Prologue

　　When heaven and earth first opened, the divine mountain already stood upon the continent—majestic and towering, vast and boundless. Its main peak pierced the clouds, unreachable and unfathomable.

　　In the myths and legends of generations of humans, the ancient deity who split heaven and earth perished atop this divine mountain. It is said that this vast, imposing range is the very remains of the god’s body.

　　In reality, the divine mountain has always been shrouded in an extraordinarily powerful force—terrifying and irresistible. Even the mightiest beings in the world, whether human saints, Desolate Tribe berserkers, or those innately formidable ancient beasts, cannot withstand the mountain’s oppressive power.

　　Thus, for ages, no creature has ever set foot upon the divine mountain. Legends remain legends; no one has ever known what lies atop those soaring peaks. As for the gods said to be buried here, no one has ever laid eyes upon them.

　　At the foot of the divine mountain lies the vast “Inner Ring,” a land of wondrous terrain. Rivers surge from the mountain’s depths, coursing through this land, carrying with them that formidable power. Countless mighty beasts are born here, making it one of the most perilous regions in existence.

　　One deep night, the sky was shrouded in darkness, with only a few stars faintly shining above, casting a dim glow over the world.

　　In the famous black forest of the Inner Ring, a low, heavy breathing suddenly echoed from the depths of the darkness, the sound as sharp as clashing blades, chilling to the soul.

　　Moments later, a massive shadow suddenly rose in the darkness, its body nearly reaching the top of the towering forest, revealing the terrifying strength of this giant beast.

　　It seemed to be searching for something in the darkness. After a while, as if attracted or having discovered something, it moved toward the southern edge of the black forest.

　　Its heavy footsteps shook the earth with every stride.

　　No one knows how long it walked, but eventually, the giant beast reached the forest’s edge, stopping some twenty or thirty zhang from the trees. It stretched its enormous body above the treetops, peering outside the forest.

　　In the distance, several hundred zhang away, stood a strange-looking “house.” Amid the darkness, it emitted a faint green glow, and a mysterious aura drifted continuously from that place.

　　The giant beast in the darkness suddenly recoiled—not out of fear, but out of a deep aversion to the aura wafting from the green-glowing “house.”

　　At that moment, a voice suddenly came from above the giant beast’s head, carrying a similar tone of disgust: “That’s the humans’ ‘Qingyu Institute.’”

　　Another shadow slowly appeared atop the beast’s head, its face and form obscured by darkness. Judging by the voice, it seemed to be a man.

　　The beast turned its neck, letting out a low, ambiguous growl.

　　The figure standing on its head snorted and said, “Humans are always troublesome, bringing these disgusting things into the Inner Ring. Never mind, I know you don’t like it, but I doubt they’d dare approach the black forest. Let’s go. Let’s see if you’re lucky tonight and can find your favorite golden-blooded beast.”

　　The giant beast let out a low roar, sounding suddenly excited and happy, then turned around and, with heavy steps, slowly walked deeper into the black forest.

　　The night deepened, and everything seemed to return to normal. The place called “Qingyu Institute” by the shadowy figure continued to emit its faint green glow in the darkness.

　　Yet, at some unknown moment, tiny points of light began to appear in the boundless darkness, followed by all sorts of strange, shadowy figures. They flickered in and out of sight in the night, like ghosts dancing, gathering around the green house, faintly encircling it.

　　After a while, the shadows suddenly fell silent, melting back into the darkness. In their place, a pair of red eyes appeared from the gloom.

　　They were bloodthirsty eyes, fixed intently on the glow of Qingyu Institute in the night, their strange light flickering, and behind them loomed a massive form.

　　But in the darkness, this unknown and terrifying creature still kept its distance from Qingyu Institute, as if wary of something.