In the depths of the Northern Hills, where the vegetation was too tangled to traverse, thick gray mist swirled. The fog carried the intoxicating aroma of poison from the hidden blood lotus flowers—capable of instantly paralyzing a mortal, but to the cultivators, it only felt like a piercing cold and a faint dizziness. Amidst the suffocating mist, the ancients always said—the most dangerous places often conceal the purest marvels.

  Uncle Chen, Liang, Bao, and Fourteen, along with three other hunters, crawled slowly through the trained thickets. They did not move like mortals, but like shadows composed of skin and muscle; every movement of their feet and hands was calculated to avoid breaking a twig or dropping a leaf. They had conducted reconnaissance for a long time, and tonight was the time for them to move.

  In the middle of the black mud swamp and basalt rocks, about two hundred paces ahead of them, stood a flat pile of stones that radiated a faint warmth. On top of this pile of stones lay the Fire Roaring Ape.

  The ape, the size of two male water buffalo combined, was covered by thick, crimson fur that almost resembled frozen molten lava. It lay prone, its chest rising and falling with a slow rhythm, and occasionally, hot steam escaped from its wide nostrils. It was a Sprouting Fang level beast, a formidable opponent even for Organ Transformation cultivators and required perfect teamwork.

  "Quiet," Uncle Chen whispered, his voice barely audible. He used the breath-concealing technique, holding his breath, releasing it in small puffs broken up by the thick foliage.

  Uncle Chen leaned slightly, gripping his ironwood staff. Around him, the poisonous mist felt colder, yet it dared not touch him. The mist naturally parted from his body—a result of the solid Organ Transformation foundation he had cultivated after decades. His lungs had been washed by spiritual essence, which could easily resist mortal poisons.

  Uncle Chen sensed the heat emanating from the Ape; this mission was crucial. Obtaining the Fire Roaring Ape was vital, as the spiritual essence and treasures within the fierce beast could help the young villagers reach the Divine Wheel stage.

  "Chen," Liang whispered from his right side. Liang, who was applying a type of poison-repelling oil to his long hunting knife, pointed toward the Fire Roaring Ape. "Its eyes are twitching. It will wake up soon."

  Uncle Chen nodded. He glanced at Fourteen, who was in the foremost striker position. Fourteen, wielding his large axe, was the key to their initial attack. Fourteen's axe was capable of drawing the attention of the Fire Roaring Ape, which was known to collect spiritual treasures.

  Bao, who was behind Liang, grumbled softly. "Why not just attack directly? The smell of this rotten mud makes me want to vomit. The ape is big, but it sleeps like a wild boar."

  "Patience, Bao," Liang countered, his tone calm and sharp like his knife. "A Fire Roaring Ape is not a wild boar. Its fur is hard as basalt rock, and its essence lies in its core. We must wait until it shows its weak point."

  Fourteen, hearing the debate, glanced at Bao in mockery. Fourteen was the youngest but the most ambitious. He had reached First Ember at only thirty years old, an achievement that made the older hunters slightly envious. Bao snorted again, scowling. He hated Fourteen's constant showing off.

  "Shut your mouths, and suppress your spiritual energy," Uncle Chen commanded, his tone turning very cold.

  "The Fire Roaring Ape," Uncle Chen whispered, shifting their focus. "It feeds on seeds that fall from the cliff. That gives it a hard layer of fire essence beneath its skin. We cannot penetrate its hide unless it uses its power."

  Liang responded with deep knowledge, "Its body is very valuable; the spiritual treasures inside its body can benefit us too." Liang had once researched that the Blazing Roar Ape possessed a spiritual treasure capable of strengthening the body and providing better sensory perception.

  "I know, perhaps I can break through to the Consciousness Transformation realm with the help of that spiritual treasure," Uncle Chen said, his voice filled with determination and the struggle for the opportunity before his eyes.

  Bao asked skeptically, "You mean the sea of consciousness that will form the sky above it?" he inquired cautiously. Bao was merely a First Ember cultivator, the same as Fourteen.

