Yang Bei stared at the first page of the manual for a long time before recollecting his thoughts.

  Every muscle in his body screamed in pain as he forced himself to his feet. The freedom was surreal. He felt lost, for he had been stuck almost his whole life in a contained space.

  He stumbled, his thin, scarred body trembling as he made his way towards what seemed to be an endless forest. This forest surrounded the so-called Sword Creed Sect the old man talked about, and there seemed to be no end in sight.

  He didn't care to join a sect. His only goal was to get stronger by himself.

  Alone.

  He couldn't trust any human. He had to become a cultivator by himself or die trying. With the manual Cho Ye gifted him, it felt possible to reach great heights.

  As Yang Bei continued forward, he saw gigantic mountains and valleys. After a few minutes of walking, he stopped in front of a pitch black cave.

  A pair of eyes was looking at him from within the darkness.

  Yang Bei shuddered and kept his gaze locked on them. He felt that a single move would end his life right then and there.

  As he scrambled for an escape plan, a two-foot-tall monkey emerged. It took a few steps and sat down, watching him.

  Yang Bei, in a daze, blurted out, "A monkey???"

  He realized the absurdity. A mere monkey had struck fear into his heart.

  "Are you going to sit there and watch, you damned brat?" a voice suddenly rang out.

  Yang Bei froze. The voice came from the tiny monkey.

  "You...you can talk?"

  "Of course I can talk," replied the monkey, an arrogant look plastered across its face. "I'm not your average demonic beast."

  Yang Bei looked silently at the monkey before replying. "Can senior lead me to a quiet place in this forest where I can train without being disturbed? I have been lucky showing up here unscathed."

  The monkey, picking its nose, looked him over. "First, let's get you treated. Your body is a mess. Follow me."

  What has this young kid gone through? His body is riddled with wounds. It's a miracle he's even alive, the monkey thought internally.

  It made its way towards the cave. Yang Bei followed.

  As they went deeper, Yang Bei realized he hadn't seen a single demonic beast or human cultivator from the Sword Creed Sect in this area. Was that luck, or was there more to this place?

  The monkey came to a halt and stared profoundly at him.

  As soon as their eyes locked, the monkey vanished.

  It reappeared instantly, its palm connecting with Yang Bei's face.

  Yang Bei didn't have time to think before collapsing into unconsciousness.

  The monkey extended his fingertips and gently tapped the seemingly empty air. The sky turned purple, before A huge door materialized where its fingertip had been. The monkey dragged Yang Bei through the doorway, and vanished along with the mysterious door as if it had never existed.

  A few days later, Yang Bei woke up in an unfamiliar environment.

  He was lying on a bed made of golden fur in a brown-themed room. The space was organized, with jewelry hung on the walls. Vines crept everywhere, even near the windows.

  In front of him was a young monkey with big, sparkling yellow eyes, staring profusely at Yang Be as if it had never seen a human before.

  Yang Be ignored the monkey and looked at his body. He realized all his wounds were nowhere to be seen including the old deep scars from the dark prison. His bones and muscles thrummed with vitality, a feeling so foreign he wondered if he was dreaming.

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  "So you're the human Master Yuan brought in!" it chirped. "I've never met a human before! Why do you look like me? Are you as strong as me?"

  Before the barrage could continue, two older monkeys walked in. One was the two-foot monkey from the cave. The other appeared to be in his fifties, with a long gray beard and deep wrinkles in the corner of his eyes.

  Before they could speak, Yang Bei cupped his fists.

  "I will never forget this favor as long as—"

  "Shut up brat!."

  Yang Bei felt the words die in his throat.

  "Do the thanking another time," the short monkey said. "I brought you in here for a reason. But first, my name is Elder Yuan. This is Elder Xin. We are teachers of the Heavenly Azure-Monkey Academy."

  "We've recognized your talent and would like to have you try the academy entrance exam," said Elder Yuan, a kind smile stretching across his face. "We can see you have nowhere to go. This is the perfect opportunity for you."

  Yang Bei stood perfectly still, doubting this entire interaction.

  Is this another cage? Another form of prison? What talent can a non-cultivator have? Are they looking to use me?

  Refusal was not an option. The aura radiating from these demonic beasts was suffocating. It was like standing before two immense, terrifying mountains.

