The immortal is beside me

Chapter 60 Qishan Demon Country
Qishan is located 180 kilometers west of Liangzhou City.

Three thousand years ago, the cry of the phoenix from Mount Qishan announced the rise of the Western Zhou Dynasty. From then on, the entire Zhou Dynasty revered the phoenix, and Xiqi was designated as a holy place of the dynasty, worshipped by successive monarchs of the Zhou Dynasty.

For thousands of years to come, this name has always occupied a place in legends, and countless kings, princes and celebrities have left their footprints here.

Now, three thousand years have passed, and Qishan has been designated as a famous scenic spot.

As you step through the gate, you can see a hundred-step staircase. At the end of the staircase is a huge golden phoenix statue with the words "Fengming Qishan" written on it. Under the sunlight, the golden phoenix statue shines brightly, as if it were a divine bird that had really descended to earth.

But only a few people know the true meaning of this golden statue.

An off-road vehicle drove through the Qishan Scenic Area and went straight ahead, passing the "No Tourists Allowed" sign.

After walking a few miles, the solid stone road gradually disappeared, and was replaced by a primitive dirt mountain road. When walking on this kind of road, the car body swayed up and down like a spoon, and only off-road vehicles could withstand it.

After about half an hour of bumping along like this, the SUV stopped in front of a sunken valley. Looking in, in the center of the valley stood a sycamore tree, about a meter tall. Strangely, its leaves shone with a golden sheen in the sunlight, as if carved from gold.

The car door opened, and researchers wearing the emblem of the Institute of Super Research got out. At the same time, a peacock wearing a miniature uniform also got out.

"This is the entrance to the Demon Kingdom's cave." The peacock flapped its wings and spoke fluently in human language.

Just as the sects would send monks to the official countries, the demon country also had its own envoys to foreign countries, and this peacock was one of them.

According to the information, it is a close attendant of the Demon King Phoenix. It has complete intelligence and is proficient in ventriloquism. Therefore, it is specifically responsible for the annual survey and guidance work of the Demon Kingdom.

"We are about to enter the demon kingdom. Please take out His Majesty's True Feather and keep it by your side. When entering and leaving the cave, remember not to leave the True Feather's coverage. Otherwise, you will be repelled by the cave's barrier without demonic energy."

Under the guidance of the peacock, everyone in the Super Research Institute worked together to carry out an iron box from the car. The box was covered with spiritual patterns and was as sturdy as a bank vault.

The box slowly opened, revealing the items inside.

It was a fiery red feather. It looked delicate on the surface, but felt as hard as stone. It shone with a flaming sheen, and just getting close to it made one feel a surge of warmth.

The Phoenix Feather, a secret treasure from the Demon Emperor's true body. Encapsulated within it the Demon Emperor's spiritual essence, it is truly priceless. Officials in the entire Chinese nation possess no more than ten of these feathers.

Except for the beacon in front of you that is specially used to enter and exit the Demon Kingdom, the remaining true feathers are strictly stored in the storage of each unit. They are only taken out when implementing large-scale formations or forging top-level spiritual weapons. Often, only one feather is needed to achieve amazing results.

The moment the feather escaped from the sealed box, the chirping of birds in the surrounding forests suddenly became louder, and invisible spiritual energy emanated from the feathers, attracting birds from all directions and circling around the group.

"I will be here to see His Majesty and open the entrance to the cave. During this process, His Majesty's true aura may descend upon you. Please remain calm, guard your spiritual platform, and do not panic."

Surrounded by a flock of birds, the peacock also flew up, with a halo surrounding its body and singing a strange blessing.

“The Fierce Phoenix King is unrivaled in the world!

Bathed in the immortal grace, flying across all directions!
The land of Xiqi benefits all people!
Wherever the Holy Spirit goes, His majesty is overwhelming!"

The half-recited, half-sung blessing flowed among the leaves, mixed with the birdsong in all directions, and became louder and louder.

Amidst the harmonious chirping of birds, the red feathers in the center slowly floated up, emitting a flaming light. For a moment, the temperature of the entire forest rose sharply, and beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of several members of the Super Research Institute who were nearby.

"——I pray that the Phoenix King will look upon me and see his holy face!"

As the last blessing was sung, Akabane, which had turned into flames, suddenly blazed brightly and swept towards everyone.

The flames hit them in the face, and Cheng Xiaomeng in the team subconsciously closed her eyes.

A long and clear sound rang in her ears, and the surrounding scene distorted and reappeared. In the red vision, she seemed to vaguely see a giant red bird lowering its head from the sky, with its golden eyes drooping, glancing down at her condescendingly.

"!!!"

Cheng Xiaomeng suddenly opened his eyes, staggered and fell to the ground, gasping for breath, his hands and feet a little weak.

