Beast God
Chapter 72: The Mystical Spirit's Descent

Within the city lord's manor of Samsara City.

Shang Qingtian stared intently at the sliver of light piercing through the pitch-black night sky, his eyes gleaming with an indescribable excitement.

"City Lord..." All the officials of Samsara City had gathered in the courtyard, their expressions varied—some brimming with excitement, others clouded with worry.

"How many years has it been since Samsara City was established?" Shang Qingtian asked without turning around, his gaze still fixed on the strange, flickering light in the sky.

"Samsara City was founded during the era of the Ancestral Emperor, in the third year after the discovery of the Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu. It has been over 2,800 years since then," a middle-aged scholar replied after some thought.

"Two thousand eight hundred and sixty-four years. Since that time, our Shang Family has built this city and guarded it generation after generation. I am the seventeenth city lord of Samsara City, and we have finally waited until this day."

The light in Shang Qingtian's eyes intensified. "The Ghost Taoist's calculations back then were indeed correct. The Mystical Spirit of the Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu must emerge from the Ghost King Mountain Range. After waiting for two thousand eight hundred and sixty-four years, we have finally witnessed it."

"The descent of the Mystical Spirit has sealed off the entire Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu. No one inside can leave, and no one outside can enter. With our current strength, I fear we cannot hold the Ghost King Mountain Range..." the middle-aged scholar expressed his concern.

"If we cannot hold it, then there's no need to. Let them all come if they wish," Shang Qingtian said calmly.

"But what if the opportunity presented by the Mystical Spirit is taken by others?" someone else worried.

"What is yours cannot be taken away by others. What isn't yours cannot be kept even if you try," Shang Qingtian said serenely, still looking up at the sky. "Recall all guards from the Ghost King Mountain Range. Open it to all."

Across the various cities of the Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu, countless powerful figures were staring at the eerie, flickering light in the sky, their eyes filled with greed.

Many city lords had already led their forces toward the Ghost King Mountain Range. Although Samsara City was the most powerful faction in the Blessed Land, the land was teeming with numerous forces. No matter how strong Samsara City was, it couldn't stand against everyone alone.

Wang Lian, who had been searching for Chen Guan, also witnessed the celestial phenomenon in the sky, her heart a mix of shock and joy.

"Uncle Eagle... the birth of a Mystical Spirit's offspring... this is the first time in the Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu, isn't it?" Wang Lian said, turning to the elderly man with graying hair beside her.

"Third Princess, this is indeed the first recorded instance of a Mystical Spirit giving birth in the Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu. By now, all major factions must be heading toward the Ghost King Mountain Range. This is an opportunity not to be missed. We must act immediately, though it means we'll have to temporarily halt our search for that person," Uncle Eagle replied with a bow.

"An event as significant as the birth of a Mystical Spirit naturally takes precedence. I shall accompany you to the Ghost King Mountain Range," Wang Lian declared without hesitation.

"Very well. With your fortune, Third Princess, you are bound to reap great rewards," Uncle Eagle agreed, nodding before issuing orders for their hidden operatives in various cities to converge on the Ghost King Mountain Range.

The entire Blessed Land of Mount Pingdu had erupted into frenzy. Nearly every cultivator, regardless of their level, was rushing toward the Ghost King Mountain Range.

"Is this the birth of a Mystical Spirit's offspring?" Chen Guan only realized what was happening after hearing Duan Shulin's exclamation about the Mystical Spirit's descent.

The phenomenon of a Mystical Spirit giving birth had occurred many times over the past three millennia. It was once believed that each secret realm would only experience this event once. However, several centuries ago, a second instance was recorded in one realm, shattering that assumption.

To this day, no one could definitively explain what a Mystical Spirit truly was. Although the phenomena accompanying their offspring's birth varied across realms, no one had ever clearly seen what lay within those phenomena, nor had anyone been able to enter them.

At best, observers caught fleeting glimpses—like trying to discern an elephant through a tube—leaving the true nature of the so-called Mystical Spirits a mystery.

The term "Mystical Spirit" arose from two theories. First, some speculated that the phenomena concealed spirits comparable to deities, hence the name. Second, numerous spirit eggs would descend from these phenomena, each containing different species and grades of spirits. Some eggs might hatch low-grade spirits, even those without any rank, while others could produce Legendary-grade Mystical Spirits immediately.

There was even a legend that among the eggs birthed by Mystical Spirits, some might contain entities surpassing the Legendary grade. Of course, this remained mere speculation, as no one had ever come forward claiming to possess such a spirit companion.

"To encounter the birth of a Mystical Spirit's offspring—who knows if this is fortune or calamity?" Chen Guan mused, staring at the celestial phenomenon while debating whether to stay.

Historical records showed that each instance of a Mystical Spirit giving birth differed. Some produced very few spirit eggs—sometimes just one—while others spawned vast quantities, with one recorded instance yielding nearly a million eggs.

One constant remained: when the spirit eggs emerged from the phenomenon, they would plummet rapidly in various directions. Securing them required skill and effort. Predicting their landing spots was impossible; while they typically fell within a hundred-mile radius of the initial phenomenon, luck played a significant role.

After some thought, Chen Guan turned to leave. This was ground zero for the Mystical Spirit's descent and the most likely area for spirit eggs to land—meaning it would also be the most fiercely contested, potentially becoming a blood-soaked battlefield.

With Second Awakening and even Third Awakening cultivators likely to clash here, Chen Guan had no intention of staying as cannon fodder at his current level.

"Brother Guan, don't rush off! Let's talk," Duan Shulin called out, limping over.

"About what?" Chen Guan shot him a puzzled look. That this guy dared approach him again—was he truly unafraid of being silenced?

"About the Mystical Spirit's offspring, of course. This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere safe and secluded first," Duan Shulin whispered conspiratorially.

Chen Guan's mind raced. Could this be related to the Nether Lotus? Had their extraction of it triggered the Mystical Spirit's descent? If Duan Shulin knew something, Chen Guan couldn't risk him spreading word about the Nether Lotus.

Nodding, Chen Guan accompanied Duan Shulin as they made their way out. While they departed, countless cultivators were flooding toward White Cloud Ravine, their numbers swelling by the minute.

Duan Shulin's injuries were severe—only copious medication kept him going—so their progress was slow. By the time they reached the ravine's exit, the guards had withdrawn, even the erected walls demolished, as a dark mass of people pushed inward.

After squeezing through the crowd, they finally emerged, only to find more people streaming toward the site.

"Chen Guan." As Chen Guan moved toward less populated areas to distance himself, a familiar voice called his name.

Turning, he spotted a contingent camped on a nearby hill. Among them, a woman clad entirely in red armor, astride a fire qilin, was watching him.

"Ji Nanhong!" Chen Guan was startled to encounter her here.