Chapter 118

Clear and windless, white clouds spread flat for ten thousand li, as if a huge jade disc hovered at the edge of the azure sky; the distant mountains swallowed by hazy mist only revealed a few pointed peaks.

The peaks appeared and disappeared like elusive fairy islands, hidden in this verdant expanse of ten thousand li; not knowing when the wind arose, the jade disc turned into a long dragon, soaring up and down, sinking into these mountains.

Ye Qin stood at the highest point of the mountaintop; sunlight fell on his emerald scales, plating them with a faint golden glow, making his divinity all the more extraordinary.

The Qi elixir circulated within his body; heaven and earth's Qi surrounded him, forming myriad threads of mist, adding a touch of mystery and solemnity to this fairy‑like scenery.

The White Bone origin manifested beside him, but there was no significant change; through this contemplation, it seemed it had not given anything back to himself.

As for Shangqing Temple, the changes were more obvious: besides an inexplicably added water channel, the old, dilapidated Daoist temple looked somewhat renewed.

Like a faded mural, it was slowly restoring to its former glorious appearance; no one knew what Shangqing Temple would ultimately become.

Ye Qin released a few strands of mental power, probed into the canal, but still found nothing new.

That mottled temporal force was also quite unstable; whether it was too weak or something else, it appeared and disappeared intermittently, making it impossible for him to grasp.

"After all, the object of my contemplation this time was completed within those mottled temporal fragments, which is why it is so special, completely different from before."

Ye Qin guessed that a large part might be due to this, but he dared not be certain,

Just like the Supreme Clarity Temple, at first he didn't understand its function, only later did he gradually uncover it; even now Ye Qin dares not say he fully understands it.

Perhaps this canal and the Supreme Clarity Temple are similar entities; when the time comes, it will naturally be discovered.

So Ye Qin simply stopped worrying, continued to focus on his cultivation—after all, when the boat reaches the bridge, it will go straight.

At this moment he still didn't know that the outside world had already conducted an in-depth analysis of the allusion to "Marking the Boat to Seek the Sword," yet had uncovered a thread of odd historical riddles, even giving rise to the saying "a ghost in the historical mist."

……

At this moment, far across the ocean.

The sky was overcast, heavy black clouds pressing down on buildings that exuded a rich Baroque style, their pointed roofs seeming to slash through the gloom.

The exterior of the house was also black; even if its interior decoration was lavish, it inexplicably gave people a sense of oppression.

What is strange is that, although the architecture everywhere is Western in style, stepping inside reveals an ancient charm; right at the entrance sits a Bagua mirror in the exact center, exuding an eerie sense of incongruity.

Going further in, one would also discover a huge statue of Laozi and an elixir furnace placed in the center.

Amidst the curling incense smoke, it seemed even more mismatched.

Moreover, if a feng shui master were present, they would also notice that the room's furnishings and arrangement are extremely particular.

Everything is laid out according to Daoist yin-yang Bagua and Five Phases patterns; it is clear that the owner of the house greatly venerates Daoist teachings.

In every corner a small copper Bagua mirror is placed, its surface painted with bright red pigment depicting mysterious patterns and symbols.

Later, several holes were opened in the roof; when sunlight shines down, it is refracted by the copper mirrors to the central spot, forming, in effect, a huge Five Phases Bagua pattern!

This entire room is a grand formation!

Seated at the head is a typical Western man, with golden hair and blue-green eyes.

But his eyes are cloudy, filled with bloodshot veins; his face bears a sickly pallor, like a vulture's, giving a chilling feeling.

"Cough cough cough—"

The man coughed incessantly; it was clear his health was poor.

Standing before him were people from Great Xia and M Country; they could clearly feel a chilling gaze sweep down from above, sending several shivers through their hearts.

"Why hasn't the thing I want been brought yet?"

Hearing this, a few Great Xia folks' faces twitched; they cautiously said, "Boss, we've already sent people to look for it."

The man gave a cold smile; his gaze fell upon them like a pool of dead water, utterly cold and devoid of warmth, with a faint stench of death.

"Really? Then why hasn't it been found yet!"

The tail end of the last word suddenly rose in pitch; although the man's face showed no obvious anger, everyone sensed his displeasure.

"Domestic, upon receiving news, we immediately sent people over, even getting ahead of those archaeological teams, but for some reason the first batch died for no apparent reason; we sent a second batch, yet the result was the same."

