Chapter 179: Bustling Streets Reveal the Sacred, Sword in Hand, Soaring to Immortality!

Every step felt like floating in midair—a sensation utterly novel, as if walking upon the clouds, light and airy, almost ascending to immortality.

Along the way, the village chief encountered many familiar faces—fellow villagers, including Sun Zhenbang and Zhao Jianhua, who stood plainly in sight; he wished to greet them, yet feared disturbing the White Bone ahead, so he restrained himself.

Most wore expressions of bewildered confusion, clearly still uncomprehending what was happening, while others brimmed with curiosity and inquiry, continually scanning their surroundings.

The night road was difficult to traverse, yet all moved with light, swift steps.

In the distance, mountain ranges shimmered beneath the moonlight, resembling celestial palaces, draped in mysterious hues, the Milky Way encircling them, stars scattered like jewels, rising and falling upon the river's surface, occasionally stirring ripples that left behind shimmering traces.

The bright moon hung low over the peaks, so near it seemed one could reach out and pluck stars and embrace the moon.

The lush vegetation of daytime now glowed like jade, radiating brilliant light—no longer ordinary flora; upon seeing the villagers arrive, they swayed their leaves, as if in greeting.

Wherever the eye turned, immortal qi drifted and swirled, clouds surged and mists rose, coalescing into myriad shapes, faintly hearing the sound of harmonious music—so this must be what is meant by the ninefold palaces, jade towers and crystal halls.

The village chief felt his eyes could scarcely take it all in; what he saw and heard surpassed anything imaginable in his lifetime—such wonders left him awestruck.

Someone in the group could not help but exclaim: "Good heavens, have we arrived at the immortal palace?"

"Is this a dream or an illusion? It's simply too miraculous."

"If this truly is the immortal palace, then my ancestors' graves must be smoking with pride—I'll be able to tell my descendants that I, too, have visited the immortal palace."

"Hush! Let's not speak—lest we disturb the Mountain God."

Now that we've ascended the mountain, if we noise and drive the Mountain God down, the loss would outweigh any gain.

The White Bone led the way ahead, gradually bringing them deep into the mountain forests, where many animals had gathered, sitting cross-legged and nodding toward the villagers.

These were precisely the animals that had shared drinks and conversation with the villagers at the wine table earlier.

So many creatures, yet not a sound of noise arose; the villagers, affected by the solemn atmosphere around them, fell silent, each finding a seat and sitting down.

Mist floated in midair, a green shadow flickered past—seemingly within arm's reach, yet actually far beyond the horizon, elusive and intangible.

The villagers felt a dignified gaze sweep from above, like a towering mountain peak, the Nine Heavens Divine Abode seated within, making them unable to resist the urge to bow and worship.

This must be the Mountain God.

Zhao Jianhua boldly raised his head—last time he had not seen the Mountain God's true face clearly; this time he wished to see more distinctly.

But he accidentally met the jade-green eyes; in an instant, the breath of ancient ages surged forth, unleashing a torrent that engulfed his very soul.

His heart shuddered, his mind went blank for a moment; only after a long while did he recover, hastily withdrawing his gaze, daring not to let his eyes wander.

That overwhelming pressure had nearly made his scalp tingle; even now, recalling it left him with lingering dread—fortunately, the Mountain God did not hold his rashness against him.

From within the mist came a low, solemn male voice, carrying an inexplicable rhythm and cadence, clearly drifting into every ear; the words were obscure and difficult to understand, leaving all unaware of their meaning.

"There was something formless yet complete, born before heaven and earth. Silent! Vast! Standing alone and unchanging, moving in cycles without exhaustion—it can be regarded as the mother of the world. I do not know

its name; I call it Dao, and for the sake of naming, I call it Great. Great means passing away; passing away means far-reaching; far-reaching means returning. Therefore, Dao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the king is also great."

Each word was understandable, yet when combined, they resembled a heavenly script; but upon careful reflection, they revealed profound mystery.

