The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 289 Strange Phenomenon (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The old weasel was taken aback: "Immortal, I don't know this. I have never left the grassland."

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes slightly. If it could be used outside, why had it never been seen in the Central Plains?

If it cannot be used, what is the reason for this? Is there really something special about this vast grassland?

Zhao Ti asked, "If you leave the grasslands, all your supernatural abilities will disappear, and you'll have no special skills left. Do you still want to leave?"

The old weasel was stunned for a moment, then said, "Then I must also leave. Staying here means certain death. Please... please, Immortal, take me in."

Zhao Ti said calmly, "I killed so many of your clansmen, don't you feel resentment? You still want to stay by my side, do you have some ulterior motive?"

The old weasel said, "Immortal, we were plotting something wrong first. You deserved to kill us. Besides, our tribes often fight each other, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. The defeated tribes are often swallowed up by the victorious tribes and merged into one, living together. How could we remember the deaths and injuries from before?"

Zhao Ti's gaze sharpened: "Is that so?"

The old weasel said, "Immortal, I dare not lie. Beasts are different from humans. If it were an immortal, I might hold a grudge, but they are immortals after all, no longer ordinary people. They are different from us. We only want to live and reproduce."

Zhao Ti nodded. If the old weasel was obedient, he wouldn't mind sparing its life. After all, there were still some things he didn't understand and he needed to ask it questions later.

"Since you have some cultivation, you should have given yourself a name. What is your name?" Zhao Ti asked.

"My name is Huang Tianbiao, a name I gave myself, and it is not in accordance with the immortals' teachings," the old weasel said cautiously.

“Huang Tianbiao.” Zhao Ti smiled. “Why not call him Huang Tianba? That would be much more imposing.”

The old weasel said, "I wouldn't dare. That's the name of Third Master Huang, one of the five generals of the Huang family."

There are many Yellow Immortals in shamanism, the most powerful of whom are known as the Five Generals: Huang Tianfeng, Huang Tiangang, Huang Tianba, Huang Tianqing, and Huang Tianlong.

Among them, Huang Tianba is Huang San Taiye, who is said to have cultivated himself into an immortal and resides in Wuyun Cave in Kunlun Mountain. His mount is a red dragon horse, and his magical weapons are the Eight-Section Whip and the Yin-Yang Two-Soul Lamp. He is in charge of the people and horses of the hall.

Zhao Ti said, "You've got some nerve, daring to share the same title as these five generals, and even have the character 'Tian' in your name?"

The old weasel whispered, "I only call him that in private, I dare not tell anyone. The immortals who govern that tribe all call him by his rank and never ask what his name is."

Zhao Ti said, "Huang Tianbiao, if you behave yourself, even if you lose all your skills once you leave the grasslands, I will still save your life and give you a way out. But if you don't obey, don't blame me for being ruthless in eliminating evil."

Huang Tianbiao nodded vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice: "From this day forward, I will serve the Immortal as my master, obey the Immortal's orders, even if it means going through fire and water. I will never dare to disobey in the slightest. If I am disloyal, may I be struck by five thunderbolts from the sky, pierced by ten thousand blades from the earth, choked to death while eating, choked to death while drinking, and even more so while speaking..."

Zhao Ti glanced at it and interrupted, "That's enough, no need to send any more."

Huang Tianbiao quickly shut his mouth, his face, which resembled both a rat and a wolf, revealing a fawning and obsequious expression.

Before we knew it, we had been traveling on the grassland for a day. At dusk, we stopped by a small river. There were traces of herders' temporary lodging here, with marks of tents and signs of cooking stoves.

The four of them lit a campfire by the river, cooked some food, and then rested by the fire after eating.

Zhao Ti ignored Huang Tianbiao and tossed it aside. It lay in the grass watching the four people sleep, its little eyes blinking as if it were pondering something. But after a long time, it made no move. Finally, it yawned, curled up its tail, and fell into a deep sleep.

Around midnight, the starlight veiled the river like a white glow, making it look incredibly beautiful.

On the other side of the river, a young girl suddenly appeared from afar. She was dressed in palace attire and carried an octagonal lantern, each side of which was painted with a lady. She looked towards the river.

She looked at Zhao Ti's resting spot from afar, a sweet smile curving her lips.

If Zhao Ti were to wake up at this moment, he would surely recognize the girl as Yuan Xiaoxian. She stood there motionless for a long time, neither crossing the river nor making any sound.

After a while, Yuan Xiaoxian suddenly shifted her gaze to the north, then looked thoughtful. The next moment, her body moved like flowing clouds and drifting snow, heading north.

Just a few breaths after she left, Zhao Ti slowly sat up, glanced at the opposite side of the river, then shifted his gaze to the due north, looking thoughtful.

After daybreak, the four continued south, and by nightfall they had covered half the distance. In two more days they would enter the Hetao region.

Nothing further happened. Two days later, at noon, they reached the edge of the grassland and soon arrived at the territory of the Heishan Weifu Military Command.

Just as the four of them slowed down a bit and were about to take a break, they suddenly heard wolf howls coming from all directions.

