The blood of over two hundred ferocious beasts, combined with the spiritual energy equivalent to the entire body of Qin Mu, is gathered into four hundred pills. One can imagine how potent the medicinal effects will be.
One hundred pills were distributed to the Taoists. Then, Qin Mu and Luo Cheng selected two hundred of the most experienced, strongest, and trustworthy soldiers to consume the Beast Blood Pills. To maintain momentum, Qin Mu also prepared another batch of highly nourishing pills.
The ingredients used were high-grade medicinal herbs collected over the years from the grasslands, Liaodong, the Western Regions, and Lingnan. The formula was also created by Sun Simiao after he tasted the properties of the herbs.
Although the pills have little effect on top experts, the effect is still quite good on the first use, and Luo Cheng also took two pills.
Few people witnessed Qin Mu's alchemy process; only a few prominent figures from the Daoist sect with whom he had good relations. Through Sun Simiao, the alchemy was distributed to some of the camp's top experts, ostensibly using medicinal herbs collected by Sun Simiao over many years.
The camp's strength grows stronger every day. With the top experts all becoming more powerful, the issue of exploration has once again been put on the agenda. In any case, the first priority is to find out the cause.
A team of six hundred people set off into the depths of the mountains. The Nightmare Mountains were called the Nightmare Mountains not only because of the ferocious beasts. In the past, there were only a few ferocious beasts, which occasionally ventured out, mainly due to the treacherous environment and the legendary terrifying monsters! Those were beings that even ferocious beasts did not want to provoke; even ferocious beasts that had lost their minds would instinctively avoid them.
Snow-capped mountains, misty valleys filled with poisonous gas, roads that are easy to collapse, canyons flowing with lava; waterfalls thousands of meters high with a deafening roar, a bird struck by a drop of water falls into the river on the spot, leaving no trace; and places so steep that you have to clear a path as you go.
All sorts of unimaginable terrain seem to be found in the Nightmare Mountains. The worst part is that you'll encounter ferocious beasts along the way.
Fortunately, this time, none of the guards were mediocre; in fact, the force protecting the camp was stronger than before, and the journey was relatively uneventful.
“Could we be heading in the wrong direction? The number of ferocious beasts we’ve encountered along the way doesn’t match the number of camps at all,” said a middle-aged man from a prominent family.
"The direction is correct! The discrepancy in numbers means there are other routes leading to the exit. With so many ferocious beasts, they must occupy a considerable territory." Daoist Zhiyuan looked into the distance, then shook his head slightly.
“Yes! The malevolent energy is in the west, heading straight for the constellation Ox! We can’t go wrong by heading west,” Yuan Tiangang added.
With the affirmation of these two powerful figures, the others naturally had no objections, and the team set off again. Soon, everyone was certain they were on the right track, because the spiritual energy in the air was becoming increasingly restless and uncontrollable. This situation weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Uncontrollable spiritual energy meant that absorption was difficult, meaning that these spiritual energy cultivators had to be more careful with their attacks, as recovery would be slower, even for top experts like themselves.
After traveling for two more days, they crossed a mountain range and looked down, their expressions filled with surprise. Below them was a city, a city built against the mountain, entirely constructed of stone, a city only three miles in circumference, and quite a few people inside, especially on the front wall, where guards were fighting some ferocious beasts.
Unlike typical city defense, the city gates were open, and the guards were stationed on the drawbridge over the moat, battling ferocious beasts. The city walls were also quite peculiar, with platforms constructed on them.
"Such formidable strength!" Luo Cheng exclaimed.
Although they were still far away, everyone noticed that the guardians were extremely powerful, with several of them fighting the ferocious beasts one-on-one and even killing them.
"What is that!" someone exclaimed.
Concentrating their gaze, they saw a colossal beast in the distance, at least a hundred meters away, and another one in the sky.
"Be careful, they're coming for us!" Yuan Tiangang's expression changed, and he shouted a warning.
The ferocious beast in the sky was getting closer and closer, swooping down towards them.
Seeing the enormous body with its wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky, everyone was on high alert.
Without being reminded, four people immediately stepped forward and waved more than ten flags in succession. They were military strategists, and the formation they set up had a certain restrictive effect, which was also one of the best ways to deal with the air at present.
