Chapter 239: Double Demon Coordination, Traversing Half of Great Xia

Since you're not coming over, I'll just explore on my own!

I originally wanted to call the monkey to come along, but I didn't expect this guy to be completely unresponsive.

The golden eagle's gaze fell toward the southeast, its wings spread wide, powerful airflow sweeping up countless snowflakes from the ground, quickly turning into a tiny black dot that vanished into the horizon.

It moved very fast, and in just a moment it folded its wings and landed on the ground.

"I don't even know what's actually inside this place."

Not far away, the valley was clad in silver and white, faint signs of life emanating from within; at first glance, this place seemed no different from other parts of the mountain, yet a faint, strange fluctuation drifted through the air.

Moreover, upon close observation, one would discover that beneath the white snow covering the land, it was not brown soil, but rather a layer of white substance.

That was none other than gleaming white bones!

These bones came in all varieties—tigers, jackals, flying birds, snow leopards, black bears, and so on—nearly every animal species existing in Changbai Mountain could be found here as remains.

Countless skeletons had piled up here for who knows how many years, buried under ice and snow, gradually blending with the surrounding environment until it became impossible to tell where snow ended and bones began.

Moreover, besides these animal remains, there were also numerous human bones scattered nearby; some still wore clothing, though others' garments had long since rotted into tatters.

These skeletons included both humans and animals, different species, yet densely packed and spread throughout the entire valley!

Bones piled like mountains, covered in white snow—truly a sight to shock the soul.

No one had imagined that this valley, seemingly full of vitality, concealed beneath it a road forged from white bones; even the golden eagle, upon seeing this, couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.

"I never expected to find such a valley in Changbai Mountain—what exactly is this place?"

"Why are there so many skeletons here?"

For a moment, the golden eagle's mind filled with countless doubts.

Though it possessed vast divine abilities, facing such a bizarre scene, it dared not act arrogantly, and cautiously stepped into the valley.

The closer it drew to the valley's center, the heavier the faint, oppressive pressure in the air became.

"Boom!"

As the words fell, a terrifying force surged toward its position.

The golden eagle felt its ears ringing incessantly; it violently flapped its wings trying to take flight, but could not spread them, as if sinking into a mire, mercilessly dragged downward.

The force was inescapable; the golden eagle could not avoid it and had to collide head-on—fortunately, it reacted instantly, using spiritual power to shield itself, and a layer of light instantly plated its feathers.

Even so, it felt as if a great mountain had fallen upon its chest, pressing so hard it could barely breathe, while a fishy taste surged in its throat.

Its body actually sank several meters, its ankles buried in white snow, and the ground beneath it formed a deep pit.

The golden eagle's face changed drastically—it had never encountered such a situation before; besides Ye Qin, no other living being could exert such pressure upon it.

What on earth is going on!

The golden eagle's eyes filled with apprehension; it saw the valley silent and desolate, heavy snow falling endlessly, and aside from the white bones, everything around appeared tranquil.

Yet it constantly felt the shadow of death looming overhead, impossible to dispel.

As one of the strong ones of Longyuan Mountain, though the golden eagle sometimes acts unreliably and likes to show off, its true strength stands here.

It quickly reacted, surrounding itself with spiritual energy that formed a transparent shield, its sharp eagle eyes keenly observing the surroundings.

Only to see a thin mist spreading around, within which strange energy pulsed; at the valley's very center, the energy fluctuated most violently, indicating the magnetic field here was highly unstable.

"Could there be some treasure inside after all?"

The golden eagle wasn't certain, for that energy also drifted unpredictably, somewhat resembling the earlier golden meteorite.

It guessed the valley's center must be even more dangerous than the outskirts.

After all, the outskirts already held so many human and animal remains—perhaps they all fell here due to that energy's influence.

"I originally wanted to call the monkey to come along, but this guy actually hung up on me and refused to come!"

The golden eagle sighed helplessly, furrowed its brow, and began to think; given its abilities, recklessly entering might bring danger, so it must devise a foolproof plan.

Just as the golden eagle was pondering, a clear sound suddenly rang out from within the valley.

"Ding!"

Like a mountain spring tinkling, or large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate, the clear chimes rose and fell continuously, echoing endlessly in the silent valley, sounding vast and distant.