The sound was extremely shrill and filled with anger, carrying far across the open grassland, and sounded terrifying and jarring.

Zhao Ti reined in his horse, looked at Huang Tianbiao hanging to the side, and said, "Is this the Wolf Immortal?"

Huang Tianbiao's small eyes darted around: "Immortal, there are many wolf packs on the grassland, each with its own territory. They don't seem to be from the same pack right now, but since they've all gathered here, only a wolf immortal can summon and command them."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "They've come to take revenge. We're about to leave the grasslands, I wonder if they dare to chase after us. Grassland wolves are grassland wolves, and wolves outside are wolves outside; they're not all the same family."

Zhou Tong said, "Young master, that's right. There are mountain wolves and plain wolves outside. I've also heard that there are wolves on the Tibetan plateau, and they are all different breeds."

Zhao Ti nodded: "That's right, but it seems that only things from the grasslands are strange. I've never heard of immortals or anything like that in other places, and I've never even seen one that has become a spirit. But there is one right here on this horse."

Upon hearing this, the three looked at Huang Tianbiao. Huang Tianbiao dared not act rashly and bowed to each of them. His sparse beard trembled slightly, and a stiff smile was squeezed out of his rat-like and wolf-like face.

At this moment, the howling of wolves grew closer and closer, and it was unclear how many there were, as they gradually surrounded the center.

Zhao Ti asked, "If they don't take human form, how can immortals distinguish them?"

Huang Tianbiao hesitated and said, "That's hard to say. If an immortal doesn't release their aura or that wisp of their cultivated thoughts, the lesser immortals can't tell. Even if they're hidden within their clan, it's hard to discern them."

Zhao Ti asked curiously, "Can that wisp of thought still be seen?"

Huang Tianbiao said, "It is faintly visible, crystal clear, and can be summoned out of the body and hung above the head, containing infinite magical power."

Zhao Ti said, "This is becoming increasingly strange. Can it even attack directly with thoughts?"

Huang Tianbiao said, "I've heard it's possible, but I've never seen it."

Zhao Ti pondered, "Since this wisp of thought can possess a person, wouldn't it also be able to escape far away and kill without leaving a trace?"

Huang Tianbiao said, "This... I haven't heard of it. The upper body has made a vow with the immortals, so the thoughts can be summoned and arrive according to the will. But if you go out to kill alone, not to mention whether you can find them or not, it's not that fast. If something goes wrong and the immortals are injured, it will be several times more difficult to cultivate a wisp of thought than before."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "So that's a valid point."

At this moment, the wolf pack was getting closer and closer, numbering in the hundreds or thousands, hidden in the grass, their ferocious eyes gleaming through the gaps in the vegetation as they stared at the four of them. Zhao Ti pondered, "The important thing is to capture that immortal being to prevent him from ambushing us. At this distance... the ability to separate our thoughts from our bodies is feasible."

Huang Jinbiao said, "Immortal, you are insightful. With the target in sight and in front of you, you can naturally use your control. However, immortals are also cautious and will not easily use an attack if they are not confident."

Zhao Ti nodded. At this moment, the sun was setting in the west, and noon had passed. Then, a series of muffled "woof woof woof" sounds came from the bushes, followed by fierce wolves rushing out from all directions.

No one knows how many there were, a dense, seemingly countless green mass, bursting through the sea of ​​grass with a pungent, fishy wind, stirring up a raging torrent, their backs arched and their four claws flying, crushing the tall grass, like a surging green tide.

Seeing this, Zhao Ti said calmly, "Kill them, but be careful of that immortal's sneak attack."

The three immediately agreed, jumped off their horses, surrounded the horses in the middle, and then coldly stared at the pack of wolves.

At this moment, the howls of wolves rose and fell like horns tearing through the sky, echoing across the entire grassland, stirring up grass clippings and dust, forming a dust fog that blotted out the sun, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression that seemed to suffocate all living things on the grassland.

Holding the Ghost Head Greatsword, Wu Changfeng, who had recovered from his injuries, roared, "Come on, it's been a long time since I've had a good killing spree. Let's have a good time today!"

Hundreds and thousands of wolves howled in unison, their sound waves like surging waves, and in the blink of an eye they were almost upon each other. A gust of wind, carrying a foul stench, rushed towards them, as if trying to tear the four of them apart.

A great battle was about to break out. In the blink of an eye, a large number of wolves fell, but it seemed endless. As soon as one in front died, another immediately took its place, showing no fear of death.

Even with so many, the difference between them was simply too great. Zhao Ti killed dozens of them with a single palm strike, and Xiao Feng did almost the same.

Sometimes having more isn't a good thing, and even being fearless doesn't necessarily give you an advantage.

With such a dense pack of wolves, they hardly needed to search for targets; a direct attack would inevitably kill many. Wolves are cunning by nature, and their hunting strategy is usually quite specialized. But now, they all just rush forward in a swarm, completely negating their own advantages.

Moreover, Zhao Ti discovered that the attack power of these wolves was not as high as that of Huang Tianbiao's clansmen. Many of Huang Tianbiao's clansmen were comparable to Wu Changfeng in skill, while these wolves were not even one or two tenths as good.