These phrases alone formed a mysterious world, with "Dao" at its center, divine mist permeating, immortal qi drifting, various marvels appearing endlessly.

Celestial music descended from heaven, jade towers and crystal halls standing amidst the clouds, as if they now dwelled not in mountains and forests but in the ninefold immortal realm, evoking a feeling of lightness and transcendence.

Whether human or beast, all unconsciously closed their eyes, immersed in this small world, continually exploring under the guidance of the scripture.

Every expression brimmed with confusion and incomprehension, yearning to uncover the true meaning behind the words.

What is Dao?

The same question arose in the hearts of all living beings.

Animals scratched their ears and cheeks, pondering deeply; humans did the same—all beings equal, how much they could comprehend depended entirely on their own fortune; Ye Qin was merely a guide.

The exposition of Dao continued, tone unhurried, filled with an ineffable Dao rhythm; these sentences penetrated their minds, and the gate to a wondrous, fantastical world slowly creaked open.

One animal showed an expression of sudden enlightenment; nearby humans also gradually revealed smiles, as if they had grasped something—though their species differed, their hearts in seeking the Great Dao were the same.

"The practice of the Great Dao brings equity to the world; the Great Dao is not solitary—many walking together reach far."

"One person's Dao is not true Dao—such a Dao is too narrow and lonely, destined not to endure."

"The Dao Ye Qin seeks is the Great Dao of the world; with his own body, he opens the way for all myriad beings!"

"Become that Demon Ancestor, Patriarch!"

"Such breadth of mind and vision also ensures his Dao has no precedent and will have no successor."

Countless golden lights radiated from within him, intertwining with the moonlight, like fiery trees and silver blossoms, blazing brilliantly upon Longyuan Mountain.

Heaven felt gratitude for Ye Qin's virtue; within the moonlight, countless threads condensed, containing the essence of heaven and earth, falling along the Milky Way, gradually forming a silver waterfall that flowed ceaselessly through the mountains.

The heavenly and earthly spiritual qi within Ye Qin's body was stirred, surging forth; he released his mental power, guiding these gases, continually cleansing his scales and filling his meridians.

His golden core emitted a low, resonant hum; outwardly, it became more round and full, even bearing faint silver patterns on its surface, filled with mystery and ineffable subtlety.

The golden core spun rapidly, nearly merging completely with the spiritual qi, swallowing and exhaling like a whale, until Ye Qin's body could absorb no more—then the qi slowly diffused outward.

Upon contact with spiritual qi, plants and trees instantly grew wildly, nearly half a person taller, forming an ancient forest; the mountain terrain became more majestic, the spiritual veins already taking initial shape.

The remaining spiritual qi nourished the bodies of villagers and animals alike—whether human or beast, their bodies gleamed with an ineffable luster.

Especially Hu Xiaocao: her skin resembled fine porcelain jade, naturally perfect, as if truly a little immortal maiden reborn from the ninefold celestial palace.

The light emanating from her surpassed that of surrounding beings; her delicate face was veiled in faint silver radiance, the corners of her eyes and brows revealing an extraordinary aura.

If someone passed nearby, they would notice the mountains hazy, at times hearing faint whispers, filled with indescribable mist.

A vast jade disk hung suspended in the azure sky, brighter than ever before, the entire mountain peak seeming to sink into this silver radiance, as if flying upward with it.

Unnoticed, the sky revealed a hint of fish-belly white; crystalline dewdrops reflected the rising sun, trembling at the treetips.

This discourse on Dao was nearing its end, when the heavens once again transmitted a solemn male voice.

The village chief and others slowly opened their eyes, their expressions still somewhat dazed, immersed in the discourse, unable to extricate themselves.

"You, return and ponder deeply, diligently cultivate; given time, you will surely achieve minor accomplishment."

The people slowly rose, bowed devoutly toward the source of the voice, then followed the same path down the mountain in succession.

……

The azure sky already showed hints of color, no longer pure black; within the brilliant morning glow, a red sun slowly emerged and spread.

