Chapter 231: One demon, one ancient person, guarding a famous mountain and river

231. Chapter 228: One demon, one ancient person, guarding a famous mountain and river

In this world, the existence of these ancient people's true spirits has been discovered; they were supposed to die, but Ye Qin used a special method to defy heaven and change fate, and they are even about to be resurrected!

This is truly an act of defying heaven!

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of humanity; this is the heavenly way, and no one can oppose it. Now that an anomaly has been sensed, they wish to eradicate it.

In modern terms, these Longling people should actually be considered as having been smuggled over by Ye Qin.

What was smuggled was the River of Time, using the power of the Supreme Clarity Observatory to hide the truth from heaven, making the heavenly way unable to detect it.

By the time it was noticed, Ye Qin could no longer be stopped; the true spirits had already been nourished, possessing a strong vital aura, and using this land's spiritual soil as a medium, they reshaped their fleshly bodies, taking root thoroughly in this realm, making it impossible to detach.

Their identity can be said to be quite legitimate; even if the heavenly way does not tolerate it, one cannot find any fault or problem.

For Ye Qin to come up with such a method is indeed not easy; it is entirely a matter of exploiting a loophole in the heavenly way.

A buzzing thunder came from the horizon; although the commotion was great and it sounded frightening, no lightning actually struck down.

Ye Qin gazed at the overcast sky, as if Heaven itself were sulking, and the thunder grew louder and louder.

Actually, if this thunder really struck down, Ye Qin would not fear it either; he had prepared in advance, setting up a defensive formation, and moreover, having endured so many Heavenly Tribulations, this kind of tribulation naturally holds no fear for him.

The Longyuan Village at the mountain's base had no idea what was happening; upon hearing this thunder suddenly, the villagers were startled and looked up at the sky.

Just moments ago the sky was bright and clear with not a cloud in sight, but now it is overcast with dark clouds, showing a sign that a mountain rain is about to come.

Those dark clouds quickly condensed, settling upon Longyuan Mountain, from which came a tremendous pressure, like a huge mountain, almost covering the entirety of Longyuan Mountain.

Looking at the mountain peak not far away being swallowed by the dark clouds, the villagers felt somewhat panicked and hurried to find the village head.

"Village chief, what's going on? Why did it suddenly thunder again?"

"It seems perhaps something unusual has occurred in the mountains, could it be the Mountain God's side?"

"Just hearing it makes one's heart feel uneasy; it's really frightening."

"Could this be some kind of omen?"

Longyuan Mountain has always enjoyed favorable winds and rains, never experiencing any abnormality; but whenever there is any abnormality, it signifies that some changes will occur in the mountains.

The village chief glanced at the distant Longyuan Mountain; since the last time the archaeological team entered despite their advice, they had not suffered harm, only a fright.

I never expected the archaeological team to tell the outside world about the monsters in the mountain, even holding a press release, and at that time some villagers also saw that news.

Fortunately, the public seemed not to believe it, and besides, Longyuan Mountain remains under lockdown, so no one came to disturb the tranquility inside the mountain, which relieved the villagers; otherwise they truly would not know what to do.

Because the Mountain God always acts discreetly and does not like people approaching Longyuan Mountain, the villagers are also affected, not wanting to cause trouble for the Mountain God, lest he erupt in heavenly wrath.

For some reason, the village chief faintly feels a premonition that something major will happen soon, and moreover, the tranquility within the mountain will soon be broken.

The thunder is loud, yet no lightning strikes down; the villagers' anxious hearts can temporarily be set at ease.

The village chief spoke: "Everyone also shouldn't gather here; do what you need to do, overthinking it is useless, let's see how the situation develops before saying more.."

Just then, a villager came running over in a hurry, saying, "Village chief, a group of people has come from outside, they seem to be officials."

The village chief's face slightly changed, "What are the officials coming here for at this time?"

At this moment, Longyuan Mountain is abnormal; if the officials enter the mountain now, danger will surely occur, and we must stop this group no matter what!

"Come on, let's go take a look."

Having just reached the village entrance, the villagers successfully met with the 749 Bureau, the Capital Scientific Expedition Team, and the military—three forces forming the "negotiation team".

This operation was convened by the Capital's leadership, with the 749 Bureau as the core of the team, Professor Song Ze's reliable team providing assistance; together they entered Longyuan Mountain to conduct a second investigation, hoping to achieve the first negotiation.

