On Ape Peak.
Ye Qinghe happily drank monkey wine straight from her gourd. A faint blush spread across her pretty face, and the gloom she carried earlier had completely vanished.
"Burp."
She wiped her mouth and grinned at Ning Qi.
"Little Nine, this monkey wine is good stuff. Drink more. It's very helpful for bone refinement."
Ning Qi glanced at the bamboo tubes and wine pouches hanging all over Ye Qinghe's body and rubbed his forehead helplessly.
Still, she wasn't wrong. When he rebuilt his Foundation later, this monkey wine would indeed speed things up.
He turned his head and looked back at the Iron Arm Ape and the group of Long-Armed Apes.
If apes could sigh, they definitely were.
Years of accumulation—gone in one afternoon.
"Thanks, monkeys! I'll come play with you again next time I'm free!"
Ye Qinghe waved cheerfully without turning back.
The apes nearly cried.
Ning Qi shook his head with a smile. His Senior Sister could be mischievous when the mood struck.
The little white ape was no better. Bamboo tubes hung all over its body as it turned around, winking and making faces at the other apes, clearly enjoying their misery.
After Ye Qinghe and Ning Qi disappeared into the forest, it jolted in panic and hurried after them.
This little thing truly understood how to borrow a tiger's might.
"Alright, Little White Ape," Ning Qi said calmly. "Hand over the bamboo tubes. We'll part ways here."
The white ape immediately panicked.
It scratched its ears, jumped around anxiously, and began making exaggerated gestures.
Ye Qinghe watched with interest.
Ning Qi, however, quickly understood.
Based on its behavior—and recalling how it had communicated with the Iron Arm Ape earlier—it wasn't hard to deduce its meaning.
"You're saying… you have something to give us, and you want us to follow you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the white ape lit up with joy, nodding frantically. If not for the bamboo tubes, it would have flipped several somersaults.
Ning Qi and Ye Qinghe exchanged glances.
Curiosity flickered in both their eyes.
Anyone could tell this white ape was unusual. It might not be a divine beast, but it was certainly no ordinary creature.
"It's still early," Ye Qinghe said with interest. "Shall we take a look?"
Ning Qi glanced at the sky. The sun was slanting westward, but there was still time.
"Let's go."
The white ape squealed happily and rushed ahead.
One ape, two people—moving swiftly through the forest.
From time to time, the white ape looked back nervously, as if afraid they might suddenly change their minds.
Soon, it stopped in front of a cave and gestured excitedly for them to enter, like someone returning home.
Ning Qi and Ye Qinghe exchanged another glance. Ye Qinghe subtly raised her guard before stepping inside.
The cave was dim.
Ye Qinghe lit a fire starter, illuminating the surroundings.
The interior looked… ordinary.
Nothing special at all.
She felt a trace of disappointment.
She had thought a great fortuitous encounter was coming.
Then—
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
The white ape rummaged around in a corner and hurried back, holding something in its arms.
A parchment.
"Could it really be a fortuitous encounter?"
Ye Qinghe smiled.
Ning Qi also found it amusing. He hadn't expected the white ape to actually bring something out.
They unfolded the parchment together.
The first three words immediately caught their attention.
Ice Silkworm Strength.
"This is a Multiplied Strength technique."
Ye Qinghe's interest surged. She skimmed through ten lines in one glance. Ning Qi read even faster.
Although he had yet to enter the Inner Yuan Realm—making this technique unusable for now—it could still strengthen his Foundation.
Moments later, both of them came back to their senses.
"Ice Silkworm Strength… strength flows endlessly, cold and penetrating. What's even more impressive is the creator's inspiration—drawing from the ice silkworm's rebirth after breaking its cocoon."
"Each rebirth multiplies strength."
"Nine rebirths mean nine layers. At Major Achievement, one becomes nearly unmatched within the same realm."
"Wonderful!"
Ye Qinghe couldn't help but praise it, her eyes shining.
This technique was no inferior to the True Martial Sect's top Multiplied Strength arts. In terms of concept, it was even superior.
But then—
Regret surfaced in her gaze.
"Unfortunately… this parchment only contains the first three layers."
If all nine layers were present, this would be a tremendous blessing. With only three, its value dropped significantly.
"Little White Ape, is this all of it?"
Ye Qinghe asked hopefully.
The white ape shook its head.
She sighed, then smiled again.
What one gains is fate. What one misses is destiny.
This was already a rare stroke of fortune.
Her gaze toward the white ape softened.
Good ape.
Ning Qi also felt a trace of regret, but not much.
When he entered the Inner Yuan Realm in the future, completing this incomplete Ice Silkworm Strength—or even surpassing it—wouldn't be difficult.
More importantly, the idea behind it had given him new inspiration.
"Thank you," Ning Qi said, putting the parchment away. "I'll place this in the Scripture Pavilion later."
The white ape grinned widely.
Then it pointed deeper into the cave.
Curiosity surged again.
They continued forward.
The cave twisted and extended much deeper than expected. The further they went, the clearer a dull rumbling sound became.
At the end—
A shimmering, multicolored waterfall appeared.
Vines hung down across it, swaying gently.
The sound came from behind the falling water.
The white ape removed the bamboo tubes and set them aside, then let out a cheer. Grabbing the vines, it swung forward and vanished through the waterfall.
The two were startled.
Moments later, faint calls came from the other side.
Ye Qinghe laughed.
"I'll go first!"
Without using the vines, she tapped her toes and leapt forward like a swift swallow.
"Little Nine, hurry! It's beautiful here!"
Ning Qi didn't hesitate. He pushed off the ground and crossed like a fierce tiger leaping a ravine.
Passing through the waterfall, he landed on a stone platform.
A brand-new world unfolded before his eyes.
Water cascaded beside him. The setting sun painted the sky in gold. Light and mist intertwined, forming a breathtaking scene.
Birds soared in the distance.
The land stretched endlessly.
Ning Qi stood frozen.
Inspiration surged like a tidal wave.
Ye Qinghe was first drawn to the scenery, then noticed the white ape calling excitedly. She followed its gaze and saw red fruits growing on a small tree by the water cliff.
She didn't recognize them.
"Could it be…" she murmured, noticing two bare trees below. "Is this why the white ape is so intelligent?"
Then she understood.
"You sneaky little ape," she laughed. "Giving us a secret manual was just bait. Getting me to pick fruits was your real goal."
She couldn't help but smile.
At the same time, she felt a strange sense of warmth. The white ape was too innocent. If it had met someone ruthless, it would have lost far more.
But Ye Qinghe wasn't that kind of person.
She moved lightly, spinning gracefully as she plucked the red fruits and tossed them over.
The white ape bowed gratefully and eagerly devoured them.
Under Ye Qinghe's astonished gaze, its fur shimmered faintly, becoming even softer and purer white.
She instinctively turned to share the sight—
And stopped.
Because she saw it.
Her Ning Qi.
Standing there, motionless.
As if he had entered a wondrous, profound state.