Heavenly Hound Enters Tree Mountain, Earthen Mound Collapses to Reveal Copper Furnace
North of Prosperity Capital lies the Great Boundary Mountains.
This mountain range has many other names, but the locals call it Jieshan (Boundary Mountain) because if you travel south of this mountain for another day or two, you will reach the Central Passes region of Great Rui, which is the political center of the Central Plains and a Capital Region important area.
To the north of this mountain lies a vast, boundless Grasslands, Ascending Life by numerous tribes that rise Grasslands, moving with the tides and following the water and grass—the land of the Grasslands peoples.
The various tribes of the Grasslands and the dynasties of the Central Plains fought each other for many years, a history that dates back over a thousand years. While the dynasties of the Central Plains changed, the Grasslands and Great Desert also changed hands several times.
Legend has it that the earliest rulers of the Grasslands and the rulers of the Central Plains were of the same clan and origin. However, with the changing times and the transformation of the world, the Eastern Mountain Tribe rose to prominence, several northern tribes migrated south, and various tribes took turns on the stage, fighting each other on the Grasslands, experiencing both prosperity and decline, and enacting their own stories of joy and sorrow.
But no matter how things change, one thing remains constant: wars frequently break out at the border between the Grasslands and the Central Plains, and the people who live there often suffer tragic fates. Over time, the border area gradually becomes desolate.
Mountains like Great Boundary Mountain, with their continuous high peaks separating two regions, have long been natural barriers, devoid of ordinary people, with only a few garrisons remaining. The soldiers merely open up a few mountain paths, build one or two watchtowers and beacon towers, and patrol the dangerous passes, without actually venturing deep into the mountains.
This mountain forest is therefore rarely visited by humans and is almost unaffected by them. The trees are dense and the branches and leaves are lush. Fierce wild beasts roam here. According to the old legends, there is even a great demon living in it, but ordinary people cannot see it.
Rustling...
A blurry figure darted through the Lin Zhong, its collisions causing the branches and grass to rustle and startling many birds and beasts.
"My Wisdom Soul was actually captured! It's truly unbelievable! Although most of my consciousness is concentrated in my Nascent Soul, and the other Six Souls are just remnants of consciousness, the Power Soul, Essence Soul, and Heroic Soul are one thing, but the Wisdom Soul governs the mind and perception, and is sharp and intelligent. Even if only instinct remains, it can still seek advantage and avoid harm."
The figure, faintly tinged with red, moved swiftly through the grass, yet exuded an ethereal and fleeting aura.
"When I first refined my spiritual wisdom and manifested it externally, I specifically copied my master's ' One-Glance Heart-Seeing Diagram. It allows me to see into people's hearts and use that knowledge. Even if I can't defeat my enemy, I shouldn't be easily captured. Hmm? That madman who suppressed my Wisdom Soul is actually preaching! However, since he sealed my Wisdom Soul, I can't truly perceive it. At most, I can only vaguely touch upon it, but I can still sense some profound meaning. I'll remember it for now, nurture it, and when I get there, I'll carefully comprehend it. Perhaps I can turn misfortune into blessing..."
Boom!
Just as the figure was pondering, a series of loud noises erupted around them. The trees scattered throughout the mountain suddenly seemed to come alive, twisting and changing, stretching out branches and vines, undulating and stabbing outwards. Like nimble pythons, they charged towards the red-faced figure with seemingly slow but actually fast movements.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The branches and vines whistled through the air. The branches, which were originally fragile and could be broken with a single snap, now seemed to be forged from refined iron, scattering sparks as they rubbed against the air!
The crimson figure responded instantly, its movements swift and unpredictable. It shifted up and down, dodging among the branches in the nick of time, then surged upwards, bursting forth from the Lin Zhong waves of crimson light, shattering and obliterating the surrounding air!
"Tree Mountain Demon! Stop now! Don't you recognize me?"
Along with the waves, a powerful will was sent forth, which, together with the scarlet waves, not only shattered the air completely, but also seemed to crush even the spirit!
As he paused in mid-air, the red figure became clearer, revealing itself to be a semi-transparent shadow, its outline vaguely resembling a dog.
Inside, a Soul Shadow rapidly circulated, enveloping a Chaos mass of energy. The mass of energy was ethereal and ever-changing, seemingly about to split into three, while the Soul Shadow continuously absorbed Spirit Seizure from the outside, replenishing it to prevent it from collapsing.
Below, the branches and vines that had been slicing through the Lin Zhong suddenly stopped, and a hoarse, dry voice came from within the Lin Zhong—
"Heavenly Hound, it's you? How did you end up like this? Where is your physical body? Even your Three Souls were refined and integrated into your Dao Embryo, are almost re-emerging. You're about to drop two major realms!"
The voice was cold and hard, and the words were full of surprise, but there was no emotional fluctuation in the voice, just like the sound of two pieces of wood colliding and rubbing together.
Dry and hoarse.
In the air, the red dog-like figure roared, "Enough nonsense! This Continent is currently in a period of great strife, and a power struggle between the old and the new may well arise. That's why I tried to take action, but I fell into a trap set by a retainer of the Left Military Governor's Office, which is why I've ended up in this state!"