But unexpectedly, the military also joined the team.

After all, Professor Zhang and others firmly stated that the golden meteorite had been taken by monsters, and the director of the 749 Bureau, Chen Zhi Jun, also made clear that this matter is inseparable from Longyuan Mountain.

In order to clarify the whereabouts of the meteorite, as well as what the mysterious power that previously annihilated personnel from various countries actually is, they also decided to participate in this operation.

And the code name for this negotiation operation was named: "Bai Ze Plan"!

"The Classic of Mountains and Seas" says: "To the east there is a mountain where a beast named Bai Ze resides, capable of speech. When a ruler possesses virtue and illuminates the distant obscurity, it will appear."

Bai Ze is an auspicious beast in ancient Chinese mythology, able to speak, comprehend the feelings of all things, know the matters of spirits and gods; "when a ruler possesses virtue" it appears, able to dispel all evil influences in the human world.

And Bai Ze is also an ancient great demon.

Taking the meaning of both, the negotiation team hopes that this journey to Longyuan Mountain will clarify whether monsters truly exist in this world.

The villagers are not unfamiliar with the people of the 749 Bureau, having met them several times before; the members of the scientific expedition team also have some impression, but the military side is encountering them for the first time.

The village chief furrowed his brows, looking at the old acquaintance Wang Xuehao, "Captain Wang, what are you doing?"

Through various clues previously, Wang Xuehao knew that these villagers had a close relationship with the Mountain God of the mountain; they also possessed some abilities, and without intending to conceal, he straightforwardly said:

"Village chief, we are acting on orders from above to investigate clearly whether Longyuan Mountain harbors monsters, and we hope you can cooperate."

The villagers looked at each other, their expressions somewhat strange; this deployment is unprecedentedly massive, even with military personnel present, it seems the higher authorities are serious, and even if they wanted to stop it, they could not.

The villagers are not worried about the Mountain God's safety, after all the Mountain God's heavenly vision penetrates all, and his methods are profoundly mysterious; instead they worry about these people, wondering what to do if they rashly bump into the Mountain God.

The village chief pondered for a moment and said, "Captain Wang, since you've said all that, I naturally have nothing more to add, but the situation in the mountain is currently unclear; I suggest you wait until the heavenly thunder subsides before entering the mountain, which would be better."

Hardly had his words fallen when a tremendous sound came from the horizon.

"Boom!"

Lightning like a snow‑white sword split the heavy, dark sky open with a huge gap, the surrounding air filled with hazy gray mist, weighing down the heavens so they seemed ready to collapse.

Deafening thunderclaps echoed through the clouds, like a fierce whip lashing out; accompanied by lightning, a single strike tore the sky into streaks of light, faintly revealing a ferocious thunder beast opening its blood‑filled maw, ready to devour all things.

Anyone witnessing this scene couldn't help but swallow their saliva; even if they carried the most advanced lightning‑avoidance equipment, entering the mountain under such conditions would likely be a dead end.

Professor Song Ze could not help but ask the village chief beside him, "We have never seen such thunder and lightning before; does this often occur here?"

The village chief shook his head, "Such a phenomenon is not common, but any movement coming from the mountain is most likely caused by the Mountain God; I suspect the monsters you speak of are merely the Mountain God's messengers."

The villagers are not strangers to the animals on the mountain; the two sides have always lived in harmony, never causing harm to people.

During the Mountain God festival, those animals even brought gifts to join the celebration, and everyone even ate and drank together at the same table.

In their eyes, those animals are the Mountain God's messengers, holding equally important status; it's just unnecessary to explain this so clearly to the officials.

Upon hearing the village chief's words, both the scientific expedition team and the military personnel showed astonished expressions, whereas the 749 Bureau members were unfazed, for they had long grown accustomed to the village chief's manner of speaking.

The village chief's words are reasonable; this thunder is too dense, and the mountain's terrain is complex with many trees—if one is carelessly struck, it's really too dangerous.

Captain Wang is right; we can also take this opportunity to rest, replenish our spirits, and only enter the mountain after the thunder dissipates—it won't be too late.

Due to the all‑sky lightning, for safety's sake, after discussion everyone decided not to rush into the mountain blindly, but to first camp in the village and see how things develop.

Moreover, they sent people to constantly watch the mountain's movements, and any abnormality would be reported back immediately.

