The Night View Island was no longer peaceful these days.
This was largely because the Glede Demon race had spread the news that the Red Demon race were
sacrificing members of many races in exchange for the Arcana.
This had caused so much panic among the weaker races that they had abandoned their own territories
and formed alliances.
Bacchus took advantage of the situation and extended an olive branch to these races. He won them
over by claiming he could protect them. Then he asked them to gather in the land of the Glede Demon
race to fight against the Red Demon race.
Of course, his protection would not come for free. These races had to hand over all the Arcana they
had.
With this strategy, the Glede Demons accumulated a lot of Arcana in a short time, all while amassing
the other races to their side.
This would increase the chances of victory for the Glede Demons should the Red Demons launch an
attack.
Bacchus handed over all the Arcana he had plundered to Zen and escorted him and his group to the
Ghost Mountain.
He wanted three Holy Stones in return.
The Holy Stones were great threats to the Treacherous Beings. Bacchus had to get them at all costs.
Zen agreed to his request.
Previously, he had killed three stone men in the underground cave and obtained three Holy Stones the
size of beans. He gave them to the Snake Goddess, Fuxi and Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and their own
three stones, the size of grains of sand, were given to Bacchus.
Soon, daylight broke on the Night View Island.
The dawn found Zen and his companions climbing one last mountain with the Glede Demons before
arriving at the Ghost Mountain.
As they neared the peak however, they noted something curious. Though there was nothing ahead to
block their vision, they couldn't see the Ghost Mountain anywhere in the distance.
The empty expanse ahead left Zen and the others stumped. Both Decker and the Glede Demons said
that the Ghost Mountain was here, however. They couldn't possibly be mistaken.
It was only when they crossed the peak line that a huge black shadow came into view.
It was a huge triangular mountain!
As Decker had said, the Ghost Mountain was protected by a special space rule. It could only be seen
after they crossed the peak line.
The Ghost Mountain was largely outside the Night View Island, save for a part of its foot, which was
connected to the island. A wide and straight path had been carved along this border.
The surface of the whole mountain was covered with irregular lines, which helped it absorb all light.
From this distance, the Ghost Mountain seemed to be floating in the dark sky.
"We need to go down and exchange the Arcana so we can enter the Ghost Mountain," Bacchus
pronounced.
He spread his wings and glided down the mountain, leading his clansmen.
Zen and the others followed him down.
Eventually, they came upon two black monkey statues flanking the path.
Zen's expression changed slightly when he saw the statues.
It dawned on him the Ghost Mountain was probably related to the monkey spirits in the Four Spirits
Sect.
"The way to enter the Ghost Mountain is very simple. Just feed the Arcana to the monkey statues,"
Bacchus explained.
As he said this, he took out his Arcana and stuffed them into the mouth of a monkey statue.
The statue opened its mouth like a living creature, devouring the Arcana bit by bit. Its eyes began to
glow with a yellow light. A few moments later, its belly slowly opened and exposed a glazed sheet.
Bacchus took the sheet and held it up. "This is the key to entering the Ghost Mountain and to merging
with the Treacherous Beings."
"I see. The statues melt the Arcana and then press them into thin sheets, correct?" Fuxi asked with a
smile.
Eastern Emperor Taiyi had also realized the same thing. The monkey statues weren't too mysterious.
They only had a flame rune which melted the Arcana in their mouths and turned them into the glazed
sheets.
Bacchus nodded. "That's correct. But we can't enter the Ghost Mountain with just any glazed sheet. It
is only through this mechanism we can get the special runes that we need."
He showed the glazed sheet to Zen, Fuxi, the Snake Goddess and the others.
There were indeed indecipherable circles of large and small runes on the surface of the transparent
sheet.
"Don't think about it too much. Our only goal is to get in."
As she spoke, the Snake Goddess likewise fed the Arcana to a monkey statue.
Once again, the eyes of the statue flashed, and a thin glazed sheet appeared in its belly.
Zen, Fuxi, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and the Eternal Realm Hunters followed suit, each exchanging their
Arcana for a glazed sheet.
As the Treacherous Being Campbell also fed his Arcana to the monkey statue, Bacchus pointed out,
"He can enter the Ghost Mountain, but he can't fuse with any Treacherous Being. Are you sure you
want him to go in?"
He was actually implying that it would be useless for Campbell to enter.
But it was impossible for Zen to leave Campbell behind. "Of course," he said firmly.
Bacchus shrugged his shoulders and didn't press further.
After the Glede Demons also got their glazed sheets, Decker, who was at the back of the line, meekly
piped up, "May I go in?"
A Glede Demon shot him a cold glare. "Why? Do you have Arcana?"
Decker was a member of the Wooden Leaf race. The Glede Demons didn't think too highly of him.
Zen had previously allowed Decker to join the team as a guide, but now that they had the Glede
Demons to show the way, his function was no longer necessary.
Bacchus, in fact, had once directly asked Decker to leave, but he remained only because Zen had
insisted that he stay.
The Glede Demons had been searching for Arcana everywhere the past few days. How dare a
member of the Wooden Leaf race have them in his possession and not tell them?
"I..."
As Decker tried to explain, the Glede Demon came forward. "Hand over the Arcana you have, then!" he
demanded.
Decker was too weak to disobey.
Decker gave Zen a pleading look as he moved to take out the Arcana he had accumulated. At this
point, Zen intervened, "Decker was the one who led us to you. If it weren't for him, we would never
have met. Let him join us."
It was a subtle reminder that were it not for Decker, they wouldn't have been able to save the lives of
the Glede Demons.
The Glede Demons looked at Bacchus, who waved his hand. "Do as he said."
The Glede Demons relented and moved aside.
Decker shot Zen a grateful look. He quickly took out his Arcana and exchanged them for a glazed
sheet.
After everyone had done this, they continued on to the entrance of the Ghost Mountain. They shortly
arrived at a black wall with a stone door at the center of it.
"Only one person can enter at a time. Just follow my lead."
As he spoke, Bacchus pressed the glazed sheet against the stone door. As the stone door creaked, he
disappeared from the spot.
Fuxi, the Snake Goddess and the others followed suit.
Zen took out his glazed sheet. He was about to enter the stone door when he suddenly felt an unusual
aura. He paused.
He turned around and saw another group of creatures reach the peak in the distance.
They were the Red Demon race and the Grand Mighty race.
The two races had long been at odds with each other, but here they were, miraculously working
together.
The reason for this newfound alliance, of course, was not that they had reconciled, but that they had no
other choice, if they were to defeat a common enemy.
Tate bowed and spoke respectfully to the eyeball floating in the light ball, "Master Eye Spirit, this is
Ghost Mountain."
"I see it,"
the Eye Spirit said calmly.
His attention landed on the young man in front of the door.
His sharp eyes firmly fixed on Zen. Immediately, Zen felt rooted to the spot, as if suddenly bound by
steel chains.
Even Decker, Thurston and Sawyer were affected beside him. They felt only a tenth of the force
binding Zen, but it already left them barely able to breathe.
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