Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

Lin Qingxue sat blankly by the lake.

Only when the terrifying white tiger was completely gone did her extremely tense nerves finally relax.

But as soon as she relaxed, she felt as if all her strength had been drained, and with a thud, she collapsed onto the muddy ground.

Tears welled up uncontrollably.

"Why, why did it turn out like this?"

The professor who had just gone into the mountains with her was dead, and Zhou Hao, who had been saying he would protect everyone, also left her in the face of death.

They even took the initiative to let her stay. She supported herself on the ground with her hands, her shoulders trembling, and she seemed somewhat dazed.

"Isn't it just about doing scientific research? Why did it suddenly turn into this?"

A gentle mist drifted across the lake, and a mountain breeze blew by. The air held a tranquility unlike anything else. It was as if this were another world entirely.

In the middle of the lake, Chu Zhou watched this scene quietly. He remained silent, wary of human instincts.

But the scene before him still left him with mixed feelings.

In his previous life, he was also human. He had witnessed disasters and betrayals. In the early stages of the spiritual energy revival, human nature was most vulnerable to testing.

Some people risk their lives to save others, while others betray their teammates. Zhou Hao has seen far too many people like this.

"In the face of disaster, human nature is most vulnerable. The selfish are selfish. Being human is too tiring. It's better to be a plant."

Chu Zhou muttered to himself. At the same time, because he had just absorbed the Black Bear's essence, the spiritual energy around him had not yet been completely contained.

A faint bluish-silver light swirled in the center of the lake. Enveloped in spiritual mist, the Moonlit Lotus swayed gently.

Like something that only exists in mythology.

Lin Qingxue noticed something, looked up, and saw the scene in the middle of the lake. She was stunned.

In the center of the lake, a giant, enchanting lotus blooms quietly.

The lotus leaves are several meters wide, their entire surface interwoven with blue and silver hues. Faint gold patterns entwine the edges.

A misty aura swirled around them, with a faint glow flowing through it. Quiet, mysterious, yet possessing an indescribable majesty.

Especially that terrifying white tiger from just now, it chased us all the way here, but suddenly turned around and left, as if it was afraid of something.

She wasn't stupid; she guessed that the tiger was probably wary of the lotus flower.

Suddenly, Lin Qingxue remembered the mountain stories her grandmother had told her when she was a child, stories about spirits in the deep mountains.

In the old forest, there is a mountain god who protects you. If you encounter a life-or-death situation, you may be saved by the mountain god.

Her face paled, and she tentatively asked, "Mountain God, is that you?"

The lake was still, with only gentle ripples spreading out. Lin Hong mustered his courage and bowed his head toward the center of the lake.

"Are you the Mountain God?"

The lake surface rippled slightly.

Chu Zhou almost burst out laughing.

Mountain God?

How could a demon lotus that had only recently become a spirit have managed to get into the official ranks?

But on second thought, it seems normal.

The spiritual energy revival had just begun, and ordinary people had never seen anything like this before, especially with its current appearance—surrounded by spiritual mist, glowing all over, and even scaring away a terrifying white tiger.

Anyone would think of the mountain god. Chu Zhou remained silent for a moment, neither responding nor denying.

After all, sometimes mystery is safer than explanation. The next second, ripples suddenly appeared in the center of the lake, and with a splash, dozens of thick roots slowly emerged from the water, but did not show any aggressive posture. Instead, they swayed gently like living things.

The surrounding spiritual energy gathered, and a faint bluish-silver glow spread from the center of the lake.

Above the lake, wisps of spiritual mist slowly rose, eventually condensing into a blurry phantom in mid-air.

The illusory figure was not clear, vaguely resembling a person sitting cross-legged on a lotus platform, enveloped in moonlight and spiritual energy, making it impossible to see their face.

Yet it naturally possesses an indescribable majesty and mystery.

Lin Qingxue held her breath instantly.

There really is a mountain god? Her mind went completely blank. The next moment, a calm and deep mental fluctuation resounded in her mind.

"Go down the mountain."

Lin Qingxue shuddered, her face paling slightly. She cautiously said, "Mountain God, I can't go down now; there are tigers outside."

"The professor is dead, and Zhou Hao has run away."

"I'm afraid to walk alone."

"Could I stay here for the night?"

In the end, she knelt on the ground pleadingly, repeatedly kowtowing to Chu Zhou until her forehead bled.

In the middle of the lake, Chu Zhou was speechless. Good grief, they're really sticking to him now? He originally just wanted to get rid of them, but now they're directly requesting accommodation?

Chu Zhou instinctively wanted to refuse, but his mental perception swept across the surrounding mountains and forests. The white tiger hadn't gone far, and there were still many low-level beasts active nearby. Given his current state, he would most likely die if he went out.

A moment later, the lake surface rippled slightly, and a huge lotus leaf slowly stretched towards the shore.

It eventually stopped not far from Lin Qingxue.

The spiritual mist spread slightly, and a warm and gentle aura wafted over, causing mental fluctuations to resound once more.

"Do not approach the center of the lake."

"Just for one night."

Lin Qingxue's eyes instantly reddened.

She kowtowed to Chu Zhou again, nodded hurriedly, and bowed her head repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Mountain God."

"Thanks."

Her voice was choked with emotion; everything that had happened today had almost completely crushed her spirit.

If it weren't for this place, she might be dead.

Chu Zhou silently complained to herself, "What kind of mountain god is this? He should be called Brother Lian." But she was too lazy to explain.

Just then, a clear chirping sound suddenly came from high in the sky.

"Chirp!"

A golden streak of light swooped down from the night. It was incredibly fast. Lin Qingxue was startled and instinctively shrank back.

A small figure landed on the rocks by the lake.

It was Little Jinbao, its pale golden feathers gleaming in the moonlight. It was a size bigger than before, and its bright eyes were staring curiously at Lin Qingxue.

He tilted his head slightly, as if he were looking at something strange.

"Is the master human?"

Little Jinbao's mood fluctuated, and his voice was still childish.

"Is it edible?"

Lin Qingxue's face turned pale instantly, and she froze. What was going on? The bird could talk, and its first question was, "Can I eat her?"

Chu Zhou was almost speechless at this: "You can't eat it, kid, don't think like that."

Little Jinbao was clearly a little disappointed. It flapped its wings and flew to a branch next to Lin Qingxue, circling her and looking her over from left to right.

"She's weak and slow, why did Master save her?"

Lin Qingxue felt a little embarrassed; she had been rejected by a bird.