Reversing Falsehood and Preserving Truth: All Gods and Gods Are in My Hands

The pangolin's life is simple and pure.

Every day, it guards the mountain wall shrouded in spiritual energy, watching the life force of heaven and earth nourish the plants. When it encounters ferocious beasts that come to devour the spiritual plants, it arches its back and uses its thick scales to knock them back. It never attacks anyone, only wishing to protect this pure land that nourishes it.

In its spare time, it will lie by the stream, swaying its body in rhythm with the wagging tail of the fish, or tilting its head back to imitate the chirping of the birds. Although it is not melodious, it is full of pure joy.

In the distance, the figure of Shennong, dressed in hemp clothing, often appears among the fields, carrying a medicine basket and moving through the grass. His figure, which has tasted all kinds of herbs, hides his compassion for all living beings.

He never approached the pangolin's cave, but he always managed to leave a few harmless spiritual herbs at the entrance when he left, with morning dew still clinging to the leaves. Under the cover of night, the pangolin would carry the freshest spiritual fruit from the depths of the cave to the blue stone where Shennong often sat, the fruit peel glowing with spiritual light, carrying its clumsy gratitude.

Over time, without a word, they developed a tacit understanding.

Shennong sensed the simple and honest nature of this spirit beast. Seeing that it possessed intelligence but did not disturb living beings, only silently protecting the vitality of the earth's veins, he would occasionally stop to offer guidance.

"Drawing the earth's energy into the body can strengthen its foundation; following the natural rhythms of plants can nourish its vital energy."

His fingertips glowed with a warm, spiritual light, and as he lightly touched the ground, a subtle vein of earth light up beneath the pangolin's feet.

The pangolin seemed to understand something. Following Shennong's guidance, it inhaled and exhaled the earth's energy. A faint yellowish-brown halo gradually appeared under its scales. Its ability to harmonize the life force in the mountains became more and more proficient. It looked at Shennong's back with eyes full of admiration, and had long regarded this ancient sage king as a half-teacher.

The scene suddenly changes!

The once peaceful scene was shrouded in dark clouds, and an uneasy stillness permeated the world.

The traces of the gods became increasingly rare, and the once radiant sky turned into a depressing gray haze, with an aura of delusion spreading through the forest like a fine mist.

When Shennong reappeared, his brows were furrowed with an unyielding weariness, and his hempen clothes were stained with barely perceptible black aura, the marks of being corrupted by illusion.

He squatted at the entrance of the pangolin cave, the spiritual light at his fingertips dimming considerably, and sighed heavily: "The world is about to descend into chaos, falsehoods are disturbing the world, and all the gods have disappeared. My divine body is also being corrupted, and I fear I will not live much longer... Your wisdom has been awakened, do not get involved in the strife, find a secluded place to sleep, and you may be able to avoid this calamity."

The pangolin rubbed against the back of his hand, the coolness of its scales touching the warmth of Shennong's palm. It let out a low whimper, its eyes filled with reluctance.

Born on this mountain and enlightened by Shennong, it has long regarded this land and its former master as its final resting place, so how could it leave alone?

Shennong understood the determination in its eyes, shook his head, and left with the final words, "Take care of yourself," before his figure vanished like mist into the mountains and forests.

The pangolin did not leave. It resolutely burrowed into the deepest ley line node of the Shennong Mountains, curled up in the warm rock and soil, and fell into a deep slumber. Nourished by the life force of heaven and earth, it used its own spirituality to resist the erosion of illusion, with only one obsession in its heart: to guard the remnant soul of its former master and protect this land.

The long years passed in slumber, and thousands of years later, the piercing sound of drilling and the blinding light tore through the darkness.

The pangolin's chaotic consciousness was startled awake. It struggled to open its eyes and saw a group of humans dressed in strange clothes surrounding the place where it had been sleeping, holding instruments that gleamed with a cold light in their hands.

Upon awakening, its intelligence had become dulled due to long slumber and the erosion of illusions, and its strength was far less than in ancient times. When faced with unfamiliar humans, it instinctively arched its back but did not attack.

The man in the lead wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a seemingly gentle gaze. He spoke of things like "fighting against falsehood," "protecting the world," and "seeking the good way in the world." He also displayed a "false thing" (a phantom spirit) that was imprisoned, claiming that he was researching a way to break it and needed its "help."

The pangolin sensed the destructive restlessness emanating from the imprisoned ethereal spirits, which mirrored the evil aura it had been resisting.

It recalled Shennong's teachings on "protecting all living beings," remembered its original intention in falling into slumber, and longed to know whether the world millions of years later still needed protection.

Its pure nature ultimately failed to see through the greed beneath that gentle exterior, and it gradually lowered its guard, nodding to the man.

This trust became the beginning of its tragedy.

It was lured out of the depths of the earth and into a man-made cave filled with cold instruments. There were no warm herbs, no kind guidance, only endless suffering.

The first step is the implantation of the Dao Dao pattern.

Cold metal bound its limbs, and several dark red lines were forcibly branded onto its flesh. These were the artificially modified "Lava Avenues," carrying extreme aggression and destructiveness.

This unfamiliar power of the Great Dao was forcibly "balanced" with the illusory energy that had originally invaded its body, but it clashed violently with its original power, like being burned by raging fire. With each energy flow, it felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were piercing its body day and night.

Then came the imprisonment collar.

Five dark gold collars were forcibly placed around its neck and limb joints. The runes on the collars flickered with an eerie red light, not only continuously drawing away its source power and the energy of the Lava Road, but also transforming these powers into a stronger suppressive force, forming a vicious cycle.

Its intelligence gradually blurred during the extraction process, and its clear will was gradually worn away, leaving only boundless pain and anger.

The fragments of memory are becoming increasingly shattered, filled with screams and struggles.

Lu Yu could clearly sense the excruciating pain of betrayal deep within the pangolin's consciousness—its trusted "guardian" was actually an executioner who treated it as a tool; its steadfast "guardianship" had become a weakness that was exploited.

Su Wan's spiritual silver light trembled violently, blood trickled down her nose and down her lip. She bit her lip hard, tears streaming uncontrollably. The despair and violence that penetrated to her very bones was transmitted through the bridge of consciousness, making her feel cold all over.

The pangolin's consciousness gradually became distorted under torture. Its pure, ancient spirit of protection was covered by hatred and pain, leaving only an infinitely aroused desire for destruction.

Even so, in the deepest recesses of memory, that protective obsession originating from Shennong still flickers like a candle in the wind, never completely extinguished, but is shrouded in layers of violence and despair, making it difficult to see.

"boom--!"

A violent tremor suddenly struck the real world, instantly throwing the vortex of memories into chaos. Lu Yu and Su Wan's consciousnesses were forcibly pulled apart, the pangolin's roar, full of pain and violence, echoing in their minds for a long time.

The two suddenly came to their senses, and before them was still the battlefield of Shennong Mountain.

The sirens below grew closer, and the beams of searchlights illuminated the edge of the battlefield, making the figures of ordinary humans vaguely visible. Lu Yu lay prone on the ground, his chest heaving violently. The pain and anger he had just experienced from the memory still churned within him. Looking at the struggle in the pangolin's eyes, he suddenly understood something—

Just then, Pangolin No. 1's collar suddenly burst out with a blinding red light, and a violent energy forcefully suppressed its struggle. The giant claws fell again, targeting Lu Yu and Su Wan!

In the darkness in the distance, a dark figure flashed by silently, holding a remote control in his hand, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.