11: Chapter 11 The Demon King Blocks the Way, Using Wisdom to Overcome Force

The outline of the Second Sacred Mountain loomed in the morning mist.

Unlike the steepness of the First Sacred Mountain, the Second Sacred Mountain appeared more imposing—the mountain was wider, the slopes relatively gentle, and above the mountainside, it was covered in dense, pitch-black ancient forests.

Those tree branches and leaves were twisted and intertwined, as if struggling to escape this land, yet bound in place by an invisible force.

Lin Ye and his two companions stood on a rocky platform at the foot of the mountain, looking up at it.

"The Second Sacred Mountain... the territory of the Demon Ape King." Lin Ye said in a low voice, his gaze searching the mountain body, "According to memory, the Demon Ape King usually occupies the 'Ape Cry Cave' on the mountainside. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack; a frontal assault is almost impossible."

Chen Hao gripped the long saber in his hand. The blade, having been soaked in the energy of the archaic sacred fruit last night, showed faint golden patterns on its surface—that was the blessing brought by the Awakening of his God King Body. Although faint, it indeed improved the sharpness and durability of the weapon.

"Then what do we do? Go around it?" He asked.

"We can't go around it." Su Qingyue spoke, her voice cold, "The sacred fruit is beside the 'Moonlight Pool' at the peak, and the Ape Cry Cave is the only way through. Moreover, the Demon Ape King has a large perception range. As soon as we enter the mountainside area, it will definitely discover us."

The crescent mark on her forehead shimmered in the morning light. After being baptized by the first sacred fruit and the preliminary refining of the second half-ripe sacred fruit last night, her Vast Cold Spirit Body had advanced further. Now, even without deliberately channeling, a thin layer of cold air naturally surrounded her body, making those nearby feel a sudden drop in temperature.

Lin Ye nodded and took out the crude animal skin map from his Storage Space—this was exchanged from Qingfeng for half a small bag of Life Divine Spring before leaving Qingyun Temple yesterday. The map was rough, but at least it marked the general locations of the nine sacred mountains and several key landmarks.

His finger traced the location of the Second Sacred Mountain on the map.

"There are three paths from the mountainside to the summit." Lin Ye analyzed, "The east side is a cliff, almost vertical, with no possibility of climbing. The west side is a dense forest with complex terrain, but the Demon Ape King has set up a large number of traps and sentry apes there. The middle path is the most direct, but requires passing through the main entrance of the Ape Cry Cave."

"So... we still have to force our way through?" Chen Hao frowned.

"No." Lin Ye put away the map, a curve appearing at the corner of his mouth, "We can make the Demon Ape King 'give up' the path itself."

Su Qingyue looked at him, a trace of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"The Demon Ape King is a strength-type Yao Beast. Its intelligence is not high, but its territorial awareness is extremely strong." Lin Ye explained, "It hates two things most: first, someone intruding into its territory, and second, someone moving its 'collectibles'. And according to records, the Demon Ape King has a hobby of collecting glowing items. The Ape Cry Cave should be filled with Ores, crystals, and even... Magic Treasure fragments left behind by Cultivators that it has collected over the years."

Chen Hao's eyes lit up: "Brother Ye, you mean..."

"Lure the tiger away from the mountain." Lin Ye took something out of his Storage Space.

It was a fist-sized stone emitting a soft white light—Moon-patterned Iron Ore, a Material dropped from the Silver Moon Wolf King. The naturally formed moon-patterned veins on the surface of the Ore flowed with a pale blue halo in the morning light, beautiful and mysterious.

"Moon-patterned Iron Ore resonates with moonlight and naturally absorbs moonlight to glow at night." Lin Ye said, "But through special techniques, it can also be made to glow briefly during the day. The Demon Ape King has almost no resistance to such glowing treasures."

"How to stimulate it?" Su Qingyue asked.

"Use your cold air." Lin Ye handed the Ore to her, "Moon-patterned Iron Ore has dual Ice and Metal attributes. Using pure Ice-type energy to stimulate it can excite the internal moon-patterned veins, making it glow for about ten minutes."

