As soon as they stepped through the stone door, it felt like entering another world. The sensation was identical to suddenly entering the miasma-filled Book Forest from Ruixue Lodge during the Second Selection. Before them lay a desolate land, without a single person in sight, covered with narrow, tall stone tablets as far as the eye could see.
Lei Xiuyuan frowned as he entered, saying softly, “There are countless monster auras here. This is indeed a place for sealing monsters.”
Li Fei noticed that the narrow stone tablets seemed to have inscriptions. She stepped forward for a closer look. The engravings on these tablets were vastly different from mortal tombstones, with varying styles of calligraphy, some in seal script, others in wild cursive.
“Golden Phoenix Lake, Snake Monster Shi Zhan, sealed for 200 years, 183,” she murmured, reading from one tablet. Looking at another, she saw similar information – a place name, a monster’s name, the sealing duration, and finally a number, presumably the years already sealed.
Lei Xiuyuan said, “These monsters have names. That’s remarkable.”
“What do you mean?”
He explained, “I’ve read some strange tales and legends. While there are many monsters in the world, few can speak human language. Usually, they must cultivate to a certain level before they can speak human words and develop intelligence. From the moment they can speak human language, they have a name. This name is unique, bestowed by heaven. Most of the monsters sealed here have names, indicating they are all powerful monsters with significant cultivation.”
Li Fei couldn’t help but think of Ri Yan. He could speak like humans and was as intelligent as humans, perhaps even more so. His name was Ri Yan, but she didn’t know if it was his true name.
“Were they sealed because they did bad things?” she asked.
Lei Xiuyuan shook his head. “Not necessarily. More likely, it’s for crafting magical treasures. Monsters often need to consume human essence and blood in their cultivation, while immortals need monster pelts, bones, marrow, and monster qi to craft magical treasures. It’s mutual plunder.”
Consume human essence and blood?! Does that mean eating people? Ji Tongzhou was taken by a monster; could he still be alive?
Lei Xiuyuan walked forward a bit and saw a large pit ahead. A sealing tablet had fallen into the pit, broken into two pieces. Judging by the fresh break, it seemed to have happened recently. He picked up a handful of soil and sniffed it. The monster qi clinging to it was exceptionally foul, enough to make one nauseous.
There were too many sealed monsters here. Occasionally, when a monster’s sealing period ended and it broke free, the academy’s founders probably couldn’t keep up. Normally, the sealing ground was locked by the stone door mechanism. This time, they had accidentally opened the stone door, and coincidentally, a monster had broken its seal and escaped. Ji Tongzhou, having fallen into the pit earlier, had the most wounds, and the smell of fresh blood on his clothes must have attracted this monster, which then took him.
“The monster qi is heading east, mixed with the scent of perfume from that woman from the East Sea Immortals’ Gathering. Since they’ve caught up, Ji Tongzhou should not be in mortal danger. Let’s follow and see.”
The two children rushed eastward. After running for a while, they suddenly heard A Jiao’s voice: “Fortunately, this child is just unconscious, not seriously injured.”
They hurried over and saw Mo Yanfan standing with his sword drawn in the open space ahead. In front of him, a monster like a swirling black mist without a solid form was coiling around. Behind him, A-Jiao had just picked up the unconscious Ji Tongzhou. Seeing the two children also rush in, both their faces changed.
“Get out quickly!” Mo Yanfan frowned. “Who told you to come in?”
A Jiao, holding Ji Tongzhou with one hand, came over to shield the two children, pushing them forward. “This is no place for stinking brats. Come with me.”
Ji Tongzhou’s eyes were tightly closed, his face pale, with fresh blood trickling from his nose. Fine threads of purple-black miasma were seeping from his facial features. Li Fei was shocked – he had been injured by the miasma! He was wearing the evil-repelling fragrant beads; how could the miasma harm him?
