9: Chapter 9 Baptism by the Divine Spring, Initial Manifestation of Physical Constitution

The three Stone Apes opened their eyes simultaneously.

Dark red light ignited in their pupils, like three pairs of burning coals rising from the depths of Hell.

They stood up slowly, their rock-composed bodies emitting a grinding "clatter-clatter" sound, the noise of giant stones pressing against each other.

Their twelve-meter-tall bodies cast shadows, completely enveloping Lin Ye and the other two.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out.

"Stick to the plan!" Lin Ye gave a low shout and rushed out first.

He did not attack directly but ran diagonally to the side, the bronze lamp in his hand already lit.

The golden Buddha Fire was exceptionally striking in the grayish-white mist, like a lighthouse in the dark—this was both bait and a positioning marker.

The Stone Ape on the far left was indeed distracted.

It let out a dull roar, raised its right arm, clenched its five fingers, which were like stone pillars, into a fist, and then smashed it down fiercely.

"Boom!"

The ground shook, and gravel splashed everywhere.

At the critical moment, Lin Ye rolled sideways, barely dodging the heavy blow.

The wind from the fist grazed his back, tearing his burlap clothes and leaving a bloody scratch on his skin.

-27!

Such high damage from just a graze!

Lin Ye's heart sank, but he didn't stop moving.

He continued running, leading the Stone Ape away from the cave entrance, while shouting: "Ah A Hao! The one on the left is yours! Just stall it, don't fight head-on!"

Chen Hao gritted his teeth and nodded, grabbed his long blade, and rushed toward the Stone Ape on the right.

He did not attack, but circled the Stone Ape, occasionally feinting with his blade to draw aggro.

This was the tactic Lin Ye had taught him—for enemies with great strength but slow speed, guerrilla harassment was the best choice.

Su Qingyue remained standing where she was.

She raised her hands slightly, palms facing up, as ghostly white cold air condensed at her fingertips.

The surrounding temperature began to drop, and water molecules in the mist condensed into tiny ice crystals, floating slowly around her.

She was waiting.

Waiting for Lin Ye to create an Opportunity.

"Roar—!"

The Stone Ape that had been lured away grew angry.

Having missed two consecutive attacks, its low intelligence was completely provoked; it raised its fists high and then smashed them forcefully into the ground.

Skill: Earthquake Wave!

Visible earthy yellow ripples spread out from the Stone Ape as the center; wherever they passed, the ground rose and cracked like ocean waves.

This was an area-of-effect attack, impossible to dodge!

Lin Ye's eyes narrowed; instead of retreating, he Advanced.

The moment before the ripples touched his body, he leaped up, used his feet to push off the Stone Ape's fist that was smashing into the ground, and shot toward the Stone Ape's face like an arrow released from a bowstring!

At the same time, he activated the innate ability of his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body—

[Chaos Domain]!

Although it was only in its nascent form and the range was a mere three meters, it was enough.

A formless, intangible, yet seemingly all-consuming grayish mist surged from Lin Ye's body, rapidly spreading to the three-meter space around him.

The mist shrouded the Stone Ape's head, as well as Lin Ye himself.

The Stone Ape's movements clearly stalled.

It felt as if something was "sticking" to it, as if it had fallen into a quagmire; every movement became sluggish and laborious.

Attack speed reduced by 30%, movement speed reduced by 30%, and even its thinking became sluggish.

But Lin Ye was in his element within this Chaos Domain.

His speed remained unchanged, but his perception became sharper.

He could "see" the flow of energy within the Stone Ape, predict its next move, and even sense its most vulnerable spot—the connection point of the third cervical vertebra at the back of its neck, where there was a tiny crack.

"Now!"

Lin Ye twisted his body in mid-air, slamming the bronze lamp in his left hand fiercely toward the Stone Ape's brow center, while his unnamed short sword in his right hand stabbed toward the crack!

"Sizzle!"

The Buddha Fire scorched the rock, emitting a "crackling" sound.

The short sword pierced into the crack; although it only went in three inches, it was enough—Lin Ye focused all his strength into the sword body and gave it a violent twist!

-88!

-124! (Weak Point Attack)

Two damage numbers floated up.

