I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Sun Wukong was entangled by the giant bear demon. For a moment, the shadows of his staff flew. Although the bear demon was incredibly strong, the monkey was agile and his staff skills were exquisite.

The bear demon was struck several times with a stick, roaring repeatedly, but it still couldn't grab a single hair of the monkey. Although it had thick skin and flesh, it was in great pain.

On the other side, Ning Chen and the tiger demon were already locked in a fierce battle.

Ning Chen activated the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Technique, his body radiating a faint golden light, with illusory dragon and tiger figures appearing around him.

Furthermore, it is protected by a golden bell shield, making it as solid as metal under the double blessing.

Combined with the Cloud Ladder Leap, Ning Chen's figure was as elusive as the wind. He could turn freely in the air. Although the tiger demon was large, it could not fly. Its killing moves missed repeatedly, causing it to roar in anger.

"What kind of skill is it to just dodge? Have the guts to fight me head-on!"

Ning Chen snorted coldly, his long sword flashing with cold light as he targeted the tiger demon's eyes, throat, and heart. Though not fatal, his attacks only made the tiger demon more agitated.

"Roar! Human, you're asking for death!"

Unable to break through its defenses, the tiger demon's eyes grew even redder. Suddenly, it roared to the sky, and its demonic aura surged.

As the tiger demon chanted an evil incantation, the corpses of those it had killed in the village trembled in unison, and gray-black phantoms emerged from them, transforming into hideous ghouls that howled and pounced on Ning Chen!

This is precisely the tiger demon's innate supernatural power: to act as an accomplice to tigers!

The creatures killed by the tiger demon will have their souls controlled by him and will never be able to be reborn!

In an instant, hundreds of ghostly accomplices surged in like a tidal wave, a chilling wind howled, and in Ning Chen's ears, the wails of ghosts continued unabated.

"Give me back my life!"

"Why didn't you come sooner? You caused us to be slaughtered by this tiger demon! You deserve to die!"

"Hehehe, little brother, let's become the king's servants together!"

Ning Chen remained calm in the face of danger, grabbing a handful of ashes from the ground. These were the mediums needed to cast the "Ember Fire Technique" that he had learned from his senior brother.

Ning Chen silently channeled his magic power and gently blew on the ashes.

A prairie fire!

call!

The ashes ignited in the wind, turning into a blazing red flame that instantly spread into a raging sea of ​​fire, engulfing all the approaching demons!

The evil spirit howled mournfully in the fire, then vanished as wisps of black smoke.

Although the Emberfire Technique wasn't very powerful, it was mixed with Ning Chen's pure Yang energy, making it surprisingly effective against these shady, sunless monsters.

Upon seeing this, the tiger demon was both shocked and furious. Its eyes were scorched by the flames of the Emberfire Technique, and it cried out in pain repeatedly.

Ning Chen seized the tiger demon's momentary opening, unleashing the full power of his Ape Strike Technique. His figure shot forward like lightning, and the longsword in his hand transformed into a cold light, piercing straight for the tiger demon's right eye!

puff!

The sword tip pierced through his eye and went all the way to the hilt!

The tiger demon let out a deafening howl, drew its long sword, and slammed it to the ground with a clang. It then whipped its head back and retreated violently, its eyes gushing blood.

It used its good left eye to stare intently at Ning Chen, its eyes filled with resentment and disbelief. This human was clearly not very powerful, yet he was able to injure it so badly!

"Damn it... human... I'll remember you, you just wait!"

Knowing he was severely injured and no match for the tiger demon, he turned and fled, transforming into a black shadow and darting into the deep mountains.

Ning Chen would not allow it to escape. If this demon was not eliminated, how could he repair his foundation?

He used his ape-striking technique, leaping and bounding through the jungle, relentlessly pursuing the tiger demon. Bloodstains were left along the way, a testament to the tiger demon's severe injuries.

After chasing for several miles, the blood trail led to a hidden cave.

Ning Chen cautiously stepped inside. The cave was dark and reeked of a foul stench. The ground was littered with bones, and the tiger demon lay in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.

A small tiger demon, less than half a person's height and with sparse fur, stood in front of the tiger demon, baring its teeth and growling.

Although the little tiger demon's eyes were filled with terror, it refused to take a single step back.

Ning Chen paused slightly. The tiger demon struggled to raise its head and spoke in human language, its voice weak but full of resentment.

"You've won, human... but I refuse to accept it!"

"My eldest brother lived a secluded life in the mountains, eating only wild fruits and drinking from springs. He never harmed anyone, yet he was tricked by a Taoist priest and became his mount. My third brother was young, and just because he was dressed in fine fur, he was ambushed and killed by human hunters. They skinned him, removed his bones, and sold him for money. Have you heard their cries of agony?!"

It coughed up a mouthful of blood, and its eyes gradually became unfocused.

"I've achieved my cultivation goals, so I returned to seek revenge, slaughtering the entire hunter's village to appease my brothers. What's wrong with that? You humans kill demons for profit, and that's considered perfectly natural, while we demons seeking revenge are committing heinous crimes? Heh... what a fine example of... the law of the jungle!"

Ning Chen listened quietly, his long sword pointing at the little tiger demon, and said simply.

"So, the villager who killed your third brother is dead, and now you're going to die too!"

