In the southern border, amidst the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the cold and sinister winds began to bring a chill, the heavy, dark clouds in the sky and the increasingly apparent deep, eerie cave indicating that they were nearing the fabled demonic lair. Lu Xueqi and her companions stood several dozen feet away from the ancient Demon-Sealing Cave, gazing towards the cavern.
A lone stone statue of a woman stood facing into the depths of the cave, its back turned to them, solitary and forlorn at the entrance. Besides it, nothing else could be seen.
Li Xun looked at the cave with a peculiar sense of nervousness, murmuring quietly, “This is the place.”
The sinister wind howled, seemingly rising in pitch all at once, sending a shiver down their spines. Lu Xueqi, Zeng Shushu, and Li Xun, masters of profound magical arts, were not deterred by the chilling aura. The dozen or so chosen disciples from the Incense Valley who followed them, also skilled and resolute, appeared unfazed by the foreboding atmosphere.
Zeng Shushu turned and observed, “The demonic energy here is indeed very strong, yet we have not seen a single beast for quite some time now. It’s rather strange.”
Lu Xueqi nodded, her expression as serene as ever, replying coolly, “Since we’ve come this far, let us press on. We’ll deal with any beasts or demons that may come our way early.” With that, she started forward without waiting for anyone’s reply.
Li Xun and Zeng Shushu exchanged glances. Zeng Shushu chuckled dryly, shrugged, and followed. Li Xun, watching Lu Xueqi’s graceful figure, heaved a silent sigh. This was a sight he had dreamt of countless times, but when the real opportunity arose, it felt more distant than ever.
Shaking off his despondence, he waved at his fellow disciples and joined the others.
Meanwhile, near the mysterious stone statue, a shadow flashed and darted into the cave – it was Hei Mu.
As Hei Mu reached the cave’s entrance, a low growl echoed from within, the voice of the ferocious spirit Black Tiger. The ethereal mists in the air began to coalesce, signaling the imminent reappearance of the demon. But just then, hidden in the darkness, Hei Mu’s voice cut through, “Brother, hold back for a moment, listen to me.”
The White Tiger sneered, the mists still gathering around it, clearly ignoring Hei Mu. “Do you dare return, creature?”
Hei Mu, standing in the shadows, replied, “Your presence will inevitably alert these intruders. People have been pouring into this Demon-Sealing Cave continuously. Surely, you know why, don’t you?”
The white mist paused mid-air, neither dissipating nor increasing. After a moment, the Black Tiger’s cold voice inquired, “What do you mean?”
Hei Mu spoke coldly, “They have come to confront the being in this cave. Is this not what you wished for? And you’ve already let people in earlier, so what harm would a few more do?”
Footsteps sounded in the distance, the group approaching the ancient, dark cavern.
The white mist suddenly dispersed, vanishing into the powerful, chilling winds. Simultaneously, Hei Mu’s shadow merged back into the darkness.
Lu Xueqi, Zeng Shushu, and Li Xun emerged at the cave’s entrance.
Zeng Shushu cautiously peered into the abyss, his brow furrowing. Li Xun, similarly wary, also seemed surprised. He took a few steps around, but everything remained eerily silent save for the biting winds.
This perplexed Li Xun. He stared at the cave, lost in thought.
Unlike the two men, Lu Xueqi, upon reaching the entrance, quickly shifted her gaze from the dark void to the enigmatic stone statue. She approached it, examining the ancient figure.
Though the statue had weathered many years, its expression remained vivid, a hint of sorrow in its eyes, gazing into the depths of the cave, as if both longing for something and confiding in silence.
Suddenly, Zeng Shushu called out, “Sister Lu, Sister Lu!”
Startled, Lu Xueqi took a step back, her thoughts abruptly interrupted. Zeng Shushu, concerned, asked, “Sister Lu, I’ve called you several times. Did you not hear me?”
Lu Xueqi, her face pale, tightened her hand, realizing it was clammy with sweat. She took a deep breath and replied calmly, “Nothing. Have you found anything unusual?”
Zeng Shushu shook his head, “No, besides the chilling winds, there’s no sign of any beasts.”
Turning to Li Xun, Zeng Shushu inquired, “What did you find, Brother Li?”
Li Xun, after a moment of silence, also shook his head, “Nothing, but this place is truly strange.”
Curious, Zeng Shushu asked, “Strange, how so?”
Caught off guard, Li Xun chuckled, “It’s just that this should be a den of beasts, yet there are none. It’s odd.”
Nodding, Zeng Shushu added, “True, I also find it strange. What do you think, Sister Lu?”
Lu Xueqi, her eyes gleaming, glanced at Li Xun. He coughed, turning to the other disciples, “Stay close, don’t stray too far.”
Gathering her composure, Lu Xueqi turned to the statue and declared, “We must go on. There is no turning back.”
Zeng Shushu agreed, “Let’s proceed. But we must be cautious. I’ll lead, Sister Lu, you support from the middle, and Brother Li, you cover the rear. The rest of the Incense Valley disciples stay in the middle, alright?”
Li Xun, still brooding, consented. But Lu Xueqi interjected, “That won’t do. Let’s change the order.”
Zeng Shushu and Li Xun were taken aback. Lu Xueqi suggested, “I will lead, Brother Zeng, you follow last, and Brother Li and the others stay in the middle. Brother Li can command if needed.”
Li Xun’s expression flickered, but Zeng Shushu, smiling, said, “Good point. That’s settled then.”
Li Xun, though reluctant, acquiesced. Lu Xueqi, after a brief glance at him, turned to Zeng Shushu, “Brother Zeng, from the rear, you can oversee and coordinate.”
Zeng Shushu, winking at Lu Xueqi discreetly, chuckled, “You can count on me, Sister Lu. No trouble will get past me.”
With a brief, fleeting smile, Lu Xueqi led the way. As the group ventured into the darkness, Hei Mu reappeared, observing the statue. The ghostly mists gathered once more, and the Black Tiger, massive and menacing, emerged again.
“You humans never cease your infighting, even here,” the Black Tiger scoffed, glaring into the darkness.
Hei Mu, unperturbed, retorted, “Human nature is such. Even you and I, and the Lady, were no different, were we?”
The Black Tiger roared, furious, “How dare you defame the Lady before her image!”
Hei Mu, wearied, countered, “If the Lady hadn’t plotted, would that immortal demon still be sealed here? Our pursuit of eternal life created this monstrosity, and we were wrong. The beast’s rage against the world was also our fault.”
Hei Mu’s anguished laughter echoed, “We were all wrong, so wrong!”
The Black Tiger, quieted, listened, his eyes complex and unreadable. Inside the cave, Lu Xueqi paused, sensing something, but saw only darkness behind her. Her heart stirred, and Li Xun, noticing, inquired, “Sister Lu, is everything alright?”
She turned, resolutely, “Let’s continue.” As they pressed on, Tianyah Sword in her hand glowed, a soft blue light enveloping her like a dream.
Deep within the Demon-Sealing Cave, flames burned in an ancient brazier, an unrooted fire. In the dim light, Gui Li and the gentle-looking Shou Shen faced each other.
Gui Li, calm, stated, “I deduced your identity later.”
The Shou Shen, amused, inquired, “How did you figure it out?”
Gui Li, looking around, said, “It was the presence of Taotie. That was the key.”
Nodding, the Shou Shen agreed, “Indeed, that was a sure way.”
As the two watched, the monkey Xiao Hui and the great beast Taotie formed an unexpected bond, breaking the tense atmosphere. The Shou Shen mused, “They seem happier than us, don’t they?”
Gui Li, silent, left the question hanging in the air.
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