Chapter 232: 232. Chapter 229: Ancient People Depart

232. Chapter 229: Ancient People Depart

Rushing to the foot of the mountain, when they saw the scene not far away, everyone froze in place.

In the dense forest, hundreds of eerie green light points suddenly flared up!

These light points were about the size of mung beans, densely scattered above the forest, like ghostly flames hovering mid‑air, especially conspicuous against the dark sky!

For a moment, everyone's hair stood on end and goosebumps rose all over their bodies.

Xu Tiancheng blurted out instinctively, "Holy shit, what the hell is this!"

Before they could react, the green light points began to move swiftly; seeing this, everyone's eyes nearly popped out in astonishment.

Whoosh—

Accompanied by a howling wind, a black gust surged forth, leaping from the forest and shooting into the sky.

Countless birds wheeled overhead; a rough count showed tens of thousands.

Pah! Pah! Pah!

For a moment, feathers drifted down in mid‑air, sticking to their heads and clothes.

"Why are there so many birds!"

"Good grief, what stimulated these birds to all fly out like that."

An invisible ripple came from deep within Longyuan Mountain; not only the birds here, but all the birds nearby were startled awake, flapping their wings in motion.

Numerous birds chirped, bursting from the forest and soaring, circling near Longyuan,

Wang Xuehao looked up at the birds' abnormal behavior, his brows furrowing involuntarily: "Normally, birds should be resting at this hour; why are they acting collectively so late at night?"

If it were just one or two, it would be fine, but with so many gathered together, it seems every bird within a ten‑li radius is here.

There was a biologist in the group; Wang Xuehao asked, "Professor, is this situation normal?"

The biologist, who had never seen such a scene, shook his head: "Absolutely abnormal; most of these birds are diurnal—what happened to drive them to behave like this?"

A black mass of birds surged skyward like a dark cloud covering the heavens, with more birds flying in from all directions to join the flock.

Before they could regain their senses, a village not far off suddenly erupted with dog barks and rooster crows; such a commotion was heard by them here, as if the whole village's fowl and dogs had gone berserk.

The cacophony of crowing roosters and barking dogs mingled with the birds' cries.

"Woof woof woof!"

"Cluck cluck cluck!"

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

Not only were the domestic livestock affected, but also some stray cats and dogs; while the nearby villagers were used to such occurrences, the townspeople found it utterly baffling, not knowing what caused it.

"What's going on, Xiao Bai, why are you suddenly yelling?"

Even the motion‑sensing lights in the stairwell turned on, and the barking drew complaints from many people.

"What's going on? Whoever's dog is barking again is driving us crazy—can't it quiet down a bit?"

In the concrete city, dog barks and angry shouts rang out.

Many households in the complex kept dogs, and at this moment it sounded like a competition, each bark louder than the last.

Besides the dogs, pet cats, hamsters, parrots, alpacas and the like also seemed to sense something, turning their gazes toward Longyuan Mountain.

As humans, we naturally sensed nothing; to us the animals looked possessed, staring blankly into space and barking nonstop, motionless, which was truly frightening.

They thought their pets were sick and rushed to the veterinary clinic; that night the clinic was packed, more crowded than ever before.

"It's strange, really—my dog started barking for no reason, wasn't startled, and I don't know how it got like this."

"What a coincidence—mine's the same; I thought it was the cat's stress reaction, but I didn't do anything to it."

"Ah, mine is the same situation."

After chatting, they found their pets showed identical symptoms, yet the vet said everything was normal, no serious trouble—perhaps they had merely been frightened by something.

These pets had been fine at home; how could they have been frightened? And they were fine before, so the vet's answer was truly bewildering.

Not far from the Longyuan mountain range, there is also a zoo, which that night experienced an animal uprising.

Tigers, lions, elephants, rhinos, zebras and others, which had been asleep, were suddenly awakened, roaring wildly toward the distance; some even slammed their bodies against the cages or bit them, trying to escape.

