Chapter 196: 196. Chapter 194: The Vast Divine Powers of the Eastern Immortal

196. Chapter 194: The Vast Divine Powers of the Eastern Immortal

The black sky was like a huge net, making the castle under the night look especially tiny, as if flies on a spiderweb could no longer escape.

More than a dozen guards surrounded Hu Xiaocao, their eyes filled with apprehension and fear.

Hu Xiaocao's body was stained with much blood, some even splashing onto her face, standing out starkly against her snow‑white skin like blooming red plum blossoms, though it was not her own.

At this moment, several cold corpses lay at her feet.

The air was filled with a killing aura, the night sky hung lower, giving a feeling of imminent collapse.

Hu Xiaocao's eyes gleamed with a cold, determined light as she gathered all her spiritual energy between her hands.

The guards closing in failed to notice the disturbance in the air and the approaching danger, looking at the slender girl in the center, they revealed cruel smiles.

"Damn it, you killed our brothers; later we'll capture you alive and make you know what it means to wish you were dead!"

At the little leader's command, more than a dozen guards surged forward.

In the next second, Hu Xiaocao burst forth with brilliant light, each strand of hair seeming to glow, like a goddess descended from heaven; an invisible current radiated from her as the center, spreading outward like stormy waves on the sea.

Seeing this, everyone widened their eyes in terror; before they could react, the air blast flung them away, and as they hit the ground one could hear the creak of bones dislocating and breaking.

These people felt their throats fill with blood, vomiting mouthfuls, losing the ability to move; at this point, not to mention fleeing, even holding a gun became difficult.

"Devil, demon!"

They widened their eyes, staring at Hu Xiaocao approaching head‑on, uttering their last words before death; even in their dim, defeated pupils after death, a deep fear and shadow could still be seen.

Dozens of guards lay in pools of blood, the blood almost flowing into a small stream; this scene fell before the eyes of those rushing over, terrifying them to the point of their gallbladders bursting.

The remaining survivors hid behind the walls, shivering, their bodies cold, instinctively gripping their weapons as if that could give them a sense of safety.

"God, that woman is utterly terrifying; she must be Satan's incarnation, wielding evil power."

It is hard to imagine those mercenaries who lick blood from blades saying such things, showing how great a psychological shadow Hu Xiaocao has cast upon them.

They were always the ones hunting others, never imagining they would one day be hunted themselves.

"No, we can't just sit and wait for death; if we keep going like this, we'll surely die sooner or later!"

They furtively poked their heads out, searching for Hu Xiaocao's whereabouts; that slender silhouette happened to have its back to them, and they failed to notice anyone else present.

The dark gun barrel was aimed at the back of Hu Xiaocao's head; a flash of excitement crossed the guard's eyes as he hastily pulled the trigger.

But the next second, the silhouette ahead vanished instantly.

He stared, speechless, and said: "Where is the person!?"

As he was searching around, he failed to notice the frightened looks of his companions beside him; he instinctively turned, and what met his eyes was a delicate, cold face.

That face transcended nationality and race; anyone seeing it would praise its beauty, but to him it evoked fear to the utmost degree.

Hu Xiaocao appeared behind them at some unknown moment, unleashing that judgment‑like light; instantly spiritual energy erupted, cold as a blade.

With the death of the last person, the guards here had been completely wiped out by Hu Xiaocao.

The surrounding tree shadows swayed and rustled, the gloomy buildings looked even more oppressive, a faint scent of blood drifted in, accompanied by some slight movement.

Mercenaries in other directions sensed something, took out their walkie‑talkies, and called their comrades stationed to the southeast.

"Hey? Jack, how's it going over there?"

The other end of the walkie‑talkie gave no reply, only a steady buzzing of static.

The mercenary frowned, feeling an inexplicable bad premonition, just as he hesitated whether to send someone to check.

All he heard was a tearing sound from the air, something rushing toward him at high speed.

The mercenary, a minor leader with decent skill, suddenly bent low, dove to the ground in a flash, drew his sidearm, and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

Yet after this shot, it seemed to produce no effect?

He turned his head in doubt, but upon seeing the scene behind him clearly, he couldn't help but widen his eyes: a yellow sheet of paper appeared in mid‑air, its markings like ghostly talismans, utterly illegible, emanating a pale light all around.

The bullet that had been fired seemed to hit an invisible wall, completely blocked by the talisman paper, suspended in mid‑air and continually spinning.

"Good God, what is this?!"

That yellow paper looked just a thin sheet, yet the bullet couldn't pierce it?

