From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The dizziness from the intense spatial teleportation slowly subsided like a tide. Yao Mengkang shook his still somewhat groggy head, supported himself on the warm, smooth bluestone beneath him, and struggled to his feet.

The stinging pain from his wounds made him gasp, but what alarmed him even more was the completely unfamiliar world before him.

The azure sky, the warm sunshine, the fresh air, and the vibrant green mountains in the distance... all of this formed an extreme contrast with the eternally gray, deathly, and oppressive environment of the Silent Soul Abyss, making it so beautiful that it seemed almost unreal.

"Where...is this place?" Yao Mengkang murmured to himself, his voice hoarse.

He first checked his own condition. Although his injuries were severe, his foundation was intact. His million-foot spiritual sea was slowly circulating, nourishing his injured body.

He took a few healing pills from the spoils he had plundered and then treated his most serious wounds.

After doing all that, he began to carefully examine his surroundings.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, ahead lies a relatively flat valley, lush with vegetation, and a clear stream flows gently through it. As far as the eye can see, apart from the majestic green mountains behind and the natural scenery before me, there is no sign of human habitation.

We must figure out where we are and how to leave.

After a moment's thought, Yao Mengkang chose a direction that seemed to lead out of the mountains and had a relatively open terrain, and began to walk forward.

He walked with a slight limp, but his eyes were sharp, always alert to any potential danger.

After walking for about half an hour, he crossed a low ridge, and the scene before him made him pause slightly.

In the distance, stretching out from the valley, a cluster of buildings suddenly appears on a gentle slope.

With its blue tiles and white walls, the houses stand side by side, and the area looks quite large. A rough estimate suggests there are no fewer than two hundred households, making it resemble a small town.

What caught Yao Mengkang's attention even more was that in the center of the town, a wisp of grayish-white smoke, carrying the scent of daily life, was rising and merging into the clear sky.

There are people living there!

Yao Mengkang's spirits lifted.

The presence of people means that you can gather information, learn about the general situation of the place, and may even find a way to leave, or at least find a place to rest and recuperate temporarily.

Without hesitation, he changed direction and strode quickly toward the town where smoke was rising from the chimneys.

However, as the distance gradually closed, Yao Mengkang's initial excitement was quickly replaced by an increasingly strong sense of unease.

It's too quiet.

In this vast town, apart from that single wisp of smoke, no other household was raising any smoke from their chimneys.

The sun was already setting in the west, which should have been the time when every household was preparing dinner. However, as far as the eye could see, the chimneys of the other houses were deserted and silent.

Moreover, there are no typical farmlands or vegetable gardens to be seen on the outskirts of the town, and no sounds of roosters crowing, dogs barking, or children playing.

The entire town lay quietly in the afterglow of the setting sun, like an exquisite but lifeless painting, with only a wisp of smoke in the center proving that the place was not completely dead.

Yao Mengkang slowed his pace and frowned. The scene was truly bizarre.

But looking around, in the vast wilderness, this seemed to be the only obvious settlement of people. He was still injured and knew nothing about this place; blindly wandering around would be unwise.

"Let's go in and take a look, but be careful." Yao Mengkang took a deep breath, suppressed his unease, gripped the long knife in his hand, and walked towards the entrance of the town.

There is no fence or gate at the entrance to the town; there is only a road paved with bluestone slabs leading in.

Stepping into the town, the gloomy or dilapidated atmosphere I had imagined did not materialize.

The streets were clean and tidy, and although the houses on both sides had an old-fashioned style, they were well maintained, with bright windows and clean furniture.

Some residents were even walking around on the street or sitting in front of their homes doing handicrafts.

The townspeople's reaction to Yao Mengkang, a stranger covered in blood and dressed in rags, surprised him even more.

They didn't show any fear or wariness; instead, they all cast curious and friendly glances at them.

Several elderly people nearby smiled and nodded at him, and a child who was playing even ran up to him, looking up at him curiously and asking:

"Big brother, did you come from outside the mountains? Why are your clothes torn?"

The local customs... seem exceptionally simple and honest.

Yao Mengkang forced a smile, nodded to the child, then stopped a middle-aged man who looked quite kind, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked:

"Sir, may I ask where this place is? I encountered an accident on my journey and ended up here. I would like to inquire about the situation."

The middle-aged man sized Yao Mengkang up and down. Seeing that although he was disheveled, his eyes were clear and honest, he replied warmly:

"Young man, are you from out of town? No wonder you don't know. This is Qingluo Town at the foot of Xuanwu Mountain."

"Xuanwu Mountain?" Yao Mengkang's heart skipped a beat; he had never heard of this mountain before.

"Which prefecture does it belong to? How far is it from the nearest major city?"

"The prefectural capital?" The middle-aged man scratched his head and chuckled.

"We're in the Central Divine Continent, but which continent exactly... Our town has been here for generations, and we rarely go out, so we can't say for sure. The nearest big city? Go east, about three hundred miles away, there's a city called 'Maple Forest City,' which I've heard is quite lively."

Central Divine Continent! Yao Mengkang felt slightly relieved. No wonder the teleportation felt so absurd. It had actually teleported him directly to the Central Continent.

Xuanwu Mountain, Qingluo Town, Maple Forest City—he had never heard of these names before. It seemed he had arrived in a rather remote area of ​​the Central Divine Continent.

He asked some more questions, such as the recent developments of sects, whether there are teleportation arrays, and what major events have occurred in the outside world.

The townspeople were very open and enthusiastic, but their answers only made Yao Mengkang frown more and more.

They knew very little about sects, only vaguely hearing that there were some cultivation sects in the distance, but they couldn't recall their specific names.

Teleportation arrays were unheard of. As for major events in the outside world, they seemed completely isolated from them, never even hearing of behemoths like the Heavenly Dao Sect or the Underworld Prison, let alone the Silent Soul Abyss.

Their lives seem confined to this small town and the surrounding mountains, with no concern or understanding of the outside world.

This level of isolation is extremely unusual for a town in the Central Plains of China.

"Young man, you look badly injured. Why don't you rest in town for a while? Granny Wang seems to have cooked some porridge today; you can go ask her for a bowl."

Another older woman kindly offered her advice.

Yao Mengkang thanked them for their kindness, but his doubts grew stronger.

The simple and honest folk might be a good thing, but this kind of "simplicity" that is completely unaware of outside affairs, combined with the eerie scene of "the only smoke rising from a chimney" before entering the town, always made him feel that something was wrong.

He originally planned to set off immediately for Maple Forest City, 300 miles away, after finding out the direction, but at this moment, a strong thought seized him.

In the center of that small town, the only house with smoke rising from its chimney.

Why was only one household in the entire town lighting a fire? How did the other families survive? The townspeople seemed to take this for granted and made no mention of it.

This illogical detail was like a thorn stuck in Yao Mengkang's heart.

He glanced at the sky; the sun was about to set and night was approaching. Traveling three hundred li while injured was no easy task, especially since the mountain paths were difficult to traverse at night.

Rather than...

A resolute glint flashed in Yao Mengkang's eyes.

He thanked the townspeople again, said he needed to rest and tidy up a bit, and then slowly walked toward the center of the town, toward the direction where the smoke was rising.

He wanted to see what was so special about the only house with smoke rising from its chimney.

Does this seemingly peaceful and tranquil Qingluo Town conceal secrets he is unaware of?