178: Monkey Wine

After marking the "Lesser Qingqiu" stele, Gao De was not satisfied.

He decided to continue exploring further inward to see what else this forgotten Secret Realm was hiding.

Crossing the slope where the stele stood, he continued along the ancient path that grew increasingly deep and secluded, almost completely covered by fallen petals.

The surrounding peach trees were taller and denser, their branches intertwined to form a natural arcade.

The pink miasma was as thick as liquid, the light dim and hazy, and the sweet scent was so rich that it seemed to have a tangible weight, constantly washing against Gao De's protective thunder aura and clear consciousness.

He had to devote more of his focus to resisting this pervasive hallucinogenic erosion, and his pace slowed significantly.

The path wound upward, seemingly leading to a higher point in this circular valley.

Along the way, he began to notice some more unusual signs: broken stone tiles occasionally appeared half-hidden beneath the petals, engraved with simple cloud patterns or fox-shaped motifs; at the roots of some particularly thick peach trees, small stone altars had been artificially stacked, and although they were long covered by moss and roots, their former purpose was still discernible, appearing to be for offerings or placing items.

"The traces of life here are more extensive than those at the pavilion ruins by the creek..." Gao De judged in his heart, his interest in what the original owner of Lesser Qingqiu might have left behind growing stronger.

Finally, after spending more time than expected and carefully traversing a peach blossom labyrinth where the miasma was exceptionally thick and illusions frequently manifested, the path ahead suddenly opened up!

It was as if he had pierced through an invisible barrier, arriving at the true core hinterland of this Peach Blossom Spring.

The terrain here was relatively flat and open, no longer just a single peach forest.

Before him lay a sparse woodland growing various types of Spirit Trees; ancient pines, green sandalwood, and magnolias were arranged in a staggered and orderly fashion, coexisting harmoniously with the giant, exotic peach trees that still held the dominant position.

A clear stream wound through the center of the woodland, the water tinkling as it flowed, surprisingly diluting some of the cloying sweet scent and bringing a touch of freshness.

The sunlight perhaps filtered through the special miasma before falling into the woods, forming dappled beams of light; the air was filled with pure and peaceful Spiritual Qi of vegetation, and the infatuating miasma was much thinner here, with only faint pink mist drifting through the forest like a light veil.

However, what made Gao De focus and stop was the vibrant life within this woodland.

By the stream, three or five small foxes with fur as smooth as silver satin and spirited, cunning eyes were lowering their heads to drink; they did not seem very afraid of strangers, only occasionally raising their small heads to glance at Gao De, the uninvited guest, with curious and vigilant gazes, before returning to their play.

From them, Gao De could feel a trace of extremely faint spirituality that shared the same source as the surrounding environment, but they were not of the Yao Race, just more intelligent than ordinary wild beasts.

The branches in the forest presented another lively scene.

Dozens of small, agile Spirit Monkeys with golden fur were leaping and tumbling among the branches, emitting cheerful "squeak, squeak" sounds.

Some were picking plump and juicy spirit fruits from the trees, while others were gathered around natural tree hollows or vine-entangled spots on some thick trunks, busy with something.

And when a cooler mountain breeze blew by, bringing a wave of fragrant, intense, and invigorating strange wine aroma, Gao De's gaze instantly locked onto the few spots where the Spirit Monkeys were most densely gathered—those were natural caves hidden in the gnarled roots of giant ancient trees or in the crevices of the mountain walls, cleverly sealed by the Spirit Monkeys with mud and leaves!

The wine aroma was drifting out in wisps from those crevices that were not sealed very tightly.

The aroma was rich and lingering, a mixture of the sweet scent of a hundred fruits, the fragrance of nectar, and the intoxicating Spiritual Qi produced after years of natural fermentation; just by taking a sniff, one could feel the Demonic Power within their body stir slightly, and their Divine Soul felt a sense of comfort and soothing.

"monkey brew!" Gao De's dragon eyes lit up, and he immediately recognized this legendary spirit item.

monkey brew, also known as monkey wine, is not something that can be brewed by ordinary monkey troops.

Only in such a natural blessed land with abundant Spiritual Qi and numerous spirit fruits can it be brewed, by specific monkey troops that possess a certain degree of spirituality, collecting various spirit fruits, nectar, and morning dew, storing them in natural tree hollows or stone caverns, and allowing them to ferment accidentally over many years.

The process is entirely natural, with an extremely low probability; once brewed, it becomes a fine wine containing the pure Spiritual Qi of vegetation and the wonders of nature's creation, having the miraculous effects of nourishing the Physical Body, warming the Divine Soul, and even assisting in a Breakthrough for both Cultivators and the Yao Race; it is of immense value!

Looking at the number of Spirit Monkeys here, the richness of the spirit fruits, and the thick wine aroma drifting out, the monkey brew here is definitely not in small quantity, and it has likely accumulated over many years, making its quality extremely high!

Gao De did not immediately step forward.

He carefully observed this strange symbiotic scene: spirit foxes drinking water, Spirit Monkeys playing and brewing honey, sharing this pure land. They seemed accustomed to the peaceful life in this core area of the Peach Blossom Spring, maintaining curiosity and vigilance toward outsiders, but possessing no strong aggression.

The thin infatuating miasma here seemed harmless to them; perhaps they had long since adapted to, or even become dependent on, this environment.

"What a vibrant paradise," Gao De praised inwardly.

The original owner of the Lesser Qingqiu ruins may have long since left and never returned, but the naturally formed spiritual environment here had nurtured these highly spiritual little lives, and over the long years, had fortuitously nurtured spirit items like "monkey brew."

The value of this place had increased once again. Not only were there ruins to investigate and a special environment, but now there was a stable output of spirit items and potential Spirit Beast resources; if these spirit foxes and Spirit Monkeys were guided and domesticated, they would all be extremely useful.

Gao De maintained his concealment.

He did not disturb these Spirit Beasts, but like an observer, watched their figures from afar, memorizing the several main locations of the monkey brew caches, the activity patterns of the Spirit Monkeys, and the general layout and possible entry and exit paths of this core area.

"Although the monkey brew is good, one must take it in moderation and certainly must not drain the pond to catch all the fish," Gao De pondered.

These Spirit Monkeys were a part of the local ecology and the key to maintaining the continued production of the monkey brew; it would be best to quietly take some without disturbing them.

He already had a plan in mind.

Perhaps he could try to establish some kind of "trade" relationship with these Spirit Monkeys?

Exchange some things they needed and were harmless for a fixed amount of monkey brew?

Or, wait until he understood more about this place before considering how to sustainably utilize this resource, provided that the monkey troop here had a Yao in charge.

After observing quietly for a while longer and memorizing the terrain, Spiritual Qi nodes, and biological distribution of the core area, Gao De, just as he had arrived, swept past the area silently, his figure disappearing into another thick peach blossom miasma and peach forest, leaving not a trace behind.