Zhang Jian nodded and simultaneously, with a wave of his hand, directly grabbed the nine-zhang giant stone into his palm.

Visible to the naked eye, the nine-zhang giant stone transformed into a stream of light and merged into his Map of Mountains and Rivers.

Immediately, his gaze fell on the two individuals.

"Two fellow Daoists, take care of yourselves!"

With a flicker of his form, Zhang Jian vanished from the spot in an instant.

In the original location, after Zhang Jian departed, the golden light of authority hovering above the two individuals’ heads dissipated.

Xin Ziqing did not feel much of anything.

However, around True Monarch Ape Emperor, countless crackling exploding sounds echoed, and numerous blood mists burst forth from his body. The intense blood energy enveloped him, and he couldn’t maintain his balance, crashing heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, Xin Ziqing let out a slight sigh, and reached into her sleeve to take out a purple-gold Treasure Pill.

This was one of the three undisclosed Treasure Pills of Dong Shen Temple, the Creation Golden Core.

A Golden Core entered True Monarch Ape Emperor’s body, and the Creation Qi Mechanism nourished his forcefully crushed bones, promoting the regeneration of bones and meridians. True Monarch Ape Emperor remained silent, though his golden pupils were filled with intense anger.

He then glared angrily at Xin Ziqing.

"Xin the Fourth, why didn’t you intervene earlier? I know you must have a Supreme Treasure within you. If you had activated it, how could we have let that brat run amok?"

Xin Ziqing glanced at True Monarch Ape Emperor indifferently and sighed, "Brother Yuan Er, do you think I’m the kind who would sit back and watch my elder brother be humiliated while hiding my trump cards?"

True Monarch Ape Emperor snorted coldly, casting a glance at the mountain where the nine-zhang giant stone used to be, still somewhat resentful.

Seeing this, the words on Xin Ziqing’s lips were swallowed back.

She also had her pride and disdained explaining anything.

In that earlier situation, even if she used her trump card, it would have been futile. Not only might she have failed to harm the opponent, she might have provoked them into a lethal retaliation.

All her considerations were for the safety of both of them, yet now True Monarch Ape Emperor actually suspected she harbored the intent to remain passive in the face of humiliation just to preserve her strength.

Her form transformed into a stream of light as she silently slipped away.

True Monarch Ape Emperor watched this scene, his golden pupils slightly narrowed, feeling a tinge of regret, but it quickly turned into anger and gloom.

It was an Earth Spirit Stone.

A Treasure containing Innate Origin, if he could refine it, he would certainly transform his Foundation and achieve a Longevity Immortal Body. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Such a treasure was snatched from under his nose!

"Great Xia Emperor!"

True Monarch Ape Emperor clenched his fists tightly, determined to take revenge if given the chance.

But just then, a faint voice came through.

"Ultimately a shallow foundation, ungrateful wretch; seeing the scent of blood on you is not heavy, I initially intended to give you, this beast, a chance. However, thinking you were driven by greed to contemplate revenge, you leave me no choice!"

As the voice fell, a massive golden hand descended from the sky. True Monarch Ape Emperor looked up, his expression changing instantly, unable to stop himself from shouting, "Brat, don’t be presumptuous!"

His form swelled, manifesting the True Body of an Ancient Alien Species!

Yet, in the giant palm, he was like a lone boat in a storm, unable to unleash any Divine Techniques to fend off the great hand, swiftly captured by the palm, including both person and treasure.

In the void, Zhang Jian’s True Body appeared. At this moment, he glanced at the Iron-Armed Golden Ape still rampaging inside the Map of Mountains and Rivers, casually shaking it into a Monkey Stone.

Only then did he leisurely depart.

...

True Monarch of Nine Heavens, Xin Ziqing, descended displeased from Ji Mu Mountain, transforming into a stream of light towards Withered Wood Cliff.

At this moment, her exquisite face was filled with intense anger.

Despite their thousand-year brotherhood, the fact that True Monarch Ape Emperor regarded her so poorly truly left her disheartened.

Without mutual trust, it’s better to forgo this bond of brotherhood.

But in an instant, her steps paused as a strong, intense premonition surfaced deep in her heart.

Under the fluctuation of her Dao Heart, Xin Ziqing instinctively used the Companion Immortal Treasure, Nine-leaf Purple Sage, from deep within her brow, as a purple petal fell from her Mud Ball Palace, melding into her Primordial Spirit Sea of Consciousness, instantly revealing a vision.

She witnessed, in the Gangfeng Ocean, shortly after her departure, a giant hand that obscured the sky suddenly descended; with True Monarch Ape Emperor powerless to resist, he fell into that hand and was captured.

"This..."

Perceiving this scene, Xin Ziqing’s complexion changed, and when she attempted to study it further, the image in her Primordial Spirit gradually blurred, overwhelmed by magnificent, domineering golden light that obscured everything.

In place, Xin Ziqing’s expression changed repeatedly.

Although in that final moment, she hadn’t seen who had struck, she vaguely guessed the identity of the person taking action.

No doubt it was the Great Xia Emperor who returned once again.

It must have been the vengeful killing intent of True Monarch Ape Emperor that led to his own demise.

"Brother Yuan Er, you were renowned for your wisdom, yet you lost yourself in a moment, destroying your life in vain!"

Standing in place, Xin Ziqing’s eyes flickered for a moment before she sighed.

This was True Monarch Ape Emperor’s own doing.

Now, this matter no longer concerns her.

...

Within Haojing City

Upon Zhang Jian’s return, he placed the nine-zhang giant stone on the Dragon Vein and constructed a magnificent Earth Altar above the Dragon Vein to facilitate the Innate Spirit Stone’s absorption of Sun and Moon Essence, transforming the Creation of stars and constellations.

With the protection of the Dragon Soul and the Yellow Court Blessed Land Dharma Realm, Zhang Jian was not worried at all.

In the Earth Altar Palace, several figures gazed from afar at the nine-zhang giant stone on the altar at the center of the Palace.