Su Qingyue took the Ore, held it with both hands, and closed her eyes.

Pale blue cold air surged from her palms, seeping into the interior of the Ore like threads. The veins on the surface of the Ore began to light up, from faint to bright, and finally emitted a radiance comparable to a full moon, illuminating the surrounding ten-meter range.

"That's enough." Lin Ye took the glowing Ore, "Now, we need a 'bait' to lure the Demon Ape King out of the Ape Cry Cave and lead it to... there."

He pointed to a seemingly unremarkable depression deep in the western forest.

"That is..." Chen Hao squinted his eyes.

"A quicksand trap." Lin Ye said, "A geological structure unique to the Second Sacred Mountain. The surface is covered with dead leaves and loose soil, but underneath is a quicksand pit dozens of meters deep. The Demon Ape King is huge and has an astonishing weight; once it falls in, it will be difficult to break free in a short time."

"But how do we lure it over? The Demon Ape King is very fast."

"That's why we need cooperation." Lin Ye began to assign tasks, "Ah Hao, you take the glowing Ore, pass quickly from the edge of the western forest, and deliberately expose your tracks so that the sentry apes discover you. Then run towards the quicksand trap, taking care to avoid the marked dangerous areas."

Chen Hao took the Ore; it was cold to the touch, and the light was blinding: "And then?"

"The Demon Ape King will definitely chase you. Its speed is indeed fast, but in the dense forest, its huge size becomes a disadvantage. You must use the trees and terrain to circle around and lure it to the edge of the quicksand area." Lin Ye instructed, "Remember, don't look back, don't stop, run to this location—"

He pointed to a spot on the simple map in Chen Hao's hand: "There is an ancient tree here that three people can hug, and there is a natural tree hole in the trunk. You jump into the tree hole. I have set up a simple concealment Formation there in advance, which can hide your aura and the light of the Ore for three minutes. After three minutes, no matter what happens, run to the summit immediately. We will meet at the Moonlight Pool."

"Understood." Chen Hao nodded heavily.

"Su Qingyue, your task is even more critical." Lin Ye turned to her, "After the Demon Ape King is lured away, the two of us will sneak into the Ape Cry Cave. There should still be a small number of ape guards inside; you are responsible for clearing them. I need time to find the 'treasury' of the Demon Ape King and take one thing."

"What thing?"

"A 'Thunder-Inducing Stone'." Lin Ye's eyes flashed with a sharp light, "The sacred fruit of the Second Sacred Mountain grows by the Moonlight Pool, but there is naturally formed 'Moonlight Mist' around the pool water, which can interfere with perception and create illusions. The Thunder-Inducing Stone can trigger heavenly thunder to temporarily disperse the mist and buy us time for picking."

"How do you know there is a Thunder-Inducing Stone in the cave?"

"Guessed it." Lin Ye did not answer directly, "The Demon Ape King likes to collect glowing objects. The Thunder-Inducing Stone will naturally discharge and glow during thunderstorms, making it an excellent collectible for it. Moreover, the Second Sacred Mountain has thunderstorms all year round, so the probability of generating Thunder-Inducing Stones is very high."

Su Qingyue did not ask further, just nodded: "Okay."

"Action."

The three separated.

Chen Hao held the glowing Moon-patterned Iron Ore, took a deep breath, and rushed into the western forest.

The light of the Ore was particularly eye-catching in the morning mist, like a small moving moon. Less than fifty meters into the forest, a sharp "squeaking" sound came from the treetops—the sentry apes had discovered the intruder.

It was a small ape with gray fur all over and blood-red eyes. Its Rank was only 5, but its movements were extremely agile. It swung from one tree to another, making rapid alarm calls that spread deep into the dense forest.

Chen Hao ignored it and continued running forward.

