Chapter 374: Battle Saint Monkey

The ancient stone shell of the immortal tomb cracked, sparkling like a glazed pagoda and radiating light, appearing as the most magnificent object in the mortal world.

It radiated countless rays of colorful light and thousands of auspicious streaks, almost transparent, as if cast from the world's most precious seven-colored gemstones, creating a truly dreamlike vision.

Originally unadorned and ancient, it now, upon seeing the light of day, resembled a divine moon crossing the sky, with shimmering silver and a hazy, sacred glow.

Facing those two torch-like gazes, Ye Fan used his source art to seal off the surroundings, isolating himself from the immortal tomb. He retreated swiftly, disappearing into the crowd.

Everyone was astonished; no one could remain calm. This wasn't merely a stone, but an "immortal tomb"—a naturally formed ancient grave containing a living creature. It was truly earth-shattering.

Could an immortal spirit truly be emerging? Or had a creature been reborn in the ancient tomb? Or had another ancient king appeared?

After the initial shock, boundless fear seized the crowd. They all retreated, for despite the sacred aura, blood might flow like rivers in the very next moment.

“Quick, retreat!”

“Get out of here now!”

Many people cried out, their faces filled with terror, rushing into the distance, unwilling to stay for even a moment, as if fleeing a primordial beast.

Today, everyone's eyes had been opened, having witnessed all kinds of rare treasures and miracles. But now, a life-or-death calamity might be upon them.

“It's coming out!”

“It's emerging from the immortal tomb!”

Many people's calves cramped, making it almost impossible to move, let alone escape. The high sky seemed to be pressing down, constantly descending, as an immense pressure befell them.

Terrified and in disarray, the crowd yearned to flee the area and save their lives.

The unknown creature emerged with such overwhelming power that people couldn't help but tremble. This soul-deep pressure felt like a higher being gazing down upon mere ants.

The Ji family's mighty expert was the first to act, spreading all five fingers. Five streaks of lightning shot out, intertwining to form a divine net that enveloped the immortal tomb, intending to force it into the central formation pattern.

Those were the Dao patterns they had carved for the blood sacrifice altar. They hadn't expected this stone to fail to yield a living king; instead, the immortal tomb presented an astonishing and unexpected development.

With a faint sound, the lightning shattered, as a chilling energy wave dissipated. A hand stretched out from the immortal tomb and instantly crushed the divine net.

The Ji family expert's attack was futile; he failed to force it into the central formation. The immortal tomb remained motionless, as a pair of powerful hands grasped it, widening the crack.

“Crack!”

The immortal tomb completely cracked open, and a pair of arms emerged first. Simultaneously, those two gazes became even more brilliant, shining like twin beacons.

“Hairy arms? This is definitely not an immortal spirit. What kind of monster is this?”

“Golden fur, humanoid arms... What kind of creature is this?”

The crowd retreated rapidly, shouting in alarm. Many who were quick had already vanished, but more chose to observe from a distance in the sky.

While the stone workshops of the various Holy Lands had explicit rules against flying, no one cared at this moment. Their lives were paramount, and they all ascended high into the sky.

“Clang!”

The Great Xia Imperial Uncle made his move. Nine streams of true dragon energy erupted from his body, galloping and roaring like real dragons, instantly coiling around their target.

The nine dragons coiled around the tomb, ensnaring it, intending to lift it from the ground and force it into the Dao patterns, thereby teleporting it into the Divine City Sky Prison.

“Buzz!”

The void trembled like a colossal drum being beaten, humming continuously. Two beams of light shot out from within the immortal tomb, devouring the dragon energy, slowly disintegrating the nine true dragons and destroying them in mid-air.

“Those are its eyes! They're incredibly terrifying!”

“Eyes that can turn dragons to dust! What kind of creature is this, to be so powerful!”

Even some older figures felt a chill creep into their hearts. This outcome sent shivers down their spines.

The various Holy Sons and Holy Maidens all wore solemn expressions, standing in the air and gazing intently without blinking. The Great Xia Prince, in particular, looked exceptionally grim, his sharp eyes fixed on the immortal tomb.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the Third Great Bandit Xu Tianxiong made his move, striking down with a flipped palm. A large seal appeared beneath his hand, depicting a struggle between a dragon and a tiger, densely covered with Dao patterns.

The ancient and unadorned great seal, its weight unknown, slowly pressed towards the immortal tomb. At this moment, everyone felt a suffocating sensation, almost unable to breathe.

“Boom!”

The creature in the immortal tomb used no elaborate moves, simply blasting out a punch. The golden-furred hand shimmered with golden light, seemingly possessing the power to shatter the heavens.

With that punch, the void trembled like a painting, rustling and shaking as if it could be torn apart at any moment, displaying unparalleled might and dominance.

“Bang!”

The golden-furred fist struck the ancient great seal with a loud bang. The eardrums of those in the distance buzzed, and many staggered, nearly falling from the sky.

The great seal slowly vanished, silently shattering. The golden-furred hand also trembled slightly, paused in mid-air, and then slowly retracted.

The three Holy Lord-level figures acted consecutively, clearly having discerned something. With the arrogance befitting mighty experts, they didn't gang up but instead surrounded it from different positions.

Meanwhile, the creature within the immortal tomb did not rush out, appearing to be contemplating. It was clearly not a mindless, bloodthirsty beast.

The Red Dragon Elder took two steps forward. The creature within the immortal tomb seemed to grow restless, and with a thunderous sound, it completely shattered the ancient tomb and strode out.

