Although the Red-tailed Ape’s strength is no more than the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, as the saying goes, many ants can kill an elephant.

Four or five Red-tailed Apes attacking together, fearless and reckless, would indeed pose a life-threatening danger to an average cultivator at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

The sharp cries echoed through the Water Cave, ten pairs of blood-red eyes filled with a savage desire to tear apart the Daoist in front of them.

"Splash splash!"

But at that moment, the Water Cave suddenly filled with thick fog accompanied by the sound of heavy rain.

This mist spread rapidly, like a white cloud bursting open, covering a distance of ten zhang in an instant.

"Chirp chirp chirp?"

The five swiftly approaching Red-tailed Apes were all enveloped by the fog, their previously savage expressions suddenly frozen.

The mist was as dense as clouds, ethereal and mysterious, seemingly isolating everything. The five Red-tailed Apes flared their nostrils furiously but could not detect any human scent or blood. They stopped in confusion.

"Splash splash!"

Moreover, the sudden rain dulled the demon patterns on their chests, seemingly suppressing them.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Unable to see the Daoist and with their demon patterns subdued, the Red-tailed Apes’ eyes grew even redder, their expressions increasingly savage. They began to desperately tear at the fog, seemingly wanting to escape the place.

Yet, having lost their senses, they kept returning to their original location after circling around.

"Thud!"

Just then, amidst the thick fog, an icy chain and a cyan-colored Dharma Sword simultaneously lit up.

The Ice Chain and Dharma Sword were concealed by the mist, and the Red-tailed Apes couldn’t detect them. By the time they sensed the icy breath on their bodies, it was too late.

The Red-tailed Apes were not renowned for their physical toughness; the middle-grade Little Cyan Spirit Sword easily pierced through their throats.

Blood splattered, yet there was no trace of a bloody scent, everything suppressed by the thick mist.

"Thud!" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Using the same method, Gu Yuan dispatched four more strikes with the Little Cyan Spirit Sword, completely resolving the threat from these five invading Red-tailed Apes.

"Whew!"

The cloud-like Dharma Seal sunk into the Dantian. Watching the five fallen demon corpses, the corner of Gu Yuan’s mouth couldn’t help but lift into a smile.

"The Cloud-Walking Seal is even more useful than I imagined. Unless one’s Spiritual Sense and Mana far surpass my own, they are like turtles in a jar, easily slain!"

This is the power of the Secret Seal.

A battle that was supposed to be grueling turned into something as simple as cutting through vegetables, thanks to the Secret Seal’s enhancement.

With the battle over and fearing more Red-tailed Apes might come, Gu Yuan quickly stored the demon corpses in his Storage Bag. With a sweep of mana, he retrieved a crimson shell from the waters at his feet.

This shell was the size of two palms, entirely crimson, opening and closing with the flow of water, as if breathing. A faint spiritual light emanated from within.

"Snap!"

With a touch of mana, Gu Yuan gently pried the shell open.

Inside lay a treasure pearl the size of a dragon’s eye, nestled quietly among the pink flesh, exuding a fragrant Spiritual Qi.

This was the Shell Pearl born of the Yunyang Shell Field, also known as the Shell Pearl, consuming it could enhance a month’s worth of mana.

"Pop!"

"Gulp!"

Ignoring the shell’s lament, Gu Yuan removed the pearl and placed it into his mouth.

Once extracted, the shell pearl cannot be stored for long; immediate consumption is the best choice.

"Boom!"

The Shell Pearl, akin to candy, brought a sweet taste, melting upon entry. In an instant, Gu Yuan felt a powerful heat flow through his limbs, then being assimilated by mana, slowly converging into the Dantian.

Gu Yuan’s face flushed, magic power surging restlessly, yet he remained on the move.

No one could know if more Red-tailed Apes would follow; it was wiser to leave the area first.

...

"Whew!"

After walking for half an incense stick’s duration, Gu Yuan’s complexion restored peace, having fully refined the Shell Pearl, adding a month’s worth of mana.

In this period, although Gu Yuan did not cultivate diligently, the Planting Heaven and Earth Evergreen Map relentlessly assisted in his breathing technique. Coupled with the aid of the Silverfish, Gu Yuan felt his internal mana filled halfway, and within another half year, he could touch the threshold of the Sixth Layer.

In the past, enduring half a year would be arduous, but not today.

"Thud!"

With one thrust, Gu Yuan killed the Red-tailed Ape before him, obtaining another Shell Pearl.

The pearl descended down his throat, mana surged again, and just another incense stick of time would add another month’s worth of mana.

Yet, out of fear of more Red-tailed Ape attacks, Gu Yuan pressed forward without stopping to refine on the spot.

...

...

An hour later, in the narrow water cave.

Gu Yuan thrust his sword into the Red-tailed Ape in front of him, consuming the fourth Shell Pearl.

"Boom!"

