System: Infinite Evolution into Qilin Bloodline

Chapter 605

"Return to the Ruins?"

The fat man scratched his head:

"The bottomless cave in the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

"Legend has it that this is the place where all waters converge, and also the end of the world."

Jie Xiaohua's expression was solemn:

"The young man suspects that the true form of the ancient god 'Bagshas' may not be in the human world, but in 'Guixu'."

These things in the human world are merely its tentacles reaching out.

Zhang Hao closed his eyes.

If that's the case, then what they're doing now is simply severing their tentacles.

The true essence lies hidden in some unreachable dimension.

"Take care of the immediate problem first."

He opened his eyes, his gaze resolute:

"If you cut enough tentacles, the main body will also feel pain."

"When it hurts, it might reveal a weakness."

As dusk fell, lights began to illuminate the West Lake.

In the backyard of the Five Elements Residence, the equipment of each group was transported out in batches and loaded onto different vehicles.

Zhang Hao hung the bronze wind chimes back under the eaves, and now they made a soft, tinkling sound in the evening breeze, the five notes mingling as if bidding farewell to those who were about to embark on a long journey.

Zhang Hao stood at the door, watching the busy crowd.

Xie Xiaohua walked over and handed him a small cloth bag:

"Inside are medicines that can be used in southern Yunnan, and a few thunder talismans, given by Master Qingwei, who said they can summon heavenly thunder in critical moments."

"Thanks."

Zhang Hao took it:

"I'm leaving Hangzhou in your hands."

"Do not worry."

Xie Xiaohua smiled, but there was worry in her eyes:

"Uncle, be careful on your trip to Yunnan this time."

"The seventh beacon tower is the most dangerous, yet you insist on going there yourself."

"Someone has to go to the most dangerous places."

Zhang Hao looked southwest:

"Moreover, I always felt... there was a reason why I had to go to southern Yunnan."

A certain sensation is calling from within my blood.

It was as if there was something there that was intricately connected to him and the First Qilin.

Late at night, Zhang Hao was polishing his black gold ancient sword alone in the teahouse. Before leaving, Zhang Qilin left the sword with him.

The blade was cool to the touch, with an ancient and rustic pattern.

This knife has drunk the blood of countless evil creatures and protected the Zhang family for generations.

Now, it is about to embark on a new journey.

Outside the window, the surface of West Lake was as calm as a mirror.

But Zhang Hao knew that beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were surging like a tidal wave.

Tomorrow, the three groups will head to the Northwest, Southwest, and North respectively.

A race against time and ancient gods, spanning the entire country, has officially begun.

The end may be salvation, or it may be destruction.

No one knows.

Only the wind chimes under the eaves gently played ancient melodies in the night breeze.

That tune once resounded throughout the primordial world.

……

Five days later, in the depths of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan.

The off-road vehicle bumped along the rugged mountain road for the last stretch before finally being unable to go any further.

Zhang Hao and his group got out of the car and hiked into the primeval forest.

This area is near the border and is sparsely populated.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, vines coiled like giant pythons, and the air was so humid and hot that it was hard to breathe.

Strange chirping of insects and birds echoed from all directions, mixed with the faint roars of beasts in the distance.

Grandma Lan walked at the front, and every time she tapped the ground with her snake-headed cane, the surrounding insects and ants would automatically retreat.

Her granddaughter, Lan Cai, followed behind, the green-scaled, golden-eyed snake in the bamboo basket occasionally poking its head out and flicking its tongue to sense the direction.

Liu Qi and her two corpse puppets walked on either side of the group.

The corpse puppet appears stiff, but it moves with unusual agility in the dense forest, its heavy footsteps breaking dry branches and startling birds in the woods.

The fat man was carrying a huge backpack and was sweating profusely.

"My goodness, this place is even harder to traverse than the Taklamakan Desert...and there are so many bugs!"

Before he could finish speaking, a palm-sized spotted spider dangled from above his head and landed squarely in his face.

"do not move."

Lan Cai said softly, flicking her finger to release a speck of pale green powder.

The spider froze in mid-air, then changed direction and quickly crawled away.

The fat man wiped away a bead of cold sweat:

"Thanks, little sister."

"Just call me Lan Cai."

The little girl blushed slightly and continued walking with her head down.

Zhang Hao walked in the middle of the group, holding a compass in his hand. It was not an ordinary feng shui compass, but a "geomancer" modified with the "earth" spirit crystal from the Five Elements as its core.

The pointer trembled slightly, pointing towards the depths of the dense forest.

According to the intuition, the location of the seventh beacon tower should be in a valley about 30 miles ahead.

But as they traveled, the Earth Vein Device's reactions grew stronger and stronger, and the surrounding environment became increasingly bizarre.

The trees began to twist, their branches spiraling unnaturally; the moss on the ground was dark red, like dried blood.

A faint, sweet, fishy smell filled the air; smelling it for too long could make one dizzy.

"The miasma is getting thicker."

Granny Lan stopped and took out several small pills from her bosom, distributing them to everyone:

"Holding it under the tongue can ward off miasma."

Zhang Hao took the pills, but did not take them immediately.

He circulated the power of the five elements within his body, forming a thin energy film on his skin. This was one of the abilities brought by the bloodline of the Primordial Qilin, which could isolate most toxins and pollution.

After traveling about ten miles, a swamp appeared ahead.

The swamp water was pitch black, with pale, fluffy substances floating on the surface, resembling rotting cotton. Occasionally, bubbles would rise from the bottom, releasing a pungent sulfurous smell when they burst.

"We can't skip this step directly."

Liu Qi squatted by the swamp, dipped his finger in the black water, and smelled it:

There's something in the water.

One of the corpse puppets behind her suddenly stepped into the swamp.

After taking only two steps, several black leeches as thick as arms suddenly sprang out of the black water and instantly wrapped around the corpse puppet's legs.

The corpse puppet paused for a moment, then continued forward, but blue smoke began to rise from its legs; the leech's saliva was highly corrosive.

Grandma Lan snorted coldly and slammed her cane on the ground.

Countless tiny red ants emerged from the mud at the edge of the swamp, surging towards the leeches like a tide.

The leech was covered by ants and writhed wildly. Before long, it shriveled up and sank to the bottom of the water.

"Blood Ant Gu".

Granny Lan said calmly:

"Let's go, the ant colony will make a path."

Sure enough, the red ant colony formed a floating bridge on the water, leading directly to the other side.

The group quickly crossed the ant bridge, and a faint cracking sound came from under their feet—the sound of ants being crushed. But more ants followed one after another, keeping the floating bridge from disintegrating.

After crossing the swamp, the terrain begins to rise.

They walked upstream along a dry riverbed, where many bones, both animal and human, were scattered.

Some bones still had tattered pieces of cloth hanging on them; judging from the style, some were from decades ago, and others even older.