Beimang Mountain, outside the scenic area.
Cognitive modification combined with several days of heavy fog has made the Beimang Mountain scenic area completely devoid of human presence.
Even the employees originally in charge of the scenic area have been reassigned, and all businesses have been forcibly closed. What's left are lifeless buildings hidden in the fog.
But today, this closed-off scenic area once again welcomed a large number of unwelcome guests.
Trucks drove into the area, and afterward, hundreds of soldiers armed with live ammunition disembarked, securing the surroundings.
In the central carriage, Li Hao, Vice Speaker Geng, and two other members of parliament stepped down, alongside over a hundred people carrying silver-white cases.
The closer they got to Beimang Mountain, the denser the fog became. By the time they reached the area, it was a vast expanse of white, and they could only rely on pre-arranged lighting to determine their positions.
As they proceeded, Li Hao and Vice Speaker Geng finally stopped at the foot of the mountain, where an electrified barbed wire fence served as a protective barrier to keep outsiders from entering.
Li Hao issued the order, and someone immediately shut off the power to the electrified wire fence. Then, a few people beside them quickly took out tools and cut a large opening in the fence.
"Prepare to release the mechanical dogs."
One by one, the silver-white cases were placed on the ground, and subsequently, mechanical dogs and drones that had been prepared in advance were taken out.
Due to the hasty preparation and the fear of alerting other forces with a large deployment, only a partial exploration was conducted this time.
Under the operators' control, mechanical dogs entered the mist-covered mountains through the opened wire fence, and dozens of drones flew into the mountains to begin their exploration.
Even Li Hao, after initially learning to operate, attempted to control a mechanical dog to enter the mountain.
Upon entering the mountains, the monitor display was completely occupied by white fog. Even the most advanced cameras couldn't penetrate the mist, leaving Li Hao with only the view of the path beneath his feet.
Fortunately, a road had been constructed within the scenic area, allowing Li Hao to control the mechanical dog and march deeper into the mountains.
As the Black Armor Ghost God mentioned, no living humans could enter this realm. However, these mechanical dogs were seemingly unaffected.
After proceeding for a while, Li Hao didn't follow the scenic route. During the journey to Beimang Mountain, someone had already mapped out an exploration path in advance, aiming to discover as many areas as possible on the first exploration.
Li Hao wasn't restricted by the planned path, but he also prepared a route map in advance.
As the mechanical dog entered the mountains from a side path, it effortlessly traversed the terrain with great power. However, Li Hao soon discovered a problem.
The fog was too heavy, making it impossible for him to find landmarks and confirm his position, leaving him searching blindly.
At this moment, several drone operators suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look and saw that the screens of these operators were pitch black.
"The drones have lost connection."
"It seems something is targeting the drones."
"There's something in the fog."
The drone operators started discussing, and everyone immediately became more vigilant.
Seeing this, Li Hao solemnly said, "We've lost fourteen drones, but not a single mechanical dog was harmed. Clearly, the drones made too much noise and alerted something.
Abandon the drones, focus on using mechanical dogs for exploration, and report any information immediately."
Just as Li Hao finished speaking, a mechanical dog operator suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone looked and saw a tree, appearing to radiate with Spiritual Light, captured by the camera at close range.
Suspended on the tree were over a dozen red fruits, glowing with a luster as jade, mysterious and extraordinary.
"Spirit Fruit! Definitely Spirit Fruit!"
Li Hao was ecstatic, and he said, "Be careful with the robotic arm; as soon as you pick the fruit, retreat immediately.
Successfully bringing back the fruit will earn you a reward of five million!"
As the command was given, another exclamation was heard.
"I found a blue plant here, with light points like fireflies floating above it."
"I've found a red ginseng buried underground here!"
The discovery of several treasures in succession almost drove Li Hao to frenzy with joy.
Originally, finding that Spiritual Peach Tree would have been considered a successful mission. Who would have thought there would be even more rare Spirit Plants here than he had imagined?
With these secured, the family's rise was imminent. Even Vice Speaker Geng and the other two members of parliament couldn't contain their delight.
Just then, Li Hao accidentally knocked over the remote in his hand, and the mechanical dog walking on the edge of the mountain terrain fell down the slope.
The screen's image spun, taking a while to stabilize.
Having achieved significant gains, Li Hao was about to abandon controlling the mechanical dog to focus on coordination.
But at this moment, the image on the camera took him by surprise.
In the dense fog that seemed impenetrable, there were sporadic lights hanging in the air.
Li Hao was shaken and hurriedly picked up the control to continue operating.
Despite the fall, the mechanical dog continued to function. Under Li Hao's control, it gradually moved towards the source of the lights.
After a moment, stone steps appeared before him, the distant fog vaguely outlining a market transcending time and space.
"A market? How is that possible?"
The bluish-grey stone path meandered like a dragon, appearing and disappearing with the flow of the fog.
The vendors at the roadside wore clothing from unknown eras, their faces hidden under straw hat shadows, with only a pair of eyes glowing with an eerie light. Their figures blended with the mist, every turn like passing through centuries. The source of this content ɪs novel•fire.net
The stalls displayed indescribable goods: silver light flowed like water in glass bottles holding moonlight, ancient bronze mirrors reflecting the visage of rosy skulls, and floating jade slips with complex inscriptions circulating endlessly.
Even across the screen, each treasure captivated Li Hao, making him instinctively want to immerse himself, unable to extricate.
Just then, the sharp sound of a sword echoed through the mountains, followed by a wailing screech from the screen in front of Li Hao.
Li Hao abruptly awakened from the enchantment of those exquisite treasures.
The mist dissipated; where were the treasures? All that was left was an immense ghostly figure on the ground, pierced by an Ancient Bronze Sword.
Its massive mouth held a Treasure Pearl, from which countless phantasmal scenes projected, forming the market just seen.
Stepping into that market meant walking into the giant ghost's mouth.
Above the market were not lanterns, but six glowing eyes protruding from the ghost's head, resembling ghost lamps in the mist's illumination.
"Huh? A living soul dares to explore the Beimang Forbidden Land?"
A voice of doubt and uncertainty sounded from the microphone. A large hand grabbed the mechanical dog shattered by the shockwave, the intact camera recording the face clearly.
A man of exotic appearance stood there, garbed in a dark robe, with golden-red hair flowing.
His deep eyes stared into the camera, and for a second, Li Hao felt chills across his body, as if that gaze could transcend space to see him.
"How is this possible?"
Li Hao couldn't help but scream internally.
The next moment, a strong scent of blood lingered at Li Hao's nose, and a cold chuckle sounded in his ear.