His speed was not slow; the Rank 9 God King Body prototype made his physical fitness far exceed that of ordinary players. But the forest terrain was complex, with vines, tree roots, and gravel everywhere being obstacles, so he had to slow down and carefully avoid them.

Three minutes later, dull footsteps came from behind.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

That was not walking, but some kind of behemoth jumping! Every step landing caused the ground to tremble violently, trees to sway, and fallen leaves to rustle down.

Chen Hao glanced back, and his heart almost jumped out.

That was a... Giant Ape!

Its body was covered in black fur like steel needles, it stood over five meters tall, its arms hung to the ground, and its muscles bulged like rocks. Its eyes were dark yellow, its pupils vertical, emitting a violent and fierce light. Its mouth was split open, revealing two rows of dagger-like fangs, and saliva dripped down the corners of its mouth, corroding the ground with a "hissing" sound.

[Demon Ape King (Elite)]

Rank: 15

Health: 3500 / 3500

Skills: Giant Strength Smash, Rock Throw, Berserk Roar, Earthquake Wave

Description: The overlord of the Second Sacred Mountain, a strength-type Yao Beast, with low intelligence but amazing destructive power and extremely strong territorial awareness.

Rank 15 Elite!

Chen Hao's scalp went numb, and he accelerated desperately.

The Demon Ape King was obviously attracted by the glowing Ore. It let out a deafening roar, beat its chest with its arms, and then got down on all fours, charging over like a heavy tank!

Wherever it passed, trees were broken like straw, and deep gullies were left in the ground.

Chen Hao ran wildly along the route indicated by Lin Ye, his heart pounding. He could feel the stench getting closer behind him, could hear the heavy breathing of the Demon Ape King. Several times, the giant palm slapped down, brushing past his back, missing by a hair's breadth.

"Faster... a little faster..."

The ancient tree that three people could hug appeared ahead, and there was indeed a natural tree hole in the middle of the trunk, large enough to accommodate one person.

Chen Hao used his last strength, leaped, and drilled into the tree hole.

Almost at the same time, he felt a barely visible ripple appear at the entrance of the tree hole—the concealment Formation had started, covering his aura and the light of the Ore.

The Demon Ape King rushed to the tree, and its giant palm slapped the trunk.

"Boom!"

The ancient tree shook violently, the bark exploded, but the trunk was exceptionally sturdy and was not broken. The Demon Ape King circled the tree angrily, its nose twitching, wanting to sniff out the prey's scent, but it found nothing.

It wandered in front of the tree for a full minute, and finally let out a roar impatiently, turned around, and walked in the direction it came from—it was going back to its lair.

Chen Hao hid in the tree hole, not daring to breathe.

Three minutes... two more minutes...

On the other side, Lin Ye and Su Qingyue took advantage of the Demon Ape King being lured away and quickly sneaked into the Ape Cry Cave.

The cave entrance was about five meters high and three meters wide, and the interior was deep and dark. One could vaguely smell a fishy odor and... a faint metallic smell mixed with Ore. Glowing moss grew on the cave walls, providing a faint light source.

Less than ten meters into the cave, "squeaking" sounds came from the darkness ahead.

Three gray-furred apes rushed out from the shadows. They were slightly larger than the sentry apes outside, with a Rank of about 7-8, holding crude stone clubs, their eyes vigilantly staring at the intruders.

"Quick battle, quick decision." Lin Ye said in a low voice, simultaneously unfolding the Chaos Domain.

The gray misty air in a three-meter range spread, and the movements of the three apes immediately slowed down. They let out panicked cries and wanted to retreat, but it was already too late.

Su Qingyue raised her hand, and three ice cones shot precisely at the throats of the apes.

"Puff, puff, puff!"

-78!

-82!

-79!

The ice cones pierced through skin and flesh, with cold air freezing the wounds. The three apes fell to the ground and died before they could even let out a scream.

[Killed 'Ape Guard' x 3]

[Obtained Experience Points 450]

[Obtained Items: Crude Stone Club x 3, Monkey Tooth x 6]

Lin Ye didn't even look at the loot and walked straight inside.