The scene before him defied common sense, overturning his understanding, and even more astonishing things were yet to come.

He saw five people with Eastern features appear, each holding a talisman in one hand and a strange device in the other, entering his field of view.

These devices resembled discs, jade plates, or ruyi scepters, oddly shaped, and it was unclear what they were used for.

The villagers felt a little nervous about their first time handling affairs abroad, after all they were facing a vast overseas force.

But having guarded Longyuan Mountain for years and often clashed with criminals, plus Hu Xiaocao had previously outlined the basic situation to them before the plan, they could cooperate tacitly and quickly adapted to this battle.

By contrast, the overseas forces were astonished: "When did these Great Xia people get so close?!"

The mercenary had no time to ponder the miraculous scene just now or the current situation; he hurriedly fired several more shots at these people.

But those people's speed was truly too fast; their agile movements were unbelievable, easily dodging the bullets' attacks!

The mercenaries even thought they were seeing things; could such speed and tricky angles really be done by ordinary people?

"Trash! You can't even hit this!"

"Give me more firepower!"

With several gunshots, the air filled with the smell of gunpowder, yet the speed of these Great Xia people was simply too fast.

One of the Great Xia people held a disc‑shaped device, chanting under his breath; immediately the disc emitted a beam of light like a meteor tearing across the sky, striking one of their people.

Another held a talisman, murmuring incantations, threw it, and in the blink of an eye it turned into several fireballs shooting toward them.

Besides that, the talisman also produced lightning, ice spikes, and various other effects.

Those oddly shaped devices were like the Dharma Implements of Great Xia legend; combined with the mysterious movements of those people and their swift speed, hitting them was practically impossible.

The scene before one's eyes could only be seen in novels or movies.

It was as if one had seen an Eastern hero from a Marvel movie.

The mercenaries on this side were completely caught off guard; in their stunned silence, many were already seriously injured and fell to the ground. Even if their firepower here were greater, they could not withstand the opponent's endless array of methods, and these methods completely overturned science!

"No, we can't hold out much longer here—quickly send a message to the others asking for help."

However, the sent message vanished without a trace, receiving no reply, because at the same time others were also facing the villagers' attacks, all hoping their companions would support them, leaving no time to spare.

Hu Xiaocao and the villagers split into several routes, picking off the mercenaries one by one. Although they were few in number, Hu Xiaocao possessed divine abilities, and the villagers had the help of talismans and Dharma Implements, so the mercenaries stood no chance against them.

In the deepest room of the castle, while the outside was filled with European architectural style, the interior was filled with elements of Great Xia—formations, talismans, and so on, and even a huge Bagua mirror stood in the center, giving a strange, neither-Chinese-nor-Western feeling of dissonance.

Here also lay the world's most advanced medical equipment; on the bed lay a person whose hair had almost fallen out, emaciated from the torment of illness, exuding a gloomy aura.

A few doctors stood guard nearby, their expressions somewhat uneasy and fearful.

The person lying in the bed was none other than the big boss; his subordinates didn't even bother to knock, rushing in hastily—had it been before, they would never have had the courage to do so.

"Boss, boss, something's wrong—someone has broken in!"

The big boss slowly opened his eyes; his cloudy eyeballs resembled rotting seaweed in a swamp, and when he stared fixedly at someone, there was a feeling of utter lifelessness.

No matter how advanced the medical technology or the doctors, they could not stop the spread of death's aura on him; his life was like a candle flickering in the wind.

Were it not for his vast financial resources and extraordinary means, he would already have gone to report to Hell by now.

Even so, the aura of pressure emanating from the big boss was not to be underestimated, like the cold, piercing gaze of an eagle falcon sweeping over his subordinates' heads.

"What's going on?"

"Suddenly over a dozen Great Xia people arrived, holding strange yellow talismans and Dharma Implements and such; our people are no match for them, our comrades outside can't hold out much longer, and I estimate they'll breach the castle soon."

By the end of his speech, the subordinate's voice grew quieter; the long-standing pressure had seeped in, making him dare not look at the big boss's expression.

The big boss, however, widened his eyes, and even because his breathing was too rapid, the machines constantly monitoring his body nearby emitted a sharp beeping sound.

"Beep beep beep!"

"What did you say?!"

After a moment, the big boss's emotions calmed; he was helped into a wheelchair, gazing at the outside scenes, his cloudy eyes gradually brightening, showing no fear, only excitement and fervor.

