Deep into the Qinling Mountains: A Shackle Realm Mutated Beast, Is That All?

Within the mountain range, the terrain was treacherous, and colossal trees blotted out the sky. Weeds grew as tall as a man, vines were as thick as water vats, and fallen leaves were broad enough to cover vehicles. Together, these elements depicted a primeval scene straight out of tens of millions of years ago. Thud! Thud! Thud! A mutated beast taller than a two-story building suddenly appeared. Surprisingly, it was a roe deer, charging at breakneck speed and snapping thick vines in its path. Its immense strength made the surrounding earth tremble, and its speed was like lightning. Never mind ordinary humans—even an Awakened would be pulverized into bloody mist upon impact. Boom! Yet right at that moment, a figure plummeted from high above. With merely a stomp of both feet, the giant roe deer let out a mournful wail. Its spine shattered instantly, its body split open, and it collapsed heavily to the ground. "As expected of the Qinling Mountains. Any random mutated beast that pops up is at least at the fifth stage of the Initial Realm or higher. It's just a pity that it's still too weak to withstand any real handling. Looks like I have to venture deeper." The figure landed—it was none other than Lu Yuan. Looking at the fallen carcass, he couldn't help shaking his head. Two days had passed since he entered the Qinling Mountains, constantly pushing deeper within. At first, the mutated beasts he encountered weren't very strong, mostly only at the first or second stage of the Initial Realm. Yet as he advanced, the situation changed completely; almost all were at the fifth stage or above. However, to him, they were still far too weak, dispatched without needing any real effort. Thus, without hesitation, Lu Yuan pressed deeper into the mountains at great speed, covering hundreds of meters in a single stride. Naturally, he was not wandering blindly; he had a clear goal and headed steadily north. Because in his memory, what he needed lay in that direction. Moreover, the mutated beast he intended to tame as a mount was exceptionally formidable. By his initial estimates, it should be around the Shackle Realm, so it clearly wouldn't linger on the outer fringes. Only by delving ever deeper might he cross paths with it. Mutated beasts were different from humans. They evolved faster, not to mention that certain beasts possessed formidable bloodlines of their own. Once awakened, they became utterly terrifying, defying conventional logic. Consequently, at the current stage, humanity dealt with mutated beasts almost entirely through passive defense. They built mega-cities and never considered confronting them head-on. As for venturing deep into famous mountains and great rivers to actively seek out mutated beasts, no one dared to do so, knowing it was courting death. Yet for Lu Yuan, that was hardly the case. Alone, he traversed the perilous Qinling Mountains freely. Along the way, he encountered many mutated beasts: black spiders larger than trucks, spinning webs tougher than steel cables; an ape covered in red fur, possessing equal measure of strength and speed, hurling boulders weighing dozens of tons like pebbles with power exceeding artillery shells, blasting enormous craters into the mountainside; and bison, white wolves, and more, all formidable mutated beasts, some having even reached the Awakening Realm. Yet these mutated beasts, seemingly invincible to outsiders, couldn't withstand a single blow from Lu Yuan. They were disposed of in an instant. From beginning to end, he relied almost purely on physical strength. Divine abilities, the Daluo sword core, the Blood-Qi Pagoda, and the like—none needed to be brought out. It was a completely one-sided slaughter. Even so, in the midst of these battles, Lu Yuan noticed a peculiar detail: the mutated beasts of Qinling seemed unusually irritable. Every encounter involved a large pack, and the moment they spotted him, they charged recklessly as if completely unconcerned for their lives. "Earlier, Dean Zheng mentioned that abnormal mutated beast activity had been detected in Qinling. Could this be it?" Tearing an Awakening Realm bison to shreds, Lu Yuan looked at the mounds of beast carcasses beside him and fell into thought. He understood that certain powerful mutated beasts possessed intelligence on par with humans. They were bloodthirsty, mighty, and fiercely feral. Harboring intense hostility toward humanity, they occasionally formed beast tides to assault cities. Shuntian, Shanghai, and others had all suffered attacks to varying degrees, and Chang'an would be no exception. Could this be the current situation, which was why the mutated beasts were so agitated? Pondering this, Lu Yuan continued deeper. Soon, however, he abruptly halted and looked in a certain direction. From there, a surging heat wave rolled over, carrying an exceedingly ferocious and terrifying aura. A Shackle Realm mutated beast? At this realization, Lu Yuan's eyes lit up as if he had stumbled upon something wonderful. Consuming the flesh and blood of mutated beasts could provide the energy required for evolution, just like heaven and earth spiritual energy. However, because his strength was overwhelmingly vast, ordinary mutated beasts could no longer satisfy him. A Shackle Realm beast was different; it met the criteria. Licking his lips, he