The Stone Ape let out a painful roar, waving its arms wildly.

But Lin Ye had already landed, rolling to create distance.

And at this moment, Su Qingyue moved.

She pushed her hands forward, and three ice cones shot out in a triangular formation.

They were not aimed at the Stone Ape's eyes or throat, the conventional weak points, but at the knee joints of the Stone Ape's legs!

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

The ice cones hit accurately.

Although they failed to pierce the Stone Ape's hard rock skin, the accompanying cold air instantly froze the joints.

The Stone Ape's movements slowed down again, and even lifting its legs became difficult.

"Ah A Hao! Retreat!"

Lin Ye shouted.

Chen Hao immediately retreated upon hearing this; the Stone Ape he was responsible for was about to pursue, but because of its slow speed, distance was created.

Three Stone Apes: one was severely injured by Lin Ye and was sluggish; one was held by Chen Hao, unable to form a pincer attack for the moment; the last one...

Su Qingyue locked her gaze on the most intact Stone Ape.

She took a deep breath, pressed her palms together, and then slowly pulled them apart.

Between her palms, a crescent-shaped, pale blue light blade gradually condensed.

The surface of the light blade had ice crystals flowing over it, its edges sharp as a knife, emitting a bone-chilling cold.

Skill: Moon Blade!

This was a skill she had comprehended last night; although it was only Elementary, combined with the bonus from her Vast Cold Spirit Body, its power could not be underestimated.

"Go!"

The Moon Blade flew out of her hand, tracing a graceful arc in the air, bypassing the Stone Ape's blocking arms, and hitting its chest accurately.

-156!

Wind attribute damage combined with ice attribute addition made the damage of this strike far exceed expectations.

A patch of frost exploded on the Stone Ape's chest, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the rock surface.

"Nice!" Lin Ye praised, while simultaneously rushing toward his own Stone Ape again.

The duration of the Chaos Domain was only thirty seconds; he had to finish the battle within these thirty seconds.

This time, he changed his tactics.

No more dodging, but head-on collision!

Under the blessing of the Chaos Domain, the Stone Ape's attributes were weakened by 30%, while Lin Ye's attacks were even more precise.

He abandoned defense and attacked with full force, the bronze lamp and short sword landing on the Stone Ape like a violent storm.

-47!

-53!

-61!

Damage numbers kept floating up.

The Stone Ape counterattacked in anger, but its movements were too slow; Lin Ye could always predict and dodge in time.

Occasionally, if grazed, he would tough it out with red glow grass.

Fifteen seconds later, the Stone Ape's HP dropped below 30%.

It entered a berserk state.

The dark red pupil light turned blood red, and strange red patterns emerged on the surface of its rock body.

Its attack speed and damage increased significantly, and even the weakening effect of the Chaos Domain began to diminish.

"The final blow!"

A ruthless look flashed in Lin Ye's eyes.

Instead of retreating, he Advanced, rushing to meet the giant fist the Stone Ape was smashing down.

The moment before the fist reached him, he suddenly crouched, exerted force with his legs, and leaped upward like a cannonball, his short sword aiming at the gap in the Stone Ape's lower jaw—that was the weakest part of the rock, and also where the energy core was located.

"Break for me!"

The short sword pierced in!

This time, there was no resistance.

The sword body sank into the Stone Ape's body without any obstruction, up to the hilt.

Lin Ye could even feel the sword tip touch some hard, scorching "core."

He gave it a forceful twist.

"Crack..."

It sounded like glass shattering.

The Stone Ape's movements stopped abruptly.

It froze in place, the blood light in its eyes fading rapidly, and the red patterns on the surface of its rock body receded like a tide.

Then, the massive body began to collapse.

Starting from the inside, cracks spread across its whole body like a spiderweb.

Chunks of rock peeled off and fell, making dull sounds as they hit the ground.

Finally, the entire Stone Ape turned into a pile of gravel, leaving only a fist-sized dark red crystal on the spot.

[Successfully killed 'Stone Ape (Elite)']

[Obtained 1800 EXP]

[Obtained Reputation +20]

[Obtained Item: Stone Ape Core]

Lin Ye landed, breathing heavily.

