C18 True King Cave

Upon waking, the monkey gathered wild fruits to satisfy his hunger.

Without paying attention to the three-tailed fox inside the Sky Sack, Ding Yue and the monkey returned to the fox's den, replete with foul-smelling flowers.

Holding his breath, Ding Yue hacked through the brambles. At the base of the small hill, a narrow hole just big enough for an arm to fit through came into view. Ding Yue tossed a few "Mountain Shattering Talismans" into it.

Once the dust settled, an accessible cave was revealed. The monkey darted in first, and Ding Yue promptly followed suit.

The further they ventured, the more spacious the cave became. Within minutes, Ding Yue found himself in an area as large as two rooms, with a massive night-bright stone embedded in the ceiling, casting a bright light all around.

"Ha ha!" Ding Yue instantly spotted two "Yang Flame Grass" plants in the corner.

Their fiery red leaves sparkled with tiny embers. He harvested them and carefully placed them in a box.

Only then did he survey his surroundings and wonder, "Hmm, what's this?" He was intrigued. He picked up a fiery red, stone-like object that felt slightly warm in his hand, its surface riddled with honeycomb-like pores.

After examining it closely several times, Ding Yue still couldn't identify the peculiar red stone. With no other option, he placed it into his storage bag—seven or eight pieces in total.

Additionally, the cave housed two "Gale Clear Grass" plants and a "Silver Skin Stone Herb," which Ding Yue unceremoniously added to his collection.

After another thorough search of the cave with the monkey, who was feasting on the fruits gathered by the three-tailed fox, and finding no other treasures, they left with a sense of longing.

They had barely cleared the thorn forest, walking about a hundred meters, when they both halted and exchanged glances. The monkey let out a squeak, and Ding Yue chuckled. They turned on their heels and sprinted towards the den of the Longarm Flame Bear.

Moments after entering the den, Ding Yue hung his head and grumbled under his breath.

The monkey, Xiaoshan, was even more agitated. He spat out his "Sealing Pole" and proceeded to demolish the entrance to the Longarm Flame Bear's cave, leaving it in ruins.

Inside, there was nothing but a pile of bones and a few strips of dried, foul-smelling fish.

Ding Yue, accompanied by his monkey, had no choice but to press on. Their journey was marked by the theft of spiritual herbs and battles with Fellbeasts. Amidst the blood-soaked fights, their cultivation soared, and the storage bag swelled with an assortment of exotic herbs and fruits.

The Yellow Weasel, a fourth-level earth-attribute Fellbeast, possessed an inner core essential for crafting the Transcending Pill. Yet, this creature was adept at burrowing, and its stench was so overpowering that even a whiff could knock someone with Transcending-level cultivation unconscious for half a day, leaving them in tears.

Thankfully, Ding Yue was a skilled alchemist, and with Liu Wuya's guidance, he had prepared the antidote in advance.

The Groundhog, a second-level Fellbeast, was swift and crepuscular, venturing out only at dawn to forage. Ding Yue effortlessly captured a dozen to entice the Yellow Weasel from its den.

He strategically placed formations around the den in three directions and scattered insect repellent to deter other small creatures from crossing the area.

After several days of deadlock, hunger drove the Yellow Weasel out of its lair. It stealthily moved a short distance before spotting a cluster of its favorite prey and leapt to the attack.

Following its feast, the Yellow Weasel turned to dash back to safety. But just a few hundred meters from its hiding spot, it was struck by a sudden, agonizing pain in its belly.

Coughing up blood, it collapsed, its body radiating a burst of yellow light. As it lay dying, it felt a sharp object slice through its neck and shoulders. In its final moments, it saw Ding Yue approaching, a claw-like weapon in hand.

After capturing the Groundhogs, Ding Yue fed them poison pills that would take effect slowly. The Yellow Weasel, after consuming the poisoned prey, met its demise.

Employing this technique, Ding Yue dispatched several Yellow Weasels, but only managed to harvest two inner cores. Not every Fellbeast could condense such a core.

Some Fellbeasts focused on soul cultivation and body refinement. Soul Refiners were rare, but those who succeeded were far more formidable than their peers and could easily assume human form.

Fellbeasts are naturally endowed with formidable physiques, and many focus on refining their bodies. As a result, not every Fellbeast is capable of successfully forming an Inner Core.

One day, Ding Yue was traversing a mountain peak alongside a monkey when suddenly, a silhouette streaked across the sky. The old ghost appeared before him in an instant, his face beaming with delight.

"Are we heading back, Uncle Ghost?" Ding Yue inquired. "Have we only been in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range for a month? Has the Drifting Space opened?"

The old ghost shook his head, giving Ding Yue a thorough once-over. After a brief pause, he remarked, "Judging by appearances, you've shed some of your youthful naivety over the past month and have taken on a more resolute demeanor."

"Your cultivation has reached the mid-stage of Transcending. It might be time to challenge a fifth-level Fellbeast to test your mettle."

Before Ding Yue could respond, the old ghost continued, "Do you remember Deacon Luo Bin?"

At the mention of the name, Ding Yue was taken aback, then listened as the old ghost conveyed, "Your master, Taoist Priest Mu, has sent word. He wants you to locate Luo Bin here in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range and accompany him to explore the cave left behind by a deceased True King."

"A True King's cave, the final resting place of a mighty cultivator who has overcome the ninth heavenly tribulation!" Ding Yue exclaimed in astonishment. "Is such a place even accessible to us younger, lower-level cultivators? Could Master have been overindulging in drink?"

