They had only just gotten close to the Immortal Mountain and had nearly been wiped out. Yi Beidou was even injured in the process, and they still hadn’t even seen the Alchemist’s true face!

’Under these circumstances, shouldn’t we be retreating to find a way to deal with the enemy? How can this man still want to press forward?’

"Mr. Yi, while an Ancient One might not be qualitatively different from you or I in the essence of their life, the methods they’ve accumulated over many years are profound and unfathomable. You should have felt it just now. Moreover, this one controls legendary ruins. It’s unrealistic to think we can deal with him in one go. We should leave for now and plan for the long term. When our leader returns, if you join forces with him, you’ll surely be able to excise this malignant tumor."

Cheng Zhihong’s plea was sincere.

There’s a saying in the Mortal World: "My family has accumulated wealth and power over several generations. What makes you think you can surpass all that in a single lifetime?"

The same logic applied to these Ancient Ones.

How could the accumulation of more than ten lifetimes be so easily overturned? If it were that simple, such figures wouldn’t have survived to this day, able to Call the Wind and Summon the Rain.

Their strength already placed them among the top figures in the Mortal World, yet just a moment ago, they had nearly been completely annihilated.

"Perhaps you’re right, but the fated calamity has arrived. How can it be altered? I am not a Challenger; I am the one who brings the tribulation. A Challenger can retreat and wait for the right moment to try again, but what logic is there in a tribulation retreating?"

"Besides, I haven’t reached my limit. And as I said before, if you want to leave, you can go at any time."

Yi Beidou’s tone was calm.

This wasn’t the same Yi Beidou who was just starting out. His Demon Body had reached great completion, and he intended to test his strength against the world, to become the tribulation incarnate. He was meant to cut down any god or buddha who stood in his way. If he retreated at the first sign of difficulty, wouldn’t that make a mockery of the vows he had sworn?

Even if a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den lay ahead, inhabited by Earth Immortals and True Buddhas, he was still duty-bound to storm their halls and bring calamity upon them.

Retreat was out of the question.

But while he could not retreat, Cheng Zhihong and Yuna could. To be honest, he didn’t want to drag them into this and would rather they left. After all, this matter had little to do with them.

The moment he finished speaking, Yi Beidou set off, sprinting toward an empty area ahead.

"The guy won’t listen to reason. What should we do?"

At that moment, a flicker of genuine hesitation crossed Yuna’s face.

’Not being afraid to die doesn’t mean you want to die, especially not by recklessly charging to a meaningless death.’

’That’s right. From what they’d encountered on the outskirts of the Immortal Mountain, they could tell they had probably underestimated the Alchemist’s strength.’

’For someone to become one of the key figures in the Pioneer Group, their power was truly immeasurable.’

’If Yi Beidou went in there, the chances of him being utterly destroyed were at least seventy percent.’

’If they followed, it would most likely be a pointless sacrifice as well.’

"The Immortal Mountain is likely exceptionally dangerous. We really shouldn’t go in together. You wait here on the sea. I’ll follow him into the Immortal Mountain and meet this legendary Alchemist. If I die, I’ll transmit what I’ve learned about the Immortal Mountain through the connection between our Fruit Positions. You take that intelligence back to the organization so that our future comrades can learn from it and use it."

Cheng Zhihong gritted his teeth and spoke in a low, determined voice.

Although the journey was fraught with peril, he still decided to try. Even if Yi Beidou died on the Immortal Mountain, he should be able to probe the depths of that Alchemist’s power, allowing the organization and other allies to better prepare. They might even uncover some of the Pioneer Group’s secrets. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He had a blood feud with the Pioneer Group. His parents and family had all died because of them. If not for that, he would never have been chosen by the Dark Vine to become the host for the Spirit Officer Fruit Position.

BAM!

Before Yuna could say a word, Cheng Zhihong was already moving, chasing after Yi Beidou.

"Cheng Zhihong!"

Yuna shouted, her expression shifting, but in the end, she remained where she was.

She had accepted Cheng Zhihong’s plan.

"Mr. Yi! Please wait!"

As Yi Beidou moved forward, he heard Cheng Zhihong’s voice from behind.

"Aren’t you afraid of throwing your life away?"

Yi Beidou stopped and glanced at him.

"But I’m also very curious about this person’s secrets. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Cheng Zhihong said, his expression calm.

"When we get there, you don’t need to get involved. Just play it by ear. If things look bad, leave on your own."

Yi Beidou said no more. He had to admire the man’s courage.

’If I really do die on this Immortal Mountain,’ he thought, ’I hope he can make it out safely.’

"Thank you."

Cheng Zhihong nodded slightly, and the two of them quickly pressed forward.

Ahead of them, there was still nothing but the endless expanse of the sea.

However, after they had advanced several hundred meters, Cheng Zhihong felt a fluctuation in a magnetic field.

BOOM!!

The Blood-Colored Demon Flame erupted around Yi Beidou. The Void sizzled like burning paper, revealing a massive hole in reality.

And through this hole, a scene completely different from the outside world was visible.

An island the size of a massive cruise ship floated ahead. A mountain nearly a hundred meters tall occupied its center. From a distance, they could see the entire island was shrouded in a glowing mist, so miraculous it looked like a true Immortal Realm, inspiring an irrepressible sense of awe.

"These kinds of ruins... they definitely weren’t formed naturally. The entire island was most likely man-made."

Cheng Zhihong said in a low voice, his mind racing with speculation.

Modern people could build cruise ships, which were essentially cities on the sea. It wasn’t impossible for an unknown ancient civilization to have done the same.

This Immortal Mountain was an abode built upon the sea.