Chapter Twenty-Five: The Monstrous Giant with a Cruel Death

No one could have foreseen that the Holy Medicine, a thing lost for tens of thousands of years, would once again see the light of day.

Almost every tribal chief began to stir restlessly.

No one wished for death, least of all these rulers who had grown accustomed to their thrones.

A storm of war, unlike any before, began to gather ominously above the Black Earth Continent.

The sixty-first year of tribal civilization.

Dense ranks of ancient ape soldiers surged like a tidal wave from all directions, converging upon the tribe led by Chi.

The tribal chiefs had reached an agreement: their first step would be to deal with Chi together.

There was no sounding of horns.

When the two sides met, their eyes blazed with hatred—the long-brewing conflict ignited in an instant, plunging immediately into a frenzy.

Faced with enemy forces far surpassing his own, Chi did not yield. He led his people and resisted with all their might for nearly several months.

Yet the number of foes was simply overwhelming. Even with the tribe's full strength, Chi could not withstand them.

In the end—

The tribe fell. Only through a desperate struggle did Chi and a handful of his people escape with their lives...

The tribal chiefs’ true target was Chi, and naturally, they would not allow him to slip away so easily as in the past.

However, just as they prepared to send men in relentless pursuit, the once-bright sky was suddenly swallowed by darkness.

Unnoticed, almost imperceptibly—

Night had fallen.

“It's not good! The Eternal Night has come! Everyone, find shelter quickly!”

“I don't want to die!”

A frantic cry rang out from an ancient ape, raw and desperate.

Chaos erupted on the scene.

The blood in their veins made them instinctively dread the night.

For the ancient apes, darkness was a nightmare incarnate. They did not know how many generations of their kin had perished in the impenetrable black mist, and the bleached bones of their ancestors stood as a constant warning.

They cowered together, shivering, and those bold enough to move, after witnessing a few luckless souls swallowed instantly by the darkness, no longer dared to stir, resigning themselves to wait out the night through endless ages.

Meanwhile—

At the bottom of a gorge, a hundred meters deep—

Dozens of dark figures darted swiftly through the night, nimble as hares.

At their head was a small, sturdy figure—none other than Chi, the one beset by the allied tribes.

He was drenched in blood, his body stained and caked with crusted wounds—some his own, but most from other ancient apes.

Even amidst the joint assault of so many tribes, this young ape—once mocked as a seedling with broken teeth—had fought his way out, wounding several major tribal chiefs and even slaying one outright. His ferocity sent terror through the enemy, who dared not advance.

Though his tribe had fallen, Chi had not been defeated.

Were it not for the sliver of hope he had to preserve for his people, he would have gladly perished alongside the invaders.

...

“Stop!”

After crossing another raging river, Chi suddenly called out, his voice like the thunder of war drums.

The water roared against the banks, but even so, his voice rang clear.

With a rush, the fleeing band halted.

“The Eternal Night is upon us. In the darkness, unknown terrors appear. We must find shelter...”

Chi’s brow knotted in worry.

Among the ancient apes, there was a legend: in the night, dreadful monsters roamed. If one lost their way, they would be swallowed whole, and even the lucky survivors would be driven mad.

But in this pitch-black winter, where not even a hand could be seen before one’s face, where could they hope to find refuge?

“Chief, there seems to be a cave here!”

At that moment, a young ape cried out.

“A cave?!”

Chi’s eyes lit up, and he hurried toward the voice.

In the darkness, sense of direction vanished. Even a few meters could become an impossible distance, and every step had to be taken with utmost caution.

Luckily—

The cave was not far.

Feeling the sudden openness before him, Chi reached out to touch the space, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

He had survived an Eternal Night as a child, sheltered in a cave much like this, its entrance just the same as now.

Certain it was a cave, Chi did not hesitate. He led his remaining people inside.

The entrance was not large, and the narrow passage choked with weeds barely allowed a single person through. But inside, the space opened up considerably.

“What’s that?”

Chi led by example, taking the lead. As soon as he entered, a spot of light caught his eye.

The glow was about the size of his palm, embedded in the earthen wall, emitting a soft, pale light that even the night could not quench.

“The Great Sage once said: When dawn retreats and the Eternal Night blankets the land, one thing will remain in this world. There exists a thing called Xuanli—rare, seen only once in ten thousand years—that defies the darkness. With it, one can pass unimpeded through the night...

“Could this... be the legendary Xuanli?!”

Chi was stunned.

He strode forward, seized the luminous object from the wall, and, using all his strength, tore it free.

It was an irregular orb, hard as stone, and the instant he held it, his hands were bathed in its gentle glow.

“Hard as stone, gentle in light, untouched by the Eternal Night—just as the legends say. This must be the Xuanli spoken of by the Great Sage—there can be no doubt!”

Chi’s eyes widened as his breath quickened.

Xuanli, a treasure seen but once in ten thousand years, was the rarest of rare.

Most importantly, the Great Sage had said Xuanli was born of heaven and earth, and delighted in company; if one appeared in a place, others would surely be found nearby.

“Xuanli? I must say, the old ape had an elegant way with names, but I prefer to call it phosphorite.”

Outside the tank—

Hearing Chi’s explanation, Fang Zhuowei couldn’t help but rub his nose and laugh.

“Right, if I remember correctly, this cave was used to bury centipede carcasses...”

He mused aloud.

...

“Wait, there’s another cave here? A cave within a cave!”

Chi, holding the glowing stone, carefully examined the corner.

At a bend, he discovered another opening, even larger.

This entrance was entirely stone, surrounded by fallen earth forming a thin wall that sealed it tightly. If he hadn’t tapped it by chance, he might have missed it altogether.

Chi and his surviving kin joined forces, and with great effort, finally toppled the earth wall.

With a loud crash, dust billowed through the spacious cavern.

But—

Before they could catch their breath, a dazzling light burst from the newly revealed stone chamber.

The radiance was as bright as the noonday sun, illuminating every corner and banishing all shadows from Chi and his people.

Squinting, Chi waited for his eyes to adjust, then looked ahead.

And then—he was utterly dumbfounded.

For just ahead, hanging before him, was a veritable trove of Xuanli!