By noon on the fifth day, Wen Buhuo finally arrived at the outer reaches of the Ring Mountains. Standing at the foot of the peaks and looking up, the dark red mountain mass towered into the clouds. The rock faces were riddled with fissures, some of which emitted a faint spiritual glow—a sign of spirit herbs, but also potentially a trap disguised by spatial rifts.

Wen Buhuo did not rush up the mountain. He found a hiding spot in a rocky crevice and pulled out a Spirit-Measuring Compass—a small gadget he had picked up at the Tainan Small Gathering. It could roughly detect the concentration and fluctuations of local spiritual energy. The needle on the compass trembled violently, indicating that the spiritual energy here was not only dense but also extremely chaotic.

"No wonder they say the Ring Mountains are the most dangerous," he muttered, stowing the device and contemplating his strategy.

According to records:

• Jade Marrow Grass grew in limestone caves or near jade veins inside the mountains.

• Purple Monkey Flowers required extremely yin and cold environments, likely found in shaded canyons.

• Heavenly Spirit Fruit was a vine plant that loved the sun, usually found on cliffs on the sun-facing side.

He decided to start with the relatively easier-to-find Heavenly Spirit Fruit.

Wen Buhuo chose an inconspicuous slope on the eastern side to begin his climb. He didn't dare use a flying tool—flying over the Ring Mountains made one a perfect target for every hidden ambusher. After climbing for about two hours, he suddenly stopped.

Ten yards ahead on a rock grew a cluster of pale gold moss—Golden Thread Moss. While not a primary ingredient, it was used in various pills and was valuable if old enough. However, Wen Buhuo’s gaze didn't linger on the moss; instead, he stared fixedly at a seemingly ordinary shadow beneath the rock. The outline of that shadow seemed... too regular.

He slowly backed away while taking a low-grade spirit stone from his storage bag and tossing it near the moss. The stone landed. Nothing happened.

Wen Buhuo frowned. Was I being paranoid? He hesitated, then pulled out a scouting puppet. The puppet wobbled toward the moss. One step, two steps, three... Just as it reached within three feet of the moss, a sudden change occurred! The air around the rock distorted, and four transparent wind blades manifested out of thin air, crisscrossing through the puppet. It was instantly sliced into five pieces.

"An Invisible Restriction!" Wen Buhuo hissed. This was an ancient defensive formation. It was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye and only revealed itself when triggered. Had he not been cautious, he would have been the one shredded.

By the morning of the sixth day, Wen Buhuo finally spotted his target on a sun-drenched cliff. It was a vine coiled around an ancient pine tree, its body a translucent emerald green. Hanging from the vine were three fist-sized, golden fruits with natural spiritual runes flowing on their surfaces, emitting an alluring fragrance.

Heavenly Spirit Fruit! And three of them at once!

His heart raced, but he forced himself to stay calm. Such high-quality herbs couldn't be unguarded. He lurked behind a rock at the cliff's edge for half an hour. During that time, he observed:

1. Two "Fragrance-Seeking Birds" were crushed by sudden lash-like movements of the vine's branches.

2. A massive shadow circled within the mist below the cliff—a flying spirit beast.

3. Most importantly, he discovered a hidden cave on the opposite cliff face, masked by an illusion, but leaking faint spiritual fluctuations.

"Someone is waiting for the 'oriole' to strike," Wen Buhuo realized. Gathering the fruit would alert the guardian beast and trigger potential restrictions. The person in that cave was waiting for the gatherer to be weakened by the beast and the traps.

Wen Buhuo gave a cold sneer. You want to be the oriole? Let’s see who the real hunter is.

He retreated quietly and circled to the side of the opposite mountain. Here, he set up his trump card: a Lesser Mystery Array. Though simplified, it was perfect for masking his aura and creating illusions.

Returning to the cliff top, he didn't reach for the fruit. Instead, he took out a vial containing a mixture of "Blood Mosquito" venom and irritating herb juices. He smeared it on a stone and hurled it into the mist below the Heavenly Spirit Fruit vine!

Creeeee!

A sharp, ear-piercing shriek echoed! The mist swirled violently as a Red-Feathered Eagle with a wingspan of over three yards soared into the sky! It was a peak Second-Tier beast, stronger than the Rotting Wood Python. Finding no culprit, it turned its fury toward the Heavenly Spirit Fruit vine—it assumed a beast or human was after its prize.

The commotion was too great. The illusion on the opposite cliff finally collapsed, and three figures shot out—disciples of the Saber-Transforming Dock!

"Dammit! What's this feather-brained beast going crazy for?" the lead scarred man cursed. The eagle immediately spotted the new targets and dove at them.

While they were locked in combat, Wen Buhuo moved. He didn't rush the fruit directly; instead, he circled to the rear of the battlefield. Fifty yards away, he triggered three talismans: Mist Talisman, Phantom Sound Talisman, and Beast-Attracting Incense Talisman!

Dense white fog engulfed the area, filled with the sounds of phantom beasts and an alluring scent. In the chaos, Wen Buhuo moved like a ghost, snatched the most mature fruit, and vanished toward his "Lesser Mystery Array."

When the mist cleared, the Saber-Transforming Dock disciples realized a fruit was missing. "Who is it?! Get the hell out here!" the scarred leader roared. But Wen Buhuo’s aura had completely vanished within his array. The eagle, unable to find the thief, turned its rage back on the three humans.

Wen Buhuo retreated ten miles before stopping. He leaned against a tree, gasping, but a satisfied smile finally touched his lips. In the jade box, the golden Heavenly Spirit Fruit glowed with pure energy. This was his first primary ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Six days left," he looked toward the mountain depths. "Jade Marrow Grass and Purple Monkey Flower..."

His journey was only half over, and the true dangers were yet to come.