He gripped the wheelchair tightly, veins bulging on his hands, his eyes widened to the extreme; from excessive excitement, his features became somewhat distorted, making him look even more terrifying.

"This is the mysterious power of Great Xia!"

"I knew my earlier guesses were right! Only Great Xia can completely heal me!"

"That must be the talismans and Dharma Implements of Great Xia Daoism!"

The big boss's chest heaved violently, his face flushed, his excited speech incoherent, making one worry he might breathe his last any second.

The doctor beside him couldn't help but advise: "Your body cannot withstand such extreme emotional swings."

The big boss's eyes flashed with sharp light, but at this moment he couldn't care less about that.

He had long devoted himself to studying Great Xia's culture, drawn by its mysterious power; after contracting a fatal illness over ten years ago, he became even more devoted to Great Xia Daoism, believing only its power could cure him.

Furthermore, after news of Zuoci's tomb reappearing in the world, he sent people to Great Xia hoping to obtain Zuoci's cauldron to refine life-saving elixirs; unfortunately, over the years, the teams dispatched there repeatedly met their demise.

But he never gave up, even now.

Now seeing talismans in midair emitting lightning and fireballs, how could he not be excited? This proves his earlier plans and guesses were correct!

"Boss, we need to leave now—if we wait any longer, we won't be able to get out!"

The big boss's eyes filled with desire and ambition: "I want those talismans and Dharma Implements!"

Upon hearing this, the subordinates immediately thought the big boss had gone completely mad; they couldn't even handle those Great Xia people, let alone snatch things from their hands.

"We are simply no match for them; once they attack, it will already be too late!"

The subordinates spoke anxiously, their eyes filled with an indescribable fear; to them, these Great Xia powers were truly terrifying.

Moreover, nobody expected such power to actually exist—it was simply as miraculous and absurd as a myth!

"Unbelievable!"

The big boss, however, seemed possessed, muttering to himself: "As long as I can possess these, I will surely recover, and even live forever."

Over the years, these things have become his obsession; now that he can finally see them with his own eyes, how could he possibly give up?

At this moment he was completely immersed in his own world, paying no heed to the current situation.

The subordinates looked outside; many guards had already fallen, and even though guns fired continuously, they could not resist these Great Xia people—their Dharma Implements were too eerie, and that girl, like a deity, could unleash all kinds of unimaginative attacks bare-handed; clearly, the castle's fall was only a matter of time.

After glancing at the possessed big boss, the subordinates, thinking of their own lives, slipped away; the doctors likewise fled, but as soon as they ran out they bumped straight into Hu Xiaocao and the villagers.

Hu Xiaocao would certainly not let these lackeys who helped a tiger go, nor would she leave any alive, for that would only bring future trouble.

Even in the past, Hu Xiaocao was exceptionally precocious; let alone now, approaching adulthood, having cultivated and trained for years.

Through years of subtle cultivation, although she is still young, her mind far surpasses that of ninety-nine percent of ordinary people!

She cleanly and swiftly dealt with them.

When the villagers arrived at the room, it was empty inside, with only the big boss left.

The villagers approached cautiously; if we're not mistaken, this should be the behind-the-scenes big boss, and he doesn't look in good shape.

"I wondered who the mastermind behind all this would be; after all this fuss, it turns out to be this old brat."

The big boss's face was pallid, revealing a ashen hue; his eyes grew even more cloudy, and upon seeing them arrive, the fervent light in his gaze left the villagers somewhat surprised.

More precisely, he was fixated on the talismans and Dharma Implements in their hands.

He showed no fear or intimidation; I don't know if it was the villagers' illusion, but they even felt a sense of devotion emanating from him.

"What's up with this person?"

"It feels a bit strange."

The villagers whispered among themselves, not in a rush to attack, since anyone could see he wouldn't live much longer.

The big boss exerted his last strength, struggling to kneel down from the wheelchair.

"Thud—"

Watching his action, everyone was even more astonished—the biggest boss of transnational cultural relic smuggling actually knelt before them?!

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never believe such a thing could happen.

"The east really has God..."

The big boss put his palms together, placed them in front of his chest, and kowtowed devoutly. After doing all that, he finally collapsed powerlessly to the ground, his muddy eyes gradually turning gray, yet he kept the posture of kneeling and worshiping. The direction he faced was precisely—the east!

A villager stepped forward to check: "He's already out of breath."

Others curiously sized up the scene inside the room, their expressions somewhat surprised: "Foreigners wouldn't believe in whatever that Jesus is, right? How could they still believe in our Daoism?"

