Chapter 55 Those Olden Days

However, reality is cruel, and ideals are elusive; at this very moment, Xuanqing deeply understood the true meaning of this phrase.

This disastrous defeat was utterly convincing. He had entered his ultimate state first, yet before he even had a chance to unleash his power, he had been beaten into the shape of an earthworm. There was simply no room for argument.

It was much like a duel between two swordsmen: you draw your blade first, but before your strike can even land, your opponent already has their blade pressed right against the main artery of your neck. Could you possibly claim that the sword was never drawn? It was glaringly obvious that the outcome was born from a vast disparity in strength!

The moonlight faded, the full moon turning back into a golden hook once more, and all the black mist surrounding Zhou Yu completely dissipated.

"Xuanqing, take care of yourself!" With that voice—fraught with piercing killing intent and solemn dignity—fading away, Zhou Yu collapsed toward the ground.

At that exact moment, a flash of golden light illuminated the area as the colorful monkey leaped out from the side, extending its arms to catch Zhou Yu and prevent him from crashing into the ground.

Xuanqing let out a heavy, rumbling snort, startling the colorful monkey so much that it hugged Zhou Yu and took a massive leap backward. As the moonlight shifted, Xuanqing's colossal thirty-zhang-long body began to shrink, continuously transforming until he was roughly the size of a tall man, resuming his previous form.

His scales were scattered loosely all around him, and his entire body was covered in wounds. One of his eyes was surrounded by a dark, purplish-black bruise, swollen completely shut. His appearance was beyond wretched.

Even the colorful monkey couldn't help sighing inwardly at the sight. He was a sacred beast, after all; to be beaten into such a miserable state—if word of this ever got out, how could he possibly show his face in the world?

Sure enough, while the colorful monkey was still in a daze, Xuanqing struggled to push himself up from the ground. He looked at the monkey with his single available eye, his gaze complex, as if he were engaged in an intense internal struggle. A moment later, he let out a long sigh and clenched his fists tightly.

"Brother Monkey!" Xuanqing said.

The colorful monkey was so startled he turned pale with fright. Pointing a trembling finger at Xuanqing, he asked, "What did you just call me? What did you just call me? Did you call me Big Brother?"

Xuanqing's expression turned pale, then flushed a brilliant shade of red. Gritting his teeth, he continued, "Brother Monkey! Can you please not speak of what happened today to anyone?"

The colorful monkey stood frozen in place. He hadn't processed a single word of what Xuanqing was saying; instead, his mind was caught in a loop, repeating over and over: *He called me Brother Monkey. The Xuanqing Divine Dragon called me Brother Monkey. A sacred beast called me Brother Monkey...*

Seeing the colorful monkey's vacant expression, Xuanqing was overcome with fierce regret. He felt he shouldn't have humbled himself to ask this monkey for mercy; instead, he should have terrified him with threats. But when he glanced at Zhou Yu, who was still cradled in the monkey's arms, his temper completely vanished, leaving him utterly at a loss for what to do.

Fatty had originally wanted to step out as well, but Fox Maiden held him back, motioning for him to stay hidden and watch quietly.

Xuanqing let out a heavy cough and cleared his throat. "Ahem... Brother Monkey, um, were you listening to me?"

The colorful monkey snapped out of his daze and straightened up. "Little Dragon Brother, your big brother here was listening the whole time."

Hearing this, Fatty nearly burst out laughing.

The Xuanqing Divine Dragon's face twisted into the most bizarre expression imaginable. He held his breath, wanting to throw a tantrum, but his entire body was currently wracked with injuries.

*Never mind. A wise man submits to circumstances.* Besides, he was the great Xuanqing Divine Dragon; how could he lower himself to haggle with a wild monkey? Xuanqing comforted himself repeatedly before closing his single functional eye and beginning to circulate his internal energy to heal his wounds.

A cyan radiance emanated from deep within Xuanqing's body, slowly drifting around him to envelop his frame in a protective barrier. Those lacerations and swollen bruises began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"To think he possesses such formidable regenerative abilities!" Fox Maiden couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

Fatty thought to himself that she truly was inexperienced. If she were to witness the recovery capabilities of his own two masters, it would likely scare her half to death on the spot!