  Uncle Chen nodded slowly, his gaze distant and filled with deep longing. "The Sea of Consciousness. Consciousness Transformation is the dream of all hunters on the frontier. It is when spiritual energy not only cleanses the organs and strengthens the foundation but also begins to wash and expand the sea of the soul—which is inside your chest. There, true cultivators begin to build the tree of life that establishes their vitality."

  Liang added respectfully, "After the Consciousness Realm, we don't just rely on physical strength and energy, Bao. We can begin to use Divine Sense—a spiritual sense that can scan for miles, predict the enemy's movements, and even communicate without sound. That is the stage where mortals truly begin to touch the edges of the Heavenly."

  Bao fell silent, his envy towards Uncle Chen slightly diminished by the grandeur of that goal. "Divine Sense... So, Grandfather Wu, what stage is he in?"

  Uncle Chen smiled faintly, a smile containing deep knowledge and secrets, knowing more than what most people in the village knew.

  "Grandfather Wu is our village's Golden Foundation. He has long surpassed the Consciousness Realm. But forget Grandfather Wu. Focus on us." Uncle Chen said, his voice calm and full of careful secrecy, "If we obtain the Fire Core from this Ape, and if I can refine it, I might be able to break through. And with that, I will lead some of the village's young people toward the Divine Wheel with a more stable foundation."

  "The Fire Core," Fourteen repeated, his voice filled with burning ambition. "I will lead. Let me draw its attention. I can withstand its roar for a moment."

  "Wait, Fourteen," Uncle Chen whispered. "This Ape's Fire Core is a spiritual treasure. It might be hiding something else. Blazing Roar Apes are known to be cunning. They collect rare materials to build their 'hot nest'."

  Suddenly, the Fire Roaring Ape moved. It lifted its massive head, its neon yellow eyes slowly opening, piercing the thick mist and the surrounding darkness. The Ape did not look startled; it looked bored. Hot steam escaped from its mouth in a large puff.

  ROAR!

  The roar was not aimed at them, but at the still-dark sky, a deafening declaration of sovereignty. The sound was so loud that the mud in the swamp trembled, and some blood lotus leaves nearby fell off.

  "Now!" Uncle Chen exclaimed. "It is showing its Fire Core! Fourteen! Lure it!"

  Fourteen did not wait twice. He leaped from his hiding spot, his axe raised above his head, sprinting toward the Blazing Roar Ape.

  "Hey, sleeping wild boar!" Fourteen shouted, ignoring the plan for silence. He channeled his essence, causing his axe to glow with a faint orange light. "That Fire Core is mine!"

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  The Ape, which had just awakened, slowly turned its head toward Fourteen. Its yellow eyes blinked. In a movement faster than its size suggested, the Ape lifted its massive arm and swung it at Fourteen.

  BAM!

  Fourteen, despite holding the axe, was thrown into the air like a rag doll, landing with a splash in the black mud behind them. His axe flew and landed far away among the tree roots.

  "Fourteen!" Liang cried out.

  The Ape snorted, as if considering the attack insignificant. It turned toward Uncle Chen and his group, who were now out of hiding. It grinned, revealing large yellow fangs.

  "Attack! Hit its head! Don't let it release the fire wave!" Uncle Chen shouted, now moving forward. He knew that after the first blow, the Ape would no longer take them lightly.

  Liang and Bao advanced from the sides, swinging their knives and staves toward the Ape's legs. Uncle Chen, with his Organ Transformation foundation, leaped into the air, aiming for the Ape's eyes with his ironwood staff.

  The fierce battle had begun in the depths of the Northern Hills, a fight that would determine the future of cultivation for the young people in their village. Amidst the poisonous mist and deadly roars, there was only one goal in their minds: the highly beneficial Fire Core to strengthen their position in the chaotic wilderness.

  Uncle Chen, with his ironwood staff, struck toward the Fire Roaring Ape's eyes. At the same time, he forced all his energy to circulate. The staff glowed with a pale yellow light, a thin protective layer around it, holding back the heat radiating from the Ape.

  WHIZZ!