The overseas antiquities smuggling ring that the police have been investigating turned out to have its base in M Country, with the behind-the-scenes boss being Lawrence.

Lawrence is a tycoon, but likely because he has committed many wicked deeds; in recent years his health deteriorated and he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, the kind that money cannot cure.

Lawrence has made so much money; how could he resign himself? Since medical means cannot cure, he gradually turned his gaze to non-scientific methods.

He began to become increasingly obsessed with Daoist mysticism; having gotten the news from somewhere, he believed that Zuo Ci's cauldron possessed some special efficacy, for according to rumor Zuo Ci entered Mount Huo to refine the Nine-turn Golden Elixir, and finally succeeded in refining it with that cauldron, achieving ascension and immortality.

And if one used it to refine elixirs, combined with other mystical methods such as Five Phases sacrifices and yin-yang union, perhaps one could live to a hundred, prolonging life!

Although these are legends, unreliable and unverifiable by later generations, Lawrence, like a drowning person, wants to grasp at the last straw; even if there is only a sliver of hope, he will try.

Thus came the tomb robbers visiting Zuo Ci's tomb twice; unfortunately, both groups failed, the entire force was wiped out, and the cause of death was very strange.

"Bang!"

A vase was violently smashed onto the ground; the blue-and-white porcelain worth hundreds of thousands was smashed just like that, and Lawrence didn't even blink.

Countless shards shot out at his feet; some even slid across his face, leaving a bloody red mark, and these people didn't dare to dodge.

"You bunch of useless! All I asked you to do was find a cauldron, and you can't even do that—what are you good for eating?"

Lawrence, furious and exhausted, his chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath; seeing his complexion suddenly turn pale, even unable to draw a breath.

His subordinate beside him quickly produced a small bottle, poured out several blackish pills, and gave them to Lawrence to swallow; his complexion then improved considerably.

"Now, regarding the Great Xia side, any news about Wu Du?"

The subordinate took out his phone and saw that news of Zuo Ci's tomb had already lost its heat, and there isn't much news about Wu Du either, let alone any hot topics.

"But reporting truthfully would make him look useless, so he quickly thought of a higher-heat news item: 'Zuo Ci's tomb currently has no news, but Wu Du does have a piece about an ancient village ruins, related to the Great Xia story \"Marking the Boat to Seek the Sword\"; nowadays there is some discussion heat in Great Xia, and someone has thus proposed a theory: that this history is shrouded in mist, somewhat strange…'"

"Shut up! Trash! I only want news of Zuo Ci's tomb!"

"Boss, don't get angry; your condition most taboo is extreme joy or anger, you cannot have large emotional fluctuations."

Hearing Lawrence's breathing gradually become steady, though his complexion remained gloomy.

The subordinate, seeing that evasion wouldn't work, had to speak truthfully: "Based on the information we have, that cauldron hasn't fallen into the hands of the research institute; it must still be near the ancient tomb."

"'I don't have much time left; no matter what methods you use, I must have that cauldron found!'"

Everyone nodded timidly, like pecking chickens.

Boss, don't worry, we will definitely find a way to get it back for you.

……

The first ray of dawn light from the east fell on the mountaintop; white clouds gathered into a vast sea, and the red sun could be seen eagerly leaping; moments later the red sun rose from the sea, rays of light poured forth, the morning sun sprayed color, and a thousand miles of land melted like gold.

Specks of golden light sprinkled the surrounding mountains, gilding them with a holy halo, while mist swirled, making the place seem like a fairyland.

The distant verdant mountains looked like a fairy palace floating in the mist at first glance; Ye Qin stood within them, as the qi of heaven and earth mingled and gave rise to auspicious clouds gathering from all directions.

Countless qi forms rose from his body, surrounding Ye Qin; at this moment his mental power covered the entire mountaintop.

Now Ye Qin's cultivation is solidified, he has a new object of contemplation, and with nothing else to do for the time being, he can put giving lectures on the agenda.

In the future, regardless of whether they can become demons, even awakening a faint spiritual awareness is enough.

The animals in the mountains and forests seemed to sense something at this moment, all raising their heads, their beast eyes looking toward the southeast, where Ye Qin was located.

These small creatures were as if frozen in place, not moving a muscle, like statues; even they did not notice the pinecone falling from a squirrel's paws.

Soon they seemed to break the seal, excitedly running in the same direction, their furry beast faces showing human-like excitement and joy.

