A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

Deep in the bamboo forest, the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated.

Zhang Xiaofan stood next to the severed black bamboo, his fingers touching the broken surface.

After three years of exposure to wind and sun, the bamboo has turned black.

Dark green moss grew on the edges of the broken surface, and it felt wet, slippery, and cool to the touch.

But the pale golden bamboo core in the middle is still there, gleaming faintly in the morning light.

He withdrew his hand and turned to look at the gray-haired monkey perched on his shoulder.

The monkey grabbed his collar, its tail wrapped around his neck, warm and cozy.

His pale golden eyes were half-closed, as if he were dozing off, but Zhang Xiaofan could sense a light shifting beneath his eyelids—a wary, agile light.

Three-eyed monkey.

In the original story, this monkey later swallowed the Heavenly Emperor's Nether Stone.

He opened his third eye and gained a thousand years of cultivation.

It can transform into a giant beast and has saved Zhang Xiaofan from danger several times.

They are partners, comrades-in-arms, and rare, completely trustworthy individuals on this lonely path of cultivation.

We need to take it.

You can't use force; you have to use your heart.

These creatures of nature are wild and untamed.

But once you've chosen a master, they'll follow you through life and death.

Just as I was thinking this, I heard a whooshing sound behind me.

Zhang Xiaofan tilted his head slightly.

"call out--"

A pine cone flew past his ear and hit a bamboo stalk behind him.

It exploded with a "pop," scattering debris everywhere.

On the black bamboo pole three zhang away, Little Gray had squatted back down again at some point.

It was scratching its head with one paw, while the other paw was free—it was clear that it had thrown the pine cone earlier.

At this moment, it tilted its head, its pale golden eyes staring at Zhang Xiaofan with a clear sense of provocation.

It's like saying: What can you do to me?

Zhang Xiaofan didn't move.

The monkey squeaked again, reached into the bamboo branch beside it with its paw, and pulled out another pine cone.

It weighed the pine cone in its paws, its eyes fixed on Zhang Xiaofan, and then—

"Xiao Fan!"

A clear female voice came from the bamboo path.

The figure in red arrived in a few leaps.

Today, Tian Ling'er wore her hair in a double bun styled with a red ribbon. Her hair swayed with her movements, creating a gust of wind.

She landed beside Zhang Xiaofan, and with a quick glance, she saw the pine cone in the little gray paw.

Then he looked at the monkey on Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder and frowned.

"Did this stinky monkey bully you?"

Tian Ling'er raised her voice and pointed at Little Gray.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! How dare you throw a pine cone at my junior brother?"

Believe it or not, I'll pluck all your feathers and roast you!

Little Grey paused.

It turned its head, its pale golden eyes looking at Tian Ling'er, the star-like points of light deep in its pupils spinning faster.

Then it squeaked, a sound that wasn't like the scream of an ordinary monkey, but rather like some kind of... sneer?

With a flick of its claws.

The pine cone transformed into a gray shadow, shooting straight at Tian Ling'er's face.

Tian Ling'er chuckled, neither dodging nor flinching, and raised her right hand with her fingers spread.

A pale blue halo appeared in his palm, and the pine cone flew to within three feet of him.

It was like hitting an invisible wall, and it exploded into powder with a "pop".

Wood chips fell down in a flurry.

"You still dare to make a move?" Tian Ling'er's eyes widened, and she made a hand seal with her left hand.

Amber Silk darted out from her sleeve, transforming into a crimson ribbon that whistled and swept towards Little Gray.

Little Gray squeaked and shrank back, springing up from the bamboo pole.

Its movements were so fast that it was just a gray shadow, and it darted away more than ten feet away in a few leaps among the bamboo branches.

Amber Silk chased after it, but its swirling motion only swept away a single bamboo leaf.

Tian Ling'er bit her lip: "You ran pretty fast!"

She put away the red silk ribbon, turned around and pulled Zhang Xiaofan's arm:

"Let's go! Chase after it! We're going to catch that stinky monkey today and teach it a lesson!"

Zhang Xiaofan was pulled by her into the depths of the bamboo forest.

After chasing for half a mile, a gray shadow flashed ahead, and Little Gray reappeared on a bamboo stalk.

It glanced back at the two of them, and Zhang Xiaofan understood the look in its eyes.

It's teasing, it's provocation, and it even carries a hint of "Come and chase me if you dare."

"Still running away!" Tian Ling'er stomped her foot in anger, summoning her Amber Crimson Silk. "Come here!"

The crimson ribbon unfurled and hovered three feet above the ground.

Tian Ling'er jumped up, turned around and reached out her hand.

Zhang Xiaofan grabbed her hand and used it to jump onto Zhu Ling.

