Having clarified the whereabouts of the White Bone Divine Monarch with Zikang, a plan instantly formed in his mind. He exited, using the Star River Shuttle to cloak his form, sweeping past the old demon, who, lost in a drowsy haze, noticed nothing but a faint gust of cool air. When he opened his eyes, nothing was there.

The demon found it strange that his brothers, the Huli Hu Du pair, had not yet emerged after such a long time. However, this bewilderment could not withstand the lethargy of the sweltering summer afternoon. Before long, he drifted back to sleep, completely forgetting about the two brothers.

Feng Zikang returned to the Black Origin Cave. The banquet was already winding down; the White Bone Divine Monarch and his chief disciples had vanished, leaving only a host of lesser imps scrambling for the dregs of the wine. A faint smile touched his lips as he hugged the cave wall, slipping past them toward the Divine Monarch’s private dwelling.

The Black Origin Cave on Dragon Bone Peak was a place of peculiar design: the entrance was vast, but the passage narrowed progressively until the deepest recess, where the water prison lay.

The various demons’ residences were carved into the surrounding cave walls. The lower rungs were for the minor imps, while the direct disciples occupied the middle tiers. The White Bone Divine Monarch, however, resided at the very top, having excavated an additional chamber along the upper edge of the wall, using bones as steps to access it.

Normally, the bone staircase beside the Divine Monarch’s sanctum was guarded, but today, the entire cavern was steeped in drunken stupor, and security had lapsed. Seeing no one around, Feng Zikang quietly ascended the steps and slipped into the White Bone Divine Monarch's abode.

Though the interior of the Black Origin Cave appeared dilapidated, and the bone staircase was crudely constructed, stepping into the Divine Monarch’s chamber was a world apart. It radiated luxury and wealth, blinding the eyes with splendor. This old demon’s accumulation over a thousand years was clearly extraordinary.

First, there was a curtain of amethyst beads, glittering brilliantly enough to dazzle the sight.

Lifting the curtain, one found heavy swathes of Zen-silver gauze hanging within, thin as mist and dyed in hues of green, crimson, pink, and purple, adorning the chamber like an immortal realm shrouded in clouds.

Behind the sheer drapery lay a warm bathing pool, bubbling with rising steam. The White Bone Divine Monarch reclined within, eyes closed in repose, taking his bath.

Feng Zikang felt an urge to gouge out his own eyes and swiftly turned away, inwardly cursing his luck.

If one were to spy on a bath, even if the occupant wasn't a celestial maiden, they should at least be a mortal beauty. Yet, his misfortune dictated that he witness an old, skeletal spirit bathing! The White Bone Divine Monarch was withered; his ribs jutted out starkly, skin clinging to bone, appearing entirely devoid of flesh.

This made his head seem disproportionately enormous, perhaps even larger than his torso.

This creature was a spirit born from millennium-old beast bones, naturally lacking flesh, and moreover, cultivating evil arts like the Nine Nether Ten Darkness Soul-Searing Method, which demanded the consumption of blood and flesh. This ghastly appearance was, therefore, somewhat understandable.

"Divine Monarch! Is the water temperature satisfactory?"

A figure hurried from the back room, emitting a tinkling, coquettish laugh. Feng Zikang focused his gaze and saw a white-furred rabbit demon. Though clearly male, he was dressed in female attire, his face painted in garish colors, smiling with affected charm.

Feng Zikang had already heard the fox demon Hu Tu mention the White Bone Divine Monarch's peculiar tastes, but witnessing it firsthand still elicited a pang of nausea.

"It's good. Adding these two bundles of firewood has brought the heat to just the right point, little rabbit. You come down as well."

The rabbit demon trembled upon seeing the boiling water. This pool was specially designed by the Divine Monarch, heated from beneath by the core magma fire. The water within, called Profound Balance Water, reached the intensity of boiling oil when heated, specifically meant to sear away the stagnant cold energy accumulated from cultivating the Nine Nether Ten Darkness Soul-Searing Method.

The rabbit demon’s cultivation was shallow; he could never endure such scorching temperatures. But to please the Divine Monarch, he forced a cheerful expression, gritted his teeth, stripped off his clothes, and stepped in. The heat was agonizing, turning his face ashen, yet he managed a strained smile of endurance.

The White Bone Divine Monarch bellowed with laughter and lunged forward, embracing and fondling the trembling creature obscenely. Feng Zikang, unwilling to watch further, secretly began searching for the whereabouts of the Glimmering Eye Pearl.

According to Hu Tu, the Divine Monarch treasured this pearl above all else. If he wasn't carrying it, it would surely be locked within the golden treasure chest in his sleeping chamber.

As the Divine Monarch had engaged in fewer conflicts in recent decades, the probability of the pearl being in his bedroom was highest. However, the key to that chest would certainly be hanging from his waist.

"Why not use a storage pouch?" Feng Zikang wondered at the time. Hu Tu had wryly explained that while storage pouches were commonplace among the major sects and established schools, even the lowest-ranked inner disciples could usually acquire one. Among minor sects and rogue cultivators, however, they were considered rare treasures.

The White Bone Divine Monarch did possess one, but several hundred years ago, a rat had chewed a hole in it. This enraged him so thoroughly that he nearly subjected the senior brother, a rat demon, to collateral punishment.

Even so, that storage pouch was carefully locked away in the golden chest, held in reserve for the day he might find a master craftsman to restore it to its former glory.

Only then did Feng Zikang realize the great fortune of having joined the military faction of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

As a direct descendant disciple of the Small Bamboo Grove, he ranked above ordinary inner disciples, who in turn ranked above disciples from other minor sects or rogue cultivators. In terms of cultivation conditions—wealth, companions, methods, and location—he lacked nothing; his spiritual destiny was exceptionally good.