The cave was deeper and larger than imagined. After walking for about fifty meters, a fork in the road appeared: the left passage had the sound of flowing water, which should lead to an underground water source; the right passage emitted a faint Ore light, and the metallic smell in the air was stronger.

"This way." Lin Ye chose the right side without hesitation.

The passage became wider and wider, finally arriving at a huge natural grotto.

The grotto was about ten meters high and half the size of a basketball court. Various glowing Ores were embedded in the cave walls: hematite, chalcopyrite, moonstone, and even a few fist-sized inferior Spirit Stones. The ground was piled with messy things—damaged weapons, rusted armor, remains of Cultivators, and some bottles and jars.

And in the center of the grotto, there was a crude "throne" made of piled stones, with animal skins spread on the throne. Beside the throne, a mountain-like pile of "collectibles" was stacked.

That was the Demon Ape King's true collection.

Lin Ye walked over quickly, his gaze searching through the collection.

Most of them were trash: rusted iron swords, rotten leather armor, broken Jade Slips. But there were also some valuable things—a few complete moonstones, three inferior Spirit Stones, and even an ancient book wrapped in animal skin with a missing cover.

But he didn't touch these, instead continuing to search.

Finally, at the bottom of the collection pile, he touched a stone that was cold to the touch and rough on the surface.

The stone was grayish-black, covered with tiny holes on the surface, and blue-white electric light could be vaguely seen flickering deep inside the holes. When Lin Ye's fingers touched it, he could even feel a faint numbness.

[Thunder-Inducing Stone (Common)]

Quality: Rare (Blue)

Description: A strange Ore generated by constant lightning strikes, storing weak lightning energy inside.

Effects:

1. After throwing, it can trigger heavenly thunder to attack the target area, causing area lightning damage (damage is related to target Rank and environment).

2. Can be used as a refining material for Lightning-type Magic Treasures.

3. Embedded in weapons to add Lightning attribute damage.

Warning: The internal energy is unstable, and excessive use may cause self-detonation.

This is it!

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Lin Ye put the Thunder-Attracting Stone into his Storage Space and then said to Su Qingyue, "Let's go."

The two of them quickly exited the grotto and returned the way they came.

Just as they exited the cave entrance, they heard a furious roar coming from the direction of the dense forest—the Demon Ape King had discovered its nest had been robbed!

"Quick, up the mountain!" Lin Ye pulled Su Qingyue along as they dashed toward the summit.

The mountain path was rugged, but both of them were strong. Lin Ye was Level 10 with the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, and Su Qingyue was Level 9 with the Vast Cold Spirit Body; they climbed at an extremely fast pace.

Five minutes later, they reached a relatively level platform halfway up the mountain.

Chen Hao was already waiting there, his face pale and drenched in sweat, but he clearly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the two of them safe and sound.

"Brother Ye, Sister Su, are you guys okay? That big monkey went back and found its things missing, and it's gone absolutely mad with rage. Its roars are echoing through the entire forest..."

"Is it chasing us?" Lin Ye asked.

"Not for the moment, but it's definitely heading this way." Chen Hao pointed toward the dense forest below, where trees were falling in swaths, clearly indicating something was rampaging through.

"Then let it take its time chasing." Lin Ye looked up toward the summit. "We have more important things to do."

The three of them continued upward.

The closer they got to the summit, the lower the temperature dropped. It wasn't an ordinary cold, but a... crisp, Soul-freezing chill. A pale blue mist began to appear in the air, with tiny ice crystals shimmering within it, refracting rainbow-like halos under the sunlight.

Moonlight Mist.

"We're here." Lin Ye stopped in his tracks.

Ahead was a naturally formed circular pond, about twenty meters in diameter, with pale blue water that was crystal clear. The surface of the pond was shrouded in a thick layer of pale blue mist—that was the Moonlight Mist, which could interfere with perception and create illusions.

And in the center of the pond, there was a black rock protruding from the water. On the rock grew a... vine?

