Chapter 39

(Listen, please vote for the Dream Cup recommendation, there are four big "I want to vote" buttons under the book's introduction. Mwah.)

With the beastly ape entangling him, Liu Lei had no choice but to move around with a stiff upper lip.

As for Chen Mo, he was running happily behind Xiao Ba. They passed through dense forests and half a lake, the scenery changing several times. It was unclear whether it was due to the time of day or other reasons, but the deeper they went, the more the colors of the surroundings became silent and deep.

At first, the trees around them were of common varieties, but now many were ones Chen Mo couldn't name. Some had extremely peculiar and even terrifying appearances. However, the place was lush and green, with a vibrant vitality and abundant spiritual energy, which was quite rare, as there was no eerie atmosphere.

Xiao Ba stopped, seemingly having arrived. It "stood" up and then tiptoed toward a dense patch of mugwort.

Mugwort?!

Chen Mo's eyes suddenly lit up, feeling he had grasped something. He frowned slightly and looked around. The mugwort, which was taller than him, was a fresh or light green, while the surrounding trees were dark green and black. Even the grass was the same color, lying flat on the ground. Thus, the mugwort was the only bright spot, particularly eye-catching.

What was behind this patch of mugwort?

Thinking this, he pushed aside the mugwort and followed. After a few steps, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a dark cave entrance.

Chen Mo wouldn't rashly walk in, not knowing what might be waiting inside.

He hesitated at the cave entrance, his expression cautious. However, Xiao Ba, upon reaching here, seemed to transform into a different "turtle," abandoning its usual greedy and cowardly nature. It strutted in like a nouveau riche landowner.

Chen Mo had no choice but to follow. Once inside, he realized he might have been overly cautious.

The inside was a completely different scene. Unlike the narrow and dark entrance, the space grew wider as they went deeper. The walls were covered with natural fluorite, emitting a pale blue and light green glow, illuminating the area.

After a short while, the view suddenly brightened. They had reached the end of the path, deep within the mountain, a vast cave.

Inside the mountain, there was a hidden world. A small pool, less than a dozen feet wide, was formed by the mountain spring dripping from the ceiling.

The pool was shrouded in mist, with various flowers and shrubs growing sparsely around it, some even bearing small fruits.

Looking to the back, there was a simple stone bed, surrounded by stone pots, bowls, and other living utensils.

Suddenly, Chen Mo seemed to catch something. He took a few steps to the pool. Through the mist, a cluster of deep green leaves was visible, very familiar and similar to what Xiao Ba had been carrying.

Without hesitation, he waved his hand, dispersing the mist. Several sky-blue fruits appeared, surrounded by fine, glowing light, looking lively and cold.

"Ice Spirit Fruits!"

Chen Mo exclaimed, his eyes wide. This place actually had second-grade spirit herbs, and in such large quantities. He remembered how he almost didn't return last time for a single Flame Spirit Fruit. This time, he seemed to have effortlessly obtained three, making him extremely excited.

Sniffing the air, he detected a faint, pungent smell. There were some brown hairs on the ground. Hmm? They seemed to be from the ferocious beastly ape. Chen Mo quickly looked around, alert. The beastly ape was a fourth-stage demon beast, and the difference between it and a third-stage demon beast was significant.

There was no sign of the beastly ape, so it must still be dealing with the spirit master.

"Chirp chirp!" Xiao Ba proudly circled around the Ice Spirit Fruits, showing off and claiming credit.

"You're quite capable, not only driving the tiger to devour the wolf but also achieving two goals with one action." Chen Mo praised, patting Xiao Ba's turtle head.

Chen Mo took out a jade box from his bag and carefully picked the three Ice Spirit Fruits, which were cold to the touch. This made Xiao Ba jump up and down, its eyes watery and pitifully looking at its owner.

Uh, is this glutton a turtle or a monkey?

Annoyed, he gave it a light tap on the head: "What's your hurry? You won't go hungry. Here, take a demon core to satisfy your craving."

After giving it a demon core, Xiao Ba quietly chewed.

The pool was peculiar. Despite the cold aura, the water was constantly boiling, and there were many spirit herbs and wild fruits around, giving him a sense of discovering a treasure.

Turning a corner, he found a bookshelf, next to which was a set of stone tables and chairs.

Chen Mo walked over to look. The bookshelf was already rotten, and the contents were long gone. He shook his head, feeling a bit regretful.

The dust on the stone table and chairs was as thick as on the bookshelf, clearly indicating that no one had lived here for a long time. Chen Mo waved his sleeve, covering his nose and mouth, and after shaking off the dust, he saw what was on the table, his eyes widening in surprise.

