Red light flickered incessantly, illuminating the vast space as bright as day. The stench of blood filled the air, and a wide platform extended from the entrance to the center of the massive cavern. Little Grey cautiously emerged from the passage, leaping onto the platform. Its small frame seemed minuscule in the enormity of the cave.
This place was clearly different from any other, even for the usually active and curious Little Grey. It sensed something and did not rush forward, but stood still, its three eyes scanning the surroundings. The entire area was bathed in a red hue, with red shadows flitting through the air. Occasionally, an eerie red wind would sweep through, creating a strange disturbance. The ground beneath Little Grey’s feet, the platform, also bore an odd, dark red color.
Little Grey stood still, looking around for a while, then slowly began to move forward. In the vast space, only its tiny figure was moving. The red light flashing from above cast a long shadow behind it.
As it moved, Little Grey frequently turned its head, looking around. Despite the eerie atmosphere, nothing unusual happened during its journey. Soon, Little Grey reached the end of the platform. The stench of blood here was the most pungent, almost overwhelming. Even Little Grey, with its aversion, couldn’t help but wrinkle its nose and fan the air with its hand.
At the end of the platform, located in the center of the vast cave, was a deep pool of blood. Little Grey cautiously approached the edge of the platform and peered down over the rock.
Before it lay a massive blood pool, the water as red as fresh blood, with countless tiny bubbles constantly rising from the bottom, bursting on the surface and releasing a strong, sickening odor. In the blood, four gigantic spirit beasts were trapped, their bodies mostly submerged and appearing weak and exhausted, barely moving.
Suddenly, Little Grey stiffened, and the eye in the middle of its forehead lit up brightly.
Among the four spirit beasts, one was a dragon-like creature with sharp fangs and a pig-like appearance, known as the “Zhu Dragon” from the ancient wilderness. Another was a one-legged giant with a thunderous roar, still towering like a small mountain despite being submerged, known as the “Kui Ox” from the Eastern Sea.
Little Grey had never seen these two spirit beasts before, but the other two were familiar: one resembled a phoenix with vibrant feathers, exuding the aura of the king of all birds, the “Yellow Bird” that once guarded the treasure vault in the Western Marshes. The last one, however, was a shocking sight—none other than the ferocious “Tāo Tiè” that had befriended Little Grey after the passing of the Beast God.
The other three spirit beasts’ captivity was of no concern to Little Grey, especially since it harbored some grudge against the Yellow Bird. But Tāo Tiè was a close friend. Seeing the once powerful Tāo Tiè now listless and weak, Little Grey grew anxious, screeching loudly from the platform.
This sudden noise broke the stillness of the blood pool. Though the four spirit beasts were extraordinary creatures, they had been drained of their spiritual energy by the sinister array, yet they all looked up simultaneously.
High above the blood pool, a monkey was screaming at them from the platform.
The other three spirit beasts hadn’t fully comprehended the situation, but Tāo Tiè recognized Little Grey immediately. It turned its head and roared, but the roar faded halfway, showing its severe exhaustion.
Seeing Tāo Tiè in such a state, Little Grey was furious. Not knowing what to do, it scratched its head and fretted, turning in circles. In the blood pool, the other spirit beasts sensed something unusual about Little Grey and didn’t see it as a human spellcaster. A cacophony of sounds rose, with the Phoenix’s cry, the Kui Ox’s thunder, and the Zhu Dragon’s indescribable groans, all conveying a sense of entreaty.
These four spirit beasts, once mighty and invincible, were now reduced to this pitiful state by the Four Spirit Blood Needles. The cruelty of this array could be imagined, as even these primordial spirits could not endure the torment of being sapped of their life force.
The cries of despair made Little Grey feel like an ant on a hot pan, turning in circles. Suddenly, it seemed to make up its mind, stomped its foot, and leaped off the platform.
The four spirit beasts watched in shock as Little Grey, with its tail swaying, used the gusts of wind to land on a stone pillar below the platform. With its natural agility, it quickly descended the rough, jagged stone pillar, reaching near the blood pool in moments. The putrid smell of blood was nauseating, and the red water churned with bubbles all around.