It wasn't an ordinary vine, but a strange plant that was entirely silver-white with leaves shaped like crescent moons. Three fruits hung from the vine: one was fully ripe and translucent like jade, with what looked like liquid flowing inside; one was half-ripe with a slightly duller luster; and one was still green, clearly not yet ready.

archaic sacred fruit!

But unlike what Lin Ye had imagined, the properties of the sacred fruit on the Second Sacred Mountain seemed to lean toward... ice?

He could feel that the energy fluctuations emitted by the ripe sacred fruit shared a strong resonance with the Vast Cold Spirit Body within Su Qingyue.

"This sacred fruit..." Su Qingyue felt it too. Her breathing quickened slightly, and the crescent moon mark on her forehead lit up uncontrollably. "It... is calling to me."

"The sacred fruit of the Second Sacred Mountain has ice-cold properties, which is perfect for you." Lin Ye nodded. "But the problem now is how to get through the Moonlight Mist and obtain the sacred fruit."

He took out the Thunder-Attracting Stone.

In the holes on the stone's surface, the blue-white electrical light became more active, as if it had sensed something.

"The Moonlight Mist is essentially an accumulation of yin energy, while lightning is yang, making it the perfect counter," Lin Ye said. "I'll use the Thunder-Attracting Stone to draw down heavenly thunder and disperse the mist, but it will only last for a very short time—probably only ten seconds. Within those ten seconds, we must get the sacred fruit and evacuate."

"I'll get it." Su Qingyue volunteered. "My Vast Cold Spirit Body shares the same Origin as the sacred fruit, so I should be able to approach it faster."

Lin Ye thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Alright. Ah Hao, you're in charge of keeping watch to prevent the Demon Ape King from suddenly appearing."

Chen Hao gripped his long saber tightly and stood at the edge of the platform, warily watching the path they had come from.

Lin Ye walked to the edge of the pond, raised the Thunder-Attracting Stone, and injected a trace of Chaos Divine Power into it.

The Thunder-Attracting Stone vibrated violently, and blue-white electrical sparks spat out from its holes. Clouds began to gather in the sky, and the faint sound of thunder could be heard.

"Still not enough..." Lin Ye gritted his teeth and injected more Divine Power.

His current Divine Power limit was 1,200 points, but the energy required to summon heavenly thunder was far beyond his imagination. In just three seconds, he had consumed 300 points of Divine Power, and the Thunder-Attracting Stone barely reached its activation threshold.

"Now!"

Lin Ye hurled the Thunder-Attracting Stone fiercely into the air above the pond!

The stone traced an arc through the air, and the electrical light in its holes exploded completely, turning into a bolt of blue-white lightning that shot straight into the sky!

"Rumble—!!!"

A deafening clap of thunder!

It wasn't just one bolt of lightning, but... three!

Blue-white lightning struck down from the clouds like wild dragons; one hit the Thunder-Attracting Stone, while the other two struck the sides of the pond. The violent lightning energy exploded instantly, forming an electrical net that covered the entire pond!

When the Moonlight Mist came into contact with the lightning, it made a "hissing" sound and melted away as quickly as snow meeting fire.

The pale blue mist thinned and dissipated at a rate visible to the naked eye; ten seconds later, the pond area was clearly visible!

"Quick!" Lin Ye shouted.

Su Qingyue was already prepared. The moment the mist dispersed, she leaped up and lightly tapped her toes on the water's surface—the Vast Cold Spirit Body allowed her control over ice-cold energy to reach its peak, enabling her to push off the water without sinking!

In three steps, she reached the rock in the center of the pond.

Without hesitation, she reached out and plucked the ripe sacred fruit.

The fruit was ice-cold to the touch, but the moment it contacted her skin, it turned into a gentle warm current that seeped into her body. Unlike the violence Lin Ye experienced when he swallowed a sacred fruit, this fruit's energy harmonized perfectly with her Vast Cold Spirit Body; instead of an impact, it nourished every inch of her Meridians like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

She could even feel the crescent moon mark on her forehead heating up, and the spirit body's Origin was cheering and transforming!