"Someone with half his body already in the grave is still messing around here—I just said we can't do bad deeds; even heaven is watching."

Hu Xiaocao glanced at the medical equipment nearby and those Daoist-related items, a flash of realization crossing their eyes.

She had previously found it strange why this overseas force was so fixated on Zuoci's Tomb on Longyuan Mountain, but now she finally had an explanation.

"He likely follows Daoism to resist the disease demon, hoping to cure his own illness."

The villagers all showed surprised expressions: "There's still such a thing?"

Hu Xiaocao had previously looked up information about Zuoci's Tomb, knowing that Zuoci was a famous alchemy master, and later legends said he had once refined divine pills, after which he ascended to immortality.

That must be the reason: after the overseas force learned the news, they persisted in hopes of finding related items in the tomb to refine divine pills and preserve their lives.

Upon hearing Hu Xiaocao's explanation, everyone suddenly understood, but none of this had anything to do with them anymore.

Now the castle has no survivors left; all personnel of that force have been wiped out by them, so there's no need to worry about them disturbing the peace of Longyuan Mountain anymore.

A group of people looked at the relics on the ground and were at a loss: "How should we handle these things?"

Even if the villagers didn't understand anything, they could see these relics were priceless; some were from Great Xia, and others came from other countries.

All of these were obtained by that overseas group through illegal channels and means; wanting to return them to their rightful owners is fundamentally impossible.

Besides, there was a computer nearby that recorded the origins and sources of these relics.

Everyone instinctively looked at Hu Xiaocao; without realizing it, she had become the backbone of the group.

Hu Xiaocao pondered for a moment and said, "How about we take these back to the Mountain God?"

Her proposal gained everyone's approval; if left unattended, the local government certainly wouldn't return them to the rightful owner, and if given to Great Xia, the origins of these relics couldn't be explained clearly—so giving them to the Mountain God seemed a good option.

Since carrying the relics would definitely not pass security, they might be confiscated at the airport; they could only find another way to return to the country.

Finally, they unanimously decided that the village chief would smuggle the relics back as quickly as possible; the village chief is skilled, and setting aside divine abilities and spells, he is second only to Hu Xiaocao. Adding talismans and Dharma Implements, even if they encountered danger on the road or someone tried to rob them, they could cope.

As for the others, they were using overseas travel as an excuse; since time was still short, if they suddenly returned, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it would be better to stay here a few more days.

……

In the early morning, the sky faintly revealed a hint of fish-belly white; the glow of the morning sun spread over the majestic castle, yet it cast a crimson light, carrying an ominous tone.

Those who came to pick up the goods looked at the deathly silent castle, still unaware of what had happened.

"Strange, isn't today supposed to be a delivery day? Why is it so quiet?"

The mercenaries in charge of picking up the goods exchanged glances; for some reason, they had an inexplicable bad feeling—surely the people inside the castle couldn't still be asleep?

However, when they approached the castle and saw the scene inside, everyone widened their eyes, their expressions somewhat distorted.

The ground was in utter disarray, corpses everywhere, blood dried and solidified, forming dark stains on the floor—one could imagine what kind of battle had taken place here.

"How could this happen!"

The faces of those who came to pick up the goods turned deathly pale all of a sudden, and even their voices trembled.

"Who exactly did this?"

Soon after, the local government quickly received news of the group's annihilation, and was instantly shocked.

"What, the Peterson Group was breached by a mysterious force; aside from those out on missions, there are no survivors?!"

Peterson is precisely the big boss's name.

This news has already spread throughout the locality, and nobody can believe it.

Peterson has long been entrenched in the locality, with immense power; it can be said to be deeply rooted, so much so that even the government has to give them some face—saying they can cover the sky with one hand is not an exaggeration.

But most people don't know the true background and profit-making methods of that force; however, the local government's officials are well aware.

Yet such a force, aside from those out, was completely wiped out overnight, with no prior hint of any disturbance—truly beyond belief for the locals.

What kind of organization could have such clean, efficient methods, actually eliminating this massive group in just one night?

Moreover, judging by Peterson's armed forces, not even a regiment's worth of troops could defeat them; yet such a large-scale operation would surely have been noticed by the government.

"Has anyone found out which force did this?"

"I don't know; the scene left no clues."

"That shouldn't be possible; no other force could achieve this, not even Interpol can handle Peterson—how exactly did this mysterious power accomplish it?"

Regarding the downfall of the Peterson force, some clapped in delight; he had been entrenched here for a long time, already affecting many people.

