The Golden-Eyed Battle Ape race possesses extraordinarily powerful physical bodies. They are hot-blooded, combative, and proud to the point of arrogance, making them a formidable race even in the outer starry skies.
An ordinary Golden-Eyed Battle Ape with no cultivation at all, relying solely on its natural physique, is already impervious to blades and spears, and can hold its own against Transformation Realm experts. So just imagine what a Golden-Eyed Battle Ape that has cultivated all the way to the Earth Immortal realm is capable of!
Such a being could be described as having magical powers that reach the heavens, akin to a deity. Even the sealing formation it left behind would be difficult for a martial artist at the Half-Step Divine Realm to withstand.
“So powerful!” Huo Qingtian and the others were deeply shaken.
They had personally witnessed Jiang Tian’s strength—he was at the peak of the Transformation Realm, possibly even Half-Step Divine Realm, and he cultivated both magical arts and martial arts. Such overbearing prowess, such majestic might—and yet even he could not pluck the Emperor’s Daughter Flower!
“Put all that aside for now. There’s no time to waste. Let’s split up. Huo Lao and I will go capture the Golden-Eyed Ape and brew the peach meat soup. Wei Feilong, you hurry down the mountain and find a pair of bronze gongs!”
Jiang Tian said calmly: “Then we’ll all meet at the summit of Mount Everest. Remember, the two of you must not act on your own. Even if you see the Emperor’s Daughter Flower, do not pick it—otherwise, your lives will be forfeit!”
“Yes, sir!”
Though both men were filled with confusion, they dared not ask any more questions. They acknowledged in unison and went their separate ways.
“So… the legend of the Celestial Ruins secret realm is real after all…”
“There really are immortals!” At this moment, Huo Qingtian and Wei Feilong were burning with excitement, both expectant and deeply awestruck.
They had devoted their entire lives to bitter cultivation, yet remained stuck at the peak of the Transformation Realm, unable to advance even an inch—unable even to step into the Half-Step Divine Realm.
But if they could follow Jiang Tian and gain entry into the Celestial Ruins, wouldn’t that mean they could break through their shackles and become immortals or gods?
…
On the eastern side of Mount Everest, a team of over a dozen people was rushing along the icy, snow-swept mountain paths.
“Senior Brother, is it true that a treasure has really appeared?”
A handsome young disciple darted nimbly across treacherous rocks and ice, moving as fast as a galloping horse, and asked between gasps for breath.
“Yes, the information is reliable. I’ve heard that a divine-grade herb has appeared, and experts from both the East and the West have all come!”
The leader, Senior Brother Wang Haitao, was in his forties. He had a lean, refined face, sword-like brows that slanted upward into his temples, and an air of heroic vigor.
Dressed in a Daoist robe with a long sword slung across his back and wide sleeves fluttering in the wind, he looked like a peerless martial hero straight out of a period drama.
He had already traveled more than thirty kilometers at high speed, yet his expression remained unchanged and his breathing was steady and deep—clear proof of his exquisite internal energy cultivation.
“So many experts have come? Perfect—let them witness the true strength of our Diancang Sect!” The young junior disciple rubbed his fists together eagerly.
Senior Brother Wang Haitao’s eyes flashed with a hint of fervor as he said, “They only think the so-called Catalytic Spiritual Spring water is valuable, but they have no idea that the divine herb is the real treasure. If we can pick it and present it to our master, he will definitely break through to the Divine Realm!”
“Everyone, hurry up and reach the summit!”
“Exactly! If we get the divine medicine for our master, he will surely reward us with elixirs and cultivation techniques!”
The group was brimming with excitement, cheering each other on.
Their pace up the mountain quickened even further…
The Diancang Sect’s team of over a dozen people had a very unique way of climbing. Whenever they encountered glaciers that were impossible to scale, they would link up end to end, like a giant centipede, and crawl their way up. Once they reached the top, they would scatter again.
…
Meanwhile, on the southern slope of Mount Everest, shrouded in layers of white mist, a European-made A-Star B3 helicopter—its rotors churning through the flying snow—was climbing and approaching the summit of Everest.
This helicopter, costing tens of millions, was at the time the highest-altitude-capable helicopter in existence.