The series of high-intensity dodges and attacks just now had consumed a lot of his stamina.

His HP was down to only 67 points, and his Divine Power was almost bottomed out.

But he couldn't afford to rest.

"Ah A Hao, hang in there! Su Qingyue, help me!"

Things were already precarious on Chen Hao's side.

After all, he was low level and poorly equipped; being able to stall the Stone Ape for so long meant he had already given his all.

At this moment, his left arm had been grazed by the Stone Ape, fractured and deformed, and his HP was down to only thirty-something points.

Su Qingyue immediately provided support, firing ice cones in succession, forcing the Stone Ape to be distracted by defense.

Lin Ye picked up the Stone Ape Core, threw it into his storage space without even looking, and then rushed toward the second Stone Ape.

With the experience of killing the first one, combined with Su Qingyue's coordination, the second Stone Ape was taken care of within three minutes.

Now, only the last one remained.

That Stone Ape which had been severely injured by Su Qingyue's Moon Blade, its chest cracked open.

"Attack together!" Lin Ye shouted.

The three of them surrounded it.

Lin Ye held it from the front, Chen Hao harassed from the side, and Su Qingyue provided ranged damage.

Although they were all at the end of their rope, their coordination became increasingly tacit.

Two minutes later, the last Stone Ape collapsed with a boom.

[Successfully killed 'Stone Ape (Elite)' x2]

[Obtained 3600 EXP]

[Obtained Reputation +40]

[Obtained Items: Stone Ape Core x2, Rock Armor Plate x6]

Three white lights lit up simultaneously.

Lin Ye leveled up to Rank 10! Chen Hao leveled up to Rank 9! Su Qingyue leveled up to Rank 9!

"Hoo... hoo... finally... finished..." Chen Hao slumped to the ground, clutching his fractured left arm, his face pale.

Su Qingyue also leaned against a rock, panting; her Divine Power was almost exhausted, having released at least twenty ice cones and three Moon Blades in the recent battle, a huge consumption.

Lin Ye was in a slightly better state, but he also desperately needed to rest.

He first treated Chen Hao's wound—using branches to splint the broken arm, applying red glow grass, and then tearing cloth strips to bandage it.

Although he didn't have professional medical means, at least he could stop the bleeding and pain, and prevent the injury from worsening.

Then, he began to check the loot.

Three Stone Ape Cores, all dark red crystals, warm to the touch, with natural energy patterns on the surface.

[Stone Ape Core]

Quality: Fine (Green)

Description: The energy core of a Stone Ape, containing pure earth-type energy.

Effects:

1. Direct absorption: Obtain 1000 EXP, Earth attribute affinity +1%

2. Refining material: Can be used to refine earth-type Magic Treasures or Medicinal Pills.

3. Inlay material: Can be inlaid on equipment to add earth-type damage or defense.

Good stuff.

But Lin Ye didn't intend to absorb them now.

EXP can be farmed slowly, but hidden attributes like Earth attribute affinity are hard to increase; save them for a critical moment later.

Six Rock Armor Plates, each palm-sized, hexagonal, about one centimeter thick, with sharp edges.

[Rock Armor Plate]

Quality: Common (White)

Description: Armor plates that fell off the Stone Ape, hard in texture.

Effects: Can be used to forge armor or shields.

Note: Collecting a sufficient quantity can synthesize higher-level Materials.

Forging Materials, keep them for now.

After processing the loot, Lin Ye looked at the cave entrance.

Without the Stone Apes guarding it, the entrance was completely open.

It was pitch black inside, impossible to see the depth, but one could feel a faint, cool aura wafting out from within the cave.

That was... the aura of life.

"Let's go, inside." Lin Ye lit the bronze lamp and stepped into the cave first.

Chen Hao and Su Qingyue followed closely behind.

The interior of the cave was more spacious than imagined.

The cave walls were naturally formed black rock, the surface smooth, as if washed by water for countless years.

The deeper they went, the stronger that cool aura became.

After walking about fifty meters, a faint light appeared ahead.

It wasn't lamplight or firelight, but a pale green, soft halo coming from the end of the cave.

The three of them quickened their pace.