Seeing that Ning Chen's eyes remained unwavering, the tiger demon turned its gaze to the little tiger in front of it, a pleading look flashing in its eyes.

It used its last bit of strength to whisper.

"I would... give up my demon-making treasure in exchange for a chance to save my child's life..."

Having said that, it opened its mouth and spat out a bead the size of a pigeon's egg, which slowly floated toward Ning Chen.

The bead is light blue with a golden and white sheen on its surface, but there are several cracks on the surface, which slightly dims its luster.

A divine realm notification popped up in front of Ning Chen's eyes.

[Postnatal Spiritual Treasure: Sun and Moon Pearl (Damaged)]

[Efficacy: None available]

Sun and Moon Pearls!!!

Ning Chen's breathing quickened slightly. He hadn't expected that killing a tiger demon would yield the spiritual treasure, the Sun and Moon Pearl, which, though damaged, still radiated a vast spiritual aura.

This pearl is a magical artifact of the Holy Mother Turtle Spirit of the Jie Sect, capable of emitting the light of the sun and moon, and possessing boundless power.

However, since the Turtle Spirit Mother's body was eaten by the Mosquito Taoist during the Investiture of the Gods, and her true spirit was not included in the Investiture of the Gods, the whereabouts of this bead have been unknown.

Unexpectedly, I found it on a tiger demon today. Although it was damaged, the tiger demon was able to cultivate into a demon with this treasure, so this bead must still have some effect.

Then, remembering that before he left, Bodhi Patriarch had instructed him to take Sun Wukong with him, and that there happened to be two demons here, Ning Chen was slightly startled.

Perhaps all of this today was part of Bodhi Patriarch's plan.

Ning Chen took the bead; it felt warm and smooth to the touch.

He looked at the little tiger demon. The cub was still protecting its mother, its eyes filled with the ferocity of a wild beast and a hint of fear. This human before him, though thin, had severely injured its mother...

Ning Chen remained silent for a moment, then sheathed his sword and turned to walk out of the cave.

"I will not kill it, but if it ever becomes an evil force in the future, I will personally eliminate it!"

Upon hearing this, the last glimmer of light in the tiger demon's eyes vanished, its head slowly drooped, and its breath ceased.

Ning Chen arrived at the foot of the mountain, where the sounds of fighting had ceased.

Sun Wukong walked over carrying a bronze staff covered in black hair, and he grinned.

"That black bastard has thick skin and tough flesh; when we couldn't beat him, he burrowed underground and fled! We couldn't catch him, so we just let him go. Junior brother, what happened to the tiger demon?"

"They have been executed!"

Ning Chen spread his hands, revealing the Sun and Moon Pearl.

"The tiger demon gave me this before it died."

Sun Wukong's golden eyes lit up, he grabbed the bead, looked at it, and exclaimed in amazement.

"What a treasure! Even though it's broken, it's still a rare item! This trip down the mountain wasn't a loss after all!"

The two brothers did not linger any longer and immediately set off to return to Fangcun Mountain.

During the journey, Ning Chen briefly relayed what the tiger demon had said, since the monkey was also a demon, and he wanted to hear the monkey's thoughts.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the monkey just scratched his head and said...

"What does it matter whether they are human or demon?"

"My junior brother has never looked down on me because I am a demon, and I will never hold any grudges against him."

"Besides, if the two clans keep killing each other, when will it ever end? I'm only concerned with protecting my junior brother; I can't be bothered to think about anything else!"

Ning Chen chuckled to himself, thinking, "As expected of the Spiritual Stone Monkey."

These things had absolutely no effect on his state of mind.

Upon returning to Fangcun Mountain, Ning Chen reported back to his master, presenting the Sun and Moon Pearl and informing him of the tiger demon.

The patriarch nodded slightly, but said nothing more, only saying...

"This bead is destined for you. You are inherently weak, unlike the monkey, which is a spiritual creature of heaven and earth and needs a foundation to achieve the supreme Dao. I will pass on to you a technique of manipulating creation to help you transform this bead into your destiny."

Ning Chen understood that his every move during his descent from the mountain was probably within the Bodhi Patriarch's calculations.

Despite the talk of using battle to undergo tribulations, this Sun and Moon Pearl was actually the true foundation-building treasure that the patriarch had planned for him.

The patriarch raised his hand and pointed, and a profound and mysterious Dharma flowed into Ning Chen's heart.

"That which has form originates from the formless; that which has no form is the great ancestor of all things..."

Ning Chen carefully comprehended the technique, and his eyes widened instantly. This method was no ordinary supernatural power; it was a method of manipulating creation, not simply creating something from nothing, nor a simple transformation of matter, but rather touching upon existence itself.

When cultivation reaches a high level, it can deconstruct the laws of heaven and earth and reshape the fundamental nature of all things. Ordinary cultivators, even if they have heard of it, find it difficult to understand its true meaning and only regard it as some kind of profound creation magic.

When Bodhi Patriarch saw that Ning Chen's eyes regained their clarity after only a moment of contemplation, he couldn't help but nod slightly, acknowledging that this boy's comprehension was indeed extraordinary.

"You have overcome your inner demons in this battle. Three days of quiet cultivation will allow you to break through. Now, go..."