Ascension

If it was under five thousand characters, could it not be called a long chapter? Then I'd call it a medium-long chapter.

"Check your equipment!" Qing Mu's voice was deep as he reminded the people aboard the spacecraft to prepare. The operation was about to begin.

The spacecraft's screen clearly displayed the terrain of Qingcheng Mountain: lush green mountains, dense forests, peaks encircling one another like a walled city.

Wang Xuan put on his protective suit. It felt slightly heavy, but it offered a certain degree of protection against bullets, cold weapons, and the like. At critical moments, it could save his life.

The alloy blade strapped to his back was exceptionally sharp. In a close-quarters fight, it would be an effective Great Killer Weapon. The dagger was naturally useful as well; in cramped spaces with no room to maneuver, it was a fang capable of dealing a fatal blow.

"There's a piece of equipment I don't know how to use." Wang Xuan did not understand the small canister of liquid.

Qing Mu told him that artificial irises were soaking inside. Wearing them would prevent his identity from being exposed.

After Wang Xuan put them on, he looked into a Small Mirror. His pupils had turned pale blue, and together with the Realistic Human Skin Mask, he looked like a Westerner.

"Qingcheng Mountain is connected to Daoism and carries a heavy air of mystery. Could they really have dug up something incredible?" Black Tiger, one of those participating in the operation, spoke with great interest.

They all used code names among themselves. No one mentioned their real names.

The Kite said, "We must stop them this time. We can't let them take it away successfully. Old Earth has nearly been dug hollow by them. All the good things have been shipped to New Star, becoming private collections for those research institutions and major Zaibatsu."

At the mention of this, several of them showed resentment.

Everywhere across Old Earth, the underground beneath all famous mountains and great rivers had been swept clean. Even Qingcheng Mountain was no exception; Don't know how many times it had been excavated.

That there was another discovery now truly exceeded all their expectations.

As a newcomer, Wang Xuan asked whenever he did not understand. "Will intercepting them like this bring retaliation and eventually trigger a large-scale conflict?"

Qing Mu shook his head. "No. Even If Old Earth has declined, it is not something one or two Zaibatsu can control and stir up trouble in. Besides, Old Earth and New Star still have a fairly good relationship. After all, they share the same roots. You should have faith in the organization. We have long since ventured deep into the stars, so we are not afraid of them."

Black Tiger said, "To begin with, the Zaibatsu are secretly conducting illegal excavations, so they are already in the wrong. Even if they are intercepted, they will have nothing to say. Afterwards, things will gradually calm down, and All Parties will pretend nothing happened."

Of course, that did not mean there was no danger. On the contrary, the conflicts were extremely intense, and casualties were perfectly normal.

Wang Xuan fell silent. This kind of exploration did not match his original intentions. At first, he had thought they would merely explore secret regions and venture deep into dangerous uninhabited zones.

"High-Energy Weapons have been set up in the mountains. The people in the second and third groups can deal with them." A voice came through the communication channel from the screen.

Qing Mu replied, "Make sure they are all dealt with. Don't let us enter the Underground Palace only to get trapped inside and wiped out."

"No Problem. The fourth group is also standing by at all times."

Wang Xuan felt awe-inspiring dread. This exploration already counted as a small-scale battle; there was far more than just their one team.

Qing Mu was very calm, as though he knew what Wang Xuan was thinking. He explained evenly, "This Involves something that could make even Pre-Qin Daoist practitioners excited and thrilled. If it truly has something to do with the Transcendent Immortals, its value will be immeasurable. That is why this time, nothing can go wrong. Several teams are moving together."

"Old Mu, you need to focus. Be ready at any time to unleash an ultra-powerful electromagnetic pulse and disable the Mechs at the Underground Palace, along with their corresponding weapons."

Old Mu would remain aboard the spacecraft. Aside from receiving them when they withdrew, he would also be responsible for destroying some of the Great Killer Weapons the other side might possess.

"Will they have countermeasures?" As a newcomer, Wang Xuan Humbly Seek Advice.

Qing Mu was grave. "Don't worry. We are very professional. Afterwards, you can slowly study every step we took and the preparations we made."

