Investigation Bureau Experiments

Based on the information he had previously obtained from Fu Ming and Hui Yuan, the manifestation of the Northern Yin Mountain Temple would only last three days. More than a day had already passed, and he did not have much time left.

His consciousness sank into the Yellow Wind Little Sage's body. The palm-sized little rat leaped into the air and flew toward Yinshan Metro Station beneath the glow of the setting sun.

The route to the Mythic Node at Yinshan Metro Station was one Yellow Wind Little Sage had traveled many times. He could find it with his eyes closed.

But when he reached the end of Yinshan Metro Station today, he subconsciously stopped and carefully surveyed the surrounding space.

The Perfect Ritual Xie An had once mentioned, as well as the Mythic Beacon, surfaced in his mind.

"According to Xie An, Mythic Invasion was by no means a simple fusion of mythology and reality. Rather, mythology cast down beacons upon the present world based on history that had once existed."

Yellow Wind Little Sage raised his head and looked at the pitch-black tunnel entrance above him.

"Take the Blood River in Luoshui City. It originated from the once-glorious mythology of Luoshui and the Sima Family's blood feud, which was why it developed the trait of slaughtering every descendant of the Sima Family.

"Since Luoshui was like this, Yin Mountain Metro should likewise have corresponding records in Mythic History. What exactly was its origin?"

The question circled endlessly in Yellow Wind Little Sage's heart, but now was clearly not the time to dwell on it.

He shook his head, temporarily casting those doubts to the back of his mind before stepping into the Mythic Node.

The familiar sensation of spatial distortion swept over him. Moments later, Yellow Wind Little Sage reappeared within the Yin Mountain Realm.

The moment he entered this Celestial Circuit Realm, Yellow Wind Little Sage immediately concealed himself. Warped light and shadow wrapped around him as he began heading toward the Northern Yin Mountain Temple.

Along the way, Yellow Wind Little Sage could clearly sense that compared to the first day, far fewer Mythic Walker teams had entered this newly opened area.

Most explorers had likely already headed farther out in search of new opportunities and treasures.

Yellow Wind Little Sage lightly licked his two large front teeth. His Fortune Talent activated, and the distribution of nearby Mythic Materials emerged within his perception.

Compared to yesterday, those points of light were noticeably sparser. Within dozens of miles, more than half the Mythic Materials had already been taken. Only several dangerous regions that had yet to be fully conquered still gleamed with enticing light.

However, judging by the fierce sounds of battle and Mythic Factor fluctuations erupting from time to time around him, it was only a matter of time before those remaining regions were cleared as well.

Yellow Wind Little Sage paid no attention to those Mythic Materials and headed straight toward the Northern Yin Mountain Temple.

Along the way, Yellow Wind Little Sage carefully avoided several Mythic Walker teams and soon arrived halfway up the mountain, where the Northern Yin Mountain Temple stood.

Yet the sight before him made Yellow Wind Little Sage pause, and he concealed himself within the woods.

It was sunset. A large crowd had gathered in the plaza before the Northern Yin Mountain Temple.

Most of them were Mythic Walkers from the Yinshan Investigation Branch, dressed in uniforms. Yet at the center of the crowd stood more than a dozen ordinary people.

The ordinary people varied greatly in age, ranging from children of three or four to elders on the verge of death.

Silver shackles had been fastened around all their necks. Their eyes were vacant, and their expressions dull.

Presiding over this place was none other than Flesh Mountain, the Scavenger Fifth Rank Mythic Walker Yellow Wind Little Sage had seen before.

"You, go in!"

Flesh Mountain rudely pointed at an old man in the crowd. The old man's face was covered in wrinkles, his body hunched over, but under Flesh Mountain's command, he mechanically began walking toward the temple's main entrance.

A bad premonition rose in Yellow Wind Little Sage's heart.

The Northern Yin Mountain Temple's rule was that anyone who violated the rule of "do not waste food" would suffer the rule's punishment.

Even a Scavenger Third Rank Mythic Walker would be grievously injured after violating the rule, let alone ordinary people with no Mythic Factors protecting them.

The old man's fate had been decided the instant he stepped toward the temple gates.

Bang!

A dull explosion rang out, and the old man's body instantly burst apart before the temple gates.