If it were the usual time, there would already be cooking smoke rising above the village, and the villagers would have begun their day's labor, but today, even though the sun is high, the village remains quiet, and everyone is still fast asleep.

Only when the glaring sunlight streamed in from outside the window did Sun Zhenbang blearily open his eyes; he glanced at the time and found it was already noon.

Because he used to go to work and stand duty, he had never gotten up past eight o'clock, as regular as clockwork, having long since developed a fixed biological rhythm, yet today he shockingly slept until twelve.

Sun Zhenbang rubbed his temples, feeling only a slight swelling in his head, as if many things had suddenly been stuffed inside and not yet fully digested.

Amidst the chaos, however, there was also a feeling of sudden enlightenment, truly complex to the extreme.

In a daze, many scenes appeared before his eyes: a huge bright moon, miraculous white mist, mountain peaks like celestial palaces, all kinds of images flashing in his mind, impossible to dispel.

"Could it be that I was dreaming yesterday?"

Sun Zhenbang couldn't help muttering to himself, always feeling that something unusual had appeared in his body, but he couldn't say exactly what.

Just as he stepped out of his door, he saw many villagers, obviously also in a state of having just woken, except for Hu Xiaocao, who looked radiant and full of vigor, as if she had gained much.

The village chief came running over in a flurry, sizing up Sun Zhenbang from head to toe: "Officer Sun, did you also have that dream yesterday?"

Looking at the village chief's appearance, Sun Zhenbang felt an unbelievable thought arise in his heart: "Could it be that you too...?"

The village chief nodded, his face full of joy.

"Indeed, yesterday was the Mountain God's blessing, allowing us to have such a miraculous experience; the Mountain God expounded the Dao, which is a rare opportunity. There was once before, but I didn't hear it clearly then, and I never expected to make up for this regret now."

Compared to the previous expounding of the Dao at the mountain foot, this time the village chief heard it more clearly and gained abundantly.

After hearing the village chief's account, Sun Zhenbang showed a thoughtful expression: "Then, judging by the current situation, we must have been dreaming yesterday?"

Whether it was a dream or our souls summoned by the Mountain God, for us, this is a precious experience, and everyone benefits endlessly.

The village chief gathered everyone in the Mountain God Temple; at this moment, his face was flushed with vitality, spirited and energetic, showing no sign of fatigue, while others were in similar states, some excited and exhilarated.

Although it was a dream, it was also a real and actual occurrence; the Mountain God, grateful for their grand ceremony and sincere offerings, bestowed blessings and granted them the opportunity to hear the Dao.

"I suppose everyone last night had an extraordinary experience."

The village chief's words were profound, yet everyone understood his meaning.

"Since the Mountain God has bestowed blessings, we must forever be grateful and put the Mountain God first in all things."

Under the village chief's leadership, everyone bowed sincerely to the Mountain God before beginning to discuss last night's events.

After the villagers discussed, they discovered that everyone had yesterday been together listening to the scriptures and expounding the Dao, but the situations were clearly different: some understood half, while others understood only a few sentences.

Li Dahai from the eastern part of the village, honest and simple in appearance, not seeming shrewd, and usually hesitant in his actions, unexpectedly understood a great deal, which was truly surprising.

"Perhaps this kind of thing really depends on comprehension; this is talent, after all, which others cannot envy."

"Ah, don't say it—I was listening in a daze yesterday, almost falling asleep; if I had known this would happen, I would have certainly gathered my full spirit."

"I feel those characters recognize me, but I do not recognize them."

"If only I had studied hard and learned to read back then; I never imagined that, after more than half my life, I would still have such an opportunity."

The villagers sighed repeatedly, but no matter how much they understood, they all gained something; if they could fully comprehend and integrate it, they would benefit endlessly, destined in the future to become like Hu Xiaocao, the first batch of human cultivators!

The one who gained the most here was Hu Xiaocao; other villagers knew only half, but she understood a great deal.

Sun Zhenbang still had to return to duty; after lunch, he bade farewell to the village chief and the others, but last night's experience—whether the Mountain God's grand ceremony or the dreamlike encounter—would become an unforgettable memory.