“This kind of creature is…”

From the distant sky, a chorus of exclamations arose. This humanoid creature possessed an extraordinary aura and a surging will to fight.

It wasn't particularly tall, less than five feet, but it was incredibly robust, with a humanoid form densely covered in shimmering golden fur.

Though not grand or imposing in stature, it exuded immense power. With every gesture, it seemed capable of plucking stars and seizing the moon; its slightest movement warped the very fabric of space.

It resembled an ape, yet was more akin to a human, distinguished only by its dense golden fur. Standing there, it exuded an aura of absolute supremacy, as if challenging all others, embodying unique dominance.

This was a born intimidation, as if a superior being standing on clouds, looking down on all creatures in heaven and earth, its eyes radiating golden light, fiery like torches.

“A monkey… Sun Wukong?” Ye Fan entertained the thought, though he quickly dismissed it as mere fantasy.

At the creature's feet lay a pile of shattered divine sources, interspersed with five vibrant colors and dazzling light. Yet, this brilliance could not overshadow its immense power. Its fiery golden eyes scanned everyone, causing hearts to pound.

At this moment, it was the sole focus of everyone's attention. Neither the shattered divine source fragments nor the goddess nearby were noticed; all eyes were fixed nervously on it.

This was the first truly living creature unearthed in hundreds of thousands of years—a powerful ancient superior, possibly even a king.

The expressions of the Yaoguang cultivators shifted dramatically, not merely due to their heavy losses, but also because the emergence of this powerful creature made them deeply uneasy, fearing it might destroy the stone workshop.

The immortal tomb had stood here for an unknown number of years. Since being dismissed by the Source Art Grandmaster, it had remained neglected, with no one ever imagining a living being resided within.

It was also clear that this creature had awakened long ago, simply choosing not to emerge until now. It was fortunate that it was unearthed today; otherwise, if it had suddenly appeared on its own in the future, who knows what chaos might have ensued.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, the Ji family's mighty expert attacked again. A colossal black hand materialized, eclipsing the sun and covering the entire stone garden.

The black hand swept across the sky like a descending dark cloud—it was the Void Great Hand Seal, its pressure causing the void to continuously collapse.

The golden-furred creature let out a low roar, opening its mouth and spitting out a golden ray. Its powerful aura, vast enough to pierce the heavens, caused all observers to tremble.

The golden light spat from its mouth resisted the black hand, like a heaven-shattering thunderclap, reverberating through the Divine City. It was as terrifying as a great star being obliterated in a starfield, utterly horrific.

The Red Dragon Elder's ancient Daoist robe fluttered in the wind as he advanced step by step, revealing a look of astonishment. He declared:

“This is an Ancient Royal!”

“A Royal?!”

Upon hearing this, many gasped, and even more swiftly retreated, wishing they could vanish to the ends of the earth. Ancient Kings were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, comparable to Great Emperors.

“Daoist Brother, are you certain it's a Royal?” asked the Third Great Bandit Xu Tianxiong.

The Red Dragon Daoist nodded. “It is a Royal,” he said, “but that doesn't mean it has already become an Ancient King. If I'm not mistaken, it hasn't fully matured yet.” “An Ancient Royal that hasn't fully matured…”

People were even more astonished. With such terrifying potential for growth, its combat power was already astonishing before reaching its peak. If it truly became an Ancient King, what kind of might would it command?

“This is a Battle Saint Ape from the Ancient Royal lineage—a born Battle Saint. Even in the Ancient Era, only two or three could be found!”

The Red Dragon Elder's words made everyone present even more alarmed. A Saint Ape born for battle—its status was evident from its name alone.

At this moment, the Battle Saint Ape's demeanor further underscored its extraordinary nature: fiery golden eyes, soaring battle intent, surveying all directions with disdain. Its every move seemed capable of shattering the heavens.

An immature king, a born Battle Saint—this stirred the interest of the mighty experts. If it could be subdued now, what kind of future possibilities would open up? The mere thought was astonishing.

The Ji family's mighty expert struck, unleashing the Sky Intercepting Finger. Five true dragons materialized and lunged forward, attempting to bind the Battle Saint Ape.

“Bang!”

This Saint Ape's entire body radiated golden light, every strand of fur becoming crystalline. It possessed an aura of solemn majesty. Simple and direct, it blasted out a punch.

“Pop!”

The sound of shattering echoed through the stone garden. This immature Battle Saint Ape shattered five true dragons with a single punch, breaking the supreme secret art recorded in the Void Ancient Scripture.

“Indeed, a born Battle Saint!”

Everyone was astonished. This Saint Ape possessed heaven-shattering power. Though not massive, it had the force to uproot mountains.

In the distance, Ye Fan did not ascend into the sky but watched from outside the bamboo forest with Li Heishui. He felt his blood flow quickening slightly and swiftly suppressed and concealed it.

The Red Dragon Daoist stepped forward, extending a large hand, red as blood, to seize the Battle Saint Ape.

As soon as he made his move, the expressions of the other mighty experts shifted, fearing that this Ancient Royal might be subdued by him.

The Battle Saint Ape's expression also changed, its golden fur bristling. Its divine power circulated nine times within its body, and nine divine lights flashed across its surface, growing increasingly brilliant.

“The Nine Revolutions Heavenly Art of the Battle Saint Ape clan!” The Red Dragon Daoist dared not be careless. A red dragon coiled around his large hand, emitting a dragon's roar that echoed through heaven and earth.