"Nonsense," the old ghost retorted, playfully kicking Ding Yue's rear. "Here, take this jade tablet. It contains all the details you'll need to understand." With that, the old ghost prepared to vanish.

"Uncle Ghost, do you recognize this kind of Aetherstone?" Ding Yue asked, presenting the fiery red stone he had acquired in the Three-Tailed Fox's den.

"I'm not sure," the old ghost admitted after examining the stone several times, shaking his head. Ding Yue wasn't disheartened, though; he figured the Three-Tailed Fox would likely have the answer.

"Uncle Ghost, I've captured a young fox. Would you help me establish a blood pact with it?"

"Oh? Are you thinking of making it a spirit animal or perhaps a future attendant? Is it male or female?" the old ghost teased.

As Ding Yue recounted the events, the old ghost's face twisted into an expression of sheer incredulity. Upon Ding Yue releasing the Three-Tailed Fox from the Sky Sack, the old ghost ensnared it with a tendril of black smoke, thwarting any chance of escape for the red fox.

The fox's emerald eyes brimmed with a mix of sorrow, entreaty, and tears as it gazed at the old ghost.

"Just a green-eyed fox, yet it possesses..." the old ghost murmured to himself, before abruptly raising his voice, "No, that's incorrect." He shook his head vigorously.

After a moment of contemplation, the old ghost proposed, "Young Master, I recommend we extract a strand of its Soulspark and seal it. Then, we should enter into a blood pact with it. This will slow its cultivation pace, but it will be safer for you."

"I have another suggestion: release it," said the old ghost, his expression grave.

"Why?" inquired Ding Yue.

"Because within its being, apart from the Nine-Tailed Skyfox lineage, there flows a certain..." The old ghost paused, then added, "I can't be certain."

"Uncle Ghost, I only wish to communicate with it telepathically, as effortlessly as a monkey might. I have no desire to harm it."

Torn by indecision, the old ghost finally acquiesced to Ding Yue's heartfelt pleas, repeatedly cautioning him to treat the young fox with kindness.

With the blood pact sealed, Ding Yue placed the fox into the Beastkin Pouch and nourished it with a fourth-level "Soul-Nourishing Pill."

With all matters settled, the old ghost took his leave.

Ding Yue pressed the wooden Taoist's message tablet to his forehead, absorbing the history of the True King's cave.

A millennium prior, the leaders of three sects, four clans, and three prominent cultivating families of Ning Province all received a mysterious letter on the same day.

The letter, penned by a cultivator claiming to be the Ice Carp Fairy, challenged the seven sect leaders to defeat her at Fallen Cloud Peak within the Beast Mountain Range. She promised to return their Spirit Weapons should they succeed.

Only then did the sects realize their sacred treasures had been stolen.

On the appointed day, the leaders of the sects and families convened at Fallen Cloud Peak.

They returned to their sects the following day, remaining tight-lipped about the encounter.

Less than a century later, the Ice Carp Fairy reached out again. This initiated the tradition of sending disciples every sixty years to brave the challenges within the Ice Carp True King's cave, vying for treasures.

The three great families shared one entrance, the four sects another, and the three sects' entry point was located at the bottom of a pond. Ding Yue and Xiaoshan trekked through the dense forest in search of an ice pond where "ice tendril grass" grew, the gathering place of the three sects.

To gain entry to the True King's Mansion, the sects needed to combine one-third of their Ice Carp Tokens to unlock the door. As they journeyed, Ding Yue occasionally stirred up trouble with ordinary fifth-level Fellbeasts, fleeing when outmatched since locating the ice pond was the current priority.

During one encounter, a single-horned goat launched wind blades at Ding Yue, who was already engaged in battle with a fifth-level double-headed lion. The lion, initially preying on the goat, stumbled upon Ding Yue navigating a grassy area and abandoned its original target. It unleashed a barrage of yellow rings from its mouth, aiming to ensnare Ding Yue overhead.

In the midst of chaos, Ding Yue kept his cool, deploying the Golden Roc Claw to slash at the lion's back and executing the Earth Shrinking Technique to narrowly evade the yellow rings. To his dismay and confusion, the goat he thought had fled turned to attack him instead.

If only Monkey Xiaoshan hadn't retreated into the Beastkin Pouch for a nap the day before. His keen reflexes and superior sense of smell would have easily outmaneuvered the double-headed lion. Time was of the essence, and Ding Yue needed to locate the ice pond quickly to rendezvous with Robin.

With no other choice, Ding Yue resorted to the Demonic Body Step to make his escape, but the relentless lion kept up the pursuit. After a harrowing half-hour chase, Ding Yue, growing desperate, landed a Shattering Air Fist on the lion.

Despite one head being wounded, the lion's ferocity only intensified. Ignoring its bleeding wounds, it continued its pursuit. If only Ding Yue's Shattering Air Fist had been as powerful as the Air Strike Fist, that single blow might have severely injured the lion, deterring its relentless chase.

With no clear path through the dense forest, Ding Yue pressed on, head down and feet pounding the earth.

Suddenly, the world before him brightened, and his view expanded.

He spun around, only to find that the two-headed lion was nowhere in sight. Relieved, he plopped down on the ground, gasping for air.

A few moments later, Ding Yue scanned his surroundings. His eyes widened with excitement as he exclaimed, "There's Ice Tendril Grass here!"