When you stand firmly, the silk beneath your feet feels soft yet stable, like stepping on thick clouds.

"Hold on tight." Tian Ling'er said without turning her head.

Zhang Xiaofan reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist.

The sensation of touch came through the thin fabric of her dress.

It is thin and soft, yet possesses the supple strength unique to martial artists.

Three years have passed, and Tian Ling'er is now fifteen years old. She has grown up and her waist is so slender that he can wrap his arms around it with room to spare.

The red dress is made of very thin fabric; you can feel the temperature of the skin underneath and the slight rise and fall of the fabric with each breath.

A faint fragrance wafted towards my nose.

It wasn't cosmetics, but the fresh scent of wildflowers from the mountains mixed with soapberry.

There's also the unique sweet scent of a young girl, like that of a ripe peach.

Zhang Xiaofan tightened his grip slightly.

Three years of living and working together, cutting bamboo together, cultivating together...

We picked wild fruits together on the back mountain and fished together by the stream.

Tian Ling'er is no longer the arrogant junior sister she was when they first met.

Rather, they were among the few relatives in this unfamiliar world with whom he could let his guard down.

Important people.

The person I can't lose.

The amber silk ribbon moved.

It transformed into a crimson rainbow, breaking through the mist above the bamboo forest, chasing after the gray shadow ahead.

The wind whistles in your ears, and the bamboo forest rolls beneath your feet, a sea of ​​green stretching to the horizon.

Little Gray leaped between the bamboo tips at an astonishing speed.

Every time it seemed about to catch up, it would twist its body and dart away again.

After chasing for several miles, the terrain ahead suddenly changed.

At the end of the bamboo forest is a precipice.

Below the cliff, clouds and mist surged, obscuring what lay beneath.

Little Grey stopped at the edge of the cliff, glanced back at the two of them, and then leaped off.

Tian Ling'er controlled the red ribbon to hover at the edge of the cliff.

She peered down, but the fog was so thick it looked like boiled milk; she couldn't see anything.

But one could faintly sense a chilling aura emanating from below.

Like the chill that rushes out when you open a cellar in winter, carrying a rotten, rusty stench.

"This is getting worse..." Tian Ling'er frowned, "The malevolent energy is so strong."

Zhang Xiaofan also sensed it.

That wasn't ordinary yin energy; it was some kind of more ferocious and violent aura.

Like countless vengeful spirits huddled together, their voices suppressed in their throats, leaving only low sobs.

"Senior sister, forget it," he said. "It's just a monkey."

"No!" Tian Ling'er shook her head, her ponytail swinging as she did so.

"It dared to smash your things and even dared to attack me. I'm going to catch it today!"

She paused, then released Zhang Xiaofan's hand: "Wait for me upstairs, I'll go down and take a look."

"Senior Sister—"

"Don't worry, I have the Amber Crimson Silk protecting me, everything will be fine."

Tian Ling'er smiled at him, her smile as bright as a camellia in the morning light.

"If I don't come up in half an hour, go back and call my father."

After saying that, without waiting for Zhang Xiaofan's response, she rode the crimson ribbon and plunged into the clouds.

The crimson figure was instantly swallowed up by the white mist.

Zhang Xiaofan stood on the edge of the cliff and waited for ten breaths.

Then, he jumped off the cliff.

Without the aid of a sword, he fell straight down.

The wind howled in my ears, and the mist rushed towards me, instantly soaking my Taoist robe with its damp, cold vapor.

After falling more than ten feet, a thought struck him, and the azure vortex in his dantian began to spin faster.

"Buzz—"

A long sword, its entire body shrouded in a bluish-green hue, materialized beneath his feet.

It wasn't a real sword, but a sword shape formed from magical energy. The blade was three feet long and two fingers wide.

A pale golden Buddhist light flowed along the spine of the sword—that was the power of the Great Brahma Prajna, perfectly blended with the Taiji Xuanqing Dao.

Flying on a sword.

He mastered a skill that only those at the high level of the Jade Purity Realm could acquire three months ago.

The sword light caught his body, slowing his descent.

He controlled the flying sword, slowly descending.

The surrounding fog grew thicker and thicker, and visibility was reduced to less than three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

The chilling aura grew stronger and stronger, like countless icy needles drilling into your pores.

Zhang Xiaofan activated his magical power.

A bluish-gold halo emanated from his body.

The blue light outside is mainly used to ward off evil spirits;

The golden light inside primarily protects the body.

The benefits of practicing both Buddhism and Taoism become apparent at this time.

When the malevolent energy met the halo of light, it was like ice and snow meeting a red-hot iron, hissing and disappearing without a trace.

It continues to decline.

After about a hundred feet, we passed through the cloud layer.

Below is a deep canyon.

