Don't rush me in the comments! I'm currently identifying a primordial saint.

Chapter 227 Hidden Dragon Valley in Kunlun Mountain, the Statue of the Qilin!

Yuan Qingsheng frowned, lost in deep memories.

"Dragon-shaped pine... Bell-shaped waterfall..."

He muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

"Wait! I remember now!"

Su Fan and Ma Tao both looked at him upon hearing this.

Five years ago, I recuperated in a secluded valley on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains.

Yuan Qingsheng spoke faster.

"There are two huge ancient pine trees there, their trunks twisting like dragons, which the local mountain people call 'Twin Dragons Guarding the Gate'."

"The cave where I recuperated was deep in the valley. There was indeed a waterfall outside the cave, but I remember the water flow was very small, almost silent..."

Su Fan immediately grasped the key point and hurriedly said:

"Five years have passed; the landscape could have completely changed, especially on this blue planet where divine relics emerge every moment. Mr. Yuan, do you still remember the exact location of the valley?"

Yuan Qingsheng nodded.

"I vaguely remember. It's in a place called 'Hidden Dragon Valley' on the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains. But that place... is very dangerous."

"Danger?" Ma Tao asked.

Yuan Qingsheng's expression was solemn: "Hidden Dragon Valley is located on the edge of Kunlun's 'Death Valley,' where the space is extremely unstable and spatial rifts often appear."

"Moreover, there seems to be an ancient taboo in the valley. I only recuperated at the valley entrance back then and did not dare to go deeper."

"What's even stranger is..."

Yuan Qingsheng lowered his voice.

"During the two weeks I spent recuperating there, I could hear strange noises coming from the valley every night, like... the low growls of wild beasts. Several times, I even saw golden light shimmering deep within the valley."

Su Fan's heart pounded: "Golden light... The Qilin is an auspicious beast, and its appearance is often accompanied by golden light. Ancient records state that strange phenomena will appear where the Qilin sleeps."

Su Fan turned to Zhao Zhenshan: "General Zhao, what exactly does that deity statue you saw in the image look like? Could you describe it in more detail?"

Zhao Zhenshan closed his eyes in deep thought and slowly said:

"That statue... resembles a deer, but is more majestic. It has a horn on its head with a fleshy ball at the tip. Its body is covered in scales, like dragon scales. Its hooves are like cow hooves, and its tail is like a horse's tail... Yes, the tail is very special, forked at the end, like the shape of a flame."

"That's right! This is a Qilin!" Su Fan exclaimed excitedly. "The Divine Mirror records: 'The Qilin has the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, the forehead of a wolf, the hooves of a horse, a five-colored belly, and a single horn with a yellow fleshy tip.' What General Zhao saw was the divine image of a Qilin!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Tao became excited: "So, the Qilin deity statue should be located in Hidden Dragon Valley?"

Su Fan nodded.

"It's highly likely. The Four Sacred Beasts suppressed the evil calamity, and the interaction of the energies of heaven and earth may have unintentionally activated some kind of restriction on the ruins of the Qilin God, allowing General Zhao to inadvertently see the projection."

Su Fan looked at Yuan Qingsheng: "Elder Yuan, could you draw a map out of Hidden Dragon Valley?"

Yuan Qingsheng took out a blank jade slip from his pocket, probed it with his divine sense, and began to sketch the terrain from his memory.

A moment later, he handed the jade slip to Su Fan, his expression solemn:

"This is the route I took five years ago. I can't guarantee it's still passable now. The area around Death Canyon may have changed a lot over the years."

Su Fan took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and a detailed map appeared in his mind.

Starting from Beijiang City, travel west across three thousand miles of desert, enter the Kunlun Mountains, and then follow a hidden mountain road northward to eventually reach Hidden Dragon Valley.

The map marks several dangerous areas: quicksand zone, gale zone, and several places that may have spatial rifts.

"Thank you, Elder Yuan," Su Fan said solemnly. "With this map, at least we have a direction."

"When do you plan to leave?" Ma Tao asked.

Su Fan pondered for a moment: "Five days later. I need time to recover my divine power and also to prepare for entering the mountains. Kunlun Mountain is no ordinary place; I must be fully prepared."

Then, Su Fan looked at Zhao Zhenshan:

"General Zhao, are there any skilled mountain explorers in the Northern Frontier Army? I need a guide for this expedition into the mountains."

Zhao Zhenshan immediately replied, "Yes! Wang Meng from the Mountain Battalion. He's carried out seven missions outside the Kunlun Mountains and is very familiar with that area. I'll call him over right away!"

Fifteen minutes later, a middle-aged man with dark skin and sharp eyes strode over.

He wasn't tall, but he was muscular and walked with a steady gait, clearly someone who spent a lot of time in the mountains.

"General!"

Wang Meng bowed to Zhao Zhenshan and then nodded to Su Fan and the others.

"Wang Meng, this is Mr. Su Fan."

Zhao Zhenshan explained, "Mr. Su is going to Hidden Dragon Valley in Kunlun Mountain in five days and needs a guide. Would you like to go?"