Others wore frowns, because they had vested interests with Peterson; the force's demise impacted their own interests.

But regardless of which side, they must investigate and clarify what happened.

Before Peterson's downfall, everything was calm, but someone said they had once seen a few Great Xia tourists passing by here.

In an instant, undercurrents surged.

Moreover, the impact of this event was spreading rapidly, impossible to suppress; all media got wind of it, and this news would surely reach Great Xia at any moment, bound to cause an uproar.

……

Compared to the modest stir it caused locally, life in Longyuan Village across the ocean remained unchanged from before—villagers worked at sunrise and rested at sunset.

Several days have passed since the village chief and company set off, and the villagers back home have been worrying.

"I don't even know how the village chief and company are doing now, or whether they've found little grass."

"Don't worry, you know the village chief's abilities; with talismans and Dharma Implements, they can definitely rescue little grass successfully and wipe out that force in one fell swoop."

Just as everyone was discussing, a familiar silhouette appeared at the village entrance, and someone shouted loudly, "The village chief is back!"

Everyone hurried forward to meet him, only to see the village chief carrying a large pack, walking toward them face-to-face, yet behind him there was no one else.

The villagers found it strange: "Village chief, why are you the only one who came back? Where are the others?"

"The others are still abroad; since things happened suddenly, I went ahead first."

The village chief pointed at the bundle and said concisely: "That overseas force has already been wiped out by us; everything inside are cultural relics, I smuggled them back first to present to the Mountain God."

Everyone's hearts finally settled; after the village chief gave a few instructions, he returned home, simply washed and changed clothes, for he was about to go see the Mountain God shortly.

Having been dusty and weary along the way, going to see him in such an appearance would inevitably be disrespectful to the Mountain God.

After changing clothes, he went to the shrine to offer incense; having done all that, he then brought the items to the Mountain Foot.

"Great Mountain God—I have an important matter to request an audience!"

The village chief spoke anxiously; his voice floated above the blue sky and white clouds, echoing back and forth, even startling several birds into flight.

The village chief had previously been in contact with the Mountain God, such as the earlier mountain sermons and the few occasions when the Mountain God returned.

But this time is different; he took the initiative to seek an audience, thinking that later he would still have to report matters before the Mountain God, and it would be close contact, so the village chief's heart could not help but become somewhat excited.

After just a moment, a low, rumbling tiger's roar came from the mountains, soon stirring up a brownish-yellow whirlwind.

The brownish-yellow whirlwind halted before the village chief—it was precisely the Northeast Tiger.

The Northeast Tiger nodded at the village chief, gesturing for him to follow; only then did the village chief enter the mountains.

The village chief had not set foot in Longyuan Mountain for many years; now seeing the scene within the mountains, it felt as if he had entered another strange world, his eyes hardly able to take it all in,

The plants growing here had long been different from those outside; tall trunks, broad leaves intertwined like an ancient forest sea, making the original appearance completely unrecognizable.

The strange flowers and grasses here seemed like genetic mutations, each thriving vigorously and remarkably tall.

To call this a primeval forest is absolutely no problem; indeed, it is even older and more mysterious than any primeval forest in the world!

The surroundings were filled with a hazy mist; without the Northeast Tiger leading the way, even the village chief would easily lose himself.

The deeper they went, the more they could feel a powerful pressure emanating; this was still with Ye Qin deliberately restraining himself—if he fully released it, neither the villagers nor the surrounding animals could bear it.

In the depths of the mist, a faint greenish shadow could be seen, flickering with divine light; the village chief felt a majestic gaze sweep down from above, and he hurriedly knelt on the ground, reverently saying: "I pay my respects to the Mountain God—"

"These are the cultural relics we obtained after wiping out the overseas antiquities-smuggling force; we have come specially to present them to the Mountain God."

As he spoke, his voice trembled somewhat due to his excitement.

He had never been this close to the Mountain God before; this was the first time!

The closer he got, the more he could feel that majestic, powerful pressure and strength; the village chief's gaze became ever more devout and reverent.

"You have good intentions."

A low, male voice descended from the heavens, inspiring awe.

The village chief kept his eyes on the ground, not daring to look directly at Ye Qin for fear of offending the Mountain God; upon hearing those words, he instantly beamed with joy.

"This is what we ought to do."

Although he had been a little nervous earlier, the village chief soon recovered; this is their divine sanctuary, protecting the existence of the entire Longyuan Village—aside from reverence, his heart filled more with gratitude and joy. (End of chapter)