Li Mu summoned a group of Puppet Spiders and sent them scattering in all directions, slowly making their way toward the spiritual treasure in the palace atop the mountain.

Soon, Li Mu's divine thought attached to each Puppet Spider, and he made a surprising discovery.

One of the Puppet Spiders discovered a patch of Spirit Medicine Garden halfway up the mountain, with a circular fountain in the center of the Medicinal Plant Garden, where Spiritual Spring Water gushed forth. Around it, in the thick black mud, grew all sorts of plants — spirit trees as thick as radishes, a seven-colored lotus in the spring, vermillion fruit trees... All kinds of exotic flowers and plants competed to bloom.

"Golden Essence Blood Ginseng with a medicinal age of 500 years, Bodhi Spirit Flower at 650 years, and it's a Tier Five Spirit Grass — Seven-Colored Primordial Lotus, all matured!..." Li Mu's eyes twinkled with wonder as he marveled at the high-tier spirit medicines in the Medicinal Plant Garden, with countless emotions swirling in his heart.

Over the years, Li Mu had been cultivating various spirit medicines and spirit grasses. However, apart from the necessary Five Elements Spirit Grass, Yin Yang Spirit Plants, Wind Spirit Grass, Cui Ling Fruit, and Celestial Phoenix Grass — these low-tier spirit plants — he had neither the energy to care for nor successfully cultivate the other spirit grasses and spirit medicines.

Some mature spirit plants were also harvested early in order to obtain the Plant Spirit Light Group. Li Mu had never seen so many mature spirit medicines, and, in a moment of excitement, forgot everything else, wishing he could immediately harvest them all to see what spirit plant attributes they could provide him.

However, since these spirit plants weren't cultivated by him, these high-aged spirit medicines and spirit grasses couldn't provide the Plant Spirit Light Group.

Li Mu abandoned his focus on the Medicinal Plant Garden and controlled the group of Spider Puppets to continue exploring the Spiritual Land, heading towards the central palace cave mansion.

Soon, the Spider Puppets made another unexpected discovery.

Li Mu's face darkened as he stared ahead, feeling a hostile force locking onto him.

Li Mu took a deep breath, unafraid; how could he leave Treasure Mountain empty-handed?

Li Mu gestured, summoning five Tier Five Five-Element Spirit Swords from the Nine Treasures Spirit Pearl, which hovered in the air.

Suddenly, the ground ahead churned, and sand and stones flew as a massive creature rose up.

Standing dozens of feet tall, with a jet-black body and shining dark-gold fur, a giant ape quickly grew larger, revealing itself.

With its fists pounding its chest, a thunderous roar echoed through the sky, shaking the heavens and earth.

The visible shockwave rushed toward him.

Li Mu frowned slightly, drawing a sword point, and the oncoming shockwave easily dispersed.

Nascent Soul Peak?

This Spirit Beast's strength had reached Tier Five Peak, equivalent to a human cultivator's Nascent Soul Peak.

"How dare you trespass in the Divine Monarch's Cave Mansion! I advise you to leave quickly, or there will be no mercy."

Li Mu recognized the origins of the giant ape before him.

It was the Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape, a highly talented Spirit Beast known for its intelligence but extremely difficult to capture.

Reaching Level 5 Peak was truly rare and precious.

"I wish to meet the Tianyan Divine Monarch."

Li Mu didn't want to become an enemy of the Mountain Guardian Spirit Ape.

"Hmph, a mere Nascent Soul True Monarch does not have that qualification, behold my fist!"

The Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape had barely finished speaking before it swung a heavy punch directly at Li Mu.

The fist wind roared like a dragon, stirring the air currents within several kilometers, forming visible whirlpools.

Li Mu summoned the Five Elements Spirit Sword, which instantly combined into a giant Five Elements Sword several feet long, cleaving towards the incoming fist.

Brute force against brute force.

"Boom!" With a loud explosion, the giant fist and giant sword clashed in mid-air, causing a deafening explosion.

Sharp shockwaves swept through, causing the ground to crack inch by inch, ancient trees to topple, and heaven and earth to transform.

The surging Spiritual Qi, like actual blades, sliced through the millennia-old trees, wreaking havoc on the entire Spiritual Land.

Li Mu remained airborne, unmoving, gazing toward the direction of the palace cave mansion with an unusual expression.

