Minglong

Chapter 262 The Treasure-Guarding Monster
As they traveled deeper westward, the landscape below gradually changed.

The once lush primeval forests gradually disappeared, and the villages and tribes that could be encountered occasionally became rare. The entire land was replaced by boundless desolation.

The undulating mountains gradually grew larger, each peak resembling a wall of death standing solemnly on the earth, giving the creatures below a suffocating feeling of being crushed by Mount Tai. Although there were glaciers and vast lakes in the valleys, there was no sign of any life activity.

Xie Jinhuan sped through the mountains, feeling like a fledgling bird that had just learned to fly, crashing headfirst into the Kunlun Secret Realm, or perhaps the abode of the gods.

Because it was so desolate, Linghu Qingmo, who was being held in his arms, kept comparing the books and using a small compass to determine the location.

Zhao Ling, holding a telescope, searched for their destination.

Although Duan Yuechou's materials included a map, they were based on clues from his past personal explorations and did not depict the terrain of Xirong in detail. The content was not detailed, and the annotations were quite vague. It was roughly that after arriving at Zheluochuan, continue westward for about 800 li until you see two snow-capped mountains of the same height, then go straight through the middle...

These guide entries are obviously difficult to find, but having a direction is better than the three of them searching aimlessly.

After winding their way through the mountains until the afternoon, the three of them finally found the ravine mentioned in the brochure.

The valley was filled with bare rock walls and snow, but unlike other places, there were some cracks on the rock walls, which looked like they had been shattered by a burst of energy, and the scattered rocks did not seem to have been formed by a natural landslide.

Xie Jinhuan landed in the mountain hollow, and after confirming that he hadn't come to the wrong place, he examined the few marks on the mountain wall:
“Indeed, people have fought here, at least several decades ago. If Duan Yuechou is not mistaken, the location where the last opportunity occurred is probably within a hundred miles.”

Linghu Qingmo looked around the rugged mountain valley:

"According to Duan Yuechou's speculation, it was the people from Yanbo City who seized the opportunity back then, encountered their opponents here, and destroyed some of the rocks. How did he know it was the people from Yanbo City?"

Zhao Ling picked up a piece of gravel and carefully examined the marks:
"The Azure Emperor's Netherworld Sword can usually only be practiced by the inner disciples of Yanbo City. This person should be Shang Lianbi's direct disciple."

"Having already received the divine gift of the Supervisory Officer, and having another opportunity at Dragon Bone Beach, plus the fact that sixty years have passed, if this person is still alive, his current level of skill is probably no less than that of the sect leaders. However, Yanbo City has always been low-key, so I don't know who he is."

Linghu Qingmo nodded slightly and then flipped through the booklet:

"What formidable enemy did this person encounter? It's not written here."

Xie Jinhuan was also observing the marks, raising his hand to indicate several marks on the stone wall:

"This looks like it was slashed by swords. It doesn't show any skill or technique, but it's very strong. It's probably an unknown nobody who didn't manage to seize an opportunity. Every time an opportunity appears, a bunch of cultivators come looking for it, so it's not surprising that he encountered him here."

"Oh……"

Seeing this, Linghu Qingmo didn't ask any more questions. He put away the booklet and, together with Xie Jinhuan, began searching for places where opportunities might appear in the desolate mountains and wilderness.

The Five Directions Divine Gifts are of the same kind of opportunity. Therefore, the Divine Gifts of the Supervising Soldiers are also the Five Elements Spiritual Essence gathering in the West. After gathering to the limit, they seep out from a certain place to the surface of the earth and are picked by living beings.

Although this range is extremely large, it may appear on the outer peaks or in a river valley that no one has ever set foot in, but wherever it appears, it will definitely leave some traces in the world.

In order to finish the battle quickly, Xie Jinhuan led his two teammates to circle in the air, searching outwards from the mountain pass like mosquito coils, while Ye Hongshang sensed the changes in the aura within a hundred-zhang radius.

And the result did not disappoint. After searching for about an hour, the three arrived at a river valley about fifty miles from the mountain pass. Ye Hongshang pointed to the dry riverbed:
"Where."

