From the fake emperor to the concubine

The female cultivator also unleashed a wide-range ice-attribute attack, with countless ice pillars shooting up from the ground, attempting to pierce the silver ape's body.

There were also two cultivators at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. One unleashed a sword formation, while the other released poisonous mist. Various attacks rained down on the silver ape.

The Time-Space Silver Ape was already at its last gasp. Facing a multi-person attack, it finally began to give way. Several more wounds appeared on its body, and its silver blood stained the ground silver.

"roar--"

The silver ape let out a defiant roar, stomped its foot so hard the earth trembled. Then it turned and fled, running towards the Tower of Time.

"Trying to escape? Not so easy!" the bald cultivator shouted, and was about to give chase.

"Stop!" came the weak voice of the Blood Fiend Ancestor. "Don't chase him... cough cough, that beast is at its last gasp, but a cornered animal will fight to the death... cough... the most dangerous thing."

He struggled to his feet, his face as pale as paper. The aftereffects of the Blood Burning Forbidden Technique were already beginning to appear; he could feel his cultivation level plummeting, likely from the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm to the middle stage, or even lower.

"We should go too," the Blood Fiend Ancestor said through gritted teeth. "The losses this time have been too great; we must heal our wounds as soon as possible."

He looked towards the Tower of Time, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. He knew that the top of the tower contained a supreme treasure like the Dew of Time, but in his current situation, he was powerless to contend for it.

"withdraw!"

The Blood Fiend Ancestor gave the order, and the remaining members helped their wounded comrades away from the battlefield in a sorry state. Of the seven who came, only five left, and all of them were injured.

The Time-Space Silver Ape also fled back to the vicinity of the Tower of Time. It lay on the ground, panting heavily. Although it was the victor in this battle, the price it paid was extremely heavy. Its right arm was almost useless, its chest was severely injured, and its vertical eye on its forehead had fallen into a deep sleep.

It glanced weakly at the Tower of Time, struggled to climb to its base, and leaned against the tower, closing its eyes. It would take a long time for it to recover from its injuries.

In the distance, Zheng Yi and Bai Ling'er finally stopped. They found a secluded cave and took shelter there temporarily.

"We should be safe now," Zheng Yi said. "The Blood Fiend Alliance and the Silver Ape are both severely weakened and won't bother us again anytime soon."

Bai Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief: "Senior Zheng, you are truly brilliant. You actually thought of a way to shift the blame."

Zheng Yi shook his head: "It's just a temporary measure. The problem now is whether we can still obtain the Time Dew."

“Yes.” A determined glint flashed in Bai Ling’er’s eyes. “Although the silver ape isn’t dead, it’s definitely badly injured. We’ll wait until its injuries worsen or it falls into a deep sleep before retrieving the Time Dew.”

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then nodded: "That's the only way. Let's rest here for a few days, recover our strength, and then make further plans."

Zheng Yi and Bai Ling'er rested in the cave for three days. During these three days, they healed their injuries and restored their spiritual power. Zheng Yi's injuries were 80% healed. Although the damage to his core essence would require more time to repair, his combat strength had at least recovered to about 80% of his peak condition.

Bai Ling'er's condition has also improved a lot. After taking the Foundation Strengthening Pill given to her by Zheng Yi, not only were her injuries healed, but her cultivation even improved, and she faintly touched the threshold of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

On the morning of the fourth day, Zheng Yi opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and they cracked and popped.

“That’s about enough,” he said to Bai Ling’er. “We should go check on the silver ape.”

Bai Ling'er also stood up, her expression somewhat nervous: "Senior Zheng, although that silver ape was severely injured, it is still comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator. We..."

“I know,” Zheng Yi nodded. “So we need to be careful. However, given its current state, it shouldn’t have much fighting power left. Let’s scout ahead and, if there’s an opportunity, obtain the Time Dew. If things go wrong, retreat immediately.”

The two left the cave and cautiously made their way towards the Tower of Time. This time they were much more careful, not only concealing their presence but also stopping every so often to carefully probe their surroundings with their divine sense.

After flying for about half an hour, the Tower of Time reappeared in sight. The silvery-white tower still stood, appearing mysterious and ancient against the backdrop of the purple sky.

Zheng Yi cautiously probed the base of the tower with his divine sense. Soon, he discovered the traces of the Space-Time Silver Ape.

