Chapter 45: Mountain Sea Exotic Beast He Luo God

They solemnly buried the fallen warriors.

Mu Yi personally engraved the names of these heroes onto the stone monument.

Dust returns to dust, earth to earth; they must keep moving on. Unable to bring the bodies back, they can only inter them on the spot and raise a tombstone here.

After a brief moment of silence, Mu Yi and the others cleared the battlefield and continued southward.

They passed through a village once sheltered by the Mountain Lord, relayed the news of the Mountain Lord's death so the villagers could make preparations; that was the furthest they could go.

It was the Mountain Lord who bore the ill intent, while the civilians who had received his protection were innocent.

Mu Yi still fragmented the authority he had obtained from the Mountain Lord.

"Zongwang Prompt: Authority fragmented, your troops gain a defense bonus, current bonus: 15%"

(The defense bonus can be applied to armor.)

The Mountain Lord's authority is far stronger than the Bear Demon's, and its effects are noticeable, but lacking armor they cannot fully exploit the ability.

It wasn't until Mu Yi led the group to a sea that he fell silent.

Although he knew the world's changes might differ from his memories, when he truly saw the endless ocean before him, he finally grasped the gap between the two worlds.

Logically they were still near the Yangtze River, but he could clearly distinguish the difference between a river and an ocean.

Discarding every impossibility leaves only one conclusion: sea level is rising, and the Jiangnan region has likely been completely submerged.

The great flood of myth may once again cleanse the world.

Mu Yi didn't know whether this was linked to Nuan Xue, but he was certain of one conclusion.

There was no retreat south… they could only head north, to the Central Plains, to find the source of the disaster.

Mu Yi brought the news back to the city and told Li Lao; Li Lao's complexion waned, for he knew Mu Yi would not deceive him with a lie that could be easily pierced.

"Are you planning to go back?"

Li Lao's voice trembled, as the family he lost to the sudden calamity seemed to surface before his eyes once more.

He was already old, even lacking the courage to return; merely recalling those scenes made him unable to breathe.

"Someone has to go!"

Mu Yi didn't know how to answer Li Lao, and could only say in a dull tone.

He recalled the widows of the fallen soldiers he had seen on his return, their grief, and he could not calmly regard those soldiers as expendables.

Even though he knew this world might not be real, perhaps merely a projection of a time slice, in his eyes those soldiers were living, flesh-and-blood people.

After a while, Li Lao seemed to have made a certain resolve.

"I don't know if it'll help you, but I have a piece of information never disclosed publicly; I hope it helps you!" Li Lao said, looking at Mu Yi with an inexplicable expression.

"Eighteen years ago, I saw a great battle atop the Celestial Dome of the Forbidden City; now the Court's revered Jia Xian and the Heavenly Gods and Earth Deities are jointly confronting an Exotic Beast."

As he spoke, Li Lao pulled a book from his own body.

"I consulted many sources and finally found a similar description here."

Mu Yi peered closely; the book clearly read: "On Qiao Ming Mountain, Qiao Water springs forth, flowing west into the river. Among them are many He Luo Fish, one head with ten bodies, their sound like barking dogs, eating them causes ulcers."

Mu Yi's eye twitched, he closed the book, and the cover plainly displayed "Classic of Mountains and Seas: Northern Mountains".

Honestly, Mu Yi would rather not know this information.

He now understood where the Mountain Sea Exotic Beast element described in the Dungeon had originated.

It stretches straight back to ancient times; even if it's edible, Mu Yi doesn't think a Mountain Sea Exotic Beast that even the Heavenly Gods and Earth Deities have yet to fully eradicate would be a pushover.

From a realistic standpoint, Mu Yi can't imagine what monster a Mountain Sea Exotic Beast that survived from antiquity to now would become.

He Luo Fish? It should be called He Luo God now!

If he isn't mistaken, that former matriarch, the White Lotus Sect's Wusheng Laomu, was probably a manifestation created by the other side.

Mu Yi felt a bit helpless; he was about to face at least a Legend, perhaps even a god‑ranked BOSS, while he was just a weak, helpless, pitiful apprentice.

What a trashy matchmaking system!

Honestly, even native Jiuzhou folk, Mu Yi began to think the Jiuzhou Dungeon's matchmaking was terrible.

Apprentice fighting a Legend or a God?

Moreover, based on the timeline, eighteen years ago the Heavenly Gods and Earth Deities had not yet severed ties with this world; many of them jointly sealed the He Luo God, though it's unclear why they didn't kill it outright.

But now it's truly a dead end.

The departure of the Heavenly Gods and Earth Deities allowed the opponent's avatar to emerge and cause trouble five years ago.

He can't imagine how to stop them if the true form breaks free from its seal.

Given their modus operandi, a world‑ending demon god is certain; none will escape when the time comes.

Come to think of it, the Court's sudden troop deployment probably means they just discovered a seal problem, right?

"Accessed hidden content, current Dungeon progress 25%, basic clearance criteria met."

"Current Dungeon difficulty increased, recommended level 10+."

"Due to increased Dungeon difficulty, character level does not meet requirements; imminent forced removal, countdown 23:59."

Mu Yi suddenly realized this might be the proper way to unlock this world.

Choosing Free People, he would likely end up in a small southern village right away, begin exploring the world, and as long as he kept to himself and avoided the central affairs, survival would be easy.

The Qing Court, White Lotus Sect, Rebellion Army, and Free People each represent a faction, a circle, and a position; the farther from the center, the weaker and the safer.

That's the true meaning of recommended level 1+; the Jiuzhou Dungeon usually doesn't prevent civilians from surviving, as long they behave honestly, survival is guaranteed.

Mu Yi showed a dazed expression; honestly, if he chose the Free People identity, he might become a Temple Caretaker of a Mountain Lord Temple, joining the Wild God conflicts.

At that time, his opponent would probably be a character like a Temple Caretaker of the Mountain Lord Temple?

By merit, learning a move from a Wild God of the Mountain Lord type, he would finally learn the truth and leave this world.

Nevertheless, despite taking a detour, he still met the basic clearance conditions and gained a hefty reward; perhaps that's life?

A loss may turn out to be a blessing.

While participating more, he also gained more.

Watching the countdown slowly pass, Mu Yi found Lin Jie and had him carve a statue for himself.

Before finally leaving, he always makes sure to spend all the money he carries; otherwise, when he returns next time, who knows whether these things will still be useful to him.

(End of chapter)