Chapter 600: Climbing the Mountain

"This is truly a cultivation sanctuary," Meng Hu said, stepping onto the black rock, clearly astonished.

"Indeed," replied Fu Sui. He and Old Demon Heifeng also stepped into the mountain's territory. Fu Sui even smiled slightly and added, "This entire mountain is a cultivation sanctuary, and the deeper we go, the greater the benefits for cultivation."

"Even greater?" Meng Chuan asked, surprised.

"Fu Sui and I have been here before, so it's certainly true," Old Demon Heifeng said with a slight smile.

"This mountain is truly unique," Meng Chuan remarked, feeling increasingly amazed. "The outer void is full of wonders. Patriarch Cang Yuan once said that there are no benefits without reason. This mountain's peculiarity must have a cause."

From the distant land, Meng Chuan had felt a sense of dread looking at the towering black mountain, and he naturally remained cautious of it.

"This mountain is somewhat peculiar," Meng Hu thought, feeling the wonderful surge of inspiration in his current state. He glanced at his three companions — Fu Sui, Heifeng, and Meng Chuan — and mused, "Everything in the River of Spacetime follows a natural cycle. Taking spiritual fruits and treasures only grants a few hours of enlightenment. Yet, in this black mountain, Fifth-Calm Voids can constantly remain in a state close to enlightenment. Perhaps we are unknowingly paying a price? Or is this mountain merely bait, set out first?"

Meng Hu was very cautious. His homeland was the high-level world of 'Dream Heaven Realm,' where an Eighth-Calm Void mighty figure had been born in its history. Having passed the trials to become a Dream Heaven Divine General, his status in the Dream Heaven Realm was quite high, and he had access to many secret records.

In the outer void, there were places even more miraculous than this ruin. But to effortlessly allow a large number of Fifth-Calm Voids to maintain a near-'enlightenment' state without any cost? That was utterly impossible!

There had to be a price! Either the price originated from the Void cultivators themselves, or the mountain's creator had paid it.

If the mountain's creator had paid the price, then there must be a purpose.

"The best possibility is that this towering mountain was created by its maker as a cultivation sanctuary for future generations, and after the creator's death, the mountain somehow managed to sustain itself, allowing us to benefit," Meng Hu quickly dismissed this idea. "However, that possibility is far too low. Moreover, from a distance, this black mountain feels eerie, and there are many forbidden creatures within the ruins, all of them driven mad..."

Forbidden creatures, capable of devouring all life, were the common enemy of all living beings. Could such inherently evil and monstrous creatures also be driven mad?

"This is absolutely not a safe cultivation sanctuary. There must be a reason for this eerie black mountain's existence," Meng Hu thought, exercising extreme caution.

Among the four present, Meng Hu was the most wary, and Meng Chuan was also cautious. In contrast, Fu Sui and Old Demon Heifeng, who were stepping onto the black mountain for the second time, were more fervent, having previously reaped benefits.

"Everyone, please be careful," Meng Hu warned. "This black mountain offers great benefits, but it might also bring great calamity."

"Haha, opportunities are found in danger," Fu Sui chuckled. "Venturing into ruins inherently involves various dangers, and we must seize the opportunities within them. This black mountain is the greatest opportunity I've encountered in years. Even if this true body perishes in battle, I cannot give up this chance."

"Sometimes, the price paid is more than just a single true body," Meng Hu said quietly.

Fu Sui and Heifeng both felt a pang in their hearts. "Brother Meng Hu, have you figured something out?" Heifeng pressed.

"I don't know," Meng Hu gently shook his head. "I only know that the greater the benefits presented, the more cautious one must be."

Meng Chuan nodded. "We certainly need to be careful."

"Yes, we understand," Fu Sui said. "Next, should we go to the place where Heifeng and I last died in battle?"

Meng Chuan and Meng Hu both nodded, as Fu Sui and Old Demon Heifeng needed to retrieve their lost treasures first.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* The four of them moved quickly. Meng Chuan also dispatched three of his Essence Soul avatars to continue scouting the surroundings.

"Be careful. There are more forbidden creatures in this black mountain," Fu Sui warned. "Heifeng and I previously died at the hands of a forbidden creature."

Meng Chuan and Meng Hu nodded. Having experienced the attacks of forbidden creatures on the land, neither of them dared to underestimate them.

As they continued their journey, "Why haven't we encountered any forbidden creatures?" Fu Sui asked, looking at Meng Chuan. "Did Brother Dongning's Essence Soul avatars block them in advance?"

"No, none of my three Essence Soul avatars have detected any forbidden creatures," Meng Chuan shook his head.

"Strange. There should be many more forbidden creatures on the black mountain. We should have encountered five or six by now, given how far we've traveled," Fu Sui frowned slightly, growing more vigilant.

The entire journey was strange. After entering the black mountain's territory, up until they reached the spot where Fu Sui and Heifeng had left their treasures last time, Meng Chuan and his three companions did not encounter a single forbidden creature.

"How strange.""Not a single forbidden creature.""My Essence Soul avatars haven't encountered any either."

Fu Sui and Heifeng retrieved their respective lost treasures, but they remained perplexed.

Retrieving the treasures wasn't surprising; the forbidden creatures in this ruin world were mad and only knew how to kill, never intentionally collecting cultivators' belongings. Fu Sui had died three times before, and each time he had managed to recover his own treasures.