One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 254 Mission

Nie Lingfeng felt as if he had been struck hard on the back by a ten-thousand-ton hammer. His vision went black, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying forward like a kite with a broken string, almost dropping the "token" and crystal in his arms! The old woman and Jida were also violently thrown away by the shockwave and crashed into the rock wall of the passage with a muffled thud.

Fortunately, they were some distance from the stone gate, and the shockwave seemed to be the aftershock of energy collapse and annihilation, not a direct, targeted attack. Otherwise, this single blow would have been enough to obliterate them.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

An even more violent, earth-shattering tremor emanated from the solitary peak beneath their feet and from the depths of the earth! The entire passage was shaking and collapsing wildly! Huge boulders crumbled and crashed down from above and the rock walls on either side! Dust billowed, and rubble rained down!

"The altar... is about to collapse! Get out of here quickly!" The guardian's hoarse and anxious voice came from the front of the passage; he had clearly been waiting outside.

Despite his almost broken body and dizzy head, Nie Lingfeng struggled to his feet. He didn't even bother to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Together with the old woman, he dragged the still unconscious Jida and scrambled through the violently shaking and collapsing passage, running desperately back the way they came!

Behind them, there was a deafening roar like mountains collapsing and turbulent energy currents that annihilated everything.

Ahead lay the only way out, and a cave entrance that too was struggling to stay afloat amidst the collapse.

When they finally emerged from the main passage, disheveled and covered in blood and dust, and tumbled into the enormous central cave that was also violently shaking and constantly spewing down huge stalactites, the sight before them made them gasp in horror.

In the center of the cave, the once enormous, charred pit left after Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo's purification was now collapsing and expanding wildly! Rocks at the edges slid down like quicksand, the pit seemingly bottomless, emitting destructive energy turbulence and thick dust! Cracks spread across the cave ceiling like a spiderweb, and more boulders crashed down, slamming into the seemingly hellish pit below with dull, resounding booms. The three massive, broken stone pillars were also shaking violently, their surfaces cracking further, as if they might collapse completely at any moment.

The entire solitary altar is collapsing and annihilating from the inside out!

"Go! To the riverbank!" the mountain guard shouted sternly, helping the nearly exhausted Nie Lingfeng to his feet. The old pharmacist gritted her teeth and supported Jida. The group fled desperately along the edge of the collapsed alluvial beach they had come from, heading towards a tributary of the Nu River!

Behind them came the terrifying roar of a collapsing mountain, the deafening sound of boulders rolling down, and the aftershocks of energy annihilation.

Overhead, pebbles kept falling, and dust and smoke obscured the sky.

When they finally tumbled and crawled back to the relatively open but equally trembling mudflats on the riverbank, the towering, dark red solitary peak behind them, shaped like an inverted giant claw, let out a final, earth-shattering cry, like the mournful cry of a dying beast!

"boom--!!!"

The summit of the solitary peak collapsed first, turning into countless fragments of rock, which, mixed with thick smoke and chaotic energy flows, shot into the sky like a volcanic eruption! Next came the mountainside, the base… The entire ancient altar, which had existed for countless years, witnessed glory and tragedy, and sealed away terror and hope, completely collapsed and disintegrated amidst deafening roars and sky-covering dust, turning into a vast, churning wasteland of rubble that utterly buried and swallowed the valley below, along with the entrance to the “Holy Relic Chamber” and all its secrets!

The surging tributaries of the Nu River, temporarily blocked by collapsed mountains, boulders, and mud, roared even more furiously, with the river water flowing backward and creating turbid waves.

Nie Lingfeng and the others collapsed onto the rubble by the riverbank, far from the collapse zone, panting heavily as they looked at the devastated scene with lingering fear. Everyone was disheveled, injured, and barely alive.

Nie Lingfeng immediately looked at Chen Duo, who was still unconscious and had been placed on a flat rock by the old pharmacist woman. He rushed over and carefully checked her. Chen Duo's breathing was still weak, but relatively stable, and had not worsened due to the drastic change just now. Before the mountain was annihilated, it seemed to have intentionally controlled the direction of the energy impact, so that it did not affect them too much.

He breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing the excruciating pain and extreme weakness that permeated his entire body. He leaned against the rock, looking at the few "tokens" he had traded his life for in his arms—the warm and heavy "Earth Vein Scepter," the fragment of the Phoenix Jade Pendant with its lingering warmth, and the dark red crystal containing pure earth vein energy.

He glanced again at the distant altar ruins, which were slowly calming down but were still filled with smoke and dust.

Shanpan... that last great shaman, the last guardian, fulfilled his vow to protect until the very last moment in such a resolute and heroic way, and also completely severed a potential and enormous threat connected to the ancient calamity for this land.

"Senior... Rest in peace," Nie Lingfeng said silently in his heart. "What you protected, the mission you left unfinished... we will take over."

"This 'Earth Vein Scepter,' this fragment of the Phoenix Pendant, this drop of earth vein essence... and the Phoenix Flame within Duoduo's body, the Qilin power within me..."

"And the investigation into the 'Parliament' and that 'catastrophe'..."

