Chapter 672: 672. Demon Tiger
The 20-person team was racially diverse with all skin colors represented.
Their goal was to sneak into the border of Xia Country and borrow the "Spirit Mechanism" to break through their own realms.
They had already arrived at the banks of the Yalu River, with Xia Country just across the river.
The trees on the opposite side were more than twice as tall, towering and spectacular.
The wildlife in the forest was noisy without cease, and even the fish in the river crowded towards the opposite bank, occasionally poking their heads out of the water to breathe.
Such scenes were naturally due to the exceptionally dense "Spirit Mechanism" within Xia Country, inherently desired by life itself.
A group of foreigners was also exceptionally excited:
"This is the 'Spirit Mechanism'!? It feels so comfortable!"
"God bless! I must break through this damned Refining Internal Organs!"
The newly rich, the group was shouting and yelling quite embarrassingly.
An impatient, broad-faced man with small eyes said:
"This concentration is nothing, everyone quiet down, we're preparing to cross the river!"
This man was the Goryeo guide for the team named "Jin Taihuan," who was very familiar with the border of Xia Country and vital for a successful smuggling.
The group hurriedly fell silent, only a short Chuyun man said in a low voice to please:
"Mr. Jin, from here on we rely on you, we will follow your arrangements!"
"Just obey, and I'll show you what true paradise looks like."
Jin Taihuan led the way, wading the team into the river towards the opposite bank.
After landing, they faced dense forests and steep mountains, a perilous and rarely trodden perfect spot for smuggling.
A group of foreigners traversed mountains and waded through waters to finally stand on the land of Xia Country.
The "Spirit Mechanism" was indeed denser, even feeling like it was sweeping across their faces with the mountain wind, bringing many to tears!
In fact, with their level of cultivation, they originally couldn't sense the "Spirit Mechanism."
But the environmental disparity was stark, like moving from a desert to a rainforest, dull senses still felt the change.
The group of foreigners were certain that their own country's density of "Spirit Mechanism" was probably not even one-thousandth of this place's!
And this was only the border area, deeper inside it could be even more exaggerated!
"It really makes one envious…"
Someone voiced everyone's thoughts, and besides jealousy, there was also unspoken bitterness.
Bitter that Divine Souls were biased, that Evil Demons were cruel, what should have been ascension for all of humanity was only left to a fortunate few.
Thankfully, in the age of the internet, everything could be found online, including cultivation methods.
"He also cultivated up, so I can definitely do it too!"
"I want to ascend too! I want to become a Divine Soul!"
The crowd motivated and moved themselves, only to be interrupted by Jin Taihuan:
"Alright, we'll stay here, just for two days, hurry up and break through."
"We've just crossed the border, can't we go deeper?"
The deeper they went, the denser the "Spirit Mechanism" would certainly be, the group wished they could rush into the heart of Xia Country.
The previous Chuyun man spoke as well: "Mr. Jin, we can pay more."
"It's not about the money!" Jin Taihuan glared and said: "Going any further is too risky of being discovered."
"Does being discovered really matter?"
The Chuyun man chuckled slyly: "As far as I know, Xia Country is relatively mild, they would at most deport us."
To prevent public sentiment from descending into madness, the authorities had been restrictive.
Yet Jin Taihuan sternly said, "It's only the Xia Country officials who are mild! Don't forget our heads are worth 1 point each!"
Who could refuse points delivered to their door? Especially when many among the transmigrators were ruthless.
The group of smugglers suddenly quashed their thoughts and began to set up camp on the spot.
The others were setting up tents, while the Chuyun man took out a wooden stake inscribed with seal script and hammered it into the ground.
This was an item from Three Kingdoms World, capable of absorbing Spirit Mechanism!
In the age of the internet, what was shared wasn't only knowledge, but also various prohibited items.
Jin Taihuan's face showed surprise, but he said nothing, only gazing deeply at that short Chuyun man…
This man named "Matsumoto Shigeru" was evidently not a simple character.
Matsumoto Shigeru had invested heavily, naturally, he had to ensure nothing went wrong, so he took the initiative to ask,
"Mr. Jin, is this place safe? Could we encounter border guards or villagers?"
"Xia Country people are busy traversing and cultivating, they won't come to this godforsaken place."
Jin Taihuan vowed confidently, "You just need to wear your thermal blankets properly and avoid the drones' thermal imaging."
What the group of smugglers all wore was a layer of aluminum foil thermal blankets, completely covering them from head to toe.
This material could mask their body heat and evade the thermal imaging surveillance of border guard drones. Combined with the natural cover of dense forests and steep mountains, a few days' mix-up was enough.
The group let down their guards, began to adjust their state, and prepared to break through.
But as night fell, various howls and cries echoed from the depths of the forest, even tiger roars.
Jin Taihuan took the initiative to speak, "Don't worry about the wild beasts, I'll keep watch."
"With you, a Refining Organ Martial Artist here, we certainly don't need to worry."
Matsumoto Shigeru was the first to flatter, Jin Taihuan nodded at him, then leaped up the tree in one stride to stand guard.
As time slowly passed, aside from the animal cries from deep within the forest, indeed, no person or beast came to disturb them.
Actually, they cared little about wild beasts. There wasn't a single ordinary person present, and they all had guns; even if a real tiger appeared, they could easily take it down.
What they truly feared were people, as one alarm call could bring immense trouble.
Fortunately, at that moment, snowflakes began to drift from the sky. The weather in this freezing land made it even less likely for anyone to come, making the group of smugglers feel even more at ease.
But while people might not come, something else did.
A flock of birds took flight, and the noises of various animals abruptly stopped, leaving a deathly silence all around.
The sudden silence in the vibrant forest indicated that a top predator was around.
Matsumoto Shigeru, who had been dozing off leaning against the wooden stake, immediately opened his eyes and drew his gun!
This unimposing, short man was actually an elite of Chuyun's special forces, known as "Dragon of the Self-Defense Forces."
The moment he realized something was amiss, he instantly became vigilant of his surroundings and indeed saw two dim lights in the dense forest— the eyes of a predatory beast!
Staring eyes, seemed a bit too large, like lanterns…
It was too dark to see clearly, Matsumoto Shigeru couldn't care less, ready to pull the trigger.
But before his finger could move, those two dim lights instantly closed in!
Matsumoto Shigeru saw clearly what it was, and his face drastically changed!
It was a Northeast Tiger, as big as a van, as if mutated.
With unimaginable speed, it teleported close, swiping its paw, sending Matsumoto Shigeru flying in pieces.
His head rolled to the ground, Matsumoto Shigeru, highly resentful, cursed Jin Taihuan, the useless lookout.
But the next second, he saw a blood-soaked head under the tree, eyes rolled back, dead, it was Jin Taihuan.
Turns out, he was the first to die...
Matsumoto Shigeru was fast too, but just before dying, he saw the tiger first dig out the wooden stake from the ground, smashing it to pieces.
Then it pounced towards the surviving smugglers, unleashing a bloody massacre.
"Demon?"
Lu Li's gaze turned their way, clearly interested.
The Northeast Tiger in front of him, bigger than a van, was a demon kind catalyzed by Spirit Mechanism.
These natural beings instinctively protected their habitat and couldn't stand people stealing Spirit Mechanism through dark magic.
Thus, these smugglers were actually doomed by Matsumoto Shigeru, and they no longer had the chance to hold him accountable.
In less than three minutes, twenty people were all shredded by the tiger, their team annihilated.