In the arena, everyone’s brows furrowed as they saw the bewitching woman, surrounded by foes, brandish a peculiar treasure. Most thought she was preparing for a last stand. Each one of them tensed up, ready to face any danger. Only Shi Tou let out a mighty roar, and his “Pò Shà” staff danced in the air as he charged forward.
Zhang Xiaofan, who was standing behind, didn’t even have time to shout a warning. He saw the three-tailed fox, with her long, alluring eyes, glance at the towering figure of Shi Tou. She then grasped the red tassels on either side of the jade ring and slowly raised it, holding it before her.
The jade ring spun gently, as if reflecting her visage.
The moonlight, cold and ethereal, shone upon the “Xuán Huǒ Jiàn.” The ancient flame totem, intricately carved upon it, suddenly seemed to come to life, vivid and fiery, as if it were truly burning.
Shi Tou soared into the air, his “Pò Shà” staff slicing through the sky as he roared, “Evil spirit, prepare to meet your end!”
At that very moment, the center of the “Xuán Huǒ Jiàn,” where the flame totem resided, abruptly shifted from its deep red hue to a vibrant, translucent crimson. It was as if the totem had been instantly set ablaze by divine fire from the heavens.
The flame totem now blazed with an intense, raging inferno.
With the enchanting woman at its epicenter, an invisible, scorching force burst forth, spreading out rapidly. All the vegetation within a ten-foot radius, except for the ground beneath her feet, turned yellow and withered in an instant. Curiously, there was not a single spark, and no fire caught.
Zhang Xiaofan and Bì Yáo exchanged alarmed glances, never expecting such a powerful treasure in the hands of the three-tailed fox. Even as Shi Tou, suspended in midair, lunged at the fox, he too was stunned by the sheer power of the artifact. Yet, he showed no fear. With a swift motion, he grabbed the gleaming golden rod and, with a fierce howl, swung it in a circle, bringing it down upon the fox.
Though the staff was still in midair, the ground beneath was already swirling with sand and stones. The fox, seemingly frail, looked as though she might be blown away by the force of the wind. She gave a cold, mocking smile, her fingers gripping the red tassels, her body slightly tilting, facing the charging Shi Tou.
The blazing “Xuán Huǒ Jiàn” reflected in her seductive eyes, like two raging flames.
With a deafening boom, a fire dragon, spewing flames and roaring ferociously, erupted from the center of the “Xuán Huǒ Jiàn.” Its immense body, engulfed in flames, illuminated the forest, making it as bright as day.
Shi Tou was taken aback. The fire dragon grew larger, starting as a mere flame, but by the time it reached him, its head was as large as two men. The heat, overwhelming and intense, made him feel as though he were inside a furnace.
From Zhang Xiaofan’s vantage point below, he could see Shi Tou, not yet engaged in combat, but his black hair had already turned to ashes. The severity of the situation was evident.
Yet, Shi Tou remained undaunted. Though startled, he did not lose his composure. With the power of his magic, the “Pò Shà” staff glowed more brightly, striking down at the approaching dragon’s head.
The fire dragon roared, its massive eyes spitting flames, its mouth wide open, biting down on the massive wolf-toothed rod.
A radiant mix of gold and crimson light emanated from their clash, accompanied by thunderous booms. Shi Tou felt the staff in his hand becoming unbearably hot. In a moment of panic, he mustered all his strength and yanked the “Pò Shà” staff free from the dragon’s jaws.
The fire dragon, still roaring, opened its mouth and unleashed a thick column of fire, shooting directly at Shi Tou.
Shi Tou roared, forming a protective barrier with the “Pò Shà” staff, which shimmered with a golden aura, blocking the fire column. However, the force of the attack pushed him back.
Zhang Xiaofan, seeing Shi Tou in peril, quickly intervened. His “Burning Firestick” silently shot out, aiming at the fire dragon. To his surprise, the dragon, seemingly aware, turned its head, and with a fierce glare, unleashed another torrent of fire.
Caught off guard, Zhang Xiaofan braced himself, his “Burning Firestick” glowing with a blue light, meeting the fire column head-on, holding it back.
At that moment, the three-tailed fox let out a long, mocking laugh, soaring into the air, the “Xuán Huǒ Jiàn” radiating brilliantly as she headed towards the two. Both Zhang Xiaofan and Shi Tou, already struggling with the fire dragon, were shocked. Even Bì Yáo, standing behind the fox, was taken aback. In a moment of urgency, she leapt into the air, her fingers dancing, transforming the “Heart-Broken Flower” into countless petals, flying toward the fox.
