High-Level Standoff

Xu Yueping spoke. "Little Qin, want to go take a look?"

"Have Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing gone?" Qin Ming asked. Though he was curious about the Top-Tier Aberrants in the mountains, when weighing matters, prudence naturally meant putting safety first.

Xu Yueping said, "They already passed our village entrance on their way there. They got permission from the higher-ups, who said it was fine as long as they didn't get too close."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Old Man Liu immediately perked up and was the first to declare his stance.

Qin Ming did not object either. Since Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and the others had gone, there was no need for particular concern.

A short while later, the group set out and soon reached the outskirts of the mountains. Many New Life Evolvers had already gathered in this area, their figures densely packed as they craned their necks in anticipation, desperate to see Red Haze City's higher-ups appear.

Qin Ming stared at that donkey in silence. It looked much like the one he had hunted in the mountains a few days ago. Could this be its offspring or something?

A snow-white Weasel sat cross-legged on the donkey's back, like an enlightened monk who had attained the Dao. Silent and still, he was far too composed, his pair of eyes seemingly able to see through all worldly affairs and unfathomably deep.

Qin Ming visualized Still Void, concealing his life force, and used "Harmony with the Dust" to blend naturally into the crowd.

"They're here!" someone murmured. In the night, a figure appeared at the far end of the snow-covered earth, drawing closer and gradually becoming clear.

"This should be one of Red Haze City's higher-ups, right?" Even those nobles could not remain calm. They whispered among themselves, all gazing into the distance.

Very soon, the area fell silent again, because this was still an aberrant being.

It approached with elegant cat steps, neither hurried nor slow, until it reached the foremost edge of the mountain land.

It was actually a Civet Cat, its body nearly three feet long and weighing several dozen pounds. Rather than moving on all fours, it walked upright.

Qin Ming was somewhat speechless. The higher-ups among aberrant beings did not seem all that rare; one could see such creatures in daily life.

Especially since Civet Cats and Weasels were natural enemies. Would the two of them start fighting in the mountains?

Many people had the same thought, but none dared voice it. They remained tense and silent.

"I thought all Top-Tier Aberrants would resemble beings like the Moon Insect..." Old Man Liu mumbled indistinctly.

He had guarded the mountains for decades and heard far too many legends: terrifying mountain lords, Famous Birds that had stood unfallen for two hundred years, each tale more mysterious than the last. Yet none of them had appeared.

"Are they... going to start fighting among themselves?" someone noticed something amiss.

The large Civet Cat, walking with elegant cat steps, and the Old Weasel atop the donkey's back were at daggers drawn, deeply hostile, looking ready to fight.

On the snow, the large Civet Cat stood still with a Crimson Longsword on its back, nearly as long as its upright height. The sword had automatically slid half a foot from its sheath. Scarlet rosy light shone in all directions, as though a sunset from legend had appeared, dyeing the nearby snow red.

The snow-white Weasel was no longer tranquil either. He leaped down from the donkey's back and patted Old Donkey, telling him to wait farther away.

The snow-white Old Weasel himself stood there, his pair of upper limbs no different from human arms. One "hand" was held behind his back, while the other "hand" before him was wrapped around a string of Prayer Beads.

Dressed all in white, he raised his head to the sky, serene and unworldly. As he slowly rolled the beads between his fingers, faint white mist flowed out, resisting the scarlet glow opposite him.

The crowd was bewildered. These two beings truly were not on the same side? They were confronting one another!

"One of them should be human, merely walking a different path, and his body has gradually ceased to retain human form," someone said in a low voice.

Those present were deeply unsettled upon hearing this. Those paths were far too distant from them.

Yet at this very moment, they could not even tell which one was human and which was a Higher Lifeform from the mountains.

There were many people at the scene, including a large number of Mountain Patrol members who had rushed over upon hearing the news. Though they guarded the endless mountain ranges, they only operated around the outskirts and had no chance of seeing Top-Tier Aberrants. They had come today merely to broaden their horizons.

