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

evening.

Linjiang City, North City.

Outside the spirit beast rescue center, the sky was overcast.

The entire compound is surrounded by high walls.

The area inside the walls is densely wooded, and occasionally one can hear the low hissing of spirit beasts. This place houses wounded and cub beasts rescued by the Ninth Bureau from beast tides, the black market, and the outskirts of the restricted area.

There were spirit deer cubs that had lost their mothers, spirit sparrows with broken wings, and low-level exotic beasts that had been imprisoned in the black market and had not yet regained their wild nature.

The entrance to the ambulance center.

Su Wan stood in front of the cordon, watching several black vehicles approaching from not far away.

Chen Mo got out of the car.

Xuan Ku also arrived with the disciples of Jinglian Temple.

Su Wan frowned slightly: "This isn't a place to learn about ginkgo trees, so how did you get the information?"

Chen Mo did not explain the Green Leaf Seed Transplantation. He simply took out a piece of paper that had been burned by psionic energy from his pocket. On the paper, one could vaguely see a string of old Asta numbers.

"Someone has brought the spirit-summoning black nails here, and there are people inside to receive them."

Su Wan took the piece of paper, her expression gradually becoming serious. This serial number perfectly matched a batch of Asta data seized by the Ninth Bureau back then.

Where is Chen Xueli?

"It's inside."

Su Wan raised her hand and pressed the communicator: "Lord Han Lie has not yet left Linjiang, and Lu Cang is on his way."

She looked at Chen Mo and Xuan Ku: "The Ninth Bureau is responsible for the blockade and evacuation. If you dare to recruit people, bring beasts, or steal things during the chaos, I will hold you accountable first."

Chen Mo smiled and said, "The Green Lotus Society will not accept young animals from cages. If they want to leave, we will send them away."

Xuan Ku also spoke up, saying, "Jinglian Courtyard only questions the heart, not takes lives."

Su Wan glanced at the two of them: "Once inside, follow Chen Xueli's instructions."

Chen Mo said, "As for guarding the city, let her decide; as for keeping vigil, let us decide."

Su Wan didn't argue anymore, because deep inside the rescue center, a muffled roar suddenly broke through the twilight.

Roar!

The entire compound was shaking, and within the high walls, a violent spiritual pressure surged into the sky.

Early stage of fifth rank!

"Alarm! The nest-guarding white apes have rioted! All cages in West Zone 3 have been destroyed. All personnel must evacuate the containment area!"

The piercing alarm blared throughout the ambulance center.

One after another, the spirit beasts rushed out of their cages in panic, but strangely, they did not rush towards the street outside.

Instead, they all ran towards the underground containment facility in the West Third District, because that was the only place they dared to go.

boom!

An alloy wall was smashed to pieces by a tremendous force, and from the dust and smoke, a white ape that was seven or eight meters tall slowly walked out.

Its body was covered in old wounds, its right ear was missing a corner, and there were three hideous scars across its chest, as if it had been cut open by some sharp instrument.

The white ape held two trembling spirit beast cubs between its arms. Its eyes were bloodshot, but beneath that bloodshot was not pure killing intent.

It was a near-mad fear.

"A cage, another cage."

The white ape's voice was hoarse. It smashed the iron cage next to it with a punch, and the injured spirit deer inside was so frightened that it collapsed to the ground.

The white ape didn't harm it; it simply pushed it, along with several cubs, into the underground passage behind it.

Chen Mo stood at a distance, gazing at the gray-black patterns that kept moving across the white ape's chest, his voice low and deep.

"The life-sacrificing nail is not underground, but in its heart."

On the other side of the ambulance center, several people in work uniforms quietly opened a side door.

Each of them carried a specially made spirit beast cage. One of the black market couriers lowered his voice and said, "The white ape will hold off the Ninth Bureau. Capture the cubs first. That red-eyed spirit deer is worth eight million. Don't let it get away."

He had just taken two steps.

A pale green vine broke through the soil.

The vine lashed at his face, sending the black market contact flying backward, half his face instantly becoming a bloody mess.

Chen Mo emerged from the shadows, followed by dozens of Qinglian Society members who blocked the side door.

"If you want to capture beasts, the Ninth Bureau might not necessarily intervene first, but today, the Green Lotus Society is here. Anyone who dares to touch a young beast should keep their hands to themselves."

The black market contact covered his face, his expression a mixture of shock and rage: "Chen Mo, you're going against humanity for a few beasts?"

Chen Mo looked at him: "You're wrong. You were the ones who first took human lives and animal lives as a business."

boom!

The white ape guarding its nest roared again in the distance, smashing open the last cage door before raising its head to look at the city lights across the courtyard wall.

Gray and black stripes spread wildly across its chest, and the voices of those gloved humans seemed to echo in its ears once more.

"Hold it down, draw its blood, leave the cubs, and deal with the mother."

The white ape, its eyes bloodshot, raised its massive paw and slammed it down on the main building of the rescue center.