Walking out of the passage, the view suddenly opened up.

This was a naturally formed stone grotto, about ten meters high, with an area about the size of half a basketball court.

In the center of the grotto, there was a spring eye about three meters in diameter, the water crystal clear, bubbling up.

Around the spring eye grew some pale green moss-like plants; those plants emitted a faint glow, illuminating the entire grotto like a fairyland.

And the most striking thing was that more than a dozen rice-grain-sized light spots were floating in the spring water.

Those light spots were pale golden, swimming slowly in the water like living spirits.

[Discovery: Life Divine Spring (Trace Amount)]

[Quality: Rare (Blue)]

[Description: A magical spring eye born from the nourishment of the Holy Mountain's Spiritual Qi; the spring water contains Life Essence, which can replenish health, recover injuries, and delay aging.]

[Effects:]

1. Drink spring water: Recover 0.5% of max HP per second, for 30 seconds.

2. Soak entire body: Clear all negative status effects (including poison, curse, aging, etc.), all attributes temporarily +10%, for 1 hour.

3. Long-term consumption: Can slightly extend lifespan (significant effect on NPCs, weak effect on players).

[Warning: Spring water effect diminishes with usage frequency; excessive use may lead to resistance.]

Life Divine Spring!

A look of joy flashed in Lin Ye's eyes.

This was exactly what they needed most right now—not only could it restore their status, but it could also resist the erosion of the Ancient Desolate aura!

"Quick, drink the spring water, then soak!" he urged.

The three rushed to the spring, first cupping the water to drink heartily.

The cool, sweet spring water entered their throats and instantly turned into a warm current that surged throughout their bodies.

Lin Ye could clearly feel his health rapidly recovering, and even the hidden injuries left from the previous battle were healing.

[Consumed Life Divine Spring, HP recovery speed significantly increased.]

[Current HP: 200 / 200]

[All injuries are beginning to heal.]

Chen Hao's fractured left arm even reduced swelling and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye; although the bone hadn't fully set, at least it didn't hurt anymore.

Su Qingyue's pale complexion also returned to a rosy hue, and her consumed Divine Power began to slowly recover.

"It's too magical..." Chen Hao murmured, looking at his arm.

"Don't stop, soak in it!" Lin Ye had already taken off his outer garment and jumped into the spring eye.

The spring water was not deep, reaching only to his waist.

But the moment his whole body was submerged, he felt an unprecedented comfort.

It was as if every pore was breathing, and every inch of muscle was cheering.

The previous fatigue, tension, and fear were all washed away.

[Soaking in Life Divine Spring, cleared negative status 'Slight Fatigue'.]

[All attributes temporarily +10%.]

[You have gained the status 'Life Blessing': For the next 1 hour, the erosion speed of the Ancient Desolate aura is reduced by 50%.]

Su Qingyue and Chen Hao also jumped in.

The three soaked in the spring water, quietly feeling the nourishment of the Life Essence.

Five minutes later, their status was fully restored.

Lin Ye even felt that his strength had improved—not a level up, but his control over his body had become more refined.

He could more precisely control the exertion of every muscle and could more clearly perceive the flow of energy within his body.

This was the hidden benefit of the Life Divine Spring: cleansing the marrow and strengthening the Foundation.

"Alright, it's time to get down to business." Lin Ye stepped out of the spring water and changed into dry clothes, "The effect of the Divine Spring will diminish; we can't rely on it too much. Our current goal is to reach the summit and get the sacred fruit."

"How do we get up?" Chen Hao looked toward the depths of the grotto.

There was a natural stone staircase going upward, winding and twisting, leading to the summit.

The stone steps were very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, with smooth rock walls on both sides and no handrails.

"Climb up." Lin Ye said concisely, "But before that..."

He walked to the edge of the spring eye and took three empty water skins from his storage space—these were exchanged with the little Daoist priest last night using red glow grass; they were originally meant for holding water, and now they came in handy.

He filled three bags with the Life Divine Spring.

Although the effect would be reduced after leaving the spring eye, it could save lives in critical moments.

"One bag each, use it sparingly." Lin Ye distributed the water skins, "Now, let's go."

