Violet curiously chimed in, “Who is she?”
“I don’t know her name, but I’ve crossed paths with her before,” Leo replied.
“Crossed paths?” Violet playfully tapped her cheek with a finger, “So, why did she call you a scoundrel?”
Leo touched his nose and chuckled, “Back then, she wanted to kill me, and in the heat of the fight, I accidentally struck her in the chest.”
Master Jennifer and Violet exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of realization.
Violet teased, “Leo, you really are something. She’s a lady, and you choose to hit her in the chest.”
Leo sighed in resignation. He didn’t want to explain further. The woman had been trying to kill him, and he couldn’t afford to be selective about where he landed his punches.
While Leo, Violet, and Master Jennifer chatted, the handsome young man from the Flying Dragon Gang approached the woman in the blue dress.
Stopping in front of her, he wore a gentle smile that concealed the heat in his eyes as he said, “Miss Joe, I just scouted inside the cave. There are many evolved spirit monkeys in there, and with your hypnotic incense, things should be much easier now.”
Joe gazed at the cave and replied calmly, “These spirit monkeys that can brew honey wine are not to be underestimated.”
In a matter of minutes, the time had passed. The old woman examined the lingering blue smoke at the cave’s entrance and asked, “Miss Joe, all the spirit monkeys in the cave should be knocked out by now. Shall we go in?”
Eavesdropping closely, there was almost no sign of the monkeys’ calls.
“Ursula, let’s go in,” Joe said, leading the way into the cave with her snow leopard.
The young man in white and the two elderly gentlemen followed close behind.
Others, seeing someone taking the lead, followed suit and entered the cave.
“Leo, Master Jennifer, let’s take a look inside,” Violet, always eager for an adventure, urged.
Leo nodded, and with Master Jennifer, he led Violet into the cave.
From the outside, the cave’s entrance seemed small, but upon entering, they discovered a vast interior, dimly lit, but not pitch black.
As they continued walking, Leo sensed that the aura inside the cave was even richer than that of East Town.
Although the hypnotic incense had mostly dispersed, the remnants of smoke still made the air a bit hazy. Leo reminded the two women, “Try to reduce your breathing; the hypnotic incense hasn’t completely dissipated.”
After a short walk, they encountered many monkeys lying unconscious on the ground.
These monkeys were quite large, and Leo estimated their size to be three to four times that of regular macaques. Their fur was a peculiar fiery red, giving them a distinct appearance.
As they proceeded, Leo kept an eye on the surroundings. He noticed that hypnotic incense sticks had been placed in the corners of the cave at regular intervals.
Fortunately, the incense had burned out, or else anyone entering would have been as dazed as the monkeys.
Master Jennifer also noticed the hypnotic incense and whispered, “The Hundred Flowers Sect’s hypnotic incense is indeed mystical, but these monkeys on the ground seem to have already developed sentience. So, the effect of the incense won’t last much longer.”
“In that case, let’s hurry. I haven’t seen honey wine before,” Violet urged, pulling Master Jennifer and prompting them to move faster.
Just as Violet’s words fell, a monkey suddenly leaped up from the ground near Leo and threw a punch directly at him.
Violet, who had been looking around nervously, happened to witness this scene and exclaimed, “Leo, be careful!”
“Golden Shield, protect!” Leo quickly formed a hand seal, and a small spell was cast. A golden shield materialized beside Leo just in time, and the monkey’s fist struck it fiercely.
“Air Blade, go!” Seizing the opportunity, Leo consecutively unleashed three air blades. These blades cut into the monkey’s chest while it was still airborne.
For regular animals, Leo’s three air blades would have been enough to dismember them. But for the monkey, it merely left three bloody gashes on its chest.
The damage from the air blades made the monkey stagger back several steps upon landing, its eyes turning even bloodier, and its face more ferocious.
The monkey roared wildly, stamped its right foot on the ground, and then its massive body charged at Leo once again, both fists raised high, aiming to crush his skull.
Leo dodged by a hair’s breadth, narrowly evading the monkey’s fists.
With a thunderous “boom,” the monkey’s punch created a gaping hole in the solid ground. This demonstrated the dire consequences if the punch had struck a human head.
While dodging, Leo already had his Blue Phantom Sword in hand. As the monkey’s fist hit the ground, he thrust the sword toward the monkey’s throat.
The Blue Phantom Sword pierced the monkey’s throat, and when Leo withdrew the sword, the monkey’s massive body crashed to the ground. Its blood-red eyes stared blankly, no longer moving.
“Leo, are you okay?” Master Jennifer inquired.
Leo shook his head and replied, “I’m fine. You were right; the effect of the hypnotic incense is limited. These higher-level spirit monkeys recover quickly.”
The three of them continued forward and soon reached an area with a source of light.
This place turned out to be a large courtyard, referred to as a “skywell.” It wasn’t covered by rocks above; sunlight could shine directly through.
To the north of the skywell, there was another cave entrance. From within the cave, faint sounds of the bizarre cries of spirit monkeys could be heard.
All the martial artists who had entered earlier had gathered in the skywell, hesitating to venture into the cave ahead to search for the elusive honey wine.
“Roar…!”
The piercing cries from inside the cave grew louder and more intense. Shortly after, five spirit monkeys, larger than those previously affected by the hypnotic incense, charged out of the cave.
The crowd quickly retreated.
These five monkeys were taller and sturdier than the most robust silverback gorillas. Their fur was a dark red color, like armor clinging to their bodies. Their eyes were fiery red, as if flames burned within them.
Even from a distance, it was evident that a fiery, elemental energy radiated from these five monkeys.
Leo’s pupils constricted, and he quietly informed Master Jennifer and Violet, “We must be cautious. These five creatures are no longer ordinary spirit monkeys; they are approaching a demonic state.”
Master Jennifer and Violet were equally taken aback, having never encountered such monstrous creatures before.
Upon spotting intruders in their territory, the five demonic monkeys immediately became agitated, letting out a strange howl and charging toward the group. Their enormous size caused the skywell to tremble slightly.