"The Left Military Governor's Office?" the withered voice replied. "How did you end up fighting with the people from the Left Military Governor's Office's Office? My children and grandchildren told me some time ago that several of the Left Military Governor's Office's retainers went to besiege the Barbarians Living Buddha. How could you have run into them? Could it be that you joined forces with the Barbarians?"
The red dog-like figure raised its head slightly. "What does it matter? In any case, our strength is insufficient in this Continent. Rather than wasting energy and time accumulating power, we might as well try to stir up trouble. When the Divine Path, the Daoist Sect, and the secular dynasties are all engaged in chaotic battles and their strength is greatly depleted, we might have a chance to reap the benefits!"
"You're being too simplistic. Even though there will be losses in a multi-front war, it will also hone our skills and increase our prestige. How can we seize the opportunity to reap the rewards of victory?"
The withered voice clearly disagreed, first denying it, then changing the subject. "You were injured this time, probably because you wanted to reap the benefits, but after you made your move, the situation spiraled out of control, and you ended up being hunted down, right? You lied to me that you fell into a trap. Do you think I don't know your nature? Look at your current state, even your Seven Souls have scattered. You must have used your last resort to save your life, looking extremely disheveled. It's all because you tried to reap the benefits but misjudged the opponent's strength!"
"I was merely misled and acted prematurely! If I had seized the right opportunity, things would not be like this now!" The red dog-like figure's roar suddenly intensified. "Moreover, although I fled here, my plans in the southwest have not collapsed. In fact, I have used this to mislead those people, making them believe that I have lost my foundation, unaware that I still have capable subordinates managing the situation in the southwest!"
"Deli's subordinates?" The dry voice revealed a hint of doubt.
"Not bad, you'd never guess the origins of this subordinate." The dog-shadow's roar subsided, and he seemed somewhat smug.
The dry voice replied, "Why should I guess about your subordinates? But I still need to remind you not to underestimate them."
"You..." Inu-kage was about to speak when suddenly a red light surged from his body, causing it to twist and disperse as if on the verge of collapse!
At the same time, a beam of light suddenly flashed across the southern sky, followed by ripples that rushed towards the scene, causing the Spiritual Qi to fluctuate violently wherever they passed!
The calm world, which was originally like a still lake, suddenly changed color, and the Spiritual Qi became violent, as if someone had thrown a huge rock into the lake, stirring up huge waves!
"Not good! The Spiritual Qi has inexplicably become violent. My Nascent Soul was already severely damaged, how can it withstand it? Old demon, quickly let me go inside and hide, give me some of your life Qi and Blood. After I get through this crisis, I'll find a way to rebuild my physical body!"
Amidst the raging Spiritual Qi, the red figure scattered and drifted. A gust of wind blew by, and the dense Spiritual Qi contained within it impacted the figure, causing it to twist and weaken rapidly.
"I really can't do anything with you." The dry voice sighed, and then most of the mountain range shook. A series of shattering sounds came from the mountainside, the grass and trees fell down, the soil turned upside down, and a crack nearly a hundred feet long was revealed.
The crack gradually opened, revealing a pitch-black interior, yet it emitted an unimaginably powerful Blood-Qi Beacon Smoke. Even the violent Spiritual Qi, affected by this Qi and Blood, had to retreat three hundred feet!
Whoosh!
The red dog-like shadow didn't linger upon seeing the crack; it transformed into a rainbow and plunged straight into it.
Boom!
The crack closed, leaving only a scene of devastation halfway up the mountain; otherwise, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
A few miles away at the mountain pass, the two soldiers on guard exchanged a glance and shook their heads.
"Earthquakes have become more frequent lately..."
Boom!
With the Great Boundary Mountain returning to stillness, no force could stop the raging Spiritual Qi, which spread out in Spiritual Qi directions, surging towards the southeast, northwest, and other cardinal directions.
They rushed north into the Grasslands, south into Jiannan, west towards the Western Regions, and east straight to the Eastern Capital.
At the center of this chaotic Spiritual Qi was a mound, which, in appearance, was no different from an ordinary mound, nestled in a dense forest.
At this moment, the mound was shaking Extreme Speed, emitting ripples. As soon as these ripples came into contact with the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth, they triggered a strong aura, causing the Spiritual Qi to surge violently and impact in Eight Directions!
Humans who have not cultivated themselves may not feel much change in Spiritual Qi, but many creatures that roam in nature sense it immediately and become restless.
The tremors on the mound grew more rapid, the ripples spread more densely, and finally...
Boom!
With a cracking sound, the mound of earth burst open, revealing a large, dark hole from which a person flew out. His body was tattered, and his exposed skin was covered in mud and grime, making him even more filthy than a beggar.
While still in mid-air, he roared, then raised one hand, lifting a Copper Furnace as tall as a person above his head, before bringing it down.
Thump!
Upon landing, the person exhaled a long breath, his entire body crackling and popping like beans being fried in an iron wok, his powerful aura bursting forth and soaring into the sky!
"This exploration of the fortuitous opportunity Pill Ancestor's Cave Abode resulted in a sudden surge in my cultivation, but it also caused this commotion. I'm afraid this will be a headache for me for a while."
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