His face flushed, both his physical strength and mana surged relentlessly, and he was on the verge of touching the threshold of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

"Truly a place that even the Daoist School covets, in such a realm, cultivation advances by leaps and bounds!"

Gu Yuan exhaled a breath of impure air, a look of joy on his face.

In an hour, he had already slain nearly ten Red-tailed Apes, pushing his Qi Refining Fifth Layer mana to the Perfection Realm.

The next step, as long as he secured the Shell King, he could directly step into the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

"Judging by the distance, it shouldn’t be far to the Shell King."

Gu Yuan looked at the dim cave path ahead, secretly estimating the distance.

"Boom!"

"Senior Brother Sun, another one is coming, we can’t delay any longer, quickly use your Dharma Artifact!"

Just then, panic-stricken shouts and the roar of magical combat suddenly echoed from the water cave ahead.

Hearing the noise, Gu Yuan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

With the Stone Liquid in hand, he had foreseen the existence of the Shell King, allowing him to proceed so smoothly, now it seemed there were others ahead of him?

"It’s them!"

Concealing his form with mana and Spiritual Sense, Gu Yuan rounded a corner and took in the sight before him.

He saw four cultivators in Daoist Robes engaged in battle with about ten Red-tailed Apes in a cave passage ten or so feet wide.

Moreover, there were four jade-green Human-faced Spiders off to the side, watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

Ordinary cultivators at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer would struggle just to contend with four Red-tailed Apes, and with these three Human-faced Spiders continuously spitting green poisonous silk, the group of them became flustered.

These people were none other than Yangg Yue and his companions, with whom Gu Yuan had had a "conflict" on the Treasure Boat earlier.

The other three were the cultivators who had stood behind Kuang Mingsheng at the time.

However, Kuang Mingsheng was not to be seen in the current scene.

"This is no time to hold back, kill the Human-faced Spiders first!"

In the cave path, Yangg Yue urgently shouted.

At his side, six Dharma Seals burst forth, emitting a brilliant light, prepared for both attack and defense, yet the Red-tailed Apes’ bodies were also covered in Demon Patterns, with tails like whips, coming at him from all directions, forcibly suppressing his Dharma Seals.

Furthermore, the jade-green spider with a human face, about a foot or so in size, before him continuously spat threads of green silk at his limbs as its mouth opened and closed.

Seeing this, Yangg Yue’s expression turned grim, and he slapped his waist, sending a golden scissor-shaped Dharma Artifact flying, shredding the silk and stabbing towards the face of the Human-faced Spider.

But just then, the Human-faced Spider emitted a silent scream.

"Shriek!"

The piercing sound echoed through the water cave, causing Yangg Yue’s body to tremble as if his heart and spirit had been seized, and the Dharma Artifact in the air came to a halt.

"The Jade Water Human-faced Spider, the Water Cave Demon, body as hard as fine steel, silk like Spirit Ropes, possessing the power to capture souls, can shake Dharma Artifacts, often guards the Shell Field King Jade."

Witnessing this, Gu Yuan mused, recalling the Scripture Pavilion’s description of the demon beast before him.

The appearance of the Human-faced Spider indicated that the Shell King was indeed not far away.

At this moment, the Red-tailed Apes and the Human-faced Spider noticed Yangg Yue’s moment of vulnerability and rejoiced, surging forward.

Fortunately, a treasure light emerged from Yangg Yue’s body, a crimson Treasure Pearl floated in the air, casting down rays of colorful light, which shielded him, and shortly after, his eyes cleared, and he quickly retracted the golden scissors to protect himself.

However, the brilliance of the Treasure Pearl dimmed considerably after this strike, and the mana within him also thinned by nearly half.

Facing the relentless assault of these demon beasts, he found himself increasingly strained.

The others were faring no better.

The Red-tailed Apes and Human-faced Spiders fought with a ferocity that knew no fear of death, employing an all-or-nothing strategy, making the struggle particularly fierce.

Observing this scene, Gu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh.

His laughter held a dual meaning.

First, the magical combat before him boosted his confidence in his abilities.

The ordinary disciples of the Daoist School were only so capable.

If he, Gu, were to engage, he would not be in such a sorry state.

Secondly, naturally, it was a case of the sandpiper and the clam in conflict, with the fisherman benefiting.

"You all continue your battle, while I, Gu, shall take my leave."

As Gu Yuan’s thoughts shifted, a Dharma Seal, resembling a faint moon shadow, abruptly emerged from his Dantian.

The Cyan Wood Sect’s Dharma Seal, the Chasing Moon Seal.

Once this seal was activated, the body turned into a shadow, chasing the moon with astonishing speed.

"Boom!"

In the cave, the fight continued unabated, fiercely intense, yet at this moment, a shadow, as if cast by moonlight, suddenly swept through the battlefield and vanished.

"Which Senior Brother is there? Please, save us!"

Yangg Yue and his companions saw this and immediately cried out urgently.

But the moon shadow continued without pause.