Between the jungle trees, broad leaves flickered constantly, as several yellowish-brown shadows leapt out, moving with lightning speed, so fast they almost left afterimages in the air.

Their bodies were slender, heads pointed, and indeed they were several yellow weasels,

By the lakeside waters, the herbivores that had been drinking also splashed through, hooves trampling the water, kicking up countless droplets, not minding even if their fur got wet.

Also, a jackal preparing to hunt had its greenish beast eyes locked on the prey ahead, it approached silently, its sharp fangs and claws flashing cold light in the air.

Then it turned its body, actually reversing direction, giving up the easy prey, making one wonder what cause could drive it to abandon its predatory instinct.

Animals big and small gathered into a black river, coming from all directions; they included herbivores such as rabbits, sheep, monkeys, etc., and carnivores such as jackals, foxes, yellow weasels, etc.

Regardless of whether they were carnivores or herbivores, they got along exceptionally well, because they shared a common goal that could even suppress their instincts and bestial nature.

Although there were many animals, they were not chaotic; aside from the sound of stepping on dry leaves and twigs, there was no other movement, as if they were humans preparing to attend a solemn and solemn ceremony.

Several streams of black flow merged into one, moving orderly toward the southeast.

The animals' beast eyes revealed a human-like reverence as they gazed at the thin mist at the center, where a fleeting glimmer of green light could be seen.

That mist was intangible, filled with mystery, enveloping that place; it was the sacred area in the hearts of all animals.

The mountain wind stirred, the mist swirled, clouds rose and mist surged, resembling the realm of a fairy palace.

Unbeknownst to them, the mist gathered more and more, all converging upon that place.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, the mountains and rivers were beautiful and continuous, a winding mountain road faintly visible like a long dragon coiling deep into the mountains.

All around were tall trees and vegetation; a breeze made the tree shadows sway, and the shadows on the road moved along with them.

A car drove slowly through it; the people inside looked at the surrounding scenery, feeling as if they had stumbled into Peach Blossom Spring, finding it delightful to the eye.

"It seems we didn't come to the wrong place."

"The mountain ranges here are continuous, not yet fully developed, retaining the beauty of pristine ecology; we will surely capture a special view."

"Nowadays the audience's appetite is also picky, always wanting something different; the past few episodes had poor ratings, and the station has issued notices—if this continues, our program may be cancelled."

"So this time we need to film something different; scenic spots have caused aesthetic fatigue among viewers, who need this kind of pristine nature."

They are a crew of a location‑scouting show, whose motto is to traverse the motherland's magnificent rivers and mountains and present the most beautiful scenery to the audience.

This time their shooting site is near this mountain range.

"Actually, going to see the Wang Village Ruins wouldn't be bad either; that place has been hot lately, netizens are discussing the story of 'Carving a Boat to Seek a Sword,' and some even say this history has no source, as if shrouded in mist, which is eerily intriguing—surely the audience will like it."

"Why not? Let's do it next episode, give him a special column to stir up some buzz!"

When the recent hot topic of 'Carving a Boat to Seek a Sword' was mentioned, the discussion in the car grew lively again, each person sharing some thoughts, and some debated its historical issues.

Soon the car descended the mountain road, saw a village not far off, and decided to stop here to rest and recuperate before continuing onward.

The village where they rested was precisely Longyuan Village.

"Uncle, we passed by this place and are resting at your home."

Upon learning that a group had come for location scouting, the simple villagers, who initially didn't know what that meant, warmly received them after an explanation.

"As for our place, setting aside other things, the scenery is top‑notch, all natural and undamaged except for a mountain fire a few years ago, but that's no problem—you can film other big mountains, there's plenty to shoot."

The villager chattered on, seemingly thinking of something, "But I should remind you, aside from that neighboring mountain, you are free to explore the other mountain ranges."

The production crew looked in the direction he pointed.

In the distance, the mountain peaks rose in layered ridges, covered in dark‑green foliage, almost the highest of all summits, and just looking at it seems extraordinary.

They couldn't help but wonder, "Uncle, is there any danger on this mountain?"

The villager shook his head, "If there's danger, that's fine, but the Mountain God lives on this summit; if you barge in recklessly, I fear you'll disturb him."

The production crew had expected some danger, like tigers or black bears, but never imagined the villager would give such an answer.

Some responded in disbelief, "Mountain God?"

The villager solemnly nodded, not joking at all, "In short, I'm doing this for your own good—aside from this mountain, you may film any other peaks as you wish."

