paranoianovel Chapter 32 Liu Hao's Discovery
Chapter 32 Liu Hao's Discovery
"Bang!"
The gate of the deputy general's mansion where Chu Tianhe was located was suddenly smashed to pieces by a tremendous force.
"Who goes there? How dare you trespass on the residence of an official appointed by the imperial court?"
Chu Tianhe was furious. He stood up abruptly and drew his broadsword from his waist.
However, when the smoke cleared and he saw who it was, Chu Tianhe felt his blood run cold.
Those were a full one hundred Chaoge Iron Guards, clad in heavy armor and wearing bronze masks.
Each of them exuded a terrifying aura of power beyond the Nascent Soul Realm.
The leading Iron Guard commander, holding a golden command token, spoke coldly.
"Chu Tianhe, a subordinate general of the Yin Shang dynasty, receives the king's decree."
Chu Tianhe's legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud, his heart pounding wildly.
"This humble general receives the imperial decree..."
The Iron Guard Commander unfurled a scroll of dark yellow imperial edict, his voice icy.
"Chu Tianhe was ordered to inspect the East China Sea, but he abused his power and privately mobilized troops to blockade the Jiuwan River."
"The massacre of the Dragon Clan's naval forces across the four seas and the instigation of a war between the Shang Dynasty and the four seas are unforgivable crimes."
"By order of the King: Chu Tianhe is hereby stripped of all military power and thrown into a death cell."
"Take him to the Meridian Gate of Chaoge to await his judgment, so as to appease the wrath of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas."
Boom!
This reading was like a thunderbolt from the blue.
"No...impossible!"
Chu Tianhe's face turned deathly pale.
"I did not kill innocent people indiscriminately. I was acting on the orders of the Immortal Master. I am the protector of the Immortal Abyss."
"Snap!"
Two collarbone chains pierced through Chu Tianhe's shoulder blades.
"Immortal Master? Even on the verge of death, you dare to cling to the gods! Take him away!"
Chu Tianhe was dragged out of the mansion like a dead dog, with blood all over the ground.
……
Hidden deep in the mountains are ancient caves, untouched by the passage of time.
More than seven days have passed since the earth-shattering massacre in the East China Sea.
Deep within the sacred mountain, in a secluded cave perpetually shrouded in mist, two streams of energy, one green and one red, flowed endlessly like the yin and yang of Tai Chi.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the blue stone, his eyes slightly closed.
Water and fire work together, and the great path is beginning to take shape.
He could feel that his Dao body, which had been transformed from an ordinary crow, had completely fused the domineering Golden Crow True Fire and the Origin Dragon Pearl of the East Sea True Dragon into one.
Even without using the halberd hidden in his dantian, he could dominate this primordial land, where immortals and mortals were not yet separated, simply by fighting with his bare hands.
"Counting the days, it's almost been a year since we descended upon this SSS+ level unknown secret realm, [Godhood].
Lin Yuan stood up from the bluestone, walked to the entrance of the cave with his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance.
The sea of clouds churns, and the vast wilderness stretches endlessly.
Once the year is up, the mandatory laws of the secret realm will be activated, and all surviving explorers will have a chance to return to the main world, Earth.
"Working in isolation will ultimately lead to inferior results."
"Taoism emphasizes both transcending and engaging with the world. Although my cultivation at the Dao Integration Realm has progressed rapidly, my Dao heart still lacks the tempering of worldly affairs."
"In these final moments, why not travel through this beautiful land and see the myriad beings brought about by the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods?"
"Only by tempering our hearts can we make our journey through this mythical era worthwhile."
Having made up his mind, Lin Yuan was about to transform into his crow form and disappear into the clouds when the system light screen at the edge of his retina suddenly flickered.
"Um?"
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
It wasn't the small group called "Ordinary People Helping Each Other" that he paid special attention to, but a separate private message pop-up.
In this perilous secret realm, who would suddenly message him privately?
Upon opening the light screen, a slightly unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar ID came into view.
[Liu Hao (Level C/Woodcutter in the Mountains)]
Lin Yuan quickly searched his memory and soon found the match.
Liu Hao is a classmate from the next class, and he's usually very outgoing.
The two had played basketball a few times on the school playground. They weren't exactly close brothers, but they were acquaintances.
As far as I can remember, this kid drew a C-level woodcutter identity during the [Soul Compatibility Test].
"Why is this kid suddenly contacting me?"
Lin Yuan opened the chat box with some doubt.
[Liu Hao (Level C/Woodcutter): "Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan! Are you there? Are you still alive?!"]
Even through the screen, Lin Yuan could feel the other person's impatience.
Lin Yuan's mind stirred slightly, and he casually replied.
Lin Yuan (Rank F/Ordinary Crow): "Still panting. What's wrong? Why did you suddenly call me?"
The reply came almost instantly.
Liu Hao (Level C/Woodcutter): "Holy crap, great, you're still here! Bro, where are you right now?"
Upon seeing this question, Lin Yuan instinctively felt a sense of vigilance.
In this cutthroat world where people fight like dogs, it's not uncommon for former classmates to stab each other in the back for survival and opportunities.
He typed two words without making a sound.
Lin Yuan (Rank F/Common Crow): "Chaoge. I started as just an ordinary crow on the outskirts of Xuanyuan Tomb, not even a human. Where else can I go but wander aimlessly in the mountains and forests outside Chaoge City looking for insects to eat?"
There was a pause of about ten seconds on the other end of the dialog box.
Then, a long passage of text came out like a machine gun.
Liu Hao (Level C/Woodcutter): "Brother, I'm taking off! I'm taking you with me!"
[Liu Hao: "You'd never guess what I've been through! A few months ago, I couldn't stand the hardship of chopping wood in the mountains anymore, so I hummed a popular song from our main world to pass the time while I was chopping wood."]
[Liu Hao: "And guess what? A white-bearded old Taoist priest suddenly fell from the sky!"]
[Liu Hao: "That old Taoist priest heard me sing and insisted that I had extraordinary bone structure and that my voice carried something that 'secretly conformed to the natural order of heaven.' Without saying a word, he swept me up with his sleeves and took me back to the immortal mountain where he cultivated, making me his little medicine boy who tended the furnace!"]
Upon seeing this, Lin Yuan's eye twitched slightly.
He was chopping wood and humming a song when he caught the eye of an old immortal.
What kind of ridiculous, melodramatic template is this for a classic fantasy protagonist?!
But then I thought about it again. In this great primordial world, those old monsters who secluded themselves to cultivate were always doing whatever they wanted, and they valued the concept of "fate".
Liu Hao's extraordinary encounter demonstrates his profound good fortune.
But what does that have to do with him looking for me?
Before Lin Yuan could ask any questions, Liu Hao sent another message.
[Liu Hao (Level C/Woodcutter): "Just a few days ago! The old immortal went into seclusion, and I was gathering herbs alone on the cliff edge of the back mountain when I slipped and almost fell to my death."]
[Liu Hao: "But I was lucky; I got stuck on a crooked pine tree. And guess what I saw?"]
[Liu Hao: "Right in the dead corner of that cliff, a celestial vine grows, shimmering with seven-colored divine light. On that vine grow two crystal-clear fruits, obviously peerless treasures!"]
[Liu Hao: "Brother, that fruit has an amazing fragrance. Just one sniff made me feel like I have endless energy. This is definitely a celestial treasure!"]