The Sacred Monkey chuckled. "It seems our negotiations are about to collapse."

Even though the Sacred Monkey's tone held no killing intent, Qin Feiyang tensed and hastily entered the ancient castle without hesitation.

BOOM!

However, the Sacred Monkey seemed to have anticipated his move. A wave of terrifying pressure emerged, instantly trapping Qin Feiyang.

"I was told by the Monkey King that you managed to break free from a War Ancestor's restraint, proving you're capable," the Sacred Monkey said.

"Let us make a bet."

"If you can break free from my pressure, I'll let you live."

"And I will also let you borrow the flame as you wish."

The Sacred Monkey spoke indifferently, its gaze contemptuous.

Qin Feiyang's expression was grim.

The pressure of a War Saint was terrifying. He couldn't even blink, let alone attempt to break free.

And this wasn't even the full extent of the Sacred Monkey's pressure. If its full pressure was unleashed, even the blood in his veins would be immobilized.

But this was his only chance! He roared inwardly, Break! His strength surged like a wild torrent, veins popping on his forehead.

His face twisted in strain, teeth gritted, eyes wide with effort! At that moment, he looked utterly ferocious.

"Can you do it or not?" The Sacred Monkey observed him with amusement.

This kind of game, toying with people, was its favorite pastime. It reveled in watching others struggle, unable to change their fate, eventually succumbing to despair—this brought the Sacred Monkey immense satisfaction.

Qin Feiyang roared internally, I can certainly do it!

All his veins bulged, and his eyes turned blood-red. Angry? To deny the anger would be a lie.

The Sacred Monkey's arrogance, its way of using superior strength to condescend, bully, and humiliate, would infuriate anyone.

But right now, anger served no purpose. The only option was to break free from this restraint, to prove to the Sacred Monkey that he, Qin Feiyang, was not a fish ready to be slaughtered!

The veins on his forehead and neck strained against his skin, some even tearing through! Many smaller blood vessels had also burst.

Suddenly, Qin Feiyang roared hysterically, "BREAK!" His trembling right leg lurched forward.

"What?" The Sacred Monkey was stunned. The previous contempt vanished in an instant, replaced by shock.

He can actually move! How is this possible? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

It rubbed its eyes hard and looked again. Qin Feiyang had indeed taken a step!

A storm raged in its heart. It was a Two-star War Saint, while this human boy was merely a Six-star War Emperor—a gap of more than ten minor realms.

Yet, under its pressure, he could move! Though only a single step, it was astounding!

Looking at Qin Feiyang, he was drenched in sweat. Large, bean-sized beads of sweat mixed with blood, soaking his entire body.

But seeing the Sacred Monkey's current expression, he felt extremely satisfied!

"That's not right," the Sacred Monkey mused. "There must be something wrong." It surveyed Qin Feiyang, then suddenly lunged forward and tore off his clothes.

Its gaze locked onto the Potential Mark on Qin Feiyang's chest. Just as I suspected! This human boy has opened the Door of Potential!

But then, its body began to shake violently. Its gaze shifted from the Potential Mark, fixing on the Heart Knot above Qin Feiyang's heart!

"How is that possible? It's actually a Heart Knot!" The Sacred Monkey's five pairs of eyes—ten eyeballs in total—nearly popped out in surprise.

Qin Feiyang was taken aback. How does it know about the Heart Knot?

But then he considered it and understood. The Mermaid race was a species from 10,000 years ago, and the Sacred Monkey was also a being from that era. Knowing about the Heart Knot wasn't so strange after all.

The Sacred Monkey snapped back to reality. "Tell me, where does the Mermaid race live now?" it asked hurriedly.

Simultaneously, the pressure eased, though it didn't release Qin Feiyang completely, still trapping him.

Instantly, Qin Feiyang panted heavily. After regaining some strength, he couldn't help but wonder, Why does the Sacred Monkey seem so agitated? Could this damned monkey have some connection to the Mermaid race?

The Sacred Monkey roared, "Answer me quickly!"

WHOOSH... He exhaled a long breath, looked up at the Sacred Monkey with feigned confusion, and asked, "Isn't the Mermaid race just a legend?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" The Sacred Monkey's fierceness intensified instantly.

Qin Feiyang quickly said, "I'm not playing dumb. I really don't know anything about the Mermaid race."

The Sacred Monkey suppressed its anger and asked, "Then what's the deal with the Heart Knot above your heart?"

Qin Feiyang feigned surprise. "This is a Heart Knot? And what is a Heart Knot?"

"Damn you! Are you trying to fool me?" The Sacred Monkey's fury reached a boiling point. The pressure escalated rapidly, and Qin Feiyang was once again immobilized in mid-air.

This time, the pressure was even more terrifying than before; blood gushed from every pore in his body! He couldn't even open his mouth to speak.

He made whimpering sounds, his face a mask of innocence. Seeing this, the Sacred Monkey grew suspicious. Could this human truly not know?

Then, Qin Feiyang felt the pressure weaken. He finally let out a long breath; if not for the pressure still partially supporting him, he might have collapsed to the ground.

