The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-166

Teng Qingshan did not fully believe what he had heard from Liu Jian.

However, there were a few points which he could be sure of. Firstly, the Tie Yi Hall definitely had some very important business at the Boorish Desolate or else they would not be out to kill him. It could be because of the Grass of Immortality, but it could also be something else. Secondly, based on the direction that the Tie Yi Hall was travelling towards, coupled with Liu Jian’s tone, expression, and such, there was a 90% likelihood that their destination was ‘Silver Horn Mountain’.

However……

For now, his own goal was the ‘Steel Arms Monkey Mountain’.

“I’m uncertain of the abilities of Tie Yi Hall’s ‘Deng Geng’. Moreover, Deng Geng has four underlings, and with their speed, they can only travel about one or two hundred Li a day. To reach the Silver Horn Mountain, it will take them at least half a month. If there are any delays on the road, it could take even longer. I’ll head to the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain first, take the ‘Scarlet Fruit’, and cultivate the Innate True Origin. After my abilities increase by leaps and bounds, then I’ll head to Silver Horn Mountain!”

Towards those who wished to kill him, Teng Qingshan would show no mercy!

If the treasure can be stolen, then he would take it. If not, he would destroy their good fortunes!

……

With this decision, Teng Qingshan hastened his speed and travelled a distance of six hundred Li on the first day. At night, he rested on the tree fork of a thick and sturdy tree. On that night, a python and two lizard-like wild beasts climbed up the tree in a bid to sneak an attack on Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan rested but did not sleep; he sat cross-legged and meditated. At that moment, his six senses were at their sharpest.

The python as well as the lizard-like wild beasts were all killed.

……

The next morning, Teng Qingshan rapidly set off again. Throughout his journey, he slashed through all the thistles and thorns and killed many wild beasts. At noon that day, Teng Qingshan reached his destination: Steel Arms Monkey Mountain!

The Steel Arms Monkey Mountain towered into the clouds. At the mountain’s peak, there were even clouds circling around.

“This Steel Arms Monkey Mountain is really tall!”

Although his clothes were torn and tattered, he felt very refreshed as he lifted his head and looked towards the tall mountain. “Seems like it’s at least three to four thousand meters tall! If one falls from the peak and there is no way to reduce the resistance, even I will be smashed into a meat patty.” At that moment, Teng Qingshan was in an excellent mood.

He finally reached his destination.

“Master said that the Scarlet Fruit is only within the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain, but what I do not know…… is where in the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain?” Teng Qingshan had thought that the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain was merely a small mountain, but he did not expect that this big mountain was so tall.

“It will take a very long time to search through the entire Steel Arms Monkey Mountain.”

“How should I begin?”

In just a short moment, a smile broke out on Teng Qingshan’s face. “Hmm…… according to the books, the Steel Arms Monkeys will be defending in the vicinity of the Scarlet Fruit. It will not be easy to get hold of the Scarlet Fruit……Haha, right, on the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain, who would know the location of the Scarlet Fruit better than the Steel Arms Monkeys? Seems like if I were to quickly ascend, there’d definitely be no Scarlet Fruit in the areas without any Steel Arms Monkeys.”

He first went to a small stream nearby to quickly wash his face.

Thereafter, Teng Qingshan carried his backpack and quickly ascended the mountain!

The Steel Arms Monkey Mountain was a tall, steep mountain which took up a lot of space. But Teng Qingshan ascended like it was a piece of flat land as he rushed through. Only when he occasionally met up with troubles did he climb with his hands.

On the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain, Teng Qingshan sat on the tree fork, and he took out some flatbread and the water gourd. “After I’m done eating, I’ll take a look around. This mountain is too big, and it is even difficult to find the Steel Arms Monkeys.” Teng Qingshan took a sip of water and took two big bites of the flatbread.

The mountain breeze blew.

There was a rustling sound.

“Hmm?” Teng Qingshan perked his ears and looked towards a spot, which was about ten Zhang away. He saw an azure python moving steadily, making very soft sounds as its cool golden gaze swept around the surroundings. This python had a length of about four Zhang long, and its thickness was almost the thickness of the upper thigh of a human.