Just moments ago, he had vaguely felt a powerful wave of energy, indistinct but certainly not from the Divinity Transformation Cultivator — Tianyan Divine Monarch.

The Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape, however, was knocked back seven or eight steps, each step causing the ground to tremble relentlessly.

Finally, it crashed into a nearby small mountain, halting its retreat.

Raising its head to look, filled with fear and amazement.

Looking at its own fist, where a sword wound had already exposed the bone, the stark white bone was clearly visible.

How strong!

This human cultivator wasn't very old; his cultivation had just barely entered the early stages of the Nascent Soul True Monarch, yet he was this powerful?

Li Mu remained, standing against the wind, gazing at the Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape, warningly saying: "Demon Ape, be respectful! Is your master around? Have him meet with me; if further disrespect occurs, I won't be polite!"

This Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape was quite exasperating, and if the fight continued, the cave mansion of this Spiritual Land would be destroyed. Li Mu wasn't sure if the Tianyan Divine Monarch was still in the cave mansion; intruding into his cave mansion and injuring his Mountain Guardian Spirit Beast without forethought was truly beyond the pale.

The Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape truly found it hard to believe this human could be so powerful. Normally, demon beasts were naturally much stronger in physique than humans of the same tier.

Though injured now, its robust physical ability would allow the wound to heal quickly.

But it hadn't suffered such humiliation in years, and veins of fury throbbed beneath its fur.

"Friend, please do not take offense, my Mountain Guardian Spirit Ape has a rebellious nature and doesn't listen well, I hope you'll forgive it."

A voice echoed through the skies.

In the distance, golden light burst from the palace.

A figure with a kind face, hands behind his back and a faint white light emanating from his body, appeared.

"You must be the Tianyan Divine Monarch." Li Mu cupped his fists respectfully. "Junior greets you. I was hasty in disturbing your meditation, my apologies."

Li Mu cupped his hands, regarding the other with his Yin Yang Dual Pupils. He immediately realized, from the state of the figure, that although it bore the might of a Divine Monarch, it held none of the essence. The true Tianyan Divine Monarch might have been long gone.

The Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape swiftly shrank, becoming ten feet small, and in the blink of an eye had hidden its form, peering out from behind a boulder with eyes filled with fear as it watched Li Mu.

Just moments earlier, it had clearly felt the breath of death.

This human before it was not someone it could overpower, it realized.

"Please, come along and have a chat in my Cave Mansion. Do not be disturbed by my unruly ape," Tianyan Divine Monarch stroked his mustache with a kindly smile, a look of appreciation flashing across his eyes as he extended a warm invitation to Li Mu.

"Then I'll humbly accept," Li Mu bowed his hand in response, gazing at Tianyan with his Yin Yang Dual Pupils, immediately realizing that this was not the true Tianyan Divine Monarch. Though exuding the might of a Divine Monarch, he lacked the actual essence.

Perhaps, the real Tianyan Divine Monarch had passed away many years ago.

Upon seeing this, Li Mu felt relief. He had been somewhat afraid that the genuine Tianyan Divine Monarch might show up in person; after all, he had rashly invaded the master's cave mansion and wounded his Mountain Guardian Spirit Beast, which was indeed excessively rude.

The Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape quickly shrank in size, and in the blink of an eye, cowered and hid behind, looking at Li Mu in fear.

Just moments ago, it had clearly sensed the aura of death.

"Do not take offense, friend. My Mountain Guardian Spirit Ape has a defiant nature and doesn't listen well. I invite your understanding and forgiveness." The voice echoed through heaven and earth.

Golden light radiated from the distant palace.

Soon a figure emerged, scattering light, standing with a kindly look on his face, hands behind his back, and an unearthly glow emanating faintly from him.

"You must be the Tianyan Divine Monarch." Li Mu bowed his head. "Greetings, Your Excellency."

With a slight smile, Tianyan Divine Monarch stroked his beard, his eyes flashing with admiration. "Do join me in my cave mansion for a conversation," he invited, gesturing courteously.

Without hesitation, Li Mu joined the Divine Monarch, both flying steadily through the air toward the magnificent palace on the mountain peak.

The Jade-Eyed Long-armed Ape quickly shrank in size, and in the blink of an eye, it turned ten cubits tall, shrinking back to its form and hiding behind the Tianyan Divine Monarch with a look of fear.

Just now, it had clearly felt the presence of death.

The land around them, however, restored itself almost instantly, as though the recent battle had never taken place.

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