"What is this sound?"

The golden eagle couldn't help but be drawn by the noise, lifting its head to look.

"Crack—"

As if something had split open in the darkness, a long, resonant hum rang out without warning; in an instant, thick fog spread across heaven and earth, erupting like a volcano.

The fog surged like mountains and seas, waves overturning the sky, pouring entirely into this realm, blanketing the originally white world completely.

Within moments, the view ahead became a hazy mist, nearly to the point of not seeing one's hand before one's face.

Amidst this dense fog, the golden eagle felt an unprecedented aura, causing its feathers to stand on end, and it couldn't help but shiver.

"What immense pressure!"

At this moment, all living beings in Changbai Mountain startled and lifted their heads, as if sensing something, prostrating themselves on the ground, their bodies violently trembling.

The golden eagle, being closest to the valley, felt the pressure most intensely; at this moment, its protective spiritual shield already bore cracks, like spiderwebs, rapidly spreading outward.

For a moment, it felt as if the entire world were squeezing toward it; the golden eagle felt like a sea sponge, nearly crushed into shapelessness.

……

Verdant mountains rose in layered waves, like ocean swells surging and crashing, magnificent and splendid.

The Great Sage Monkey King, who had been meditating in Hua Mountain, suddenly lifted his head, his eyes bursting forth with two golden beams, gazing firmly toward the direction of Changbai Mountain.

"This fluctuation is truly strange!"

The Monkey King released spiritual power to trace the source, carefully sensing the anomaly in the air; his golden pupils suddenly stirred with ripples.

"How could this be coming from Changbai Mountain!"

"Could it be that the golden eagle didn't deceive me—there really is something there!"

This fluctuation was extremely special; ordinary people could not perceive it at all, and even the most precise instruments could not detect it—but the Monkey King and its kind were different, relying on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for cultivation, thus making them especially sensitive to such waves.

Before, the monsters of Longyuan Mountain sensed the existence of the golden meteorite in the Wushan Mountain Range, and now the unique aura captured by the Monkey King actually came from Changbai Mountain.

"Could it be that Changbai Mountain has some treasure?"

Gazing into the distance at Changbai Mountain, every golden hair on the Monkey King's body emitted a radiant divine light, and the golden gleam in its pupils became deep and distant.

Go?

Or not go?

The Monkey King felt somewhat eager to act, but it was not a monster that blindly followed trends; the urgent task was to find out what exactly was in Changbai Mountain, so it took out its phone and called the Golden Eagle.

"Yo yo yo, now you know to call me, aren't you just too awesome?"

From the other end of the phone came the Golden Eagle's yin-yang sarcastic voice, obviously still resentful of the Monkey King hanging up on it several times just now.

The Monkey King, capable of both yielding and standing firm, said apologetically: "Back then you didn't explain clearly, I thought you were just messing around."

The Golden Eagle's voice was so angry it was almost smoking: "I did want to explain clearly, but the problem is, did you give me this chance? You hang up at the drop of a hat!"

Listening to the sharp bird cries from the other end of the phone, if it weren't for the Monkey King's spiritual aura protecting its body, its eardrums would probably be pierced now; the Monkey King couldn't help but move the phone farther away from itself and turned on the speaker.

"Alright, let's not talk about these irrelevant things; just now I sensed an abnormal fluctuation in Changbai Mountain, what exactly is going on with you?"

The Golden Eagle was somewhat surprised; it was still wondering why the Monkey King suddenly called, turns out it sensed that previous spreading fluctuation.

Fortunately it has spiritual aura protecting its body; if it were an ordinary animal, it would probably already be a corpse by now; to be honest, the Golden Eagle isn't entirely clear either, after all it hasn't finished exploring yet.

"I don't know either; it should be some treasure, this place gives me a strong sense of pressure, I can barely resist it, but if I were to go deeper to explore, it would be difficult, and I don't know what it is for now."

The Monkey King immediately made a decision: "Alright, then you wait for me; when I arrive, we two will get that treasure, and then offer it to our master!"

Hearing this, the Golden Eagle's tone softened considerably: "Finally said something decent as a monster, then hurry over, delays bring changes, I'm worried there might be other incidents here."