"The road ahead is still long."

"But we won't stop."

He raised his head and looked at the clear blue sky where the smoke and dust were gradually dissipating. His eyes were tired, but unusually firm and clear.

Beside him, the unconscious Chen Duo's long eyelashes seemed to tremble slightly in the thin sunlight filtering through the smoke and dust.

The dust and debris from the collapse, amidst the ceaseless roar of the Nu River, eventually settled slowly, burying the once towering, solitary altar, a site of countless secrets and tragic tragedies, into a vast, silent, and stark ruin, completely out of place with the surrounding rugged mountains. Sunlight pierced through the thin layer of dust, scattering across the turbulent, muddy river surface, reflecting shimmering waves, and illuminating several wretched, survivors on the riverbank.

The mountain guardian stood hunched over a massive rock, smoothed by the river's flow, gazing at the ruins. His dark pupils reflected the swirling dust and the rushing river, his expression blank, tinged with an ancient silence, as if he breathed and clung to the very land. After a long silence, he slowly turned, his hoarse voice carrying an undeniable authority: "This place… is not safe to linger. The aftershocks of the collapse… might… attract… unnecessary… attention. Take them… and follow me."

The old woman, a pharmacist, had already given Jida some basic treatment (mainly from the impact and minor internal injuries; his unconsciousness seemed to be due to the intense spiritual impact and protective will emanating from Shanpan, triggering his body's self-protective mechanisms). Although Nie Lingfeng was covered in injuries and exhausted, he could still move with difficulty. He carefully carried the unconscious Chen Duo on his back, feeling her weak but steady breathing and heartbeat, which brought him some relief. The mountain guardian stepped forward, silently hoisting Jida's robust body onto his seemingly thin but exceptionally strong shoulders, and walked steadily ahead to lead the way.

Instead of returning along the treacherous riverside path they had taken, they were led southeast by the mountain keeper and entered a more secluded, almost invisible mountain crevice completely hidden by dense vines and shrubs. The crevice was narrow and winding, allowing only one person to pass at a time; it was dark and damp inside, but the air was relatively well-ventilated. After walking for about half an hour, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a hidden valley nestled deep within the mountain, concealed by a massive, dome-shaped rock face and waterfall.

The valley, though small, is teeming with life. A clear stream flows from beneath a waterfall, meandering through the valley and nourishing the lush ferns, low shrubs, and edible wild fruits. Several simple yet sturdy huts, built from logs and large leaves, cling to the rock face, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. The air is filled with the moist scent of grass and trees, and the faint smell of smoke, a stark contrast to the devastating atmosphere outside, filling the valley with tranquility and peace.

This is another secret stronghold deep in the Savage Mountain for the mountain guardians and their people (the old woman who was a medicine doctor and the hunter Jida clearly belonged to the same tribe).

"Rest here...and recover from your injuries," the mountain guardian said to Nie Lingfeng as he settled Jida in one of the shacks. The old apothecary immediately busied herself, starting a fire and boiling water. She took out more dried herbs from her animal skin bag and a ceramic jar in the corner of the shack, beginning to prepare more delicate healing medicines.

Nie Lingfeng placed Chen Duo in another shack lined with dry, soft animal hides. Looking at her profile, still unconscious but breathing steadily, a great weight was finally lifted from his heart. He knew that with the mountain guardian and this pharmacist, who was well-versed in the life force of plants, Chen Duo's chances of recovery had greatly increased.

Over the next few days, time seemed to stretch out and slow down in this secluded valley, thanks to the babbling of the stream and the crackling of the campfire, transforming into a slow yet solid process of healing and reflection.

On the first day, Nie Lingfeng spent almost the entire day in a deep sleep. Extreme exhaustion, severe injuries, and the double drain on his mental and physical strength triggered his body's deepest repair mechanisms. The old apothecary gave him several herbal decoctions with extremely strange tastes but remarkable effects, and applied crushed medicinal paste to his severe wounds and bruises. Under the combined effects of the medicine and his own powerful regenerative abilities, he slept soundly for a full day and night.

When he woke up the next day, although his whole body still ached and his bones felt like they were falling apart, the weakness and dizziness he had felt on the verge of collapse had subsided considerably. He stepped out of his hut, where the midday sun shone warmly through the gaps in the vines above the valley. He saw the mountain guardian squatting by the stream, silently polishing his ancient longsword with a black stone. Jida had also woken up and was leaning against the door of his hut, his face still somewhat pale, but his eyes had regained their sharpness. Seeing Nie Lingfeng, he nodded as a greeting, without saying much, simply wiping his bow and arrows silently.

The old pharmacist stood guard outside Chen Duo's shack, carefully simmering another pot of medicine in a ceramic pot—a medicine with a more bitter aroma, yet carrying a strange, life-giving fragrance. Seeing Nie Lingfeng, she pointed to the shack and said in broken Chinese, "Girl...her pulse...is stable...the true fire...is at its core...on its own...slowly...recovering...faster than expected...this pot of medicine...strengthens the foundation...nourishes the vital energy...you feed her later."