Bloodbone Demon Ape

Song Zhong followed the group in pursuit, listening to their conversation as he ran.

"Our luck is truly good this time—we actually encountered a Bloodbone Demon Ape."

"Indeed. Legend says the Bloodbone Demon Ape possesses the bloodline of an Ancient Azure Ape. The power of that bloodline remains within the first section of the great spine on its back.

"If one obtains that bloodbone and absorbs its essence, it can strengthen the physical body."

"Who would use it merely to strengthen their body? Many precious pills require the bloodbone of a Bloodbone Demon Ape! Its value is extraordinarily high.

"I've heard that using it to cultivate certain blood arts yields twice the result with half the effort!"

"Rumor has it that when paired with certain special objects, bloodbone can even alter one's aptitude.

"If someone does not possess a Body of Aptitude, they may even have a chance to become one!"

"As expected of the Sealed Ruins. We had only just entered and already encountered a Bloodbone Demon Ape. Who knows how many treasures lie ahead?"

"I wonder what those who entered the Qi Transformation Realm Sealed Ruins have obtained.

"The two ruins are connected. If only we could enter the Qi Transformation Realm Sealed Ruins."

Song Zhong listened to their conversation.

He quickly understood.

There were actually two Sealed Ruins!

And now, the two Sealed Ruins had been connected!

It seemed to have happened because of him?

What was the relationship between these two ruins?

The Qi Transformation ruins were the inheritance of the True Lord of Thunderclap. Could this Qi Guiding ruins be the inheritance of that True Lord of Pure Water?

If it truly was an inheritance of the Dao of Water, taking it would be of no use to him.

But the problem was, he seemed unable to go back now.

He first needed to find somewhere to hide and cultivate the Imperishable Body of Heavenly Thunder. Once his cultivation had risen after some time, he could come out and roam again.

But first, he had to leave this area.

From what the others were saying, this region had no shortage of Strange Beasts, nor did it lack cultivators of the demonic path.

Suddenly, a disciple wearing Daoxuan Sect robes ahead of him turned around and looked at him. Like an elder lecturing a junior, he said, "That aura of yours... you're only at the first layer of the Qi Guiding Realm?

"I truly can't understand why people like you, at the first or second layer of the Qi Guiding Realm, come to the Sealed Ruins.

"Isn't this just throwing your lives away?

"Do you really think you can obtain some treasure here?

"Do you think you're Heaven's Chosen?

"Every disciple entering a sect believes they are a chosen disciple before joining. But after joining, they realize there are far too many Heavenly Prodigies with talent greater than their own.

"Even if you are lucky enough to obtain some treasure, it will be snatched away, and then you'll be killed."

Song Zhong said nothing. He spoke as though his own cultivation were so high.

Judging by his aura, he was at the fourth layer of the Qi Guiding Realm. Other than Song Zhong, his cultivation was the lowest among them.

Fortunately, after pursuing for a while, these people would stop to observe their surroundings. They were likely searching for traces of the Bloodbone Demon Ape, so he did not fall behind.

Among the crowd, several Hundred Peaks Sect disciples looked at one another in confusion. "Does our Hundred Peaks Sect even have disciples at the first layer of the Qi Guiding Realm who entered the ruins?"

"I don't know. Probably? I only gave him a hurried glance just now, but he did look a little familiar."

After Song Zhong ran with them for some time, someone suddenly shouted from up ahead, "It's ahead! I can sense its aura—it's in the valley ahead!"

At once, more than forty people rushed into the valley before them.

In his previous life, Song Zhong had always believed that a valley was simply the lowest point of a region, with nothing below it.

Only after coming to this world did he learn that there could also be cliffs beneath a valley.

At the end of the valley before them was a sheer cliff. Ahead, the Bloodbone Demon Ape he had seen earlier stared at the intruders with blood-red eyes, chewing something in its mouth.

Its aura was also completely different from before.

Previously, the demon ape's aura had seemed somewhat like the seventh layer of the Qi Guiding Realm, and also somewhat like the eighth layer.

Now, the aura it emitted was that of the ninth layer of the Qi Guiding Realm!

Before it stood a group of monkey-like Strange Beasts, their fur golden-yellow and their builds roughly similar, but each possessed a long tail like a staff.

At the very front of the crowd, a Profound Sword Sect disciple swept his gaze over them and said in a low voice, "Gale Wind Demon Apes. They're merely fast—nothing to worry about!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon a tree nearby, and a look of regret appeared on his face.

"A Clear Spirit Cypress Fruit tree. Detoxifying spirit fruits. No wonder it came here. It was poisoned before, causing its aura and strength to plummet. Now that it has eaten the Clear Spirit Cypress Fruit and purged the poison, its strength has recovered as well.

"What a waste, letting it ruin the Clear Spirit Cypress Fruits.

"Those are fourth-grade spirit fruits!"

His gaze turned cold as he called out, "Everyone, let's join forces and take down the Bloodbone Demon Ape first!"

"Good!"

"Move!"

The three standing at the front exchanged glances, then charged out at the same time. The others behind them followed suit.

Song Zhong was truly helpless. He had only wanted to tag along for now, then break away from this group once they reached a safe place and find somewhere to lie low.

Yet before long, they were already about to fight a major battle.

There were so many people on his side, and none of them were weak. They should be able to win, right?

Besides, he was at the back. If anything really went wrong, he would turn and run.

As for that Bloodbone Demon Ape, he was only at the first level of the Qi Guiding Realm. It surely had nothing to do with him.

As the crowd rushed out, the Bloodbone Demon Ape on the opposite side let out a roar. One Gale Wind Demon Ape after another gave shrill cries and charged at the group.

These Gale Wind Demon Apes ranged roughly from the fourth to the eighth level of the Qi Guiding Realm. All were nimble in form, yet when their not-so-large palms came crashing down, they whipped up piercing gusts of wind.

Every one of their eyes gleamed with savage light.

Before long, the two sides collided.

In an instant, rays of light intertwined, and thunderous booms rang out without end.

The crowd did not come from the same sect, and the paths they cultivated were different as well.

Some wielded Divine Weapons of peerless sharpness; some unleashed spells of bone-chilling cold; others released scorching heat that seemed capable of melting the entire valley...

Among the group, the three strongest cultivators at the ninth level of the Qi Guiding Realm surrounded the Bloodbone Demon Ape together.

Though the three were not from the same sect, all of them wielded sharp swords.

Three keen swords stabbed toward the Bloodbone Demon Ape from three different directions.

Upon those swords, three different spells shone with dazzling, lethal radiance.

The Bloodbone Demon Ape was clearly stronger than any one of the three, but facing all three at once, it could not attend to one side without neglecting the other. Soon, distinct wounds appeared across its body.

Meanwhile, the Gale Wind Demon Apes fell one after another.

"Pfft..."

The Bloodbone Demon Ape was struck by another sword. Under the intense pain, the pupils in its eyes suddenly dilated, then turned incomparably crimson. A sinister, dark, violent, bloodthirsty aura of wildness surged madly from within its body.

Its body began to expand at a visible rate.