activa-t Chapter 95: Heart-to-heart communication
Chapter 95: Heart-to-heart communication
Through this established mental connection, Lin Yan conveyed a clear and solemn question to the Silverback Ape King: "Ape King, Senior Qingyangzi has entrusted me with the responsibility of protection and the inheritance. The road ahead is fraught with peril and uncertain, concerning the survival of humanity. Are you... willing to join me, inherit the legacy of our predecessor, and embark on this journey together?"
The Silverback Ape King's massive body trembled slightly, and an astonishing light burst forth from its crimson eyes! It was no longer simply rage or savagery, but a burning loyalty and excitement that erupted after being fully understood and solemnly invited!
"Master..." A simple yet incredibly clear thought, filled with filial piety and unwavering resolve, resonated directly in Lin Yan's heart. In the Silverback Ape King's simple and pure understanding, Lin Yan, who had received Qingyangzi's inheritance and recognition and was willing to accept it, was its new and only master. Qingyangzi's entrustment was the supreme principle guiding its actions.
At the same time, a vast and simple joy and sense of submission, like a warm tide, surged towards Lin Yan through the art of telepathy.
Lin Yan made up his mind, withdrew his palm, and the white light in his palm quietly disappeared. He looked at the Ape King, nodded slowly, and said with a promise in his eyes, "Alright. From now on, we will stand side by side."
The Silverback Ape King let out a joyful growl. Although it was unable to get up due to its injuries, it struggled to raise one of its front paws and clumsily but firmly touched Lin Yan's arm.
The silverback gibbons that had been watching intently seemed to sense the change in the ape king's mood and atmosphere. They let out low, relaxed whimpers, and their gazes toward Lin Yan became less wary and more affectionate.
Suddenly, the Ape King remembered something, let out an urgent low growl, and turned to give a few instructions to an exceptionally robust silverback ape beside him. The giant ape immediately understood, nimbly turned around, and dashed towards the Spirit Milk Cave.
Before long, the giant ape returned, carrying two rough yet smoothly polished stone bottles. The bottles were sealed with some kind of resin; upon opening them, a rich, refreshing, and invigorating fragrance immediately filled the air. The bottles contained mostly a milky-white, crystalline, viscous liquid—the Jiazi Spirit Milk.
The Ape King gestured for the giant ape to offer the stone bottle to Lin Yan, and a simple message came through his mind: "All that remains in the cave... is offered to the master..."
Lin Yan was deeply moved. This spiritual milk would greatly benefit the cultivation of the silverback ape clan, yet they had unhesitatingly given away all of it. He took the stone bottle; it felt slightly heavy in his hand. After a brief sensing, he knew just how immense the pure spiritual energy contained within the two bottles of spiritual milk was. He carefully sealed the bottle and put it into his bag.
"This item is precious and will benefit everyone's cultivation." Lin Yan turned to Su Qingyao, Lu Ling, and the others and said, "The Ape King has generously gifted this to us, so we must not waste it. Qingyao, Lu Ling, Zhou Fu, Dashan, and Zhao Si, the five of you have already consumed one drop, and your foundations have been nourished. Now, each of you may consume two more drops and take this opportunity to attempt a breakthrough."
Based on his keen perception of the spiritual energy fluctuations of the spiritual milk, as well as his judgment of everyone's current physical condition and cultivation bottlenecks, he estimated that two drops should be a safe dose that their meridians could currently withstand and that could maximize their potential.
Upon hearing this, Su Qingyao and the others were all invigorated. They knew the value of this spiritual milk and understood that it was a precious opportunity to improve their strength in order to cope with an even more perilous situation in the future.
Lin Yan personally poured two drops of spiritual milk for each person. The milky white droplets landed in his palm, emitting a fragrant aroma and filled with spiritual energy.
The five found a relatively flat and sheltered spot on the hillside, sat down cross-legged, and consumed the spiritual milk.
The spiritual liquid entered his throat, instantly transforming into two warm yet abundant currents that surged into his limbs and bones. Unlike the gentle nourishment he received during previous healing sessions, this time it was an active guidance to break through his bottleneck, resulting in a much more rapid flow of spiritual energy.
Su Qingyao felt a slight swelling and pain in her meridians where the warm current passed, but it was quickly widened and strengthened. The pale blue vortex in her dantian spun and solidified at an unprecedented speed, showing a tendency to transform into a more condensed form. She focused her mind and guided her spiritual power to break through the barrier of the late stage of body tempering.
Lu Ling, Zhou Fu, and Wang Dashan felt their blood and energy surging like rivers, their skin faintly flushed, and wisps of white steam rising from their heads. They had been stuck at the peak of Body Tempering for a long time, but now, propelled by the pure spiritual power of the two drops of spiritual milk, that barrier finally began to loosen violently.
Zhao Si also fully activated his cultivation technique, absorbing this enormous spiritual power that far exceeded his usual arduous training.
The hillside fell silent for a moment, broken only by the rustling of the grass in the breeze and the subtle hum of spiritual energy flowing within everyone's bodies. The Silverback Ape King watched quietly, his crimson eyes filled with curiosity and a sense of protection. The other Black Stone Guards stood guard on the perimeter, their eyes brimming with undisguised envy and anticipation.
About half an hour later.
"Buzz—" Lu Ling's aura changed first, a far more solid and sharp aura emanating from his body, causing his clothes to flutter even without wind. He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze radiating brilliance, having officially stepped into the Profound Realm!