"I got it!" Su Qingyue turned to return.

But just as she leaped away from the rock, a sudden change occurred!

From the depths of the pond, a dark shadow suddenly shot out!

Was that a... snake?

No, it wasn't a snake, but a strange, translucent creature that flowed like liquid. It was pale blue all over and had no fixed form, appearing sometimes like a snake and sometimes like an eel. The only clear features were its pair of cold, pupil-less silver eyes.

[Moonlight Essence (Rare)]

Level: 12

HP: 1800/1800

Skills: Liquefaction, Ice Spike Spray, Mental Shock

Description: A Essence Spirit formed from the condensation of Spiritual Qi accumulated over ten million years in the Moonlight Pond. Its heavenly duty is to guard the sacred fruit. It usually sleeps at the bottom of the pond and only awakens when a sacred fruit is harvested.

"Watch out!" Lin Ye's expression changed.

The Moonlight Essence was extremely fast. Almost the instant Su Qingyue noticed it, it had already turned into a pale blue water arrow, shooting toward her back!

Su Qingyue was in mid-air with nowhere to push off, and it looked like she was about to be hit.

At the critical moment—

"Congeal!"

She gave a soft shout and pressed her right hand back into the empty air.

What gushed from her palm was no longer just cold air, but... materialized ice crystals! Those ice crystals rapidly condensed and combined in the air, forming an ice shield half a meter in diameter and about three inches thick!

"Bang!"

The water arrow slammed into the ice shield. The shield shattered, but most of the water arrow's force was neutralized. The residual water struck Su Qingyue's back, merely causing her to stagger without inflicting a fatal wound.

-67!

Su Qingyue used the momentum to charge forward and landed by the edge of the pond, her face somewhat pale—the condensation of the ice shield in that instant had consumed nearly a third of her Divine Power.

"Go!" Lin Ye supported her, and the three of them retreated toward a small path on the other side of the summit.

The Moonlight Essence chased them out of the water, but it seemed unable to stray too far from the pond. After lingering on the shore for a few seconds, it sank back to the bottom of the pond unwillingly.

They were safe for the time being.

The three of them ran to a hidden mountain hollow before stopping to catch their breath.

Su Qingyue took out the sacred fruit. The pale gold fruit emitted a soft halo in her palm, and tiny ice crystals could be seen faintly swirling inside.

[archaic sacred fruit (Ice Attribute · Ripe)]

Quality: Legendary (Gold)

Description: A natural treasure nurtured by the Moonlight Pond of the Second Sacred Mountain, containing majestic ice-cold essence and a fragment of the Moonlight Law.

Effects:

1. Consumption by an Ice Attribute Cultivator: All attributes permanently +50, 100% probability of opening the wheel sea secret realm, and an additional +20% ice attribute affinity.

2. Consumption by a non-Ice Attribute Cultivator: All attributes permanently +30, 80% probability of opening the wheel sea secret realm, and a chance to awaken an ice-type talent (extremely low probability).

3. Refining into Medicinal Pills: Can be refined into "Moonlight Pills," which have a gentler effect and can be used by multiple people.

Warning: Forcible consumption by a non-Ice Attribute Physique may result in frozen Meridians.

"As expected..." Lin Ye looked at the description. "The elemental bias of this sacred fruit is too obvious; it's most suitable for you."

Su Qingyue did not decline; she indeed needed this sacred fruit.

"Consume it right here," Lin Ye said. "Ah Hao and I will protect you. The Demon Ape King of the Second Sacred Mountain won't be able to find this place in a short time. By the time it catches up, you should have already completed your Breakthrough."

Su Qingyue nodded, sat cross-legged, and placed the sacred fruit into her mouth.

Unlike the scene when Lin Ye swallowed his, after the sacred fruit entered her body, Su Qingyue's surface was rapidly covered by a layer of pale blue ice crystals. Those crystals weren't external but seeped out from within her, enveloping her like armor.