She then noticed that the string of evil-repelling beads on his wrist no longer emitted a faint glow. When she gently touched them, the string broke, and the beads scattered. Picking one up for a closer look, she saw that the bead, about the size of a pellet, had cracked, and all the clear spiritual power it once contained had disappeared.
The miasma in the restricted area was so thick that even the evil-repelling beads couldn’t withstand it and cracked. No wonder Ji Tongzhou was taken by the monster. Li Fei gathered all the beads and put them away. She had a fondness for the kind True Person Dongyang, and even though the beads were no longer usable, she couldn’t bear to throw them away.
Behind them, Mo Yanfan formed a sword seal and engaged in battle with the black mist monster. Unable to use immortal techniques in the restricted area, even an elite disciple like Mo Yanfan could only fight the monster physically. Fortunately, his swordsmanship was sharp and exquisite, completely different from the showy techniques they had been taught.
However, without spiritual energy on the sword, even with superb swordsmanship, he couldn’t harm the monster at all. Mo Yanfan fought while retreating, urgently saying, “A Jiao! Quickly take the disciples and leave first!”
A-Jiao grabbed Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan, running forward at full speed while gritting her teeth in frustration: “You troublesome little brats! If it weren’t for you getting in the way, I could have helped Yanfan! When we get out, I’ll spank each of you!”
It seemed she wasn’t a bad person after all, and neither was Mo Yanfan. Because of the incident with Zhen Yunzi, Li Fei had been full of disgust for Star Rectification Hall and, by extension, had never had a good impression of Mo Yanfan. These two could have easily abandoned the troublesome children and escaped on their own, especially since A-Jiao had committed the crime of impersonating an academy teacher. Yet they chose to protect the young cultivation disciples even at their own risk. Li Fei suddenly felt that her previous judgmental view based on a single aspect was so shallow.
From Qing Qiu to the academy, she met many people with all sorts of personalities. Some she disliked, some she found endearing, but judging people based on a single point was not the way to determine if they were good or bad. Take Lei Xiuyuan, for example – he had harmed her before but also protected her. If she were to judge him based on just one aspect, wouldn’t that be very biased?
The same went for Zhen Yunzi. She had disliked him simply because of his cold attitude and sharp words. Later, when he spoke to her kindly, she thought he was a good person. It was only when the truth came to light that she understood everything.
Master, people are indeed very complex. I guess I’m still too naive. Li Fei sighed inwardly, looking back. Mo Yanfan was still fighting the monster, gradually losing ground. She immediately spoke up, “Sister A Jiao, go help Teacher Mo! I’ll carry Ji Tongzhou on my back. We can get out by ourselves!”
A Jiao urgently said, “You’ll leave on your own?! Then go quickly! Don’t look back!”
Li Fei had just put Ji Tongzhou on her back when the impatient woman ran back. Her weapons were two dazzling daggers, and her movements were extremely skillful. With her help, Mo Yanfan immediately felt much relieved.
“Let’s go quickly,” Li Fei said in a low voice. “Do you remember the way?”
“This way.” Lei Xiuyuan didn’t waste words, pulling her sleeve as they quickly passed through several stone tablets. They hadn’t run far when they suddenly heard a beast’s roar behind them, sounding like metal being cut and jade being shattered.
They had heard it once before outside the door, seemingly from far away. Now hearing it again, it was startlingly close. The two children couldn’t help but look back and saw a huge golden Xuan-ni beast that had appeared behind them. Its entire body was covered in golden fur that gleamed like silk, and its claws were thicker than a person’s thigh. This golden xuan-ni was even larger than Ri Yan when they first met him in Qing Qiu!
Even stranger was that about three chi above the Xuan-ni’s back floated a small, exquisite black stone pagoda. Unlike the stone tablets all around, this pagoda seemed to have an extremely powerful sealing technique cast upon it, emitting a colorful light in the dark restricted area.
