Tranquility covered the mountain that had stood high for longer than anyone cared to remember. A spiritual mountain said to be the home of powerful immortals from an older age. But these were merely the remnant stories of ancestors.

For the migrating group of humans, it was a potential safe haven. A mountain of this size and scale represented a few things. Shelter in its caves, and abundant spiritual energy to raise warriors. For the Bear tribe that had been forced to flee their homes, it was a potential place to settle.

“Clan chief,” a powerful looking elder whose body exuded the aura of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator called towards a heroic looking youth in battle armour. This youth had a sword sheathed at his side and a profound cultivation base that exceeded all humans present.

“What is it?”

“Isn’t this distance too short? The damned monkeys can cross from their domain to here in mere days!” This elder regarded the youth as inexperienced. He was the son of the former chief and had been taken to Mt Kunlun by one of its famous masters for training since young. He had only just returned.

Though his cultivation was extremely high, the monkey demons moving into their, Bear tribe’s former territory were just as strong. He alone had not been enough to end them all, thus he uprooted the tribe.

“It’s a spiritual mountain, a natural leyline,” the youth, Youxiong said back. But seeing the elder’s confusion, he sighed. “It means I can set up a defensive formation there. Even True Immortals will be weary.”

They approached the mountain with an air of trepidation. Youxiong, as the leader naturally went first. His divine sense swept through the mountain noticing nothing of note. Though he was astonished by the purity of qi here.

“The true qi of this place is absurd.” He quickly withdrew flagpoles from his interspacial ring and told his fellow humans to settle on the mountain base while he go around it setting up anchor points.

“Yes clan chief.”

Youxiong moved quickly, because of the imminent monkey threat, he darted across the mountain laying down flagpoles at various locations. This mountain would offer a good base while he contacted his masters for aid.

The monkey epidemic was quite common in the Heavenly realm, especially in the East Dongshen continent. No man nor women could remember how it started, but monkey demons were famous to be crazed and lustful. They attacked anything in sight no matter who or what it was. Even other demon races reviled them.

Youxiong was finalizing the last of it when he saw a robed figure sitting by an old hut.

“No wonder I didn’t pick up on any thing,” he said after observing the figure. Though it wore a rich daoist robe, it was merely a corpse. It’s flesh had long decayed, reduced to mere bones. Even those bones looked to be seconds away from falling apart. The fact that this skeleton remained for this long suggested it may’ve belonged to a strong cultivator in the past.

“Poor fellow, I wonder what happened to him?”

“Starvation.” Another vice said, startling Youxiong. “Idiot thought his Dao heart strong, his belief firm, that as long as he stayed quiet and safe he can become an immortal. Never experiencing the world, he slowly forgot what it was even like to live. Upon the Immortal Tribulation, he was fooled into his mental trial, never emerging. He expired sometime after.”

“Hello good sir,” Youxiong greeted. “I was not aware this mountain was inhabited.”

“And I did not expect to have visitors. Humans at that.”

‘So he isn’t a human. Some sort of demon?’ “Although my human race is weak, we must still work to survive. You know good sir, this Heavenly realm is incredibly dangerous. Demons and monsters prowl around and the immortals up high fight among themselves. I may be an immortal too, but I have to protect my own.”

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“Honourable,” the other man said. His white robes fluttered as he moved towards the corpse. “Unlike this thing. All I did was land here and he wanted to kill me.”

“Was he a human?”

“Unfortunately. By the way, do you not seek Nuwa’s protection instead of traveling on your own?”

Youxiong flinched. “The sacred mother? Are you mad?” But the other person only looked mildly confused. So Youxiong concluded he must’ve not been familiar with human history.

“The sacred mother is an exalted goddess, she must not be disturbed. We have no need to trouble her cultivation with our issues. She has her own business to worry about.”

The other man frowned. “You don’t have a problem with that? She is your creator and responsible for you.”

Youxiong sneered. “Does that mean she should look after our every wants and needs? She’s not our slave, her presence already drives away detractors from targeting our entire race. That alone is enough.”

The white robed man smiled as he heard those words.

“Besides, there are still the Three Sovereigns protecting humanity if the worse comes. Their strength is said to exceed even the Ten Demonic Great Sages.”

“Three…so it’s come to that.” The white robed man hummed.

“Anyway, do you mind? I want to set up a protection formation. I would humbly ask you as a disciple of Mt Kunlun’s Yuxu Palace for permission to use your mountain.

“The mountain’s not mine.”

“Thank you kind sir.”

