What a majestic and beautiful mountain!

Lin Xun’s eyes lit up with delight as he approached the mountain, surprised to find such a wonderful mountain in the vast wilderness.

The lofty mountain stood thousands of feet tall. Its verdant green looked particularly gorgeous in the soft morning sunlight and being bathed in the swirling mist.

The roots of ancient trees were intricately intertwined on the mountain while bamboo swayed elegantly with the wind. Rare plants and grass occasionally spewed out vapors of light. From time to time, white apes and green deer gracefully galloped through the woodlands, almost imperceptible to ordinary people.

Additionally, ancient vines coiled around the foliage, and plants and flowers bloomed beautifully. Everywhere was a beautiful and delightful picture, just like a blessed land of celestial beings.

Lin Xun activated the Chaofeng Eye and observed silently.

“Auspicious qi is contained within the mountain like a dormant dragon. This is the sign of a top treasure land...” Lin Xun marveled after a moment.

He reckoned that he could easily establish a sect on the mountain because it was a blessed cultivation land!

But soon, he felt a chill in his heart. He sensed that something was wrong. The areas around the mountain were unusually quiet and still.

Even after he activated his spirit sense, he couldn’t detect a single life force, not even an ant!

“It stores auspicious qi and tremendous power within it yet living creatures actively avoid it and dare not to get close to it. Could there be some sort of shocking secret to the mountain?”

After Lin Xun drew a deep breath, he manipulated Suanni Qi to envelop his body before he snuck into the mountains with a flash.

He now had a much deeper grasp of the Suanni Qi and was able to conceal his aura using it. It was impossible to detect his movements unless a true king came.

However, he could at most activate the Suanni Qi for a quarter of an hour before it dissipated and exposed his aura.

It was another scenery on the mountain. Beautiful green pine trees and exotic flowers and fruits were everywhere, cutting through the swirling mist and glowing a golden hue under the sunlight.

Within minutes, he discovered dozens of rare and valuable medicinal ingredients.

There were Purple Nascent Blood Mushrooms that were as thick as an arm and coiled like snakes, Fire Jujube Trees hung with fiery red and plump fruits on their branches like lanterns, and Gold Vein Snow Lotus floating on the surface of a green pond!

While Lin Xun was spaced out from astonishment, he grew increasingly cautious.

The beautiful mountain contained so many rare medicinal ingredients, but no beasts or monsters were in sight. It was too abnormal.

Lin Xun didn‘t dare to touch anything and instead, he silently continued onwards.

Soon, he was astonished once again. He came across a cave dug out of the mountain. The moss framing the cave entrance and the ancient vines coiling around it indicated that it hadn’t been visited in a long time.

But there was no doubt that the cave was man-made and not natural!

“Was it a cave dwelling of a cultivator in the past...”

Lin Xun became still as he carefully studied the cave with the Chaofeng Eye. He saw the inside for a moment before a light so bright stung his eyes like the blinding sun and he had to look away immediately.

He trembled inwardly because it suggested that some earthshakingly rare and sacred treasure was concealed within the cave.

After some hesitation, a thought struck him and he summoned one of the God-Devourer Insects.

“Whether or not I’ll find a treasure depends on you now.”

He drew a deep breath and instilled a wisp of spirit sense into the God-Devourer Insect. Then, he guided it to explore the depths of the cave. If he hadn’t investigated the cave with the Chaofeng Eye, then he would have seen nothing but darkness, stillness and twists and turns.

The God-Devourer Insect might only be the size of a grain of rice, but that made it easy for it to silently navigate the cave, acting as Lin Xun’s eyes and allowing him to perceive everything along the way.

To Lin Xun’s surprise, the cave was incredibly deep and led underground. It didn’t seem like a cultivation place but instead a passageway.

After the God-Devourer Insect flew over a thousand feet, a thunder-like rumble echoed endlessly.

Lin Xun perked up and manipulated the God-Devourer Insect to continue onwards. Soon, his field of vision widened and a stretch of magnificent and sacred light appeared.

At the same time, an indescribable terrifying oppressive power pervaded the air, making the God-Devourer Insect quiver uneasily.

Meanwhile, Lin Xun froze outside the cave, inhaling sharply.

Through the spirit sense he instilled into the God-Devourer Insect, he captured an astonishing scene. In the depths of the stretch of magnificent and sacred light was a brilliant golden pond spewing out abundant life force.

If Lin Xun’s guess was correct, then the golden liquid that filled the pond was the legendary Gold Essence Jade Liquid!

It was a remarkable treasure known as one of the Eight Treasures of Heaven and Earth. Not only was one drop of it enough to revive the dead, but it also had limitless miraculous effects on one’s cultivation!

Treasures like that were incredibly rare even among the ancient sects, and only peerless geniuses were allowed to enjoy them.

However, a pond of Gold Essence Jade Liquid existed in the depths of the unknown mountain. This discovery would make any of the major clans and forces jealous and try to seize it at all costs.

Lin Xun’s heart thumped. It was no doubt a unique earthshaking opportunity.

But then, a chill ran all over his body and his expression dramatically changed. He almost cried out loud.

