When Yin Shou was brimming with energy and starting to dismantle his own household, the monster he'd been longing for day and night finally showed up.
It was none other than Yuan Hong!
Although Yuan Hong was somewhat unwilling, he still had to fulfill the promise made to his old man.
Looking at the distant Chaoge, even though he'd been living in the mountains and knew nothing of what's going on, he vaguely sensed that slaughtering everyone as soon as he entered would definitely end badly.
After thinking for a long time, his clever monkey brain came up with a great plan.
Yuan Hong, donning the Three-pronged Purple Gold Crown, the West River Red Brocade Flower Robe, the Beast-faced Swallowing Head Armor, and the Leijia Linglong Lion Barbarian Belt, wielding the Mystical Iron and Bronze Rod in hand, stood at the front gate of Chaoge and bellowed with all his might.
"I am Yuan Hong of Mei Mountain! Who dares fight me?!"
"I am Yuan Hong of Mei Mountain! Who dares fight me?!"
The terrified civilians all scrambled to hide in their homes, and with the streets empty, Yuan Hong opted for a direct assault!
As for not using spells?
With Eight-Nine Profound Skills protecting me, these weaklings couldn't so much as touch a hair on me!
But he was blissfully unaware that little Chaoge now housed three cultivators of the Eight-Nine Profound Skills, including himself.
The thunderous roar swept through all of Chaoge, waking even Nezha from his secluded cultivation and leaving Yun Zhongzi grumbling with frustration.
Yin Shou, over in the royal palace, wasn't upset in the slightest—on the contrary, he was thrilled. After waiting for so long, he finally had a boss fight to contend with.
Yuan Hong kicked open the city gate, swept his rod, and felled a row of armored soldiers with a single stroke. He looked up and locked onto the most extravagant building—the royal palace—as his target, then charged forward like a whirlwind.
The streets of Chaoge were engulfed in blood; armored soldiers in the front were wounded with mere contact, killed outright if struck.
The dense ranks of archers in the rear launched wave after wave of arrows, but they bounced off his defenses like pebbles hitting iron. Yuan Hong rampaged all the way to the palace's doorstep.
Even under the immense pressure of Human Dao's Qi Fortune, Yuan Hong was unshaken, exuding an air of invincibility with his iron rod in hand.
Rather than fear him, King Zhou was ecstatic. Admiring Yuan Hong, he even gained a fondness for the talented. "If I, Yin Shou, can recruit this guy to join me, my reign would rival that of ancient emperors!"
Throwing off his cloak, King Zhou stepped forward to confront Yuan Hong personally.
Striking a commanding pose, he declared, "Kid, you've got some skill. If you lose today, why not join my Great Shang? High status and wealth are all yours."
Behind him, ministers and armored soldiers formed a cheer squad, shouting nonstop: "The Great King is invincible! Long live the Great King!"
Yuan Hong paid no attention to the chants echoing from the city walls. Twirling his rod, he mocked, "You? The so-called Human King doesn't seem that impressive."
King Zhou, visibly annoyed, activated his cultivation and unleashed a move: Kanglong Youhui.
A swarm of Golden Dragons soared toward Yuan Hong, but he merely sneered.
With a sweep of his iron rod, the Golden Dragons were dispersed, and in an instant, Yuan Hong flashed in front of Yin Shou, slamming the second stroke into his chest. Yin Shou spat a mouthful of blood, flying backward.
The Great King fell onto the palace roof, and his cheer squad turned into a panic squad shouting, "Quick! Save the Great King!"
Yuan Hong was ready to deliver the third strike, but the Golden Light Rake intercepted his rod. Still breathing, Yin Shou immediately shouted, "Quick, summon the Great Sage Master!"
Old Jiang hurriedly cast a spell to rescue the gravely injured King Zhou, whisking him away for treatment.
Yuan Hong stared at Yu Yuan, his expression becoming grave. "Who are you?"
Yu Yuan responded with a fierce glare, "I am Yu Yuan, third-generation disciple of the Jie Sect. I was entrusted by my junior brother to guard Chaoge! If a mere ape demon like you doesn't leave immediately, I'll make sure you die with no corpse left behind!"
Yuan Hong flared with anger upon hearing this—who dies today is still up for debate!
The two clashed fiercely, exchanging blows that rang out like a chorus, both protected by Eight-Nine Profound Skills, making it impossible to decide the winner quickly.
