344: Someone coming from above

(Supplement of three thousand words to the previous chapter)

"My God, how is this possible! How can such a terrifying existence still be on Earth?"

"With just a gaze, a military-grade alloy drone can spontaneously combust. This is simply horrifying!"

In a corner of Qixia Mountain Village, several men in plain clothes were watching the transmitted footage, their faces filled with shock.

They were gathered around a simple device and a video monitor.

The monitor displayed the real-time footage captured by the drone.

At this moment, they watched the transmitted image with immense horror, seeing Su Can discover the drone and look up.

They only saw a flash of green light in Su Can's eyes, and then the sun and moon seemed to appear before them, followed by the drone bursting into flames with a roar, burning to ashes!

The men looked terrified. After straightening their backs, they exchanged glances, their eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

"Quick, let's go! The intelligence is wrong! The existence in this mountain is too powerful!"

"Damn it, what's going on with the base? Didn't they say they detected a giant python? How did such a terrifying existence suddenly appear?"

"Stop dawdling, this matter is beyond our control, hurry and leave!"

The men's faces were not only terrified but also extremely grim.

Damn it, who gave this intelligence? Do they want to get us killed?

To spy on such an existence is to challenge its authority. If it kills you, you die for nothing.

"Shit!"

The men scrambled, grabbing their equipment to leave.

However, as soon as they turned around, they saw a young figure, who had appeared behind them at some unknown point.

"Uh!!"

The men's faces were filled with terror, as if their acupuncture points had been struck, and they froze rigidly in place.

"Soldiers?"

Su Can asked, his voice calm and unwavering.

Only then did the men react, quickly taking a deep, cold breath and replying, somewhat chillingly, "Yes, yes, we are from..."

Before he could finish his stammering sentence, Su Can continued, "You detected a giant python in the mountain and came to find it?"

"Ah, oh, yes, yes!"

The men were extremely nervous, cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads.

He's too young!

The existence before them was younger than they could have imagined!

They understood what such a young state, combined with such power, implied.

According to records, several centuries ago, an ancestor of an ancient reclusive family, whose martial arts reached god-like levels, had achieved rejuvenation, becoming even younger than a young man.

The existence before them was likely also an ancient master, whose profound cultivation had simply led to rejuvenation.

"We received intelligence and came to investigate. After all, it's been many years since such a giant creature appeared, so..."

The leader of the group was more composed and managed to speak to the unperturbed Su Can.

However, as soon as he opened his mouth, Su Can said, "Go back. The giant python has already been killed by me."

"K-killed..."

The men suddenly looked up, their faces blank.

Then they immediately realized that if he could incinerate a specialized alloy drone with his gaze from hundreds of meters away, then killing a giant python would also be perfectly logical!

"Go back and tell those above not to come again in the future. I also have several giant creatures living in the mountain, so as not to accidentally injure you!"

After Su Can finished speaking, he stepped out in front of the men without concealment, performing the technique of Shrinking the Ground into an Inch.

With a whoosh.

He vanished without a trace.

The men instantly turned to stone on the spot.

After a long while, sounds of gasping could be heard.

"Damn, we met a true god!"

"Quick, quick, this must be reported immediately!"

A rustling sound arose, followed by the sound of a vehicle starting and quickly driving away.

"Hmm?"

But they didn't notice a Brawny Old Man walking along the roadside towards them.

The old man was dressed in a tight-fitting suit, with long, white hair, exuding a wild, untamed aura. A dark red, well-worn gourd hung from his waist.

He wore old-fashioned layered cloth shoes.

He took a step, seemingly slow as if strolling, but each step covered the distance of seven or eight ordinary steps.

The men driving away in a hurry didn't notice the old man by the roadside.

But the old man was no ordinary person; he could tell at a glance that they were not common folk, but all possessed extremely high levels of martial arts.

And that aura of iron-blooded military service could not escape his eyes.

"It seems the higher-ups are taking this very seriously. They dispatched people to investigate so quickly!"

"Indeed! It's been so many years since a giant creature that has cultivated into a spirit appeared. If it can be captured, the materials obtained would be enough to create a team with deterrent power for the higher-ups!"

The old man's gaze was like lightning, and with a slight turn, his mind became clear.