Xie Jinhuan landed on the riverbed, glanced around briefly, but found nothing unusual. He then looked at the landlady:

"It should be around here, give it a try."

Seeing this, Zhao Ling didn't say much. He stuck his sword into the ground, clasped his hands together, and a blazing white ball of light emerged from his palms, emitting a faint aura of killing intent. He closed his eyes and carefully sensed it.

Xie Jinhuan observed from the side, and before Zhao Ling could report the result, the ghost wife beside him noticed the movement of the heaven and earth's energy and responded:
“There is a reaction below, but someone must have dug it before. It has been too long and there is very little left. It has also sunk quite deep. It will take at least half a day to get it out.”

Zhao Ling's perception was far less powerful than A Piao's, and it took him a long time to detect anything unusual after constantly activating his divinely bestowed power.

Then a tiny golden dot, emitting a faint glow, emerged from the dried-up riverbed and hovered near the ball of light in the palm of the hand, followed by a second, a third...

Before Xie Jinhuan came, he had looked up information and initially did not quite understand why he needed the "Divine Gift of the Supervisory Soldiers" to obtain this opportunity. But now he understood the meaning. The "Divine Gift of the Supervisory Soldiers" is the origin of the Five Elements and is used as a magnet to attract the metal element of the Five Elements.

According to Zisu, three qian of smelting sand were needed, which would indeed take several hours at this rate. To avoid getting tired from standing for too long, Xie Jinhuan moved two stones from the valley and placed them on the ground as stools, where he and Momo Coal Ball waited...
-
The other side.

As the sun sets behind the mountains, a vast expanse of starry sky and silver moon emerges atop the snow-capped peaks.

Nangong Ye, dressed in a black dress, stood atop the snow-capped mountain, gazing at the endless peaks, her beautiful phoenix eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

"Why is there no sound at all? Where did he go?"

Bu Yuehua, wearing a hood, sat on a small rock nearby, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with boredom.
"Who told you to be so dramatic? The protector isn't even by your side. Now you're in a bind, not going back isn't an option either..."

Nangong Ye didn't follow behind her simply because Mo Mo was also there. Her disguise had been exposed, and if Xie Jinhuan found out, she would definitely do something immoral behind her disciple's back...

Her original plan was for both of them to travel to Xirong at the same time, with her following about a hundred miles behind. This way, the distance between them wouldn't be too far, and she could rush over immediately if Xie Jinhuan got into trouble.

At first, she took to the air to investigate and occasionally spotted traces of the three people ahead, but after leaping over the peak, Xie Jinhuan suddenly disappeared.

She thought the boy had sped up, so she chased after him westward for a while, but to no avail; she had completely lost him now.

Based on the timeline, Xie Jinhuan should have finished her work and turned back by now, provided there were no delays on the way. However, she was worried that the boy might have been delayed on the way, so she didn't dare to go back just yet.

At this moment, Nangong Ye was being complained about by the demoness, and he could not refute her. He could only stand on the highest peak and look around to see if he could find a campfire or a figure.

The area is covered in snow-capped mountains, and it is the dead of winter. The mountains are a forbidden place for all living things. Not to mention ordinary people, even birds and beasts cannot be seen. With their cultivation, the two of them can see every rustle of wind and movement among the mountains.

After searching for a long time, Nangong Ye discovered some movement on the distant mountain. Since it was too far away to see clearly, he inquired:
Is there something over there?

Bu Yuehua stood up and examined the area closely. She could see a black dot moving rapidly above the distant mountains, but it did not leave the ground, which puzzled her slightly.
"Yes, he looks... well... not quite like a normal person."

Using the moonlight and starlight to discern the pattern, Nangong Ye also felt that the trajectory of the black dot was not that of an ordinary person, so he immediately prepared to go and take a look.

But Bu Yuehua, who was beside him, suddenly frowned, turned her right hand up, and a ball of pale white flame appeared in her palm. As a result, the flame could be seen drifting inward, as if it was being interfered with by some kind of force.

Nangong Ye knew that the Moonfire in the demoness's hand was an extremely yin fire, which would be attracted by yin energy and repelled by yang energy. Seeing this, his gaze became serious.
"What it is?"