  The Ape, though large, reacted with incredible speed. It did not swing again but tilted its head slightly. Uncle Chen's staff only grazed its thick fur, producing a small spark and a piercing metallic scraping sound.

  "Its fur is too hard!" Uncle Chen exclaimed, landing uncomfortably on the wet mud.

  At that moment, Liang and Bao, who attacked the Ape's legs, also failed. Liang's sharp knife merely bounced off the Ape's skin and fur, like hitting a rubber-coated stone.

  "We need penetration!" Liang shouted, immediately retreating. "It hasn't used its Fire Core yet! We have to provoke it!"

  The Fire Roaring Ape snorted, a cruel and contemptuous laugh. It stomped its large foot.

  BOOM!

  The stomp sent a shockwave through the ground, causing mud and basalt rocks to fly. Uncle Chen and his companions had to jump back to avoid the debris.

  Meanwhile, Fourteen, who had been thrown into the mud, immediately got up. Although he felt intense pain in his ribs, his ambition was greater than the pain. He ran, ignoring his distant axe, and grabbed a long spear carried by one of the other hunters.

  "Liang! Lure it into the air!" Fourteen shouted.

  Liang, understanding the plan, nodded. He jumped forward, not physically attacking the Ape, but channeling a bit of his essence into the air in front of the Ape's face. The essence, though weak, briefly disrupted the Ape's vision.

  The Fire Roaring Ape felt annoyed. It raised its arm, ready to crush Liang. At the same time, it opened its mouth wide, and the core in its chest glowed with a blazing red light—the Fire Core!

  ROARRRR!

  The Ape let out a different roar, a deafening fire roar. A wave of boiling heat burst from its mouth—not pure fire, but a thermal shockwave that could burn their skin to the bone.

  "Protect yourselves!" Uncle Chen shouted, immediately creating a thick yellow essence shield in front of his body and Liang's.

  The heat wave struck, making Uncle Chen stagger backward. His shield flickered and nearly broke, but he managed to withstand the direct attack.

  This was the moment! The Fire Core was now exposed, as the Ape exerted all its energy for the thermal attack.

  Fourteen, who had taken the long spear, ran forward at full speed. He saw the gap—the area under the Ape's armpit, where its fur layer looked thinnest due to the raised arm's strain.

  "Now or never!" Fourteen yelled. He channeled his essence into the spear, making it vibrate and glow. He ran, avoiding the radiating heat, and plunged the spear under the Ape's armpit.

  STAB!

  The spear embedded deeply. The Fire Roaring Ape shrieked in pain, a roar now mixed with suffering. The heat it was spewing vanished. The Ape turned toward Fourteen, its neon yellow eyes filled with blind fury.

  "Retreat, Fourteen!" Uncle Chen shouted.

  Fourteen immediately backed away, leaving the spear embedded. The Ape swung its arm, trying to grab the spear, but only managed to tear some skin around the wound.

  "Three bows! Aim for that wound!" Uncle Chen shouted, now seeing an opportunity.

  The three bow hunters, including Hua Ling, who had been waiting for this chance, immediately notched their bows. They shot three large essence-channeled arrows, aiming for the wound Fourteen had created.

  WHIZZ! WHIZZ! WHIZZ!

  The three arrows plunged into the open wound, making the Ape scream again. The Fire Roaring Ape began to jump around in pain.

  "Quick! We must cut off its path!" Uncle Chen exclaimed, now attacking again with his staff, aiming for the back of the Ape's leg to immobilize it.

  Liang and Bao advanced again, their knives gleaming.

  The battle continued amidst the poisonous mist, now with the advantage on the hunters' side. The Fire Roaring Ape's crimson blood dripped onto the black mud, boiling and emitting smoke as if the mud were water.

  Finally, with one last coordinated attack, Uncle Chen managed to break the Ape's back knee with his staff. The Ape crashed heavily to the ground. It tried to get up, but Liang immediately plunged his knife into the back of the Ape's neck, piercing the vital point between the vertebrae.

  The Fire Roaring Ape grunted, its last breath leaving as a cold puff of hot steam. Its neon yellow eyes slowly dimmed.

