The Ghost King advanced towards the Taotie, his steps steady and calm. On the shoulder of Ghost Li, the little gray monkey turned its head, looking at the Ghost King’s back, and “chirped” twice before suddenly falling silent.
The Taotie, lying on the ground, seemed to sense something. Its enormous head moved slightly to one side, lifting up, and its giant eyes opened, sending a pair of fierce glares towards the approaching Ghost King. A low, rumbling growl emanated from its massive maw.
“Roar…”
The previously peaceful atmosphere in the room suddenly became inexplicably tense. The iron-hard armor covering the Taotie’s neck and back tightened, and its jaws slowly opened, revealing sharp, terrifying fangs.
Facing this fearsome beast, the Ghost King showed no trace of fear. Instead, his eyes, which were turned towards Ghost Li, shimmered with an eerie light, betraying a mix of uncontainable joy and desire. He continued to advance, even as the Taotie, clearly enraged, rose to its feet, its eyes turning red, and prepared to attack.
Ignoring the Taotie’s threatening stance, the Ghost King focused entirely on observing the beast’s surroundings. Finally, when he was within three feet of the Taotie, it could no longer restrain itself. With a thunderous roar that shook the walls, the Taotie leapt into the air, baring its teeth and claws, and lunged at the Ghost King.
In the once-peaceful stone chamber, a sudden gale arose as the gigantic beast pounced. Tables and chairs, neatly arranged moments ago, were swept away with a series of crashes, smashing into the walls. In an instant, the massive body of the Taotie loomed over the Ghost King.
From a distance, Little Gray emitted several calls, “Chirp, chirp…” Though it sounded as if the monkey was not worried, there was a hint of schadenfreude in its tone, as if it held no fondness for the Ghost King and wished the Taotie would strike him down.
However, Ghost Li’s expression was different. His brows, already slightly furrowed, tightened further, his eyes reflecting a moment of confusion, as if he saw something unexpected.
The Taotie, with a ferocious gust of wind, descended upon the Ghost King. But in an impossible move, the Ghost King’s body vanished like a ghost, leaving the Taotie to miss its target. In the next instant, the Ghost King reappeared behind the stunned Taotie, reaching out with a hand like lightning to grasp the flesh on the back of its neck, seemingly intending to lift the fearsome beast like a common cat or dog.
Though the movement was not fast, the Taotie could not evade it. It roared and snarled, but the beast did not submit. Instead, it grew even angrier, its body tensing, and the armor on its skin tightening. The Ghost King’s face changed, feeling a sharp pain in his right hand, which was protected by the magic of the Devil Sect, yet unable to withstand the beast’s power.
Without hesitation, the Ghost King released his grip and took three steps back.
Ghost Li and Little Gray watched from the side, seeing the five deep, blood-red claw marks on the Taotie’s iron-hard neck. Blood slowly trickled from the wounds.
The Taotie, in a rage, turned to face the Ghost King. Meanwhile, Little Gray, perched on Ghost Li’s shoulder, jumped up, waving its arms and “chirping” angrily, clearly upset.
Though no one in the room understood monkey language, it was clear that Little Gray’s words were curses and insults.
Little Gray, still unsatisfied, leaped off Ghost Li’s shoulder, intent on helping its friend and teaching the Ghost King a lesson. However, Ghost Li grabbed it mid-air and pulled it back, earning a mix of surprise and anger from the little monkey, who continued to “chirp” incessantly.
Ghost Li ignored the chattering, focusing on the scene before him. Little Gray, after a few more “chirps,” turned its head, distracted by something in the room.
The Taotie, with another ferocious roar, charged at the Ghost King, but the latter did not dodge. Instead, he raised his arm, and a dark red light flashed from his sleeve, filling the room with a faint, bloody scent.
A deeper, more menacing roar echoed through the void, tearing apart the space in the room, silencing even the Taotie’s deafening bellow. The dark red light enveloped the Ghost King, making him almost invisible, while the Taotie, sensing something, stepped back, a hint of fear in its eyes.
From the depths of the red light, an ancient, slightly damaged tripod emerged, casting a crimson glow over everything in the room. The bloody smell intensified, making one want to vomit.
The Taotie, though frightened, was provoked by the smell, and instead of fleeing, it charged again at the tripod.
Ghost Li’s brow furrowed, and he shifted slightly, then stilled, his eyes fixed on the tripod. Ten years ago, on Flowing Waves Mountain in the East Sea, he had seen this ancient artifact, but now it seemed to have transformed completely.
As the Taotie approached the Dragon Subduing Tripod, a booming sound came from within, followed by a red light that engulfed the beast. The Taotie, trembling in agony, let out a long, agonized howl, collapsing in mid-air. Ghost Li’s face changed, surprised by the power of the tripod, which had evidently grown far beyond its former capabilities.