Zhao Jianhua also became familiar with the villagers; next time he comes, he won't need to sneak around and arouse suspicion.

……

The mountains were silent and still, only hearing the pines' waves rising and falling, stirring up countless billows, appearing tranquil and peaceful, like a beautiful scroll painting.

Those animals had their eyes half-closed, yet murmured words in their mouths, from the initially blurred few bytes to later being able to fully utter characters.

The mysterious scriptures flowed and chanted in the mountains, carried by the passing mountain wind to every corner.

After who knows how long, they slowly opened their eyes; the beast pupils flashed with sudden light, gleaming with the radiance of wisdom.

These animals' cultivation levels and realms had also increased considerably, making Ye Qin feel greatly relieved.

The animals chirped and chattered, their furry beast faces filled with gratitude and joy toward Ye Qin, all bowing their heads to him in succession.

"You must diligently cultivate; animal cultivation is never easy, remember not to be lazy; given time, you will surely transform and become demons and ancestors."

Ye Qin instructed them, after all, he had already stayed on Longyuan Mountain for a while, and it was time to go out and travel.

The affairs on Longyuan Mountain's side were all settled; the Mountain God's grand ceremony ended, the villagers also gained much, and the animals' cultivation had entered the proper track.

As long as they proceed step by step and practice diligently, there will be no major problems later.

And Ye Qin's internal spiritual energy had already reached a saturated state, while his cultivation level and realm had not increased, so he planned to go to the outside world to look for new opportunities and improve his state of mind.

"Roar!"

The Northeastern Tiger let out a low growl, sensing Ye Qin's intention to leave, conveying a hint of reluctance.

"I will still return; by then, I hope you will have achieved something."

"During my absence, besides cultivating, you must also guard Longyuan Mountain well and help each other with the villagers there."

The animals nodded and followed behind Ye Qin, escorting him all the way to the mountain base.

Looking at these reluctant beings, Ye Qin's heart was also filled with emotion; his stay at Longyuan Mountain was not long, yet it was the most comfortable and pleasant time for him.

The land and living things here are so familiar, and the spiritual energy is sufficiently abundant; he could even stay here for a lifetime without issue.

But this comfort zone is not what he wants; to make progress and breakthroughs, he must step out of the comfort zone and embark on a new journey.

Ye Qin finally turned back to look at Longyuan Mountain; the mountains stretched continuously, layered peaks overlapping, exquisite and lush, miraculous and extraordinary.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by the earth-shaking, mountain-moving tiger's roar, other animals also began to howl, startling countless birds in the mountains, which circled in midair.

The howling sound wandered in the mountains, drifting beneath the blue sky and white clouds, even reaching the village at the mountain base.

That day, all the livestock were listless, and even the villagers felt a sense of loss in their hearts, unable to muster energy for anything, as if something had drifted away from them.

The village chief heard the animals' howling and instinctively glanced toward the direction of Longyuan Mountain: "Could it be that something happened in the mountains?"

From these calls, he heard sorrow and reluctance.

The villagers shook their heads: "Impossible, yesterday we still held the Mountain God's grand ceremony, and at night the Mountain God still expounded the Dao to us; there should be nothing wrong."

The village head also thought it made sense.

The villagers did not know that Ye Qin had once again left Longyuan Mountain and embarked on a new journey; in everyone's hearts, no matter where Ye Qin was, he would always protect the village.

The Mountain God has always existed, right in their hearts.

Soon the animals' roars faded, everything returned to tranquility, and the mountain animals, having received Ye Qin's instructions, dared not be lazy and trained diligently.

The villagers at the mountain base continued their life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, and in their leisure time they discussed with fellow villagers the contents of the sutra lecture they had heard that night.

Ye Qin also began his new journey; unlike his previous aimless wandering, this time he already had an idea in mind and set off toward the southeast.

His cultivation level and realm being what they are, he could be said to travel a thousand miles a day, setting out eastward along the Lingwu Expressway, traveling day and night, braving wind and frost, and soon arrived at TZ City.