Wang Meng's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Hidden Dragon Valley? That's one of the forbidden areas of Kunlun! I've wanted to go in and see it for a long time!"

Upon hearing this, Su Fan couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated.

Many people would rather avoid these dangerous places, but this is the first time Su Fan has ever actively sought them out.

Wang Meng looked at Su Fan and said seriously, "Mr. Su, I have been active in the outer areas of Kunlun seven times, and the furthest I have reached is the edge of Death Valley."

"Although I've never been to Hidden Dragon Valley, I have some knowledge of the area's terrain, climate, and extraterrestrial creatures. If you'd like, I can be your guide!"

Su Fan sized up Wang Meng, sensing the calm aura emanating from him, and nodded, saying, "Alright. However, this mission is dangerous, so besides you, I need three more helpers."

"You can choose this person, but they must meet three conditions: First, they must be familiar with mountain survival; second, their cultivation level must be no lower than the fourth level; and third, they must be able to absolutely obey orders."

Wang Meng straightened his back.

"clear!"

"I happen to have three men who fit the criteria; they are all brothers who have risked their lives with me."

"Alright, meet at the west gate of Beijiang City at dawn five days from now."

"yes!"

Wang Meng accepted the order and left.

Ma Tao watched his retreating figure and said to Su Fan:

"This kid's not bad. I've heard of him; he's the ace of the Mountain Battalion of the Imperial Army, and he's carried out seventeen high-risk missions, all of which he returned alive."

Yuan Qingsheng nodded in agreement: "With him leading the team, the safety factor can be improved significantly."

Su Fan replied, "I plan to go into the mountains alone this time."

"What?" Ma Tao was taken aback. "Didn't you just say you were bringing four people?"

Su Fan explained, "Wang Meng and the others only escorted them to the outer perimeter of Hidden Dragon Valley."

"According to Mr. Yuan's description, there are ancient taboos in Hidden Dragon Valley, and it's troublesome if there are too many people. I led them to the entrance of the valley, and then went in by myself."

Yuan Qingsheng frowned: "It's too dangerous. Even I didn't dare to touch the taboos within Hidden Dragon Valley back then, and you're doing this alone..."

Su Fan smiled wryly and said, "Elder Yuan, you have to believe me. I have made contracts with so many powerful Chinese gods, I'm not afraid even if I encounter a seventh-tier God Master."

"Moreover, the Chinese deities I have contracted with possess a variety of supernatural powers, so even if I were to encounter an attack, I could still save my life."

After hearing this, Ma Tao and Yuan Qingsheng exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in each other's eyes.

"No matter what," Su Fan said firmly, "I have to go. We have six months; we have no other choice."

Ma Tao and Yuan Qingsheng could only nod helplessly after hearing this.

Over the next five days, Northern Frontier City was being rebuilt, while Su Fan was making all the necessary preparations.

He spent two days recovering his divine power.

The Four Divine Beasts' sealing of the evil calamity consumed a great deal of energy, and even with the aid of elixirs, he did not fully recover his divine power until the evening of the following day.

On the third day, Su Fan began preparing supplies for the trip into the mountains.

He used up all his accumulated popularity points at the system's roulette wheel at once, drawing several useful items:

【Miasma-Avoiding Pill x10】: Can resist the poisonous miasma in Kunlun Mountain.

【Breaking Talisman x3】: Can temporarily break low-level restrictions.

【Swiftness Talisman x20】: Greatly increases movement speed for one hour.

【…】

Having exhausted all his popularity points, Su Fan felt a pang of regret.

These are all basic things; none of them are particularly valuable.

On the fourth day, Su Fan went to see Wang Meng and his three teammates.

Besides Wang Meng, the other three are:

Li Yan, thirty years old, mid-stage of the fourth rank, the Chinese deity he contracted with was a horse-drawn craftsman, a common figure in ancient China.

He was tall and thin with sharp eyes, carrying a longbow on his back and a row of throwing knives hanging at his waist.

Zhang Hu, 28 years old, early stage of the fourth rank, the god he contracts with is a common warrior in ancient China.

He was burly but agile, carrying a machete on his back.

Zhou Ling'er, 26 years old, early stage of fourth rank, the only female in the team, her contracted Chinese deity is an ancient Chinese physician.

She had delicate features and carried a medicine pouch and silver needles at her waist.

"Greetings, Mr. Su!"

The four bowed in unison.

Although Su Fan was younger than them, they called him "Mr. Su" willingly.

Su Fan looked them over and nodded:

"Gentlemen, General Zhao should have already told you about the importance of this mission."

"I'll just add one thing: once we're in the Kunlun Mountains, follow my orders in all actions. If we encounter danger, survival is the priority; don't be reckless, understand?"

"clear!"

The four responded loudly.

"Okay, we'll leave tomorrow morning. Get a good rest tonight."

On the morning of the fifth day, just as dawn was breaking, at the west gate of Beijiang City.

Su Fan and the other three met up.

Ma Tao, Yuan Qingsheng, and Zhao Zhenshan all came to see him off.