A dragon head suddenly poked out of the pond of Gold Essence Jade Liquid!

Its eyes resembled copper bells, its beard swayed as it moved, its body was covered with dragon scales, and the single horn of its head flared a golden light.

Is a real dragon hiding in this pond? Lin Xun was truly dumbfounded.

But he very quickly realized that he was wrong. The churning water revealed a strong and muscular body resembling that of an elk appeared, with slender and long hooves and a swaying tail. Its body glimmered like it was cast from gold.

What sort of creature is that?

It looks like the legendary Qilin Beast!

Lin Xun was struck dumb once again. Only after a moment did he recover from the shock. He began to analyze the creature that he saw in his memory. It looks like a dragon, but it isn’t a dragon. It looks like a Qilin, but it isn’t a Qilin beast. It should be a kind of fierce creature that has only existed in ancient times…

The Single-Horned Golden-Eyed Beast!

It was rumored to be progeny from the union of the Torch Dragon and the Golden Qilin, so it was born with infinite powers. Not only could it summon the wind and manipulate the rain, soar above the universe, but it also wielded divine powers and supernatural abilities.

In ancient times, there were rumors that a saint attempted to subdue a Single-Horned Golden-Eyed beast. Unfortunately, the ferocious beast ate him alive in the end!

Of course, this was only a rumor with exaggerated components, but there was no doubt that the Single-Horned Golden-Eyed Beast was a terrifyingly fierce creature.

“It’s no wonder that this mountain is so gorgeous with untouched beauty. No creatures dare to get anywhere near it because it has been occupied by a terrifying fellow already...” Lin Xun understood.

Immediately, he was chilled to the bone once again. The Single-Horned Golden-Eyed Beast seemed to have sensed something as its eyes glowed as bright as the scorching sun and shifted to the God-Devourer Insect.

Run!

Lin Xun unhesitatingly issued the order while he frantically steered the Grand Universe Ark away from the cave with all his strength.

“Roar!”

A thunderous roar quaked the area and dispersed the clouds in all directions. The space surrounding the unknown mountain exploded and collapsed, turning into turbulent air currents and spreading outward.

So terrifying. The sound waves of the roar alone spread like torrents and crumbled the mountains and land within a radius of hundreds of miles. The rocks and ancient trees were pulverized. Everything was sent into turmoil and chaos.

Boom!

Despite the incredible speed of the Grand Universe Ark, it still failed to escape in time. Impacted by the shockwaves, it hurtled across the air, swaying violently while Lin Xun staggered and paled.

That damn thing is so fierce and strong!

Lin Xun was utterly horrified. He frantically steered the Grand Universe Ark dozens of miles away before he was able to stabilize the ship.

Then, he saw the unknown mountain standing proud and alone, spewing purple qi and misty light into the sky.

Around it were collapsed ruins. It was as though a hurricane had swept across and left a trail of devastation.

“Roar!”

A golden beast appeared like a god. It raised its head in the air and stomped its four hooves, its brilliant golden eyes running across the area. Its tremendous body emitted a frightening monstrous aura.

It was a Single-Horned Golden-Eyed Beast, but its power and might were as unfathomable and boundless as the ocean, and more terrifying than a true king. Even the entire world would tremble at its sight.

Swoosh!

Without any hesitation, Lin Xun once again guided the Grand Universe Ark to flee far away from the beast. He had no other choice. The beast was too terrifying and could deal unpredictable damage to him and the ship if it caught up to them.

After some moment, the ferocious beast flew into the clouds and vanished into the unknown mountains. The monstrous aura that blanketed the sky also faded with it.

Lin Xun breathed a sigh of relief. I’m glad it didn’t catch up. Its aura is already more terrifying than that of a true king, so its strength has to be even more frightening.

“If I was a little slower just now, I would have been...” Lin Xun didn’t dare to think about it any more.

To his surprise, the God-Devourer Insect he sent out was still alive and it flew back to him, but it seemed to be on its last breath.

Lin Xun quickly took out a piece of mid-grade Spirit Accumulation Jade, fed the little fellow, and then carefully withdrew it into his mind-sea for it to recuperate.

“But the Gold Essence Jade Liquid...If I have it, when I break through to the Cyclic Derivation Stage, I can forge the Absolute Apex Path of that cultivation stage!”

There was a world of difference between the cultivation levels.

Although Lin Xun was regarded as an absolute apex king of the Heaven Ascension Stage, that didn’t guarantee that he would still be at the pinnacle when he reached the Cyclic Derivation Stage.

The reason he went to such effort to suppress his cultivation and push back his breakthrough to the next cultivation level was that he wanted to continue to be at the absolute apex when he broke through to the Cyclic Derivation Stage.

Even so, he wasn’t confident that he could achieve that.

But it would be another story if he had the help of the Gold Essence Jade Liquid!

He was very reluctant to leave, unwilling to part and miss out on such a rare opportunity.

“It would be great if I could lure the Single-Horned Golden-Eyed Beast away for a while...”

Suddenly, his dark eyes flashed and an insuppressible smile curled his lips. An idea struck him as he thought of the Black Nightmare Sky Dog Clan experts who were following him…