Moonlight illuminated the interior of the tent.
Lin Yuan sat motionless.
The black fragment rested silently in his palm.
Its surface felt cold.
Not the cold of metal.
Not the cold of stone.
A deeper cold.
Ancient.
Unfamiliar.
For several moments, he simply observed it.
The crimson markings covering the fragment seemed dormant.
Yet every instinct told him otherwise.
This object was important.
Far more important than its simple appearance suggested.
Slowly, Lin Yuan circulated a thread of spirit power toward it.
The moment contact occurred— The fragment reacted.
A faint crimson glow flashed across its surface.
Not enough to illuminate the tent.
But enough.
Lin Yuan immediately withdrew his spirit power.
The glow vanished.
Silence returned.
His expression became serious.
This was no ordinary object.
The giant in the dream had called it a key.
And somehow— It had crossed from the dream into reality.
The implication was terrifying.
Because it meant the boundary between those visions and the real world was far thinner than he had assumed.
Lin Yuan carefully wrapped the fragment in cloth before hiding it inside his travel pack.
Only after ensuring it was concealed did he lie back down.
Sleep, however, never returned.
Morning arrived quickly.
The camp awakened as usual.
No one seemed aware that anything unusual had occurred during the night.
Spirit masters prepared equipment.
Scouts reported terrain information.
Breakfast was distributed.
The routine continued normally.
Lin Yuan remained quiet.
The fragment stayed hidden.
Until he understood what it truly was, revealing it would be foolish.
After the camp was packed, the expedition resumed its journey.
Today’s objective was straightforward.
Several younger spirit masters still needed spirit rings.
The group would continue searching suitable regions of the forest.
Hours passed peacefully.
The giant chained ape did not reappear.
No unusual visions occurred.
Everything felt normal again.
Almost.
As midday approached, one of the scouts returned with new information.
“Vice Hall Master.” Xu Mingshan turned.
“What is it?” The scout pointed eastward.
“Heavy Mountain Ape.” Lin Yuan’s attention sharpened immediately.
Several other members reacted as well.
The scout continued.
“Estimated age between three hundred and four hundred years.” A suitable target.
Especially for a first spirit ring.
Xu Mingshan’s gaze immediately moved toward Lin Yuan.
“So.” The vice hall master crossed his arms.
“Interested?” Lin Yuan nodded.
Very interested.
Among the options he had researched, the Heavy Mountain Ape ranked near the top.
Natural strength.
Pressure affinity.
Earth attributes.
Its abilities aligned extremely well with the Asura Prison.
Xu Mingshan seemed satisfied.
“Then we’ll investigate.” The expedition altered direction.
For nearly an hour they moved through increasingly rugged terrain.
The forest gradually changed.
The trees became thicker.
The ground became uneven.
Large stone formations appeared throughout the area.
Evidence of strong earth-attributed spirit beasts.
Eventually, the lead scouts signaled a halt.
Everyone crouched silently.
Ahead lay a rocky valley.
And within it— A massive ape.
Nearly four meters tall.
Dark brown fur covered its body.
Its arms were unusually long.
Each movement carried tremendous weight.
Even while simply walking, cracks appeared beneath its feet.
Lin Yuan immediately understood why it was called a Heavy Mountain Ape.
Everything about it felt heavy.
Solid.
Immovable.
Xu Mingshan observed quietly.
Then he nodded.
“Three hundred and sixty years.” The estimate drew approval from several experienced spirit masters.
Excellent age.
Strong enough to provide quality abilities.
Not so strong that absorption would become dangerous.
The vice hall master looked toward Lin Yuan.
“Your choice.” Lin Yuan never hesitated.
“Yes.” Xu Mingshan smiled faintly.
“Good.” Orders were immediately issued.
Formation positions changed.
Veteran spirit masters prepared for battle.
The younger members moved to support roles.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan watched the Heavy Mountain Ape carefully.
The beast seemed calm.
It sat atop a large stone while eating fruit gathered from nearby trees.
No aggression.
No hostility.
Simply living its life.
For a brief moment, Lin Yuan understood why some spirit masters disliked hunting spirit beasts.
The creature had done nothing wrong.
Yet it would soon die.
Not because of evil.
Not because of conflict.
But because cultivation demanded it.
The thought lingered only briefly.
This was the reality of Douluo Continent.
To hesitate here would only insult both oneself and the beast.
The hunt began moments later.
Spirit power erupted across the valley.
The Heavy Mountain Ape instantly rose to its feet.
A furious roar shook the surrounding forest.
Birds exploded from the treetops.
The ground trembled.
Battle had begun.
And somewhere within Lin Yuan’s travel pack— The hidden black fragment suddenly grew warm.