Not long after Bi Yao and the others had left in pursuit, just as the darkness that had witnessed a fierce battle was beginning to settle into an eerie calm, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air from above. Two beams of light, one white and the other azure, shot down, flickered for a moment, and then halted. The glow revealed a man and a woman, Li Xun and Yan Hong, both disciples of the Fragrant Valley.
Li Xun’s handsome face betrayed a slight look of surprise. Using the light from their magical artifacts, he glanced around and said to Yan Hong, “Sister, I never expected there to be such a hidden realm beneath the fox demon’s lair.”
Yan Hong also wore an expression of amazement, nodding in agreement. “Yes, I’ve never seen anything like this before. These many beasts, they must have never been seen in the world,” she paused, then added in a hushed tone, “Brother, the situation here is strange and potentially dangerous. We must be careful.”
Li Xun smiled faintly, a hint of arrogance crossing his features. “Do not worry, Sister. The fox demon has only five hundred years of cultivation. It is nothing to us!”
Yan Hong returned a gentle smile. “Brother, with your exceptional talent and profound cultivation, you are naturally fearless against such fiends. But if the ‘Six-Tailed Demon Fox’ is with the ‘Three-Tailed Fox’, given its thousand years of cultivation, it might be more troublesome.”
Li Xun gave her a knowing look and a smile. “Sister, your words are sweet, but I suspect you are worried about my overconfidence, aren’t you?”
Yan Hong’s lips twitched, and she whispered, “Brother, you are overthinking it.”
Li Xun turned and surveyed their surroundings, then said, “Sister, do you feel that the temperature down here is unusual?”
Yan Hong nodded. “Indeed, it seems warmer than it should be at this depth.”
Li Xun continued, “It’s not just warmer; it’s significantly hotter. I examined the black rocks on the way down and determined that this is an ancient volcanic crater, formed when molten lava erupted from the depths of the earth and cooled. This place is likely a volcanic vent!”
Yan Hong gasped softly, her eyes widening with realization. “You mean…?”
“Yes, that’s right. The fox demon chose this volcanic crater as its lair. Three hundred years ago, the foxes brazenly trespassed into the Forbidden Grounds of our Fragrant Valley and stole the Profound Fire Divine Artifact. But Uncle Shangguan, who guarded the divine palace, was a formidable figure. He swiftly subdued the foxes, but unfortunately, the Six-Tailed Demon Fox, being cunning, managed to escape.”
He let out a cold laugh. “But Uncle Shangguan, with his deep cultivation, wielded the supreme treasure, the Nine Cold Ice Needle, one of the most powerful and rare treasures in the world. Though the Six-Tailed Demon Fox managed to escape, Uncle Shangguan pierced its fox vein with the ice needle, severely damaging its cultivation. For three centuries, it has suffered, its cultivation waning, and the ice poison gnawing at its heart and body. Only by being in the hottest of places can it alleviate the pain slightly.”
Yan Hong smiled. “So, the Six-Tailed Demon Fox is likely below in this abyss. Brother, you are truly wise and farsighted. I am in awe.”
A touch of pride appeared on Li Xun’s face. “As disciples of the Fragrant Valley, we must honor our sect. This time, I hope the heavens will aid us, and the divine artifact will be restored to its rightful place, and the demon will be vanquished.”
Yan Hong smiled silently, and Li Xun looked at her, saying, “Let’s go.”
Yan Hong nodded, and the two figures rose, transforming once more into streaks of light, diving into the dark abyss.
—
Zhang Xiaofan clutched tightly to the Firewood Stick, but his body was constricted by a massive tentacle, the bones in his body creaking under the pressure. The pain was unbearable, and he was being dragged deeper into the underground. The wind lashed at his face, and his vision was filled with flashing stars, his mind a jumble of terrifying images.
The tentacle was unbelievably long, stretching for about fifteen feet, and Zhang Xiaofan, in a state of confusion, glimpsed the bottom of the abyss. The walls were barren, and ahead, there was a massive cave, ten feet high and eight feet wide, leading into pitch-black darkness.
This tentacle belonged to a monster emerging from the cave. Seeing its enormous end, Zhang Xiaofan couldn’t even imagine the size of the entire creature.
As the tentacle swung him in the air, he was about to be dragged into the cave when a flash of light appeared at the entrance. The Three-Tailed Fox, who had been missing for a while, suddenly reappeared, holding the Profound Fire Mirror.
She saw Zhang Xiaofan being captured and hesitated for a moment, her face softening. She turned to the cave and muttered something, then sighed, looking at the struggling and helpless Zhang Xiaofan. “Seeing how you looked at the Well of the Full Moon, you must be someone with a heart. Very well, very well.”