Around her, several new members of the Transcendental Research Institute were acting much the same way, each one still in shock. The veteran researchers, who had been here more than once, were relatively calm, though their expressions weren't exactly relaxed either.

Carrying Zhenyu in and out of the Demon Kingdom may attract the Demon King's spiritual gaze. This is a precaution that you should be aware of before setting off.

But when they really encountered that spiritual energy, even just a trace of it, they couldn't help but feel terrified.

This is the most powerful demon...

Cheng Xiaomeng squatted on the ground and panted for a long time. When the cold sweat on his forehead dried a little, he raised his head slightly and looked forward.

When she looked up, the first thing that caught her eye was a tree.

A tree that stands tall and straight.

The tree looked like it might be ten thousand meters high, shaped like a paulownia tree, with branches as hard as iron and stone, leaves as bright as gold, and a crown that reached the clouds so high that its top could not be seen clearly. At first glance, it seemed as if the tree was supporting the entire world.

Beneath the giant tree are towering mountains and flowing water. Monsters of different races roam among the exotic flowers and plants in the mountains, using trees as their houses and water as their roads, creating a prosperous scene.

Seeing the magnificent scene, Cheng Xiaomeng felt her breathing stop for a moment.

Although I had seen descriptions of the Demon Country in the literature before, written information is one thing, and seeing it with my own eyes is another.

If she were asked to find a word to describe the scene before her, the only one that would be appropriate would be "incomparable".

After resting for a quarter of an hour, the members who had been intimidated by Lingyun had recovered from the oppressive feeling. They stood up one after another and went behind him.

Large machinery couldn't enter a cave entrance like this, but it was still possible to bring a car in. As everyone was moving through the virtual and real world, the accompanying off-road vehicle was also brought in and parked quietly at the back.

Everyone got back into the car and sped off. In the last seat on the right, Cheng Xiaomeng leaned against the window, looking out into the distance.

At first, all I saw was the monotonous green mountains and clear waters, but after walking a few miles, I began to hear the sounds of birds singing and animals roaring, which became louder and more frequent.

By the time the chirping sound filled the eardrums, the surroundings were already filled with swarms of monsters.

Amidst the foliage, a bipedal fox demon displayed a variety of fruits on a giant leaf. Several other demons of different species gathered before the stall, clutching small pebbles etched with feathers in their claws, seemingly bargaining. Further ahead, a vast field emerged. A white bird demon flapped its wings, sending streams of wind sweeping countless seedlings into the soil. Guinea pigs with long claws used their paws as plows, weaving through the fields.

"Geese, geese, geese, they sing with their necks curved toward the sky, their white feathers float on the green water, their red feet paddling the clear waves."

The sound of reading aloud drifted in with the wind. Following the sound, I saw several squirrel spirits sitting one by one on a tree with many branches. The largest one in the lead was holding a copy of "Three Hundred Tang Poems" in his hand and leading the other spirits in reciting.

The few little demons on the trees didn't seem to be very advanced in Taoism. They spoke haltingly, just like toddlers who were just learning to speak.

Hearing the sound of the car, a group of little demons turned their heads curiously and watched the iron machine speeding past from afar.

One of the little squirrels who was reciting Tang poetry was eager to go forward, but was slapped by the big squirrel behind him. He had no choice but to pick up the book in his hand and continue reading.

There were countless scenes like this along the way. No one had the heart to play with their mobile phones anymore. Everyone leaned against the window at the same time, taking in every detail of the scene in this evil country.

The monster country, the focus is not only on the "monster", but also on the "country".

Along the way, they saw not only trade and teaching among monsters, but also granaries, hospitals, and other facilities. Even the Chinese language and characters were widely used throughout the kingdom. Although this system was still very primitive compared to human society, it was still enough to be called a miracle.

You have to understand that most of the demons here are still in their infancy, with IQs comparable to those of human children. The only thing that can make these children, who are mostly just primitive instincts, follow the rules and form a self-sustaining social ecosystem is the mighty power of a supreme being.

This was the realm created by the Demon King, a realm ruled by a Phoenix. It had walked with a certain being in the human world for millennia, bringing everything it had seen and known into its realm.

"You will stay in the Demon Country for two days. On the first day, I will take you on a tour of the Imperial Capital, and on the second day, you will participate in the flower viewing festival in the Imperial Capital."

Peacock stood in the passenger seat, shook his tail feathers, and said, "If you have any questions during this period, please feel free to ask me, but please do not act without authorization. Many rules in the Demon Kingdom are different from those in the outside world. Acting rashly may risk violating the rules."

The order of the Demon Kingdom was established by the Demon King, with many of its rules modeled after human society, but also featuring some strange and bizarre ones. This was already known to everyone present.