The immense pressure brought by the enormous figure descending from the sky was extraordinary. As the ferocious beast drew near, hundreds of javelins forged from refined iron were hurled out, followed by hundreds of bursts of spiritual energy.
In the blink of an eye, all of this happened in just a few seconds. A huge gust of wind blew by, followed by a sandstorm.
The group lowered their arms to look and saw that the huge beast had crashed into the mountain, creating a large crater in the ground. The beast was still roaring, but with dozens of spears stuck in its body, it was clearly unable to move.
The martial artists swarmed forward, beginning to bleed the beast. Everyone knew that the more powerful the beast, the greater the effect of its blood. Qin Mu had brought out two hundred top experts, which initially startled everyone. They thought the imperial court was planning something big, mobilizing so many experts. However, they soon discovered that these top experts had all recently advanced in their cultivation levels, making it easy to connect the dots to the issue of elixirs, since many had advanced through them.
They were actually quite experienced in dealing with flying beasts. The formations set up by military strategists had a restrictive effect on a certain area, much like altering gravity and spiritual energy. Normal people entering such formations would experience hallucinations, but these formations were ineffective against beasts, which lacked reason. Only flying beasts, those irrational creatures, would suddenly swoop down at top speed to hunt their prey. When their environment was suddenly altered and their speed increased beyond their control, they would often crash directly to the ground. At that point, they would be swarmed and beaten to death.
However, this thing in front of us is too big. If we really fought it, it would be difficult to kill. Only because it was too fast, it crashed into the javelin and then into the ground. You could say that it killed itself.
Qin Mu understood that they had suffered an undeserved calamity. The flying beasts were probably heading towards the city below, but the mountaintop was definitely closer to the sky than the city, so it had helped the city block a wave of attacks.
Although they had killed the ferocious beast, no one was in a good mood. The beast here was simply too enormous. Increased size not only meant increased strength, but also often resulted in stronger defense and exponentially increased destructive power. They could understand why the city below had been built so tall and solid.
The towering buildings were to prevent enormous beasts from leaping into the city, and the thick walls were to prevent damage. As for the flying beasts in the sky, they were definitely meant to lure them to those platforms to fight.
The changes on the mountaintop also attracted the attention of the city. Before long, a group of about a hundred men arrived in front of them. Looking at Qin Mu and his companions, whose attire was completely different, the newcomers asked warily, "Who are you? Which tribe are you from?"
These people were almost naked from the waist up, with their lower bodies wrapped in ferocious animal hides, likely skinned from monstrous beasts. Their bodies were covered in mysterious patterns, making them appear like orcs, but aside from the patterns, they lacked other distinct animalistic features.
"We are from the Tang Dynasty outside. Which tribe are you from?" Luo Cheng asked curiously.
The fact that these people asked which tribe they belonged to indicates that there are more than two tribes here, and that they know nothing about the outside world.
"Which tribe is the Great Tang? We are the Qi tribe. What are you doing here?" the leader asked.
"Ahem! The Great Tang is a country. We have come from thousands of miles away. You may not know this, but we have come here to find the source of the ferocious beast and to eliminate it so as to prevent casualties among the people," Qin Mu explained as he stepped forward.
"Ten thousand miles away? You came from our ancestral land!" The leader pondered for a moment and asked in surprise.
His words left everyone puzzled. Qin Mu asked, "Can we talk to your city lord?"
"Come with me." After looking at Qin Mu and the others, the leader thought for a moment and waved his hand.
“Judging from their accents, they are very different from ours. It must be an accent from a long time ago. The ancestral land they mentioned may be the Central Plains,” Yuan Tiangang said softly.
Luo Cheng and Qin Mu were officials, holding the highest positions, so naturally they were the ones to handle external affairs.
“You’re right. We’ll only know the specifics after we find out more. But they’re wary of us, so let’s all keep to ourselves and avoid any conflict.” Qin Mu nodded in agreement.
"Hmm!" Yuan Tiangang responded and turned to pass the order to the others.
Following the Qi tribe, they arrived at the foot of the mountain and entered the city through a side gate. Along the way, many people watched them curiously. What surprised Qin Mu and his companions the most was that the people in this city were all extremely powerful. Judging from their surging blood energy, top experts were just like ordinary people, serving as minor leaders.
