"Roar-"
A lion's roar resounded through the White Jade Forest.
Immediately afterward, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. The mountains and stone pagodas all swayed, but the scriptures on the stone mountains began shining brilliantly of their own accord, binding every stone brick into a single whole. Though the mountains shook, they did not collapse.
Yet as the disturbance grew greater, it seemed the stone mountains could not hold out much longer.
"Enemy attack!"
"Enemy attack!"
The cries of Xuanmen disciples came from outside.
"Where?"
"Where's the enemy?"
Others called back.
"Where is anyone?"
"Could it be an earth dragon turning over?"
Some speculated.
"Ha! Where do you think you're running, demon fiend!"
"Ah! The demon fiends are out! They're trying to escape!"
"Ah, a Golden Core!"
"It's Old Monk Jing Shi!"
Someone cried out in alarm.
"Stop them! Hurry, stop them! Don't let them escape!"
"Be careful!"
"It's collapsing! The mountain's collapsing!"
"We're done for! Rocks are starting to fall from the mountain over here!"
"..."
Many people were shouting, sounding utterly chaotic. Cheng Xinzhan also heard Hu Qing's and Wu Mei's voices.
"Boom-"
Another, even louder crash rang out.
Cheng Xinzhan saw the enormous paving stones on the floor seem to take a savage blow from something underground. Spiderweb cracks appeared at once, while the scriptures engraved on the stone temple's inner walls shone ever more brightly.
"Boom-!"
Another blow followed immediately. This time, the mountain temple's floor stones shattered completely, scattering in all directions. Once the stones flew apart, the ground beneath was directly visible. Cracks of unknown depth had already opened in it, radiating white light.
The floor tiles recording the mountain lord's origins had shattered.
Master Hanshan, the forest monastery's abbot and the last person who knew the mountain lord's origins, was already dead.