The sky grew darker, a low pressure spreading through the forest; occasional lightning flashed, turning everything white for a moment and illuminating the surroundings.

Under the thunder's shroud, the whole of Longyuan Mountain lay under a faint, oppressive pressure.

Although the thunder looks terrifying, it actually hasn't struck, and since it isn't aimed at those monsters, the Northeast Tigers have suffered no effect.

At first the monsters were a little panicked, but after getting used to it they felt nothing special.

The Northeast Tiger stared at the thunder overhead, couldn't help scratching its chin, and muttered, "Master, what on earth are you doing, causing such a huge commotion?"

It wasn't just curious; the other monsters felt the same, saying, "Since we last survived our tribulation, we've never seen such thunder before."

"Let's go over and check the situation."

The monsters curiously approached, and saw that near Ye Qin white mist spread, ethereal spiritual light emanating and weaving into an extremely dreamlike scene.

A mountain wind blew, pine waves rose and fell, lifting a corner of the mystery—actually layers of human silhouettes, hazy and illusory, as if the immortals of the nine heavens had gathered here, giving them an indescribable warmth.

After seeing it clearly, the monsters couldn't help but gape, taking a long while to come to their senses, their beast eyes filled with disbelief.

"No way—Master told us to dig mud, and yet he's fussing with this thing!"

"Could it be that these clay figures are why the heavenly thunder has been drawn here?"

All around Ye Qin were clay figurines, their features and expressions lifelike, indistinguishable from real people—at first glance they truly seemed like living persons standing there.

Some sat cross‑legged, forming hand seals or making Buddhist gestures; some had their hands behind their backs, looking down on the world; some laughed loudly to the heavens, exuding a suave charm; others bore stern faces, angerless yet imposing, radiating imperial aura.

Among them was a figurine whose exquisite face the monsters recognized instantly, reminding them of the terrifying days when they studied in the wooden cabin, subjected to dictation and recitation.

The jackal blurted out instinctively, "Isn't this Master's primal White Bone?"

The other monsters also came over and saw that it was indeed so, even the aura above was exactly the same.

The weasel sized them up, then looked at another, feeling its eyes couldn't take it all in, "They look fun—I'd love to pinch a few out myself."

The fox beside them rolled its eyes without mercy, "All you know is play—you didn't notice the strong spiritual aura coming from these statues; they're certainly not ordinary."

Monsters like the giant turtle and the Northeast Tiger keenly sensed the statues' difference, their golden bodies molded from spiritual soil, with true spirits infused within— the pressure they exude is not to be trifled with.

The hyena gaped, "No wonder Master's been in seclusion so long, fussing all this time—turns out he's trying to create people!"

"Pfft!"

Hearing that, the Northeast Tiger couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Ye Qin felt both helpless and amused, lightly tapping the hyena's head, "This isn't about creating people; these figures are my master's old friends, and I'm doing all this merely to fulfill an old promise."

Ye Qin began recounting his experiences in those fragments of historical time.

The monsters then looked enlightened, "Ah, that explains it—no wonder, when we first gained spiritual awareness, Master would periodically go on distant trips; he was actually traveling through those time fragments."

Ye Qin nodded, "Exactly, and that's why we have this longevity pact."

The giant turtle's expression flashed with understanding, "No wonder these thunderbolts are drawn here—it truly is a defiant act against heaven."

The Northeast Tiger showed a curious look, "Right, Master, you said there's still the most important step left undone—what is it?"

Ye Qin's gaze swept over the assembled monsters, carrying a hint of deep meaning.

"Although the true spirits of the ancients have been infused, giving the statues a breath of life, they aren't truly resurrected yet—they must receive human incense offerings."

"So I need you to take them out of the mountain, station them in famous mountains and rivers, and place the statues there!"

"One monster, one ancient, to guard a famous mountain!"

This approach, after Ye Qin's careful consideration, is not only to revive those ancients but also to secure the monsters' future.

Although the Longyuan Mountain Range is vast, as the clan grows it will be impossible for all monsters to gather in Longyuan Mountain.

The Northeast Tigers too must now stand on their own, venturing out to carve out their own territories.

In the vast realm of Daxia, many famous mountains and rivers already have the foundation to become blessed caverns; with formations and the effect of talismanic spiritual artifacts, it's easy to gather the spiritual qi of a tract of land and become a place like Longyuan Mountain.

