Flame Phantom Ghosts

Kent observed the Snakefruit Tree from a distance for a while before deciding to leave. He dared not venture into its territory and instead chose to bypass it entirely.

Continuing deeper into the Changguo Mountains, Kent maintained a steady pace. The scenery remained novel and intriguing, though he occasionally encountered some dangerous fruit-bearing trees. However, as long as he kept his distance, they posed no threat.

"Pear Infant Fruit: Shaped like a pear, approximately half a meter tall, containing an infant ape-like creature inside. It moves extremely fast and is bloodthirsty and ruthless."

"Axe Burst Fruit: The fruit resembles a sharp axe, about two meters long. It remains motionless under normal circumstances, appearing inanimate. However, once approached, it launches itself, creating a barrage of flying axes with lethal force."

"Bloodworm Fruit: A single fruit can produce thousands of tiny flying insects that survive by consuming the blood of living creatures. Within its territory, hardly any animals survive—even other fruit beasts fall prey to them."

"…"

Kent encountered one dangerous tree after another, but he also discovered many harmless or even beneficial fruits, such as the Ginseng Fruit, Black Profound Fruit, and Honey Fruit.

He naturally didn't let these beneficial fruits go to waste. He let Wukong feast freely and prepared a spatial bag specifically for storing fruits for Wukong.

As Wukong's beast-taming level increased, the effectiveness of high-grade nutrient solutions and evolution agents diminished, providing less and less experience. They were gradually becoming obsolete.

Now, each fruit Wukong consumed was equivalent to a high-grade nutrient solution or even an evolution agent, granting it hundreds or even thousands of experience points.

At this rate, consuming three to five thousand fruits would yield a million experience points.

However, no matter how voracious Wukong was, it couldn't eat endlessly. Its stomach had a limit—it was impossible to eat and digest indefinitely.

These fruits were also massive. Fist-sized fruits were rare, while head-sized fruits were the norm. Some even weighed forty to fifty pounds, and as Kent ventured deeper, he expected to find fruits exceeding a hundred pounds.

Wukong sampled only one of each type, just to taste. It took only a small bite of those that didn't appeal to it. Initially, it had no such restraint, but Kent repeatedly reminded it to save space for more fruits ahead.

Meanwhile, Bajie and Garfield scouted within a set range while Kent and Wukong focused on picking and storing fruits. Some trees bore only a handful of fruits, while others produced hundreds. They harvested all useful ones, leaving behind those with low efficacy.

After two days of non-stop work, Kent had no idea how many fruits he had gathered—easily three to five thousand. Even if he consumed a hundred per day, he had enough for one or two months.

That day, Garfield suddenly contacted Kent, claiming to have found an extraordinary fruit worth investigating.

Kent rushed over with anticipation and, upon arrival, couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

"Haha, well done, Garfield! You actually found the Primordial Fruit." Kent praised.

A hundred-meter-tall tree stood before him, sparsely adorned with about a dozen mature, red fruits.

Each fruit was incredibly small—only about the size of a thumb. Ten of them together weren't even as large as a single leaf of the Primordial Fruit Tree. They hid between the foliage, barely noticeable. Without careful observation, one could easily overlook them or mistake them for tiny insects.

This fruit, known as the Primordial Fruit, despite its small size, contained immense vital energy. A single one was estimated to be worth ten thousand experience points.

Wukong squealed excitedly, eyes full of joy, barely restraining itself from leaping up and plucking all the Primordial Fruits at once.

However, Kent's brows furrowed slightly as he held Wukong back.

"Wait, Wukong. There's danger."

Activating his fiery eyes with golden pupils, Kent examined the scene more carefully, revealing a hidden threat.

"This is… Flame Phantom Ghosts?"

Perched on the branches near the Primordial Fruits were creatures resembling mountain baboons. They were hideous and short, remaining completely still. Their eyes glowed blood-red, and their fur was a sinister blood-purple. Each wielded two short, razor-sharp flame blades, their gazes cold and bloodthirsty as they stared at Kent and his companions.

Due to their innate invisibility, these creatures were completely undetectable to the naked eye. Even Wukong, despite possessing fiery eyes with golden pupils, hadn't initially noticed them in its eagerness to grab the fruit. If Kent hadn't sensed an unusual presence, they might have fallen into a trap.

Receiving the warning, Wukong activated its fiery eyes with golden pupils and spotted the Flame Phantom Ghosts—about a dozen of them, exuding an eerie, sinister aura.

"Chi chi chi~" Wukong instinctively took a step back, unease written across its face.

"Don't worry. The Primordial Fruits are yours." Kent reassured it calmly.

Flame Phantom Ghosts were among the most terrifying creatures in the Changguo Mountains. It was said they originated from the Fruit Space and survived by plundering the fruits of other trees. Cruel and merciless, they would even prey on living creatures, drinking their blood and devouring them alive. They possessed a degree of intelligence—somewhat cunning, even.

There was no shortage of information about them online, including gruesome images of mercenary groups and their contracted beasts slaughtered and consumed by these creatures. Their presence had deterred many from venturing into the Changguo Mountains.

Recalling the available data, Kent activated his system scan to assess their attributes and weaknesses.

Original Beast Name: Flame Phantom Ghost

Fruit Beast Rank: Ranges from Bronze to Heavenly Tier, evolving indefinitely by absorbing vital energy and devouring blood and flesh.

Fruit Beast Level: Varies from Level 30 to Level 50.

Kent's expression grew serious. Among the dozen or so Flame Phantom Ghosts before him, the highest-ranked was a Level 50 Heavenly Tier beast—formidable both in rank and level.

Abilities:

Innate Invisibility: A natural ability that, after a few seconds of channeling, allows them to become invisible. However, they must remain stationary—any movement or action will break the invisibility.

Flame Blades: Their dual flame blades are innate extensions of their bodies. As they evolve and level up, the power of these blades increases, allowing them to launch fire attacks from a distance.

Super Regeneration: Though their physical endurance is average, they possess extraordinary regenerative abilities. Even if their limbs are severed or their heads decapitated, they can recover, regrowing lost limbs and regenerating flesh and skin.

"Wow…" Kent couldn't help but exclaim.

The invisibility and flame blades were fairly common abilities—the former had flaws requiring immobility, while the latter was essentially a fire-elemental wind blade attack, nothing remarkable.

What truly caught his attention was their Super Regeneration ability. The fact that they could regrow limbs, heal flesh instantly, and even recover from a lost heart or severed head was simply monstrous.