The silver ape remained lying at the base of the tower, its entire body pressed against the tower. Its breath was much weaker than it had been three days ago, clearly indicating that its injuries had not only failed to improve but had worsened. Its right arm hung limply, almost completely immobile. Although the wound on its chest had scabbed over, the surrounding fur had lost its luster and become dull and lifeless.

The most obvious feature is its silver vertical eye on its forehead, which is completely closed, with a black mark around its eyelid, clearly a backlash caused by excessive consumption of spacetime power.

"Its condition is very poor," Zheng Yi whispered to Bai Ling'er. "Right now, it probably doesn't even have the strength of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

Bai Ling'er's eyes lit up: "Shall we make our move now?"

Zheng Yi didn't answer immediately. He carefully observed the silver ape and suddenly noticed some details.

Although the silver ape looked extremely weak, its eyes still vigilantly scanned its surroundings. At the slightest disturbance, it would immediately raise its head, albeit with great effort. Its left arm remained in a defensive posture, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

More importantly, Zheng Yi could sense that the silver ape was perfectly conscious. This was not a wild beast that had lost its mind, but a highly intelligent spirit beast.

Looking at the battered and bruised beast, a thought suddenly occurred to Zheng Yi.

If they acted now, given their combined strength, he and Bai Ling'er were indeed quite confident they could kill or repel the Silver Ape and thus obtain the Time Dew. However, doing so would inevitably mean another fierce battle. Both he and Bai Ling'er were still injured, and if anything unexpected happened…
Moreover, the Silver Ape is the guardian of the Time Realm, and killing it would likely cause some changes within the realm. More importantly, although the Blood Fiend Alliance has temporarily retreated, they will certainly not give up. Once they recover, they will surely return with a vengeance.

At that time, Zheng Yi will face a double threat—himself, injured, against the recovered Blood Fiend Alliance.

But what if we try a different approach?

Zheng Yi recalled what Bai Ling'er had said before: This silver ape has been guarding the Tower of Time for countless years. Why does it guard it? Is it merely because it's its territory? Or does it also need the Dew of Time?
If it's the latter, then is cooperation possible?

Thinking of this, Zheng Yi had an idea. He turned to Bai Ling'er and said, "I have an idea." "What idea?" Bai Ling'er looked at him, puzzled.

“Instead of fighting the Silver Ape to the death, it would be better to cooperate with it,” Zheng Yi said slowly.

Bai Ling'er was stunned: "Cooperation? Senior Zheng, you mean...cooperation with demonic beasts?"

"Why not?" Zheng Yi said. "Look at that silver ape. It's severely injured and won't recover anytime soon. While the Blood Fiend Alliance members are also seriously injured, they outnumber us and have healing pills, so their recovery speed will definitely be faster than the silver ape's. When they attack again, the silver ape might not be able to hold out."

He paused, then continued, "So, we can give the Silver Ape a choice—either we kill or drive it away, handing over the Time Dew; or we cooperate with us, we heal its wounds, it lets us obtain the Time Dew, and then we fight the Blood Fiend Alliance together."

Bai Ling'er carefully considered Zheng Yi's words, her eyes growing brighter and brighter: "Brilliant! This way, we don't have to fight a fierce battle with the Silver Ape, and we can gain a powerful ally. The Silver Ape will also have a chance to heal, protecting the Tower of Time it guards."

“That’s right,” Zheng Yi nodded. “It’s a win-win situation. However, the prerequisite is that the Silver Ape can understand us and is willing to cooperate.”

“A demonic beast of this level wouldn’t be lacking in intelligence,” Bai Ling’er said. “Especially those guarding a sacred place like the Tower of Time, they’ve probably already awakened their intelligence, they just can’t speak human language.”

Zheng Yi took a deep breath: "Then let's give it a try."

He withdrew his murderous aura, calming his presence. Then, he slowly stepped out of his hiding place and headed towards the Tower of Time.

Bai Ling'er followed closely behind him, her hand gripping the Xuanbing Sword tightly, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

As soon as Zheng Yi approached, the Time-Space Silver Ape immediately sensed him. It abruptly raised its head, its eyes fixed on Zheng Yi, a look of wariness and hostility flashing within them. It struggled to stand up, but its injuries were too severe, and it failed several times. In the end, it could only remain in a half-sitting position, supporting its body with its left arm.