This explained why young disciples from major orthodox sects could often stand against thousand-year-old rogue demons: they held this advantage.

Ignoring the Divine Monarch’s playful teasing of the rabbit demon, Feng Zikang searched diligently. Indeed, on a nearby rack, the faint gleam of gold hinted at a set of keys.

A thought sparked in Feng Zikang's mind as he pondered how to steal the keys without alerting the White Bone Divine Monarch.

After all, the Divine Monarch possessed a thousand years of cultivation, firmly established in the Foundation Establishment stage, and was cunning to boot. Infiltrating the chamber undetected was sheer luck; attempting to get close enough to steal the keys would certainly not be so easy to maneuver.

Even employing the Vanishing Shadow technique for stealth would be risky, as the time window was too narrow, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't be perceived.

Feng Zikang glanced at the boiling water in the pool and devised a new scheme.

He quietly skirted the bath and slipped through the doorway from which the rabbit demon had emerged. There, he found a secret passage leading beneath the pool. Zikang darted into it and saw a sphere of crimson core magma fire suspended in the air, burning fiercely—the very source heating the bathwater.

"This old White Bone demon does have some skill," Feng Zikang mused.

He smiled. He wondered where the White Bone Divine Monarch had acquired this core fire; it was pure and intense, certainly no common item. Furthermore, it was contained by a sealing formation. Using such magnificent energy just to heat bathwater seemed a colossal waste.

This core fire, though inwardly contained, had marvelous uses in alchemy and artifact refinement. Seeing a treasure, Feng Zikang naturally began to covet it secretly.

However, now was not the time to claim it. Feng Zikang swept his gaze around and spotted a pile of red jade branches nearby, presumably fuel for the fire.

While the core magma fire was ferocious, it still required fuel to sustain its intensity; otherwise, it would simply condense into a seed flame to prevent extinction. This applied to all fires, whether of Heaven, Earth, or Man.

If one were using a fire-attribute divine ability against an enemy, it wouldn't matter, as all things in heaven and earth could burn. But when heating water or refining pills, a fire without an endless source cannot last; one cannot let it simply incinerate the crucible. Thus, immortals using fire always required some form of kindling.

Ordinary wood was useless; the flame would instantly turn it to ash. For sustained use, cultivation households relied on immortal woods and spiritual herbs.

In alchemy, the most common fuel was Golden Mist Pine branches, which required two to three thousand years to mature. The wood was dense, suitable not only for burning but also as material for many magical artifacts. Golden Mist Pine naturally emits a refreshing, soul-cleansing aroma that greatly aids in the successful maturation of elixirs.

For artifact forging, Hundred-Refined Charcoal was the preferred material. This subterranean rarity was formed when trees were buried deep underground tens of thousands of years ago, carbonizing into a deep black substance. Its flame was dark blue and capable of reaching intense temperatures, making it perfect for refinement.

The red jade branches used by the White Bone Divine Monarch were one of the lesser immortal fuels; they offered no special advantages, simply possessing great resistance to burning. Feng Zikang gave a cold laugh, unceremoniously grabbed two bundles of red jade branches, and stuffed them into the core magma fire.

With a roaring whoosh, the crimson flames leaped higher. Even outside the formation, Feng Zikang felt a wave of heat wash over him. He didn't stop there, adding two more bundles before pulling back. He retreated underground and returned to the Divine Monarch's chamber. He heard the rabbit demon’s voice, trembling: "Di... Divine Monarch, is the water... a bit hot?"

"Hot?" The White Bone Divine Monarch felt supremely comfortable; the boiling water felt invigorating as it washed over him. "Not at all? Little rabbit, young ones need a good soak in hot water; it's good for..."

"Ahhh!" The rabbit demon finally could not bear it and leaped out naked. His previously pale white thighs had turned bright red, and a faint scent of cooked rabbit meat wafted into the air.

"I can't! It's too hot! Divine Monarch, I'm going to be cooked alive!"

"Insolent!" The White Bone Divine Monarch erupted in fury. This petty rabbit demon dared to cause trouble while he was enjoying his bath! His anger flared, and he slapped the rabbit, sending it tumbling across the floor.

"You started the fire yourself! How hot it was, you should know! Now you jump up at this late hour and get my hair wet—what crime deserves this?"

The few strands of hair the Divine Monarch had painstakingly grown over several millennia were precious; he dared not wash his head for fear of losing a single strand. Now, soaked by the Profound Balance Water, he was filled with rage, uncertain of the damage.

The rabbit demon was terrified, kowtowing frantically. "Divine Monarch, spare me! Divine Monarch, have mercy! I truly couldn't endure it; I was about to turn into soup, only then did I have to leave! You, with your mighty divine powers, naturally don't feel the heat, but how could we juniors withstand it? Frankly, being cooked isn't the worst part—it’s that the Profound Balance Water is precious. If it turns into rabbit meat soup, it would... it would contaminate Your Divine Body."

"Nonsense!" The White Bone Divine Monarch was exceedingly cautious toward outsiders but even more severe with his servants. Though the rabbit demon was skilled at flattery, having incurred his displeasure today, he could not be easily pardoned. He unleashed a flurry of empty-handed strikes, and thousands of phantom palms pummeled the rabbit demon until his face was bruised and swollen, weeping and wailing ceaselessly for mercy.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Feng Zikang stealthily activated his invisibility, snatched the keys, and immediately used his Instant Step technique to depart. In the throes of his rage, the White Bone Divine Monarch failed to notice.