140: Chapter 140 Fu Xi

On Friday afternoon, when the final bell rang, Chen Zhen had already packed his schoolbag.

Zhang Meng was still rummaging through his desk in the back, muttering, "It's over, it's over, it's over. I forgot to bring my weekend homework."

Chen Zhen didn't wait for him and left the classroom with his schoolbag on his back.

At the school gate, Zhou Rui was already waiting.

He was wearing a dark-colored windbreaker and carrying a hiking backpack; hanging on the outside of the bag were two sleeping bags and a roll of moisture-proof mat, making him look like he was going camping in the wild.

"You're bringing so much?" Chen Zhen looked at him.

Zhou Rui patted the hiking backpack. "Food, water, a flashlight, a headlamp, a first-aid kit, a raincoat, and fifty talismans."

"What about the sleeping bags?"

"Two. One for you, one for me."

Chen Zhen didn't speak, taking one sleeping bag and attaching it to his own backpack.

Yun Xi walked over from across the road.

She was wearing a black tracksuit, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and carrying a military canvas bag, looking much more professional than Zhou Rui.

"I've called a car. We'll carpool to the airport."

"What about the plane tickets?" Zhou Rui asked.

"We'll buy them when we get to the airport. There are plenty of flights to Sichuan at this time; no need to book in advance."

The three of them got into a taxi.

Chen Zhen sat in the passenger seat, while Zhou Rui and Yun Xi sat in the back.

As the car drove toward the airport, the streets outside the window slowly turned from bustling to deserted.

Tall buildings turned into shorter ones, then into single-story houses, and finally into wasteland.

Zhou Rui was scrolling through his phone in the back, looking up information about West Mountain.

"Master, I searched for it, and there are several West Mountains. There are at least four mountains in Sichuan called West Mountain."

Chen Zhen didn't turn his head. "Where is the one Elder Lin mentioned?"

Yun Xi spoke up. "He said it's over in Ya'an, near Erlang Mountain. The specific location wasn't marked; he only said the local elders call it 'Fu Mountain'."

Fu Mountain. Chen Zhen noted the name.

The taxi drove for forty minutes and arrived at the airport.

There weren't many people in the terminal, just a few travelers dragging their suitcases here and there.

Yun Xi went to the counter to buy tickets, while Zhou Rui stood in front of the electronic screen studying flight information.

Chen Zhen found a seat and sat down, taking the North Mountain jade plaque out of his Storage Space.

He held it in his palm. The jade plaque remained the same, glowing faintly.

He tried moving it closer to his chest—the position of his Dantian.

The jade plaque suddenly brightened, shining brighter than it ever had before.

It wasn't an injection of spiritual power; it was resonance.

It was resonating with the seed.

He pressed the jade plaque against his chest; the seed began to spin a little faster, and the pattern on it brightened a fraction.

The jade plaque was nourishing the seed. Or perhaps, the seed was nourishing the jade plaque.

He put it back into his Storage Space.

Yun Xi walked over with three tickets. "The flight takes off in an hour and a half. We'll arrive in Chengdu at ten, then charter a car to Ya'an and head into the mountains tomorrow morning."

Zhou Rui walked over from the electronic screen. "Master, I just checked. It's supposed to rain in Ya'an over the next few days. The roads in the mountains might be difficult to travel."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment. "As long as we can get in, it's fine."

The three of them went through security and boarded the plane.

By the time the plane took off, it was already dark.

The city lights outside the window looked like a net, shrinking smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared into the clouds.

Chen Zhen leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

He used Internal Vision on his Dantian. The seed was still spinning, and the pattern was still glowing.

The seedlings were at the base, and Shen Nian was taking care of them. Three days—it should be fine.

He opened his eyes and looked out the window. The clouds were thick, and he couldn't see anything.

An hour and a half later, the plane landed in Chengdu.

After leaving the terminal, a wave of damp air washed over them, carrying the scent of soil and plants.

Yun Xi had already called a car. A black SUV was parked on the side of the road, and the driver, a middle-aged man, honked the horn when he saw them.

"Going to Ya'an?"

"Yes."

The three of them got in. The car left the city and got onto the highway.

The streetlights flew backward in rows, like elongated ribbons of light.

Zhou Rui was sitting in the back, scrolling through his phone again. "Master, there's a place in Ya'an called 'Fuxi'. I wonder if it has any connection to Fu Mountain."

Chen Zhen didn't speak. Fuxi. Fu Mountain. If the place names contained the character "Fu," it was very likely related to runes.

"We'll go check out Fuxi tomorrow first."

Yun Xi nodded, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.

The car drove for two hours and arrived in Ya'an.

It was already late at night; the streets were very quiet, with only a few barbecue shops still lit up.

Yun Xi had booked a small inn right across from the bus station.

The three of them each had a room; they weren't large, and the beds were hard, but they were clean.

Chen Zhen put his backpack down and sat at the table.

He took the sketch of the composite rune out of his Storage Space and spread it on the table.

Dongshan Rune, clockwise. North Mountain Rune, counter-clockwise. The two stacked together formed a double-layered dot matrix.

What would the West Mountain Rune be like? Clockwise or counter-clockwise? How many dots in the matrix?

He didn't know.

But he knew that once he arrived, he would find out.

He put away the sketch and lay down on the bed.

He used Internal Vision on his Dantian. The seed was still spinning.

He closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, into the mountains.