Gazing at the green mountains not far away, which differed from the magnificent peaks of Longyuan Mountain yet carried a different aura, Ye Qin arrived just at dawn.

The summit was shrouded in a sea of clouds, with rosy clouds and mist intermingling; on the shimmering golden sea surface, the sun lifted the cloud curtain, drew aside the rosy canopy, draped in five-colored rosy clouds, and fell upon the majestic mountain peak.

A vast and ancient aura came rushing toward him, the cliff tops carved as if by knives and axes stood tall between heaven and earth, the lofty peaks piercing the clouds were nearly submerged, their tops invisible, inspiring awe.

Ye Qin could not help but sigh, "Indeed worthy of being the foremost of the Five Great Mountains, Mount Tai."

If Longyuan Mountain was a dark horse rising unexpectedly, then Mount Tai was like a watcher in the long river of history, enduring the vicissitudes of the seas and fields, the changes of worldly affairs, yet standing firm and unmoved.

Since it was still early, when he climbed the mountain, there were hardly any tourists.

"No wonder ancient emperors performed the Mountain Closure sacrifices on Mount Tai; just look at this aura—it can truly be called reigning over all under heaven."

Ye Qin made his way all the way to the summit, taking in the beautiful scenery below at a glance, possessing the air of one who surveys all mountains as small.

There was a reason for choosing Mount Tai.

Mount Tai was regarded by the ancients as a "heaven that leads straight to the imperial throne," becoming a sacred mountain worshipped by the common people and where emperors offered sacrifices; from Qin Shi Huang to the Qing dynasty, thirteen emperors in succession personally ascended Mount Tai to perform Mountain Closure or offer sacrifices, and another twenty-four emperors sent officials to perform sacrifices seventy-two times.

Moreover, legend says Mount Tai was formed from Pangu's skull after he cleaved heaven and earth, thus giving Mount Tai a mysterious legendary aura; the people of Xia have worshipped Mount Tai since ancient times, with the saying "If Mount Tai is peaceful, all four seas are peaceful."

Throughout history, emperors and sovereigns have frequently performed Mountain Closure and offered sacrifices on Mount Tai, and literary scholars and refined gentlemen of all dynasties also enjoyed visiting and left behind many excellent poems and writings.

According to Ye Qin's prior experience, the formation of historical mottled time fragments requires a rich historical foundation as a basis, and also needs the polishing of time.

Fortunately, Mount Tai satisfies both conditions: this place is rich in culture and foundation, inherently quite special, and furthermore, the mountain itself has temples, palaces, and observatories—ancient architectural complexes—so perhaps an opportunity could be found there to aid Ye Qin's cultivation.

Since Mount Tai covers a relatively large area, his spiritual power is insufficient to completely cover the entire mountain peak, so Ye Qin can only first explore one place, then move on to another.

Although it costs considerable effort, for Ye Qin it is not a problem.

He sensed that spiritual energy also exists within Mount Tai, although not as abundant as in Longyuan Mountain, yet in the modern era of scarce spiritual energy, it is still rare and precious.

Mount Tai is the only famous mountain that has received imperial Mountain Closure; besides, in Xia it has a long tradition, and both Buddhism and Taoism flourish here.

Ye Qin has already passed by several Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, unfortunately finding no fluctuations of the aura of time.

Logically speaking, Mount Tai has a long history; although Ye Qin does not have full confidence, this place is highly likely to form mottled time fragments, only he does not yet know where.

"Even if it's like looking for a needle in the sea, I will try; perhaps I will sense something."

Although his current spiritual power cannot completely cover Mount Tai, part of it can still be covered.

Ye Qin found a secluded, quiet, and tranquil place, began to meditate and enter stillness, his spiritual power slowly released outward, yet it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no feedback.

He released a considerable amount of spiritual power again, but the result was still the same.

He slowly opened his eyes, could not help but let out a faint sigh, "It seems it still won't work."