He said, "Why is it so weak?"

Huang Tianbiao whispered beside the horse's legs, "Immortal, my clan's cultivation is usually stronger than these wild wolves, and we also have the divine power bestowed upon us by the great change in the world. How can these wild creatures compare?"

Zhao Ti said, "So there's such a difference."

Huang Tianbiao said, "Your Excellency is wise and discerning; it is indeed so."

Moments later, the wolf carcasses were almost piled up like a mountain. Zhou Tong and Wu Changfeng both used weapons, and blood flowed like a river around them, the grass and mud were wet, and the whole place was a chilling red color.

They had already killed over a thousand wolves. Although more and more were still coming, the four of them had abundant internal energy and leaned together, not taking it seriously at all. Even if another thousand came, they could kill them all!
At this moment, the sun shifted slightly to the west, and the light and shadow in the sky dimmed a little. Zhao Ti suddenly looked up and narrowed his eyes.

He looked at something, indistinct and almost transparent, yet incredibly fast, as if countless tiny threads of light were intertwined and entangled, with some images shimmering beneath its crystalline surface, but they vanished in an instant as it flew toward him.

This thing is slender and delicate, resembling lotus root silk, silkworm silk, and the transparent seeds of a dandelion. It seems to contain a power capable of crushing souls.

What was that? Zhao Ti moved with lightning speed, unparalleled in his ability, and in the blink of an eye, he caught the object as it spun down.

Huh? He felt that the thing seemed to be alive, struggling desperately in his palm with immense strength, and it seemed as sharp as a thread, about to cut through his hand.

"Immortal, this, this is just a wisp of thought!" Huang Tianbiao exclaimed from behind.

"Is this thought?" Zhao Ti felt as if this thing was alive, struggling and trying to escape from his hand.

His expression changed, and he immediately activated his Illusory Yin True Qi. As soon as the True Qi of the Twelve-Story Xuanji Platform realm was released, a faint sound, like a mournful cry, came from his palm.

The wisp of thought was crushed by the Illusory Yin True Qi and turned into powder. Its color was no longer crystal clear, but turned gray-black in an instant. Then it fell to the ground and disappeared.

Just then, a pitiful howl came from the distance, as if someone had been seriously injured.

The attacking wolves paused, then stopped advancing and slowly retreated. After a dozen breaths, they moved faster and faster, disappearing into the distance like a tide.

"Immortal, Immortal has destroyed a wisp of thought of that wolf clan immortal!" Huang Tianbiao exclaimed. "Immortal, your supernatural powers are vast and your magic is boundless. I admire you wholeheartedly."

Zhao Ti glanced at it, then raised the hand that had crushed the wisp of thought. His hand remained unchanged, and nothing was left behind.

He gazed at the wolf pack in the distance for a long time, then said calmly, "Let's keep going."

The four arrived at the edge of the grassland at dusk. Just as they stepped out of the grassland, Huang Tianbiao suddenly shouted.

Zhao Ti asked, "What's wrong? Has your body changed since you left the grasslands?"

Huang Tianbiao's voice was filled with terror, as if he had seen a ghost: "Immortal, Immortal, my power has disappeared, more than 90% of it has disappeared."

"More than 90% have disappeared?" Zhao Ti nodded. That's right. It seems that, just as he expected, something strange is going on on the grassland.

"Can't you still talk?" Zhao Ti said calmly.

"I was blessed by the changes in heaven and earth, and my transverse bone has split open. It can't, it can't grow back, can it?" Huang Tianbiao was on the verge of tears.

Zhao Ti said, "If I'm not mistaken, the power you have left is also what you gained during the changes in the world, but it's definitely not all of it, and most of it has disappeared. What you lost completely should be the power you gained from cultivating on the grasslands."

"It seems, it seems that's really the case, Immortal, you are wise indeed." Huang Tianbiao said, trembling, "Immortal, do you know what's going on?"

Zhao Ti glanced back at the vast grassland without speaking. There was something strange about the grassland, but he had not yet figured out what it was.

They continued south and arrived in Xingzhou around noon the next day.

Xingzhou looked much more peaceful than when he left, and all the restrictions on the city gates were lifted, with merchants and people coming and going in an endless stream.

Then he went straight back to the Pacification Commissioner's Office. Bai Zhan was patrolling in front of the gate. When he saw Zhao Ti, he hurriedly came over. Zhao Ti asked him if anything had happened after he left.

Bai Zhan said, "Your Majesty, Wu Xiong has returned from the Great Snow Mountain. He seems to have something urgent to report and has been waiting for Your Majesty for several days."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti instructed him to summon Wu Xiong, then called everyone to meet him, before entering the hall.

A quarter of an hour later, everyone gathered in the main hall of the Pacification Commissioner's Office. Zhao Ti looked at Wu Xiong and asked, "Why did you return alone? What do you have to report?"

With a bitter expression, Wu Xiong stammered, "Your Highness, we were ordered to search for the whereabouts of Miss Mu in various snowy mountains, but unexpectedly, Master Kumārajīva and King Huo have disappeared..."

(End of this chapter)