Compared to the Golden Eagle's urgency, the Monkey King appeared much calmer: "No rush, this matter still needs long-term planning."

On the other end, the Golden Eagle's phone was almost about to be crushed, it spoke anxiously: "Why not rush? Just come over directly, isn't that it?"

The Monkey King has high intelligence and a more far-sighted vision; it recalled the human armies at the foot of Huashan, and what happened earlier in the Wushan Mountain Range.

"According to what you said, if Changbai Mountain really has some treasure, although it's not obvious now, it will definitely erupt later, inevitably drawing human attention, just like that golden meteorite back then."

Although the Wushan Mountain Range is far from Longyuan Mountain, the mountain ranges are interconnected, so the monsters also received quite a bit of news.

Back then such a grand spectacle, one can imagine if Changbai Mountain truly has treasure, it must be similar.

"Moreover, I just heard you mention the specific location of the valley, which is exactly at the border between Daxia and the Sand Kingdom!"

Hearing this, the Golden Eagle's originally anxious expression instantly softened; although it acts impulsively, it is not entirely brainless as a monster, and soon understood the Monkey King's meaning.

The Golden Eagle asked humbly: "Monkey King, or rather you've thought it through thoroughly, what do you plan to do now?"

The Monkey King's eyes shone like torches, slightly narrowed, carrying an air of certainty: "In my view, better to do nothing than half-measures; let's directly occupy Changbai Mountain!"

For a moment the Golden Eagle even thought it had misheard, after all the Monkey King usually acts steadily, such words completely unlike something it could say.

"What, what did you say?!"

This remark was not a sudden impulse, but the Monkey King after deep consideration, gazing at the dense animals all around, its eyes flashing with threads of divine light.

"Although the animals of Huashan haven't fully awakened spiritual intelligence, compared to ordinary animals their abilities have greatly increased, they can also understand my commands and possess considerable intelligence."

Also thanks to the Monkey King recently reciting sutras and lecturing to the beings of Huashan, plus the effect of spiritual aura gathering, these wild beasts were able to undergo such transformation.

Whether in body, bones, or muscle density, they have seen significant increases; even some animals with decent talent have faintly shown signs of awakening spiritual intelligence.

If judged solely by combat power, these animals absolutely match fully armed human soldiers, and with the talismans brought from Longyuan Mountain adding bonuses, they hold a great advantage.

Thinking this through, the Monkey King's confidence grew: "I will lead them in a great migration to support you in Changbai Mountain; my Huashan and your Changbai Mountain, let's have a dream collaboration!"

Golden Eagle: "!!!"

From the other end of the phone came the Golden Eagle's heavy breathing, obviously also surprised by the Monkey King's decision, and it remained silent for a long time.

If nothing unexpected happens, if Changbai Mountain really has a big commotion, it will surely attract people from Daxia and the Sand Kingdom to investigate; since we've already decided to let the monster race appear before the world, let's do it big, so as not to let people look down on the monster race!

The Monkey King led the Huashan animals rushing to Changbai Mountain, this is the plan of the Great Sage Monkey King!

I didn't expect to come and immediately face such a big situation; it took the Golden Eagle a long while to recover: "Monkey King, you wouldn't be joking, would you? You usually look quite steady as a monster, but suddenly you pull off such a big stunt."

The Monkey King spoke seriously: "Do I look like I'm joking?"

The Golden Eagle couldn't help but gulp: "I'm going! Leading all the animals of Huashan together to Changbai Mountain, you really are something!"

"Making such a big move, aren't you afraid of not being able to wrap things up later? You really want to poke a hole in the sky, not like your usual steady style."

Although the Golden Eagle usually likes to show off, it really hadn't thought of this aspect; in its impression, the Monkey King always acts steadily and progressively, never having taken such a sharp turn before.

"If you really do that, wouldn't we still be able to go to war with the Sand Kingdom?"

Facing the Golden Eagle's questioning, the Monkey King appeared very calm: "I have my own considerations for doing this; besides, it's just Changbai Mountain, not yet at the stage of war."

"Have you considered why our master let us take the lead?"

"Since our master let us come out of the mountains, there will be more brothers coming out later; I believe our master has already prepared to let the monster race face the world."