The golden Xuan-ni let out a low growl, suddenly swiping a paw at the black mist monster. Its movement wasn’t fast; this swipe seemed utterly casual. Yet the monster appeared terrified, shrinking into a ball, not daring to move. It was swatted to the ground, and then the Xuan-ni opened its huge mouth and bit down on it.
Mo Yanfan said in a low voice, “This golden xuan-ni must be a spirit beast raised in the restricted area by the academy’s founders. Fortunately, it has arrived. Let’s leave quickly.”
A Jiao exclaimed in surprise, “What? You call this ugly, vicious xuan-ni monster a spirit beast?”
Suddenly, as if she had noticed something, her eyes fixed intently on the small black pagoda floating above the Xuan-ni’s back. She cried out shrilly, “That’s… that’s the aura of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox! You dare to seal away the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox!”
Nine-Tailed… Spirit Fox? Uh, this was the first time Li Fei had heard someone refer to Ri Yan this way. Although there was only one character difference between fox demon and spirit fox, the meaning was vastly different. And what was that about the small pagoda sealing the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox? Ri Yan was sleeping soundly inside her body, not sealed at all.
Mo Yanfan sighed, “Is this the time to argue about these differences? Aren’t we leaving?”
“You…” A-Jiao still looked angry but finally suppressed her emotions. She cast a reluctant glance at the pagoda before turning to run.
The golden Xuan-ni, with the black mist monster in its mouth, let out a low growl that sounded like metal being cut and jade being shattered. Its jaws suddenly closed, and the black mist monster let out a scream of agony as it was swallowed whole. The beast’s cold golden eyes stared at the fleeing group ahead. Suddenly, it roared again, and its huge, clumsy body unexpectedly leaped up, landing heavily in front of the group. Dust flew everywhere, and the two children were shaken off balance, falling hard to the ground.
A Jiao’s expression changed slightly as she shouted harshly, “What does this xuan-ni monster want to do? Block our way?!”
The golden Xuan-ni’s eyes stared coldly at her for a long time. Suddenly, it opened its mouth, revealing two rows of fangs like knives in its blood-red maw, looking terrifying. Mo Yanfan turned pale with fright and threw himself towards A-Jiao, only managing to shout, “Focus your spirit to resist!”
But it was too late. The golden xuan-ni suddenly let out a great roar, incredibly powerful, like countless thunderbolts suddenly striking on flat ground. Yet this roar was long and unending, vast and mighty, lasting for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense before abruptly stopping.
Li Fei’s ears nearly burst, and she kept them tightly covered. After a moment, she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. Lei Xiuyuan had collapsed softly onto her. She quickly supported him, asking in surprise, “What’s wrong with you…”
Before she could finish speaking, she looked down and saw blood gushing from his facial features. His face was deathly pale as if he had been severely injured. Li Fei gasped in shock, exclaiming, “Hey! What’s wrong with you? Lei Xiuyuan?!”
His eyelashes trembled painfully as he slowly opened his eyes, his voice barely a whisper: “Quick… run… This Xuan-ni is too powerful…”
Before he could finish, he fainted again.
Li Fei looked around in shock and confusion. Beside her, Ji Tongzhou was also bleeding from his facial features. In front of her, Mo Yanfan and A Jiao had fallen to the ground motionless, their fate unknown. All this… just because the golden xuan-ni had roared once? How was she unaffected? Why was she the only one unharmed again?!
Seeing the Xuan-ni approaching, Li Fei, in her panic, decided to play dead by lying on the ground. Her heart was about to leap out of her throat. What should she do next? She was the only one still conscious. Should she watch as everyone here was bitten to death? Or should she escape alone?
The golden Xuan-ni arrogantly walked to A Jiao’s side, lowered its head to sniff her, and let out another displeased growl. Its sharp teeth began to show, seemingly about to swallow her whole as it had done with the monster.
Was it going to kill her?! Li Fei could no longer bear it. She suddenly jumped up and shouted, “Stop!”