The three began to climb the stone steps.

The stone steps were steep, and every step required using both hands and feet.

Fortunately, all three had good physical fitness, especially Lin Ye; with his Rank 10 and the bonus from his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, climbing felt like walking on flat ground.

But the higher they went, the stronger the erosion of the Ancient Desolate aura became.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Even with the Life Blessing state, Lin Ye could still feel his Life Essence slowly draining away. The status bar above his head showed that the current erosion speed was -0.15% per second, 50% faster than when they first entered the Forbidden Ground.

At this rate, they had sixty minutes at most.

"Speed up!" Lin Ye urged.

The stone steps seemed endless. After climbing for about twenty minutes, looking up, the mountain peak was still far out of reach. A faint mist began to appear around them—not the gray-white mist of the archaic aura, but a... pale gold mist that carried a fresh fragrance.

"What is this?" Su Qingyue stopped warily.

Lin Ye reached out to touch the mist. The moment the mist touched his skin, it turned into cool energy that seeped into his body, and then... was automatically absorbed and converted by the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.

[Contacted Sacred Mountain Spiritual Qi (Thin)]

[Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body automatically absorbing and converting]

[Gained Experience Points +10]

[Gained Experience Points +10]

[Gained Experience Points +10]

Experience points were growing automatically!

Although it was only 10 points each time, the advantage was that it was continuous. At this rate, he could gain 3,600 experience points in an hour, equivalent to killing three Stone Ape elites!

"This is Spiritual Qi dissipating from the Sacred Mountain." A sharp light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes. "To ordinary players, it's just environmental background, but for those with a special Physique, it's a treasure land for Cultivation. A Hao, Su Qingyue, try to see if you can absorb it?"

Chen Hao tried and shook his head: "I don't feel anything."

Su Qingyue closed her eyes, then opened them a moment later: "I can absorb a little, but it's very slow; the efficiency isn't as good as killing monsters directly."

As expected, only a special Physique like the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, which accepted all forms of energy, could efficiently convert this free-floating Spiritual Qi.

Lin Ye did not waste this Opportunity. While climbing, he operated the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body with all his might, crazily absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Qi. His experience points grew at a visible rate; although he was still far from leveling up, every little bit added up.

They climbed for another twenty minutes.

A platform appeared ahead.

It was a natural resting point halfway up the stone steps, about ten square meters in size. On the platform, there was actually a... small tree growing?

The tree was about a meter tall, pale gold all over, with slender branches and leaves like emeralds. Three fruits hung from the tree, each the size of a chicken egg, pale purple with natural cloud patterns on the surface.

But all three fruits were shriveled, their skins wrinkled; they had clearly lost their spirituality long ago.

[Discovery: Withered Divine Medicine (Purple Cloud Fruit)]

[Quality: Common (White)]

[Description: Originally a Divine Medicine nurtured by the Sacred Mountain, it withered due to insufficient Spiritual Qi. The fruits have lost their medicinal value]

[Effect: None]

[Note: Perhaps you could try watering it with the Divine Spring of Life to see if it can be revived?]

Withered Divine Medicine.

Lin Ye was somewhat disappointed, but it was also within expectations. Although the Spiritual Qi of the Sacred Mountain was rich, maintaining nine Divine Medicines was too much of a strain; there would always be a few that withered for various reasons.

However...

He looked at the water skin of the Divine Spring of Life in his hand, then at the withered tree.

Should he try?

After hesitating for three seconds, Lin Ye made a decision.

He walked to the tree, uncorked the water skin, and carefully poured the Divine Spring of Life onto the roots.

The spring water seeped into the soil.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

No reaction.

Just as Lin Ye thought he had failed, the branches of the withered tree suddenly trembled slightly.

It was very slight, so slight he almost thought it was an illusion.

But immediately after, a nearly invisible trace of green appeared on the surface of the pale gold trunk. That was the color of new life, a sign of life's recovery!

It worked!

Lin Ye's eyes lit up, and he continued watering.

After pouring half a bag of the divine spring, the changes in the withered tree became more and more obvious: the trunk turned from pale gold to cyan-gold, the leaves turned from withered yellow to tender green, and even those three shriveled fruits began to become plump and round.