Qingcheng Mountain remained green throughout all four seasons. Stone stairways wound through the mountains, their twisting paths leading into secluded depths. Ancient Daoist temples hid among cliffs and groves of old trees.

There were too many legends about this place. It was a famous Daoist Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land.

Unfortunately, over the past several decades or even a century, the underground here had nearly been dug into a spiderweb. It had not been easy at all for this new discovery to be made.

Qing Mu, Black Tiger, The Kite, Feng Zheng, and Little Wang entered the forest, leaving Old Mu behind to guard the spacecraft.

Little Wang was Wang Xuan's code name within the team.

Qing Mu led the way, silently moving through the forest like an agile tiger or leopard. The others had all practiced Old Arts and were extremely capable as they followed behind him.

Very quickly, they reached their destination. The entrance to the Underground Palace being excavated this time was at the foot of a remote low hill on the outskirts of Qingcheng Mountain. No wonder it had been overlooked in the past.

Some Mechs were digging tirelessly, already deep inside the mountain, transporting out great amounts of earth and stone.

Though they were still far away, they could already make out the vague outline of the Underground Palace within the mountain.

Qing Mu made a gesture, telling them not to act rashly. They would wait outside like hunters by a tree stump, waiting for the Zhou Family and Ling Family to Activated the Underground Palace and retrieve the items. Then they would block the exit and strike. There was no need to take risks by entering now.

Amid the mechanical roar, several stone gates were forcibly Activated in succession.

"We've dug through! The Underground Palace is huge!" shouts came from within.

"There's an altar! We found it! A Golden Casket is being enshrined on it!" Excited cries rang out from the Underground Palace, followed by the cheers of a crowd.

The people guarding the entrance could no longer restrain themselves. Once the foul air had dispersed, many rushed inside, wanting to be the First Time to see the Golden Casket that might involve Immortal Lords Relics.

Black Tiger, The Kite, and Feng Zheng were also breathing rapidly. As practitioners of Old Arts, they valued Immortal Lords Relics even more.

Qing Mu was better. He remained incomparably calm, saying nothing as he silently waited for the final moment.

The Kite said, "They are all rare treasures of Old Earth, yet over the past decades and centuries, they have nearly been looted clean by them. Whatever happens this time, we cannot let them succeed."

"Almost time." Qing Mu contacted Old Mu over an encrypted line. "Old Mu, act!"

Then he instructed the second and third groups to move together and deal with the High-Energy Weapons hidden in the mountains by the other side.

First, every Mech near the Underground Palace malfunctioned. Some collapsed outright, while others crackled as electric sparks flew in all directions.

If these Mechs were not dealt with beforehand, they would be troublesome. They were impervious to blades and bullets and carried Energy Weapons, all of which counted as Great Killer Weapons.

Even if they fought with blades, they would still possess tremendous killing power.

Boom!

A powerful shockwave erupted from the mountain as the High-Energy Weapons prepared in advance by the Zhou Family and Ling Family were dealt with.

"Were they all killed?" Wang Xuan's Facial Expression was not very good. Those were many human lives, and he had never experienced anything like this.

Qing Mu answered calmly, "No. Most of them were merely stunned. The main objective was to clear away their weapons."

Boom!

The next moment, an explosion occurred outside the Underground Palace. Earth and stone collapsed, burying the entrance and completely sealing it off.

Faint roars of fury came from the Underground Palace. Everyone had been trapped inside.

The surrounding wilderness remained still. No one came to aid those trapped within.

After waiting a while, Qing Mu issued another order. "Groups five and six, come over and wait for the right moment to enter the Underground Palace."

"Are we going to suffocate them all to death?" Wang Xuan felt a chill. This kind of exploration was vastly different from what he had imagined.

Black Tiger shook his head. "No. Under normal circumstances, we do not kill. Once they pass out from lack of oxygen, we will dig open the entrance and go in."

Qing Mu said, "I truly hope we find an inheritance even more powerful than a Daoist Master Root Method. Otherwise, there will be no path forward for us in the future. Even masters of Old Arts are fragile before thermal weapons."

He spoke from the heart. Those who practiced Old Arts in this era all felt a deep sense of powerlessness. For them, no hope could be seen on the road ahead.

