Spring had arrived. On this day, Murong Tianyu was tasked by the Monkey King to lead the great ape Xiao Hei, the old ape Huibo, and thirty wild monkeys out to gather the Jade Immortal Peaches. The old ape was nearly the same age as the Monkey King, second only to him in status and strength. He was entirely grey, which is why Murong Tianyu always called him Huibo. The Jade Immortal Peaches were found within a hundred li radius of Monkey Mountain. Seven trees had already been located; the time from development to maturity for a Jade Immortal Peach took half a year. The blooming and fruiting schedule was erratic, sometimes happening once a year, or even once every two or three years, the longest gap being ten years. Therefore, every spring and autumn, the Monkey King dispatched the troop to inspect these seven trees and simultaneously search for traces of others. The wild monkeys, having consumed Jade Peach Wine since childhood, possessed an exceptionally keen sense of smell for the blossoms and fruit; if the wind was right, they could detect a developing or fruiting Jade Immortal Tree from several li away.

Flipping through the forest, a brightness met his eyes: five Jade Immortal Peach trees stood before them. Among them, one was laden with crimson peaches, another was covered in blossoms, and a third held only a few unripe fruits scattered about. The sight of the peaches—a mosaic of green and red—was intensely alluring. This was an astonishing discovery. Jade Immortal Peach trees usually existed singly; finding three together was exceedingly rare, let alone five. Although this location was far from Monkey Mountain and unexplored before, the sudden appearance of five trees naturally caused a massive stir among the monkeys.

“This must be its territory. To be able to guard five Jade Immortal Peach trees single-handedly, its strength must be considerable!” Murong Tianyu mused to himself.

While the monkey troop rushed forward, led by Xiao Hei, to start plucking the peaches, Murong Tianyu sensed something amiss. The tree heavy with peaches bore at least forty ripe fruits, yet the ground beneath it showed no signs of other animals having raided them, unlike the previously discovered tree. The same applied to the tree with only a few unripe fruits remaining beneath it. This suggested that someone—or something—had been harvesting these peaches long-term, keeping other beasts away from the vicinity.

The Mantis had retreated after being struck, and a dozen wild monkeys immediately charged forward with stones. The Mantis spread its scythe-like forelimbs wide, stretching them a full ten zhang. With a swing of its limbs, three wild monkeys were instantly sliced in half. Its dual blades were simply too long; the wild monkeys could never get close enough.

Murong Tianyu gripped his broken saber, watching his surroundings intently. The other wild monkeys, however, were overly excited and had lost their usual vigilance.

“Bang!” With another massive clang, Murong Tianyu, fueled by his "Muscle and Bone Burst" state, felt his strength double. In his normal state, one arm held a thousand jin; in the Burst state, it was two thousand jin, making both arms four thousand jin. Coupled with the explosive momentum of his forward thrusting "Stabbing Blade Style," he managed to slam the Mantis several zhang away. Murong Tianyu knew clearly that with his current power, he couldn't defeat the Mantis. His only goal was to keep it occupied long enough for the monkeys to finish harvesting the Jade Immortal Peaches and escape; in that scenario, they would have won. Thus, he pushed the Mantis back as much as possible.

The Mantis ripped its blade tip free. Murong Tianyu stumbled backward, but just as the Mantis prepared to spread its wings and fly off to slaughter the monkeys in the trees, Murong Tianyu suddenly flicked the tip of his broken saber backward with one arm. Using the momentum of the blade, his body shifted from falling backward to lunging forward. This was the "Flicking Blade Style," a technique designed to seek victory in defeat. The Mantis seemed entirely unprepared for Murong Tianyu to unleash such a move. Before it could take flight, the broken saber was already arcing from side to side toward its head. To defend against the imminent threat, the Mantis swung both forelimbs. Every thrust Murong Tianyu launched was blocked by the Mantis’s dual blades. Before the Mantis could counter, Murong Tianyu utilized the "Monkey Steps" to suddenly shift direction, darting behind the creature.

“This Mantis is incredibly fast over short distances. Its forelimb blades are too long, and terrifyingly strong and sharp. Xiao Hei is no match for it,” Murong Tianyu concluded instantly. Without hesitation, he focused his power into his legs and charged forward, sweeping the broken saber horizontally toward the Mantis in front of Xiao Hei. This was the "Horizontal Blade Style" from the Six Forms of the Raging Saber. The Mantis retracted its forelimbs, using the back of its blade to solidly parry Murong Tianyu’s broken saber.

