Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

After several days of preparation, Meng Zhao, Duan Hong, and Yan Congke settled their families and, with no worries, calmly embarked on the path that Meng Zhao had painstakingly paved at great expense, heading straight for the Flying Cold Waterfall and the Heavenly Profound Pool deep within Xiaohan Mountain.

It was the dead of winter, and a heavy snow had fallen a few days earlier, making it nearly impossible for ordinary hunters to walk and survive in the vast, white mountains.

The three, however, were different. They carried water, dry rations, and weapons, traveling light and quickly, and remained steadfast in one direction.

The scenery along the way was nothing special; the snow-covered mountains were quite beautiful, but nothing particularly remarkable.

However, the presence of snakes and pythons everywhere, and their occasional attacks on the three, was indeed unusual.

The snakes and pythons of Xiaohan Mountain must possess a unique power within their bodies, unaffected by temperature changes, and they do not hibernate; they are full of vitality.

Shortly after entering Xiaohan Mountain, the snakes encountered on the outskirts were mostly small. However, the deeper one went into the mountains, the larger the snakes and pythons encountered became, and some even possessed incredibly potent venom. It was practically a giant snake den.

Yan Congke was also astonished. With a casual strike of his sword, he killed the ten-foot-long azure python. He exclaimed in surprise,

"With so many snakes and pythons in these mountains, it's impossible to sustain their survival. Why are snakes and pythons so rarely seen at the foot of the mountain?"

Every place has its own ecological environment. If the ecological environment is damaged, the local natural environment will also be severely damaged, or even collapse.

Pythons are part of the food chain, and as a link in the chain, their numbers are actually quite good under normal circumstances.

However, the number of snakes in Xiaohan Mountain was clearly beyond expectations. This was no Xiaohan Mountain; it was a snake mountain.

It's no wonder that in the villages nestled at the foot of Xiaohan Mountain, very few hunters venture up the mountain to hunt; even if they do, it's an isolated incident.

The reason is that there are probably not many prey to catch in these mountains, and they are constantly at risk of being attacked by these snakes and pythons.

However, if these snakes and pythons are considered as targets, then it is an inexhaustible treasure trove.

Duan Hong walked slowly, yet he was like a phantom clone. His body remained still, but he possessed a protective aura that shattered the attacking snakes and pythons around him.

“Extraordinary things naturally exhibit extraordinary characteristics. Since the mountain dragon is called a dragon, it must be an extraordinary beast. The place where this creature lives will naturally be transformed into an environment suitable for its habitation, and many snakes and pythons will naturally be born.”

A normal natural ecological environment can certainly be judged and deduced using normal thinking, but it is obvious that the environment inside Xiaohan Mountain is abnormal, because there is a mountain dragon inside that transcends the category of ordinary creatures.

Other organisms will naturally adapt to the environment, while those that cannot adapt will be naturally eliminated by natural selection.

The extraordinary creatures of the mountains, such as dragons, have changed their environment to adapt to themselves, demonstrating their magnificence and power.

Duan Hong once encountered a supernatural creature resembling a tiger. This tiger had wings and could control the winds and currents of heaven and earth; it was extremely powerful.

However, no matter how powerful the beasts are, they are no match for humans. Otherwise, they wouldn't be hiding in different places, but would be dominating the world.

Meng Zhao's expression was somewhat solemn.

"Everyone should be more careful. Since these snakes and pythons were created by the dragon in the mountain, they can certainly be controlled."

Although this thing is weak in power, once it reaches a certain scale and its numbers increase, it can easily deplete our internal energy, which will be detrimental to our later dragon-slaying efforts.

Meng Zhao doesn't need to worry about these things. His Three-Part Return to Origin Qi has reached its peak, and his true energy is inexhaustible. Unless his physical strength and spirit are exhausted, he is an invincible perpetual motion machine.

In contrast, Duan Hong and Yan Congke did not possess such abilities or methods.

Duan Hong needs to possess formidable power to unleash the Eight Desolations Lock. Once his true energy is depleted by these nearly endless snakes and pythons, he may find himself unable to cope with the dragon in the mountains later.

Yan Congke was the same; he was the oldest of the three, but also the least skilled.

If he hadn't also comprehended his own sword system from Meng Zhao's three secret sword techniques, indirectly raising his power limit, he would probably have had an even greater difficulty in comparing himself to the two.

After saying that, Meng Zhao tossed a sachet from his sleeve to Duan Hong and Yan Congke, each containing a specially prepared snake medicine.

This snake medicine is made from a variety of herbs and has the effect of repelling snakes; moreover, it is much more potent than realgar.
Meng Zhao prepared quite a lot of these external items. After all, slaying a dragon is not child's play, and no amount of thoroughness is too much.