didn't hesitate for a second and bolted straight toward it. After all, during his time in Qinling, Lu Yuan had not eaten a single thing. *** Chang'an. The conference room of Zhendan Academy. Dean Zheng, Commander-in-Chief Xu of the Defense Army, several vice deans, and nearly every top figure in the city had gathered. In addition, there were five or six white-robed elders. Though advanced in age, each had a ruddy complexion. They dressed simply, yet their auras were extraordinarily potent; all of them were existences in the Awakening Realm. These individuals had been assigned by the authorities as high-end combat assets specifically to coordinate and address Chang'an's crisis, and were present as observers. "Everyone is here. Xiao Liu, begin," Commander-in-Chief Xu said, checking the attendee list to confirm before looking at the young officer in military uniform beside him. "Yes, Sir." Xiao Liu stood up, bowed slightly to the assembly, walked to the front, and switched on the projector. On the screen appeared a heading: *Defensive Measures and Situation Report on the Chang'an Beast Tide Assault.* Ever since detecting riots among the Qinling mutated beasts two days prior, they had been making various arrangements. This meeting was convened to implement their plans as swiftly as possible, as no one knew when the beast tide would arrive. According to the young Defense Army officer Xiao Liu, the mutated beasts had begun congregating under the summons of mutated beast kings. A mutated beast king was a true sovereign among them, possessing strength at least in the Shackle Realm, immensely powerful. Through specialized methods and technology, the military could temporarily detect these terrifying mutated beast kings—provided there was no interference or that those beings had not used special techniques to conceal themselves. "According to our forecasts, this beast tide will likely strike in about ten days. Therefore, within this timeframe, we must construct sufficient defensive fortifications, or severe consequences will follow," the young officer said, predicting the approximate timing of the tide. "Today's Qinling is not like the old era. Spanning tens of thousands of li, it harbors countless mutated beasts, and those of king rank number no fewer than a hundred." At these words, many faces drained of color. No fewer than a hundred mutated beast kings! Among humans, that was equivalent to a hundred Shackle Realm existences! If all of them attacked at once, how could they possibly withstand it? "Rest assured, everyone. These hundred mutated beast kings are scattered across a vast expanse, each ruling its own territory," Commander-in-Chief Xu chimed in at the right moment, directing their attention to another screen. "Thus, we have concluded that only around ten of them will lead the beast tide against us." Displayed on that screen were numerous small red dots, among which ten were the largest. Their positions were in Qinling, closest to Chang'an. In truth, at the very beginning of the global upheaval, the authorities had taken extensive measures. Deducing that humanity's greatest enemy would be mutated beasts, they focused most of their resources and attention on them, exploring famous mountains and great rivers at the cost of many lives. Yet they also obtained a wealth of intelligence, such as which regions harbored powerful mutated beast kings and when they might pose a threat to cities. They had even risked taking photographs to understand them better and devise optimal responses when the time came. The authorities looked far ahead; internal strife was not the greatest danger. The truly terrifying prospect was the extinction of the human race and the lineage of Huaxia. Only after Commander-in-Chief Xu finished speaking did the attendees breathe a slight sigh of relief. Even so, ten mutated beast kings remained an appalling threat. "Beast tides are summoned by mutated beast kings. Therefore, what we must do next is hold them back and, if possible, slay them. Then the beast tide will naturally cease to be a threat." Chang'an's Defense Army had clearly done substantial groundwork, targeting the core of the problem. The attendees agreed with this analysis, yet their furrowed brows did not ease. Next, Xiao Liu began detailing the information on the mutated beast kings. He brought up a blurry photograph showing a creature resembling both a leopard and a tiger, of immense proportions. Enveloped in roaring flames, it exuded a heavy, oppressive majesty. Having awakened a special bloodline, it commanded pyric powers so scorching they could melt metals and rocks. It had been designated the Tiger-Leopard King. Xiao Liu pointed to one of the large red dots on the screen, indicating the Tiger-Leopard King, surrounded by its territorial domain. And that was merely the first mutated beast king. There were nine more to follow. However, photographic records were not available for all of them; for some, they only possessed approximate intelligence. Without exception, every one of these mutated beast kings was exceedingly formidable, spanning both sky and earth. If it were only one, everyone might not be so troubled. Yet there were ten! This was far more perilous than any beast tide they had ever known. Abroad, massive waves of mutated beasts had wrought catastrophic devastation, claiming the lives of countless citizens. Was it now their nation's