Inside Fire Persimmon Mountain,
within the Demon Ape’s lair.
In the cavern where the Nascent Soul level Demon Ape resided, the icy mist gradually dissipated.

Seeing this, the Core Formation cultivators present were all filled with excitement.

“He’s out! He’s out!” Zheng Shuang Gou shouted.

Ning Jiu Fan slowly floated out from the thinning icy mist.

His face was as pale as gold paper, his lips white. He looked utterly drained, like a paper doll drifting in the wind, extremely weak.

“Brother Ning, you’ve truly suffered this time!” Zhu Xuan Ji took the lead, immediately arriving before Ning Jiu Fan and supporting him.

Ning Jiu Fan’s body was still trembling slightly.

He looked blankly at Zhu Xuan Ji, his eyes red-rimmed, filled with a sense of being reborn after surviving a calamity, a mix of sorrow and joy.

Zhu Xuan Ji also observed Ning Jiu Fan, and was inwardly shocked by the latter’s sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. “It’s only been so long!”

The four Core Formation cultivators from the Zhou and Zheng families crowded around, expressing their gratitude and offering their condolences.

Their words were completely sincere.

If not for Ning Jiu Fan standing at the front, one of them might very well have become a sacrifice.

“Brother Ning’s righteousness is admirable! We will remember your contribution and sacrifice for the rest of our lives!”

“We were all saved by you this time. This is a life-saving grace, and we will surely repay it in the future.”

Ning Jiu Fan sighed deeply, “I was also saving myself. After this battle, I hope that in the future, we can advance and retreat together, united and build a bright future.”

The Core Formation cultivators all nodded in agreement.

Ning Jiu Fan’s great sacrifice had drastically elevated his status among the Core Formation cultivators, gaining him immense influence!

Zheng Shuang Gou took out a portion of Nine Yang Yellow Ox Cream.

He said to Ning Jiu Fan with concern, “Brother Ning, you are extremely weak now. You should use some of my Zheng family’s superior elixirs.”

Unexpectedly, when Ning Jiu Fan saw the Nine Yang Yellow Ox Cream, his eyes twitched fiercely.

He suppressed his nausea and waved his hands repeatedly, “Don’t, don’t let me see this potion.”

“Alright, alright!” Zheng Shuang Gou hurriedly put the cream away.

The Core Formation cultivators immediately understood that Ning Jiu Fan’s injuries were not just physical, but also mental.

His sacrifice was truly too great!

This made everyone admire Ning Jiu Fan even more, and they felt an even greater desire to compensate him.

Next, everyone took out other spiritual pills and miraculous medicines, stuffing them into Ning Jiu Fan’s hands, almost personally feeding him water and medicine.

These various spiritual pills and miraculous medicines were highly effective, and soon stabilized Ning Jiu Fan’s aura.

At this moment, the Nascent Soul level Fire Melt Demon Ape suddenly let out a low roar.

The surging Nascent Soul level aura caused the Core Formation cultivators and the Fire Melt Demon Ape King outside the cave to tremble in body and mind.

At this time, the icy mist completely dissipated.

The Nascent Soul level Fire Melt Demon Ape looked satisfied. It laid down again, its eyelids slowly closing.

Before falling asleep, it stretched out a finger and shot out a wisp of blood essence.

The blood essence was like a shooting star chasing the moon, extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, it shot into Ning Jiu Fan’s forehead, dotting a red mark between his eyebrows.

After completing this step, the Fire Melt Demon Ape completely closed its eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Soon, it began to snore.

Ning Jiu Fan hurriedly reached out to touch his forehead, feeling the blood essence concentrated to the extreme, extremely stubborn, and difficult to eradicate. His face immediately turned very ugly.

Clearly, the Nascent Soul level female ape had completely taken a fancy to him, giving him a unique mark.

What was he going to do in the future?

The other Core Formation cultivators stared at the red mark between Ning Jiu Fan’s eyebrows, each of them with expressions of astonishment and shock, and a strong feeling of fear and relief arose in their hearts.

Zhu Xuan Ji quickly transmitted a message to appease Ning Jiu Fan, telling him that he would do his best to help him.

The other Core Formation cultivators also said that Ning Jiu Fan’s difficulties were everyone’s difficulties! They would definitely help with all their strength in the future.

At this time, the Fire Melt Demon Ape King led several Core Formation level Demon Apes into the cave.

The atmosphere inside the cave suddenly became tense.

Zhu Xuan Ji stepped forward, blocking Ning Jiu Fan, facing the many Core Formation level Fire Melt Demon Apes.

However, the Fire Melt Demon Apes, who had been roaring and filled with hatred just a moment ago, showed no intention of fighting.

Seeing the human Core Formation cultivators were very vigilant, they took a few steps back, raised their hands, and indicated that they had no intention of starting a war.

Then, the Fire Melt Demon Ape King pointed to Ning Jiu Fan, then applauded and let out continuous roars.

The several Core Formation level Demon Apes behind him also applauded, gesticulating, their faces full of admiration, and some even revealed admiring gazes.

The human Core Formation cultivators looked at each other, then focused their gazes on Ning Jiu Fan.

Ning Jiu Fan’s face was even more unsightly than before!

The Fire Melt Demon Apes’ admiration for the warrior, and the applause, were like slaps on his face, making him feel extremely embarrassed and exasperated.

Zhu Xuan Ji and others tried hard to keep a straight face, some frowning, some biting their tongues, some tensing all their muscles.

After applauding for a while, the Fire Melt Demon Ape King reached out and pointed to Ning Jiu Fan, then pointed to the cave entrance.

It made this series of actions three times in a row, and then actively led the Core Formation level Demon Apes out of the cave.