Red Haze City had likewise sent many New Life Evolvers, young and old alike. Some came from noble families, others from powerful organizations. Looking out, the crowd was a vast sea of black.

The bolder New Life Evolvers from nearby villages and towns had also come to watch.

In the dense forest opposite them, a great number of creatures had also appeared—more than on this side. All were strange races, especially intimidating amid the dim woodland. Some were red as fire, some wreathed in Purple Mist, and their clamor was far louder than the discussions outside.

"Be cautious. They might try something over there!" Cao Long said. His three-meter-tall body was clad in gleaming armor, while his hand had already tightened around a sharp Great Spear.

"Isn't this supposed to be the final negotiation? Are both sides really going to fight?" someone asked with a puzzled expression.

Mu Qing, completely covered by a black cloak, spoke. "We won't provoke trouble, but if those aberrant beings dare cross the line, then fight them without restraint. The higher-ups will cover for us."

At the same time, experts from Red Haze City's other organizations, great clans, and the Mountain Patrol were also transmitting messages. If anything went wrong, they were to fight without hesitation.

"It's been a long time since I've seen such a grand formation. Is it about to begin? I remember the last large-scale mountain sweep was thirty years ago." Old Man Liu sounded slightly excited as his right hand gripped the Thick-backed Greatsword tightly.

He and Qin Ming's group had arrived rather late and stood toward the rear, where it should have been relatively safer.

But Qin Ming did not dare let down his guard. Since the people on his side had reached such a consensus and spoken those words, he also prepared himself, holding the Long-handled Purple-Gold Hammer in his hand.

As a tall and burly figure appeared, all unrest was suppressed. Whether aberrant beings in the forest or New Life Evolvers on the snow, everyone fell quiet.

No one saw how he had appeared. He simply stood abruptly in the midst of the scene, where swords were drawn and bows bent.

He stood nearly ten meters tall, his build excessively massive. Clad in ancient-looking mottled armor and holding a Black Long Spear in one hand, he carried an invisible yet powerful presence that cowed the aberrant beings between the mountains and ravines, while goosebumps rose across the bodies of the New Life Evolvers in the snow.

Fortunately, that invisible presence quickly dispersed. Otherwise, it would have pressed everyone until they could not breathe.

The man had sharply defined, deeply sculpted features and appeared to be in his forties. With such a towering frame, one naturally thought of the Giant Spirit God path.

"This should be some important figure from Red Haze City, but why have I never seen him before?" someone asked doubtfully.

Even Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and the other direct descendants of noble families were talking and asking around, because they had never seen him either.

No matter what, he was an utterly pure human and could not possibly be an aberrant being.

The black-haired man holding the black war spear had his hair flying upward, his face full of steely resolve. He stood beside the snow-white Old Weasel, facing together the Civet Cat on the snow with its crimson sword on its back.

With his arrival, the Crimson Longsword that had automatically left its sheath and dyed the surroundings red like a sunset let out repeated soft cries, as though warning of the newcomer's strength and danger.

An old Mountain Patrol member spoke. "Now the situation is clear. The ten-meter-tall giant is an expert invited by Red Haze City, so Weasel... uh, Elder Weasel must also be on our side. He chose a different path and transformed into this unusual true form."

People could not help nodding. Clearly, the Civet Cat carrying the Crimson Longsword came from deep within the mountains.

The ten-meter-tall giant and the one-foot-tall snow-white Weasel rolling his Prayer Beads stood together in the field. The contrast was simply too extreme. Many wanted to comment, but none dared open their mouths and could only keep silent.

"Brother Wei, Wei Mo, it has been twenty years since we last met. You have traveled through the deep mountains and marshes, appearing near forbidden lands to cultivate. Have you been well?" A gentle voice rang out, just as suddenly. No one saw how it happened, but another figure had appeared on the snow.

This was still a human man, appearing to be just over forty. Dressed in white, he was exceedingly refined and handsome. Standing casually, he seemed to merge with the snow.

He stood beside the Civet Cat carrying the crimson sword and looked toward the ten-meter-tall human man opposite him.