It let out a low growl, a sound filled with threat and resentment.

Zheng Yi stopped about fifty feet away from the silver ape. This distance was such that the silver ape wouldn't feel directly threatened, but it also ensured that the ape could react quickly if things went wrong.

“I know you can understand me,” Zheng Yi said slowly, his tone calm. “I’m not here to kill you.”

The silver ape's roar subsided slightly, but its vigilance remained undiminished. Its left claw was now exposed; although it only had one arm, the sharp claw still gleamed coldly.

Zheng Yi continued, "Three days ago, I lured those demonic cultivators here. You fought them in a fierce battle, and both were severely injured. I imagine your injuries must be quite serious, right?"

Upon hearing this, a flash of anger appeared in the silver ape's eyes. It let out another roar, its voice carrying a questioning tone.

"I admit, I used you," Zheng Yi said frankly, "but I also saved you. If I hadn't lured those demonic cultivators away, they would have returned to seize the Dew of Time after defeating you. Then, the treasure you've guarded for countless years would have fallen into their hands."

The silver ape stopped roaring and stared at Zheng Yi, its eyes filled with complex emotions.

Seeing an opportunity, Zheng Yi continued, "I've observed you; your injuries are severe. Your right arm is almost useless, your chest injury is also serious, and most importantly, the vertical eye on your forehead has suffered a backlash. In your current state, it will probably take at least six months, or even longer, to recover."

He paused, his tone turning serious: "But those demonic cultivators won't give you that much time. They're injured now, but they have healing pills; they should recover seventy or eighty percent of their fighting strength in a month at most. Then, they'll attack again. And you…"

Zheng Yi didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. In its current state, the Silver Ape was no match for the resurrected Blood Fiend Alliance.

The silver ape's eyes showed resentment, but it couldn't refute it. It was indeed seriously injured, and although demonic beasts recovered faster than humans, deep-seated injuries healed extremely slowly without the aid of elixirs.

“So, I’m here to discuss a deal with you,” Zheng Yi said, taking out several porcelain bottles from his storage bag. “These are healing pills, all high-quality elixirs. There’s the ‘Bone-Regenerating and Muscle-Regenerating Pill’ specifically for treating external injuries, the ‘Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence Pill’ for recovering from internal injuries, and the ‘Beast Essence Pill’ to replenish demonic power.”

He opened the porcelain bottle, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. It contained genuine elixirs, each one incredibly valuable.

The silver ape's nose twitched; it could sense the effects of the pills. Its gaze began to waver.

"I can give you all these pills," Zheng Yi said. "In exchange, you need to promise me two things. First, let us obtain the Time Dew from the top of the Tower of Time. Second, when the Blood Fiend Alliance attacks again, join forces with us to fight them."

He put away the pills and looked earnestly at the silver ape: "I know you've guarded the Tower of Time for many years, and the Dew of Time is very important to you. But in this situation, if we don't cooperate, it will only benefit those demonic cultivators in the end. Rather than that, we should join forces."

The silver ape fell silent. A thoughtful glint appeared in its eyes.

Zheng Yi waited patiently. He knew that for a highly intelligent spirit beast, making such a decision would take time.

After a long while, the silver ape finally made a move. It slowly lowered its left arm and retracted its claws. Then, it nodded.

Although it was just a simple nod, it was significant—it meant agreement.

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Very good, I knew you were smart."

He stepped forward and placed the bottles of pills in front of the silver ape. The silver ape hesitated for a moment, but finally opened its mouth and swallowed the pills.

The pill melted instantly upon entering its mouth, its powerful medicinal effects spreading throughout its body. The silver ape's wounds began to heal at a visible speed, and its previously dull fur regained its luster. Its breathing became steady; although still weak, it had at least stabilized its injuries.

"These pills can only stabilize your injuries; true recovery will take time," Zheng Yi said. "However, with these, your recovery will be much faster. In about half a month, you'll be back to about 50-60% of your former strength."

Silver Ape glanced gratefully at Zheng Yi, then stood up. Although his movements were still a bit stiff, he was at least able to move normally.

It turned to look at the Tower of Time, then back at Zheng Yi, its eyes questioning.

Zheng Yi understood its meaning: "You're asking when we'll go retrieve the Dew of Time?" (End of Chapter)