With this snake medicine on them, the three of them seemed to have an invisibility aura. No matter how venomous the snake or how ferocious the python, it no longer targeted them. Instead, wherever the three of them went, snakes and pythons all retreated.

Until they heard the thunderous roar of a waterfall crashing against the ground, a sound that never ceased, they knew that the three of them were close to their destination.

Meng Zhao took the lead, holding the God-Slaying Spear. With a light tap of his toes, he transformed into a whirlwind, leaving no trace on the snow, and headed towards the Flying Cold Waterfall.

Duan Hong and Yan Congke exchanged a glance and followed closely behind, feeling a growing sense of tension in their hearts.

Feihan Waterfall is located deep in the eastern part of Xiaohan Mountain, nestled between an uneven mountain pass.

The east and west mountain walls are separated by a distance of about 100 meters. At the corner of the west mountain wall, a mountain river rushes along and cascades down the mountain rocks.

The 50-zhang (approximately 150 meters) height difference makes this Flying Cold Waterfall look extremely spectacular and magnificent.

The snow-white water surged, rushed, and splashed, making a rumbling sound like muffled thunder.

There are protruding corners on both sides of the rock wall, which narrow the huge waterfall, allowing the water to flow abundantly and cascade down.

Below the canyon lies a bottomless pool of water, along with a mountain stream that flows downstream.

Because this place is covered by snow for many years, and water vapor rises from beneath the waterfall, creating a misty, ethereal atmosphere, it is like a fairyland.

Therefore, the name of Tianxuan Pool below Feihan Waterfall is well-known among the locals.

However, this is mostly news spread by those who were lucky enough to survive and left this place; very few people actually get to see either of them.

Now, Meng Zhao, Duan Hong, and Yan Congke see things clearly.

The three of them walked out of a sealed snow forest and stood on a huge ice crystal rock. They were all amazed by what they saw.

"A waterfall plunges three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way were falling from the ninth heaven; this mountain and this scene truly live up to this poem!"

Meng Zhao sighed, leaving Duan Hong and Yan Congke completely bewildered.

They only knew that Meng Zhao's martial arts skills were unfathomable, but when did he also have such poetic talent?

In contrast to the numerous scenes of snakes and pythons entangled along the way, the area around Feihan Waterfall and Tianxuan Pool was empty and desolate, with almost no signs of life, including those so-called snakes and pythons.

In addition, all three are top-notch experts.

Meng Zhao and Duan Hong possessed profound internal strength cultivation, lofty spiritual realms, and practiced spiritual martial arts, making them extremely perceptive.

Yan Congke possesses a pure and refined swordsmanship, with a sword intent that is both exquisite and subtle, and he also has a spiritual awareness of swordsmanship.

Upon entering the vicinity of Tianxuan Pool, one can faintly sense an invisible pressure.

Whether there are dragons here is still unknown, but there are definitely extraordinary things hidden here, which is why they can bring such a strong shock and pressure to the three top masters.

Meng Zhao gave Yan Congke and Duan Hong a wink, and the two of them used their lightness skills to fly off in two different directions.

Duan Hong finally landed on a towering ancient tree not far from Tianxuan Pool. His white clothes blended with the snow falling from the branches, and with the breath-holding technique of a top-level internal energy cultivation method, he instantly resembled a withered tree.

Yan Congke didn't have that ability, but he managed to reduce his presence by sprinkling some perfume powder he got from Meng Zhao on his body to get rid of the smell.

Holding the God-Slaying Spear, Meng Zhao walked towards the Heavenly Profound Pool, stopping when he was less than three zhang away.

He took out a purple incense burner from a small pouch at his waist. Without any visible flame, he rubbed his fingers together slightly, and the incense burner was ignited. Soon, wisps of green smoke seeped out from the dense pores of the incense burner and drifted around the Tianxuan Pool.

Meng Zhao gently tossed the incense burner to the ground, making a crisp sound. Then, he slid down, like a nimble snake, and retreated back to the boulder where he had been standing.

The incense burner contains a special type of spice made by Meng Zhao, which is particularly attractive to creatures resembling dragons and pythons.

This is not something that exists within the Tianyuan Martial Arts system. Rather, it was created by Meng Zhao through continuous experimentation, arrangement, and deduction, utilizing his knowledge of the Divine Land and his understanding of the martial arts secret medicines of this world.

It was absolutely effective in Meng Zhao's budget.

The wait was long, and time slipped away bit by bit.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the three, who were already getting impatient, noticed that the Heavenly Mystery Pool was beginning to gurgle like boiling water, along with a deep sound like a cow mooing.

With a whoosh, a colossal creature swam continuously beneath the Heavenly Profound Pool, and soon burst forth from the water.