  Elder Xin grinned. He pointed a finger directly at Yang Bei, and a beam of light shot forth, striking the boy's forehead.

  A wave of foreign energy flooded his skull, washing through his entire body. His bones crackled and twisted, his very form contorting and shrinking. When the sensation faded, Yang Bei looked down.

  Where his hands should have been were now a pair of furry, black paws.

  He had been transformed into a monkey.

  "If you wish to undo this, simply tap your forehead three times," Elder Xin said, his tone casual. "However, the moment your human stench fills the air, you will become a target for every monkey in the vicinity."

  "Make your way to the academy," Elder Yuan continued, gesturing toward the door. "The placement exam is split into three parts. Your performance will determine which class you end up in."

  Yang Bei thought for a moment, then simply nodded and left the room, led by the excited young monkey.

  Once they were gone, Elder Xin turned to Elder Yuan. "Is this really the right thing to do? You brought a human into our realm. When the Vice Principal and Principal return, you'll be heavily punished, if not executed. Did you forget the last time a human was brought here?"

  Elder Yuan looked out the window, his gaze distant.

  "That boy is different. He might be the only key we have to turn our situation around. I don't mind being punished if it means a chance to resist the fate we've been given."

  He paused, his voice firm. "After all, I don't believe someone of Cho Ye's level would give a child that badge without a profound reason."

  Elder Xin thought for a moment, letting out a sigh in response before leaving the room.

  Elder Yuan was left alone, staring out at the dark sky that covered the entire realm.

  "This time," he whispered to the heavens, "I'll bring you back. So please, wait for me."

  He let out a long sigh before disappearing into the void.

  Two figures walked through a bustling city of monkeys.

  The city was grand, spanning a hundred miles with countless stores and restaurants. Everything seemed covered in gold and vines. Monkeys of all shapes and sizes filled the streets. Some wore azure headbands, likely marking them as students of the academy.

  "The name's Hou Zing! People like to call me Little Zing. What's your name, brother?"

  "Yang Bei," he replied directly. He had no desire to interact more than necessary.

  The young monkey didn't seem to care about his reticence and continued to talk. "The monkeys wearing only azure headbands are the lowest ranking in the academy. The headbands boost demonic qi. They're separated into seven ranks, each with its own color, but I've only ever seen azure."

  "Do they not show up in the city?" Yang Bei asked, confused.

  "No," Little Zing replied, a nervous look flashing across his face. "The higher-ranked members go to Scarlet Monkey City. It requires a minimum of a rank six headband to enter. They say it was created by the... previous head of the academy."

  Yang Bei noted Little Zing's nervous expression but simply nodded as they continued walking.

  All around them, store owners argued with customers. The city wasn't as peaceful as it first appeared.

  A breeze blew past them, carrying the dense smell of blood. Yang Bei looked toward the source.

  "You dare withhold your belongings from our young master!?" a red-haired, burly monkey bellowed, his spit spraying the bloodied body crumpled at his feet. Looming behind him was a young man of about eighteen, his robes immaculate. A faint, almost pleasant smile graced his lips, a stark contrast to the chilling, absolute silence that radiated from his core, pressing down on the onlookers.

  The victim was beaten beyond recognition. Yang Bei noticed that not a single person offered to help. This seemed like a normal occurrence in this city.

  Yang Bei stared silently for a moment, then shook his head and began to walk away.

  His path was suddenly blocked by the red-haired monkey.

  "Hey, brat! What do you think you're doing, shaking your head? You got a problem with what we're doing?"

  The young master looked over at Yang Bei, then at Little Zing.

  Little Zing's face hardened. A wave of demonic qi began to emanate from him. He raised his hands, ready to attack.

  But before he could move, the burly red-haired monkey's head flew cleanly from its shoulders.

  "My apologies. It seems my slave was inadequately trained." The young master took a few steps forward, a Buddha-like smile plastered on his face as if he hadn't just beheaded his own subordinate. "To think he failed to recognize Young Master Zing."

  Yang Bei calmly looked from the rolling head on the ground to Little Zing, whose expression had darkened into a storm. It seems they have some history.

  "Hou Yun," Little Zing said, his voice cold. "Why are you here?"