The Mantis, its body long, found it difficult to turn, leaving its back perpetually exposed—a weakness Murong Tianyu had certainly noticed.

“Aargh!” Murong Tianyu cried out as his left shoulder was pierced. His "Enveloping Blade Style" still had flaws; while effective against a single direct attack, he hadn't mastered multi-angled defense. This wasn't entirely his fault, as the beasts near Monkey Mountain hadn't possessed the fearsome strength of this Mantis.

In this jungle governed by the law of the jungle, seizing territory or food was common. The monkey troop would not abandon the harvest just because the Mantis had claimed the five trees first.

Murong Tianyu felt the wind whistling past his ears as the Mantis flew forward overhead, occasionally circling, attempting to dislodge him. Murong Tianyu knew this was the moment of life or death. If he let go now, even if he survived the fall, he would be ripped to shreds. He clung tightly to the Mantis's long neck with one arm, refusing to loosen his grip.

“Clang!” With a deafening sound, the Mantis, lacking purchase in the air, was struck and thrown flying over a zhang to the side. Murong Tianyu also staggered backward, his arms weak.

The Mantis stared at Old Ape Huibo, flashing past him in an instant to position itself in front of the old ape. Strike the horse first to fell the rider; capture the king first to subdue the troops. Even in a demonic beast, these combat instincts were etched into its core. It immediately recognized Huibo as the leader and initiated a preemptive attack. Huibo, showing no fear, grabbed a stone and hurled it at the Mantis’s head. The Mantis dodged sideways, and one of its giant blades clamped down on Huibo’s right arm. A piercing scream erupted as Huibo hastily pulled back, his right arm severed cleanly at the joint. Seeing this, the monkey troop bombarded the Mantis with large stones. The Mantis extended its wings, lifting into the air to avoid the barrage, then swooped down toward Xiao Hei with a "Whoosh."

The wild monkeys scrambled to pick up stones, preparing for battle.

Murong Tianyu tightly gripped his broken saber, observing the surroundings. Meanwhile, the other wild monkeys were overly excited, having shed their usual caution.

“Crack!” Another tremendous sound. Murong Tianyu, under the "Muscle and Bone Burst" state, doubled his strength. Normally one arm could manage a thousand jin; in the Burst state, that became two thousand jin—four thousand jin for both arms. Combined with the explosive force of his forward charge in the "Stabbing Blade Style," he slammed the Mantis several zhang away. Murong Tianyu knew clearly that with his current power, he couldn't defeat the Mantis. His objective now was merely to keep it engaged, allowing the monkeys to finish harvesting the Jade Immortal Peaches and escape; in that scenario, they would have won. Thus, he forced the Mantis away.

The Mantis, unable to fully extend its wings upward in time, was caught off guard. Having traded blows with Murong Tianyu just moments before, it recognized his strength surpassed that of the common monkeys. Seeing him charge with the blade edge forward, it dared not be careless. It retracted its forelimbs and braced for the impact of the broken saber.

The Jade Immortal Peach tree looked like any other, but its fruit was deep crimson and translucent, several times larger than ordinary peaches. Of the seven trees discovered so far, one was fruiting, and another was currently in bloom. The Jade Immortal Peach was white flushed with red, making one’s mouth water. But over half the peaches had already fallen to the ground, showing signs that other animals had been feeding here. Even without knowing they were immortal fruits, many creatures would be drawn to wild fruit. The monkey troop managed to gather thirteen large peaches; seven others were still unripe. Old Ape Huibo assigned three monkeys to carry these back to Monkey Mountain. As for the unripe peaches, the Monkey King would typically estimate the time and send someone later to collect them; Jade Immortal Peaches grew incredibly slowly, so these would likely take over three months to ripen.

The Mantis targeted Old Ape Huibo, flashing past him to reach the ape first. Strike the horse first to fell the rider; capture the king first to subdue the troops. Even for a demonic beast, these battle instincts were deeply ingrained. It had already identified Huibo as the leader and moved to attack first. Huibo stood his ground, hurling stones at the Mantis’s head. The Mantis evaded, but one of its giant blades swept out and clamped around Huibo’s right arm. With a cry of agony, Huibo leaped away, his right arm severed clean off. Seeing this, the troop began pelting the Mantis with huge stones. The Mantis spread its wings, soaring into the air to evade the stones, and swooped toward Xiao Hei with a "Whoosh."

