Chapter 75 - 75: Giant Skeleton
“What on earth is this place? Who built these structures and what destroyed them?”
Black Mountain walked among the silent mountains, and through its eyes, Feng Qing’an saw many startling scenes. Even in their ruin, they gave him goosebumps.
From a distance, the mountains seemed normal, but as they ventured further, they found few that were intact. Most were like the countless ruined buildings scattered about peaks, heavily damaged by a force beyond human comprehension.
Only the base of the mighty mountains remained, their cross-sections sloping and smooth like mirrors, reflecting the gloomy sky. Some parts of the mountains were hollowed out with claw marks running through them – a creature of monstrous size must have left this imprint.
There were also ruined mountains entirely enveloped by exotic frost and flames. Some areas were even devoid of mountains, leaving only bottomless pits.
They had never seen such terrifying mountain landscape before. The power of the Mountain God was undoubtedly grand, but its demeanor towards them was relatively gentle, and because of the Mountain God, the monsters in the mountains were also “friendly.”
“Don’t be too tense. This is an ancient battlefield relic. The battle took place a long time ago. Look, there are severe signs of erosion,” said Feng Qing’an, noticing Black Mountain’s anxiety. As a Guardian Beast Master, he began to reassure Black Mountain.
“Let’s check out a building. Then we can head back,” he suggested.
Although they were hoping for something exciting, the paramount concern was safety. They had come a long way, and Feng Qing’an could not afford to be careless.
Heeding Feng Qing’an’s command, Black Mountain chose a building that showed no signs of danger – just an old, dilapidated structure brought down through neglect and bad repairs to explore.
A pale-blue flame was lit, illuminating the gloomy interior. There were no mystical items, just dry, rotting wood and piles of broken and weathered rocks. Inside, the passage of time was evident.
“Let’s go,” said Feng Qing’an, not really disappointed since he hadn’t held out much hope to begin with.
When Black Mountain entered the building, it encountered no array of restrictions; the accessibility suggested that anything of value had been long gone.
Grrr-
Even within this broken building, Black Mountain felt uncomfortable, growled, and walked out. As soon as it stepped out, its fur stood on end.
There was no demon lurking outside, just a skeleton wearing dilapidated armor, half-buried in a sitting position in a mountain.
This skeleton emanated no special aura, or any terrifying force. Its exposed bones had a rustic texture, a testament to the passage of great time.
Black Mountain was startled by the sheer size of the skeleton. Even in a seated position, its skull towered half a head above the mountain.
Even the giant White Wolf Lord, a nostalgia of Black Mountain, with its hillock-like physique, seemed minute in comparison. They were not even comparable.
The disparity in size stunned Black Mountain even at a distance, and Feng Qing’an also felt awestruck, left to his fantasies.
“Identify!” he commanded.
No response!
As expected, the system only responded to things with spirits, and this giant had lost its life long ago, and its skeleton had turned into a fossil.
“This world is too profound!”
Feng Qing’an respected the world he found himself in. After all, a being that surpassed the Monarch had died in a battle in the ghost realm in times long past.
Looking at the battlefield ruins and the giant that was incredibly powerful in his eyes, he contemplated that it might not have been the main force in the ruthless war then.
“Black Mountain, there’s no need to linger here. Let’s go back!” Feng Qing’an called.
Black Mountain finally ran back towards the mountains. But it was too far away from where it had entered, and by the time it had retraced its steps and was almost at its destination, it once again stopped in its tracks, unsure of what to do.
The radiant purple forest blocked the return path, masking the familiar route and disorientating Black Mountain.
Feng Qing’an looked at the familiar forest, sensed Black Mountain’s confusion, and had a hunch. Judging by the timing, Nan Song should be back in the spirit realm.
Last night, Black Mountain had entered the spirit world after Nan Song had come to see him. But upon entering, he found the world barren. Therefore, the radiant forest must be due to Nan Song’s presence and may be a real physical entity.
“Black Mountain, don’t be afraid. Go in there. Nan Song is inside. She knows about our relationship. We can’t go back at this time point. Go find her!” Nan Song?
The beautiful, perfect “human” who came to see him last night – was this her name? For some reason, Black Mountain felt a wave of bitterness. It was sure that Nan Song had taken something that belonged to it from its master.
Soothing and lively singing drifted from the vibrant forest. Even the unmusical Black Mountain could sense that the singer was in high spirits.
“Black Mountain, go find Nan Song. You can learn from her why there are no ghosts here. Are you willing to waste your day?” urged Feng Qing’an.
He could sense Black Mountain’s unease and unhappiness. But these things were not up to Black Mountain. He couldn’t just focus on Black Mountain. It should learn to adapt. Starting with Nan Song, as he forms more Soul Contracts, he will form contracts with more beast pets. No one can monopolize him