Faced with the villager's warning, the production crew didn't take it to heart, after all the mountains are high and the road far, and villagers being superstitious is quite normal.

Nowadays, what era is this? How could a Mountain God possibly exist? It's just the villagers trying to scare them.

After a brief rest, everyone packed their gear and began preparing to climb the mountain.

Their purpose turned out to be exactly the summit the villager had warned them not to enter recklessly!

As soon as they stepped into the forest, they felt a cool breeze blowing on their faces, leaving them refreshed and clear‑headed, with a sensation like being bathed in sweet dew.

The production crew surveyed their surroundings.

"This pristine environment is different—no overdevelopment, and even the air is much fresher than elsewhere."

This remark drew agreement from their companions: "No doubt, we've visited several famous five‑star scenic spots before, but the artificial touches are still too heavy; they can't compare to these pure natural sights."

Everywhere were broad green plants; being among them felt like entering an ancient green ocean, far from worldly clamor, finding a transcendent pure land, giving the spirit a sense of cleansing.

The green leaves formed a canopy, blocking the sunlight outside; occasionally a few shafts of light slipped through the gaps, lingering in the air as pillars of varying shapes.

Dust floated in the air, like countless spirits; the photographer had already begun shooting with his equipment, freezing those light pillars into eternal images.

The contrast of light and dark created a strange beauty, constantly striking his sight; the photographer felt somewhat excited and thrilled.

"The scenery here is absolutely fantastic; I have a feeling that after we finish this episode, our click-through rate will surely rise."

As the group moved through the forest, the photographer's lens followed; soon he frowned slightly, saying, "Although the scenery here is nice, it's a bit lacking in vitality."

Only after the photographer pointed it out did everyone notice something strange; they looked around and said:

"Yeah, on our way here we haven't even seen a single small animal—not even common squirrels or rabbits."

"It's rather eerie, too abnormal."

Given how rich the ecosystem here should be, we ought to see these animals, yet all is silent except for our footsteps.

Even insect chirps and bird calls have vanished, making the silence strangely eerie.

The photographer felt a bit regretful; the scene before him looked almost still—beautiful, yet lacking a soul; if animals could adorn it, it would surely be more perfect.

Soon they discovered scattered footprints on the ground, the traces still fresh, indicating that small herbivores had passed through not long ago.

"Let's follow the footprints and see if we can catch a glimpse of the small animals."

This proposal gained the approval of most of the people.

The group wandered through the mountains, unknowingly drawing closer to the southeast.

"Ah!"

But at that moment, a sudden exclamation came from the photographer's side.

But at that moment, a sudden exclamation came from the photographer's side; he zoomed in dozens of times, intending to gaze at the distant scenery, yet unexpectedly a black thread flashed into his view.

Moreover, the black thread seemed alive, constantly moving.

"What is this?"

Surrounded by green leaves, this black line stood out starkly.

Those nearby hurriedly asked, "What's happening?"

The photographer had no time to reply; he stared unblinking at the lens, instantly capturing the black line and began adjusting it,

The camera equipment in his hand was specialized, capable not only of zooming in but also of adjusting focus outward, allowing a clear view of the scene ahead.

As the lens kept magnifying, the photographer finally saw clearly what the black line was.

Not knowing what he had seen, his expression full of surprise and shock, he quickly put down the camera and called everyone over.

"Come over quickly and take a look at this."

Inside the camera viewfinder was the image he had just captured.

Everyone hurried over, unaware why the photographer reacted so strongly, but after seeing clearly what was inside the camera, they all fell silent.

In the picture, many small animals gathered together, heading toward the same place, as if they shared a common purpose.

If not for the program crew seeing it with their own eyes, they might have thought it was a hallucination.

"What's going on with these animals?"

The program crew stared agape; no wonder they hadn't seen any animals earlier—turns out they were all here.

Could something major have happened in the forest, causing their migration?

But that doesn't make sense either; they've been walking through the forest all along, which has remained peaceful, with no large-scale geological disaster.

Moreover, among this group of animals there are some carnivores; how they manage to coexist peacefully with herbivores is utterly bewildering.

Many doubts arose in everyone's minds.

The program host was eager to give it a try, saying, "Why don't we follow them to see what's happening, and maybe capture something special?"

"Moreover, we can use this as a gimmick; no matter what, the ratings will surely not be bad—as long as we produce this episode well, everyone's livelihood will be secure."