"Take these pills with you."

Ma Tao handed Su Fan a jade bottle: "This is the 'Blazing Sun Pill' that I bought with my own money. It can maintain body temperature in extremely cold environments and can also be detonated to injure enemies if necessary."

Yuan Qingsheng then gave Su Fan a blue jade pendant:

"This is a 'water spirit pendant' that I found by chance at the market. The wearer can ward off water and fire and even breathe underwater. Kunlun Mountain has many glaciers and rivers, so it might come in handy."

Su Fan accepted them one by one and sincerely thanked Yuan Qingsheng and Ma Tao.

"Take care." Ma Tao patted Su Fan on the shoulder.

Su Fan nodded and turned to look at Wang Meng and the other three.

"Set off!"

As Su Fan finished speaking, he took the treasure airship out of his system space.

The five people boarded the airship and disappeared into the morning mist.

The straight-line distance from Beijiang City to the foot of Kunlun Mountain is three thousand li.

For an ordinary mortal, this journey would take several months.

However, Su Fan and his group of five were all Divine Masters and possessed a magical airship, so they arrived at the outer edge of the Kunlun Mountains in just two days.

As evening fell, the five of them stood on a hilltop, gazing at the majestic snow-capped mountains ahead.

The Kunlun Mountains stretch endlessly, with the main peak towering into the clouds and snow-capped peaks above the waist all year round.

Even standing on the periphery, one can feel the immense pressure of heaven and earth.

Upon returning to Kunlun Mountain, Su Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

The last time he came to Kunlun Mountain, it was shrouded in thick fog and fraught with danger.

Wang Meng suddenly pointed ahead.

"From our current location, if we travel another three hundred miles to the west, we will enter the core area of ​​Kunlun. The space there is very unstable, and spatial rifts often appear."

Li Yan added, "There are also many ancient beasts in Kunlun Mountain, some of which have even reached the seventh or eighth rank. We used to avoid them when we were on missions."

Su Fan nodded: "According to the map, Hidden Dragon Valley is located on the northern slope of Kunlun Mountain, near Death Valley. We'll rest here tonight and head into the mountains early tomorrow morning."

The five of them found a sheltered cave to spend the night.

A campfire was lit, and around it, Zhou Ling'er asked curiously:

"Mr. Su, is there really a statue of the Qilin deity in Hidden Dragon Valley?"

Su Fan said, "Based on what General Zhao saw and Elder Yuan's description, it's highly likely. But we'll only know the specifics once we go inside."

The group of people were talking.

At this moment, Su Fan suddenly frowned and stood up abruptly:

Something's approaching!

Almost simultaneously, a rustling sound came from outside the cave, as if something was crawling on the snow.

Wang Meng and his three companions immediately went into battle mode.

Li Yan drew his bow and nocked an arrow, Zhang Hu gripped his machete, Zhou Ling'er produced a silver needle, and Wang Meng stood at the forefront, holding a short spear.

"Let's go take a look."

After Su Fan finished speaking, he took the lead at the front, and at the same time, he had already gripped the golden cudgel in his hand.

Wang Meng and his three companions followed behind Su Fan.

In terms of strength, they were definitely inferior to Su Fan, and they knew that, so they obediently hid behind Su Fan.

Su Fan brought them here mainly to guide them.

Su Fan gently lifted the camouflage covering the cave entrance and looked out.

Under the moonlight, on the snow, a dozen dark figures were approaching the cave.

The shadowy figures resembled lizards, but were much larger, each over three meters long, and covered in ice-blue scales.

Most strangely, their eyes are pure white and gleam coldly in the moonlight.

"Ice Scale Lizard!"

Wang Meng exclaimed in a low voice, "These are unique beasts from the Kunlun Mountains. They live in groups and usually possess strength between the third and fourth tiers. But how did they end up here? Ice-scaled lizards generally only roam deep in the mountains..."

Before Wang Meng could finish speaking, an ice-scaled lizard suddenly accelerated and rushed straight towards the cave entrance!

"Whoosh!"

Li Yan's arrow was the first to be fired, accurately hitting the Ice Scale Lizard's eye.

The lizard let out a miserable cry and rolled to the ground.

But this seemed to trigger an attack signal, and the other ice-scaled lizards pounced at the same time!

"fighting!"

"Mr. Su, let us handle these ice lizards for now. You should conserve your divine power!"

Wang Meng shouted and thrust out his short spear, pinning an ice-scaled lizard that was lunging at him to the ground.

Zhang Hu swung his sword at another scale, the blade colliding with the scales and sparks flying.

The Ice Scale Lizard has extremely strong defense; Zhang Hu's full-force strike at the early stage of the fourth rank only managed to leave a shallow wound.

Zhou Ling'er flicked her fingers in quick succession, sending silver needles flying like raindrops, specifically targeting the Ice Scale Lizard's weak points such as its eyes.

Her needlework was incredibly precise, rendering the three ice-scaled lizards incapacitated in an instant.

Su Fan, meanwhile, stood by, holding his golden cudgel, constantly on guard.

Behind him is the divine shadow of Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!