Ye Qin hopes that after the monsters go out, each will find a place to cultivate, discover their own dojo, which could be called 'occupying the mountain as king'!

After all, the monsters can't live forever under his protection.

The sea is wide for fish to leap, the sky high for birds to fly.

Previously Ye Qin had trained them many times—whether wiping out overseas organizations or the trip to the British Museum, etc. —the monsters handed him perfect reports, and now it's time to let go completely.

Regarding the monsters' abilities, Ye Qin has full confidence, after all he personally trained them.

As for the ancients, naturally they too must find a suitable famous mountain or river to dwell in, be nourished by heaven and earth and all things, and receive incense offerings, before they can attain the Dao.

……

The monsters exchanged glances, also understanding Ye Qin's idea.

Longyuan Mountain is a comfort zone; here there's readily available abundant spiritual qi, they needn't think about anything—under Ye Qin's protection they just have to cultivate in peace.

Going out means facing greater challenges; everything starts anew, and there is likewise a broader future—only by leaving the comfort zone can they grow better and faster.

"The path of cultivation is to meet difficulties head‑on and go against the wind; if one merely lives under Master's wings, what's the point?"

"Yes, Master once taught us that only power we control ourselves is truly real; I want to rely on my own ability to carve out a realm of my own."

"I love challenging things—going out to find my own manor sounds fun."

"Don't all fight me over this—how could such a thing leave me out?"

In every monster's eyes a flash of determination appeared—"Master, I'm going!"

"I'm going too!"

"Me too!"

These voices rose and fell, echoing through the forest.

Seeing the monsters' eager attitude, Ye Qin felt relieved, "Not bad—it's great that you can think this way."

Everything proceeds step by step; Ye Qin couldn't possibly release all those monsters at once, after all, one ancient person and one monster guard the famous mountains and rivers—this was merely his initial idea, and Ye Qin wasn't certain the plan would succeed.

If all the monsters moved out together, the populace would likely suffer a heavy blow, possibly even panic; causing unnecessary misunderstanding and trouble would be more trouble than it's worth.

After much thought, Ye Qin decided to send out two as the vanguard, also to test the waters.

Ye Qin's gaze swept over the monsters, finally settling on a monkey and a golden eagle.

Just you two.

The monkey and golden eagle looked at each other, their beast eyes flashing with joy and excitement, and they hurriedly kowtowed, 'We will surely not disappoint Master's trust!'

Many of the other monsters looked envious, never expecting such good fortune to fall to them.

After leaving the mountains, you may each choose a famous mountain or river to cultivate in, place the true spirit statue there, and build a temple—this will also serve as a vanguard for the other monsters.

There are plenty of spirit talismans here; Master previously taught you how to draw formations and forge weapons, and these will help you quickly gather spiritual qi.

Ye Qin gave careful instructions; sending these two monsters was something he had thought through thoroughly.

Among the monsters, the monkey and golden eagle stood highest in cultivation level and realm; one acted steadily, devoted to the Dao with a resolute heart, while the other's sharpness shone, looking down on all directions, brave and strategic.

As for these two monsters, Ye Qin felt more at ease; if they truly succeeded, he could still send out the remaining monsters and the ancient persons' true spirit statues later.

Looking at the monsters not selected, Ye Qin comforted them: 'Don't be discouraged; if they succeed, it will be your turn next.'

The remaining monsters' eyes lit up, their beast eyes filled with anticipation.

As evening approached, the thunder still hadn't cleared; the sky remained a heavy blackness, pressing lower, and the cooking smoke rising from the village was quickly swallowed by the dark clouds overhead.

The heavens seemed covered by a huge black curtain; seeing this, even the officials had no appetite while eating, and the farmhouse specialty tasted like chewing wax to them.

Looking at the horizon, Song Ze set down his bowl and chopsticks, unable to help sighing, 'It's been most of the day—when will the thunder stop?'

'Who says otherwise? The booming sound hasn't stopped all afternoon, making our ears feel like they're developing calluses.'

'It should be soon; the lightning seems much weaker than when we first arrived.'

As the people were discussing, a soldier came running from outside, out of breath, saying, 'No, not good—there's movement over the mountain!'

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed instantly, their meals unfinished, as Wang Xuehao rose straight from his chair: 'Come, let's go see what's happening.' (End of chapter)