The Mountain Spike Beasts were underground creatures, and while a few of them weren't a major issue, the key was that there existed an entire colony of them. At their peak, the colony numbered over a thousand and had been thriving underground for hundreds of years in this realm.
It could be said without exaggeration that the majority of the underground space of the entire forest was filled with tunnels and traces of the Mountain Spike Beasts.
Kent wandered over to a place resembling a grand hall, circled around the Dragon Blood Violent Serpent twice, and then instructed Bajie to turn into a shadow and enter the serpent's body to retrieve its energy orb. In the process, they discovered a Life Orb as well.
These two orbs, being of such high rank, could certainly be used to create the finest evolution and nutrient solutions.
"Light it up."
Kent sparked a flame, illuminating the space. He took photos of the Dragon Blood Violent Serpent's corpse and gathered various materials from it—serpent's blood, meat, scales, fangs, poison, and so on—carefully storing them in containers and placing them into his spatial bag.
Once he finished, Kent breathed a sigh of relief. By this time, the Mountain Spike Beast King had calmed down and came over to share the discoveries his tribe had made in the forest.
"There's a mountain to the north of the forest, shaped like a ram's horns. Beneath this Ram Horn Mountain, there's a vein of crimson fire ores."
The Mountain Spike Beast King went on, showing Kent various things to illustrate what it meant.
The object was a stone that looked like burning charcoal, emitting a red light. Upon contact with fire, it ignited, producing a blazing flame. It was tested that one stone could burn for an entire day.
"Central in the forest, there's a bird-shaped pond. A giant-toothed shark resides there, ruling that area."
"To the northwest, about two hundred miles out, there's a natural cave. A group of snake monsters live there, with four wings and four legs. They can fly and run, are extremely dangerous, and are insatiable blood drinkers."
"…"
As the Mountain Spike Beast King continued to speak, Kent gained a clearer understanding of the entire forest.
Finally, after about half an hour, the Mountain Spike Beast King stopped speaking, and Kent recorded the information, gathering dozens of pieces of intelligence, many of which were obscure, barely discoverable details.
Kent was confident that with this information, he could finish about seventy percent of the exploration of the Grinding Ridge Secret Realm, though he still had to go confirm it in person.
"Great benefactor, these are all the things our tribe knows," the Mountain Spike Beast King said respectfully.
Kent nodded, but there was still one thing he needed to clarify. "How did you acquire the Memory Stones?"
The Mountain Spike Beast King pondered for a moment and replied, "To be honest, these stones are naturally formed. Beneath our nests, there's a cave where a stone radiating red light stands. This stone, every so often, produces a Memory Stone. It's about every three months or so. We haven't dared to return recently, so it's likely many more have formed. By the way, Great Benefactor, we can make a trade."
Upon hearing this, Kent's heart stirred. Such an occurrence was highly intriguing. The red-glowing stone must be something extraordinary. His curiosity piqued, he asked, "Can I see it?"
"Please follow me," the Mountain Spike Beast King said.
Before long, Kent arrived at the depths of the underground, entering the cave where a red light glowed brightly. There stood a stone more than human height and two people wide. Around it were several Memory Stones that had been recently ejected, radiating red light.
Kent walked around it a few times but found nothing. Finally, he extended his hand to touch the stone.
"Careful, distinguished guest," the Mountain Spike Beast King quickly cautioned.
"What's wrong?" Kent immediately withdrew his hand and turned to ask.
"It's a sacred stone. You mustn't touch it. Anyone who does will be struck by purple lightning as punishment. Two of our tribe members died because of this before, so we've never dared to touch it again."
Upon hearing this, Kent took a step back, his gaze becoming intense. If this stone was indeed so peculiar, could it possibly be a living creature?
If it was a living entity, the system might have some use for it.
A flash of golden light gleamed in Kent's eyes, and he immediately received feedback.
"Notification: Chaotic Memory Sacred Stone discovered. It produces a Memory Stone every so often. It cannot be touched. Any creature that does so will have its muscle memory absorbed, causing their flesh to atrophy or even lose vitality."
"Chaotic Memory Sacred Stone?" Kent's eyes gleamed as he took note of the words "Chaotic" and "Sacred." He immediately recognized the immense value of this stone. It was likely a legendary divine object.
Divine objects were on the same tier as divine medicines. Kent had once obtained a five-hundred-year-old Snow Mountain Ice Lotus, a low-grade sacred herb. Above sacred herbs were divine medicines.
"Since it's a divine object, there's no need for hesitation. Let's take it back."
Kent wasn't sure if the Chaotic Memory Sacred Stone had any other uses, but just the fact that it produced Memory Stones was enough to make it invaluable. He could use the Memory Stones to rapidly level up his battle skills in a short period of time.
"Perhaps I'll be able to finish my freshman year and apply for graduation soon," Kent thought to himself.
"I'd like to trade for this Sacred Stone and all the Memory Stones here. Would you be willing?" Kent asked.
The Mountain Spike Beast King pondered for a moment and said, "This Sacred Stone has killed two of our people, so it's an ominous object, but the Memory Stones are useful and would be of even greater use to you, Great Benefactor. So we are willing to trade. However, the conditions might be somewhat stringent."
"Tell me what you have in mind," Kent said.
"I'd like to become your contracted beast. Is that possible?" The Mountain Spike Beast King looked at Kent with eager and sincere eyes.
Kent was taken aback. He had thought the request would be something more difficult to deal with. But this was not a harsh condition at all.
However, he quickly realized that while it might seem simple to him, to others, especially the Mountain Spike Beast King, Kent appeared to be an extraordinary talent, someone whose power might seem almost god-like.
"No," Kent refused without hesitation.
This was a simple request, yet Kent refused. The Mountain Spike Beast King had little use to him, and contracting it would only bring an unnecessary burden. It was an additional responsibility he didn't need.
"You are the king of the Mountain Spike Beasts. You have your own responsibilities, and I already have three contracted beasts. I'm already feeling strained, and adding one more would be too much," Kent patiently explained.
The Mountain Spike Beast King looked down, disappointed. It thought for a moment before speaking, "Then, would you be able to elevate me to the Heavenly Tier?"
Kent was silent for a moment before answering, "I can, but it will take some time. However, I'd prefer if you used this opportunity for your tribe."
"Please guide me," the Mountain Spike Beast King requested.
"Here's what I can do: Considering the preciousness of the Sacred Stone and Memory Stones, I can help your tribe evolve three of your people to the lower gold tier. Additionally, I can help ten of your Mountain Spike Beasts break through their bottleneck, those at level 39 and 29, allowing them to level up. This will significantly boost their power. What do you think?"
Kent had already thought carefully about the matter and offered a fair deal.
"That would be wonderful! On behalf of my tribe, I agree to this trade," the Mountain Spike Beast King said, grateful and full of appreciation.