The closest spirit beast to the stone pillar was not Tāo Tiè, but the Kui Ox, with Tāo Tiè to its left. Little Grey peeked down and, with its cunning, avoided touching the terrifying blood water.
After a moment, Little Grey spotted something and, with a quick leap, landed on the belly of the Kui Ox, then leaped again, landing precisely on Tāo Tiè’s head, which was the only part above the water.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…”
Upon landing, Little Grey chattered, feeling Tāo Tiè’s exposed skin with both hands, checking for injuries. Tāo Tiè, though weakened, seemed pleased to see its friend, lowing softly and turning its head.
The other three spirit beasts, submerged in the blood pool, fell silent, watching Tāo Tiè and Little Grey.
Little Grey felt the hard skin on Tāo Tiè’s head, pausing, seemingly confused. Sitting on Tāo Tiè’s head, it scratched its own, but accidentally, its tail tip dipped into the blood water.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…”
Little Grey jumped up, yelping as if burned. The other spirit beasts reacted, lowing and moaning. Tāo Tiè, startled, tried to stay still, afraid of dropping Little Grey into the blood. It bellowed softly, its eyes straining to look at Little Grey, rolling comically.
Little Grey examined its tail, which had become slightly charred where it touched the blood. It puffed out its cheeks and blew on it, hoping to ease the pain.
After a moment, Little Grey reassured Tāo Tiè, who calmed down, and the other spirit beasts also quieted.
But Little Grey’s anger grew, seeing the four spirit beasts so weakly confined in the blood pool. Determined, it started to pull Tāo Tiè, trying to free it. The other spirit beasts cried out, but Tāo Tiè remained still, its head shaking gently.
Puzzled, Little Grey chattered, but then, the Kui Ox let out a low rumble. The other spirit beasts, including the Zhu Dragon and the Yellow Bird, watched as the Kui Ox struggled, attempting to stand.
The Kui Ox, being the largest, seemed to have the best strength. It shuddered and almost managed to stand, but suddenly, four columns of dark red light appeared, engulfing the four spirit beasts. The Kui Ox, struggling, collapsed back into the blood, splashing water everywhere. The other spirit beasts also showed signs of pain, but Little Grey, unaffected, only felt a slight shock.
From the high platform, the red light columns originated from a floating, mysterious cauldron. Little Grey, understanding the situation, glared with its three eyes, especially the golden one in the middle, which shone brightly.
With a sharp cry, Little Grey leaped off Tāo Tiè’s head, heading towards the Kui Ox. As it leaped, its body transformed, emitting a golden glow, and its size doubled. Leaping again, it landed on a stone pillar, transforming further, its body glowing with a mix of gold and red.
Reaching the pillar, Little Grey, now a massive, fearsome monkey, pounded its chest and roared. The quiet of the cave was shattered. The dark red light columns, reacting, gathered and formed a massive, red sun-like barrier. From the barrier, hundreds of red protrusions burst, raining down like blood bubbles, attacking Little Grey.
Little Grey roared, its golden-red aura blazing. It dodged the attacks, but more and more monsters, including skeletons armed with weapons and spewing poison and fire, descended, attacking relentlessly.
In the midst of this hellish scene, the four spirit beasts, finally freed from their bindings, attacked the skeletal minions, crushing them under their massive bodies. The battle raged, and Little Grey, undeterred, charged into the fray, smashing through the skeletal army.
As the battle continued, Little Grey picked up a large boulder, hurling it at the floating cauldron. The boulder, fast and powerful, smashed into the cauldron, causing a massive explosion. The red barrier shattered, revealing the cauldron.
Excited, Little Grey and the spirit beasts roared in triumph. The cave shook, the blood pool churned, and the entire mountain trembled. In the Ghost King’s chamber, the star map activated, foretelling a dramatic change. The earthquake and falling rocks in the icy chamber were unprecedented.
In the midst of this, the Ghost King stood, his face a mix of emotions, muttering, “Has the day finally come?”
On the summit, Little White, standing in the wind, felt the tremors. She knew the entire Fox Ridge Mountain was shaking, a phenomenon unseen for eons. Her face, cold and mocking, turned, and she dashed down the mountain, heading towards the Ghost King’s cave.
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