They were agitated, their eyes filled with fear and panic.

The on‑duty animal keepers were drawn over, seeing that the usually gentle beasts now bore ferocious visages, gaping maws, their souls nearly scared out of them.

"What's going on?"

"Have the animals all been stimulated?!"

"Could someone have poisoned the zoo?"

Because of these agitated, restless animals, the zoo descended into chaos.

The night grew deep, like a vast net spread overhead; the animals near Longyuan Mountain and countless other beings seemed to sense something, and they all erupted in turmoil.

This night was destined not to be peaceful.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the great mountain, the monkey and the golden eagle had everything ready; the demons wore reluctant expressions, for after this departure they likely would not see each other for a while.

Ye Qin instructed, "When you're out, do not provoke trouble voluntarily, lest you invite karmic hindrance to your future cultivation; if someone provokes you, you may strike back and teach them a lesson—against evil men you need not show mercy; just weigh it yourself, act with a clear conscience before heaven and earth."

Faced with Ye Qin's earnest teachings, the monkey and the golden eagle nodded seriously, then knelt on the ground to perform the great kowtow.

"We will faithfully follow the master's teachings and surely not disappoint his expectations."

Ye Qin and the host of demons watched the monkey and golden eagle depart, their verdant pupils flickering with a faint light.

"Upon this parting, you bear a great mission!"

"Through myriad ages of rise and fall, honor and disgrace follow their own course; you must hold fast to your original heart, participate in the creation of heaven and earth, and wield the Divine Ability of the universe!"

"Go forth and claim your own vast realm!"

As Ye Qin's words fell silent, heaven and earth fell into stillness.

The next second, a gigantic golden eagle suddenly soared into the sky, with a monkey half a human's height sitting cross‑legged on its back.

The monkey's left and right hands each held a statue emitting a hazy divine light!

Just as the golden eagle flew out of Longyuan Mountain, the thunder that had previously calmed down seemed to sense something, and the lightning flashed again violently, as if it had been waiting for a long time!

In the blink of an eye, the lightning that had not fallen before, at the moment the golden eagle flew out of Longyuan Mountain, struck down with the speed of thunder that leaves no time to cover one's ears!

The dazzling blue light tore through the dark night sky; the sky suddenly split open a huge maw, and the thunder beast that had lain dormant for a long time finally revealed its sharp claws and fangs.

Countless thunder dragons threaded through the clouds, like ten thousand horses galloping forth, with continuous rumbling sounds.

Seeing this scene, the monsters almost had their eyes burst from shock.

"How could this happen!"

"Master, what should we do!"

"The monkey and the golden eagle shouldn't be in any danger, right?"

"Should we go up and help them?"

The monsters originally thought the lightning wouldn't strike down, but who would have thought it was waiting here; the sudden, mighty thunder really caught them off guard.

Looking at the thick thunder overhead, Ye Qin slightly narrowed his eyes: "Indeed, how could the will of Heaven and Earth possibly give up so easily?"

Earlier, these true spirit statues inside Longyuan Mountain were shielded by the qi of Heaven and Earth, and additionally protected by the mountain's formation and the local spirit veins, so the lightning could not strike them.

But now that the two statues have been carried out of the mountain, the will of Heaven and Earth naturally has no scruples and will surely intervene to stop them.

"Don't worry, they can handle it."

These true spirit statues are not fully revived, not entirely defying heaven; even if Heaven and Earth send down lightning, it won't be excessive, and relying on the monkey and the golden eagle's abilities they should be able to cope.

At this moment Ye Qin also felt somewhat relieved, thanks to his caution; this time he released only two statues, and if there had been a few more, who knows what would have happened.

Anyway, Longyuan Mountain is rich in spiritual energy; the remaining statues can stay here for now without issue—everything should be done gradually, step by step, which is the best strategy.

He has waited this long already; a little more delay won't hurt, and being cautious is never bad.