[Purple Cloud Fruit Divine Medicine reviving...]

[Revival Progress: 12%]

[Estimated time for complete revival: 5 bags of Divine Spring of Life, 72 hours]

It required five bags of the divine spring and a three-day wait.

Lin Ye stopped watering.

There was no time to wait now. Furthermore, the cost of five bags of the divine spring was too high; they only had three bags in total, and they had to save them for their own use.

"Mark the location first." He took out his short sword and carved an inconspicuous symbol on the edge of the platform. "We'll come back later when we have the means."

The three continued to climb.

The closer they got to the mountain peak, the richer the Spiritual Qi became, but the archaic aura also grew stronger. The effect of the Life Blessing was gradually weakening, and the erosion speed had increased to -0.25% per second.

Lin Ye's health points began to drop slowly.

But he did not stop.

Another fifteen minutes passed.

They finally saw the end ahead—not the mountain peak, but the end of the stone steps, a larger platform.

The platform was circular, about thirty meters in diameter. In the center of the platform, there was a small spring, much smaller than the one at the foot of the mountain, only the size of a washbasin. Beside the spring grew a... vine?

It wasn't a tree, but a pale gold vine wrapped around a protruding rock. Nine fruits hung from the vine, each the size of a fist, crystal clear like jade, with what seemed like liquid flowing inside.

archaic sacred fruit!

But unlike what they had imagined, the nine fruits did not ripen at the same time. Three of them were completely ripe, emitting an enticing fragrance and spiritual light; three were half-ripe, with slightly duller luster; the last three were still green, clearly not ready yet.

And around the vine lay nine... small beasts?

They weren't giant creatures like the Stone Apes, but nine small, snow-white animals shaped like squirrels. They were only the size of a palm, furry with long pointed ears and beautiful pale gold eyes. At the moment, they were huddled together sleeping, letting out soft "purring" sounds.

They looked very cute, but Lin Ye knew that these were the true guardians of the Sacred Mountain.

[Sacred Mountain Spirit Marten (Young)]

Rank: 5

HP: 300/300

Skills: Spirit Flash (High-speed movement), Spirit Claw (Attack ignores armor), Collective Combat

Description: Spirit Beasts born from the nourishment of the Sacred Mountain's Spiritual Qi. They have a gentle temperament but are extremely protective of their food, especially the sacred fruits. Once provoked, the nine Spirit Martens will form a battle array, with power comparable to a Rank 20 elite.

Rank 5, not much health.

But nine of them together, plus a battle array...

Lin Ye's scalp felt numb.

In his past life, he had heard of the Spirit Martens' terror. There was a thirty-player team that tried to forcibly seize the sacred fruits by relying on their numbers, only to be completely wiped out in three minutes by the nine Spirit Martens' battle array. From then on, players understood that the guardians of the Sacred Mountain could not be dealt with through brute force.

"What should we do?" Chen Hao asked in a low voice. "Forcibly seize them?"

"We can't win a fight for them." Lin Ye shook his head. "If the nine Spirit Martens form their battle array, the three of us would just be going to our deaths."

"Then..."

Lin Ye pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on those sacred fruits.

Three ripe, three half-ripe, three unripe.

According to the original setting, once a sacred fruit ripened, it had to be picked within twenty-four hours, or it would naturally fall and rot. As for the half-ripe fruits, if forcibly picked, their effects would be greatly diminished.

"Wait." Lin Ye made a decision. "Wait for the Spirit Martens to leave, or... wait for them to let their guard down."

"Will they leave?"

"They will." Lin Ye said with certainty. "Although the Spirit Martens are guardians, they also have their own activity patterns. Every day at noon, they collectively leave the platform to 'patrol' other parts of the Sacred Mountain for about fifteen minutes. That will be our Opportunity."

"Noon..." Su Qingyue looked at the sky. "There's still two hours."

"Then we wait."

The three retreated to the edge of the platform and found a hidden corner to hide.

The waiting time felt exceptionally long.

The Spirit Martens slept soundly, occasionally turning over but never waking. The fragrance emitted by the sacred fruits grew more and more intense, especially from the three ripe ones; the scent almost condensed into a physical pale gold mist.