The colorful monkey watched Xuanqing continuously mending his injuries, wondering if he should step forward to interrupt the process and give him a severe beating—ideally beating him to death. However, recalling Fox Maiden's warning that sacred beasts could never truly be killed, the monkey ultimately held back. Moreover, having witnessed the exchange between Zhou Yu and Xuanqing earlier, he figured this proud dragon wouldn't dare make a move again. The fact that the Zhou Yu he held in his arms was actually so terrifyingly powerful filled the monkey with immense astonishment, drawing his gaze involuntarily back toward the young man.

He stared intently at that familiar face, as if trying to discern some hidden difference.

At that exact moment, Zhou Yu's eyelids twitched softly. He fluttered his eyes open to find the colorful monkey staring down at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "What are you staring at?" Zhou Yu asked, bewildered. "Do I have a flower growing on my face?"

Seeing that Zhou Yu had regained consciousness, the monkey hurriedly scooped him up and bolted far away.

He leaped through the air continuously, covering a massive distance in a very short span of time before finally setting Zhou Yu down.

At this moment, Zhou Yu felt completely drained of strength, yet he could distinctly sense that his entire body was brimming with latent power. This fatigue was simply the lingering exhaustion of overexertion. Having just woken up only to be jostled around by the monkey immediately afterward made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The colorful monkey paid no heed to this. Setting Zhou Yu down, he chattered excitedly, recounting everything that had just transpired.

Zhou Yu listened in stunned disbelief. When the tale concluded, the monkey gave Zhou Yu's shoulder a heavy, resounding pat and declared, "The heavy responsibility of keeping that fellow in line is placed entirely on your shoulders!"

The monkey knew that Zhou Yu wouldn't remember any of the events that had occurred while he was unconscious, so he had to lay out the full picture, ensuring Zhou Yu understood the current situation and the immense deterrence he now held over Xuanqing.

Zhou Yu sat up and rubbed his nose, still finding it hard to swallow. "I really beat that guy to within an inch of his life?"

"If you don't believe me, just look around."

"Holy crap! What on earth happened here? Was this place carpet-bombed by missiles?" Zhou Yu exclaimed in shock as he surveyed his surroundings. The ground was riddled with jagged craters and deep ravines, and in some places, huge chunks of earth had been violently ripped away.

Stunned, Zhou Yu wobbled unsteadily to his feet. In a remarkably short amount of time, he pieced together the sequence of events. He realized the colorful monkey wasn't lying to him, because the monkey would never fabricate a matter of such magnitude.

Therefore, the very second he turned around to face Xuanqing, he had already slipped into character, fully prepared to put on an imposing facade.

Xuanqing was still in the middle of his healing meditation.

"Xuanqing!"

A thunderous roar nearly cut off Xuanqing's circulation. Jolting awake, he looked toward the source of the sound and saw that Zhou Yu had woken up and was striding directly toward him. His heart tightened instantly, and his brow furrowed into a deep knot.

Sensing that Zhou Yu was about to overdo his act, the colorful monkey chose to stand far away, refusing to approach. He was terrified that Xuanqing might suddenly suffer a relapse of insanity, an onslaught he certainly couldn't handle.

Although Zhou Yu was privately harboring immense panic, he knew that if he wanted to completely subdue Xuanqing, he had to seize this exact moment.

"Do you require this deity's assistance in healing your wounds?" Zhou Yu approached Xuanqing, placing his hands behind his back as he strained to project the demeanor of an otherworldly expert and peerless master.

Xuanqing watched him with a blank expression. *What is going on here? I can barely sense any trace of Big Brother's aura left in him anymore, so why is this fellow still acting like this?*

Seeing that Xuanqing remained silent, Zhou Yu let out a cold huff, extended his right hand, and allowed tendrils of black mist to gather and coil slowly around his palm.

Xuanqing turned pale with horror. *So this scoundrel is already capable of wielding Big Brother's power independently! That means he must still be in direct communication with Big Brother. It turns out he's far more than just a mere vessel chosen to store Big Brother's energy!*

Besides, even if he were nothing more than a chosen vessel, Xuanqing wouldn't dare cross him—let alone the fact that he could still communicate with the supreme entity.

In that instant, even Xuanqing was at a loss as to what attitude he should adopt toward Zhou Yu.

"Xuanqing! Why aren't you speaking? Do you doubt my strength?" Zhou Yu asked with an icy chill in his voice.

"Not at all... but who on earth are you?" Xuanqing hardened his heart, deciding to test Zhou Yu one last time.