Bì Yáo’s left hand also discreetly reached for a small golden bell at her waist.
The three-tailed fox, knowing the power of the “Heart-Broken Flower,” dodged and avoided the attack. Bì Yáo did not pursue, instead, she flew to Zhang Xiaofan’s side, hovering next to him.
Zhang Xiaofan glanced at her, and Bì Yáo, her eyes full of emotion, looked back.
For some reason, Zhang Xiaofan quickly averted his gaze.
The fire dragon continued to dominate the sky, but after Bì Yáo’s interference, the three-tailed fox, without hesitation, called the “Xuán Huǒ Jiàn” back to her hand. She transformed into a beam of white light, vanishing into the darkness of the forest.
Zhang Xiaofan and the others were momentarily stunned.
* * *
In the distance, Master Zhōu Yī Xiān let out a sigh of relief, “Fortunately, the three-tailed fox’s cultivation is not sufficient to fully utilize the power of the ‘Xuán Huǒ Jiàn.’ It only managed to scare these young people. Otherwise, they would have been in grave danger.”
Xiǎo Huán, standing beside him, disagreed, “How do you know it wasn’t her true power? She held her own against the three of them, didn’t she?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān glared at her, “You know nothing. The ‘Xuán Huǒ Jiàn’ is an ancient, immensely powerful artifact. Legend has it that, at its peak, it can summon the Eight Directions Fire Dragon, capable of incinerating everything in its path. These young, reckless fools would have been burned to ash in an instant.”
Xiǎo Huán huffed, turning her attention to the scene, frowning, “Grandpa, look, they seem to be chasing after her again.”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān was startled and quickly looked, indeed, seeing Zhang Xiaofan and the others discussing, then heading into the darkness, following the three-tailed fox. Shi Tou led the way, and Zhang Xiaofan, taking a few steps, noticed Bì Yáo was not moving. He turned to face her, as if about to say something, but hesitated, his face turning red.
Bì Yáo smiled faintly, seemingly scolding him, and took the lead. Zhang Xiaofan, a bit bewildered, shook his head and followed.
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān was dumbfounded, stomping his foot, “These young people, truly unafraid of death. How dare they chase the three-tailed fox with the ‘Xuán Huǒ Jiàn’ in her possession?”
Xiǎo Huán, still munching on her ice sugar gourd, calmly replied, “Didn’t you say the three-tailed fox’s cultivation is insufficient to use the ‘Xuán Huǒ Jiàn’s’ full power? If so, having the ‘Xuán Huǒ Jiàn’ is no different from not having it. Why should they be afraid?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān was speechless, finally stammering, “Quick, we need to go too!”
Xiǎo Huán, startled, asked, “Go? Where?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, taking a step forward, “To subdue the demon, of course.”
Xiǎo Huán, smirking, followed, “All those times we’ve encountered demons, big or small, I’ve only seen you run, never fight. Why now?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān’s face flushed, “When traveling the world, self-awareness is key… Wait, what’s that?”
He paused, his gaze drawn to something else. Xiǎo Huán, following his line of sight, saw the ancient well, silent and still, unchanged since the beginning.
Now, with Zhang Xiaofan and the others gone, and the forest devoid of other creatures, the moonlight, cold and clear, shone upon the well, casting a shadow of melancholy.
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān took a deep breath, approaching the well. Xiǎo Huán, following closely, felt a twinge of unease, “Grandpa, what are you doing?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān frowned, “I want to see what’s so special about this well. Why was the three-tailed fox so curious about what the young man saw?”
Xiǎo Huán stopped a few steps away, her heart racing, sensing the darkness and the unknown presence in the shadows.
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, reaching the well, looked around, seeing nothing unusual, then peered down. Xiǎo Huán, nervous, called out, “Grandpa, be careful.”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, smiling, “It’s fine.” He leaned over, gazing into the well.
Xiǎo Huán, watching his expression, saw a mix of surprise, joy, and confusion. She moved closer, whispering, “Grandpa, what do you see?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, frowning, “I see mountains of gold.”
Xiǎo Huán, skeptical, “…Really?”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, muttering to himself, “The reflection in the water isn’t human… Strange…”
Suddenly, a soft gasp from Xiǎo Huān interrupted him. Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, startled, turned to see her, peering into the well. She looked up, a bemused expression on her face.