"We can't possibly spend our whole lives hiding in deep mountains and old forests; taking this opportunity to announce the existence of the monster race to the world, while also retrieving the treasure to offer to our master, isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Hearing the Monkey King's words, the Golden Eagle fell into silence, unable to deny that the Monkey King's words made perfect sense; now it could also understand this decision.

The Golden Eagle's gaze gradually became sharp: "You're absolutely right! If so, how many animals do you have?"

The Monkey King thought for a moment: "All beings gathered together, roughly several ten thousand."

"How many? You said how many?"

The Golden Eagle couldn't help but be startled: "You can do this? Actually having this many, in such a short time you've already developed so many little brothers."

Originally I thought the Monkey King at most would be around ten thousand, but I didn't expect it to be this capable.

The Golden Eagle couldn't help but recall the animals listening to the Dao in Changbai Mountain, all those little brothers—why such a big difference? Could it really be my own problem?

Lacking talent for lecturing, so those animals listened in a daze, half-asleep?

The Golden Eagle shook its head, dispelling those thoughts: "This way, plus our own strength, taking Changbai Mountain is indeed not a problem."

"Then you should set off quickly."

The Monkey King took out a map from its phone and studied it carefully.

I've decided—I'll set out from Mount Hua toward the southwest, cross the Daba and Wushan mountains, enter the Sichuan Basin, skirt the southwest, pass through the southern part of the Wushan range, go straight up, cross the Qilian Mountains, enter the Mongolian Plateau, and finally head straight into the Changbai Mountains!

The golden eagle was nearly dazed, as if listening to a tongue twister.

"Alright, in short—hurry up!"

"For now, I'm suppressing Changbai Mountain here; there shouldn't be too much trouble. When the time comes, I'll set up a few formations to cover it, but you'd better hurry."

If it really erupts then, even if the golden eagle tries to stop it, it won't be able to.

The two monsters discussed for a moment, then hung up the phone. The Monkey King took a deep breath, his qi and blood surging once more. He looked at the animals crawling around him and said:

"Gather all the animals near Mount Hua. I have a major announcement!"

The animals quickly disappeared into the nearby thickets.

In the time that followed, countless animals on Mount Hua that had once listened to the Monkey King's teachings sprang into action.

Those that ran on land and those that flew in the sky—whether foraging in the forests or resting in their nests—all poured out, rushing toward the Monkey King.

The silent mountains instantly became bustling beyond compare. In the minds of these animals, the Monkey King was their boss!

Animal minds are simpler; they believe the strong rule as king. Moreover, the Monkey King's arrival brought them many benefits—whether gratitude or his dignity—no animal dared to be absent.

Countless animals came to the Monkey King; beasts gathered, lowered their heads, and respectfully crawled on the ground.

The mountain wind stirred the Monkey King's golden fur; his eyes shone like the sun, golden light blazing, radiating supreme dignity.

He seemed truly like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven from myth!

While beasts stirred within Mount Hua, a group of people was also setting out from the mountain base toward the summit.

They were precisely the survey personnel from the local authorities.

Although Mount Hua had been sealed off earlier due to the purple qi outbreak and the plane crash, the local authorities had also received a "confidentiality agreement" sent from Kyoto.

Yet the local authorities still wanted to clarify what had caused the sudden purple qi. After consulting Kyoto's approval, they established a dedicated survey team, which entered the mountain under military escort for inspection.

This team had also signed the agreement beforehand: no matter what they saw or discovered, they would not leak it to the outside world.

The forest was deep and dense; broad leaves blocked the surrounding sunlight. Occasionally, gaps between the leaves revealed tiny spots of light, making the surroundings seem somewhat dim.

Where once people came and went on the mountain trails, now only this team remained, making it feel even more secluded and quiet.

The team included geologists, botanists, and officials dispatched by the authorities. After all, the local authorities were curious too—what exactly was happening with Mount Hua? Even Kyoto had been stirred.

Along the way, they took photos where needed, and someone collected samples for on-site analysis. But so far, nothing abnormal had been found.

"Come to think of it, it's just strange purple qi, plus a plane crash—why seal off Mount Hua?"

