Teng Qingshan lay prone on the narrow cliff platform, his breathing reduced to nearly nothing. "They're coming out," Teng Qingshan clearly saw the tall Iron Arm Apes emerging from the cave. "Well, the Vermilion Fruits they held have indeed been put inside." The towering Iron Arm Ape that had just stepped out of the cave immediately let out high-pitched, excited 'Ya Ya Ya' cries that echoed above the monkey horde's lair.

The other Iron Arm Apes, who had been playing moments before, heard the call of the large ape and also began shouting excitedly, waving their arms and stamping their feet.

Ya Ya Ya...

A chorus of cries erupted, and then, one by one, the Iron Arm Apes scurried to various nooks and crannies to retrieve stone cups. "Cups?" Teng Qingshan watched the scene in surprise.

Some of the Iron Arm Apes appeared to have misplaced their cups.

These apes casually snatched up a piece of rock, then used their claws, as sharp as divine weapons, as knives, rapidly cutting and digging into the stone.

Soon, the rock transformed into a rudimentary stone cup.

Many more Iron Arm Apes emerged from all directions in response to the shouting, causing the number of apes below to swell again. "Over a thousand regular Iron Arm Apes, and thirteen of those large ones!" Teng Qingshan marveled internally. "But what are they doing with cups?" Just then— A creature covered in silver fur with golden pupils, an Iron Arm Ape of average size, stepped out of the cave.

It held a massive stone wine jar in one hand, the jar filled with a pale red liquid.

A rich aroma of wine drifted out, reaching Teng Qingshan, who was positioned only about ten zhang from the cave entrance.

He could smell it too. "This scent..." Teng Qingshan felt a thrilling jolt run through his entire body, a wave of pure pleasure washing over him. "Even the smell is this intoxicating," Teng Qingshan glanced at the Golden-Eyed Iron Arm Ape. "All the apes in this troop show significant deference to this silver-furred one." Teng Qingshan could see it clearly.

This Golden-Eyed Iron Arm Ape was obviously the king of the entire troop! In the ranks of demonic beasts, to be the king meant being the most formidable one.

However, regarding the Monkey King’s actual strength, Teng Qingshan had no clear idea. "The demonic beast manual only covered the common Iron Arm Apes.

It didn't even mention the large ones or the Monkey King," Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly.

The book's introduction was far from complete.

Below— Following a shout from the Golden-Eyed Iron Arm Ape, the more than one thousand Iron Arm Apes erupted in joyous cheers.

The Golden-Eyed Iron Arm Ape then poured the pale red liquid from the large wine jar into the gourds held by the thirteen tall Iron Arm Apes beneath him.

Afterward, these thirteen large apes distributed the Vermilion Fruit Wine from their respective gourds to every single Iron Arm Ape.

The apes moved with incredible speed.

In a flash, over a thousand Iron Arm Apes each received a cup.

... "So fragrant!" Teng Qingshan couldn't help but praise.

With the wine distributed among the thousand-plus apes, the intense aroma had fully permeated the area.

The sky had already darkened.

The excited apes sipped their Vermilion Fruit Wine sparingly and treasured it, smacking their lips.

Each cup would last them at least dozens of careful sips to finish. "Hmm?" Teng Qingshan’s gaze swept toward the distance.

He spotted a shadow on a nearby tree—a pair of grey eyes looking mysteriously out of the darkness. "It's a Black Panther," Teng Qingshan's night vision was excellent.

He instantly identified the distant shadow as a sleek, completely black panther with oily fur. "It's the demonic beast 'Black Wind Leopard'; it should be faster than me." Teng Qingshan had clearly observed the speed with which the black leopard had scaled the tree earlier.

Whoosh! Another shadow materialized, concealed in the nearby undergrowth, its green eyes also fixed on the monkey troop's nest.

... "So many demonic beasts," Teng Qingshan felt a chill. "The 'Black Wind Leopard,' the 'Azure-Striped Wolf,' the 'Purple Lightning Centipede,' and two others I don't recognize." From Teng Qingshan's vantage point, using his six senses, he had already detected five different demonic beasts.

How many more were lurking around? Teng Qingshan couldn't say for sure.

In short: there were many beasts! Of course, Teng Qingshan, lying in ambush, posed no less of a threat than any of them. "Aah!" The Golden-Eyed Monkey King triumphantly took a deep swig of the Vermilion Fruit Wine, glancing dismissively at the lurking beasts nearby.

The other Iron Arm Apes also cried out in excitement.

Among the thousand-plus apes, some certainly noticed the other demonic beasts.

But...

these apes clearly looked down on the intruders.

Each one contentedly took a small sip of the Vermilion Fruit Wine, letting out a satisfied cry with every taste.

On Iron Arm Ape Mountain, the ape troop was the undisputed sovereign! No other demonic beast could challenge them! ...

Hiss! The lurking demonic beasts were clearly drawn by the irresistible allure of the Vermilion Fruit Wine.

They remained hidden around the perimeter, yet not a single one dared to charge into the monkey mass.

If it had been just one Iron Arm Ape, these solitary beasts would have felt no fear.

But thousands of them together? They hesitated! "The atmosphere feels wrong," Teng Qingshan observed the beasts in the distance and sighed. "I rarely encounter demonic beasts in the Savage Lands.