Flesh and blood mixed with shattered bones splattered in all directions like a blooming blood flower. Some of the scattered blood even splashed onto Flesh Mountain's enormous belly, leaving specks of red across his skin.

Flesh Mountain turned a blind eye to it all. He did not even furrow his brow.

Expressionlessly, he wrote down the result in the record book in his hand:

[Soulless Puppet, unable to pass!]

Then, he pointed at the second ordinary person.

"You, go!"

Another explosion rang out, followed by another blossom of flesh and blood.

[Flesh-Modified Human, unable to pass!]

Flesh Mountain recorded it coldly, as though those who had just died were not living people, but merely experimental materials.

[Mimetic Derivative, unable to pass!]

[Modified Mutant, unable to pass!]

One innocent life after another vanished before the temple gates, becoming line after line of icy text in the record book. Blood gradually stained the steps before the temple red, and the air grew thick with the stench of blood.

Soon, only the final test subject remained in the plaza.

She was a little girl in a pink princess dress, seemingly only three or four years old. Her large eyes brimmed with fear and confusion.

The experimental information for this child was clearly written in Flesh Mountain's record book:

[A normal human child with a docile temperament from a young age. Her parents strictly taught her not to waste food. Furthermore, due to her young age, she consumed little food, making the possibility of accidentally wasting food extremely low.

Recommended as the final experimental measure. If she cannot enter the Mountain God Temple, it means there are other variables in the entry rules!]

"Go in!"

Flesh Mountain gave the order without expression.

Upon hearing it, the little girl instinctively turned to look at the crowd. Tears filled her large eyes as though she were searching for someone who could save her.

But the Investigation Bureau members among the crowd were all expressionless. Not a single one was willing to lend a hand.

She could only climb the steps before the temple with tears in her eyes, trembling all over. Her tiny figure looked so small and helpless before the enormous temple.

She stretched out her little hand and pushed open the main gates. Several seconds later, a young figure flew out and crashed heavily into the plaza.

Unlike the other ordinary people, who had been blown to pieces outright, this little girl had failed but had not immediately died.

She stared wide-eyed toward the center of the crowd. Blood poured from her mouth and nose as she tremblingly stretched out her little hand, trying to grasp at something.

Flesh Mountain paid no heed whatsoever to the severely injured girl. The coldness on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by fervent excitement.

"The rule's punishment has changed! Her physical body was not destroyed outright!"

"Just as the deputy director said, some kind of power was interfering with the rules. It even altered the force of punishment out of pity, which was why she was not blown to pieces on the spot!"

"It must be the Fire Stealer. Only the Fire Stealer could merge into the rules of a Mythic Relic without breaking through the relic itself!"

"As long as we find a way to expose the Fire Stealer's identity, we can use the will of Lost Mythology to drive him out and restore the rules to normal.

"Then, nothing will be able to stop us from taking the Mountain God Tablet!"

"Hahaha!!!"

Flesh Mountain threw back his head and laughed wildly. The other Investigation Bureau members before the plaza also wore expressions of ecstatic delight.

Among the crowd, only one young man looked at the little girl still clinging to life on the ground with pity and spoke to Flesh Mountain.

"Captain Flesh Mountain, she seems to still be alive. If you bestowed a drop of blood upon her, you should be able to save her..."

"Insolence!" another middle-aged man with a somewhat sly appearance sternly rebuked him.

"What kind of person is Captain Flesh Mountain? How could he waste precious blood on an ordinary person?"

The young man flew into a rage. "Hou Ming! She is your own niece!"

The middle-aged man called Hou Ming spoke with righteous severity. "Precisely because she is my niece, I can make the decision for her."

The crazed smile on Flesh Mountain's face slightly receded. He glanced at Hou Ming and nodded.

"You did well this time. Although the person you offered up did not enter the temple, using a child to trigger the rules stirred the Fire Stealer's sympathy and allowed us to successfully discover the clue.

"If we can seize the Mountain God Tablet, I will claim credit for you before the deputy director."

Hou Ming's face filled with wild joy. Had he not offered up his own niece and this scheme for precisely this moment?

Hou Ming immediately bowed again and again. "Thank you, Captain Flesh Mountain, for your guidance!"

Amid the sounds of celebration, the little girl's eyes grew increasingly dim. Unwillingly, she swallowed her last breath.

Yellow Wind Little Sage watched everything before him, his expression dark.