Bu Yuehua initially thought it was a mountain monster, but she had spent many years in the southern border region watching monsters bar their teeth and was very knowledgeable about various mountain and marsh spirits and birds.

Demons usually have a strong evil aura, while mountain and marsh spirits that are normally nurtured by the essence of the sun and moon have a temperament that is not much different from that of normal cultivators. For example, the bald-tailed dragon that Patriarch Sikong raised from a young age and Xie Jinhuan's coal ball do not emit any abnormal aura.

The black dot moving ahead had a very peculiar aura, which she couldn't quite pinpoint. "Pacify"—she thought for a moment and said:
"I don't know, let's go over and take a look first."

Seeing this, Nangong Ye didn't say anything more, and together with Bu Yuehua, they sped off towards the distant mountains...
-
Huhu~
A cold wind swept across the dry valley, and a bright white spot of light flickered on and off in the night.

Zhao Ling sat on the rock, activating the divine power to absorb the tiny golden specks floating from the ground. After an hour or two, a golden star ring had been gathered in his palm. Coal Ball squatted beside him, tilting its head to look at it curiously, looking like it wanted to take a bite.

Xie Jinhuan sat on a rock nearby, with two weapons stuck in his hands. He was supposed to be protecting the road, but this place was a completely deserted area, and it wasn't time to seize any opportunities. There wasn't a soul in sight, and even the bored coal ball was playing by itself.

Linghu Qingmo initially observed her best friend collecting rare and precious herbs, but after watching for a while, she became a little bored. Sitting side-by-side on a rock, she thought for a moment and asked:

"Was this the same thing you did at Suzaku Mausoleum last time?"

Xie Jinhuan glanced back and, seeing that the landlady wasn't paying attention, put his arm around Mo Mo's shoulder:

"Last time was much more dangerous. Lü Yan chased after me relentlessly like a mad dog. When I went out, I even ran into Xu Guanfu and the leader of the Black Yan Gang. Luckily, I was quick-witted and devised a plan to use one tiger to devour another..."

Linghu Qingmo was afraid of being discovered by her best friend and was somewhat resistant, but this lecherous man insisted on hugging her, so she could only quietly lean against him and chat to relieve her boredom. However, after only a few words, she realized that the arm that was draped over her shoulder had slid down into her clothes and was holding her conscience...

?

Linghu Qingmo's eyes turned slightly cold, and he quietly pinched his arm as a reminder.

Xie Jinhuan didn't react at all. He just held the hand warmer and looked around at the scenery. When he noticed Momo glaring at him, he turned his head and kissed her on the cheek.

"..."

Linghu Qingmo gritted his teeth, glanced back at Ling'er, and then twisted his lower back vigorously.

But before the two could playfully fight for long, the coal ball behind them suddenly raised its head and turned to look at the snow-capped mountain they had come from:
"Goo?"

Xie Jinhuan immediately withdrew his thieving hand and looked outside.

Zhao Ling and Linghu Qingmo followed Coal Ball's gaze toward the snow-capped mountain, but they couldn't see anything in the pitch black.

"Is there some noise over there?"

"Have it?"

Xie Jinhuan frowned and looked closely, feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't see anything unusual in his field of vision, so he asked the ghost wife.

Ye Hongshang had already emerged, carefully sensing the changes in the aura of heaven and earth, his expression slightly solemn:

“Something is coming. Its yang energy can drive away the surrounding yin and cold. It’s either a Buddhist monk or some other troublesome thing.”

Buddhist holy monks...

Xie Jinhuan remained vigilant, diligently searching for an open valley with his mace. Coal Ball, unusually fierce, even let out a cry towards the mountains:

"Chong-"

The sound was deafening, and could probably be heard for miles around.

Xie Jinhuan frowned slightly. He had intended to tell Coal Ball not to make any noise and alert the enemy, but unexpectedly, a sound rang out from the mountains the next moment:
"Roar--!"

A deep, muffled roar echoed across the hills and reverberated through the valley.

Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling, who were cautiously observing, felt a chill run down their spines the moment they heard the whistling sound, and even their limbs stiffened; while the menacing Coal Ball was instantly frightened and hid behind Xie Jinhuan.