The cliffs on both sides were very steep, covered with dark green moss, and dripping water.

The valley floor was dimly lit, and thick black fog filled the air.

Through the fog, one could vaguely see the crooked, claw-like shadows of trees.

Tian Ling'er's amber crimson silk was several dozen feet ahead.

The crimson ribbon stood out conspicuously in the black mist, but its light dimmed considerably, as if it had been suppressed by something.

Tian Ling'er swayed slightly on the silk, clearly affected by the evil energy.

Zhang Xiaofan sped up and flew over.

Only when you get closer can you see the scene ahead clearly.

In the very middle of the valley, there is a pool of black water.

The pool water was as black as ink, and the surface was completely still, like a huge, polished obsidian.

The area around the pool was barren, with only oddly shaped rocks growing there.

The surface of the stone was covered with honeycomb-like holes, from which a dark red, sticky liquid seeped out.

It emitted a strong, foul stench, somewhat like rust mixed with rotten flesh.

The Soul-Capturing Staff is located at the bottom of this pool.

In the original story, it was here that Tian Ling'er was struck unconscious by the evil energy.

Zhang Xiaofan risked his life to save her, and afterwards he unexpectedly obtained the Soul-Seizing Staff, which fused with the Bloodthirsty Bead to become the Soul-Devouring Staff.

Zhang Xiaofan's gaze swept over the edge of the pool.

Tian Ling'er collapsed a dozen or so feet away from the edge of the pool.

Amber and crimson silk were scattered around her, almost extinguishing their light.

Her face was pale, and her brows were tightly furrowed, clearly indicating that she had suffered a great deal before losing consciousness.

And Little Grey...

It is about two zhang away from the edge of the pool.

The gray-haired monkey lay on the ground, its limbs twitching, its pale golden eyes half-open, its pupils dilated.

It's too close to the pool, so the malevolent energy from it is even more intense.

He was on the verge of death, making hoarse, gasping sounds as if he was about to suffocate.

Zhang Xiaofan landed.

The ground beneath my feet was soft and slippery, like stepping on rotten flesh.

He walked to Tian Ling'er's side, squatted down, and placed his right hand on her forehead.

A warm golden light emanated from my palm.

The Buddhist power of the Great Brahma Prajna Sutra surged into her body, and wherever it passed, the black mist hissed and dissipated.

Tian Ling'er's pale face slowly regained color, and her tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.

Zhang Xiaofan withdrew his hand, picked her up, and retreated to a relatively clean tree about a hundred feet away.

He took off his outer robe and spread it on the ground, letting her lie down, and then set up a layer of Buddhist light barrier around her body.

Then he turned around and went back to the edge of the pool.

Little Gray was still lying there, its eyes closed, its breathing so weak it was almost imperceptible.

Zhang Xiaofan walked over and placed his hand on its head as well.

Golden light surged in.

The monkey's body trembled violently, and it made a "gurgling" sound in its throat.

Her pale golden eyes opened a crack, and when she saw Zhang Xiaofan, the star-like points of light deep in her pupils flickered faintly.

Then, it stretched out its claws and grabbed Zhang Xiaofan's fingers.

It's a light grip, but it's very strong.

Zhang Xiaofan picked it up and retreated to the big tree where Tian Ling'er was.

He placed Little Grey next to Tian Ling'er and set up a barrier there as well.

After doing all this, he stood up and looked at the black pool in the distance.

The pool remained lifeless.

The malevolent energy surged from the pool like a tide, churning in the black mist and emitting a low, mournful wail, like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts.

The stench of rust mixed with rotting flesh in the air was so thick it almost solidified.

The Soul-Capturing Staff is right below.

The Bloodthirsty Bead is right here in my arms.

When two extremely evil things are combined, they become one of the most ferocious magical treasures in the world: the Soul-Devouring Staff.

Zhang Xiaofan touched the dark red bead in his pocket.

It feels cool to the touch, yet there's a restless heat deep within the beads.

It seemed to sense something at this moment, and trembled slightly, like a bloodthirsty beast smelling blood.

He didn't move.

Not yet.

Having reached the eighth level of Jade Purity, and practicing both Buddhism and Taoism, his foundation is now solid.

To fuse these two evil objects, one needs not only cultivation level, but also sufficient mental fortitude to suppress them, and... a suitable opportunity.

He turned around, walked back to the tree, and sat down cross-legged.

On his shoulder, Little Gray had caught its breath and was scratching at his Taoist robe with its claws.

It raised its head, its pale golden eyes fixed on Zhang Xiaofan. The wildness in its eyes had faded considerably, replaced by... dependence?

Zhang Xiaofan reached out and patted its head.

The monkey squeaked lightly, flicked its tail, and wrapped it around his wrist.

It's furry and warm.