31: Chapter 32 Fierce Battle with Senior Brother

It is said that Pigsy took his leave of Ao Lie, riding the clouds with a heart full of anxiety, heading toward Flower-Fruit Mountain to invite the Monkey King.

Ao Lie remained alone, guarding outside the Black Pine Forest, secretly watching Boyue Cave, waiting for an opportunity to protect Tang Seng.

Ao Lie hid deep in the dense forest, his aura completely concealed.

He left only a wisp of faint Shadow Power, silently probing into Boyue Cave, keeping a constant watch on Tang Seng's movements, not daring to relax for a moment.

He knew well that he could never rashly expose his identity as the Shadow Monarch.

He had already attracted attention last time; if he were to directly summon Shadow Servants like the Black Bear Spirit or the Yellow Wind Monster this time...

Even if he could take down the Yellow Robe Monster, it would inevitably alert the Heavenly Court and the Western Heaven.

Years of hidden planning would be destroyed in an instant, and any subsequent plans to confront the immortals and Buddhas would be out of the question.

Inside Boyue Cave at this moment, it was gloomy and dim, with jagged rocks.

The sound of water dripping from the cave ceiling added an eerie atmosphere.

The Yellow Robe Monster sat on a stone chair, surrounded by swirling Demonic Qi, his sinister eyes fixed on Tang Seng, who was tied to a stone pillar, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Tang Seng was bound tightly by thick ropes, unable to Move a muscle, his face filled with fear and despair.

Yet he kept his eyes tightly closed, silently reciting the Heart Sutra in his mouth, trying to calm the panic in his heart.

He was filled with regret, thinking over and over again of the Monkey King subduing demons along the journey.

He thought of how he had ignored the advice and insisted on banishing the Monkey King, only to end up in this situation.

If the Monkey King were here, he would certainly not let him be so humiliated by a monster.

"Tang Seng, stop wasting your effort reciting scriptures!"

The Yellow Robe Monster stood up, walked slowly in front of Tang Seng, and lightly traced Tang Seng's cheek with his fingertip, his tone mocking.

"Everyone says that eating your flesh leads to immortality. Today, I want to taste exactly what the flesh of this Great Tang Elder tastes like!"

Tang Seng trembled all over, opened his eyes, glared at the Yellow Robe Monster, and scolded sharply.

"Monster! I am a monk from the Eastern Land Great Tang traveling to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. If you dare to harm my life, you will surely face divine retribution!

My Disciple will definitely avenge me and tear you into a thousand pieces!"

"Disciple?" The Yellow Robe Monster laughed loudly upon hearing this, his laughter making the entire Immortal Cave buzz.

"You mean that pathetic pig? Just by relying on him, he dares to oppose me?

Yesterday, that pig was defeated by me in one Move, and the Dragon is no match for me either. Now that you are here alone, who else can come to save you?"

Tang Seng was left speechless by his words, his heart turning cold. His lips trembled, unable to say any further words of rebuttal, and two lines of regretful tears slid down his cheeks.

Princess Baihuaxiu, standing on the side, watched the bound Tang Seng, her heart full of unbearable sympathy.

She had been abducted by the Yellow Robe Monster for thirteen years. Although she was forced to be his wife, she always kept the Baoxiang Kingdom and the common people in her heart.

Seeing Tang Seng suffer innocently, she immediately stepped forward and bowed to the Yellow Robe Monster to plead for mercy.

"Great King, this Elder is just a passing monk with no grudge against us. I hope the Great King can show mercy and let him go."

"Wife, what do you know!" The Yellow Robe Monster's face darkened. He shook off Princess Baihuaxiu's hand and said sharply.

"This Tang Seng is no ordinary monk. Eating his flesh will allow me to live forever and elevate my cultivation to a higher level. By then, within a thousand miles, no demon will dare to contend with me!

Do not say another word about this. If you dare to plead for him again, do not blame me for being impolite!"

Princess Baihuaxiu turned pale from his scolding and dared not say another word. She could only look at Tang Seng with guilt-filled eyes and sigh to herself.

The Yellow Robe Monster ignored them both, turned around, and shouted outside the cave.

"Little ones, prepare the furnace fire. Today I will cook Tang Seng and enjoy him properly!"

The little demons outside the cave responded loudly upon hearing this and immediately began preparations.

In an instant, smoke rose inside Boyue Cave, firewood crackled, and it seemed Tang Seng's life was about to be lost.

Ao Lie, hiding outside the cave, heard the movements inside clearly through his Shadow Power, and his heart tightened instantly.

He calculated rapidly in his heart.

"If I don't act now, Master will definitely be killed by the Yellow Robe Monster.

But once I act, I will have to use power far exceeding my own Mystic Immortal Realm, which is very likely to expose my Shadow Power. But if I sit idly by, Master will die, the journey of seeking scriptures will be interrupted, and years of planning will be wasted."

At this critical moment, Ao Lie suddenly calmed down.

He could not force his way in; he had to use wit. He had to save Tang Seng without exposing his own secrets.