If the aura of mottled time were so easily found, he would not have to go to such great trouble; one would think it could only be sensed when nearby.

Just as Ye Qin wanted to continue searching, sudden changes arose!

"Ong——"

From the air came a faint, resonant ringing sound; in an instant, wind rose and clouds surged, the mountain breeze stirred, blowing the leaves into a rustling sound, as if ten thousand horses were galloping forward, and Ye Qin's mind and spirit were shaken.

"What is happening?!"

Sensing the fluctuations in the air, Ye Qin initially thought it was the aura of mottled time fragments, but upon careful sensing it did not seem so; although it carried the aura of time, it also carried an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if it were his own power!

This thought had just arisen when White Bone suddenly materialized, holding the Shangqing Observatory in his hands.

Before this, such a situation had never occurred; Ye Qin stared dumbfounded.

The anomalous fluctuation he had sensed earlier actually came from inside the Shangqing Observatory; aside from that water channel, there was nothing else inside related to time.

"Could it be that the water channel has some anomaly!"

Ye Qin released a few strands of spiritual power; the water channel was crystal clear, suddenly rippling, as if someone were constantly stirring it with their hand.

The prayer beads and wine gourd lay at the bottom, unchanged, while beside them lay a bronze ancient sword.

Ye Qin suddenly discovered that the bronze ancient sword, which had previously been only a phantom, had now fully condensed into form, flowing with light and color, emitting an inexplicable might.

The metallic ringing sound he had just heard, along with the aura, emanated from the ancient sword.

Compared to its original appearance, the blade of the bronze ancient sword had not changed much, but at the hilt several mysterious patterns had appeared, cold light flashing, capable of cutting iron like mud.

Clearly still the same as before, after undergoing the sedimentation and polishing of history, it finally revealed its sharpness; it seemed that even one more glance would burn one with sword qi.

Ye Qin sensed that the ancient sword before him possessed tremendous might; he slowly opened his eyes, and as his spiritual power fluctuated, the ancient sword also appeared in midair.

Originally, the objects inside the water channel could only be used within mottled time fragments; now, the recondensed ancient sword could actually be brought into reality!

That is to say, the ancient sword today is no longer bound by any time or space!

A flash of astonishment crossed Ye Qin's eyes as he sensed the changes on the ancient sword; today it can be said that its sharpness is fully revealed.

"This is a rare treasure, having undergone the baptism of time; I do not know how powerful it is."

A heavy sword has no edge; great skill appears effortless.

Although the bronze ancient sword has no blade, the aura it emits indicates its extraordinariness.

Earlier, Ye Qin had once given it to Zhidun, but later it was unearthed by the archaeological center from Zhidun's tomb and returned to the water channel, only this time appearing as a phantom.

At that time he had never understood the principle behind it; now, thinking back, the bronze ancient sword, having been tempered and trained in the river of time, combined with the function of the water channel, may have long since undergone extraordinary changes.

Furthermore, having been unearthed by later generations, it thus broke through the shackles of time, and now can also be used in the real world.

"Of course, there may still be principles here that I have not discovered; its appearance in reality must have other reasons, and I hope to find the cause in the future."

"Perhaps in the future the prayer beads and wine gourd will also receive some fortune and become like this bronze ancient sword."

Thinking of this, Ye Qin felt a growing anticipation in his heart.

Although he currently has no limbs, it does not affect his control of the bronze ancient sword; his spiritual power covers it, and he soon senses the active power upon it.

Controlling a sword from a thousand li away—this is something Ye Qin has never experienced before, yet he had fantasized about it in his past life.

"Rise!"

With Ye Qin's soft shout, the treasure sword actually flew far away, soaring toward the sky.

"Go!"

With another command, the treasure sword circled around Mount Tai, hovering in midair at extreme speed, making Ye Qin's eyes brighten and increasingly convinced that this treasure is extraordinary.

"Test its power!"

Ye Qin suddenly had a whimsical idea, wanting to cleave the mountain with one sword, but just as he was about to try, the commotion at the mountain foot attracted his attention.