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān, perplexed, “What did you see?”
Xiǎo Huán, shrugging, “Mountains of ice sugar gourds.”
Master Zhōu Yī Xiān fell to the ground, exasperated.
Later, as they walked deeper into the forest, Master Zhōu Yī Xiān whispered to Xiǎo Huán, “This well must be the legendary ‘Full Moon Well.’ On a full moon night, anyone looking into it sees their most cherished person or thing. But why was the three-tailed fox so interested in what the young man saw? I’m really curious now…”
* * *
The forest, appearing small from the outside, felt vast and endless in the darkness. The three of them, each using their magical artifacts, followed the trail of the white light, which was the three-tailed fox’s escape route.
Unexpectedly, the light vanished, and they arrived at a dense, dark grove. There, a small hillside revealed a black stone cave.
No doubt, this was the Black Stone Cave.
The trio halted, exchanging wary glances. The cave entrance, though small, was pitch black, giving a sense of bottomless depth. Cold, eerie winds blew out, chilling their skin.
Bì Yáo, frowning, “This cave is dangerous, and the fox’s treasure is incredibly powerful. We should not risk entering.”
Zhang Xiaofan, nodding, and Shi Tou, determined, “We cannot give up now. If we let the fox go, she will cause even more trouble later.”
Zhang Xiaofan, resolute, “Brother Shi is right. Let’s go in.”
Bì Yáo, her face darkening, “I’m going in. You can’t stop me.”
Zhang Xiaofan, speechless, turned to Shi Tou, “Let’s go.”
As they entered, Bì Yáo, annoyed, went ahead, her “Heart-Broken Flower” illuminating the surroundings. The walls, made of black, iron-like stone, were cold and foreboding.
The Black Stone Cave, similar to the ancient bat cave on Kongsang Mountain, sloped downward, leading deep into the earth. The path, steeper than the bat cave, was unknown if natural or dug by villagers.
They continued, deep into the darkness, finding no signs of life, unlike the bat cave, teeming with deadly bats. Zhang Xiaofan, lost in thought, recalled their past adventures in the bat cave and the time he and Bì Yáo were trapped in the Blood Drop Cave beneath the Dead Soul Abyss.
Suddenly, Bì Yáo halted, gasping. Zhang Xiaofan, worried, rushed to her side, and she, startled, looked at him.
A cliff, dark and ominous, loomed before them, with ghostly fires flickering in the depths. Zhang Xiaofan, shaken, felt as though he was back at the Dead Soul Abyss.
However, this place was far smaller. Zhang Xiaofan, frowning, turned to Shi Tou, who stood at the edge, contemplating, “Brother Zhang, we must go down.”
Zhang Xiaofan, nodding, “Brother Shi, be careful.”
Shi Tou, serious, “You too.” He summoned his “Pò Shà” staff, and, with a deep breath, descended slowly.
Zhang Xiaofan, glancing at Bì Yáo, followed with his “Burning Firestick.” Bì Yáo, smiling, followed, her joy evident.
The three, illuminated by gold, blue, and white lights, descended. As they went lower, the temperature rose, an eerie sensation.
After some distance, they could see the cliff’s edge, a sheer, rocky wall. They were in a vast, vertical well, plunging downward.
Suddenly, Shi Tou, at the bottom, shouted, “Be careful!”
Startled, Zhang Xiaofan and Bì Yáo prepared for danger. Below, in a small hole, a pair of glowing eyes stared at them.
Shi Tou, gesturing, cautiously approached. Zhang Xiaofan and Bì Yáo, holding their breath, watched.
For the first time in ages, light shone on the dark place. Shi Tou’s staff revealed a small, frightened rat, its nest in the hole.
Shi Tou, shaking his head, retreated, and the three, sharing a wry smile, continued descending.
Unexpectedly, the darkness began to illuminate, and low, raspy breaths and growls echoed around them. Despite the barren surface above, this underground world was teeming with life.
The darkness, like an ancient veil, lifted, revealing countless eyes, glowing dimly, watching them. The stone walls, filled with holes, housed various creatures: rats, bats, large apes, and leopards, along with strange, aquatic crabs, four-clawed beasts, and other bizarre creatures.
Zhang Xiaofan, astonished, thought, “If my friend Zeng Shushu from Qingyun Mountain were here, he’d be delighted, given his love for collecting rare animals.”
The three, surrounded by countless, glowing eyes, ventured deeper, their hearts filled with wonder and trepidation.
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