Chapter 472 - 220: Releasing the Three Apes

Gangben Black Ridge gave the Void Energy Crystal Stone to Li Ziyu because such things weren’t really a secret in the Void Land. You could get them by hunting Void Creatures, so hiding it or not didn’t make much of a difference.

He just hadn’t expected Li Ziyu’s reaction to be so strong, to the point where he even thought he was being deceived.

’Was there any need to lie about this?’

Anyone in the Void Land would encounter Void Creatures sooner or later. Kill enough of them, and you would naturally obtain Void Energy Crystal Stones.

"Are you saying these are the same as the Magic Energy Crystal Stones found inside Magical Beasts?" Gangben Black Ridge’s statement reminded Li Ziyu of the Magical Beasts in the Wasteland. Their bodies could also produce Crystal Stones—various kinds of Magic Energy Crystal Stones.

Gangben Black Ridge nodded quickly and explained, "You can think of Void Creatures as a type of Magical Beast. Not every Magical Beast has a Magic Energy Crystal Stone inside it, right? So, it’s perfectly reasonable that not all Void Creatures have Void Energy Crystal Stones."

’Hmm, that does sound reasonable.’

Li Ziyu’s expression grew placid again. The Wraith Mountain Range was home to many Magical Beasts that clashed with the Undead from time to time. Of course, the consequence of these clashes was that the Magical Beasts became corpses, which were then dragged back to the Undead Fortress and decomposed by the system into various materials.

Among the materials obtained from these Magical Beasts were various Magic Energy Crystal Stones. It was just as Gangben Black Ridge had said: you couldn’t get a Magic Energy Crystal Stone from just any Magical Beast. Only the more powerful ones could produce them.

’Looked at this way, he probably wasn’t lying.’

"All right. Since you sound so sure of yourself, I’ll believe you for now. In that case, where does the Void Crystal come from?" Li Ziyu dropped the subject of the Void Energy Crystal Stone and moved on to the Void Crystal. All signs indicated that he had to get his hands on it.

...

Gangben Black Ridge fell silent again. Even Du Lei Black Ridge and Jieshi Black Ridge, who were beside him, put down their food and stared at the ground without a word.

The Void Crystal was their lifeline. Their ability to freely enter and exit the Void Land depended entirely on it. One could say it determined the very strength of their Tribe.

When Gangben Black Ridge remained silent, Li Ziyu crouched down, looked him in the eye, and said, "Talk. If you do, things will go well for everyone. I’ll let you go. I might even form a defensive alliance with your Black Ridge Tribe to fight the Void Creatures together. But if you don’t talk, then my only option is to take it by force. Neither of us are native to this Void Land. Is there any point in us fighting to the death?"

The message was crystal clear, and Li Ziyu was sure Gangben Black Ridge understood. It was also exactly what he was thinking.

The Soul Energy Collector was simply too important, perhaps even more so than a Main City Level structure like the Great Tomb. The Void Land, which he had previously paid little mind to, suddenly held immense strategic value. For the sake of future development, Li Ziyu had to obtain a Void Crystal that would allow him to travel freely to and from this place.

The problem was, Li Ziyu didn’t even know what this thing looked like. If Gangben Black Ridge refused to tell him, he really would go to war with the Black Ridge Tribe. He’d just take it by force; he refused to believe he couldn’t defeat a single Ape Race Tribe.

From his previous conversation with Howling Black Ridge, Li Ziyu had gathered that the Black Ridge Tribe wasn’t having an easy time in this dimension. Otherwise, given the Apes’ nature, they would never have considered allying with him to fight the Void Creatures after just one meeting.

Gangben Black Ridge’s head snapped up to look at Li Ziyu. He understood the implications of Li Ziyu’s words. He was well aware of his Tribe’s current situation. Not long ago, they had fought a major battle against the Void Creatures. Although they had successfully driven them back, their own Tribe had suffered heavy losses. If they were to go to war with these Skeletons now, they might very well be annihilated here.

But asking the Black Ridge Tribe to hand over the Void Crystal was also impossible. They would rather sacrifice the majority of their people to cover an escape with the Void Crystal than ever surrender it to the King of Skulls. He shook his head and said resignedly, "We can’t possibly give you the Void Crystal. If you want war, then so be it. The Black Ridge Tribe will accept your challenge."

But Li Ziyu just shook his head. "I’m not demanding your Tribe’s Crystal. I’m asking where the Crystal comes from and what it looks like."

Gangben Black Ridge still hesitated. "Well..."

Seeing his hesitation, Li Ziyu upped the pressure. "If you don’t talk, then war is the only option left. I need the Void Crystal."

Du Lei Black Ridge, who was standing nearby, leaned close to Gangben Black Ridge and whispered in his ear, "Just tell him. Whether he can actually get one depends on his luck. It’s none of our business."

Upon hearing this, Gangben Black Ridge turned to look at Jieshi Black Ridge, who nodded emphatically in support.

With both of his companions in agreement, Gangben Black Ridge no longer held out. He looked at Li Ziyu and asked, "If I tell you where the Void Crystal comes from, you’ll let us go?"

Li Ziyu nodded firmly. "That’s right. As Howling Black Ridge said, we are not enemies. Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll let you go. There’s no benefit for me in killing you."

"All right. I hope you’re a man of your word," Gangben Black Ridge said with a sigh. "We found the Void Crystal."

"’Found it?’" Li Ziyu asked, a series of question marks practically appearing over his head. "’Where can you just *find* a Void Crystal?’"

"We really did just find it," Gangben Black Ridge said honestly. "The Void Crystal fell from the sky. We suspect it was shot toward our area from beyond the forest. Of course, that’s just our speculation. We’ve never been through the forest ourselves."