"Elder Brother."

In the Primordial Immortal Hall, countless talisman papers fluttered in the wind, emitting beams of radiance.

Hong Er spoke with a heavy heart, "Do you think this young man... can pass the ’Heart Monkey’ trial?"

All of this happened too quickly.

From meeting to the trial, it took less than half a stick of incense.

"Perhaps this time won’t be successful."

Hong Da, with his hands behind his back, mused, "But... as long as he doesn’t get lost in the Heart Monkey World, with his potential, he will succeed eventually."

"Why?"

Hong Da glanced at Hong Er, "Do you think my approach is inappropriate?"

He perceived Hong Er’s lingering thoughts.

"Elder Brother has his reasons for arranging it this way."

Hong Er bit his lip and stubbornly said, "It’s just... the Holy Emperor has descendants..."

Ultimately.

He still hoped that the heritage of this Immortal Palace would come to the Holy Emperor’s descendants.

"You should understand the Holy Emperor; he doesn’t care about these things and despises sectarianism the most."

Hong Da shook his head, speaking earnestly, "As long as one can pass the Heart Monkey Refinement, they hold the qualification to refine the legacy. In this matter, there is no difference between Human Race Cultivators and Demon Cultivators... The strong person who passed down this secret technique back then, wasn’t he a Sword Cultivator of the Human Race?"

"This..."

Upon hearing this, Hong Er was left speechless.

"You should wish for his success."

Hong Da continued, "If indeed, as this young man says, the outside world is in decay, with shadows reemerging... then the Primordial Immortal Hall desperately needs a master. If a Great Tribulation occurs again, how will the cultivators of the world coexist?"

"Yes..."

Hong Er lowered his head, murmuring, "Elder Brother, your lesson is right... I have been too narrow-minded..."

The world teeters.

What does a single family count for?

The Holy Emperor personally suppressing the world’s faults carries the resolve of even sacrificing the entire Great Ape Mountain!

"The time is almost here."

Hong Da looked into the distance, saying lightly, "I hope this young man doesn’t disappoint me..."

...

...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The pitch-black hall echoed with intense explosions!

Xie Xuanyi fought the Heart Monkey, using only the most basic martial arts killing techniques, clashing back and forth.

Despite the help of the Undying Spring, Xie Xuanyi did not utilize it. This was his first time fighting a Great Divine Ability User without relying on Sword Qi or Taoist Intent. He focused all his mind on capturing his opponent’s moves. There were slight errors initially, but after dozens of rounds, he became precise and meticulous.

This Heart Monkey was extremely powerful.

In terms of physique, it was not inferior to a Yang God Realm Martial Artist!

As for its moves, they were imaginative, unpredictable, like a rhinoceros hanging by its horn...

Xie Xuanyi regretted not having a good match with the Island Master of Wangyou Island previously, lacking some experience in physique duels. Thus, in this melee engagement, he couldn’t gain the upper hand for a while. Though his method was robust, the Heart Monkey was too agile, gaining and maintaining its lead with each move.

After a hundred rounds.

Xie Xuanyi was thoroughly suppressed, only able to defend.

The Heart Monkey’s attacks were like endless waves, suffocating.

Just as Xie Xuanyi held his breath, preparing for a full-on counterattack...

"Swish!"

The darkness shattered.

The radiance from the talisman papers cascaded down like a waterfall.

The entire hall instantly returned to daylight, and Xie Xuanyi’s heavy punch was effortlessly caught by Hong Da opposite him, emitting only a faint muffled sound.

"This?"

Xie Xuanyi was momentarily stunned.

Clang clang clang!

The Lifebound Flying Sword, Chen Ke, emitted sharp explosions, hovering excitedly around its master’s shoulders like a bird.

Xie Xuanyi had summoned it before the battle commenced. His aura dissipated instantly, and the intelligent Chen Ke, not understanding what happened, saw its master meditative like a stone sculpture, seemingly half-dead. Now returning to normal was a huge relief.

"It’s over."

Hong Da smiled and spoke, "The Heart Monkey battle only lasts a hundred moves."

"Only a hundred moves..."

Xie Xuanyi murmured, "Does that mean I’m?"

"You failed."

Hong Da explained with a smile, "To pass the Heart Monkey Refinement, you must meet two conditions. First, maintain a peaceful Heart Lake without external aids; second, defeat the Heart Monkey within a hundred moves."

"..."

A complex and indescribable emotion surged in Xie Xuanyi’s Heart Lake.

It was the first time he heard from someone else that he had failed.

Previously.

No matter how difficult the trial or test.

Xie Xuanyi passed in one go.

In the Xuanshui Cave Heaven, the Primordial Swallowing Sacred Realm, even fighting Senior Brother Xuan Ming in the same realm... Xie Xuanyi endured.

The difficulty of this Heart Monkey Refinement exceeded all trials!

Simply opposing the Heart Monkey was far from enough!

Defeating the Heart Monkey within a hundred moves was the true pass!

Although Xie Xuanyi failed to conquer the Heart Monkey, Hong Da appeared quite satisfied.

"Don’t lose heart; you performed very well."

He quickly comforted him.

"The Heart Monkey Refinement isn’t a one-time opportunity."

"After you’ve contemplated several Primordial Holy Maps, your fighting secret techniques will progress."

"At most, one cycle of sixty years..."

"You will eventually pass the Heart Monkey Refinement."

Hong Da’s primary concern was Xie Xuanyi not passing the Heart Lake phase.

If Xie Xuanyi failed the first stage.

Then...

The position as the Primordial Immortal Hall’s master would have to be found elsewhere.

"One cycle of sixty years?"

Xie Xuanyi was somewhat surprised.

He was already contending with the Heart Monkey, achieving about a 40-60 split in this initial trial.

Would it still take sixty years to overcome the Heart Monkey Refinement?

"The Heart Monkey’s strength increases alongside your progress."

Hong Da explained, "The more you understand the Heart Monkey, the more it understands you. In some sense, this is the ’Heart Demon’ that cultivators encounter during breakthroughs... Do you have a Heart Demon?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi’s expression was complex.

Everything else was negotiable, but this... he truly didn’t have one.

"Losing to the Heart Demon is nothing."

"Back then, the Little Ape King didn’t fare much better on his first trial..."

Seeing Xie Xuanyi’s hesitant demeanor, Hong Er assumed this exceptionally gifted young Sword Immortal was discouraged, so he also offered comfort, "Maybe you truly have a chance to obtain the creation of this Primordial Immortal Hall..."

"Little Ape King?"

This title piqued Xie Xuanyi’s interest.

"He’s the Holy Emperor’s chosen successor!"

Hong Er spoke with excitement, "The last golden era of the Demon Country’s strongest cultivator, without peer! He only took thirty years to pass the Heart Monkey Refinement!"

Such a figure, yet he had never heard of him...

Xie Xuanyi silently recalled the Daoist Collection of Lotus Peak in his mind, finding no such impression.

"Since the Little Ape King was so strong..."

Xie Xuanyi pondered for a moment and asked, "Why wasn’t the Primordial Immortal Hall inherited by him?"

"The Little Ape King intended to stay and suppress the world’s faults with the Holy Emperor."

Hong Er lowered his eyes, speaking sadly, "The Holy Emperor expelled him..."

Xie Xuanyi had a vague answer in mind.

If he guessed correctly, this Little Ape King was likely the founder of today’s Great Ape Mountain, much like Senior Brother Xuan Ming, one of the young strong persons of the last era. In the last golden era, some went to fight the Great Tribulation, while others remained to preserve the Dao lineage.