A few days ago, he received news that a giant creature that had cultivated into a spirit had appeared here.

The person who contacted him was both a friend from his youth and a high-ranking official now.

As for why such important news was revealed to him, it naturally required a return.

At the very least, his favor had to be sold.

After all, he was a lone wolf, pure and unattached.

Unlike other old ghosts, who all had their own families and were very calculating.

If they knew the news, there would be nothing left for the higher-ups.

This group of people, while seemingly constrained by the higher-ups, actually didn't take them seriously at all.

Once they were provoked, the higher-ups were even more afraid of causing major trouble.

So, they had always adopted a policy of appeasement.

If this time, the higher-ups could hunt down that giant python that had become a spirit, the resources obtained would be enough to create gods and thus control those old monsters in the future.

"I wonder if the news this time is well-kept, otherwise, it could easily lead to great chaos."

The old man thought, then suddenly shook his head, quickening his pace even more.

He had studied Qixia Mountain and found nothing remarkable or famous about it.

He hadn't expected that precisely here, a giant python that had become a spirit would appear.

Soon, the Brawny Old Man, with brisk steps, arrived at the foot of Qixia Mountain.

He first took a deep breath, then picked up the gourd at his waist and took a big gulp of strong liquor.

Then, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, and a faint, flame-like glow flickered in his pupils.

Aura-gazing technique!

This was his unique secret art.

He could discern unusual magnetic field changes in great mountains and famous rivers, and also sense the aura of powerful spiritual entities.

Soon, his gaze fixed in one direction, but then his expression suddenly froze, somewhat shocked.

"One, two, three, four... Heavens! How, how can there be so many powerful auras?!"

The old man was horrified. He hadn't known until he looked, and then he was almost scared senseless.

Those abnormal 'auras' were connected in a continuous expanse, and their spectacular scale was simply inconceivable.

"No, no, it's impossible for so many giant spirit creatures to gather in one place. Because these things usually adhere to the 'one mountain, one tiger' rule!"

"Could it be some kind of unusual natural formation?"

The old man's eyes moved. This explanation seemed plausible.

"If it's some kind of unusual natural formation, then it's not impossible for this obscure Qixia Mountain to nurture a spirit creature. Let me see what this natural formation is like."

The Brawny Old Man became interested. His white, shoulder-length hair was messy and disheveled, exuding a sense of wildness and unrestrained freedom.

He took a step, covering an even greater distance than before.

It was as if he was in fast-forward, his figure moving and instantly reappearing in a different spot.

Soon, he approached Half-Moon Lake, the location of Su Can's base camp.

He arrived here excitedly, and upon looking up, he was immediately stunned.

Because from afar, he had seen the conspicuous wattle fence courtyard and the wooden pavilion.

Surrounded by golden rice fields and meticulously tended herb gardens, a gentle mountain breeze carried the scent of herbs to his nose.

"Someone lives here?"

The Brawny Old Man reacted, dumbfounded.

What had he seen with his aura-gazing just now?

Had he experienced a hallucination?

"Roar..."

But very quickly, a low growl sounded in his ear, letting him know he had been overthinking.

The Brawny Old Man's eyes narrowed, and he couldn't help but gasp.

Ahead, a magnificent tiger, taller than a man, exuded a strong, domineering aura, its gaze scrutinizing and cold as it slowly approached.

"Didn't they say it was a giant python spirit? How did it turn into a big tiger?!"

The Brawny Old Man was a bit disoriented.

"Should I leave first? Go back and plan this out more carefully?"

The Brawny Old Man felt a sense of unease, and the thought of retreating arose in his mind.

However, as soon as he turned his head, his expression instantly stiffened.

He saw a large golden dog, which had appeared behind him at some unknown point.

This large dog was like a giant wolf, its size comparable to the tiger in front of him, and it stood silently behind him.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound came from the air, and a huge shadow passed before his eyes.

The Brawny Old Man instinctively looked up, his eyes narrowed, and he once again couldn't help but take a cold breath.

It was a massive Golden Eagle, its gaze sharp and arrogant, watching him expressionlessly.

The Brawny Old Man felt a prickling sensation on his back, utterly speechless. He had a feeling his old friend had set him up.

As soon as his thoughts moved, another shadow passed.

A massive black eagle landed on a tree branch on the other side, watching him coldly.