"Exactly, I also find it strange. Weren't all the people on the plane saved? No deaths, and now the purple qi has vanished. By rights, Mount Hua should have been unsealed by now."

"The sudden purple mist back then might have been related to the weather and temperature differences at the time. Though strange, it shouldn't have warranted such a massive response."

"I have a relative who is the mayor's aide. I heard this matter was directed by Kyoto, and I heard it's connected to something important."

"All this secrecy—what exactly is going on?"

"It sounds like it involves state secrets. In short, this is something we shouldn't be involved in. Better not to pry too much."

In the team, several expert professors were whispering to each other.

Regarding the "Longyuan Mountain Monster" incident, the authorities' confidentiality work was excellent. Besides the highest-level leaders and those who had come into contact with this matter, all lower-level local officials remained completely unaware.

Even if some people had vaguely guessed something, they dared not speak.

Mount Hua believed it was related to Longyuan Mountain, so it too was sealed off. But since the authorities weren't entirely sure, the sealing wasn't as strict as Longyuan Mountain's.

Furthermore, since this operation was organized by the local authorities, they were able to move in and out.

Yet along the way, the team found nothing abnormal.

"Mount Hua hasn't changed from before—this sudden sealing feels like an overreaction."

The survey team looked around, feeling everything was normal. But the military personnel sensed something off, suddenly stopped, and said, "Something doesn't feel quite right."

"Don't you feel it's too quiet here?"

Everyone paused at first, then reacted to his words.

Looking around, ancient trees towered high, everywhere was lush green vegetation, as if immersed in an ancient ocean—everything appeared tranquil and peaceful.

Mount Hua's environment is excellent, its ecology rich, species diverse. Wild animals often appear nearby—like squirrels, monkeys, and rabbits.

But now, not only are the usual small animals absent, even insect chirps and bird calls are gone—it's eerily silent.

"On this journey, we seem to have seen no animals."

"We've been walking for several hours, haven't we? Normally, there are plenty of wild squirrels and monkeys here, and passing tourists feed them. How come today we haven't seen a single one?"

"And it's not winter now—this cold season can't be the reason they all went into hibernation. It's rather strange."

One of the biologists, an old professor, pushed up his glasses.

"What's so strange about that? Fewer animals is normal enough. With so many of us walking together, they've probably just hidden away."

Though he said that, the forest on all sides was tall, old trees with tangled roots, teeming with vibrant life—seemingly nothing was amiss.

Yet the more this was the case, the heavier the strange feeling in everyone's hearts became.

Animals might be hiding from so many people, but what about the insects? Surely they wouldn't be so frightened as to stop chirping?

In this vast forest, there was no sound at all—only their footsteps and the rustle of stepping on dry branches and leaves.

The team continued forward, unsure if it was psychological, but they kept feeling the surroundings grow more eerie, and the soldiers' expressions gradually turned solemn.

The surroundings were indeed excessively quiet.

"Something's off here. For safety's sake, we should turn back."

The lead soldier's face showed vigilance as he instinctively drew his pistol.

The researcher who had spoken earlier showed a hint of impatience: "Why are you making such a fuss? We already said this place—"

Before he could finish, everyone felt the ground beneath their feet begin to tremble abnormally, and even some pebbles started rolling down.

"What's going on?"

"Why does it feel like the ground is moving? Could it be an earthquake?"

Everyone stared at each other, not knowing what had happened. Only the person holding the camera in the group, looking at the image on the screen, suddenly changed expression, turned around without a word, and started running wildly.

"Run! Something's up ahead!"

He couldn't explain it clearly for a moment, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Everyone was stunned by his shout, completely unable to react.

"What are you running for? If there's a situation, explain it clearly."

They looked up into the distance, and in the next second their pupils shrank sharply—only to see the bushes in the distance trembling violently, accompanied by a thunderous sound.

The tremors on the ground grew stronger, the sound drawing nearer, almost instantly reaching their vicinity.

"Whoosh!"

A black wild boar burst out from the bushes, darting past them at incredible speed, leaving a black afterimage in the air!

This was like a signal—like a flash flood, roar after roar erupted, deafening.

Seeing clearly the scene behind the wild boar, everyone's faces changed abruptly! (End of chapter)