Youxiong placed the last flagpole in place and made to leave. But the white robed man went to follow him. This startled him but he thought nothing off it. He had not made a move and was very polite as well. In addition, Youxiong already spoke aloud his backing, not even the strongest of demons would want to trouble that.

Then again, monkeys weren’t normal demons.

“Clan chief! Bad news!” The same elder ran up to him as he returned. “Scouts have spotted storms moving our way. They believe its the same group of monkeys you faced earlier.”

“Shit,” Youxiong cursed.

“Monkeys?” The white robed man asked

“Yeah I know, theres no reasoning with them. Elder, retreat deep into the mountain. The formation is already set up.”

In the distance, several large stomps were heard. Gigantic figures measuring hundreds of metres tall flailed across the land. Their deranged cries were clear as day, and as grating as the metal scraping across metal.

“I saw the Protoss of my baby!”

“Robbery robbery, the pure yin cauldron!”

“Teach the sperm to three emperor five emperor!”

The white robed man stood there frozen. His eyes widened completely in shock at what he was seeing.

Youxiong on the other hand had a solemn look. He drew the sword at his side and began floating in the air. “Good sir, I will not force you to lend me aid. But I would appreciate it if you can help me drive these savages back. I can contact Kunlun for a proper reward for you.”

“What are these things?” The white robed man asked with pure confusion. “Since when did the prim…the Heavenly realm spawn those creatures?”

“I don’t know, my masters don’t know. But they’re dangerous as they have no regards for themselves.” Youxiong leaped into battle wielding his sword. In his hand, it became a pillar of light which he slashed at his foes.

The monkeys stopped their advance, all started punching wildly at Youxiong. Their bodies were always extremely tough, unbreakable even for the average immortal. But they lacked any kind of esoteric abilities.

“I saw the is a pathetic fool!”

“Is a loser, a weakling, a pathetic fool who failed at everything.”

“I would’ve defeated the, take back the sperm and rule.”

“Never a slave, never a slave!”

The monkeys and one human danced around each other. Immortal power manifested various spells to repel them. Youxiong, atop the mountain defence formation made for great defence however. No monkey could get in.

The most they did was hug the barrier with a stone faced look, occasionally snapping their heads to one direction yelling some kind of nonsense.

“Is stupid! Is stupid!”

“Unbelievable,” the white robed man sighed. He reached his hand back and grabbed the skeletal corpse from a great distance away. He examined it in his hand, then the monkeys attacking outside. “To be honest, I didn’t even notice when you first passed. You said you were invincible from the start right?”

He grabbed the base of the neck and pulled the skull off with one clean motion. Then he tossed the skull right at the largest monkey.

BAM!

The skull of a sign in system user crashed against the nose bridge of a deranged monkey. The skull shattered on impact, yet not without dealing damage to the monkey.

The force of it cracked its skull open, ripped through its skin, caved in its face, and reduced its fat head to the width of a piece of paper. That was to say, the white robed man splattered its head in a single throw.

“What?” Youxiong witnessed that monkey’s fall and was ecstatic. The pressure on him was relieved and he didn’t have to focus on defending. He quickly formed a seal which blasted out a torrent of fire.

“I’ll help you friend,” the white robed man joined his side. This time he also unleashed his immortal power, proving Youxiong right that he was an immortal as well.

In the white robed man’s hand was the skeleton’s arm, ripped cleanly from its socket. He tossed it into the air, scattering its individual bones, then sent them flying like arrows.

“The deity is stupid, a loser who failed at everything. I would’ve.” The monkey continue chanting even as it was impaled. This gave enough time for Youxiong to raise his sword and cut its entire body in half.

“YAH! One more to go,” the Bear tribe chief raised his sword at the last monkey.

“With me.” His new ally smiled as they fought. The last of the bones were tossed into the sky, forming a long whip which he entangled the monkey with.

“Is stupid, a pathetic loser who failed at…” it didn’t get to finish as Youxiong impaled its face with his sword, grown to gigantic proportions and ripped off its body.

“Haha, thank you. I would’ve not been able to do it on my own.”

“Hm.”

“Youxiong by the way. Leader of the Bear tribe. Youxiong.”

The white robed young man stopped. He stared right at Youxiong with wide eyes, then he chuckled. A bitter smile crossed him making Youxiong concerned.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.” The white robed man stared into the sky thinking. Youxiong didn’t know what it was about so he only waited. “Zhang.”

“Sorry?”

“I am surnamed Zhang,” he said. “Zhang Youren.”

“Well its nice to meet you Mr Zhang.”