The human cultivators understood its meaning – it was inviting them out.

Zhu Xuan Ji still took the lead, walking in the front.

One cultivator each from the Zheng and Zhou families brought up the rear, protecting Ning Jiu Fan, the great hero, in the middle of the group.

The human Core Formation cultivators walked out of the cave and came to the previous battlefield.

The Fire Melt Demon Ape King waved to the countless Demon Apes gathered here, then roared.

The Foundation Establishment level Demon Apes scattered in a rush.

Soon, only the Core Formation level remained in the field.

The Fire Melt Demon Ape King suddenly beat its belly, then vomited out a stone sphere.

It then grabbed the stone sphere, with a reluctant expression, and handed it to Ning Jiu Fan.

The legendary scene of the Demon Ape group rewarding a warrior had happened!

A golden gleam flashed in Zhu Xuan Ji’s eyes. He immediately recognized the stone sphere, and his expression changed slightly. “This is a Fire Core Pomegranate. Each pomegranate seed is an explosive talisman, which when unleashed, can be comparable to the full power attack of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator.”

“But if used like that, it would undoubtedly be a waste of heavenly resources!”

“The pomegranate seeds can be used as fire cores, to preserve special flames in conjuction with other corresponding fuels.”

“I have never seen such a large pomegranate before. Even the royal treasury does not have such high-quality Fire Core Pomegranates.”

Without a doubt, this was a very rare treasure of heaven and earth.

After hearing Zhu Xuan Ji’s explanation, Ning Jiu Fan immediately reached out and took the pomegranate. After inspecting it, he took out a talisman, attached it to the surface of the pomegranate, and then put the pomegranate into his storage belt.

Zhou Nong Ying couldn’t help but rejoice, “I didn’t expect this Ape King to have such a trump card. Now it seems that we accidentally breaking into the cave and avoiding a life-and-death battle with the Fire Melt Demon Ape King was very lucky.”

The two Core Formation cultivators from the Zheng family stared at the pomegranate, their eyes glued to it, as if stuck with glue.

They secretly transmitted messages, “These pomegranate seeds can be used to refine artifacts in many ways.”

“That’s right, I’ve already thought of at least thirty ways. Its effect must be very good!”

After sending out the pomegranate, the Fire Melt Demon Ape King turned back and called out a few times.

Three Core Formation subordinates immediately turned around and left.

A dozen breaths later, they returned.

The leading Fire Melt Demon Ape was holding up a giant flame with its arms.

The flame was the size of a carriage, generally dark red, but a touch of pitch black flashed from time to time in the flame. And at the tip of the flame, a plume of black smoke often emitted.

“Nether Earth Fire!”

“Such a large flame, it’s a Nascent Soul level resource!”

The cultivators exclaimed.

Nether Earth Fire not only possessed terrifying firepower, constantly emitting high temperatures, but also had the intense toxicity of fire fiends.

Its use in alchemy was very limited, at most to create fire poison pills and the like.

But it could be used to refine artifacts.

This flame alone surpassed the Zheng family’s Heavenly Grade Artifact Refining Room in some aspects of artifact refining.

The two Core Formation cultivators from the Zheng family stared with their eyes wide open.

This flame was extremely tempting to them!

Fire Melt Demon Apes did not cultivate cultivation techniques. They relied on the natural growth of their bodies, and the constant tempering in nature during their growth, to advance to Core Formation level combat power.

They did not have spells to isolate the high temperature of Nether Earth Fire, and could only rely on special body structures to resist it.

The Core Formation level Demon Ape carrying the Nether Earth Fire gradually couldn’t bear it, and was burned so badly that it bared its teeth.

It endured to the limit and handed the fireball to its companion behind it.

After taking over, its companion carried it for a while, but couldn’t bear it either. Its hands were burnt, so it had to hand the Nether Earth Fire to the third companion behind it.

In this way, three Core Formation level Fire Melt Demon Apes relying on relay, sent the Nether Earth Fire to Ning Jiu Fan.

This time, Ning Jiu Fan continuously posted thirteen talismans before barely sealing the Nether Earth Fire.

Under the eager gazes of the two Core Formation cultivators from the Zheng family, Ning Jiu Fan put the Nether Earth Fire into his bag.

Zhu Xuan Ji couldn’t bear it and coughed, transmitting a message to Ning Jiu Fan, “Brother Ning, don’t forget our main purpose for this trip.”

So, when the Fire Melt Demon Ape King was about to continue sending treasures, Ning Jiu Fan took the initiative to point to the Mechanical Demon General in the pile of spoils.

The Fire Melt Demon Ape King tilted its head, not understanding, but after Ning Jiu Fan expressed it again and again, it pulled out the Mechanical Demon General and handed it to Ning Jiu Fan.

The Demon Apes’ gifts were far from over.

The Demon Ape King sent six more heavy gifts, rewarding Ning Jiu Fan.

After that, the Demon Apes began to chase people away.

Zhu Xuan Ji had achieved his goal, had no motivation to stay in such a dangerous environment, and immediately led a group of Core Formation cultivators to leave the Demon Ape’s lair.

They returned along the original route, came to the top of the volcano, and saw Meng Kui again.

Although Meng Kui was located in the smoke in the mountains, he still detected a lot of what happened to the people inside Fire Persimmon Mountain.

Watching the cultivators leave, his expression was indifferent, but he felt very sorry in his heart.

This trip, the Core Formation cultivators were considered to be in danger without any casualties, which disappointed Meng Kui a lot.

Ning Jiu Fan held the Mechanical Demon General, not handing it over to Zhu Xuan Ji immediately.