Of course, the only thing he worries about is the 'Earth demolition' issue.

Hearing Ye Qin's words, the other animals finally relaxed, though their eyes remained worried.

Lightning kept striking the golden eagle; its massive body trembled momentarily but quickly steadied, as bright yellow and black spiritual power intertwined—a defensive shield set up jointly by the monkey and the golden eagle.

The golden eagle bathed in the lightning, threading through the storm; its golden feathers resembled a bright flame, blazing fiercely and rustling loudly in the strong wind.

The monkey sitting on its back remained motionless, calm as an ancient towering tree; the true spirit statues in its left and right hands emitted a continuous light, like stars slowly rising in the darkness.

……

Such a huge disturbance naturally did not escape the official liaison team that had been closely monitoring it; without any warning, the thunder overhead became dense again, almost engulfing all of Longyuan Mountain, even more fierce than before.

"It's thundering again so suddenly!"

"Boom!"

Only a tremendous roar was heard, as if the earth and mountains were shaking; the once verdant peaks were now shrouded in a sea of thunder.

Not only were they affected, but elsewhere, animals that had been barking wildly a second earlier let out a whimper the next second and knelt on the ground.

Including in the town, each poop-scooping officer stared at their suddenly docile and obedient pets, dumbfounded, unable to believe this was the usual wrecking crew or the aloof cat overlords.

Moreover, the ferocious beasts in the zoo, because these animals suddenly rioted, could not be handled by just a few of them.

The roars continued, making people's hearts go numb, as if these ferocious beasts would break through the iron cage's restraints any second; they dared not approach, only able to call the police for help.

"Hello, 110? This is the Golden Eagle Zoo; these animals seem to have gone mad, we suspect someone poisoned them, please send reinforcements quickly."

"The situation is urgent, please hurry over."

Just after hanging up, the roars ceased abruptly, and the air fell into an extreme silence, as if plunged into deathly stillness.

The animals that had been frenzied just moments before now were as still as chickens, all kneeling in unison toward the southeast, not even moving their eyeballs, forming a stark contrast to their previous agitation.

Such a scene was eerie yet shocking.

A few staff members who saw this scene felt their knees go weak, almost collapsing to the ground.

"Good grief, these animals probably aren't poisoned but possessed."

"It's really too eerie!"

"I've worked at the zoo for so long and never encountered anything this spooky."

The staff could no longer stay; they scrambled away, intending to wait until the police arrived to talk.

They didn't know that the animals' abnormal behavior was entirely to welcome the emergence of the Great Demon.

The thunder on Longyuan Mountain continued to rage, lightning spewing a blinding pale white light that almost made everyone unable to open their eyes, completely obscuring the scene ahead.

The sea of thunder was too dense, wielding a force of ten thousand jun, something they could not resist; under this lightning, everyone felt a heavy pressure, as if their spines were about to be bent.

No one understood why the thunder had suddenly become so fierce, but they faintly sensed a strong wind blowing overhead.

Wang Xuehao endured the pressure, trying to lift his head to see clearly, but he saw amidst the purple thunder filling the sky a golden shadow streaking like a meteor, so fast he almost thought it was an illusion.

Wang Xuehao couldn't help muttering to himself, "What is that?"

Other team members spoke up, asking, "Captain, what did you say?"

"It seems there's something in the sky!"

Because he was overly excited, Wang Xuehao's voice became somewhat distorted, and everyone hurriedly looked up.

Within the ocean formed by the converging thunder, there seemed to be a faint, blurry human figure!

The thunder dragons were ferocious and roaring incessantly, yet they could not block the imposing aura of that figure.

He stood upon the nine heavens, looking down upon all beings!

Just then, a low, deep voice came from the horizon, carrying immense power that made people tremble.

"All lands I govern are my soil; all peoples I rule are my subjects; imperial authority knows no bounds, I am the First Emperor. By the command of the demon immortals, I shall pacify this region of mountains and rivers!"