He moved his fingertips slightly, condensing his Shadow Power into a tiny thread of shadow, silently probing into the cave, avoiding the sight of all the little demons.

He slowly wound it toward the ropes binding Tang Seng, while using Shadow Power to isolate his aura so the Yellow Robe Monster would not notice a thing.

The ropes were ordinary monster ropes and could not withstand the cutting of the Shadow Power at all.

In just a moment, they were quietly severed by the shadow thread.

Ao Lie immediately used Shadow Power to support Tang Seng's body, not letting him make a sound, while secretly transmitting his voice, so soft that only Tang Seng could hear.

"Master, do not make a sound. This Disciple is saving you secretly; do not Move around."

Tang Seng was closing his eyes waiting for death when he suddenly felt the ropes on his body loosen and heard Ao Lie's voice. He was both surprised and happy.

He hurriedly suppressed the excitement in his heart and remained motionless, pretending to still be tied to the stone pillar.

The Yellow Robe Monster was sitting on the stone chair, leisurely drinking monster wine, waiting for the little demons to prepare the furnace fire, completely unaware of the movements inside the cave.

He was fully convinced that Tang Seng was a turtle in a jar, unable to fly away, and would never have guessed that Ao Lie had such secret means to save someone right under his nose.

Ao Lie held his breath, controlling his Shadow Power, moving Tang Seng toward the cave entrance bit by bit. Every step was cautious, fearing he would alert the Yellow Robe Monster.

He knew in his heart that as long as he could bring Master out of Boyue Cave and temporarily escape the danger, he could wait for Pigsy to bring back the Monkey King. Then, teaming up to deal with the Yellow Robe Monster would be foolproof.

But just as Tang Seng was about to be moved to the cave entrance, a patrolling little demon happened to look back.

Seeing that Tang Seng had escaped the ropes and was moving slowly, he was immediately frightened and screamed.

"Great King! It's bad! Tang Seng is running away!"

This scream instantly broke the peace inside the cave.

The Yellow Robe Monster stood up abruptly, turned to look, and saw Tang Seng about to reach the cave entrance.

He was instantly furious, his Demonic Qi surging, and he shouted sharply.

"Good for you, Tang Seng, daring to run away secretly! Come here, catch him for me!"

Upon hearing this, the little demons in the cave immediately grabbed their knives and spears, swarmed forward, and lunged toward Tang Seng.

Seeing that his tracks were exposed and he could no longer hide, Ao Lie did not hesitate any longer. His Immortal Qi surged, turning into a white light, and he rushed straight into Boyue Cave.

He blocked in front of Tang Seng and shouted sharply at the group of little demons: "You demons, stop trying to harm my Master!"

"The Dragon? It was you playing tricks!" The Yellow Robe Monster looked at the suddenly appearing Ao Lie, his eyes full of surprise, which then turned into intense killing intent.

"I thought you were just a nobody, but I didn't expect you to have some tricks up your sleeve, daring to save people in my Immortal Cave. Today, I will take care of you too!"

Ao Lie protected Tang Seng behind him, stared coldly at the Yellow Robe Monster, and said in a deep voice.

"Yellow Robe Monster, my Master is a holy monk of the Buddhist school. If you are sensible, let my Master and me leave. Otherwise, today I will make you pay the price!"

"Shameless bragging!" The Yellow Robe Monster sneered, his figure flashed, and he lunged toward Ao Lie.

His sharp claws carried fierce Demonic Qi, aiming straight for Ao Lie's vitals. "I let you escape by luck yesterday; today, let's see where you can run!"

Ao Lie did not dare to be negligent and immediately circulated all his Immortal Qi to engage in a fierce battle with him.

However, the Yellow Robe Monster was a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and his strength far exceeded Ao Lie's.

After just a dozen rounds, Ao Lie gradually fell into a disadvantage, his Immortal Qi in chaos, his chest hit repeatedly by the sharp claws. He groaned a few times, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Tang Seng stood on the side, watching Ao Lie get seriously injured to save him, his heart full of urgency and pain, crying out continuously.

"Ao Lie, stop! You can't beat him, don't force yourself anymore, run away!"

"Master, don't worry. Even if this Disciple risks his life, he will definitely protect you!"

Ao Lie gritted his teeth and persisted. Even though he was seriously injured, he always blocked in front of Tang Seng, not retreating a single step.

He kept reciting in his heart, Pigsy, when will you ever return? If you are a step late, Master and I will both be buried here!

At this moment, Ao Lie missed the Monkey King immensely.

He thought back to when the Monkey King was around; no matter how powerful the demons he encountered, he could easily handle them and protect the Master and Disciples.

There was never such a predicament as now. He finally understood that the journey of seeking scriptures could never do without the Monkey King.

The horse thought of the Monkey; at this moment, his heart was full of longing for the Monkey King to return, to subdue this evil demon and save his Master.

The Yellow Robe Monster looked at the struggling Ao Lie, his killing intent intensifying, and his Moves becoming increasingly fierce.

Seeing that Ao Lie was about to be unable to resist, a life-and-death crisis completely enveloped the two of them.