Inside the main building, some staff members who hadn't had time to evacuate were still shouting: "Han Lie!"

Su Wan shouted, and a crimson figure swept down from the rooftop. Han Lie formed a hand seal, and the crimson flame seal transformed into a giant net in mid-air, blocking the white ape's giant palm.

boom!

The fire net trembled, and the giant white ape's hand was forcefully stopped. Han Lie stood behind the fire net, his voice like thunder.

"White ape! There's someone here!"

The white ape ignored it, and the gray-black stripes continued to engulf its chest. It was dragged into the illusion by the Life Sacrifice Nails.

It saw rows of iron cages closing up inside the main building.

The cage was full of the cubs it was protecting.

"Get out of here!"

The white ape roared, and Han Lie frowned: "It's bound by an obsession and can't hear human speech."

Chen Xueli led the night watch team to the west side.

A crimson token hung in mid-air: "First team, evacuate the main building personnel; second team, seal off the north gate; third team, deploy all Soul Cleansing Lamps towards the underground passage, don't let the Black Nails continue to grow stronger by taking advantage of the young beasts' fear."

Du Feng, carrying his psionic shield, was the first to rush into the main building: "Follow me!"

Inside the building, several young veterinarians, their faces pale, were carrying medicine kits.

A female veterinarian said anxiously, "There are still more than a dozen cubs in the underground containment facility!"

Du Feng glanced at her: "The white ape is protecting them. It's saving the people first. It's not trying to kill the cubs; it's afraid someone will take them away."

The female veterinarian was stunned. Du Feng didn't say anything more and led his men towards the safety passage.

On the other side, Xuan Ku stood in front of the ruins.

The thirty-six disciples of Jinglian Temple formed a circle, and the sound of prayer beads rang out: "Jinglian Inquiry Formation, begin."

hum!

A pale golden light rose from the ground, not pressing down on the white ape, but instead falling into the bodies of every terrified spirit beast.

The spirit beast, which had been running around wildly, gradually slowed down.

The screams amplified by the black nails around them began to fade away little by little.

Xuan Ku looked at the white ape: "This humble monk will not imprison you, nor will I advise you to forgive anyone. I only want you to see clearly where those who truly want to harm the young beast are."

The white ape's crimson eyes flickered, and Chen Mo looked at Lin Qingxue: "Can we go in?"

Lin Qingxue's face was pale; she had not yet fully recovered from the energy she had consumed while studying in the heart of the Ginkgo Tree.

But she still nodded: "It's different from Grandpa Ginkgo. Grandpa Ginkgo is afraid the children will go out."

"It was afraid the baby would be taken back, so I went to tell it that there was more than just a cage outside."

Chen Xueli stopped her: "This time it's too dangerous."

Lin Qingxue looked at the white ape: "What's most dangerous for it right now isn't the nails. It's that it feels the whole world wants to take away what it's protecting."

She raised her palm, and the Azure Lotus Mark lit up: "If no one even tells it this, it will truly become a beast tide."

Chen Xueli separated a protective seal from the crimson token and placed it on Lin Qingxue's shoulder.

"I'll give you two minutes. If you can't hold on, then back out."

Lin Qingxue nodded, stepped into the surging gray-black spiritual pressure surrounding the white ape, and her figure disappeared.

When Lin Qingxue opened her eyes, she found herself standing in a cold corridor.

Both sides of the corridor were lined with alloy cages, each containing countless young animals: spirit deer, lynxes, spirit sparrows, little foxes, and even a newborn white ape cub.

Outside the cage, a large, nest-guarding white ape was huddled in a corner, holding its cub.

It kept banging on the cage door: "Open the door, let them go, don't take them away."

No one responded; only hands wearing black gloves reached out from the end of the corridor.

They grabbed the cage door, the young animals, and the cubs in the white ape's arms.

"No!"

The white ape roared.

It punched those hands, but the place where the fist landed...

But new cages will always appear; the more you smash them, the more cages there are.

Lin Qingxue walked over, and the white ape instantly turned around, raising its giant hand.

"roll!"

Lin Qingxue looked at the cub in the white ape's arms.

The little white ape was so frightened that it curled up into a ball, its claws gripping its chest fur.

"Do you want it to stay here forever?" The white ape was taken aback. "There are bad people outside."

"I know, but there are people outside who will open the door for them."

Lin Qingxue raised her hand.

Scenes emerge in the darkness, as the Ginkgo tree, seeking knowledge, severs its ancestral roots.

Chen Xueli led the night watch team to rescue people, Du Feng shielded the students from the black water, and Chen Mo stood under a tree, stopping people from climbing it.

The mysterious Buddha light descended, purifying the lingering thoughts of the gray-robed figure, and also bringing to mind the scene in reality of medical staff carrying injured cubs rushing out of the main building.

"They may not all be trustworthy, but there are always some who are worth trusting again."

The white ape lowered its head, and the gray-black nails on its chest emitted a sharp hiss.