"The sound is wrong. They are using Energy Weapons to dig through the mountain wall in the opposite direction. They want to escape another way!" Qing Mu sprang to his feet. Besides ordering groups five and six to come over, he also called in the second, third, and fourth groups to encircle and hunt them down.

Black Tiger did not think much of it. "How far can they dig? This is a mountain."

"Don't forget, Qingcheng Mountain has been excavated for decades and centuries. Its underground is hollow, with countless spiderweb-like passageways. Might As Well they dig through one. Then chasing them will become extremely troublesome."

Boom!

The entrance was blasted open, and the passage was cleared.

At this moment, the other teams had arrived as well.

Wang Xuan silently prepared himself, carrying his alloy blade and holding an Energy Weapon. This weapon could adjust its output power, with both lethal and stunning settings.

He was still very unskilled, having only held the weapon for Not Long After. He chose the low-power stunning setting.

"They haven't dug through the mountain yet. Move! Be careful, charge in!" Qing Mu shouted, sweeping the Energy Weapon In Hand directly into the passage.

Amid muffled groans, the sounds of people collapsing came from inside the mountain.

Suddenly, Qing Mu lunged forward and fell. At the same time, Wang Xuan felt every hair on his body stand on end, and he too went down with the motion.

With a puff, a bloody hole Pierced Through appeared in The Kite's chest beside him. Even the protective suit could not stop it, and blood sprayed everywhere.

The Kite fell straight to the ground, dying without even letting out a groan.

The impact on Wang Xuan was enormous. It was the first time he had seen someone killed, and that person had died right before his eyes.

Though his mind was mature, he was still deeply shaken. That had been a living, breathing life. One moment, they had been walking shoulder to shoulder; the next, he lay drenched in blood, dead on the ground.

He asked himself whether he had chosen this path too rashly. It was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had parents and family waiting for him at home. He could not Die In some place outside.

Wang Xuan forced himself to remain calm. No matter what, he had to survive. The prerequisite of exploration was ensuring his own safety.

"We had not yet dealt a killing blow, but they could not hold back first. Then there is nothing left to say." Qing Mu growled, the first to adjust his Energy Weapon's output to the lethal setting.

He Swept Across with it, then displayed astonishing ability. In the darkness, he charged into the Underground Palace through incoming beams of light. His perception was incredibly powerful, allowing him to weave through the Underground Palace and evade several Energy Beams in advance.

Wang Xuan was startled. Qing Mu truly was an extraordinary powerhouse, a genuine master.

Screech!

Blade light flashed. Qing Mu rushed before those people and directly drew his alloy blade. With his terrifying skills, he swung the blade through the crowd, its destructive power horrifying.

"Charge!" Black Tiger, Feng Zheng, and the people from the other teams all followed suit and rushed over.

Wang Xuan moved as well, still using the stunning effect of his Energy Weapon. During the process, he brought down several people.

Although this was his first time using such a weapon, at close range, he could still hit his targets while firing.

Wang Xuan was extremely cautious. Several Times, he moved along the mountain wall and hid behind rocks in the Underground Palace, Brushed Past Energy Beams several times.

Very soon, the Energy Beams vanished, and the people from both sides Encountered one another in close combat.

"Qing Mu, I've run into a super expert! This man has mastered profound New Arts. I can't stop him!" Black Tiger shouted, covered in blood.

One person's palms and fingers glowed as he slashed toward Black Tiger. A great rain of light like Evening Glow scattered down, and during the collision, half of Black Tiger's body was left drenched in blood.

Roar!

Qing Mu let out a great roar and charged over, clashing fiercely with that expert.

Thud!

At that moment, the mountain wall broke apart. Someone smashed through the rock and fell into a passageway. Just as Qing Mu had guessed, there were spiderweb-like underground paths nearby, all excavated in the past.

The person fighting Qing Mu fiercely held a Golden Casket in his arms. He turned and left, leaping into that passageway.

A group of people followed him in escape.

"Chase!" Qing Mu took the lead, the first to pursue them down. The others followed close behind.

Feng Zheng called to Wang Xuan, "You're still clumsy with the gun. A few of your shots almost hit our own people just now. Stay here. Don't chase them."

