Chapter 1079: Monkey Demon, Immortal Sword, and Dragon Spirit

The situation was far more complex than Yan Nantian had imagined.

People were likely already watching him. If he left Shangjing City now, he would probably be ambushed the moment he stepped through the gates.

He had never expected his quiet arrival in the capital to be discovered. It made him wonder who possessed the Divine Abilities to track his movements under such circumstances.

How many days had he even been in Shangjing City?

Not to mention he had shown up looking completely disheveled.

And then there was the man who looked exactly like him. Yan Nantian vaguely felt he had walked into a trap—one likely arranged before he even left Qingshan City.

"Could it be a master with extraordinary abilities?"

This was the only possibility Yan Nantian could think of. He had a few individuals with extraordinary methods under his own command; thinking about it now, having his movements anticipated didn't seem too far-fetched.

He immediately fell into deep thought.

As long as he stayed inside Tang Manor, how could they strike?

He pondered.

Then he abruptly jerked his head up.

...

Wandering leisurely out the door, Ruyi headed toward her usual spot.

It was broad daylight as she walked down the alley.

Suddenly, a chilling sense of danger flared up behind her.

Ruyi froze, then instantly drew the short sword hidden in her sleeve.

She spun around and blocked.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew. When Ruyi got a clear look at her attacker's face, she was stunned.

The assailant wasn't human at all!

Covered in fur with a protruding muzzle—it was clearly a Monkey Demon!

More importantly, Ruyi had seen this Monkey Demon before!

Back during the Investiture of Immortals Assembly, this Monkey Demon had made a name for himself. Ruyi had been there and remembered him vividly; the moment he appeared, she recognized him at a glance.

Blocking the strike left the webbing between her thumb and forefinger aching. Her short sword was a light weapon, utterly incapable of matching the Monkey Demon's brute strength, let alone the incredibly heavy Iron Club in his hands.

The Monkey Demon paused in surprise, stepping back half a pace. He scratched his face and said, "Hah, what a formidable human. To think you could block a strike from this Great Sage with mere martial arts."

Ruyi's expression turned grave. Gripping her short sword and keeping her guard up, she said, "Monkey, there is no bad blood between us. Why are you doing this?"

The Monkey Demon laughed gleefully. "Little lady, enough nonsense. Eat this Great Sage's club!"

Without another word, the Monkey Demon lunged in for the kill.

Ruyi scoffed coldly and shot back, "I'm your grand aunt!"

With that, she charged into the clash with the Monkey Demon, short sword in hand.

However, without her spear, her combat ability was severely restricted. Not to mention, the Monkey Demon possessed inhuman strength. Facing off against him, Ruyi had absolutely no ability to parry. She could only dodge the Iron Club; if she took even a single solid hit, it would likely leave her crippled.

Ruyi's expression grew exceedingly grim. Unable to gain the slightest advantage, she was forced into a constant retreat under the monkey's relentless blows.

Seeing this, the Monkey Demon laughed. "Little lady, why resist? Wouldn't it be better to just come back with this Great Sage? That way, I can finish my task."

"Call me Grandma, and I'll go back with you."

Ruyi retorted fearlessly.

"Good, good, good. You won't shed tears until you see the coffin."

With that, the Monkey Demon held nothing back, launching a ferocious assault.

Ruyi twisted sideways, then flipped away to evade.

She circled behind the Monkey Demon, only for the Iron Club to suddenly thrust backward.

Startled, Ruyi quickly jerked her head to the side.

It grazed past her cheek, leaving a bloody gash in its wake as if she had been sliced by a knife.

"Eh?"

The Monkey Demon was slightly surprised.

Meanwhile, the short sword in Ruyi's hand was already thrusting toward the center of the Monkey Demon's back.

"Clang!"

Unexpectedly, the short sword struck with a crisp ring.

Ruyi froze for a split second before hurriedly backing away.

The Monkey Demon turned his head and smirked. "This Great Sage has copper skin and iron bones. How could a little lady like you ever hurt me?"

Ruyi's expression grew even more solemn.

The Monkey Demon said, "Little lady, stop this stubborn resistance. Come back with this Great Sage."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ruyi's mouth. "I told you, call me Grandma!"

Hearing this, the Monkey Demon flared with anger, scratching furiously at his cheeks.

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

With that, he lunged forward again.

Trapped in the narrow alleyway, Ruyi lacked the space to maneuver. Multiple times, she only barely managed to dodge the Monkey Demon's strikes.

"Bang!!"

The Iron Club smashed into the alley wall, blasting out a massive hole and showcasing its terrifying power.

If her head had taken even a glancing blow, it would have been turned to mush.

The Monkey Demon couldn't fully let loose either. He had been holding back considerably, yet this little lady simply didn't know the meaning of fear and continued to engage him. If Prince Jin hadn't explicitly ordered her taken alive, Ruyi would have been dead long ago, without even the chance to speak.

Ruyi pulled back, gasping for breath.

"Clang!"

The club slammed into the ground, smashing out a small crater.

Growing irritable, the Monkey Demon scratched madly at his face and grumbled, "So annoying! So damn annoying!!"

"Hah!!"

Roaring, the Monkey Demon charged.

His aura shifted so drastically that Ruyi failed to react in time.

Did this mean he had been going easy on her this entire time?

Realizing this, Ruyi knew she couldn't stick around any longer.

She turned and fled. As long as she reached the main street, she would be safe.

There was no way Shangjing City would tolerate a Monkey Demon running wild!

"Don't run!"

But ultimately, Ruyi had misjudged the gap between humans and demons.

In the very next second, the Monkey Demon blocked her path and clamped a hand around her throat.

"Ghk..."

Ruyi choked out a cough as the Monkey Demon violently hoisted her into the air by her neck.

The Monkey Demon snorted coldly. Raising his other hand, he used an Arts and Techniques spell to seal Ruyi's mouth.

"Mmph..."

Unable to speak, Ruyi stared at him with wide, glaring eyes.

The difference in strength was simply too vast!

She couldn't understand why this Monkey Demon had tracked her down. To her memory, she had never provoked any of these creatures. Unless she had no other choice, she always went out of her way to avoid them.

It was right when the Monkey Demon thought he had succeeded.

A surge of Magical Power suddenly erupted from within Ruyi's Dantian.

This strand of Magical Power manifested into the shape of an Immortal Sword and thrust viciously toward the Monkey Demon.

Shocked, the Monkey Demon immediately let go.

Ruyi finally caught her breath. In the next moment, the seal placed on her shattered on its own.

She felt a wave of warmth spread outward from her Dantian.

Immediately following that, a dragon's roar echoed from within her body.

"Roar!"

With a wave of her hand, a Dragon Spirit surged forth.

An Immortal Sword and a Dragon Spirit charged out together, sweeping straight toward the Monkey Demon.

The Monkey Demon's heart dropped in terror!

He didn't recognize the Immortal Sword, but the manifested Dragon Spirit gave him a stark sense of familiarity.

Wasn't this that old dragon from the Tongtian River?!

"Cough, cough..."

Ruyi coughed a few times and looked up.

She saw the Immortal Sword and Dragon Spirit already locked in fierce combat with the Monkey Demon.

The Dragon Spirit coiled tightly around the Monkey Demon's arm, while the Immortal Sword slashed directly at the Iron Club in his hand.

"Grah..."

The Monkey Demon's face contorted with immense strain. Entangled by these two forces, he was instantly pinned in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.

Astonishment filled Ruyi's eyes as she couldn't help but look down at her own hands.

She was entirely bewildered.