The small, emerald-green pond was quite miraculous. Within a three-foot radius, no grass or trees could grow, and the area was shrouded in a grayish-blue haze, looking very much like the lingering remnants of some demonic art. Beyond that three-foot radius, however, the vegetation grew lush and dense, with countless ancient trees rising from the ground.
The spot where Zhang Yuan landed was chosen with exquisite precision. It was right at the boundary where the vegetation ceased, ensuring he was not affected by the demonic aura of the Soul-Devouring Staff, yet not so far away as to arouse any significant suspicion.
He then pretended to pass out.
Waiting to reap the harvest.
As expected...
Just like in the original story, the moment Zhang Xiaofan realized that both he and Tian Ling'er had fainted, his first instinct was to save her.
What a fellow, putting romance before friendship.
Using his Mind's Eye, Zhang Yuan watched Zhang Xiaofan’s movements, unable to help but mutter to himself.
After carrying Tian Ling'er out, Zhang Xiaofan dragged Zhang Yuan a bit further away, and finally went to rescue the gray monkey trapped deep within the emerald pond.
Then, struck by the impact of the Soul-Stealing Staff, the object inside the Blood-Drinking Bead within him shattered its seal and burst forth.
The struggle between the Soul-Stealing Staff and the Blood-Drinking Bead commenced.
Zhang Yuan closed his eyes.
In truth, whether he closed his eyes or not made little difference, for he was blind; his eyes were entirely sightless. The visual awareness he had of his surroundings relied entirely on his Mind's Eye.
The Mind's Eye was an abstract concept.
One did not need to open their physical eyes to see.
To Zhang Yuan, everything around him was as clear as a mirror.
At the end of the two objects' struggle, the green light of the Soul-Stealing Staff dimmed, the red light of the Blood-Drinking Bead faded, and Zhang Xiaofan lost consciousness.
The two had reached the final stage of fusion.
Soon, the Fire-Cooking Stick—the Soul-Devouring Staff—would be born.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuan noted that everyone was unconscious; it was a perfect, deserted zone! It was time for his entrance.
He tensed his waist and sat up in an instant.
Then, supporting himself with both hands, he stood up.
His dull, unfocused eyes stared at Zhang Xiaofan, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
The Soul-Devouring Staff was about to take shape.
It had been an ownerless object.
To be obtained by those with the affinity for it.
Since Zhang Xiaofan had already passed out, he would graciously accept it.
Just as Zhang Yuan took a step forward, a whistling sound suddenly cut through the air, and two pine nuts were thrown at him, one after the other.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
On a nearby ancient tree, the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey stood at the top, baring its teeth and snarling at Zhang Yuan. Having just been saved by Zhang Xiaofan, the gray monkey felt a sense of loyalty toward him. At this moment, it assumed Zhang Yuan intended to harm its savior and stood ready to defend him.
Zhang Yuan’s right hand moved, his fingers forming a sword gesture. True Qi surged forth, and two sword auras instantly erupted from his body. The aura carried a sense of slaughter, accompanied by the thunderous roar of lightning—truly terrifying.
The sword auras struck the flying pine nuts with precision.
In just an instant.
The pine nuts were destroyed into halves by the sword aura. The cuts were incredibly smooth, as if sliced by a laser. Beyond that, the surrounding trees did not escape the damage; two cedar trees were sliced clean through at the trunk.
Zhang Yuan remained where he stood. A gentle breeze blew, his sleeves fluttering, his temperament vastly different from before. A moment ago, he was merely a blind man; now, he was a peerless swordsman born for slaughter.
This past year.
Zhang Yuan had devoted his Heaven-Defying Comprehension entirely to the study of techniques. His improved [God-Tier Thunder Control Mantra] was a sword technique truly forged for killing, devoid of any flashy, unnecessary movements.
Seeing this, the gray monkey was struck with horror and quickly retreated, distancing itself from Zhang Yuan. It had originally thought the human girl was the most formidable of the three, never expecting that an even greater threat was hiding in their midst.
The sword intent Zhang Yuan had just emitted left the monkey gasping for air. Had it been hit, it would have been sliced in two, with no hope of survival.