"Don't believe them. Humans will capture them all, kill them, and trap them. No one can take them away!"

Lin Qingxue looked at the nail shadow and sneered, "You are not it. You want to protect the young beasts, but it wants everyone to be afraid of each other."

The white ape trembled violently as it looked at the cub in its arms.

The cub raised its head and touched its face with its tiny paws.

The white ape remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly it raised its large, thick hand and smashed the iron cage in front of it with a single punch.

boom!

The cage door was broken open.

The young animals did not flee into the darkness.

Instead, it followed the light behind Lin Qingxue and ran outwards, the black nail shadow on the chest of the guardian white ape emitting a shrill shriek.

"You dare disobey!" the white ape said in a low voice. "They shouldn't live in cages."

In reality, the white ape's massive body suddenly stopped, its gray-black markings on its chest twisting wildly. Lu Cang stood at a distance, his silver spear piercing the ground.

"Found it! The secondary anchor point is in the underground containment vault!"

hum!

The spear burst forth with a silvery-white spiritual light, the ground cracked open, and spirit-inducing secondary nails wrapped with black silk flew out from the ground.

There are twelve in total.

Each one is connected to the life-sacrifice nail on the white ape's chest.

"Break!"

Lu Cang swept his spear horizontally, and the silver-white spear light flashed, causing the twelve secondary nails to shatter one after another.

On the white ape's chest, the dark nail finally lost its external support and slowly emerged from the flesh.

The white ape roared to the sky, raising its hand to grasp the life-sacrificing nail.

Black blood sprayed.

The sacrificial nail was forcibly pulled from its chest.

The nail trembled violently.

Countless gray-black threads tried to burrow back into the white ape's body.

Xuanku clasped his hands together and said, "Pure Lotus Burns Away Illusions."

The Buddha's light transformed into golden lotus flames.

Chen Xueli's crimson token pressed down simultaneously.

"seal up!"

Han Lie raised his hand.

The Crimson Flame Seal landed on the Nail of the Life-Sacrificing Lord.

The black nail emitted a piercing, mournful cry as it was struck by three forces.

boom!

The sacrificial nail exploded completely.

The massive white ape staggered a few steps and looked down at the underground containment facility.

Dozens of cubs escaped from the broken cages.

There were fawns of spirit deer, little lynxes, and sparrows whose wings had just grown spirit patterns.

Instead of scattering and fleeing, they gathered around the white ape's feet.

The white ape crouched down and placed the two white ape cubs on the ground.

It looked at Su Wan and said in a low voice, "I'll take them with me."

Outside the rescue center, many members of the Ninth Bureau watched the white ape nervously.

Fifth-tier exotic beast.

If we let it go, no one can guarantee that it won't get out of control again in the future.

Chen Mo walked up to the white ape and said, "You don't need to join the Green Lotus Society, nor do you need to bow down to anyone. If you want to leave, the Green Lotus Society will send you out of the city."

The white ape looked at him: "You...aren't you going to capture the cubs?"

Chen Mo shook his head: "What Qinglian will guard is never a cage."

Su Wan remained silent for a long time before finally speaking into the communicator: "Record: The Ninth Bureau of Linjiang City has signed the first Spirit Beast Habitat Agreement with the Nest-Guarding White Ape."

"In the Ninth Bureau, a buffer zone was designated around Beishan, allowing the white ape to lead its stray cubs into the area."

"The premise is that innocent humans must not be harmed and residential areas must not be entered on purpose."

Su Wan looked at the white ape and said, "Humans keep their promises, and you must keep yours too."

The white ape nodded, then turned and led dozens of spirit beast cubs toward the North Mountain.

The setting sun fell on its broad back, and a few little sparrows landed on the white ape's shoulder.

One of the boldest deer calves staggered and climbed onto its back.

The white ape moved very slowly.

The ambulance center is located underground.

Lu Cang pulled out a black iron box from the ruins, most of which had been burned away by the flames.

Inside the iron box, there were no spiritual materials, only an account book.

The cover of the ledger had four small, blood-red characters written on it.

[A hundred cities have lost all trust.]

Su Wan opened the ledger. The first page listed twelve placement locations: the school's ginkgo tree, the spirit beast rescue center, the ancient temple's spirit deer, the northern wolf pack, the harbor's whale spirit, and the city god's ancient banyan tree.

Each section behind it had a different note written on it.

[Target for protection: Larvae.]

[It can amplify obsessions: imprisonment.]

[Expected outcome: Humans and animals harm each other.]

Su Wan turned to the last page. The edges of the page were blackened by the fire, but the bottom line of text was still clearly visible.

[The Seventh Nail: Never enter the beast's nest, never enter the forbidden zone, enter the heart of the heart.]

Su Wan's face was gloomy. Chen Mo stood beside her and said, "They know that the Guardians are difficult to kill, so they want to make everyone stop believing in the human Guardians first."

Xuanku clasped his hands together and said, "These selfish bastards truly deserve to die. This humble monk should deliver them all from suffering."