Realm. Breaking out of this space would be a piece of cake.

However, Yi Xiaoyao, still lost in his joy, had no idea that while he was cultivating the Secret Technique and increasing his Cultivation, his companions outside, Luo Yi and Han Xiao, had already fallen into Ouyang Bing’s hands.

「At this very moment, outside.」

Luo Yi and Han Xiao were hanging from two thick, ancient trees. They were covered in wounds, and the Spiritual Power in their bodies had long since been depleted.

A short time ago, Luo Yi and Han Xiao had learned of Yi Xiaoyao and Yun Mengling’s whereabouts and had tracked them here. They ran into Ouyang Bing, who was in the process of tearing open space, and were subsequently captured by him with ruthless efficiency.

"Senior Brother Ouyang, I doubt Yi Xiaoyao will be able to get out even if he did enter the Great Demon Ancient Tomb. Is there any point in us doing this?" Xuanwu asked Ouyang Bing doubtfully.

Ouyang Bing gave a sinister smile. "I’m betting that Yi Xiaoyao not only entered the Great Demon Ancient Tomb, but that he’ll do everything he can to get out. As long as he learns his companions are in my hands after he emerges, he’ll most likely deliver himself right to my doorstep."

...