The wild monkeys began gathering stones, preparing to fight back.

The Mantis retreated, and then a long cry echoed from the distance, sounding like ten thousand charging horses, followed by a gale of wind. A completely black Mantis flew in from afar. Mantises, known as tángláng in common parlance, were creatures Murong Tianyu had seen before, but none exceeded a foot in length. This one, however, was almost ten zhang long. The giant Mantis roared as it approached, scattering the monkeys who scurried away. This black Mantis folded its two pairs of transparent wings on its back, its triangular head swiveling agilely, fixing its gaze on the monkeys. Its two massive, sickle-like blades opened and closed, radiating a chilling aura.

The Mantis pulled its blade tip free, and Murong Tianyu fell backward. Just as the Mantis was about to spread its wings and take flight to massacre the monkeys in the trees, Murong Tianyu suddenly flicked the point of his broken saber backward with one arm, using the blade's momentum to transition his backward fall into a forward lunge. This was the "Flicking Blade Style," a move designed to carve victory from defeat. The Mantis seemed unprepared for such a maneuver; before it could ascend, the broken saber was already slashing left and right toward its head. To defend, the Mantis swung both forelimbs, blocking every thrust with its dual blades. Before the Mantis could counterattack, Murong Tianyu used the "Monkey Steps" to abruptly change direction, flashing behind the creature.

Murong Tianyu tightly held his broken saber, the edge angled upward—this was the "Stabbing Blade Style" from the Six Forms of the Raging Saber. A true cì dāo should stab straight forward with the tip, but the tip of the broken saber was gone. Thus, Murong Tianyu angled the blade to thrust with the edge instead. While this reduced direct cutting power compared to a tip thrust, aiming the edge forward kept his body less exposed to the enemy, reducing the chance of a counterattack.

The Mantis struck back. With a snap, Murong Tianyu’s arm was pulled free, and the Mantis’s neck was broken, sending it plummeting vertically.

Seeing the monkeys attempt to flee, the Mantis was enraged. It curved one blade slightly and swept sideways at Murong Tianyu. Having just suffered a major setback, Murong Tianyu dared not block directly and could only leap backward. But as he retreated, the Mantis’s other blade thrust forward. Since Murong Tianyu was jumping back, this thrust posed less danger, but he blocked it with the flat of his saber. The impact force, combined with his own backward momentum, sent him staggering back over twenty zhang. Seizing this opportunity, the Mantis spread its wings, flew into the air, and sped toward the fleeing monkeys.

After flying for some time, Murong Tianyu felt dizzy, his shoulder wound bleeding profusely. He knew he wouldn't last long. Thinking fast, Murong Tianyu lunged forward and bit down hard on the Mantis’s neck. Though the Mantis was long, its neck was only slightly thicker than a bowl. Being bitten sent it into a frenzy. Man and beast spun together in the air. Murong Tianyu fought desperately, ripping a large chunk of flesh from the Mantis’s neck with a violent tear. Black, fetid ichor surged from the wound. Murong Tianyu tore and bit at the injured spot repeatedly, and the Mantis began to falter in the sky.

“I’ll risk it all!” Murong Tianyu admitted that his raw strength didn't match Xiao Hei’s, but with the broken saber in hand, he was far stronger than these powerful apes who relied only on brute force. His body began making crackling sounds all over; he suddenly grew nearly a foot taller, his muscles swelling significantly—Murong Tianyu had entered the "Muscle and Bone Burst" state. He gripped the broken saber tightly, eyes fixed on the Mantis, and roared in beast language, “Peaches! Go!” With that, he sprang forward, charging toward the Mantis.

Xiao Hei understood the situation immediately and roared loudly, prompting the other wild monkeys to swarm the trees and pluck the Immortal Peaches. The Mantis grew furious and was about to spread its wings to attack, but Murong Tianyu charged again with the "Stabbing Blade Style." The Mantis extended its forelimbs, using one blade to shield itself while angling the other to thrust its tip horizontally at Murong Tianyu. The tip was razor-sharp; a direct hit would surely mean instant death. Murong Tianyu used "Monkey Steps" to suddenly shift direction, changing the blade attack from a thrust to a sweep, and used one hand to grab the tip—this was the "Enveloping Blade Style" from the Six Forms of the Raging Saber. The essence of the Enveloping Blade Style was defense, centered on the concept of "circle," simply put, using both hands to hold the hilt and tip, constantly tracing circles in front of him. Though simple, when the use of force was perfectly calibrated, it could defend the entire body. At this moment, the Mantis’s blade tip struck the back of his saber, resulting in a loud "Clang" that deflected the tip. But even as Murong Tianyu desperately parried this thrust, the Mantis’s other blade, which had been guarding its body, suddenly lashed out.