"Boom boom boom!"

The roar of the engine shattered the silent sky, startling countless birds; only in the midst of the layered green mountains could a winding road be seen stretching into the distance,

where a black off-vehicle sped like a leopard in the jungle, constantly howling and roaring, causing passing vehicles to hastily avoid it, fearing collision with this beast.

There were not many vehicles on the road, yet even so, this recklessly charging off-vehicle drew much resentment; if traffic were heavy, an accident would be inevitable.

They had never seen anyone drive so recklessly.

The driver was a scar-faced man, his eyes gleaming with malice, his face full of ferocity; seeing a small car blocking the road ahead, with vehicles on both sides, overtaking was impossible.

Not only did he not slow down, he pressed the accelerator hard, the car surging forward like a ferocious beast lunging at the small car ahead.

The car owner, seeing this in the rearview mirror, was nearly scared witless, quickly jerking the steering wheel aside, narrowly avoiding collision—but then nearly hit another vehicle.

Both vehicles were forced to stop; fortunately, the vehicles behind also noticed the situation ahead and did not dare speed, otherwise they would have already collided, causing a massive chain-reaction accident.

The off-vehicle, which had nearly caused an accident as the spark, had already sped ahead; as it traveled, it affected many people.

Even the most decent person could not help but curse at this moment.

"What's wrong with you, driving so fast on a mountain road, rushing to be reborn—don't drag us along!"

"Are you blind? Didn't you see the car ahead? Dare to ram into it—are you crazy?"

"Just escaped from the mental hospital—you're tired of living."

"Beep—"

Before the crowd could react, several police cars appeared on the left side of the road, their piercing sirens wailing nearby, even at times drowning out the off-vehicle's roar.

"How come police cars are here too?"

Judging by the posture, they seemed to be chasing the off-vehicle ahead; perhaps the people in the car were criminals, which would explain why the off-vehicle was driven so desperately.

Many people craned their necks, wanting to see what was happening ahead.

Upon hearing the sirens, the few people in the off-vehicle trembled slightly, quickly turned their heads, and gazed at the several blue-and-white vehicles behind, their eyes flashing with a hint of ruthlessness.

"Damn, those cops caught up so fast."

"They must have taken a shortcut, looping around via the Taizhou road."

"Scarface, speed up—shake them off, or we're all finished here today."

The back of the vehicle was piled with much white powder, packed in plastic bags—these were clearly contraband!

Besides that, there were firearms and ammunition!

Obviously, this group were drug traffickers, discovered by the Taizhou police during a transaction, and then pursued all the way to the vicinity of Mount Tai.

In the following police car sat the officer in charge of this operation, Captain Gao Liewen, his sharp eyes fixed firmly on the vehicle ahead.

"We've been tracking this drug gang for a long time; they carry large amounts of drugs—this time we absolutely cannot let them escape."

The TZ police had long noticed this group, tracking them for days; just as they were about to close in, they didn't expect the suspects to have sensed something.

Other officers also understood the gravity, nodding in unison: "Captain, rest assured—these people definitely won't get away."

Captain Gao Liewen immediately ordered: "Contact the traffic police, implement traffic control, prohibit vehicles from entering the mountain road, and have them come assist in handling this."

Currently, traffic is light; but when it increases, we fear it will only become more troublesome.

On the mountain road, the off-vehicle sped like lightning, while the police cars behind refused to yield, staging a high-speed chase.

As they rounded a big bend, several vehicles did not slow down—they even accelerated, tires screeching against the ground, throwing up giant sparks; the rear of the vehicles felt as if they might lift off.

The off-vehicle executed a massive drift, appearing from afar as if the entire vehicle had flown up, then slammed heavily back onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Those police cars still pursued relentlessly, even splitting into three, approaching from left and right, forming a pincer movement to trap this beast in a cage.

Watching this heart-pounding car chase, many vehicles pulled over to the side to avoid being caught up—after all, a collision would have unimaginable consequences.

"The cops are catching up!"