Wang Xuan nodded. Though he felt his perception was sharp enough that he would not hit his own people, since the other person had said so, whether it was to look after him as a newcomer or because they truly did not trust his marksmanship, he did not argue and nodded, staying behind.

The Underground Palace fell silent. A mass of people lay on the ground. Some had died, while many others had merely been stunned by Energy Weapons and were not seriously hurt.

Wang Xuan was very cautious. He hid behind a Giant Stone, observing and sensing carefully.

Sure enough, someone was pretending to be unconscious. Very close to Wang Xuan, one person's breathing was wrong. He was clearly awake and seemed extremely nervous.

Wang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. To his surprise, he recognized an acquaintance—Zhou Yun!

He had not expected Zhou Yun, a direct descendant of the Zhou Family, to have come personally.

He was probably regretting it so badly his intestines had turned green. He surely had not expected trouble to arise.

After all, when the major Zaibatsu had excavated ruins across various places in the past, things had almost always gone smoothly. They held overwhelming advantages. Even if they were interfered with, it did not affect the overall situation. Such a disastrous defeat was rare.

Wang Xuan silently said, Little Zhou, sorry. I can't deal with your formidable father, Zhou Mingxuan, so just as Qin Cheng said, every time I see you... I'll beat you up!

Most importantly, he noticed that Zhou Yun was somewhat unusual. He seemed to have temporarily changed into ordinary black clothing and was not wearing a high-grade protective suit. He was clearly trying to slack off and slip away.

Wang Xuan noticed that something seemed to be hidden against his chest.

Wang Xuan silently picked up a stone and threw it over without a sound. With a bang, Zhou Yun clutched his head and screamed, leaping to his feet with blood pouring from his broken scalp.

Wang Xuan did not strike to kill. He was merely a student who had just graduated from college and bore no deep grudge against the other man. No matter what, he could not bring himself to deliver a fatal blow.

Like a gecko gliding across a wall, Wang Xuan pressed against the Rock Wall and darted over with a swish. With a rip, he tore open Zhou Yun's clothing at the chest, snatched away a Jade Casket, then swiftly retreated and hid behind the Giant Stone again.

Sure enough, it had been right not to use the Energy Weapon to stun Zhou Yun. Because Zhou Yun had jumped up himself in pain and thrashed around there, those pretending to be dead In Secret did not dare fire wildly in this direction. Only after Wang Xuan seized the Jade Casket and withdrew, and after Zhou Yun struggled away, did Energy Beams shoot over.

"Take him down! The Jade Casket hidden inside the Golden Casket was originally in my possession, but he stole it from me!" Zhou Yun roared.

Boom!

Wang Xuan hid behind a Giant Stone. The altar very close to him was struck and unexpectedly split into four pieces, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Several cries of alarm rang out.

There was another space beneath the altar. Near one side of the stone wall sat a meditation cushion, and upon it was someone sitting cross-legged. He wore a feathered robe and had a head of long black hair. His complexion was rosy and lustrous, and he looked to be only in his thirties.

"Wearing a feathered robe, he is... one of the foremost experts among Daoist Masters. His physical body actually still... exists in this world!" The surviving people in the Underground Palace were shocked.

Most importantly, this foremost expert among Daoist Masters held a Silver Beast Skin Scroll In Hand and was looking down at it, as though he still possessed life and had remained alive all along.

The Zaibatsu people understood the inside story. They all knew that this person was actually already dead.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several figures rushed down, using rocks and other cover to approach that legendary supreme Daoist Master.

Something horrifying happened. Without a sound, the black-haired man turned into dust, his feathered robe scattering away. It was as though he had ascended on the spot, vanishing completely.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The six black-clothed men who had rushed over all shattered for no apparent reason. Blood and fragments of the feathered robe fell together, staining the ground red.

The feathered robe disintegrated. After drifting down, it too turned into dust. In the end, Only Remained a Silver Beast Skin Scroll on the ground, carrying a faint silvery radiance.

This astonishing scene completely Stunned Wang Xuan!

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Thanks to the two alliance leaders, Dullard Sauce and Heavenly Emperor Fist, for their support.