A jolt ran through Zhou Yu's heart, but his face remained entirely expressionless, maintaining his absolute composure. He spoke with detached indifference, "I am merely your Big Brother's Big Brother."

The words were spoken as effortlessly as a gentle breeze, but to Xuanqing's ears, they struck like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, leaving him completely paralyzed in shock.

He looked this way and that, utterly unable to believe that Big Brother would actually acknowledge this ordinary youth as his superior. Yet, this youth was clearly capable of communicating with Big Brother. Furthermore, given Big Brother's boundless divine powers, wouldn't speaking to someone or observing the outside world be an effortless task for him?

If Big Brother knew what this youth was saying right now, and if the youth were lying, Big Brother would surely have struck him down instantly to teach him a lesson. Xuanqing knew Big Brother's temper all too well.

Therefore, he kept his eyes wide open, waiting—waiting for Zhou Yu to be struck down.

As time ticked away, Xuanqing grew increasingly disappointed. He saw that Zhou Yu was still standing right in front of him with a smug grin, completely unharmed.

*Could Big Brother really not care? Or did this fellow actually manage to make Big Brother acknowledge him?*

Uncertain of the truth and utterly bewildered, Xuanqing decided to default to his ultimate philosophy: *A wise man submits to circumstances; with a thick enough hide, one becomes invincible.* Lowering his head, he let out a low address: "Big... Big Brother."

"Hmm?" To his dismay, Zhou Yu remained unsatisfied, letting out a heavy, demanding snort through his nose.

"I said call me Big Boss! Understand?" Zhou Yu barked. At this point, he had already gone all in; what was there left to fear?

"Big Boss!" Xuanqing roared back. At this point, he had already lost every shred of his dignity; what was there left to fear!

Fox Maiden and Fatty watched these two absolute eccentrics from a short distance away, their jaws hanging open, entirely speechless for a long, long time.

Seeing that Zhou Yu had genuinely cowed the dragon, the colorful monkey scurried over like a lackey, throwing an arm around Zhou Yu's shoulders. He pointed at Xuanqing and said, "He and I are sworn brothers. Shouldn't you call me Big Brother as well?"

Xuanqing shot the monkey a single look, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed wildly from his mouth—he had literally been incensed to the point of vomiting blood. *How on earth did a dragon end up calling a monkey 'Big Brother'? Exactly which of Big Brother's wires crossed to make him mingle with such vermin?*

Realizing the monkey wouldn't force the issue further out of fear of pushing him over the edge, Xuanqing wisely dropped it.

Their primary objective had been achieved, after all, and minor details no longer mattered.

At that moment, Fox Maiden and Fatty walked up from the distance, coming to a quiet halt before Xuanqing.

Fox Maiden looked at Xuanqing with a complex expression and stated plainly, "Xuanqing, the Little Princess is already his woman."

Upon hearing this, a flash of painful realization crossed Xuanqing's eyes. He let out a quiet sigh and murmured, "Since Big Brother has chosen it, of course this younger brother must step aside."

Fox Maiden nodded and said nothing more.

The colorful monkey, however, found himself rather intrigued by the development. He nudged Xuanqing and remarked, "Too bad Little Qing doesn't know the art of cloning, otherwise our brotherhood could truly share in all blessings together."

"Go to hell!" Fox Maiden whipped her hand around, delivering a sharp slap across the monkey's face.

"Go to hell!" Zhou Yu threw a punch that sent the monkey flying through the air.

"Dammit!" Xuanqing was similarly sent into a fit of rage. Seizing the rare opportunity, he opened his jaws and unleashed a stream of dragon breath directly at the airborne monkey.

The colorful monkey twisted his body mid-air to adjust his posture. Just as the dragon breath closed in, he surged his demonic energy outward to form a barrier, desperately hoping to block Xuanqing's attack.

Although Xuanqing was heavily injured, he was still a sacred beast. This casual breath of his carried formidable power, instantly shattering the monkey's protective barrier and slamming squarely into his chest.

The colorful monkey crashed heavily to the ground, wheezing for breath for a moment before hauling himself up with the aid of his golden staff, fixing a cold, piercing glare upon the Xuanqing Divine Dragon.

Xuanqing met that fierce gaze without flinching, momentarily forgetting that he was a sacred beast vastly superior in power to the primate before him.