"Here it comes!"
Wang Mu got up from his bed.
An event of Travel at night? Or perhaps in the mine...
At night, wild beasts roamed the outskirts of the village, and Fierce Beasts were common, especially around the mine.
Hmm, with my current strength, dealing with ordinary wild beasts shouldn't be a problem. For Fierce Beasts, if I take an axe and some Beast Capture Nets, escaping shouldn't be an issue, right?
After some deep thought, Wang Mu got dressed. He took a torch, slung his axe at his side, and stepped out into the bright moonlight, making his way to the Pocket World Mine.
The mine at night looked somewhat eerie. It was dotted with dozens of dark, shadowy holes of various sizes. Under the moonlight, they resembled mysterious portals, making one's skin crawl.
I've reached the destination, Wang Mu thought, surveying his surroundings.
Having dug here for a month, he was quite familiar with the place. Although he hadn't yet entered the mine shafts to dig for Spiritual ore, he had mined practically all other common types of ore.
What kind of event could happen here? Wang Mu wondered, waiting quietly.
Before long, a faint sound arose.
SQUEAK, SQUEAK...
Wang Mu's skin prickled. Is that the sound of a Fierce Beast? Inside one of the mine shafts? Which one?
Wang Mu observed carefully, but lacking the skill to pinpoint locations by sound, he could only roughly discern the direction of the noise, not its exact origin. Hiding to one side, Wang Mu continued to watch.
Not much later, just as a faint rainbow light appeared in the sky, a golden-yellow, rodent-like Fierce Beast ran out from one of the mine shafts.
What is this? Wang Mu was startled.
This rat was entirely golden-furred, about fifty centimeters tall, and clearly not a common beast. Moreover, it wore a cloth garment imprinted with a mysterious character, a band tied around its head, and carried a bulging pack on its back. The pack was stuffed full, its contents unknown. Based on Wang Mu's year of understanding this world, the character was an ancient symbol for "Luck."
As the golden rat emerged from the mine shaft, it looked left and right, its shifty eyes darting about alertly, suggesting uncommon intelligence.
This doesn't seem like a typical Fierce Beast... Wang Mu frowned slightly. With intelligence this high, could it be a Spirit beast?
Spirit beasts were creatures possessing human-like intellect. They absorbed the essences of heaven and earth for Cultivation and were born in various corners of the world. Most Spirit beasts not only possessed high intelligence but also generally bore no ill will towards humans. The Little Jiao Huo he had encountered before was a water-based Spirit beast, a type of Spirit.
Could it be a Spirit beast stealing from the mine? Wang Mu wondered, looking at the golden rat's pack.
Suddenly, the rat opened its mouth and spoke fluently in human language, "KEKEKE, this lord is dead tired. I've been running for so long. I never thought I'd escape to such a good place. I hope that tomboy doesn't follow me here. This place is very secluded. It's perfect at night. No one will discover me."
Wang Mu was speechless. What a sneaky, thieving rat.
The Golden Rat kept talking while looking around, occasionally listening intently as if searching for a path. Suddenly, as if realizing something, it glanced in Wang Mu's hiding direction.
Wang Mu cursed inwardly. This rat might possess some Divine Skills! I've been discovered!
Sure enough, the Golden Rat looked towards Wang Mu's hiding place and said cheerfully, "So, there's a mortal here. What, you want to test your skills against your Grandpa Rat? If you're wise, scram! Grandpa Rat has no intention of harming you humans!"
Seeing this, Wang Mu walked out from a dark corner. He looked at the Golden Rat, his expression unchanging.
"You've got some nerve." Wang Mu's expression remained unchanged as he snorted coldly. "You little rat, daring to steal your way into Anle Village."
"Anle Village?" The Golden Rat's face changed; he seemed to have heard of this place before.
"Exactly!" Wang Mu nodded and suddenly shouted, "Indeed! This is Anle Village, where the Ancient Sage, the great hero Dongfang Mu himself, once resided! And you, a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Beast, dare to steal into his ancestral home! Do you realize that you beasts, capable of developing Spiritual Wisdom and absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for Cultivation, owe it all to him opening the Gate of Apocalypse back then? If he isn't considered your spiritual parent, he is, at the very least, an eternal benefactor! You dare steal into his ancestral home! Aren't you afraid his spirit in heaven will punish you?"
Wang Mu stood tall and strong, his breathing steady. His fierce shout, like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, carried an unmatched presence!
The Golden Rat stumbled back several steps, seemingly frightened, its fur standing on end.
My babbling nonsense actually seems effective? This little rat isn't so tough after all!
Wang Mu's words were pure speculation based on his understanding of this world over the past year. To be precise, it was a simple deduction about how the world had changed after the 'ending' he knew. After all, the protagonist in that story had opened the Gate of Apocalypse. Now, a thousand years later, this had become a vast Immortal World; there had to be a correlation.
Could it be that when the Gate of Apocalypse opened, the world's Spiritual Energy revived, causing it to upgrade? If so, the appearance of Spirit beasts in this world would indeed be closely connected to that event.
"You... you... you..." The Golden Rat pointed at Wang Mu. "Dongfang Mu... that old man vanished a thousand years ago! He's probably turned to dust by now! Stop bluffing your Grandpa Rat!"
"Insolent!" Wang Mu roared furiously. "The beast acts, and heaven watches! I advise you to immediately return what you've stolen, or you will surely suffer Heaven's Punishment!"
As he spoke, Wang Mu had already slyly taken out a Beast Capture Net. He had said all that to intimidate the Golden Rat and divert its attention, hoping to successfully capture and question it thoroughly. He didn't actually believe in any Heaven's Punishment.
However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than a purple flash of Thunder suddenly lit up the sky!
BOOM!
The horizon blazed white for a moment. The next instant, fiery trails of light, like shooting stars, streaked across the sky!
What the...? Wang Mu saw they were fireballs, each about the size of a basketball!
What the heck? Wang Mu's mind reeled. What's going on? I was just bluffing! Could it really be happening? Is this a case of 'Speak and follow'?
"AHH! I was wrong! I was so wrong!" The Golden Rat, utterly terrified, quickly knelt and started kowtowing towards the horizon.
Wang Mu was stunned.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Mu threw out the Beast Capture Net. This net was Uncle Tie Hu's masterpiece, specifically designed to capture and bind Fierce Beasts. Its fine mesh was woven from Willow Golden Silkworm Silk, produced by Aunt Hong's cultivated Willow Gold Silkworms, and interlaced with fine particles of Mystic Iron Ore, making it incredibly sturdy. Wang Mu had tested it on himself before. Despite struggling for one or two Hours, he hadn't been able to break free.
SWOOSH! The Beast Capture Net enveloped the Golden Rat in a single motion.
Wang Mu pulled the net tight, and the little fellow's limbs were instantly squeezed together. He glanced at the horizon and quickly retreated from the area.
Just as he left, the huge fireballs rained down, striking various parts of the mine and causing a thunderous clamor.
What's going on? Outer Heaven Meteors, right? Could this be the real Travel event? Isn't this too much of a coincidence?
Wang Mu looked at the mine; it now resembled a missile-bombarded crater, with debris flying everywhere. Fortunately, Wang Mu, with his tough physique and quick reflexes, was unharmed except for feeling a searing blast of hot air wash over him.