North of Jialong Slope, the rugged Great Snow Mountain area is also one of the safe zones. It is a spectacle amidst the apocalypse, hard to imagine it remained unscathed during the Heavenly Tribulation.
The Sky Patroller slowly descended from high altitude. Bubble signaled the small airport in the mountain hollow, indicating the envoys had arrived purely for delivery, without malice.
Xu Cheng slowly pressed down the control lever, reducing engine power to make the Shuttle Machine descend as evenly as possible.
The airport had a simple concrete runway, flanked by haphazardly growing snow-covered woods, incomparable to Jialong Slope’s spacious airport.
"We’ve arrived!" Bubble announced excitedly to the crew.
Lianhua and Shahua Sisters frequently glanced at the silent forests on both sides of the runway, frost and snow settling on the green leaves, appearing particularly serene and beautiful in the cold spring, a refreshing sight after leaving the noise of Jialong Slope behind.
Two monks guarding the airport hurried over, their deep red robes fluttering dramatically with their movent. They looked up, watching the exquisitely advanced Sky Patroller, its body new and yet to suffer ravages and wear from long-distance travel, standing in stark contrast to the old and damaged aircraft of other envoys.
Xu Cheng subconsciously walked over, intending to open the door but suddenly swayed unsteadily.
"Gua?" She rubbed her head, never having felt so dizzy before.
"This is a high-altitude area, please take dicine before leaving." Ming Gongqiao took out dicine from the onboard dical kit, distributing it to the crew mbers overwheld by excitent.
Xu Cheng held up a purple capsule.
——Scanning——
Na: "High Plateau" High-altitude Adaptation Capsule
Description: An advanced dicine that assists with adapting to high-altitude climates, developed by Stag dical Company. It triggers the upregulation of erythropoietin and other signaling factors when oxygen levels drop, adjusts erythrocyte sedintation rate, increases oxygen utilization efficiency, minimizing negative effects of high-altitude exposure such as hypoxia, hyperventilation, headaches, insomnia, and chest tightness.
Threat Level: None
——End——
Lianhua and Shahua Sisters were quite pleased, they took the dicine and went down to see the snow, having been confined in Jialong Slope for six years without a glimpse of snow, they could now feast their eyes.
Xu Cheng also took the dicine, then went down to see the snow mountain monks.
"rcy." Said a chanical monk.
After the Heavenly Tribulation, many people’s spiritual worlds were greatly shattered, giving rise to a sect hoping for a technological nirvana.
Most gathered in the Great Snow Mountain area, as it was unhard in the Heavenly Tribulation, a shocking truth. Those with the deepest cultivation uploaded their consciousness to the network domain, entering a state of enlightennt, freeing themselves from earthly desires and mundane attachnts.
The monk before us seed to be a mber of the chanical Buddhist sect, his head shaved, wearing a robe interwoven with saffron and burnt orange, clothes embedded with sensors, wires, and connection ports. His limbs and face were alloy and plastic, his eyes optical implants with a deep indigo iris.
"Gua gua." Xu Cheng handed the transaction cargo list to the monk, containing a total of 20 bags of seeds, 20 packs of tools, and 400 kilograms of dried fruits, vegetables, and at.
The monk counted and signed off, after which Xu Cheng’s cash card suddenly had 20,000 funds added, completing the first delivery.
"I am Huaicang, and this is my junior, Minggao." Huaicang monk saluted Xu Cheng and then introduced another chanical monk by his side.
The other monk nad Minggao was even more radically transford, his right arm covered in various chanical ports for circuit and data cable connections. His body was a heavy-duty machine, with only a brain covered in electrodes floating in a bioliquid tank above his head. Antennas and signal transmitters were implanted at the spine, designed impressively.
"Wow..." Bubble stared at Minggao in amazent, "Why did he transform this way?"
"Junior Minggao wants to prove to people: so-called body is just a container for spirit." Huaicang nodded to Xu Cheng and Bubble, "Next, we will transport these goods to the village and distribute them to everyone."
Minggao, full of strength, used his chanical arm to unload goods from the Sky Patroller and load them onto the monks’ nuclear-powered tricycle.
Huaicang sat on the driver’s seat of the tricycle, inviting Xu Cheng and Bubble to sit in the rear cabin.
"I’ll deliver the goods to the village, Junior Minggao will go to the monastery to inquire if you have the chance to et the New Buddha." Huaicang said.
"Apply?" Bubble asked, "We are good kids you know."
"The New Buddha only crosses paths with those destined." Huaicang said.
"Then, we split?" Bubble turned.
"Yes, splitting is a reasonable strategy, soone needs to guard the Shuttle Machine." Ming Gongqiao looked at the Sky Patroller, valuable cargo must not be misplaced.
"We can just have a snowball fight nearby." Lianhua prepared to bury her sister Shahua in the snow.
"Hehe..." Most of the ti, Shahua seed like a pitiful fool.
After deciding on this, Ming Gongqiao and the Lianhua Sisters stayed at the airport to guard the Shuttle Machine, while Xu Cheng and Bubble went to Budan Village in the Great Snow Mountain for a visit.
