Austin had gone very far with his aspirations on earth exploration, and recently he was spending most of his tstudying the
ancient books about geography and geomancy. One of the fruits of his labors was a thorough knowledge of all the famous
mountains and the natural vessel of dragon energy underneath in Brilliant Kingdom.
He learned that Mount Wey and Mount Hymn, two of the legendary thirty-six sacred places in this land, were polluted by an evil
force. He then developed a curiosity as to whether the rest of the sacred places were corrupted as well, be it public knowledge or
otherwise. With the intent to satisfy his questions, he decided to set out and claim the answers himself.
He first traveled in the direction of the Heavenly Mountain, but on the way he stumbled upon another sacred place, Mount
Emerald. It was also considered as one of the five greatest peaks in the Brilliant Kingdom, and was quite a famous spot in the
country.
Austin trudged along the mountain, grumbling when the paths got too steep and exclaiming at the scenery he would cacross
every so often. A heavy mist hung over the mountain, and near its peak, tufts of clouds were floating alongside the tallest
branches of the highest trees.
'It's so nice and quiet here. No wonder this mountain is popular among the people!"
As he went deeper, Austin discovered the spiritual energy was purer in the heart of the mountain than anywhere else he had
visited in Earth.
He also found out that the natural laws were more advanced and systematic up there.
As he carried on with his exploration, he began to sense the presence of a rather mysterious aura.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt‘What might that be? Is it possible that a divine god had lived here in the past?"
The aura felt sacred and had a terrifying quality to it, giving off an impression that a peerless, great guardian was watching over
the mountain.
Austin decided to delve into the earth to check. What he discovered beneath the ground was more or less just as he expected.
Six huge earth dragons were nestled underground, their majestic bodies extending from northwest to southeast.
As it was in Mount Wey and Mount Hymn, restrictions were also in place in order to trap these creatures to the earth.
The dragons could not move their bodies at all.
A quick glance was all it took for Austin to tell that a dark evil spirit had fastened itself to the creatures. It smeared their body like
black ink.
He was aghast.
'Oh gods, there seems to be no exception! All the sacred places in this country seem to be corrupted by the sevil spirit. But
why?"
These places were supposed to be where the earth essence was most concentrated in the entire country.
By that virtue alone, the sacred places and holy lands were known as the most blessed spots in the kingdom.
But now not only had their sanctity been violated, but their trespasser was an evil spirit to boot!
Something wrong was afoot, and Austin intended to get to the bottom of it.
He returned above ground, and did a quick scan of the perimeter.
He saw a lively crowd of tourists, blissfully sightseeing, oblivious to the hidden dangers of the beautiful mountain. He also found a
few dangerous spots which could not be easily accessed by people. The remoteness of these areas only gave way to a paradise-
like beauty.
He strolled a little bit more before deciding to leave this place and carry on with his original destination. But then...
'Hang on a second!"
At that moment his eyes were fixed on a certain spot in the depths of this mountainous area.
Without a moment's hesitation, he sprinted towards the place and soon he was standing at the foot of what could only be
described as a green mountain. It was lush with fauna, although mostly shrouded in mist.
From where Austin stood, this looked to be a very steep climb.
He edged his way towards the mountainside until he found himself at the edge of a cliff, the bottom of which was dark and
unfathomable because of the fog.
He unleashed his spiritual sense along the precipice to find out what was underneath.
"This is certainly strange," he murmured under his breath.
He decided to go and see for himself, and started to carefully make his way down. His descent had been going on for a while
before he was able to discern the scenery beneath the thick fog.
Several mountains were standing side by side, and they were littered with a handful of Taoist temples. Ancient pine trees stood tall
and proud, having grown and thrived in the area for countless years. Thick, massive vines coiled around the entryway of this little
mountain civilization, as if to cut off all access from the outside world.
Austin was openly gawking at the sight when a voice from behind him broke through his reverie.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Who are you?" A Taoist priest stood a few feet away from him, and he was eyeing Austin up and down with suspicion.
"Oh, I'm a tourist and | got lost!" Austin's reply was instant and smooth. "I'm not really sure how | got here! Greetings, good sir,
may you tellwhere | am now, exactly?"
"A tourist, you say?" The suspicion did not leave the eyes of the Taoist priest, as he weighed the word on his tongue, obviously
doubting Austin's answer. "I'm afraid you need to leave. This place belongs to the Emerald Sect. No visitors are allowed here."
"The Emerald Sect?" Austin's good fortune just kept on surprising him at the most unexpected times. He may have broken into the
sect's headquarters by accident, but it certainly was according to his true intentions.
"I've heard of the Emerald Sect ever since | was a little boy. It's one of the leading sects in our country, isn't it? Since I'm already
here, | would love to pay a visit and offer my respects. May 1?"
He offered a little bow to the priest in an effort to sway the old man.
It had no effect, however, as the priest's face only darkened with displeasure.
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