Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 213: Chapter 210: The White Ape That Speaks Human Words

The moment he entered the Death Mountain Range, Ning Jiang felt the world around him dim considerably. Simultaneously, a vast, boundless, and ancient aura washed over him.

As far as the eye could see, the sky was a hazy gray, heavy and silent.

The earth was a dark shade, deathly still and desolate.

The mountains were steep and perilous, the rivers rapid and turbulent.

The atmosphere was oppressive.

To put it simply, if the outside world was vibrant and full of life, making one feel bright and cheerful, then the Death Mountain Range felt deathly still, hiding lethal dangers within.

”Everyone, be careful. The Death Mountain Range isn’t called that for nothing. This deathly aura is a minor issue; the real trouble is the various Demon Beasts inside.”

One of the people entering the area solemnly warned his companions.

The deathly aura would typically corrode any outside lifeforms, but the creatures native to the Death Mountain Range were unaffected.

Moreover, from absorbing that deathly aura over years and years, the Demon Beasts here were far more difficult to deal with than those in the outside world.

”Let’s go, we need to hurry inside. We can’t let someone else beat us to any Spirit Medicines or Treasures.”

The Death Mountain Range was dangerous, but it still attracted droves of the younger generation every year when it opened. They weren’t coming because they had nothing better to do, of course. Their main purpose was to seek out the many valuable things within.

’This deathly aura... could it be that a Celestial Martial Realm King once fell here?’

Ning Jiang raised his palm, and a surge of Devouring Power emerged. Gradually, wisps of black vapor gathered, emitting a dense deathly aura.

The others didn’t understand what this deathly aura was, assuming it was a natural phenomenon.

But Ning Jiang, as a Venerable, knew clearly that if a Celestial Martial Realm King were to fall while holding immense resentment at the moment of death, there was a chance this kind of deathly aura would form.

Celestial Martial Realm Kings grasped the Power of Laws, so their deaths were naturally extraordinary events.

The death of a Venerable, for example, was even more earth-shattering, capable of causing phenomena like blood to rain from the sky.

This kind of deathly aura would subtly and gradually corrode a person’s body, even affecting experts at the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm.

However, since Ning Jiang possessed the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill, he could actually devour even this deathly aura. It was just that devouring and refining it was rather troublesome.

SWISH.

He flew through the air, heading deeper into the Death Mountain Range.

The Death Mountain Range was enormous. Even an expert at the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm couldn’t survey the entire area using their Primordial Spirit Power.

Some areas were so dangerous that they could even obstruct Primordial Spirit Power.

BUZZZZ—

After flying for an hour, the sound of flapping wings came from ahead. The sound was overwhelming and incessant, sharp and piercing to the ears.

Looking ahead, he saw what appeared to be a crimson cloud.

’A Bloodsucking Insect Swarm.’

Ning Jiang recognized it at a glance. Before he entered the Death Mountain Range, Yue Lianxi had told him about some of the things he might encounter inside.

This type of Bloodsucking Insect Swarm was a Demon Beast unique to the Death Mountain Range and was utterly notorious. Once surrounded by a Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm, even a top-tier expert’s life would be in danger.

The insects in these Bloodthirsty Insect Swarms weren’t very large—only about the size of a palm. They resembled beetles, except their entire bodies were dark red.

A single Bloodsucker Insect wasn’t frightening; someone with a Cultivation at the Innate Peak could kill one. But there were far too many of them—tens of thousands, densely packed and seemingly endless.

The vast Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm seemed to catch the scent of blood and swarmed toward Ning Jiang, filling the sky. Their eyes were red, and their segmented limbs were as sharp as blades.

Their mouths were sharp, needle-like proboscises, much like a syringe. The moment one pierced a person’s body, it would immediately begin to devour their blood, draining them completely dry.

’If I hadn’t broken through to the Spirit Realm, I’d have no choice but to turn and flee from a Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm like this.’

Ning Jiang paid them little mind and strode forward casually.

CRACKLE!

In an instant, purple lightning erupted from his body. Without even trying to evade, he charged directly into the massive swarm.

The moment the Bloodsucker Insects came into contact with the Thunder Power, they were instantly blasted to smithereens.

Thunder Power had always been of the Supreme Yang and Firm nature, incomparably fierce. What’s more, this was Celestial Tribulation Thunder.

By barging straight through and relying on the lightning protecting his body, Ning Jiang soon carved a huge opening in the Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm and emerged on the other side.

The Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm seemed to realize how difficult he was to deal with. They didn’t pester him endlessly, instead flying off to find other targets.

’Looks like the others ran into them, too.’

Ning Jiang glanced at the ground, where numerous Bloodsucker Insect corpses were scattered. Some were sliced cleanly in half by a sword, others were burned to a crisp, and still others were frozen solid.

Evidently, the other Young Giants had also battled the Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm. However, the power of a Young Giant was more than a small swarm like this could handle.

’It’s a good thing this was only a small-scale Bloodthirsty Insect Swarm. The ones commanded by an Insect King are the truly troublesome ones.’

Bloodthirsty Insect Swarms came in various sizes. Some, possessing an Insect King, could number in the millions, forcing even a Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm expert to flee on sight.

...

「Half a day later.」

Ning Jiang had already traveled over a hundred li deeper into the mountains. At this moment, he landed beside a deep pool and, with a swift motion, plucked a stalk of Spirit Medicine.

’Spirit Replenishing Grass. Good stuff.’

The greatest value of Spirit Replenishing Grass was its ability to mend the Primordial Spirit, which was exactly why ”Replenishing” was in its name.