On the table was a chessboard, with a simple game. Even though Chen Mo wasn't skilled in chess, he could understand it. What was strange was the chess pieces, which were not black and white but red and blue. The pieces seemed to be made of bone, stone, or wood. The lines on the stone table were finely carved, contrasting sharply with the uncarved areas outside.

"Placing a piece can determine life and death, advancing or retreating can distinguish the strong from the weak, this..." After the dust on the edge of the stone table was wiped away, twelve distinct ancient characters appeared. Although Chen Mo wasn't interested in these, the twelve characters didn't seem to be carved with a sharp tool. They had a subtle, awe-inspiring aura. The characters themselves were ordinary, but at first glance, they were captivating.

Chen Mo read the twelve characters aloud, and an imperceptible ripple spread out.

At the same time, the unfortunate spirit master Liu Lei was covered in wounds, his hair disheveled, and his clothes tattered, looking utterly wretched, with no trace of a spirit master's dignity. Grass clung to the corners of his mouth, and the surroundings were desolate, with fallen trees either shattered by a powerful force or scorched by flames.

He panted heavily, looking at the beastly ape that was hopping over, supported by its hands. His heart was already dead. But at that moment, the beastly ape seemed to sense something and looked up.

"Roar!"

Its fierce roar shook the silent mountain, like a dragon stirring, causing countless birds and beasts to scatter.

Liu Lei was instantly shaken by the thunderous roar, his internal organs churning, and he couldn't stop the blood from spewing out.

At that moment, the beastly ape swung through the trees, moving at an exaggerated speed, and soon disappeared from sight.

"Roar!"

Not long after, another roar echoed, and birds of all sizes flew out in layers, darkening the sky. Liu Lei, looking like he had been trampled by the beastly ape a hundred times, fell to the ground in a daze.

As for Chen Mo, looking at the chessboard, he held a blue piece, pondering for a long time before placing it at the 3-3 point. The blue dragon was just beginning to take shape, while the red dragon, though seemingly dull, hid a deadly threat. After much hesitation, he decided to avoid its sharp edge and placed the piece at the 3-3 point, symbolizing a dragon lying in wait.

"Click." Once placed, there was no regret, and the piece took root.

"Boom."

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed.

Chen Mo and Xiao Ba looked at each other, then at the cave entrance.

"Roar!" A roar like rolling thunder swept over them, making Chen Mo feel a heavy pressure in his chest, even with his spiritual energy protecting him, it felt like being hit by a hammer.

Xiao Ba shrank and didn't move.

Chen Mo and Xiao Ba recognized the sound; it was the beastly ape.

A single roar from the beastly ape had such power? Chen Mo's eyes, though calm, showed a hint of fear. He looked at the cave entrance and saw the brown beastly ape, but a transparent protective barrier had formed, preventing it from entering. The ape was angrily pacing and attacking the barrier with various methods.

Chen Mo was surprised to see the chessboard glowing brilliantly.

He had heard before that this continent was vast, with many things he didn't know. This chessboard, it turned out, was a "mystic array" set up by an "array master," indicating that the original owner of this cave was extraordinary.

The enraged beastly ape roared and charged, but was stopped by an invisible force, creating faint ripples.

Clearly, the barrier was too strong for the beastly ape to break through immediately.

It was evident that Chen Mo had invaded something sacred to the beastly ape.

Although the ape couldn't break through the barrier immediately, Chen Mo was also trapped inside.

Fighting the beastly ape would be like hitting a rock with an egg. Even a spirit master couldn't subdue it, let alone Chen Mo, who was only a high-level spirit disciple.

The beastly ape was still relentlessly attacking the cave, and there was a hidden spirit master-level killer who could jump out at any moment to end his life.

He was likely to be trapped here for a while.

He cupped some water from the pool and splashed it on his face, the cold sensation refreshing him.

He began to inspect the surroundings. Since entering the cave, everything seemed extraordinary, especially the protective barrier, which was not something an ordinary person could create.

Upon careful observation, he noticed a mottled but seemingly flat section of the mountain wall near the cold pool.

He swept away the dust with his palm and saw a row of ancient characters punched into the wall.

"Great... Desolate Thunder... Path, Great Desolate Thunder Path." Chen Mo murmured, feeling a sense of awe from the characters. It felt like the ancient, desolate land was filled with rolling thunder, a powerful and overwhelming force, ancient and majestic, capable of destroying the heavens and the earth. Even with his calm nature, he felt like a tiny ant, easily torn apart by the endless thunder.

...

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