Mount Tai, the foremost of the Five Great Mountains, is said to have been formed from the skull of Pangu after he split heaven and earth.
From ancient times to the present, Mount Tai has been imbued with an endless mystical aura, giving rise to countless legends.
Many ancient rulers and emperors performed sacrifices and封禅 (feng shan) rituals here, praying for national peace and prosperity.
After the spiritual energy revival.
Mount Tai underwent earth-shattering changes. Its scale expanded by who knows how many times, becoming even more magnificent and majestic, with spiritual energy permeating every corner, resembling a celestial realm.
The abrupt arrival of a mythological era brought unimaginable benefits to the entire globe, sparking widespread jubilation.
However, a very small number of wise individuals sensed something was amiss.
It was akin to the approach of the New Year, when butchers would frantically feed the chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep in their pens, fattening them up as much as possible.
Then, they would harvest them in one go, enjoying a prosperous year.
They perceived that an unseen hand, a shadowy manipulator, was orchestrating everything.
Once the time was ripe, humanity would surely be doomed.
If the reality were indeed so cruel, who would be left to save the world and turn the tide?
...
In recent years, Mount Tai had witnessed many celestial phenomena, becoming a popular topic of conversation.
But the scene before them still startled these three young people.
They saw an object emitting multicolored light, accompanied by ice and fire, falling from the sky and crashing not far away.
"Sister Xingqing, could it be that your wish came true, Heaven responded, and a deity has descended!"
Qian Qianxian was incredibly excited, her voice trembling.
This ball of light was exceptionally extraordinary, seeming to flow with divine radiance, possibly a creature from mythology.
Ruan Tian grabbed Qian Qianxian, who was about to rush forward in excitement, and said, "You foolish girl, what deity is that? It's a meteorite falling from the sky, be careful."
Ruan Xingqing, however, looked on with surprise, tilting her head as if she heard a faint, mosquito-like sound.
"Home..."
The light emitted a human voice, incredibly weak, filled with a deep sense of obsession.
"It's not a meteorite, it's a person, a human."
Ruan Xingqing became excited too. Good heavens, could it be that immortals had truly descended to the mortal realm?
Ruan Tian had to intervene again, stopping his own sister: "It could be mountain spirits or demons at play, don't get close."
With the spiritual energy revival, all things could transform, and any strange occurrence was possible.
The ball of light soon extinguished, and the ice and fire dissipated. The air was suddenly filled with a faint, delicate scent of lotus.
Just a single breath of it brought exhilaration and a sense of clarity.
The three of them finally got a clear look at the object. It was a human, male, of Eastern descent.
The person lay still on the ground, his face covered in blood and grime, his body riddled with horrifying wounds.
It was truly unimaginable what this man had endured to end up in such a tragic state.
"A corpse?"
Ruan Tian scrutinized the man, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Another cultivation enthusiast, gone mad, jumped off a cliff on Mount Tai seeking an immortal connection, only to kill himself."
Over the years, in their pursuit of the path of cultivation, many had become like demons, resorting to any means.
Some jumped off cliffs, some threw themselves into the sea, some frantically collected bronze ware and ancient jade, handling them day and night.
Even more extreme, some castrated themselves.
In short, all sorts of methods existed, a bewildering array.
Ruan Tian noticed the man's long hair and ancient attire, immediately concluding he was a peculiar individual obsessed with cultivation who had self-destructed.
Qian Qianxian retorted dismissively, "Hmph, who knows how much that sucker paid for a pile of jade thumb rings, rubbing them all night until they developed a patina. What, do you expect a white-bearded old man to pop out of the ring and teach you cultivation?"
Ruan Tian's face flushed red, and he forcefully argued, "What nonsense are you spouting? I simply have a passion for jade and ancient artifacts, absolutely not to summon an old man to teach me cultivation."
Ruan Xingqing ignored the bickering pair and walked directly to the man's side. With a "hiss," she tore off a large section of her skirt.
"Little sister, what are you doing? This skirt is a high-fashion piece I painstakingly had someone bring from abroad for you, costing hundreds of thousands!"
Ruan Tian was heartbroken. Even with wealth, one shouldn't be so wasteful.
Ruan Xingqing replied, "Saving him."
She tore the skirt into strips and bandaged the man on the ground, intending to save him.
Qian Qianxian also stepped forward to help, marveling, "It's so miraculous, he's so badly injured yet still has a breath."
Ruan Tian poured cold water on their efforts, "He's been smashed beyond recognition. Even an immortal couldn't save him, don't waste your energy."
"Do our best, and leave the rest to fate. We must have a clear conscience."
Ruan Xingqing wiped the blood and dirt from the man's face, revealing an incredibly delicate countenance, and couldn't help but sigh softly.
She took out a white jade porcelain bottle from her embrace, poured out a bean-sized, golden pill, and gently placed it into the man's mouth.
Ruan Tian couldn't help but jump up, "My Nine-Turn Golden Elixir! I went through immense trouble to get this specifically for you to save your life, how can you give it to a dead person?"
To obtain this pill, rumored to be left by Taishang Laojun, he had visited a reclusive master three times, humbly begging for half a month, and finally acquired this miraculous elixir at the cost of a small fortune.
He hadn't expected Ruan Xingqing to waste it like this, and it pained him deeply.
"Just because you say it's a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir doesn't mean it is. Who knows if it's a fake? This is a good opportunity to test it and see if it truly has healing effects."
Qian Qianxian was unconcerned. Her family wasn't short of money, and anything that could be bought with money was insignificant.
Ruan Tian was rendered speechless by her retort, but he supposed she had a point. If it was indeed a fake medicine, it might harm his sister.
It seemed the pill truly possessed the heaven-defying efficacy of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh.
The man's weak breathing gradually grew heavier, and his body rapidly improved.
No one noticed that the lotus fragrance permeating the surroundings was growing fainter.
"That's great, he seems to be coming back to life. We need to get him to a hospital quickly."
Ruan Xingqing, eager to save him, scooped the man into her arms and prepared to rush down the mountain.
"Let me carry him."
Ruan Tian shook his head, unable to bear seeing his delicate sister cradle a stinky man in a princess carry.
Honestly, he was just a stranger, was there a need to be so good to him?
If he himself were injured, he probably wouldn't receive such good treatment.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain.
The injured man had already regained consciousness and woken up.
What was even more incredible was that all his wounds had miraculously healed, leaving no scars.
However, his mental state was not right. He seemed somewhat dull, appearing not very intelligent.
When Ruan Xingqing and the others questioned him, he knew nothing, unable to recall even his own name or origin.
Ruan Tian frowned and barked, "Did you damage your brain from the fall, or are you pretending to be foolish? Think carefully, what do you remember?"
The man blinked his eyes, as if recalling something, and slowly opened his mouth, "I once touched countless stars, I once killed gods with my bare hands, I once raised a great sword and struck at the root of darkness..."
"Give it a rest, stop bragging."
Ruan Tian couldn't listen any longer and quipped, "When you raised that great sword, didn't you simultaneously shout 'Demacia'?"
He then turned to Ruan Xingqing and Qian Qianxian, saying, "This guy's got a screw loose. Let's just send him to the research center for abnormal humans..."
His words were cut short, his face filled with shock.
The man's dull expression vanished instantly. His eyes suddenly erupted with terrifying sharpness, like a slumbering dragon awakening, and he raised a finger towards the sky: "Wait, I'll be back to kill..."