Traveling back to ancient times to determine the zodiac

"Uncle Zhi, according to what you said, there is no way to break into this pigsty. Can we just give up?" Yue scratched his head.

When Xiao Xing heard this, he said seriously, "Yue, since we set out on the expedition, we have captured the Horse King, the Sheep King, the Monkey King, the Chicken King, and the Dog King. There were dangers and difficulties everywhere, but in the end, we defeated them one by one. Although this pig nest is difficult to attack, how can we just give up?"

"That's right." Chen immediately agreed: "When faced with difficulties, we should not give up, but use our brains and think of solutions."

"Xing Hechen is right. You guys sit down and let's think of a solution together!" Zhi invited everyone to sit down.

Xiaoxing and the others nodded and found a place to sit down. As soon as they sat down, Xiaoxing suddenly raised his hand and slapped his forehead, shouting, "Oh!"

Seeing this, Chen hurriedly asked, "Xing, you came up with a solution so quickly? Tell me about it!"

"Chen, I didn't say I had figured out a solution." Xiao Xing was confused by Chen's question.

"You always say you've figured out a solution, why not this time?"

"Just now when I sat down, a mosquito flew over my head, so I slapped it to death." Xiaoxing explained.

"Tsk, so it's about slapping mosquitoes." Chen couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone frowned and thought for a long time without any good ideas. Hong'er suggested: "Brother Xing, you are so depressed that you have already broken your head before breaking through the pig nest. If it doesn't work, why not ask Nuwa for help!"

This reminded the dreamer, and Chen immediately shouted, "Yes, yes, last time we broke into the Soul-Break Cave, it was thanks to Bai Ling's guidance. This time the pig sty is even harder to break into, so we should ask Bai Ling for help again."

Xiaoxing and Zhi both nodded in agreement. Honger then took out the wooden sculpture of the goddess Nuwa and said, "Let's pray to the goddess Nuwa now!"

"Yes." Zhi nodded, then stood up and said, "Xing, Hong'er, let's start praying!"

Xiaoxing took the statue and placed it upright on the top of a small slope, then put his hands together and prayed, "Nuwa, Angel Bailing, last time we got the help of the bandicoot, we successfully broke through the Soul-confusing Cave and captured the Dog King. Now the Nian Beast and the Pig King are hiding in the mud of the pig sty. This pig sty is filled with poisonous gas and mud. When we broke into the pig sty, more than half of them were poisoned or injured, and we fled in defeat. I have no choice but to ask you to come out and help me and give me some hints."

Xiao Xing finished speaking and knelt down to worship the statue devoutly. Zhi, Chen, Yue, Hong'er, Lan'er and others also followed suit, chanting, "Bai Ling, Bai Ling, please show your power quickly."

Unexpectedly, after everyone prayed several times, Bai Ling did not appear.

"Xing, why hasn't Bai Ling appeared yet?" Zhi couldn't help but ask.

"Uncle Zhi, maybe Bai Ling hasn't heard our prayers yet! Don't worry, I will persist until he shows up." Xiaoxing replied calmly.

An hour later, finally, a long-awaited voice came: "Xing, Zhi, two hundred miles to the north, there is a mountain that towers into the clouds, called Snow Lotus Mountain. If you want to break into the pig den, you must go to Snow Lotus Peak to seek help from the Ice God."

Xiao Xing looked in the direction of the sound, and saw Bai Ling suddenly appear in the grass about ten feet away. After she finished speaking, she disappeared immediately.

"Uncle Zhi, that's great, Bai Ling finally showed up again, we have a solution!" Xiaoxing shouted excitedly.

"Yes. Xing, we have a way to break into the pigsty." Zhi's worried expression suddenly disappeared, and he said happily: "Quickly gather everyone and announce the good news."

Xiao Xing received the order and returned to the camp to gather all the warriors for a meeting. Then, Zhi announced to everyone: "Dear warriors, I have good news for you: Bai Ling just appeared again and said, 'If you want to break the pig nest, you need to go to the Snow Lotus Peak 200 miles north to ask for help from the Ice God.' Now I declare that tomorrow Xing Hechen will lead the fire warriors to the Snow Lotus Peak to ask for help from the Ice God as usual."

"Oh, that's great, we finally have a solution!" When everyone heard this, they all shouted excitedly.