"Damn it..."

The Brawny Old Man had forgotten how many years it had been since he last cursed, but today, he truly couldn't hold back.

"Did I just walk into a bandit's den?"

The Brawny Old Man took a deep breath, flames flickering in his eyes. He also saw ten tall sword-wielding monkeys not far away.

A feeling of utter frustration surged wildly in his heart.

"What's going on? What exactly is going on here?"

The Brawny Old Man became a little agitated.

"Roar..."

Just then, Tiger Da suddenly let out a low growl, because Su Can's voice echoed in its mind: "Test his strength."

In the pavilion, Su Can 'watched' the Brawny Old Man with a hint of curiosity.

He could sense that the Brawny Old Man's strength seemed somewhat extraordinary.

There was an extremely restrained power within his body. Although this power wasn't immense, it was terrifyingly condensed, comparable to Foundation Establishment true essence.

"Martial arts?"

Su Can silently observed the outside.

With the depletion of spiritual energy on Earth, all practitioners who could escape had done so.

Those who couldn't leave, generation after generation, slowly began to seek methods internally, developing human potential.

Now it seemed that martial arts indeed had their merits.

This old man before him, though seemingly not profoundly cultivated, possessed an energy within his body that felt extremely condensed, with no small amount of destructive power.

That's why Su Can had Tiger Da test the old man's depth.

"I know you can understand, my friend Tiger. I am just passing through and bear no ill will. Farewell!"

The Brawny Old Man's face was almost green. He clasped his hands and turned to leave.

"Woof!"

However, as soon as he moved a step, the big yellow dog let out a low whimper, giving a warning.

"Not letting me leave?"

The Brawny Old Man's expression also grew cold. "A bunch of beasts, do you really think I'm easily scared?"

As he spoke, the Brawny Old Man shifted his feet, lowered his body, and assumed a combat-ready stance.

Once in a fighting stance, the Brawny Old Man's aura changed, becoming sharp and aggressive, his presence formidable!

Roar!

Tiger Da felt provoked, letting out a low growl. A heavy tiger's might erupted, causing the air to momentarily still.

The next second!

It transformed into a whirlwind, its sharp tiger claws embedded within the gale, glowing with a faint light.

Rip!

The air was torn with a sharp sound!

The Brawny Old Man's face darkened, and his body appeared eight meters away.

It was clearly visible that the hem of his clothes had been torn by the sharp claws. If his reaction had been a fraction of a second slower, he might have been disemboweled.

"Very fast!"

The Brawny Old Man's expression became serious, and he began to treat the situation earnestly.

He had merely been testing the strength of this tiger just now and hadn't counterattacked.

Now, however...

Crack!

The old man clenched his fist, and a fierce, domineering aura instantly erupted.

Buzz!

He shifted his foot, and with a simple, effortless motion, he threw a punch.

This punch neither glowed nor emitted heat. In fact, there was almost no visible flow or coverage of true qi or true essence on his fist.

It gave the impression of an ordinary, return-to-simplicity punch.

But it was this ordinary punch that carried an incomparably fierce and domineering wild intent.

This extreme contrast created a strong sense of awkwardness and conflict.

"Hmm?"

Su Can raised an eyebrow, showing surprise.

"Is this the so-called Martial Dao True Intent? It's similar to the 'momentum' and 'intent' Cao Fenjin spoke of, or rather, it's essentially the same thing."

"However, this old man's intent and momentum are peculiar. His punch's momentum is clearly relaxed and unrestrained, giving a very casual and comfortable feeling!"

"But the punch's intent is so incredibly fierce, full of aggressive and domineering wildness!"

"This twisted and contrasting feeling not only creates a great visual impact but also mentally and spiritually twists and torments the opponent, causing their will to falter and their formation to break down. It's quite formidable."

As expected, the moment the Brawny Old Man unleashed this punch, that twisted, contrasting feeling instantly made Tiger Da feel extremely awkward!

Its raised tiger claw, and the condensed demonic qi on it, consequently stagnated and loosened.

Its movement also paused.

It was this stagnation, this pause.

That brought the Brawny Old Man's fist upon it.

At this moment, that ordinary, back-to-basics punch suddenly reversed at extreme speed, becoming sharp, fierce, and explosive!