Xie Jinhuan's expression also changed slightly, sensing that the roar sounded somewhat like a demonic creature, and he immediately turned his head:

"Put away the divine gift of the overseer; the demon must have been attracted by it."

Natural treasures attract people, and naturally also attract the covetous eyes of spirits and birds in the mountains and marshes. However, humans are at the top of the food chain, and under normal circumstances, no other creature can compete with them.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Ling quickly withdrew the divine power, put the Mingjinsha into the prepared box, and looked towards the source of the sound with his sword.

After the roar, a black dot appeared on the snow-capped mountain, speeding towards the valley like a tiger descending a mountain.

Rumble…

Despite the impressive display, Xie Jinhuan faced the incoming object without panic, simply examining it carefully.

As the black dot rushed more than a hundred feet away, its figure was fully revealed under the stars and moon. At first glance, it was humanoid, but its physique was unusually strong, its limbs were longer than normal, its jawbone protruded with fangs, and its hair almost covered its cheeks. Its running posture was to support itself on one hand and leap, like a disheveled, underdeveloped ape.

But despite being called a savage, he was dressed in a set of ancient armor and carried a greatsword of an unknown dynasty...

Ye Hongshang had been observing, and as the demon rushed closer to the survey area, he paused slightly in surprise:
"The extreme yang energy originates from the armor on its body, this monster must have had some extraordinary encounters."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinhuan assumed the monster was a cultivator who had accidentally touched a forbidden object, leading to a qi deviation. Instead of immediately attacking, he attempted to communicate with it.
"who are you?"

"Roar--!"

The monster that attacked on three limbs did not appear to be insane. As it got closer, it moved back and forth like a gorilla, gripping a greatsword, and roared at the three of them in a probing manner.

Upon seeing this, Xie Jinhuan knew that the monster had not completely lost consciousness.

Seeing the monster roaring and probing, even showing signs of attack, Xie Jinhuan didn't hold back. He silently lifted off the ground and floated up, causing the surrounding yellow sand to swirl and condense under the influence of the energy. In an instant, it transformed into a hundred-foot-long dragon around the three of them, with two horns on its head and a ferocious expression, looking down at the little demon in front of it.

After Xie Jinhuan reached the Super Grade level, his control over the power of heaven and earth underwent a qualitative change. In this mobile game, Dragon Coiling Mountain, the range is terrifying even without considering defense, so much so that he, who is below the dragon's head, looks like a grain of millet.

Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling, who had never witnessed Xie Jinhuan's extraordinary power, were both astonished when they saw a lifelike hundred-zhang-long yellow dragon appear in the valley.
"What kind of magical power is this?"

"That's amazing..."

"Guji..."

The coal briquettes stared in disbelief, wanting to take a bite to see if it was real or not.

Xie Jinhuan didn't use any supernatural powers; he just struck a pose and showed off his skills to calm the monster down.

As expected, the monster that had been howling wildly ahead, upon seeing this scene resembling the descent of a dragon emperor, instantly cleared its beastly eyes.

However, he seemed to feel threatened and was very hostile towards the three of them. After a moment, his chest swelled up, and he let out a loud shout:
"Roar--"

boom--

A sudden crosswind arose in the valley, instantly scattering the coiled dragon into a sky full of yellow sand.

Xie Jinhuan felt the evil energy that struck his soul directly, and he was even more surprised. He stopped trying to communicate and raised his right hand lightly. Like an arrow released from a bow, he hit the ground. The moment he touched the ground, he slid his feet apart and his body was like a broken bow. He threw a cannon punch forward!
Boom——

A sudden roar arose in the valley.

The once dry riverbed was instantly torn open by the force of the punch, creating a groove two zhang wide that stretched forward, bringing with it towering dust that struck the distant mountain walls.

Xie Jinhuan has already entered the Super Grade level. This punch was not his full strength, but even an ordinary First Grade fighter would have a hard time dodging it in time.

However, this monster was clearly not a normal species, and it seemed to have been beaten before. The moment Xie Jinhuan made his move, it leaped back and forth, its explosive power far exceeding that of the berserk demon, yet it did not lose human speed. Its only flaw was that it had no set moves or techniques, and it was just fighting on instinct.

