Seeing the golden monkey statue react, Xu Zimo quickly took it out.
It radiated an intense light that instantly cleared away all the surrounding fog, giving Xu Zimo a much clearer view.
He felt a connection from the statue, it was guiding him forward.
The surrounding space storms howled louder and wilder. With each step, Xu Zimo felt more burdened.
He followed the statue’s guidance, struggling onward.
In this world, he had completely lost his sense of direction. He couldn’t even find the entrance he came from. The only thing he could rely on was the statue in his hand, and the guidance it seemed to give him.
He walked for a very long time. Inside the Path of No Return, the pressure on him grew heavier and heavier.
It felt like he was carrying a mountain on his back.
His head was foggy, his legs felt like they were filled with lead, heavy and hard to move.
Time became meaningless. He didn’t know how many days or months had passed. He just kept moving forward.
Eventually, dragging his exhausted body, Xu Zimo arrived at the entrance of a valley.
Right then, the golden monkey statue lost its glow. The guidance vanished.
Xu Zimo slowly stepped into the valley, and it felt like entering an entirely different world.
Earlier, he had been walking through a desolate desert-like place, dry and barren.
But inside the valley, not only were the spatial storms gone, but the pressure on his body vanished as well. Around him were green mountains, flowing rivers, and flowers and trees everywhere.
There were no birds, but the air was filled with the scent of flowers.
Dozens of birch and poplar trees were scattered through the valley, intertwined with violet and green flowers, and dogtail grass covered the ground like a soft carpet.
The entire valley was lush and vibrant.
A small river flowed along the cliffside. The water was crystal clear, and large, ancient-looking pebbles lay at the bottom of the stream.
Half-kneeling by the river, Xu Zimo dunked his head into the water.
He drank deeply, trying to clear his head.
The water was cold and sweet, instantly refreshing his mind.
After a long while, he raised his head, feeling much better. Then he began to observe the valley more closely.
It was huge, full of jagged rocks and steep terrain. Ahead was a shaded path lined with peach trees.
It was spring, and the trees were full of blooming pink flowers. Fallen petals covered the ground in thick layers, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.
As Xu Zimo walked through the shaded path, he reached a massive peach orchard.
Branches were heavy with ripe red peaches. Peach blossoms and fruit fragrance mixed in the air, and flower petals fell gently like rain.
Suddenly, strange chirping came from deep within the orchard.
Xu Zimo’s face changed. He rushed toward the sound.
As the peach petals rained around him, he sprinted for several minutes before reaching a waterfall.
The sound of rushing water filled the air. There, on the smooth rocks beside the falls, worn down by years of flowing water, a golden monkey was jumping around, hugging several peaches and playing happily.
The monkey was fat and resembled a gorilla. Its eyes were golden, and deep in its pupils was a flash of red.
Its muscles were bulging, radiating sheer power.
As soon as it saw Xu Zimo, the golden monkey yelped in surprise and vanished into the void.
The peaches it was holding fell and splashed into the river below.
Then the void trembled, and the monkey reappeared, this time holding a thick wooden staff and staring at Xu Zimo with sharp, wary eyes.
"Human, how did you get here?" the golden monkey asked.
"Void Spirit Monkey?" Xu Zimo asked uncertainly.
"You know the name of my kind?" the monkey replied with a puzzled look.
"I went through a lot of trouble to find you," Xu Zimo said with a smile.
"What do you want from me?" the monkey asked.
"I want you to become my pet," Xu Zimo answered.
"Bah! I, the Great Sage Heaven-Unity, roam freely through the eight wilds, seeking the Dao and eternal life. I’ll never serve anyone!" the monkey roared.
It slammed its wooden staff to the ground, and half the sky shattered under the force.
"You little thief dare insult me? Take this strike!"
The staff came crashing down with overwhelming power.
Xu Zimo drew his sword, Shadow Tyrant, and slashed upward.
Space rippled violently, and countless peach petals fluttered down like rain.
Xu Zimo was forced back several steps from the impact.
But the golden monkey hadn’t moved an inch.
"Such strength," Xu Zimo said in surprise.
"My peaches!" the monkey cried out, seeing the petals and fallen fruit. It wailed miserably.
Then it spun its staff with great force and lunged at Xu Zimo again.
"Sky-Shaking Strike!" Xu Zimo shouted.
He gathered all his power into a single point and swung Shadow Tyrant once more.
The sword and staff clashed, and the space around them shattered.
Boom! A deafening explosion shook the air.
The golden monkey was sent flying backward.
Although Xu Zimo had won that exchange, his whole body ached. It felt like every bit of his strength had been drained.
"That thing's really strong," he muttered.
"Take another strike!" the monkey roared.
It stood up, completely unharmed, and leapt dozens of meters into the air.
The next blow stirred up a storm, shattering the sky above.
Xu Zimo waved both arms, revealing his God World behind him.
A massive blue planet emerged, carrying unmatched power.
The power of creation surged from it.
The monkey’s staff struck the blue planet, but not even a ripple appeared.
"What is this?" the golden monkey shouted in shock.
"Suppress!" Xu Zimo shouted.
The planet descended from the sky, aiming to crush the golden monkey beneath it.
The monkey's expression turned serious. The massive planet pressed down on its back.
It roared furiously, bearing the weight of the planet with gritted teeth and a fierce glare. Two sharp fangs jutted from its mouth.
"I am Great Sage Heaven-Unity!" it roared, despite the crushing pressure of the blue planet.