The Wood Essence and the Giant Apes

Thin strands of green light, following the rhythm of Xiao Chen's breath, coursed through his body with untold joy, brimming with limitless vitality. His flesh, organs, and bones seemed infused with endless life force. As time passed, the vegetative essence from all directions began to gather slowly toward him. The green life energy around Xiao Chen had already become visible to the naked eye—a swirling mist of emerald haze enveloped him.

Bathed in a faint green glow, Xiao Chen felt his organs and blood channels brimming with vitality. The vegetative essence in this lush forest region was exceptionally abundant, as if inexhaustible. He could clearly sense strands of green radiance flowing joyfully within him, passing through his body again and again like running water. Not only did his body fill with vigor, but his spirit also experienced a refreshing clarity.

Time lost all meaning for Xiao Chen. He was entirely immersed in nature, his body and mind seemingly fusing with the verdant forest. He could almost hear the whispers of the trees, grasses, and flowers, sense the pulse of this woodland—he had become one of them. A gentle breeze stirred, carrying the fragrance of various plants through the grove, and Xiao Chen entered a state of mystic oblivion, where self and world were no longer separate.

The little celestial horse stealthily crept over, drawn by the dense spiritual aura. Its translucent jade horn shimmered with light as it shared in the gathered vegetative essence. Xiao Chen had grown accustomed to the divine foal's presence; he did not wish to disturb it and was happy to let it join him. Especially after the little creature had saved his life, he no longer entertained thoughts of taming it. To coexist peacefully like this was more than enough.

The sun slowly drifted westward until evening glow spilled across the sky. Xiao Chen withdrew from his mystic trance. The vegetative essence of the forest had done him immense good; the green life force, like celestial dew, nourished his wounded body and accelerated his recovery with remarkable ease.

The little celestial horse did not flee immediately. It leaped onto an ancient tree, blinking its large black eyes as it studied Xiao Chen. A trace of a smile appeared on Xiao Chen's face as he noticed the foal's wariness had lessened. He washed some gathered fruit in a clear spring and tossed it up toward the tree. The little celestial horse was poised to bolt at any moment, but when it saw a slice of pineapple flying up, it checked its movement, sprang into the air, and caught it in its mouth. Yet, like a finicky child, it took only a single bite before discarding the rest.

Xiao Chen continued tossing fruit, but the little celestial horse merely sampled each, showing little interest in the fresh produce. When it saw Xiao Chen preparing to roast meat, it darted away in an instant.

Firelight flickered among the trees as the game was roasted to a golden, glistening crisp. Tempting aromas wafted through the forest. Suddenly, a chorus of cries rang out, approaching swiftly from a distance. Beneath a small peak, a dozen agile beastly figures bounded through the dense canopy, as if riding clouds and mist. With a single touch on the foliage, they cleared eight or nine meters—truly swift and nimble to the extreme. In mere moments, the dozen figures charged to this area. Their destination was not the small peak but a jumbled stone forest some two or three hundred meters away. When they stopped among the rocks, their sturdy, powerful silhouettes stood out imposingly in the twilight.

They were a dozen giant apes, each about three meters tall, covered in black fur. Their appearance was terrifying—clearly mutated breeds, far beyond ordinary monkeys. The stone forest was undoubtedly their dwelling place. Among them, one ape was especially extraordinary. It stood a full four meters tall, far more robust than the others. Its fur was blood-red, shimmering with an eerie light in the setting sun, and it had four arms, exuding immense strength. Its eyes emitted a cold, electric glare that Xiao Chen could feel even from two or three hundred meters away.

With a sharp cry from the stone forest, the apes had spotted Xiao Chen on the small peak. The four-armed blood-red ape led the charge, a dozen agile figures following in its wake. Xiao Chen frowned. He was severely wounded, and the giant apes rushing toward him were clearly mutants. If he had to fight them, it would be far from ideal. Flight was impossible—he was no match for apes that could leap eight or nine meters in a single bound. He calmly continued roasting the several-kilogram chunk of venison as the aroma spread.

The dozen three-to-four-meter giant apes swiftly appeared on the small peak, standing like a row of towering stone tablets, blocking the last rays of the setting sun and casting long, fearsome shadows. The blood-furred ape, their leader, stood at the front, emitting low growls, its eyes blazing with terrifying cold light as if it might pounce at any moment to tear Xiao Chen apart. Yet it did not act immediately. Its nose twitched repeatedly, drawn by the scent of meat. Then, moving like lightning, it closed in on Xiao Chen, snatched the roasted venison, cautiously tasted a small piece, tore off a chunk, and wolfed it down, tossing the rest to the apes behind.

Low roars rose among the trees as the apes fought over the golden-brown meat. Each got no more than a single bite, and within moments, not a morsel remained. Xiao Chen watched calmly, then unhurriedly cut a large piece of raw meat and began to roast it again. When the aroma once more filled the air, all the apes growled, their eyes fixed on the sizzling venison. This time, Xiao Chen cut two jin of cooked meat for himself, then tossed the remaining ten-odd jin to the four-armed ape. Another round of low roars and the apes devoured the meat ravenously.

When they had finished, their hostility toward Xiao Chen seemed to have vanished. Their eyes now held a gleam of anticipation, as if they wished for more cooked meat. Xiao Chen allowed himself a faint smile, calmly roasted all the remaining raw meat, and offered it to the giant apes. The crisis had been resolved in a seemingly incredible manner. The giant apes left reluctantly, carrying no enmity toward Xiao Chen. The four-armed blood-red ape, before departing, stood before him and pounded its chest vigorously, as if trying to convey something.

That night, Xiao Chen cultivated under the moonlight, silver radiance shrouding him as he sank into a tranquil, peaceful mystic state. Across the way, in the stone forest, the dozen giant apes also stood facing the moon. Sensing something, Xiao Chen opened his eyes and looked toward them. A flicker of surprise crossed his face—the giant apes were actually breathing in and out the moonlight!