This time, many people in the snow were completely stunned, staring wide-eyed and tongue-tied. They truly could not understand which side was Red Haze City's higher-ups and allies.

The giant called Wei Mo nodded. His darkened Scarlet Gold Armor immediately rang out with a sonorous clank as he said, "Indeed. Twenty years have passed, and Ling Xu, you too have begun to show the signs of age."

People did not understand. Why did Wei Mo say that the man in white showed signs of age? Was he not in the full bloom of his prime? It seemed those at this level had different standards of judgment.

At the same time, some people from Red Haze City cried out in shock.

"Ling Xu... he's the City Lord!"

Qin Ming, Old Man Liu, and the others were stunned several times over, but they finally understood which side contained the Higher Lifeforms of the mountains and which side was Red Haze City's higher-ups.

In that brief span of time, many people's understanding had turned several sharp corners in succession.

Ling Xu, the refined middle-aged man in white, nodded. "Who can avoid growing old? No one can resist the years, not even the most mysterious handful of top-tier beings."

Then he looked at Wei Mo and said, "You chose to go deep into the night mist, to wander outside the Boundless Forbidden Ground. You no longer intend to return, is that it?"

"Yes!" Wei Mo gave only one word.

"Understandable." Ling Xu nodded.

Many people looked solemn. A few elders had heard Wei Mo's name and knew how formidable he had been in those days. His body had once been far larger than it was now. Had he begun a higher level of transformation?

"Why is he standing with the aberrant beings deep in the mountain range?" A youth from Red Haze City could not help lowering his voice to ask an elder beside him.

The old man murmured, "When one cannot find the path and hope is gone, one walks into the boundless night. So among the deep mountains and great marshes, within the endless darkness, some Higher Lifeforms and some mysterious aberrant beings may not necessarily be monsters. In earlier years, they were human!"

Qin Ming was lost in thought upon hearing that.

"Sit and talk." Ling Xu, the City Lord of Red Haze City, spoke and made an inviting gesture.

Four beings, in four very different forms, all sat down in the snow and began their final negotiation.

Yet people discovered that they could not hear their voices.

It was a secret discussion among the higher-ups. Clearly, they would not let the others listen. Being allowed to quietly watch from afar was already an opportunity to broaden their horizons.

The scene was visibly far from peaceful. Scarlet haze steamed, white mist swirled, and the clothes, armor, and fur of the four beings shook violently, as though terrifying force fields lay between them.

They could even see the large Civet Cat directly draw its sword. Scarlet light shone everywhere, dazzling beyond measure, like a red sun about to rise from the earth.

The snow-white Old Weasel seemed to have been angered badly and could no longer maintain his previous calm. One hand rolled the beads, while the other lightly patted the snow to express his displeasure.

At once, everyone was horrified, for they felt an earthquake. Vast amounts of snow were shaken into the air.

Many people clearly saw that he had merely given it a light pat and had not truly intended to strike.

But it had indeed intensified the tension in the field.

Moreover, as all kinds of aberrant beings in the dense forest roared in response, several other terrifying Higher Lifeforms emerged within the mountains.

Some stood upon the mountains, watching coldly, while others flapped their wings and flew high overhead to look down.

One insect among them was the most extraordinary, for it was so dazzling that it illuminated several nearby peaks, and it had reached the edge of the mountains.

"The Moon Insect!" many people cried out.

Yet outside the mountains opposite it, powerful beings also appeared within the night. A great azure bird flowed with brilliant radiance, carrying a figure in fluttering feathered robes. The figure stared at the Moon Insect from high in the sky, possessing an incomparably ethereal and unworldly bearing that instantly countered the Moon Insect's expanding terrifying aura.

Qin Ming looked at the figure atop the azure bird and felt pain in his head. It was not because of that person, but because of the broad feathered robes. They were like a bolt of lightning crashing straight into his heart, splitting open his dust-covered subconscious and letting him instantly see certain images, allowing him to learn of the bloodshed from when he was fourteen.