Even so, this seemingly simple yet skillful approach was quite lethal. In the instant the fist grazed past him, the armored monster swung his greatsword forward, aiming for Xie Jinhuan's torso.

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan suddenly realized where the sword and knife marks he had seen in the ravine had come from.

Seeing that the monster's origins were somewhat unusual, Xie Jinhuan did not immediately kill it. Instead, he dodged the sword's edge and then raised his right hand to deliver a straight punch, which landed on the ancient, weathered armor.

Boom——

The punch may seem effortless, but it produces a sound like muffled thunder.

The armored monster had no chance to react before its body shuddered violently, its feet leaving the ground. It was blasted back by the terrifying impact, but then used its enormous arm span to glide to a stop and charged forward again.
"Roar--!"

Boom boom——

Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling watched from the rear as if facing a formidable enemy. At first, they were a little nervous, but when they saw that Xie Jinhuan hadn't even taken any weapons and was just fighting the monster with his bare hands, they were completely bewildered, unable to understand where this strange thing had come from.

Xie Jinhuan was clearly confused as well, so he had his ghost wife observe him during their fight.

Ye Hongshang remained floating beside him, observing carefully for a moment before saying in surprise:

"This monster is rather strange. It's not a demon, but it's not human either. It's probably because the mother was interfered with by some force during her pregnancy, causing the fetus to become deformed and turn into this shape."

"In addition, this person's physical condition is similar to that of the He brothers, but the He brothers' physique has been artificially modified, giving them the talent of demons, yet they appear no different from normal people, while this person's condition should be innate."

Born a monster...

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinhuan recalled some information.

According to historical records, occasionally some freaks were born in the Western Rong history. They were regarded as jinxes or monsters by the tribe and were usually drowned shortly after birth.

He had initially thought these were all deformed children, but upon seeing this monster, he realized that the records seemed to be more complex than they appeared.

Furthermore, the ghost mentioned that this monster resembled the three He brothers, which gave a clue as to the origin of the Underworld Cult's miraculous human modification surgery:
Some people discovered that special babies appeared in the Western Rong, so they studied the principles behind it, removed the unfavorable factors, strengthened the beneficial mutations, and created the He brothers, who are half-demons who combine the talents of birds and beasts with the advantages of humans.

This kind of research cannot be separated from experiments on fetuses, and the process is inevitably bloody. But judging from the three He brothers, there have been significant results so far. I wonder who is behind this kind of horrific work...

But this matter seems to have nothing to do with the current freak.

Xie Jinhuan initially thought this person was a 'genetic prototype' used by the Underworld God Cult to study fetuses, but after exchanging blows for a while, he discovered that the person was quite old and had an iron plaque tied around his waist.

The iron plaque is of the former Qi standard and should belong to a junior officer. The fact that it has been held for many years has worn away the patterns and lettering on the surface, indicating that it was not recently found and that the officer had likely been carrying it with him all along.

The former Qi dynasty had been extinct for a century. To possess such a token, one would have to be at least 120 years old. At that time, even the Corpse Ancestor wasn't famous, let alone the Underworld God Cult. With such a monstrous appearance, it was impossible for him to have become a former Qi officer.

Therefore, this monster must have been connected to a former Qi officer, and then hid alone in this no-man's-land, surviving to this day through some kind of fortuitous encounter, and even clashed with cultivators who came seeking opportunities...

Discovering that the monster's origins were quite mysterious, Xie Jinhuan naturally couldn't just kill it casually. After a moment's consideration, he suddenly pressed forward and struck the monster's chest and abdomen with a single heavy elbow, sending the disheveled monster flying dozens of feet before it crashed onto the edge of the valley.

bang——

Wow…

The armored monster, however, was clearly not insane. Realizing it was completely outmatched and had a chance to escape, it dragged its sword and fled three-legged towards the snow-capped mountain, disappearing in an instant.

Xie Jinhuan didn't give chase immediately. Instead, he sent Meiqiu to keep watch from the sky. Only after the monster disappeared did he pick up the two girls and head in the direction it had fled towards its hiding place...

(End of this chapter)