Moreover, this model had successfully flown to the summit of Everest before, though it had failed to land due to the rugged terrain at the peak.
And this particular helicopter had been completely modified into a military gunship, equipped with the M134 Minigun—nicknamed the “God of Fire”—the fastest-firing machine gun in the world. It even carried several rocket launchers. It was fully armed, through and through.
On the fuselage, a vivid image was painted: two black wings enveloping a bleeding skull.
If anyone from the world’s dark organizations were present, they would have gasped in recognition—because this was the trademark of the notorious Black Wing Mercenaries, well-known throughout Southeast Asia.
“We’re almost there—that’s the Catalytic Spiritual Spring!”
“This time, we’re going to return loaded with treasure!”
Inside the cabin, the Transcendent Oyelah, Black Wing Batu, Giant Elephant Taisang, and a host of mercenary elites sat on benches.
They gazed up at the summit of Everest with looks of eager anticipation, like misers staring at a pile of gold—their eyes burning with intensity.
…
At this moment, Jiang Tian’s divine sense swept across the area and located a cave halfway up the side of Lhotse Peak.
The cave was surrounded by ice, snow, and dense white fog, making it imperceptible even to a master of the Tongxuan realm of esoteric arts.
“Hmm, indeed a grotto-heaven. The concealment formation is decent, but how could it possibly hide from me?”
Jiang Tian flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending beams of finger energy that shattered ice and snow, sent rocks tumbling, and stirred the mist until it quietly dispersed, revealing the true face of the stone cave.
“This cave is enormous!” Huo Qingtian exclaimed in surprise.
The stone cave was located on a sheer cliff face, with an entrance over ten meters high and five meters wide. Its depth extended over a hundred meters, like a primordial beast opening its gaping maw to swallow the group whole.
Even Huo Qingtian, with his Transformation Realm master strength, felt a sense of insignificance and powerlessness as he gazed at the cave entrance.
Jiang Tian and Huo Qingtian scaled the rocks and trod upon the snow, leaping a few times before landing on the broad platform at the cave entrance.
“Hmm? This cave is definitely not natural—it was carved out with a sharp weapon! And the edges of this stone table were also cut by a sharp tool…”
Standing at the entrance, Huo Qingtian noticed the smooth, razor-sharp edges of the opening and the equally flat floor inside—cut from a single piece of rock rather than paved with bricks or stones. His heart raced with alarm.
To carve out such a massive cave with a sharp weapon would be incredibly difficult even with modern technology—let alone in the technologically backward Ming Dynasty. This was a testament to the terrifying power of the Golden-Eyed Battle Ape that had cultivated to become a demon immortal!
“An Earth Immortal demon immortal can shatter a mountain with a single palm and swallow a lake in one gulp. Carving out a cave dwelling is nothing to it.”
Jiang Tian walked into the cave with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping around.
The four walls of the main hall were covered in exquisite reliefs, mostly depicting gods, demons, monsters, and creatures from mythology. Embedded among the carvings were jade and luminous pearls, lighting up the hall as if it were daytime.
Under the glow of the pearls, the lifelike reliefs seemed to have souls of their own, as if they might burst through the walls at any moment.
The ground was a vast expanse of white. Looking closely, one could see that it was actually hundreds of skeletons. Some bones had already completely crumbled, and whenever the wind and snow blew in, clouds of powdery dust swirled up, filling the ancient cave with a chilling, yin-laden atmosphere.
At the very center of the myriad bones lay a dried-up blood pool. Its walls were dark red and eerily strange, radiating a bone-chilling coldness, as if restless spirits still drifted above it.
Looking more carefully, one could see that the stone tables, stone stools, and stone walls were covered in countless sword and blade marks—clear evidence that a tremendous battle had once taken place here.
“Is this the remains of that battle ape?”
Huo Qingtian was already trembling with fear from what he had seen. Suddenly, he cried out and pointed toward one side of the ancient cave.
There, on a stone platform against the northern wall, stood a massive ape, over two and a half meters tall, standing upright and proud.
Its entire body was covered in red fur, and it wore a golden suit of armor, black boots, and a jade belt around its waist. In its hand, it gripped an iron-gray metal staff. Its teeth were bared, its head tilted skyward, and its golden eyes remained wide open—still brimming with what seemed like endless resentment and killing intent.