The bold will be stuffed, the timid will starve,

Although the number of these animals is not small, there are no large beasts among them; if they keep a certain distance while following, there would be no danger.

Thinking this, the group continued onward toward the southeast, tracking the animals' footsteps.

The surrounding light grew dimmer and hazier, yet it could not dampen their curiosity; from some point onward a thin mist had risen, but fortunately it did not affect anything.

……

Meanwhile, on the hilltop of their destination.

Ye Qin felt it was about time; he extended his mental power over the animals, establishing a faint connection, preparing to begin his lecture.

These animals' spiritual awareness had not yet fully awakened; aside from the first batch that had followed him closely, which possessed decent perception, most of the animals remained naive.

How much they can hear and understand in this lecture depends entirely on their own fortune.

Ye Qin calmed his mind and began to dispel distracting thoughts.

"Heaven gives rise to all things; earth nurtures them, yet once born they are slain—thus heaven and earth are thieves of all things."

"Humans are the spirit of all things; although all things can steal human qi, humans consume the essence of all things and, borrowing their qi, grow and thrive—thus humans too are thieves of all things."

"A great cultivator can seize the qi of all things for his own use, and can also steal back when all things steal his qi, and can likewise steal when heaven and earth steal the qi of all things; the three thefts become one, killing brings life, and each theft finds its proper place."

Sunlight fell upon Ye Qin's body; each scale shimmered with a unique luster, flecks of gold mingling with the dark green.

A continuous hissing of snake tongues drifted through the forest, carrying a faint rhythm and pulse, along with an ineffable Daoic resonance.

He still cannot speak human words or ventriloquize, so he can only lecture in "snake language," which, though abstract, can be combined with mental power.

Moreover, animals possess their own special sensing system; despite differing communication methods, they can vaguely understand each other's general meaning.

As Ye Qin's lecture deepened, the surrounding mist grew thicker and thicker, eventually enveloping him completely.

……

At that moment, the program crew also followed the animals' footsteps, having walked for several tens of minutes; the animals finally stopped moving, and the crew hastily halted as well, lest they startle the prey.

In the distance, many small animals gathered together, densely packed, impossible to discern clearly; they all faced the same direction, heads raised, gazing intently, as if earnestly listening to something.

However, the distance was too great, and they could hear no sound at all.

But this scene seemed frozen, as if all the animals were on a pilgrimage, listening to a secret whisper.

The cameraman quickly grabbed his equipment, capturing the precious footage.

After all, the animals didn't look like they were migrating; it felt like they were attending a major gathering, though no one knew their purpose or why they were doing it.

"What are these animals doing?"

"Don't you feel like they're attending some important meeting?"

"Come to think of it, there really is a bit of that feeling."

"It's kind of like listening to a leader's lecture?"

The production crew whispered among themselves, noting that although the animals were many, they were organized and orderly, the scene not chaotic but rather very disciplined, almost like humans.

The strange scene sparked their curiosity and desire to explore, even more so excitement and exhilaration; if broadcast on the show, the effect would surely be good.

Imagine, in the beautiful deep mountains and old forests, these animals instead gather together imitating humans.

The animals' unusual behavior, combined with these odd mountains and scenery, would surely give viewers a strong visual impact and even leave many lingering questions.

The cameraman's face was full of excitement, after all, it had been a long time since he'd captured such unique material.

His lens moved accordingly, following the direction of the animals' gaze, trying to figure out what they were looking at.

Soon the lens became blurry; the cameraman lowered his equipment, couldn't help rubbing his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

When he looked again, the lens remained blurry; it turned out the fog over there was too thick, so even the high-definition lens couldn't capture the scene clearly.

"How could there be such a huge fog?"

The cameraman couldn't help muttering to himself, and soon he discovered something interesting in the midst of it.

Looking around, with this mass of fog as the center, the animals were distributed in an extremely regular pattern around it.

They all faced the thick fog, as if there were a great attraction inside, staring fixedly without blinking.

"You…… have you heard any strange sounds?"

At that moment, a companion's doubtful question came from nearby; hearing it, others all turned their ears to listen.

"What sound……"

The cameraman asked instinctively, his hands not stopping, he kept focusing on the thick fog, wanting to shoot more closely, but there was only a mass of fog, and he couldn't see anything inside at all.

Just as he was about to give up, suddenly two clusters of eerie green ghost fire burst from deep within the fog!

And his words came to an abrupt halt.

(End of chapter)