She raised the Profound Fire Mirror, shining it into the cave, and emitted a strange, eerie howl. The tentacle, seemingly responding to her command, quickly withdrew back into the cave. Zhang Xiaofan was plunged into darkness, the stench of the tentacle overwhelming, and though it remained slick, it held him firmly, unable to move.
At the same time, the Three-Tailed Fox heard a howling sound and saw two beams of light, gold and white, shooting towards them. She sneered, retreated, and shone the mirror again, emitting another eerie howl.
The beams were none other than Shi Tou and Bi Yao, who had finally caught up with the Three-Tailed Fox. Bi Yao, however, noticed that Zhang Xiaofan was nowhere to be seen, and her heart sank. Before they could stabilize, the Three-Tailed Fox’s actions caused a massive tentacle to emerge from the cave, striking them with a thunderous force.
—
Trapped in darkness, Zhang Xiaofan was dragged deeper, colliding with the cave walls, and though he didn’t suffer any severe injuries, he was covered in grime. He was dragged further, the stench intensifying, but there was no light, and he couldn’t see anything. Fortunately, the tentacle, following the Three-Tailed Fox’s orders, did not tighten further, allowing him a moment of respite.
Finally, the tentacle stopped, still tightly holding Zhang Xiaofan. He gasped for breath, his mind still reeling.
The darkness was like a mountain, vast and endless.
Zhang Xiaofan suddenly felt that somewhere in the dark, there was an unimaginable, monstrous creature. The thought chilled him to the bone.
In this ancient cave, the darkness seemed eternal, giving rise to an ancient, deep-seated fear.
The tentacle coiling around him was a constant reminder of the monstrous threat he faced.
Time seemed to freeze.
Distant fighting sounds and booms echoed, faint but familiar.
Suddenly, there was a ripple in the darkness. The tentacle, as if alarmed, began to tighten again, exerting a crushing force. Zhang Xiaofan, in pain, used his Taiji Xuanqing Dao to resist, but it was like trying to hold back a raging storm. Desperate, he activated the Buddhist Dafan Bore method, hoping to prolong his resistance. However, the conflicting forces within him caused excruciating pain, and his vision blurred.
In the critical moment, a passage from the Celestial Book flashed in his mind:
“…In the absence of form, the Dao is formless. Therefore, it is said that there is no self, no other, no beings, no life or death. In this way, one reaches the light. Holding to the true path, embodying the essence of all things, the heart of the universe is found.…”
These words resonated in his mind, bringing a glimmer of clarity. The dimming Firewood Stick, which he still held, began to glow with a faint azure light, and a cold, tingling sensation spread through his body.
Zhang Xiaofan, in the darkness, recited the words: “Therefore, all things must exist to be complete.”
He screamed, his voice hoarse, and the conflicting forces within him, the Dafan Bore and Taiji Xuanqing Dao, clashed and surged through his right arm into the Firewood Stick.
In a burst of light, the stick radiated a bright azure glow, and the blood-red veins pulsed, as if filled with fresh blood.
“Kakakakakaka…”
The surrounding area reverberated with strange sounds, not of breaking bones, but of a rapid heartbeat, boiling blood, and piercing flesh. Yet, there was no visible sign of injury.
Slowly, Zhang Xiaofan regained his senses. He was still held by the tentacle, but the Firewood Stick now emitted a different light, with a golden and blood-red glow.
The light forced the tentacle to loosen slightly, but the tentacle responded with even greater force. Zhang Xiaofan, realizing the danger, gathered all his strength and drove the Firewood Stick into the tentacle with a low roar.
There was a muffled sound as the stick pierced the tentacle, and a single beam of light broke through, illuminating the surrounding darkness. The tentacle, weakened, released Zhang Xiaofan, and he scrambled to his feet, using the Firewood Stick to navigate the dark cave.
The tentacles were large and agile, and Zhang Xiaofan barely escaped, only to collide with the cave wall. But the wall was thin, and he tumbled into a narrow, downward-sloping passage.
After what felt like an eternity, Zhang Xiaofan landed in a vast, subterranean cavern filled with molten lava, creating a lake of fire. The heat was intense, and the cavern was bathed in a red glow.
On a platform above the lava, Zhang Xiaofan saw a large, white fox curled up peacefully, its six tails wrapped around it. The fox was beautiful and serene, and Zhang Xiaofan, in awe, slowly approached, his steps deliberate, his eyes fixed on the magnificent creature.
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