"Uncle Zhi, let's go to Xuelian Peak to pray to the Ice God tomorrow. I want to go too!" Dong Jianzhi didn't ask Zhi to go by name. He struggled to stand up with his limping leg and suggested to Zhi loudly.

"Dong, your leg injury hasn't healed yet, so you'd better take a rest first." Zhi advised.

"Uncle Zhi, my leg injury is not serious, it's okay. I swear, I will never drag others down." Since the expedition, no matter where he went, Dong had never fallen behind, and now he naturally did not want to retreat and let Xiaoxing take the limelight. Therefore, he insisted on going regardless of everything.

"Dong, since you insist on going, you have to be careful." Zhi nodded helplessly and agreed.

After everyone had made their decision, they went to rest.

The next morning, Xiaoxing and Dong led Xi, Chen, Hong'er, Lan'er... and sixty other people and headed north.

After four days of trekking through mountains and rivers, they suddenly saw a mountain in front of them: it was dozens of miles in radius, towering into the clouds, with a snow-capped peak that looked like a white lotus from a distance, solemn and sacred. The mountain was full of ancient trees and withered vines, exotic flowers and plants, and all kinds of rare birds and animals, including wolves, tigers and leopards.

After everyone finished looking at it, Dong couldn't help but exclaimed: "Wow, what a great mountain, its peak reaches the sky, majestic and magnificent."

"Brother Dong is right." Xiao Xing nodded and agreed, "Only this mountain is the tallest along the way. It should be the so-called Snow Lotus Mountain."

"Brother Xing, this mountain is so high, it must be very difficult to climb." Hong'er shouted.

"Hong'er, the higher the mountain, the higher the peak. Now that we are here, we should make the best of it. No matter how difficult it is to climb, we have to climb up." Xiaoxing waved his hand firmly and said to everyone, "Brothers, follow me up the mountain."

So, everyone followed Xiaoxing and Dong to climb the mountain. Before they reached the mountainside, they heard a tiger roar. Everyone was terrified and picked up their weapons to prepare for the battle.

"What kind of animal is down there that dares to come to this sacred mountain? If you know what's best for you, retreat now or I'll eat you all."

Xiaoxing and the others looked in the direction of the voice and discovered that the person who spoke was a gorgeous tiger on the mountainside. It was blocking the way and staring at the people below with a fierce look.

"Hey! You tiger spirit, we are humans from Hongmeng. We have come here to ask the Ice God for help in exterminating the Nian beast. Your Tiger King has been defeated and surrendered by us humans. If you know what's happening, get out of the way immediately, otherwise I will chop off your head and peel off your skin." Xiaoxing answered loudly without fear.

"You are humans? Then let me go!" Upon hearing this, the tiger demon immediately rushed into the depths of the woods.

The group continued to climb upwards, encountering no more animals blocking their way. Before reaching the top of the mountain, there were no more plants or trees, and everything was covered with thick snow that had not melted for years. The group continued to move forward with difficulty on the snow, and after a long time, they finally reached the bottom of the peak.

Everyone looked up at the top of the peak, which was about ten square meters in area, with protruding sides and slightly tilted upward, shaped like a lotus. Although it was only more than three meters high, there was no way to get up.

"Brother Dong, Xing, the top of this peak is indeed shaped like a lotus. It must be the Lotus Peak without a doubt." Chen shouted excitedly.

"Hush..." Xiao Xing made a quiet gesture, and then said to Chen: "Chen, brothers, this Snow Lotus Peak is the land of the Ice God, please do not make loud noises, so as not to blaspheme the gods."

"Got it, Xing." Chen replied, scratching his head embarrassedly.

"Xing, now that we have arrived at the foot of Snow Lotus Peak, what should we do now?" Dong asked Xiaoxing.

"Brother Dong, I think the Ice God is on the Lotus Peak. Let's pray here!" Xiao Xing answered and looked around. He saw nothing but two huge rocks under the peak. Looking down, there were white clouds floating under the peak, as if they were in the sky. The mountain was high and the wind was strong. Hong'er and Lan'er were shivering from the cold.

"Brother Xing, the wind is so strong on the top of the mountain. I'm freezing!" Hong'er said, snuggling up to Xiaoxing.