It wasn't that he lacked courage, but the Sacred Monkey's pressure was so terrifying that he had no power to resist it at all.

The Sacred Monkey asked, "So how did you acquire this Heart Knot?"

Qin Feiyang shook his head. "I don't know. Two years ago, while I was training outside, I was ambushed and heavily injured by a few enemies. When I woke up, this mark was there."

"How is that possible?" Doubt filled the Sacred Monkey's eyes.

Qin Feiyang said, "Every word I'm saying is the truth. You have to believe me."

Whether the Sacred Monkey and the Mermaid race were friend or foe, he could not reveal their habitat.

This matter was simply too critical. He didn't want to put Princess Mermaid in danger.

"Since you know nothing, there's no point in keeping you alive. Go and die!" The Sacred Monkey's ferocity fully emerged, and its intimidating pressure erupted with full force.

Blood instantly sprayed from Qin Feiyang like a fountain, his body on the verge of bursting. The heart-wrenching pain made him feel that death would be a relief.

Generally, whether human or beast, one would scream out when enduring extreme pain. Doing so allowed for an emotional release and could somewhat alleviate the suffering.

But right now, Qin Feiyang was completely immobilized by the pressure. He couldn't even move his lips, let alone scream. Even as his body felt like it was being torn apart, he could only endure it silently!

His consciousness was fading rapidly. Qin Feiyang murmured in his heart, Am I going to die? He had never felt the presence of death so vividly.

I haven't even returned to the Imperial Capital to reclaim what's mine...

My mother is still waiting for me...

Uncle Yuan is waiting for me...

I really can't accept this!

I don't want to die!

I can't die!

I still have so many things to do. If I die now, everything will be a regret!

A strong will to survive surged within Qin Feiyang's heart, and his blood began to boil.

CLANG!

Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound exploded, like an unparalleled divine sword being unsheathed, nearly tearing at one's eardrums!

From Qin Feiyang's Qiankun Bag, a dazzling light flashed out. It was none other than Blue Snow.

At this moment, however, Blue Snow radiated with myriad brilliances. At first glance, it resembled a matchless divine jade, emitting an immeasurable treasure light.

"A dagger!" Seeing Blue Snow appear, a green light flashed in the Sacred Monkey's eyes. Its arm shot out, trying to grab Blue Snow.

Qin Feiyang roared internally, NO! He was desperate to shout and stop the Sacred Monkey but couldn't. He could only watch helplessly.

But just as the Sacred Monkey was about to grab Blue Snow, Blue Snow slashed through the air on its own. An astonishing scene unfolded: a crack appeared in the void!

Then, Blue Snow released an incredible divine power, enveloped Qin Feiyang, and vanished into the void through the crack. It disappeared in an instant, and the rift in the void quickly sealed.

"How could this be?" The Sacred Monkey stood dumbfounded, staring at the empty space before it.

"A peerless treasure!" Suddenly, a chill ran down its spine, its eyes quivering.

Automatically protecting its master, reviving on its own, and effortlessly tearing the void to help its master escape—this was definitely an Ultimate Treasure!

WHOOSH!

It dashed out of the hidden passage, hovering in mid-air above the mountain peak, scanning in all directions. "Hmph?" it muttered, finding no one.

The four Beast Kings looked at each other, their eyes full of bewildered surprise.

WHOOSH!

The four beasts flew high into the sky, hovering before the Sacred Monkey.

The Monkey King respectfully asked, "Lord Sacred Monkey, have you captured Qin Feiyang?"

"Don't bother me!" the Sacred Monkey snapped, meticulously scanning every location.

Why is no one here? Did that dagger carry him straight out of this valley?

Seeing this, the four Beast Kings were all confused.

The Eagle King cautiously asked, "Lord Sacred Monkey, did something happen?"

The Sacred Monkey said, "Qin Feiyang has escaped."

What? He managed to escape? That shouldn't be possible!

The four beasts all harbored doubts, but none of them dared to show it.

The Eagle King asked, "So, what do we do now?"

The Sacred Monkey replied, "He probably hasn't escaped the valley yet. Go find him quickly. Inform me immediately if you find any trace of him."

"Yes!" the four Beast Kings respectfully replied, then split into two groups to conduct a sweeping search.

"That dagger and the ancient castle... I must have them!" the Sacred Monkey muttered, all ten of its pupils filled with a greedy glow.

「...」

WHOOSH! As for Qin Feiyang, Blue Snow had taken him to a completely unfamiliar place.

This was an entirely enclosed stone chamber, approximately three hundred meters across, but devoid of any decorations.

However, in the center of the chamber, a palm-sized green flame floated in mid-air.

The flame was entirely jade-green, like sculpted jade, emitting strands of verdant light. This light pulsed with incredibly potent life energy.

The entire chamber was suffused with rich vitality.

As soon as Qin Feiyang appeared, even without him needing to consciously absorb it, the green light flowed into his body through his pores. His injuries began to heal at a visible rate.

Qin Feiyang was dazed. Where is this? This place was like a paradise for the injured.

A flame? he thought when he noticed the jade-green flame. He was slightly taken aback, then a thought struck him: Could this be the world behind the secret door?

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