He was about to kill the monkey.
"Rest assured! I am not here to harm Zhang Xiaofan, but to save him." Zhang Yuan raised his head to glance at the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey, then withdrew his gaze. Tian Ling'er might not have been able to discipline the monkey, but that didn't mean he couldn't. He had already explained himself; if the monkey continued to be unappreciative, one burst of sword intent would be enough to finish it off.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
The gray monkey let out a squeal and dared not throw any more pine nuts, seemingly realizing the power of the human before it. Zhang Yuan walked over to Zhang Xiaofan.
At this moment.
The Blood-Drinking Bead and the Soul-Stealing Staff had essentially completed their fusion.
Red and green lights clashed rapidly.
Zhang Xiaofan lay on the ground, blood from his body pouring into his palm. Bolstered by the blood, the Blood-Drinking Bead’s red light flared, gradually overpowering the green.
A moment later.
The two forces were evenly matched.
They began to fuse, the Soul-Stealing Staff sticking to Zhang Xiaofan’s palm while the Blood-Drinking Bead merged with the top of the staff.
Soul-Stealing + Blood-Drinking = The Soul-Devouring Staff.
A quintessential evil artifact.
Now, due to Zhang Xiaofan’s blood sacrifice, the Soul-Devouring Staff had become his life-bound weapon. It would not feel right for anyone else to use it without refining it first.
Zhang Yuan paused. Seeing the Soul-Devouring Staff was formed, he did not hesitate, striking with a wave of sword intent to forcibly separate the staff from Zhang Xiaofan.
At this time.
Zhang Xiaofan had only just stepped onto the path of cultivation; he was no match for a cheat-wielding character like Zhang Yuan.
Furthermore, the Soul-Devouring Staff had suffered heavy damage and was unable to exert any power.
Zhang Yuan separated the staff with almost no effort at all.
As he grasped the Soul-Devouring Staff, it began to tremble violently, sensing the unfamiliar aura of its new captor.
It felt as though it might fly out of his hand at any second.
But how could Zhang Yuan let such a weapon slip away?
He channeled his True Qi to its limit, manifesting it into sword intent, and tightly wrapped it around the staff. After a while, the Soul-Devouring Staff finally settled down.
The Fire-Cooking Stick was his.
The next step would be to refine it into his own weapon.
Zhang Yuan tied the stick to his back, near his dantian, so that if it ever acted up, the True Qi within him would instantly suppress it.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
Suddenly, the gray monkey in the distance let out another sound. Its steps were slower and it had moved much closer, but its gaze no longer lingered on Zhang Xiaofan; it was now fixed on Zhang Yuan.
The Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey was a creature of spirit.
It was far more sensitive to spiritual energy than humans.
It could clearly sense that following Zhang Yuan held more promise than following Zhang Xiaofan.
The monkey’s focus naturally shifted from Zhang Xiaofan to Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan glanced at the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey.
He naturally wanted to tame it as his own spirit pet. The Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey, also known as Little Gray, was covered in fluffy fur, and women loved to touch such furry things.
If the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey became my spirit pet.
If I used it to woo women, wouldn't Lu Xueqi and Biyao be easily won over? Maybe even Su Ru would fall for it.
Tian Buyi was already old; even if he weren't impotent, he certainly couldn't satisfy a woman in her prime. Who knew how lonely Su Ru felt in the middle of the night!
While others kept spirit pets as battle companions, his first thought was using his as a tool for romance.
One had to admit, Zhang Yuan’s way of thinking was truly unique.
"Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey, I quite like the look of you. Since you didn't leave just now, how about you come with me from now on? If you follow me, I can't promise much else, but as long as I have a bite to eat, you will never go hungry." Zhang Yuan looked at the monkey in the distance, speaking with sincerity.
He knew... the monkey was extremely intelligent and surely understood human speech; whether it was willing to become his pet was another matter entirely.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
The Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey watched Zhang Yuan with its large, shimmering eyes, chattering away, though it was impossible to tell what it was expressing. However, it did not move away from him again.