“Dead but still standing, its lingering might remains. To think that such overwhelming pressure could radiate from a corpse… it’s truly astonishing!”
Huo Qingtian’s face was filled with shock, his eyes wide as saucers as he looked up at the ape’s visage. A heavy oppression weighed on his heart.
Even after several hundred years, this ape still exuded an unmatched domineering aura, a heroic posture that looked down upon the world—as if it were a demon god suppressing all the realms. That sheer dominance made it hard for Huo Qingtian to even breathe, his heart pounding in terror.
“It seems the cultivation resources of the Celestial Ruins are indeed exceptional—enough to allow a demon to cultivate and attain immortality.”
Even Jiang Tian sighed in admiration. He noticed that beneath the platform, a row of bold, vigorous characters was engraved:
“I am the Battle Sage Ape, who attained immortality through the demonic path, and the world could not tolerate my existence. Alas, my younger brother was trapped by many enemies. I, grievously wounded, fought against them, sweeping my staff across three immortals—but even so, I could not turn the tide. We perished together. My proud body now lies in this demonic cave, and my honor is tarnished. I have sealed myself here! What regret! What deep regret!”
The words were forceful and powerful, like dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing, yet they exuded a desolate, mournful air. They stirred the heart and moved the soul, filling one with emotion.
“So that’s how it was.”
Jiang Tian was slightly moved as well, and said with deep feeling: “To attain the Dao through the demonic path is a hundred or a thousand times harder than for ordinary people. Yet this ape had soaring ambition, and not only entered the Dao—it even managed to slay immortals. Truly extraordinary!”
“Yes. In life, its divine skill was peerless, standing tall between heaven and earth. In death, its immortal body remains undecayed, standing proud and defiant. Its overwhelming dominance has not faded for hundreds of years—it was truly a hero for the ages, a figure that looked down upon the mortal world!”
Jiang Tian could still remain composed, but Huo Qingtian was practically shouting in amazement, thoroughly shaken.
He also secretly marveled, thinking no wonder so many experts in China, like Ye Zhantian, preferred to seclude themselves in closed-door cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs.
Compared to such overwhelming power, what did fame and fortune in the mundane world even matter?
It was only now that Jiang Tian began to sweep the ape’s body with his divine sense, penetrating through the monstrous demonic aura and oppressive might.
Jiang Tian parted the fur on the ape’s head and saw a sword hilt deeply embedded in its skull and neck cavity.
“A flying sword!”
Jiang Tian exclaimed in surprise.
He slowly drew the long sword out. The blade was completely black, radiating an unusual luster, with a chilling gleam that inspired fear. It was exceptionally heavy. Jiang Tian was once again startled: “It’s actually forged from Immortal-Tears Black Gold!”
This was definitely a flying sword, but so much time had passed that only a trace of its magical power and spirituality remained.
But even in the outer starry skies, Immortal-Tears Black Gold was extremely rare—it could forge top-tier flying swords. No wonder this demon ape, powerful as it was, had still been killed.
His heart surged with excitement—this trip was truly worthwhile. Gu Boxian’s information had been invaluable.
“Heavenly Court!”
Suddenly, Jiang Tian was shocked again. On the hilt were engraved two small golden characters in ancient seal script, simple and elegant.
After studying the copied fragments of the Celestial Ruins scrolls from his grandfather, he had familiarized himself with many ancient scripts. Though he had yet to decipher the characters on those fragments, he could certainly recognize ancient seal script.
“Heavenly Court? What kind of organization or figure is that? Jiang DaShi, could it be the Heavenly Court from mythology?”
Huo Qingtian was deeply shaken—everything he had seen today had shattered his worldview.
Despite his extensive knowledge, he racked his brain and could not come up with any explanation.
“…” Jiang Tian was speechless.
You’re asking me? How should I know!
Jiang Tian was well-versed in the Dao of cultivation, but the problem was that he didn’t understand China’s cultivation world.
Back then, his master had led him along the ancient starry path, skimming past the Celestial Ruins and heading straight into the depths of the universe. To his master, who was already immensely powerful at the time, the Celestial Ruins had offered little challenge. So Jiang Tian, too, knew next to nothing about the Celestial Ruins.
