Xie Zhaolin's first thought was of the gray-robed man, but she quickly shook her head.
That didn't make sense. He had no reason to clear the dangers here. If he really had that ability, to easily sweep away every threat along the path to the Rebirth Flower, then why wouldn't he just take the flower himself? Why go through all this trouble to lure her down?
Her pupils suddenly shrank. A chilling thought surfaced.
"Unless… even he can't handle the danger here."
That single notion made her skin crawl, every hair standing on end. For something to make even a Golden Core cultivator's clone hesitate, how terrifying must it be?
Xie Zhaolin took a deep breath, forcing down her unease. She crouched to study the ground. The gravel was littered with strange remains—pitch-black scales, broken bone spurs, shriveled organs. These were things no human cultivator would leave behind.
She picked up a scale. It was as wide as her palm, its edges sharp as blades, its surface gleaming with a metallic luster. What made her scalp prickle most was the lingering aura clinging to it. It was pure, primal, savage hostility.
Something's here.
Her chest tightened as she rose slowly to her feet. Anything capable of wiping out all those wandering souls so cleanly had to be far more terrifying than she'd imagined.
Rustle… rustle…
A faint scraping sound drifted out from deep in the passage.
Xie Zhaolin instantly put away her luminous pearl, both hands forming seals as black baleful qi gathered in her palms. The sound grew closer, mixed with heavy breathing. But just as it was about to reach her, it stopped.
The silence was suffocating.
Her breath caught without her realizing.
Suddenly, her divine sense caught a ripple.
"Fall back!"
She shouted sharply and flung three defensive talismans forward. Almost at the same instant, a black shadow shot from the passage like lightning. The talisman barriers shattered instantly. She barely dodged aside, but three bone-deep gashes still tore across her left shoulder.
The shadow landed, revealing its form—a massive black lizard nearly two zhang long, its entire body covered in metallic scales. What made her blood run cold were its eyes. No pupils, just solid blood-red, filled with nothing but killing intent.
"ROAR!"
The lizard's jaws opened wide, jagged teeth gleaming, and a stench so foul it nearly choked her blasted across the tunnel.
Now she understood why there were no wandering souls here. Faced with this kind of beast, what soul would dare linger?
The ones hiding in those caves above had probably all ended up in its stomach.
The lizard's blood-red eyes locked on her. Its hind legs tensed, then it lunged again.
"Scatter!"
Her order rang out as she retreated. Her beast souls fanned out, ready to strike from every direction.
"All together!" she barked.
Bing Jing pounced first, crystalline claws laced with bone-piercing frost slashing for the lizard's throat. It didn't dodge. Sparks flew where the claws raked across its scales, leaving only faint scratches. With a furious roar, its thick tail lashed out, smashing Bing Jing into the rock wall. The tiger's soul flickered violently.
Her heart clenched, but through their bond she sensed it was stable. Bing Jing's defense had improved after its breakthrough, enough to keep it from suffering heavy damage.
Xue Xiao dove from above, claws aimed at its eyes. At the same moment, Shuang Ling's azure-violet fox flames blasted toward its hind leg. Dian Diao darted like purple lightning around its body, while Teng She slithered silently along the right, waiting to strike.
But the lizard's reflexes were monstrous. It whipped its head, slamming Xue Xiao out of the air. Its tail scattered the fox flames, and only Dian Diao's instant teleport let it escape a fatal hit.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Xie Zhaolin's fingers blurred through seals. Spirit power surged, condensing into a silver-white blade of light in her palms.
"Cut!"
The light blade tore through the air, slashing for the pale scales at its throat.
The beast twisted to evade, but the edge still grazed its neck, leaving a charred mark.
"ROAR!"
It bellowed in pain, the sound shaking the cavern, and its tail swept at her with the force of a collapsing mountain. She leapt, narrowly avoiding the strike, but its assault didn't stop. Its front claws came crashing down, talons gleaming.
Bang!
Her hastily raised barrier shattered under the blow. The impact blasted her back into the stone wall, blood spraying from her mouth. Before she could recover, its jaws gaped, and a jet of pitch-black liquid shot toward her. She twisted aside, but agony seared her left arm as the spray grazed past. Her sleeve melted in an instant. Smoke curled from her skin, the flesh burning with venom. Its saliva was dozens of times more poisonous than the Soul Devouring Vines.
"ROAR!" The lizard lunged, claws reaching for her throat.
At the last instant, Xue Xiao slammed into its flank, knocking its strike just wide. Still, its claws tore across her shoulder, blood spraying. Gritting against the pain, her eyes hardened. Her fingers formed another seal, and her voice cracked like a whip.
"Cover me! Hit its eyes!"
All five beast souls erupted at once.
Shuang Ling's tails lashed, three fox flames streaking out in a triangle. Xue Xiao spread its wings, dozens of silver feathers shooting like arrows.
Dian Diao's entire body blazed with lightning, unleashing a purple bolt straight at its eyes. Teng She reared and spat a cloud of green venom. Bing Jing's icy armor exploded outward, shards firing like blades.
Even Feng Wang shot from her beast pouch, its swarm releasing a hail of golden stingers.
The sudden storm of attacks forced the beast to squeeze its eyes shut. Explosions of light and sparks filled the air as strikes hammered its face.
Xie Zhaolin seized the opening. Five artifacts flew from her storage ring, arcing toward the beast from five directions.
It roared, tail whipping out to smash them aside.
But her hands flashed through seals. In midair, the artifacts veered abruptly.
"Explode!"
Her shout rang, and the five artifacts detonated at once.
Through their bond, her beasts and Feng Wang had already retreated. Xue Xiao grabbed her by the sleeve and dragged her clear.
BOOM!
The blast shook the cavern like an earthquake. Rock rained from the ceiling, and a massive crater opened in the floor.
From the smoke rose a scream, guttural and furious, so loud it rattled her skull.
"Did that… work?" she panted, pressing her bleeding shoulder, eyes locked on the smoke.
But then her pupils contracted.
From the haze, a vast shadow slowly rose.