My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

"Did a knife fall into the secret realm 80 years ago?"

This was the only solution Lin Mo could think of.

At his current level, even if he had some fortuitous encounter in the secret realm, he would still be no match for three demigods.

There is no chance unless Zhou Yue's knife can be found and he can be rescued.

The banshees exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing Lin Mo's words.

Some frowned, some tilted their heads, and some scratched their hair, which wasn't even there, lost in memories.

Their brows were furrowed, clearly as they were trying to find fragments of memory.

Lin Mo did not urge him.

He simply waited quietly, and Mianmian in his arms also quieted down, her eight compound eyes curiously watching the female demons.

Time passed second by second.

Just when Lin Mo thought he might not get an answer, a little female demon hiding at the very back raised her hand.

It was a creature smaller and thinner than the other banshees.

The light emanating from her body had dimmed considerably, making her appear quite young... if succubi do have ages.

She timidly floated forward and cautiously glanced at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo looked at her: "You know?"

The little demon shrank her neck and then nodded.

Her voice was soft, as if she was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"80 years ago... when the secret realm opened... a beam of light descended from the sky. It was very bright, extremely bright, so bright that we could see it even inside the Great Tomb."

She paused.

"But the light was too fast, we couldn't see what it was. And we can't get out of the Great Tomb, so we don't know if it's the knife you're looking for."

Lin Mo frowned slightly.

"Do you know where that light went?"

The little demon did not answer immediately.

She turned to look at the other succubi, as if seeking help.

The group of banshees exchanged glances, and then—

"The Silent Mountains".

They spoke in unison.

The voices were all in unison, as if they had been rehearsed.

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow: "The Silent Mountains? Is that place famous?"

The largest female demon floated forward and nodded.

"We can't get out of the Great Tomb, but we can obtain fragments of their memories by devouring the creatures that break in."

She explained.

"Ghouls, skeletons, and even occasionally human adventurers. From those memories, we learned quite a bit about the secret realm."

She paused.

"The Silent Mountains, deep within the secret realm, are a strange mountain that can erode one's mind. The higher you go, the greater the pressure becomes, and all sorts of hallucinations will appear in your mind... Your greatest fears, your deepest regrets, your most hidden terrors will all surface."

Another succubus chimed in.

"So you often see people gritting their teeth and climbing up step by step, their faces turning red and their eyes bloodshot. Those who reach the top are so overwhelmed by the pressure that they can't speak and can only persevere in silence, which is why it's called the 'Silent Mountain Range'."

Lin Mo listened without saying a word.

The largest female demon explained.

"Many intruders want to challenge it. It is said that there is a powerful beast king on that mountain, but no one has ever encountered it. Moreover, the group of intruders four years ago seemed to have discovered the aura of the Twilight Stone on the mountain."

Lin Mo's pupils contracted slightly.

Twilight Stone.

It's the Twilight Stone again.

Hunter Axe said that the thing was proof of demigodhood and one of the necessary conditions to defeat the Demon King.

Zhou Yue was able to break through to the demigod realm in a short period of time because he fused with the Twilight Stone.

If the Silent Mountains really do have Twilight Stones...

"Has no one ever reached the summit?"

Lin Mo asked.

The succubi all shook their heads.

"no."

The greatest female demon said.

"At least from the memories we've gathered, no. Some people couldn't make it halfway up the mountain, while others persevered until near the summit, only to collapse in the end. That place... is not a place humans can climb."

Lin Mo fell silent.

"Which direction is the Silent Mountains in?"

The group of banshees simultaneously stretched out their hands, pointing into the depths of the great tomb.

"Go through this cemetery, head north until you reach the end, and you'll see that mountain."

Lin Mo nodded to himself; it seemed he had no choice but to go there.

But before that...

He sat down cross-legged and placed Mianmian on his lap.

"Let's begin. First, help me restore my mental energy."

Upon hearing this, the group of female demons dared not hesitate and immediately surrounded them.

They floated around Lin Mo, extending their translucent hands to press against him.

Lin Mo felt a cool energy surging into his body from those hands.

That energy was filled with the aura of death, yet it was very light and gentle, like fine rain seeping into parched earth.

The almost depleted pool of spiritual energy within him began to recover at a visible rate.

One minute.

five minutes.

ten minutes.

……

Half an hour later, Lin Mo opened his eyes.

My mental energy is full.

He clenched his fist, feeling that familiar power return to his body.

The restoration of his mental strength meant that he could use most of his skills again.

The group of banshees floated to the side, each of them radiating a dimmer light than before.

That's a sign of overexertion.

Thank you.

Lin Mo said.

The group of female demons waved their hands repeatedly, looking flattered.

Lin Mo stood up and hugged Mianmian back into his arms.

He looked at the group of female demons and spoke:

"I'll need you to guide me from here. Take me to the Silent Mountains."

The smiles on the succubi's faces froze.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with difficulty and bitterness.

The largest banshee floated forward and cautiously spoke:

"My lord, it's not that we don't want to help you... it's just that we really can't. We're bound by the rules and cannot leave the Great Tomb; if we do, we'll vanish."

She pointed to the endless rows of tombstones around her.

"This is our prison, which has been here for thousands of years, and we have never been able to get out."

Lin Mo did not speak.

He simply drew his black sword slowly.

The sword was dark, emitting a faint glow.

He raised his sword in front of the group of female demons.

"What do these rules have to do with me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a suction force emanated from the black sword!

The group of female demons were startled and instinctively tried to retreat.

But the suction was too strong; they couldn't resist it at all, and their bodies drifted uncontrollably toward the black sword.

"This...this is..."

The largest banshee stared wide-eyed as her translucent body was sucked toward the sword, her fear tinged with disbelief.

Lin Mo's voice was calm:

"Enter the Black Sword. I'll take you out."

The succubi were stunned.

They looked at the black sword, at the faint light visible on its blade, and at what seemed to be another space within it.

That is a place that can accommodate souls.

"Can...can we go out?"

A female demon murmured, her voice trembling slightly.

Lin Mo did not answer, but simply held up his sword, waiting for them to decide for themselves.

The succubi exchanged glances.

Then, the largest banshee was the first to move.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and transformed into a beam of light.

It disappeared into the black sword.

Seeing this, the remaining female demons no longer hesitated.

One beam of light after another shone forth, surging into the black sword.

The black sword trembled slightly, then returned to calm.

But upon closer inspection, one can see faint shimmering light flowing across the sword's surface, traces of hundreds of female demons within.

Mianmian clapped her little hands with joy as she watched this scene.

"Get out...all of you get out!" she muttered. "Let's...go play together!"

Yin Xue peeked out from his collar, looked at the black sword, and clicked his tongue twice.

"This sword is truly omnipotent. It can absorb souls, modify skills, and even serve as a mobile dormitory. If I ever find myself in dire straits, I'll go in and stay for a couple of days."

Lin Mo ignored her.

He sheathed the black sword at his waist, picked up Mianmian, raised his head, and looked into the distance beyond the Great Tomb.

The Silent Mountains.

Zhou Yue's knife.

Twilight Stone.

……

He imagined the great battle with the demigod three days later.

I took a step and headed towards the Silent Mountains.