Just hearing that voice one could feel the speaker's domineering aura.

Everyone's breathing grew a bit quicker, their pupils suddenly constricted, and their expressions were filled with disbelief.

You didn't mishear, did you?

First Emperor?

Could it be Qin Shi Huang? Could these words have been spoken by Qin Shi Huang? And who else is the demon immortal? What's the deal with suppressing the mountains and rivers?

One question after another surfaced in everyone's minds; the information in the words was simply too great, beyond their capacity to think, feeling as if their brains were about to crash.

If it's true, Qin Shi Huang has been dead for a thousand years—could he have resurrected now? If it's false, the myriad anomalies in the heavens surpass ordinary expectations, truly beyond belief.

But soon, that blurry figure stepped upon the sea of lightning and departed, quickly becoming illusory and elusive, as if it were merely an illusion.

However, in the very next moment, before anyone could recover, a chanting of sutras and Buddhist sounds suddenly came from afar.

Everyone was stunned, feeling as if their entire spirit had been purified.

"Did you hear it too?"

Accompanied by the sound of sutras, the trees swayed and trembled incessantly, as if countless people were whispering and following the chant.

And accompanying the sutra's sound, another profound and mysterious voice rang out.

"All that the heart seeks is illusory; if one sees forms yet not forms, one sees the Tathagata; my Buddha returns to the One, attaining the Great Dao!"

That voice seemed to drill into their hearts, leaving an indelible impression.

For a moment, everyone remained stunned, shocked to the extreme.

Until the thunder gradually faded into the clouds, a faint golden light could be seen, like a meteor streaking across the dark heavens; however, that creature's speed was too fast, leaving only afterimages, impossible to see clearly.

Afterward, the sutra's sound also dissipated between heaven and earth, as if nothing had ever happened.

The dark clouds dispersed, revealing a cold silver gleam; the whole mountain seemed to regain tranquility, the verdant, beautiful peaks shrouded in misty silver gauze, appearing ever more mysterious.

Layer upon layer of peaks, the mountain range winding without end; moonlight flowed silently, pouring down everywhere, yet everyone's hearts could not calm down.

Recalling those scenes just now, their hearts almost leapt out of their chests; such a sight, they would likely never forget in this lifetime.

No one spoke; at Mountain Foot it was utterly silent, only the moonlight silently bearing witness to all of this.

Shock, excitement, astonishment, and various emotions intertwined, leaving everyone's expressions extremely complex.

After half a day, Song Ze finally broke the silence, "What exactly did we see just then? Was it an illusion?"

"And what about that mysterious sound we just heard—was what he said true?"

The content of that voice was shocking and extraordinary, surpassing their imagination; even more shocking than the existence of monsters in this world.

Song Ze's question was everyone's question, yet no one could answer.

"What should we do now?"

"Now that the thunder has dispersed, why not go into the mountain to investigate? Or would it be better to find solid evidence?"

Song Ze quickly shook his head, "No, although the thunder has dissipated, after striking for so long just now, the whole mountain may have become a huge electric field."

Having said that, he gestured to the assistant beside him to take measurements with the instrument; sure enough, the current displayed on the screen reached an extremely terrifying figure.

"With such a current, just entering would likely paralyze a person's whole body, let alone moving around inside."

Even wearing professional protective gear could not withstand it.

"We'd better wait a bit; after the residual electricity dissipates, entering the mountain won't be too late."

Just thinking about having to wait, unable to go into the mountain right away, everyone felt as if cat claws were scratching their hearts, eager to rush into the mountain immediately to meet the rumored monster.

Wang Xuehao gazed resentfully at the distant mountains and rivers, "For now, this is all we can do."

Although the thunder has dissipated, what we saw tonight has stirred up huge ripples in everyone's hearts; I fear no one will be able to sleep peacefully. (End of chapter)