“Pythons have great strength! This Azure Python can also be considered a demonic beast. But it can only be considered a mediocre demonic beast.” Teng Qingshan could tell in one glance it was the demonic beast ‘Azure Python’.

But the Azure Python which was four Zhang long was of no threat to Teng Qingshan.

This was unless it had grown to a length of ten Zhang and evolved into the ‘Jade Green Flood Dragon,’ which was merely three Zhang long. The Jade Green Flood Dragon, although small and thin, posed a threat no lower than the ‘Purple Radiant Flood Dragon’ in the Frost Jade Pool. The Flood Dragon may not necessarily be stronger the bigger it was. The body of the Jade Green Flood Dragon was small, but it had the toughness that was comparable to godly weapons. Its body could act as a killing weapon!

Moreover, it was extremely poisonous!

Even an innate master at the Golden Dan level would be wary of the ‘Jade Green Flood Dragon’.

“The venom of the Jade Green Flood Dragon spreads very quickly. Even though I am able to control the flow of my Qi and blood, I would also have to be careful.” Teng Qingshan smiled and looked at that Azure Python. The ‘Jade Green Flood Dragon’ was very powerful, but the Azure Python was merely a level higher than an «Earthly Ranking» expert.

Hu! Hu!

With the sound of a strong wind blowing, three crimson red figures flew over, grabbing on to tree branches, swaying their bodies body, and dashing a distance of over ten Zhang.

Teng Qingshan’s eyes lit up. The three crimson red figures were three monkeys covered all over with red fur! However, they had a pair of blue eyes, and their most unique trait was their long arms. The monkeys had arms that were longer than their legs. Moreover, the muscularity of their arms were no lesser than that of their legs.

The sharp claws on both arms had an icy cold gleam to them.

“Steel Arms Monkeys!” Teng Qingshan was very sure. “I’ve finally met the Steel Arms Monkeys!”

Based on the recordings in books, the most unique trait of the Steel Arms Monkeys were their two arms as well as their sharp claws. The two arms held immense strength and could easily tear up ferocious wild beasts. Moreover, they were like godly weapons and were impenetrable by swords and spears. The sharpest was still their front claws, which could easily smash boulders.

“Steel Arms Monkey, Steel Arms Monkey! The most powerful thing is their pair of steel arms! Their arms have an immense strength of a hundred thousand Jin! Their strength is sufficient to kill an «Earthly Ranking» expert. According to the books, when faced with a group of these monkeys, even an innate master wouldn’t dare use force.” Teng Qingshan exclaimed to himself.

The Steel Arms Monkey had some similarities to himself.

Arms with immense strength.

Although he was stronger than the Steel Arms Monkeys, indeed…if he was surrounded and attacked by more than ten Steel Arms Monkeys…Teng Qingshan was fearful just thinking about it. “Both their arms have the strength of a hundred thousand Jin, and they are impenetrable by swords and spears. Such strength, coupled with the sharp front claws…even with my body, I don’t know if I can handle it.”

The full blown attack of most warriors in the Postliminary Realm would not be able to harm Teng Qingshan.

But with the Steel Arms Monkey, Teng Qingshan did not have much confidence.

“Chatter! Chatter!”

Three Steel Arms Monkeys cried out before they skillfully split up and surrounded the azure Python.

“Oh, the Steel Arms Monkeys are killing the Azure Python?” Teng Qingshan observed with much interest.

“Chi chi~~” The Azure Python’s massive body suddenly pulled back and coiled itself into a pile with its head at the top and its cold gold eyes observing the three Steel Arms Monkeys surrounding it. Obviously….it had felt threatened by the three Steel Arms Monkeys. Living in this Steel Arms Monkey Mountain, it was not the first time it had engaged in a battle with the Steel Arms Monkeys.

“Chatter, chatter!”

“Chatter chatter chatter chatter!”