Immediately afterwards, Zhou Fu and Wang Dashan's auras surged almost simultaneously, successfully breaking through their cultivation levels and advancing to the early stage of the Profound Realm!
A faint, jade-like luster emanated from Su Qingyao's body, and her aura steadily rose, eventually settling at a new level—the late stage of Body Tempering.
Zhao Si also stood up, his aura becoming much stronger, clearly indicating that he had reached the mid-stage of Body Tempering.
At Lin Yan's instruction, the other team members also consumed a drop of spiritual milk. With the help of the rich spiritual energy and the lingering effects of the spiritual milk, they consolidated their cultivation. Several of them successfully stepped into the threshold of the Body Tempering Realm.
For a moment, everyone's faces lit up with joy. The confidence and strength brought by their improved abilities eased some of the fatigue from the past few days of travel and the heavy burden of worries about the future.
Lin Yan felt somewhat relieved as he watched everyone break through. This team would be an important asset for his future endeavors.
In the following days, Lin Yan did not leave immediately. He decided to stay there temporarily, firstly to allow the Silverback Ape King to recuperate in peace, and secondly to truly subdue this force.
He took out a portion of the spiritual milk and carefully distributed a few drops to the Ape King and his dozen or so strongest offspring, based on the size and condition of each silverback ape. The spiritual milk had a more pronounced effect on these physically powerful beasts. Within a few days, the wound under the Ape King's ribs had mostly healed, and his breathing was steadily recovering. The other silverback apes were also full of energy, their silver fur shining even brighter.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. From the vast and profound heritage of Qingyangzi's Jade Butterfly, Lin Yan selected a staff technique suitable for the ape's physique, characterized by its fierce, powerful, and heavy strikes. He personally felled tough old trees, whittled them into staffs that reached his eyebrows, and selected several particularly thick ones as the ape king's weapons.
On the clearing on the hillside, Lin Yan stood holding a staff, demonstrating to the silverback apes. He named it the "Mad Demon Staff Technique," a style characterized by its wide, sweeping, chopping, smashing, and thrusting movements. Simple yet practical, it combined with the silverback apes' innate strength and agility to create astonishing power. The ape king, being exceptionally intelligent, learned the technique the fastest, soon wielding a giant wooden staff with incredible speed and agility, sending sand and stones flying.
In addition, Lin Yan also found a simplified method of the "Diamond Body Protection Technique" from the inheritance, which focuses on tempering the body and enhancing defense, and carefully taught it to the Ape King. When this technique is used, it can make the skin, fur, muscles and bones more tough, making it difficult to be hurt by ordinary swords and knives.
The silverback apes are simple-minded; they reciprocate kindness with sincerity. Lin Yan, by bestowing upon them spiritual milk and teaching them martial arts, has become their "master" and "teacher," much like Qing Yangzi. After several days together, these giant apes are completely subservient to Lin Yan, deeply grateful. Whenever Lin Yan demonstrates martial arts or expounds the Dharma, they gather around him, their red eyes wide, watching intently and learning meticulously.
Watching Lin Yan get along so well with the giant apes, and even issue simple commands through gestures and telepathy, Su Qingyao's eyes shone with admiration. Lu Ling and the others were also amazed, their admiration for Lin Yan's abilities growing ever stronger.
On this day, the Ape King's injuries had healed to about 80-90%, and he could move freely. Lin Yan summoned the Ape King to his side.
"Since we have a master-servant relationship, we should also have a form of address." Lin Yan pondered for a moment, looking at the ape king's majestic figure and domineering roar, and said, "Your roar shakes the heavens, you are mighty and loyal, so I will call you 'Roaring Heaven,' what do you say?"
The Ape King—now known as Howling Sky—shrugged the syllable, a clear look of delight appearing in his crimson eyes. He let out a low growl, nodded, and seemed quite pleased with the name.
"Xiaotian, I need to return to Qingzhou Prefecture to handle many matters. You lead the clan here to cultivate diligently, stabilize the Spirit Milk Cave, and protect this place. Practice your staff techniques and body-protecting skills diligently; do not slacken." Lin Yan clearly conveyed his thoughts through telepathy. "When I need your help, I will summon you or find a way to send you a message. Is that possible?"
Xiaotian pounded its chest with its forelimbs, producing dull thuds. Its crimson eyes shone brightly, conveying an unwavering resolve: "Master, rest assured! Xiaotian will guard this place! Waiting for Master! Cultivating! Becoming stronger! Helping Master!"
Lin Yan patted its thick arm and nodded.
The following morning, the sunrise painted the hillsides red.
Lin Yan and his group finished packing and prepared to set off. Xiao Tian led more than ten of the strongest silverback apes to see them off, all the way to the vicinity of the Seven Star Pass exit. The giant apes stood silently in the morning light, watching the group leave. Xiao Tian gazed at them for a long time, until Lin Yan and the others disappeared at the end of the winding mountain path, before letting out a long, low growl, turning around, and leading his tribe back to the valley they guarded.
The group now included Liu Xiong, who was imprisoned by talismans and in a daze. Carrying the legacy and entrustment of Qingyangzi, the weight of the Demon-Suppressing Order, the concern for the newly subdued power, and the terrifying secret that could overturn the world, Lin Yan embarked on his journey back to Qingzhou Prefecture.