Lin Ye could feel that his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body had an instinctive craving for these scents. It was an attraction at the level of life itself, the temptation of evolution.

But he held back.

Two hours finally passed in agony.

At noon, sunlight shone directly onto the mountain peak.

The nine Spirit Martens woke up at the same time. They stretched, rubbed against each other, and then lined up, crawling into a small hole on the other side of the platform.

They really went to patrol!

"Now!" Lin Ye shouted lowly and was the first to rush out.

The three rushed toward the vine at top speed.

When they were ten meters away from the sacred fruits, Lin Ye suddenly felt the ground beneath him give way.

"Not good! A trap!"

The ground suddenly collapsed, revealing a bottomless pit! The edges of the pit were smooth, clearly a man-made trap!

Lin Ye reacted extremely quickly; the moment he fell, he stabbed his short sword fiercely into the pit wall!

"Clang!"

Sparks flew.

The short sword got stuck in a crevice in the rock, barely stopping his fall. Lin Ye looked down; the pit was bottomless, and he could vaguely hear the sound of wind—if he fell, he would definitely be smashed to pieces.

Chen Hao and Su Qingyue also almost fell for it, but fortunately stopped in time.

"This... is this a trap dug by the Spirit Martens?" Chen Hao was dripping with cold sweat.

"More than that." Lin Ye climbed out of the pit, his expression grave. "The way the trap is set up is very professional, and there are signs of polishing on the walls. Spirit Martens don't have this kind of intelligence; it's... man-made."

"Man-made?" Su Qingyue frowned. "Have other players been here?"

"It might not be players." Lin Ye looked around. "The Sacred Mountain has existed for countless years; who knows how many people have reached the top? It's normal for some traps to be left behind."

He became even more careful.

The three bypassed the trap area and finally arrived in front of the vine.

The three ripe archaic sacred fruits were right before them, within reach.

Lin Ye did not pick them immediately but observed them carefully first.

The vine's roots were buried in that small spring; the water in the spring was pale gold, more concentrated than the Divine Spring of Life at the foot of the mountain. The patterns on the surface of the archaic sacred fruits flowed slowly, as if breathing.

[archaic sacred fruit (Ripe)]

Quality: Legendary (Gold)

Description: A natural treasure nurtured by the Sacred Mountain in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, containing vast Life Essence and a trace of an archaic Law fragment

Effects:

1. Direct Consumption: All attributes permanently +50, 100% probability of opening the wheel sea secret realm (Bitter Sea Realm)

2. Refining Medicinal Pills: Can be used to refine 'Sacred Fruit Pills', which have milder effects and can be used by multiple people

3. Other uses: ??? (Requires relevant professional knowledge)

Warning: The energy of the sacred fruit is violent; those with insufficient Physique may explode and die upon consumption. The effect is best upon first consumption, with diminishing returns for subsequent uses.

All attributes +50!

Lin Ye's breathing quickened.

Ordinary players only get 5 free attribute points per level, and only 50 points at Rank 10. But one sacred fruit directly adds 50 points to all attributes! What did this mean? It meant that a Rank 1 player who ate a sacred fruit would have attributes that completely crushed a Rank 10 player!

Not to mention the 100% chance to open the wheel sea secret realm.

Only after the wheel sea secret realm is opened can one practice Cultivation Techniques and perform Divine Abilities, truly stepping onto the path of cultivation. Without a sacred fruit, a player would need at least a month of hard cultivation and the completion of a complex chain of tasks to open the Wheel Sea.

This was an Opportunity to reach the heavens in a single bound!

"Do it!" Lin Ye no longer hesitated and reached out to pick the first sacred fruit.

The fruit felt warm and heavy in his hand, emitting an enticing fragrance. He suppressed the urge to swallow it immediately and put it into his storage space.

Then he picked the second and third.

All three ripe archaic sacred fruits were in his hands!

Just as he was about to pick the fourth half-ripe fruit, a "squeaking" scream came from the small hole on the other side of the platform.

The Spirit Martens were back!

And earlier than expected!

"Withdraw!" Lin Ye made a prompt decision, abandoned the remaining fruits, and turned to run.