The three Steel Arms Monkeys surrounded the Azure Python as they made weird crying sounds. Suddenly, one of the Steel Arms Monkey turned and leapt a short distance away, hugging a big three that was as thick as as the waist of an adult man. With its sharp claws, it fiercely slashed the big tree, and it easily slashed across the big tree like a knife.

Hu!

The Steel Arms Monkey hugged the big tree just like that, and with a loud ‘chatter’, it dashed towards the Azure Python.

“What strong arms, what sharp claws.” Teng Qingshan was astonished. “Massive strength of a hundred thousand Jin? It has to be more; it is unlikely to be lower.” Teng Qingshan’s interest in this battle between the demonic beasts grew.

Swoosh! The Azure Python scuttled.

Boom!

The big tree smashed on the ground with a loud boom, but the Azure Python had already dodged before it did. The Steel Arms Monkey cried out loudly once again, waved the tree, and smashed towards the azure Python’s head. Facing the tree trunk which was waving, the Azure Python could only dodge once again.

“Chatter!” A loud cry!

Hu! Hu!

The other two Steel Arms Monkeys which had been watching on the side, dashed out the same time the azure Python was avoiding the smashing tree. One of them grabbed towards the Azure Python’s tail while the other grabbed towards its head. The weakness of a python was usually slightly behind the back of its head, and only after it was pierced there could it be killed.

While even if one was to pierce through other locations, it would be hard to kill the python.

“Roar~~” The python let out a terrifying cry and whipped its tail fiercely towards the Steel Arms Monkey. At the same time, it turned its head to spew out a mouthful of green liquid.

Boom!

The Azure Python’s tail and the Steel Arms Monkey’s pair of sharp claws clashed. With a tumble, the Steel Arms Monkey managed to dodge safely while a large wound appear on the Azure Python’s tail as blood came gushing out.

“Chatter!” The other Steel Arms Monkey immediately dodged and avoided the green liquid.

“Chi chi~~”

The green liquid landed on the mountain rocks, and immediately it dissolved into a gigantic crater.

“Boom!” The third Steel Arms Monkey waved the big tree and took the opportunity when the Azure Python was fending off the other two Steel Arms Monkey to smash onto the body of the Azure Python.

“”Roar~~~” The Azure Python let out a cry of pain. Its body twitched and flipped over the big tree.

The other two Steel Arms Monkeys pounced up again, but the Azure Python only had time to whip one off with its tail.

“Puchi!”

A pair of sharp claws dug into the Azure Python’s body, and with a tug, the Azure Python was severed into two. The Azure Python cried out in pain and was twisting and tumbling. At that moment, all three Steel Arms Monkey pounced at the same time and manage to kill the Azure Python easily.

“Yiaaa!”

“Yiaaa yiaaa!”

“Yiaaar~~~~”

The three Steel Arms Monkeys called out joyfully. One of them dug out a green python gut and swallowed it in one gulp. Thereafter, they carried the corpse of the Azure Python and left happily.

Teng Qingshan who was hidden in the big tree tens of Zhang away felt troubled. “They are really demonic beasts! They are as intelligent as a human. Obviously, they know how to delegate work between themselves. One Steel Arms Monkey used a big tree to attack from afar while the other two engaged in close range attacks. The moment the Azure Python reacted too slowly, it would get killed. Moreover……the Steel Arms Monkeys are too flexible!”

Teng Qingshan was not afraid of the arms and sharp claws of the Steel Arms Monkey.

But he was wary of their flexibility.

They were even able to instantaneously avoid the Azure Python’s desperate spew of venom. This ability to dodge exceeded the level of an «Earthly Ranking» expert.

“Once surrounded by a group of Steel Arms Monkeys with their flexibility, even if I wanted to escape, it’d be difficult.” Teng Qingshan exclaimed to himself. “It’s no wonder that master had said that to obtain the ‘Scarlet Fruit’, you needed to use wit instead of force. Mmmm……I may find the location of the ‘Scarlet Fruit’ if I follow after those Steel Arms Monkeys.” Teng Qingshan kept his water gourd in his backpack, carried it, and leapt down without a sound.

Silently, Teng Qingshan followed after the Steel Arms Monkeys.