Nezha floated in mid-air, watching the entire scene unfold. Seeing Yin Shou get pummeled, he felt no urge to intervene. If Yin Shou kicked the bucket here, his task would technically be complete.
Watching Primordial Spirit battle Yuan Spirit below, Nezha scratched his head.
His arrival hadn't affected much—why did the plot feel so drastically altered?
Among all cultivators of Eight-Nine Profound Skills in the Primordial Era, it seemed only Yu Ding and his disciple were absent now.
Though there were only a handful of cultivators specializing in Eight-Nine Profound Skills, each pursued their path differently—Yuan Hong and Yang Jian relied on talent, Yu Yuan on time and determination, while Nezha relied on sheer spending.
Everyone had a promising future.
After pondering for a while, Nezha decided to help Yu Yuan. As the old saying goes, favor family, not reason—sorry, Yuan Spirit.
He gathered mana and shook the Jiangshan Sheji Map, then quietly transmitted instructions to Yu Yuan's primordial spirit.
Yu Yuan, while fighting, lured Yuan Hong into the Jiangshan Sheji Map. The space rippled, and the surroundings changed dramatically, allowing both fighters to let loose.
They were evenly matched in martial arts, then shifted to transformations, and finally unleashed the Fatian Xiangdi divine skill that turned heaven and earth into chaos, shattering mountains and rivers. Witnessing this, Nezha decided he couldn't let the fight continue—this was his master's treasure.
First, he manipulated the space to separate the two fighters, then summoned mountains within the map to press down on Yuan Hong, one peak after another…
From intense struggles at the start to complete silence at the end.
Nezha made a seal, channeling the map's power through heaven and earth, revealing the defeated Yuan Hong under the mountains, his face full of defiance and resentment.
"You shameless scoundrel! Let me out!"
Nezha scratched his head, uncertain about how to deal with Yuan Spirit.
Yu Yuan also found the monkey spirit troublesome—killing a fellow cultivator of Eight-Nine Profound Skills was notoriously difficult.
Running off to his sect over this monkey? Hardly worth the effort.
Nezha thought for a moment and decided: just keep him suppressed.
After returning, Yin Shou immediately summoned the two into the palace. Yu Yuan snorted, "You're nothing; why should I meet you?" He refused outright.
Nezha obliged, explaining that Yu Yuan was Wen Zhong's senior brother and after sustaining injury in battle, couldn't come. Yin Shou accepted the explanation.
Despite taking two heavy strikes, Yin Shou's injuries weren't fatal due to his Qi Fortune protection and cultivation. After being saved by Jiang Ziya, he quickly regained consciousness and observed the battle to the end.
Though he didn't quite understand where the two fighters disappeared to.
While he was infuriated by his defeat, Yin Shou didn't lose heart. "I've only been cultivating for a few days. Once my cultivation is complete, I'll crush them all!"
Still, the battle prompted him to reflect.
First, he realized he'd been too reckless—he should have sent others in first to gauge his opponent's strength before deciding whether to fight or strategize.
Second, he suspected his equipment was subpar. "Demons aren't much different from each other. I could handle three before; how come I couldn't beat even one this time?"
The difference between the monkey and the earlier Three Demons was his gear!
That monkey's iron rod was no ordinary item—one strike broke his moves, the next knocked him down.
So, the moment Nezha returned, Yin Shou immediately approached him, aiming to get equipped too.
Yin Shou had misjudged Yuan Hong, but his conclusion was correct.
In a way, no matter how skilled a fighter, even they fear knives. This principle held even truer in the Primordial Era, where Daoist Ancestors prioritized suppressing people, not objects.
"Great Sage Master, my defeat today lies in the monkey's sturdy armor. My immortal techniques were scattered by his treasure rod. Immortal Master, do you have treasures? I'm willing to trade anything for them!"
Nezha froze for a moment. Well now, no need to persuade him—he's already found a new path.
Feigning hesitation, he replied, "The universe is full of Heaven and Earth Strange Treasures, but most are with the Great Experts from the dawn of time. If you want treasures, I am somewhat versed in Artifact Refining Skills. Though my crafted Magical Treasures aren't quite on par, they'll suffice."
Yin Shou was overjoyed, feeling as if Nezha was his personal wish-granting machine, capable of anything.