Glistening streams of water, glistening in the sunlight, cascade down this massive structure, resembling a smaller version of Feihan Waterfall.

Upon closer inspection, Meng Zhaowei was somewhat disappointed, while Yan Congke and Duan Hong gasped in shock.

This creature was indeed an elongated animal, completely different from ordinary pythons.

The part of it that protruded above the water was a full five zhang long and as thick as a water bucket. Its scales, as delicate and white as snow, shimmered under the light. The palm-sized scales were neatly arranged and embedded in its majestic and domineering body.

On its lower abdomen, there are two very conspicuous snow-white dragon claws, which gently shake and ripple the water.

Looking at the head of the giant creature again, its serpentine form was no longer discernible; instead, it resembled a dragon from legend.

Its antlers resemble those of a deer, its head a camel's, its eyes a rabbit's, its neck a snake's, and it even has a snow-white dragon mane that flutters in the wind, making it majestic and awe-inspiring.

At first glance, it is indeed a dragon, but the flying creature is called a jiao-mang.

However, in his previous life, Meng Zhao possessed the Purple Yuan Dragon Body, which was the body of an Emperor Dragon. He also cultivated the Purple Emperor Scripture of the Dragon-Controlling of the Heavens, so he had the most in-depth understanding of dragons.

In his eyes, this dragon was far inferior to even a celestial dragon, let alone a real dragon.

To call it a dragon wouldn't be entirely accurate, as its origins are far inferior to those of the dragons found on the land of China.

It's not even as pure as when the dragon Xiao Jiu was first born.

However, Meng Zhao thought about it again and realized that this was normal.

The Tianyuan Dynasty was in a time of decline, a time when shallow waters could not support a dragon.

Furthermore, if they truly possessed the essence and power of the dragons of the Divine Land, the three of them would most likely have come here to deliver food rather than to slay dragons.

Yan Congke stared at the enormous dragon, mesmerized.

Throughout his life, he traveled far and wide, witnessing many extraordinary things and bizarre events, and even met Tianma.

However, this object brought him the greatest shock.

Majesty, mystery, power, holiness—it seems that all the beauty and perfection can be embodied in this dragon.

He even felt a pang of regret; how could he have hunted such a sacred creature?

Duan Hong shared the same idea.

Meng Zhao had told him about his ambition to slay the dragon several years ago, and he had always regarded it as a guiding principle, waiting for the day when he could assist Meng Zhao in accomplishing this task.

This is not only to help Meng Zhao, but also to accomplish a very great undertaking.

Slaying dragons, slaying dragons—how many heroes and great men in the world could do such a thing?

However, looking at that colossal dragon, Duan Hong felt that he might have made the wrong decision.

Such creatures are blessed by heaven and earth, the beauty of mountains and rivers. If they are slaughtered rashly, it may trigger some unpredictable crisis.

This is also their limitation.

They all thought that these mountain dragons were ferocious, terrifying, cruel, and tyrannical, and that they could be killed and eliminated.

However, at this moment, having met the person in question, they realized that what they thought and what they saw did not match up at all.

This dragon has clear, intelligent eyes; it is by no means a mindless, ferocious savage.

Furthermore, its snow-white scales are so beautiful and moving, a masterpiece of the Creator, that they are truly captivating.

It's really hard to do it.

It truly proves the saying that good looks are everything.

Meng Zhao was actually slightly shaken inside.

It wasn't that he had good intentions, but rather that he had deeply understood what Zhou Zhihan had said to him back then.

This dragon in the mountains is indeed favored by the heavens and earth. If it is forcibly slaughtered, it will surely incur the wrath of heaven and earth, and all things will go wrong and disasters will follow.

Each of the three had their own agenda, with Meng Zhao taking the lead. As long as Meng Zhao remained still, Duan Hong and Yan Congke would not act rashly either.

The snow-white dragon was completely unaware of this; it truly possessed an intelligence beyond that of ordinary beasts.

His clear and deep gaze swept over Meng Zhao, Yan Congke, and the direction where Duan Hong, who was hiding the deepest, was located, but he didn't care.

Instead, its body swayed, and the water flowed slowly as it swam towards the incense burner.

Its massive upper body also tilted slightly downwards, with its dragon head sniffing the incense burner.

As they drew closer, the dragon let out a deep, guttural roar like an old ox, its clear eyes filled with joy and excitement, as if a child had received a favorite toy.

The dragon opened its mouth and inhaled, and the wisps of green smoke emanating from the incense burner turned into a thin stream and fell into its mouth.

Taking large gulps was like a seasoned smoker getting a good cigarette—an epic experience, utterly addictive. (End of Chapter)