Scarface, looking through the rearview mirror, saw the police cars on both sides, his expression utterly ruthless: "Damn, since we can't escape, if caught we'll be shot—let's fight them; I really don't believe I'm afraid of them."

"Hold on tight!"

As his words landed, Scarface violently turned the steering wheel, slamming the off-vehicle hard into the police car beside him; the occupants braced themselves, gripping the handrails tightly.

But the police car beside him had no such luck—those officers were caught completely off guard by the impact.

Under the massive off-vehicle, the police car seemed somewhat petite; its occupants likely never imagined these people would be so reckless.

The police car's doors were torn and deformed by the beast, buckling inward.

Captain Gao Liewen, in another police car, seeing this scene, his eyes nearly burst from their sockets; he quickly grabbed his walkie-talkie: "Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li—are you alright?"

After a moment, the walkie-talkie crackled back: "Captain Gao, we're fine—these people are just lunatics!"

"Bang!"

Then came another violent impact from the walkie-talkie; Captain Gao Liewen snapped his head up—sure enough, the off-vehicle had again lunged at the police car beside him.

The brutal, savage beast shoved the police car toward the mountainside, hard, forcing its way out of the encirclement and carving a path through.

At this moment, the police car was completely crushed and deformed, even the two front headlights shattered; after the violent impact, the accelerator was totally wrecked, forced to stop by the roadside, black smoke continuously billowing from within.

Several officers stumbled out of their vehicles.

Looking at this scene, Gao Lifeng clenched his fists tightly—how dare these people do this! It's absolutely insane!

From the other end of the walkie-talkie came the weak voices of his teammates—though injured, they were fortunately not in mortal danger.

"Captain Gao, don't worry about us! Keep chasing!"

"The drug traffickers' vehicles have been modified—other police cars must stay alert and prevent being rammed by the off-road vehicle."

This time, Xiao Zhang and the others were lucky—the police car didn't roll over; otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable, with everyone in the vehicle doomed.

The police behind had become alert—whenever the off-road vehicle tried to ram them, they would loosen and expand their encirclement.

Dao Scar wanted to ram a few more police cars to create greater chaos, so they could find a chance to shake off the police behind—but no good opportunity had presented itself.

If this continued, they would inevitably be surrounded and captured.

Not far away, a small black dot appeared. Seeing the vehicles ahead, Dao Scar's expression turned sinister, then, as if struck by an idea, he broke out in a chilling smile.

At that moment, Gao Lifeng's walkie-talkie crackled with a cry of alarm.

"Not good, Captain! A private sedan has appeared ahead of the off-road vehicle!"

This sedan must have come from the direction of Mount Tai, now parked sideways in front of the off-road vehicle, completely blocking its path. At this moment, police cars were in pursuit from behind—this gang was utterly deranged, capable of anything.

Gao Lifeng's heart sank with a sudden bad premonition.

As expected, the off-road vehicle showed no sign of slowing down—it barreled forward brutally, clearly intending to smash the small car out of the way!

The private sedan had utterly failed to notice the danger behind it. At this speed, a head-on collision would leave the occupants' chances of survival extremely slim.

Moreover, if the sedan lost control, it would inevitably crash into the police cars behind, triggering a chain reaction.

But Gao Lifeng and the others were now too late to stop it.

As the off-road vehicle drew ever closer to the sedan, at this critical moment, a sudden flash of cold light sliced across the sky, accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound as it tore through the air.

"Ong!"

A humming sound echoed in the air—like clashing metal and iron horses, clouds turning and mist surging, as if ten thousand steeds galloped. Everyone's hearts tightened inexplicably, overwhelmed by a sudden, immense pressure.

A strong wind swept past, leaves rustling, the surrounding dense trees all leaning to one side, bowing their trunks toward some inexplicable presence.

The drug trafficker riding in the off-road vehicle naturally felt an unprecedented chill—goosebumps rose all over his body.

Dao Scar stared blankly at the white light streaking through the sky, then instinctively asked: "What is this——"

(End of chapter)