"That's why they say 'it's lonely at the top'. Come, Hong'er, I'll let you wear my clothes!" Xiaoxing looked at the shivering Hong'er and felt pity for her. He hurriedly wanted to take off his clothes.

"Brother Xing, you don't have to take off your clothes. You will feel cold too. I'm fine. I can bear it." Hong'er quickly stopped Xiaoxing.

"Hong'er, I'm strong, why should I be afraid of the cold? I'll let you wear it!" Xiaoxing insisted on taking it off.

Hong Er still refused, and the two refused to give in. Seeing this, Dong persuaded them, "Xing, stop fighting. Let's pray to the Ice God and finish our business, so we can go down the mountain earlier, and no one will be cold anymore."

"Brother Dong is right." Xiao Xing put her clothes back on helplessly and continued, "Then let's get started!"

After saying that, Xiao Xing knelt down on both knees and prayed loudly to the top of the lotus: "Respected Ice God, we are humans from Hongmeng. Because the Nian beast wants to conquer us, it keeps sending beast troops to attack us, resulting in many casualties among us humans. In order to resist the tyrannical Nian beast, we decided to go out and eliminate it. The Nian beast fled upon hearing the news, and we chased it all the way, successively capturing the Horse King, the Sheep King, the Monkey King, the Chicken King, and the Dog King. Now the Nian beast is hiding in the muddy pigsty of the Pig King. Because the pigsty is full of poisonous gas and the mud is too deep to sink, we cannot win. In desperation, I specially ask for the help of the Ice God to help us break through the pigsty. Thank you very much."

"Brothers, everyone kneel on the ground, put your hands together and pray with Xing." Dong ordered.

Then everyone knelt down like Xiaoxing and prayed in unison, their voices resounding through the sky.

After praying for a while, the Ice God did not appear. Everyone could not bear the cold and started to talk about it.

Dong was anxious and asked Xiaoxing, "Xing, we have been praying for so long, why hasn't the Ice God appeared yet? Did Bai Ling lie this time?"

"Brother Dong, I don't know why the Ice God hasn't shown up yet. But I firmly believe that Bai Ling will not lie." Xiaoxing answered with certainty.

"But even if what Bai Ling said is true, how long should we pray in this icy and snowy weather? If it takes too long, we will all be frozen to death." Dong has lost his patience.

"Xing, Brother Dong is right. If we continue like this, we will either freeze to death or starve to death." Xi, Shugen, Heizi and others followed suit.

"Brother Dong, brothers, if you are sincere, you can move mountains and stones. When we pray to Bai Ling, doesn't it appear only after continuous prayers? As long as we persist in praying, I believe that the Ice God will appear." Although Xiao Xing was shivering with cold, he advised everyone calmly and confidently.

"Xing, this Ice God may not be able to help us. Why don't we go back and fight the evil pig head-on!" Dong said again.

"Brother Dong, so many of us are already injured. If we continue to fight the evil pigs, not only will there be greater casualties, but we may not succeed." Xiaoxing immediately objected.

"It's better for us to fight to the death with the evil pigs than to freeze to death here!" Dong argued speciously.

"Brother Dong, since you want to go back, then go first." Xiao Xing stopped trying to persuade him, and then turned around and glanced at everyone, saying, "Brothers, if anyone wants to go back with Brother Dong, go now. If anyone wants to stay with me, continue to pray."

"Xing, since that's the way it is, I will take my brothers back first. Whoever breaks into the pigsty first will get the credit." Dong said, and waved to Xi, Shugen, Heizi and the others, and shouted, "Xi, Shugen, Heizi, it's useless here, let's go back first."

Dong started walking, and after a few steps he found that no one was following him. Looking back, he saw Xi, Shugen and others were still there.

"Xi, Shugen, it will be dark soon. Why are you still staying there? Come with me!" Dong called out again unhappily.

"Brother Dong, now that we're here, why don't we wait and see with Xing and the others?" Xi replied hesitantly.

"Xi, ah——!" Dong sighed, knowing that he had completely lost his appeal, so he could only persuade her again: "Xi, even if you stay for another ten days, it will be useless. You fools."

"Brother Dong, are you so anxious? What if a miracle happens in the next moment?" Xiaoxing retorted.

"Xing, that's just your fantasy." Dong couldn't hear anything.