But on Iron Arm Ape Mountain, there aren't just 'Vermilion Fruits' and the ape troop here; there are other beasts too." Teng Qingshan understood.

The presence of so many demonic beasts was intrinsically linked to the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth! A mountain capable of nurturing so many spiritual fruits and hosting such a gathering of beasts was clearly no ordinary peak.

As Teng Qingshan remained quietly concealed— "Screeech!" A sharp cry suddenly pierced the air.

A silver-grey phantom streaked across the sky, diving into the monkey troop like lightning. "It's an eagle, but I haven't seen this divine eagle in any of the books," Teng Qingshan noted, confirming the texts were incomplete.

The divine eagle, its wings spread wider than a zhang, plunged toward the troop and, in an instant, attacked one of the thirteen large Iron Arm Apes.

Thwack! With a single beat of its wing, the large Iron Arm Ape was sent flying, crashing violently against the nearby cliff face.

With a dull boom, a large crater formed in the rock, sending shards flying. "Swoop!" The eagle's sharp beak plunged into the gourd and sucked dry the remaining Vermilion Fruit Wine inside. "Ya Ya Ya~~~" The Iron Arm Ape troop instantly exploded into chaos, their ferocity fully displayed. "Aah!" The Golden-Eyed Monkey King roared, moving like a silver flash, shooting directly toward the divine eagle.

The silver-grey eagle did not engage the Monkey King in a prolonged fight; it merely beat its wings and ascended.

Thump! The Monkey King stamped the ground, causing a massive tremor, and transformed into a silver streak, instantly soaring twenty-plus zhang high.

Its powerful, iron-like arms snatched hold of one of the eagle's sharp, silver-grey talons.

The silver-grey divine eagle violently twisted, bringing its beak and remaining talons to bear against the Monkey King.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! While the King and the eagle wrestled in the air, the lurking demonic beasts immediately darted into the crowd, scrambling fiercely to snatch the Vermilion Fruit Wine. "Aya Aya!!!" The Iron Arm Apes shrieked, simultaneously draining the wine in their own cups to prevent outsiders from drinking it.

They then formed groups of several dozen, swarming toward the intruding beasts.

Having managed to drink a few cups, the invading demonic beasts realized the situation had turned dire and fled in blind panic.

In fact, precisely when the monkey troop descended into chaos, Teng Qingshan had already silently vaulted to the cliff face directly above the cave entrance. "Even in the chaos, there are still Iron Arm Apes standing guard around here," Teng Qingshan observed the apes below.

A few were watching the distant battle, completely unaware of his position above.

Hoo! Teng Qingshan dropped soundlessly from the cliff face.

The moment his head reached the cave entrance, his right hand effortlessly sank its five fingers into the stone wall.

Using the strength of his right arm, his body moved with boneless fluidity against the inner wall, shooting deep into the cave's recesses.

From the drop to the infiltration took barely a blink of an eye.

Whoosh! Teng Qingshan had vanished into the depths of the cavern.

Those Iron Arm Apes still stationed at the cave mouth, watching the distant melee, were too caught up in their excited cries and roars to notice Teng Qingshan at all.

...

Teng Qingshan proceeded cautiously within the pitch-black cave, holding the Reincarnation Spear in his right hand and a flying dagger in his left.

Despite the darkness, he could see every detail within his line of sight.

Following the cave's winding path, Teng Qingshan eventually arrived at the expansive chamber inside the mountain's core.

The potent wine aroma wafted strongly from within. "This is—" Teng Qingshan looked at the pale red liquid filling the square stone pit. "So much of it? The beasts outside were fighting to the death over a mere drop, and here is an abundance.

But I must find the Vermilion Fruits first!" Near this square pit were several bottles, stone basins, and wine jars. "Vermilion Fruit!" Teng Qingshan spotted a single Vermilion Fruit resting in a stone basin. "Only one left? Where are the other two?" He picked up the single fruit, but to his surprise, he discovered that the scent it exuded was remarkably similar to the aroma of the pale red liquid. "There are also some pale red dregs in this stone basin.

Could it be...

that the pale red liquor is Vermilion Fruit Wine, made from the Vermilion Fruits and other ingredients?" Teng Qingshan began to piece things together. "Since the beasts are fighting over it, the liquor must be potent.

However..." Teng Qingshan unbuckled his travel pack and carefully placed the Vermilion Fruit inside. "Once I consume a Vermilion Fruit, my inner strength will surge, and my Dantian will expand rapidly.

During the period of Dantian transformation, I estimate I won't be able to control my inner energy effectively.

The situation is critical right now; I should wait until I escape before eating it." The ape troop was outside! The longer he stayed in the cave, the greater the danger.

For now, he dared not consume any spiritual fruit. "It would be a waste not to drink this Vermilion Fruit Wine.

But if I drink it now and it triggers any strange bodily reactions, it will hinder my escape." Teng Qingshan scanned the surrounding containers, but they were all crudely made stone vessels, lacking even proper stoppers.

Suddenly, Teng Qingshan glimpsed the gourd inside his own pack! This was his dedicated water gourd! A proper traveling gourd would not be small. "I'll fill this one gourd; it holds several catties!" Teng Qingshan rejoiced.

He immediately pulled out the stopper and plunged the empty gourd directly into the stone pit.

With a gurgling sound, the Vermilion Fruit Wine poured rapidly into his vessel.