The crescent moon mark on her forehead fully manifested, emitting a piercing silver light.

The surrounding temperature plummeted, and tiny snowflakes condensed in the air, fluttering down. With her as the center, the ground within a five-meter radius began to freeze, plants were encased in ice, and the surfaces of rocks were covered in a thick layer of frost.

Chen Hao was shivering so hard from the cold that he had to take a few steps back.

Lin Ye also felt the bone-chilling cold, but the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operated automatically, converting the cold air invading his body into Chaos energy, which instead made him feel refreshed.

Time passed minute by minute.

Ten minutes later, the ice crystals began to melt and peel away, revealing Su Qingyue's figure inside.

The moment she opened her eyes, a silver-white moonlight flashed deep within her pupils. The mark on her forehead had become clearer, and... there was an additional tiny line, like a new moon encircling the crescent.

[Su Qingyue has completed her Breakthrough]

[Realm: Early Stage of the Bitter Sea Realm]

[Vast Cold Spirit Body Awakening degree increased to 25%]

[Unlocked Talent Skill: Ice Control (Elementary → Intermediate)]

[Ice Control (Intermediate)]

Effects: Can condense cold air to form basic shapes like ice spikes, ice walls, and ice shields. Consumes Divine Power; power is related to the Spirit attribute. New effects—Ice Crystal Armor (Defense Skill), Ice Mist Pervasion (Area Control).

Current Rank: Intermediate (0/500)

Proficiency improvement methods: Using skills, absorbing ice-attribute Spiritual Qi, and comprehending ice-type Laws.

She stood up, and the surrounding cold air naturally withdrew, causing the temperature to rise.

"How do you feel?" Lin Ye asked.

"Very good." Su Qingyue gave a rare, slight smile. "My Bitter Sea has been opened, and my Divine Power has surged threefold. And..." She raised her right hand, palm upward.

Five ice spikes condensed out of thin air, but this time, they were no longer translucent but almost completely transparent, with edges so sharp they seemed capable of slicing through space. Tiny silver runes flowed across the surface of the ice spikes.

"Their power has increased by at least double, and the control is more precise." She flicked her finger, and an ice spike shot out, hitting a rock thirty meters away.

There was no sound.

The ice spike pierced straight through the rock, leaving a smooth hole. Thick frost covered the area around the hole and continued to spread into the interior of the rock. Three seconds later, the entire rock split in half with a "crack."

Chen Hao gasped. "This... this is too strong!"

"This is the true power of the Vast Cold Spirit Body." Lin Ye nodded with satisfaction. "In the future, when you are fully awakened, you might even be able to freeze time and space. That will be truly terrifying."

Su Qingyue retracted the ice spikes and looked at Lin Ye. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me; you earned this yourself." Lin Ye waved his hand. "Alright, the second sacred fruit is in our hands, and our goal is half-finished. Now..."

He looked toward the summit and then back at the path they had come from.

The Demon Ape King's roars were getting closer; it had clearly locked onto their location.

"It's time to retreat. Let's go back near the First Sacred Mountain; it's relatively safe there. Once Ah Hao has also consumed a sacred fruit and broken through, we'll plan for the Third Sacred Mountain."

The three of them headed down the mountain along another small path, avoiding the Demon Ape King's pursuit.

Not long after they left, the Demon Ape King reached the Moonlight Pond.

It looked at the empty rock and felt the residual aura of the sacred fruit and lightning energy in the air, letting out a roar of extreme fury toward the sky.

That roar echoed throughout the entire Second Sacred Mountain, startling countless birds into flight.

From other sacred mountains further away, there seemed to be responding beastly roars.

The Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land was beginning to awaken.

And in the darkness of the deepest part of the Forbidden Ground, those silver-white eyes opened once again.

This time, they looked toward... the direction of the Third Sacred Mountain.

"Ice and fire... are they finally going to collide?"

"Interesting..."