Huaicang’s chanical hand gripped the handle of the nuclear-powered tricycle, pressing the accelerator pedal, the miniature nuclear power engine roared to life, propelling the vehicle with goods from the winding forest road, turning toward the village in the safety zone.
Xu Cheng took a deep breath, and thanks to the dication for altitude sickness, her lungs didn’t feel too uncomfortable. She saw many steep slopes in the forest, with trees growing crookedly on cliffs nearly vertical to the Ground.
Higher up were the temple halls of the chanical monks, the wooden structures already weathered, roofs slanting, most buildings situated between higher cliffs and lush forests, surrounded by ancient silent rocks, as if having withstood hundreds of thousands of unchanged epochs. There was also a huge white signal tower at the peak, breaking the pristine landscape, seemingly able to send and receive signals beyond the safety zone.
On the mountain paths, Huaicang drove the vehicle downhill, while his younger brother Minggao walked up along the slanted stone steps, returning to the monastery to consult the New Buddha, to see if it would allow Xu Cheng and her companions to enter the ditation hall.
"The previous monks lived here for over 500 years," Huaicang said.
"Gua." This was indeed an ancient place, too ancient. Xu Cheng glanced at the road, paved with pebbles, rugged and difficult, making the vehicle shake all the way, she and Bubble held each other’s hands tightly.
Colorful prayer flags stood on both sides of the road, fluttering with the wind, faded dyes seeping into the Ground, like tears of seven colors drying in snow and soil.
The Village of Budan was nestled in the snow mountains, with smoke wafting lazily.
The tricycle stopped at the village entrance, people waved to Monk Huaicang, they seed to be refugees from different regions, adapted to life in the high-altitude snow mountains, most clothes were homade cotton coats and yak wool sweaters. Industrially produced synthetic fiber clothing, blended materials beca precious items, like down jackets, assault jackets, and high-end fur garnts, treasured like heirlooms, rarely worn all year round.
"Six tis auspicious, Dharma joy filled. Two envoys have arrived." Huaicang got down from the tricycle, placed hands together, eyes downcast, slightly bowing, introducing to the villagers.
"Envoys?"
"Envoys! Wonderful!"
"Food is coming to the village!"
"People from outside!" Villagers were extrely happy, casting their eyes on Xu Cheng and Bubble sitting inside the tricycle, particularly on the large pile of goods they sat on, stored in special tal transport boxes.
The people here were so young. Xu Cheng saw them. There were no old n, the oldest seed to be in their thirties or forties, could it be that people here rejuvenate? Or because life was primitive and simple, everyone had so secret to youth?
She and Bubble jumped off the cargo box, helping villagers unload goods, these supplies were purchased by the monks for the village.
Preserved food, packaged food, instant noodles, at jerky, freeze-dried vegetables, dried fruits, grain seeds, various tools... Villagers moved them off the tricycle, sent to warehouses near the village entrance, a fur-capped robot responsible for registering goods in and out, people bustling about in front of the robot, working diligently.
Xu Cheng and Bubble wandered around the village, many buildings were very natural, decorated at the top with complex wood carvings, using crooked lines to draw animals and lotus patterns.
At so house entrances, villagers used fresh juniper branches and yak oil lamps as long-lasting small altars, flickering golden light, spreading the sll of lamp oil in the air.
What were they worshiping? Xu Cheng didn’t know. Seed like Mountain God, did mountains even have gods?
"This place seems to transcend ti." Bubble strolled in the village.
Xu Cheng observed the surroundings. Villagers struggled to survive in the post-war snow mountains, continuously gathering firewood, cultivating fields, raising animals, already having quite a sizable herd, black pigs, hairy goats, and wolf dogs were pensively in wooden fences, as if re-dosticated in recent years.
Many buildings were quite worn-out, having undergone many cold winters, cracked walls repaired with wood, mud, and rocks. At many house doors hung bright red monk robes, even if they did not worship Buddha.
Xu Cheng ca to the edge of the village, gazing afar, mountain ridges like serrated spires stood under the watercolor sky, snow-capped peaks glowed in the rosy dusk, of which one crystal-diamond-like mountain looked exceptionally appealing and prominent, as if inlaid among high mountains.
She breathed in fresh air, gazing at the vast emptiness from the village to the distant snow mountains, filled with coniferous forests and rocky cliffs.
This place was too beautiful, too peaceful, entirely uninvaded by mist and monsters, the world seed to have been nurtured and reborn among these towering snow mountains.
Bubble stood beside Xu Cheng, seeing the distant snow mountains and being struck by its grandeur.
"Little Gua..." Bubble’s heart sped up, turning to speak to Xu Cheng.
"Gua?" Xu Cheng suddenly noticed sothing motionless at the bottom of the cliff.
"Look, look." Bubble also saw it, pointing downwards.
Xu Cheng saw from the village edge to the distant forest, many densely packed red-robed figures, like sitting people! There were so many, at least over 500, everywhere, the furthest might have reached tens of miles away to the snow mountains, forming a red dot under the white slopes.
Very quickly, Bubble realized these were all corpses.
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