  Uncle Chen was panting, his body covered in sweat and mud. He walked closer, pulling Fourteen's spear from the Ape's wound. He stared at the Ape's carcass with a mix of respect and ambition.

  "Good job," Uncle Chen said, his voice hoarse. "This Ape was stronger than I expected. Fourteen, you opened the way. You get the first harvest."

  Fourteen, though bruised, smiled broadly. He ran and grabbed his axe lying in the mud.

  "Liang," Uncle Chen commanded. "You and Bao deal with this carcass. Take the hide carefully. We need every essence in it. I will deal with the Fire Core and its hot nest."

  Uncle Chen approached the Ape's chest. He had to use the dissection skills he learned from an Organ Transformation cultivator, cutting the Ape's ribs with his small knife. After a few minutes of concentration, he succeeded.

  Inside the Ape's chest cavity, a blazing red crystal ball shone—the Blazing Roar Ape's Fire Core. The Core radiated heat so intense that Uncle Chen had to summon his Organ Transformation essence to withstand it.

  However, beneath the Fire Core, there was something else. In a hidden niche within the Ape's thick layer of fat, neatly wrapped in a membrane layer, there was a small mound. Uncle Chen pulled it out.

  It was a cluster of roots wrapped in a layer of dry spiritual essence. The roots were milky white, very fine, and emitted a cold, pungent aroma—a complete contrast to the Ape's Fire Core.

  "What is this?" Liang asked, surprised.

  Uncle Chen, his eyes flickering, immediately recognized this rare ingredient. "This... Thousand-Year Jade Root! The Fire Roaring Ape ate it to balance its Fire Core! This is a balancing treasure! More valuable than the Fire Core itself!"

  Uncle Chen smiled. "The Fire Core will take me to the Consciousness Realm. And this Thousand-Year Jade Root... this will stabilize the foundation of our young ones. Even those with the most... fragile foundations."

  Uncle Chen, his breath hitching, immediately stored the blazing Fire Core and the cold Thousand-Year Jade Root inside the cooled jade box he carried. He stood tall, his sharp eyes sweeping over his exhausted but satisfied group. The gray mist around them felt thinner, as if their victory had dispelled the poison.

  "Liang," Uncle Chen commanded, his voice returning to a cold commanding tone. "We don't have time. The smell of blood will attract more Fire Roaring Apes. Or, worse, the Mud Forest Bears."

  Liang nodded, his long, sharp knife already unsheathed, dripping crimson blood. "Bao, let's open it up! Fourteen, find your axe and guard the north side! Three hunters, prepare your bows. We must move in twenty breaths!"

  Bao, despite his earlier grumbling, now moved with surprising speed. He used his small axe to break the Ape's sternum. The smell of fishiness and mud enveloped the area.

  "Fourteen, here!" Liang shouted while splitting the thick fur layer on the Ape's back. "Break open the heart and stomach area! Fire Roaring Apes are known to be cunning; they swallow rare essences to digest slowly!"

  Fourteen, who had just returned with his axe, his face pale from the impact, but his eyes gleaming with ambition. He knelt in the mud, swinging his axe wildly, cutting through the thick layer of fat around the Ape's organs.

  "My goodness! Look at this!" Fourteen exclaimed, his hand reaching into the Ape's stomach cavity.

  He pulled out a bundle of bark scrolls tied with roots. Inside, there were three Basal Fire Seeds—seeds that radiated a purer fire essence than the seeds the Ape usually ate, and three Pure Water Crystals the size of a thumb.

  "Seeds and Crystals!" Bao exclaimed, forgetting his envy. "This Ape is truly a treasure trove! With these Pure Water Crystals, we can create Body Transformation Pills!"

  "Everything into the spatial bag!" Uncle Chen commanded, his voice sounding urgent. He pulled out a small bag from his robe, a bag that looked like an ordinary leather wallet but emitted a faint spatial aura.

  Uncle Chen channeled essence into the bag, and a small black hole appeared at the bag's mouth. Liang and Bao immediately put in the Fire Core and all the seeds and crystals they found.