"Speaking of this, I saw a rule from the Demon Country in the information before."

Cheng Xiaomeng suddenly remembered something and asked the peacock, "The rule says that cilantro is not allowed in any meal in the entire Demon Country. Even growing it is forbidden. Is this true?"

The other strange rules could be understood from the perspective of the Monster Nation's ecology, but this one rule was completely baffling. Therefore, she remembered it so vividly that she even wondered if it was a prank.

"That's right." Peacock nodded, "There is indeed such a rule in the Demon Country."

This answer surprised everyone in the car: "Why aren't we allowed to grow cilantro?"

"This rule was established by His Majesty. We are not sure of its meaning. Perhaps it is His Majesty's unique taste."

The peacock shook its wings, turned its back and said through the window, "We are about to approach the imperial capital, please be prepared."

The SUV continued forward, heading towards the central golden sycamore tree. The closer it got, the more pronounced the luster of the sycamore leaves became. After crossing a few more mountains and rivers, the entire scene was stained with a brilliant golden hue.

Beneath the Wutong tree, the phoenix rests. In this vast demon kingdom, this is the imperial city located in the very center.

The imperial city is centered on the golden sycamore tree, with its spreading roots forming the four walls. The gaps between the roots form the city's corridors, leading to the mountains and rivers in all directions.

The off-road vehicle slowed down and slowly moved through the corridors of the imperial city.

The roots of the tree extended for tens of thousands of meters, and the imperial capital was built on it. From afar, one could see huge monsters of various shapes leaping among the golden sycamore trees. Judging from the spiritual light they carried at their sides, they all had hundreds of years of cultivation.

Cheng Xiaomeng withdrew his gaze from afar, leaned against the car window, and watched the iron-colored roots outside the window slowly move backwards. After a while, a patch of iron-colored roots suddenly became gorgeous.

It was a mural painted on the roots, dozens of meters long. It looked like the work of a demon craftsman. The painting technique was not very delicate, but it could still be seen that it was probably a painting telling historical legends.

"This is the first hurdle before entering the Imperial Capital. These paintings showcase His Majesty's great achievements. Every citizen of the Demon Nation who enters the Imperial Capital must admire and learn from them. If you are interested, you can also take a look."

The peacock's tone suddenly rose. Although there was not much expression on its face, its tail feathers spread out when it said this, and it was obviously excited.

In fact, it didn't need to say anything, as everyone in the Super Research Institute had already leaned against the car windows, watching intently.

Just as the human world always spreads the image and stories of emperors to all directions for the people to admire and learn from, this demon country also adopts the same approach.

For the researchers at the Transcendental Research Institute, this was a rare firsthand account of the demon nation, of staggering research value. Although they had previously seen photos taken by other researchers, seeing the real thing in person was enough to capture everyone's attention.

Cheng Xiaomeng rolled down the window and looked out. As the car moved forward, the story of the mural slowly unfolded.

The very beginning is a very classic demon clan opening, with a red baby phoenix hatching from a shell in a pebble, and birds from all directions dancing around it.

Then comes the picture of the growth story. A red phoenix is ​​flying on the side of Mount Qishan. Several human buildings in the Tang Dynasty style are revealed at the bottom of the painting, which should be describing the growth period of the Demon King.

"Since three thousand years ago, Mount Qi has been the ancestral home of our clan. Your Majesty was born here. As soon as he emerged from his shell, he was accompanied by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Over the next hundred years, he traveled throughout the four boundaries of Mount Qi, leaving traces that will be passed down through the ages wherever he went."

The peacock swung its big tail behind it and explained the murals one by one. Its voice was high-pitched and excited, and its open tail touched the roof of the car.

With this loud commentary, the vehicle continued to move forward. After several consecutive pictures of the growth period, an unusual mural suddenly caught everyone's attention.

This mural is painted in dark colors. Three giant beasts stand on Mount Qishan, which look like a lion, an elephant, and a roc. Below them are fleeing demons and piles of bones. The whole scene looks like a disaster.

"In the Xinmao year of Xiqi, which is 690 AD, three demons took over Mount Qi and occupied the sacred tree, the Wutong wood. They imposed a brutal rule, consuming both humans and demons, and causing countless casualties among the people of Mount Qi."

At this painting, the peacock's explanation became more profound.

"At a time of crisis, Your Majesty resolutely left Mount Qishan to seek a way to subdue the demons, and thus encountered a great opportunity to become an immortal."

The sports car moves forward, the mural continues to advance, and following closely on the heels of the profound disaster is a brilliant portrait.

The only word to describe it is "brilliant." The painting has a gold base, with gold flakes inlaid in between, arranged along specific lines to outline a human figure in the center.

A man in a red Taoist robe.

(End of this chapter)