This particular Spirit Medicine happened to be one of the ingredients required by the Pill Formula Ning Jiang possessed.

Over the next while, Ning Jiang covered an area of several dozen li and found many more Spirit Medicines, some of which were extremely rare and valuable in the outside world.

’This place really is a treasure trove.’

Not long after, Ning Jiang pulled a spear from the ground. It was a Spiritual Artifact. Beside it lay a skeleton; clearly, someone had fallen here and left their possessions behind.

Seeing the remains of someone who had fallen here, Ning Jiang grew a bit more cautious.

Throughout history, countless geniuses had fallen. He couldn’t guarantee he could emerge unscathed from every danger; that was simply impossible.

’A Spirit Ascension Mushroom.’

On the trunk of a giant tree, Ning Jiang had discovered another good find.

The Spirit Ascension Mushroom was the main ingredient for refining the Spirit Ascension Pill, an Elixir that could help an Innate Realm expert advance to the Spirit Realm.

SWISH.

Just then, a Black Shadow pounced at Ning Jiang’s back at an unbelievable speed.

Ning Jiang had already sensed it. Without a second thought, he spun around and threw a punch.

BOOM!

A massive shockwave blasted outward, snapping towering ancient trees and shattering them to pieces.

It was a White Ape. Its body was about the size of a human’s, not particularly large, but its ability to trade a punch with Ning Jiang revealed its tyrannical strength.

’A Demon Beast infinitely close to the Young Giant Level.’

This White Ape’s strength was just a hair’s breadth away from the Young Giant level, making it even stronger than the Half-Step Giant, Teng Yuan.

”Hu... man...!”

The White Ape opened its mouth and forced out two words. Though halting, it was recognizably the human tongue.

An Innate Realm Demon Beast’s intelligence was already on par with a human’s, to say nothing of this White Ape, which was in the Spirit Realm.

Of course, it was also related to its species. Some Spirit Realm Demon Beasts were still unable to speak. It was mainly because this White Ape was similar to the Human Race and shared many traits.

”Fight.”

The White Ape’s eyes glowed crimson, radiating an astonishing battle intent.

Its body twisted, blurring into a streak of white light. The fur all over its body stood on end like steel needles as it threw a punch at Ning Jiang.

A Demon Beast’s greatest strength was its physical body, so it immediately engaged Ning Jiang in close-quarters combat.

’After forging the Nine Tribulations Celestial Thunder Body, you think I’d be afraid of you?’

Ning Jiang had no fear of a physical confrontation. He thrust out his fist to meet the ape’s, fist against fist.

DONG!

It was as if two meteorites had collided. The powerful shockwave caused the ground beneath their feet to shatter, and massive fissures appeared.

A trace of shock flashed in the White Ape’s eyes. It had been knocked back by Ning Jiang’s punch, and its own fist was numb from the impact.

”I... don’t... believe it.”

Its speech was clumsy and not at all fluent. Its body lunged forward once more.

”You don’t believe it? I’ll beat you until you do.”

Ning Jiang laughed, finding this White Ape rather interesting.

He loosened his limbs as his blood began to surge, seeming to roar like thunder. At that moment, the White Ape felt as if it wasn’t facing a human, but a peerless Fierce Beast.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG—

They exchanged dozens of blows in rapid succession, and with every strike, the White Ape grew more and more alarmed.

’Flee.’

Eventually, both of its arms grew numb and throbbed with excruciating pain. Realizing its strength was no match for Ning Jiang’s, it seized an opportunity to turn and flee.

”Trying to run? Not so easy.”

Ning Jiang gave chase, his speed even greater than the ape’s. He caught up to it in just a few breaths.

THUD.

With a loud thud, Ning Jiang stomped on its back, pinning it to the ground.

”Spare me.”

Sensing the killing intent radiating from Ning Jiang, the White Ape hurriedly begged for mercy.

Although it was a Demon Beast, it was virtually no different from a human and knew how precious its life was.

”If you hadn’t provoked me, why would I have attacked you? Give me a reason not to kill you,” Ning Jiang said coolly.

Hearing this, the White Ape’s eyes darted about, clearly trying to cook up some scheme.

”Don’t try any tricks. You can’t fool me.”

As he spoke, Ning Jiang pressed down harder with his foot. CRACK! CRACK! The sound came from the White Ape’s back, and it felt as though its bones were about to snap and its organs were on the verge of being crushed.

Ning Jiang’s foot felt heavier than a mountain.

”Aaaah, he’s murdering an ape! The pain is killing me!”

The White Ape shrieked and howled, making Ning Jiang unsure whether to laugh or cry.

’This White Ape’s a fast learner,’ Ning Jiang thought. ’A moment ago, its speech was clumsy, but now it’s much more fluent.’

”Now hurry up and talk.”

”Yes, yes! Spare me, Young Master!” The White Ape had no idea where it had learned such a form of address, but it called Ning Jiang ”Young Master.” ”I know of a place in the Death Mountain Range with a great treasure. I can take you there.”

”Oh? And what great treasure would that be?”

”It’s a kind of fruit, but I don’t recognize what it is.”

the White Ape said quickly. It was a Demon Beast, after all, with limited knowledge, so it was normal for it not to recognize the fruit.

”If you found it, why didn’t you take it for yourself instead of telling me?” Ning Jiang asked coolly, knowing there had to be a catch.

”That place is the territory of a damn lion, and I can’t beat it,” the White Ape said shamefully.

”Lead the way.”

After a moment’s thought, Ning Jiang released the White Ape. He wasn’t afraid of it trying to run, because there was simply no way it could escape from him.