turn? "The Shackle Realm is too powerful, let alone mutated beasts, which are inherently stronger than humans." "Dealing with them requires heavy ordnance—attacking with missiles. Otherwise, we stand no chance." "However, with the Defense Army's current firepower, it will be difficult to achieve enough coverage to kill ten mutated beast kings." Several people spoke, their hearts heavy. They understood that mere saturation fire would yield limited results. Furthermore, mutated beast kings were exceptionally cunning; they would hardly stand around foolishly waiting to be hit. Finally, someone suggested requesting authorization to deploy thermonuclear weapons for a devastating strike; otherwise, Chang'an would be difficult to defend, and even if held, the price would be staggering. Yet this was rejected. Thermonuclear weapons were humanity's ultimate trump card. Using them lightly risked thoroughly enraging the mutated beasts and triggering an all-out war prematurely. Foreign nations had held back for this very reason, restricting themselves to conventional heavy firearms unless they had absolute certainty or no other choice. At this point, everyone fell silent. It truly was extraordinarily difficult. Even the white-robed elders felt that against just the first beast, they alone stood no chance—the gap was too wide. At best, coordinating with heavy ordnance and mobilizing every resource in the city still offered no guarantee of success. The pressure was immense. The words "mutated beast king" weighed heavily on all of them. Dean Zheng remained speechless, gazing at the large red dot representing the Tiger-Leopard King. Suddenly, his expression shifted drastically, and he blurted out, "Look! That mutated beast king's life force seems to be fading!" At his words, everyone in the conference room looked up, their eyes widening. Just as he said, that large red dot was flickering erratically. Detected through specialized means, the dot represented vital signs, which had now turned unstable. Could the instruments be malfunctioning? Or had some entity slain the Tiger-Leopard King? Everyone traded bewildered glances. *** While the assembly was gripped by shock and confusion, in an open clearing deep within the Qinling Mountains... A terrifying battle seemed to have just concluded. Giant trees and vines within a thousand-meter radius had been reduced to ashes. Crisscrossing trenches marred the scorched ground, and molten lava flowed in several hollows, formed by melted boulders, alongside the charred carcasses of numerous mutated beasts that had evidently been caught in the crossfire. And the mutated beast king that had weighed so heavily on the minds of Chang'an's leadership—designated the Tiger-Leopard King—now lay sprawled on the ground. Its upper and lower body were torn in half, bleeding profusely in a wretched state. The flames that once engulfed it had vanished completely, leaving it on the verge of death. Despair filled its dying eyes. "And here I thought a Shackle Realm mutated beast would be something special." "Is that all?" A voice drifted over as a figure appeared before the Tiger-Leopard King. It was Lu Yuan, standing in the clearing with an expression of dissatisfaction on his face. The heat wave he had sensed earlier had been radiated by this very beast king. He had tracked it down immediately, and a fierce clash followed. He had expected it to put up a decent fight, given its intimidating appearance. Who would have thought it would end up like this in under ten minutes? *I haven't even gone all out yet.* "Alright. For the sake of my stomach, you can rest in peace." Shaking his head, Lu Yuan wasted no more words. He stomped down, crushing the Tiger-Leopard King's skull, extinguishing its last breath of life. He then drew the Daluo sword core, carved out the finest cuts of flesh, and set up a fire to roast them. Before long, a savory aroma wafted into the air. Even without seasonings or elaborate preparation, it was mouthwateringly tempting. "Not bad, not bad at all." Lu Yuan took a bite and felt deeply satisfied. He could clearly feel a surge of energy flowing into his body, nourishing his limbs and bones. Though this beast king hadn't been particularly strong, its meat was a delightful surprise—far better than the Giant Wolf King's before. "I must be deep within Qinling by now, right? Given the commotion from our fight, ordinary mutated beasts wouldn't dare approach, but beast kings of the same caliber might be drawn here." He ate while pondering. While Qinling's mutated beasts were countless, those in the Shackle Realm should still be relatively few at this stage. Every beast king held its own territory. Now that one had been slain, existences of the same level couldn't possibly fail to notice. Of course, Lu Yuan had not entered this region solely to hunt mutated beasts. He merely wanted to locate that flying mutated beast he considered a suitable mount. Unfortunately, Qinling was far too vast. Tracking it down would be immensely difficult. This left Lu Yuan somewhat exasperated. Was he really going to have to rely on his feet the whole way? No, the distances were too great, and it was a waste of time. He needed to find a guide. Just as Lu Yuan was deliberating, he suddenly sensed an even more powerful aura swelling up behind him. The next moment, a voice rang out: "Human!" "You dare slaughter my kin? You deserve death!"