Waiting outside the main hall, looking at the flags erected, Sima Quan said, "Don't you think these flags look somewhat familiar?"
A flag with a bull's head and a human body fluttered in the wind, while another flag, resembling a dragon but not quite, stood on either side of the main hall.
“I remember now! These are the banners of the Yan Emperor and the Yellow Emperor’s tribes. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, of the Yellow Emperor’s twenty-five sons, fourteen received surnames, including the Qi surname,” Sima Quan said in surprise.
"The Yanhuang Tribe!" Everyone was shocked by this discovery; it was something that had been passed down through the ages.
“Very likely, after all, no one knows how long this place has been isolated,” Yuan Tiangang agreed.
"Guests from afar! Welcome to the Qi tribe. I am Qi Long, the tribe's chieftain." A deep voice rang out, and a group of people came before Qin Mu and his companions.
"Luo Cheng, Duke of Tan of the Great Tang Dynasty, Qin Mu, Marquis of Shuofang, Yuan Tiangang, a Taoist of the Great Tang Dynasty... greet the clan chief!"
Strength brings influence, and the Qi tribe was powerful, so everyone solemnly introduced themselves.
"According to ancestral prophecy, when people come from the ancestral land—that is, when the ten great tribes return to their ancestral land—it will also be the time to completely eliminate the ferocious beasts!" Qi Long said with a sense of vicissitude.
"May I ask the clan leader, are you descendants of the twelve branches of the Yanhuang tribe?" Sima Quan asked curiously.
"Please follow me, everyone!" Leading Qin Mu and the others into the main hall, Qi Long invited them to sit down and continued, "We are indeed from the Yellow Emperor's tribe, here to guard this place."
"Could the clan leader tell us about the ancient times? Most of the stories from the past have been lost. We only know that a great upheaval occurred in ancient times. During this cataclysmic change, many places suddenly appeared. We found this place by following the trail of ferocious beasts," Qin Mu asked earnestly.
"Legend has it that long ago, countless tribes lived between heaven and earth. Among them were many powerful tribes that enjoyed conquering weaker tribes. They called themselves gods because they were born strong and could control spiritual energy."
Where there is oppression, there is bound to be resistance! Some weak and kind tribes united and called themselves the Spirit Race, while we humans called ourselves Immortals.
The Spirit Race and the Immortals united and fought against the God Race for countless years. During these countless years, many tribes and races were wiped out! We, the Human Race and the Spirit Race, reproduce quickly and are good at learning, so we gradually gained the upper hand. Therefore, some members of the God Race wanted to eliminate us completely. They amassed a large army, seemingly intending to fight us to the death.
It was indeed a great battle, with powerful gods, immortals, and spirits fighting in the heavens, causing the sky to darken and the earth to crack! Of course! In the end, we won! However, one of the gods activated a massive formation, drawing upon the most filthy and evil energy in the world and pouring it into their territory.
And so, the entire divine tribe lost their minds, and a battle with countless dead and wounded broke out. It is said that the piles of corpses were higher than mountains, and the blood that flowed soaked the earth, forming a sea of blood.
The mountains of corpses and seas of blood, filled with resentment, obscured the sky. The last remaining powerful beings joined forces to activate the bloodline seal, sacrificing themselves and using the earth's veins as the array's core to seal many places. Qi Long nodded and explained.
“Our ten tribes are not only descendants of the Yellow Emperor, but also descendants of other immortals. We are all maintaining the seal with the power of our bloodline. However, as time goes by, the power of our bloodline becomes thinner and thinner, and the seal weakens as well,” Qi Long continued.
"Could those ferocious beasts be the wild animals infected with malevolent energy from the sealed land?" Yuan Tiangang asked.
“Yes! The sealed land is enormous! There are countless wild beasts and ferocious beasts inside. Although the malevolent energy has weakened over the years, it still affects those beasts. Perhaps they have already formed their own bloodlines.” Qi Long nodded and said.
"Clan leader! Now that the seal has been broken, why haven't all those ferocious beasts come out?" Luo Cheng asked curiously.
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