The current Dragon Subduing Tripod, with the help of the Ghostly Scholar, had been enhanced using the inscriptions on its body and the power of the divine beasts, accumulating the strength of Kui, Yellow Bird, and Zhu Long. The Taotie, despite being a powerful beast, was no match for their combined might, especially with the ancient and mysterious power of the tripod.
The red light, now almost solid, bound the Taotie, causing it to tremble in pain. The room filled with a thicker, more oppressive bloody smell. The Ghost King, seeing the incapacitated Taotie, his eyes alight with triumph, laughed maniacally.
Suddenly, a series of angry “chirps” broke the silence. The Taotie, still bound by the red light, turned to see Little Gray, who had leaped towards it. Reaching out, the monkey touched the red light and yelped, jumping back, clearly having felt the power.
Enraged, Little Gray bared its teeth at the Ghost King, who, under the red light, had eyes that glowed a deep, blood-red. Turning, the Ghost King, with a burst of black energy, struck at Little Gray, who, despite its anger, recognized the danger and dodged, leaping aside.
The Ghost King, with a long, eerie howl, increased the speed of the black energy, splitting it into multiple streams that rained down from all directions. Little Gray, using every available maneuver, narrowly avoided the attacks, but was in grave danger.
The Ghost King, without any mercy, summoned a blood-red palm from the black energy, aiming to strike Little Gray. At the last second, a hand appeared, grabbing Little Gray by the tail and pulling it to safety. The black energy, however, formed a massive red palm, aimed at the rescuing hand.
As the red palm descended, Ghost Li, appearing from the shadows, revealed himself, saving Little Gray. The Dragon Subduing Tripod, now spinning, cast a sinister aura, with strange inscriptions flickering on its surface.
The red palm, now glowing with strange symbols, lunged towards Ghost Li. With a deep frown, Ghost Li made no move to retreat, instead drawing a Tai Chi symbol in the air before him. Azure light, like a clear spring, flowed, countering the bloody aura, a sign of the purest magic of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, the “Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao.”
The red palm, upon impact, was met with a surprising silence. The red mark, hovering in the air, could not advance, and Ghost Li’s face turned red, as if about to bleed.
With a sharp look, Ghost Li stepped back, the red mark advancing with each step. As he retreated, he continued to draw Tai Chi symbols, the azure light undiminished. By the third step, he formed a “Bao Ping” seal, and by the fifth, a “Nian Hua” seal, both accompanied by a blend of golden and azure light. At the seventh step, back against the wall, Ghost Li formed a “Vajra” seal, the golden light overwhelming, and the red mark disappearing.
The golden and azure light, now overpowering the red, caused the Ghost King, who had roared in fury, to absorb the Taotie into the tripod, which then vanished.
The Ghost King, now visible, his white hair flying, eyes red with rage, bore no resemblance to his usual calm self. He raised the tripod, and Ghost Li, gathering his own power, prepared for a final showdown.
The two masters, each exuding a murderous aura, seemed to have lost all reason, their only goal to defeat the other.
As Ghost Li advanced, the Ghost King’s eyes grew more furious, and the tripod began to tilt, aiming directly at Ghost Li.
Just as the battle was about to erupt, a loud bang echoed through the room. The door slowly fell, revealing a figure, the Black Veiled Lady, also known as the Vermilion Bird, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief.
“Stop!”
Her voice, thin and full of emotion, demanded, “What are you doing? Have you both gone mad?”
The room fell silent, the tension still palpable. The Black Veiled Lady, with a quivering voice, reminded them, “Do you remember… the Ice Chamber, where someone still lies on the stone platform? Have you forgotten the name ‘Bi Yao’?”
The red light dissipated, and the azure and golden lights faded. The room, once filled with a thick, murderous aura, returned to a state of stillness.
The Ghost King, with a disdainful huff, walked out, the tripod in hand. As he passed Ghost Li, his eyes gleamed with a piercing light.
Ghost Li, his gaze not on the Ghost King, but on the tripod, noticed the twisted, mystical inscriptions on its surface. On the back of the tripod, a particular pattern caught his eye: a roaring fire, four strange beasts, and a demonic face, grinning malevolently, a face strangely familiar to Ghost Li.
As the Ghost King left, the room returned to silence. Little Gray, sitting on Ghost Li’s shoulder, looked towards the door, still “chirping” softly.
Ghost Li, silent, gently stroked Little Gray’s head, then sighed, turning and walking out of the room. In the long corridor, he found himself standing before the Ice Chamber, his heart heavy with fear. The door, standing silently before him, awaited.
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