The three rushed toward the stone steps, fleeing downward at their fastest speed.

Behind them, the nine Spirit Martens had already rushed out of the hole. Seeing the picked sacred fruits, their eyes instantly turned blood-red, and they let out a shriek of extreme anger.

"Squeak—!!!"

Nine white shadows chased after them like lightning!

Their speed was far beyond that of the Stone Apes!

Lin Ye looked back, and his heart sank. The Spirit Martens were too fast; at this rate, they would be caught in less than a minute.

He had to find a way to delay them!

He took out a water skin from his storage space—not the Divine Spring of Life, but ordinary clear water mixed with the juice of red glow grass, making it pale red.

"A Hao, Su Qingyue, scatter to the sides!"

Lin Ye threw the water skin behind him with all his might, while simultaneously lighting the bronze lamp. The Buddha Fire gushed out, igniting the spilled liquid.

"Boom!"

The pale red liquid ignited upon contact with the fire, turning into a wall of flames that temporarily blocked the Spirit Martens' pursuit.

But it only lasted three seconds.

Three seconds later, the Spirit Martens passed through the fire wall and continued the chase.

However, those three seconds had allowed the three of them to pull ahead by dozens of meters.

"Keep running! Don't stop!"

Lin Ye thought of a strategy as he ran.

Fighting them head-on was definitely not an option. Although the Spirit Martens were only Rank 5, with the battle array bonus, their actual combat power was comparable to a Rank 20 elite. The three of them were not in top condition and simply couldn't win.

They could only flee.

If they fled back to the foot of the mountain and into the cave, they might be able to maneuver using the terrain.

But the Spirit Martens' speed...

Suddenly, Lin Ye thought of something.

He took the Stone Ape Core from his storage space, held it in his hand, and injected a trace of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body's Origin energy into it.

The Stone Ape Core began to glow, emitting dense earth-element energy fluctuations.

Then, Lin Ye smashed it hard against the stone steps behind him.

"Explode... for me!"

The core struck the stone steps, and the energy inside was forcibly detonated.

"Rumble—!"

A violent explosion!

It wasn't a physical explosion but a rampage of earth energy. A large section of the stone steps collapsed, and rubble fell like rain, temporarily blocking the passage.

The Spirit Martens were blocked behind, letting out unwilling shrieks.

But Lin Ye knew this wouldn't block them for long. The Spirit Martens were small and would soon be able to dig through the rubble.

However, it was enough.

"Quick!"

The three ran down with all their might.

Five minutes later, they finally rushed out of the cave and returned to the foot of the mountain.

Behind them, the shrieks of the Spirit Martens were already approaching the cave entrance.

"Into the woods!" Lin Ye pointed to the sparse forest on the outskirts of the Forbidden Ground. "Use the terrain to shake them off!"

The three rushed into the woods.

The Spirit Martens pursued relentlessly.

But after entering the complex terrain, the Spirit Martens' speed advantage was weakened. Although they were agile, their small size made moving through the thickets less convenient than for humans.

The chase lasted for twenty minutes.

Finally, by an underground river, the Spirit Martens stopped.

They stood on the opposite bank, angrily waving their claws and screaming at Lin Ye's group, but they didn't dare cross the river—the current of the underground river was rapid, and the water seemed to have a restraining effect on the Spirit Martens.

"We're safe..." Chen Hao collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Su Qingyue also leaned against a tree, her face pale.

Lin Ye was slightly better off, but he was also at his limit.

He looked at the Spirit Martens on the opposite bank, then at the three sacred fruits in his storage space, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

It was worth it.

Although the process was dangerous, the harvest was enormous.

Three legendary-grade archaic sacred fruits were enough for the three of them to complete their first qualitative change.

And now, it was time to find a safe place to digest this harvest.

"Let's go." Lin Ye stood up. "Back to Qingyun Temple. With the Daoist Master of Azure Cloud presiding there, the Spirit Martens won't dare to follow."

The three returned the way they came.

Behind them, deep in the Forbidden Ground, players on some of the other nine Sacred Mountains also began to attempt to climb.

The struggle for the sacred fruits had only just begun.