Murong Tianyu was thrown into a panic; his left arm was now useless, but he could not stand by and watch his comrades be slaughtered. Murong Tianyu chased after the Mantis like a madman.

A light, continuous drizzle began to fall from the sky. The monkey troop was already nearly 200 li from Monkey Mountain. The spring rain was like silk, like mist, like smoke, like a tide. Through these veils of rain, everything in the world resembled a faint, hazy ink painting, appearing and disappearing intermittently. Murong Tianyu and the monkeys were following the scent of the Jade Immortal Peaches. Led by Old Ape Huibo, the group scrambled through the trees, the scent growing overwhelmingly strong, suggesting a large harvest of mature peaches. The monkeys were ecstatic.

“Bang!” came another enormous crash. Murong Tianyu, in his "Muscle and Bone Burst" state, had doubled his power. Normally, one arm could hold a thousand jin; in the Burst state, it became two thousand jin—four thousand jin for both arms. Adding the explosive force of his forward thrust in the "Stabbing Blade Style," he managed to knock the Mantis flying several zhang away. Murong Tianyu knew clearly that with his current power, he couldn't defeat the Mantis. His only hope was to keep it engaged until the monkeys finished gathering the Jade Immortal Peaches and could escape; by doing so, they would count it as a victory. Thus, he tried his best to drive the Mantis away.

Murong Tianyu gripped the broken saber with both hands, the edge angled upward—this was the "Stabbing Blade Style" from the Six Forms of the Raging Saber. A proper cì dāo should be a direct thrust with the tip, but the tip of the broken saber was gone, so Murong Tianyu angled the blade to slash forward with the edge. While this provided less piercing power than a direct tip thrust, presenting the edge forward minimized his exposure to the enemy, reducing opportunities for a counterattack.

Murong Tianyu used one arm to forcefully push aside. With a "Crack," the Mantis's neck snapped, and it plummeted straight down.

The Mantis, having been repelled, was furious. It curved one blade slightly and swept horizontally across Murong Tianyu’s flank. Having just been badly injured, Murong Tianyu dared not block and could only leap backward. But just as he leaped back, the Mantis’s other blade thrust forward. Since Murong Tianyu was retreating, this thrust was not highly threatening, but he blocked it with the flat of his saber. The impact force, coupled with Murong Tianyu’s own backward leap, destabilized him, sending him reeling back more than two zhang. Seizing this chance, the Mantis spread its wings, ascended into the sky, and flew toward the fleeing monkeys.

Flying for a while, Murong Tianyu felt dizzy; his shoulder wound was bleeding too much, and he knew he couldn't hold on much longer. Without further thought, Murong Tianyu bit down hard on the Mantis's neck. Though the Mantis was long, its neck was only slightly thicker than a bowl. Having a piece torn away sent it into a frantic panic. Man and beast circled in the air. Murong Tianyu was fighting with his last reserves, tearing at the wound with fierce bites, ripping away a large chunk of flesh. Black, fetid ichor poured from the wound. Murong Tianyu continued to savage the injury, and the Mantis began to wobble precariously in the air.

Murong Tianyu felt the wind rush past his ears. The Mantis flew forward high above, occasionally circling, attempting to shake off Murong Tianyu. Knowing this was a life-or-death situation, Murong Tianyu understood that if he let go now, even if he survived the fall, he would be torn to shreds. He used one arm to clamp down tightly on the Mantis’s long neck, not daring to ease the pressure.

Murong Tianyu, being human, lacked this innate ability. Therefore, this was his first time venturing out with the troop. This territory was fraught with danger; the monkeys usually stayed within a dozen li of Monkey Mountain. Only when searching for Jade Immortal Peaches would they venture a hundred li or further away!~!

Chapter 29: Stomp! Stomp! (Main Text) RH of Otherworldly Medicine King