Chapter 105: The Phantom Beast Car

The sixth floor. Finally, I had reached the sixth floor. All these demons and divine beasts, it seemed they were nothing special after all. Today, I was going to push through to the ninth floor; if that kid Chu Jun could do it, so could I. The sixth floor was occupied by a massive bird. It was gargantuan, with a golden glow radiating from its entire body. My first impression was that it was strong—incredibly strong. Just as I prepared to strike first, the bird moved faster. With a single flap of its wings, a powerful gust of wind surged toward me. I was caught in the turbulence, spun around in the air several times, and slammed hard into the wall. The impact left me dazed and seeing stars. It took a great effort to stand back up, and I hurriedly activated my defensive system. It seemed I had underestimated my opponent; I could not afford to make such amateur mistakes again.

I gripped the Frost Sword and closed in step by step. The bird flapped its wings, unleashing wave after wave of intense wind. Once again, I was blasted against the wall by the freezing gale. I remembered the horse stance my master had taught me, so I planted my feet firmly on the ground. It worked perfectly; no matter how the bird flapped, it could not budge my solid stance. Perhaps realizing this tactic was useless, the bird simply beat its wings and charged at me. I grinned, thinking, "That’s more like it." The bird intended to strike with its razor-sharp talons, but it underestimated my reflexes. I seized the opportunity to grab one of its legs and began to spin. This behemoth was sent whirling through the air like a toy. I put my strength into a final heave, and to my surprise, the creature’s massive body shattered the window of the Demon Suppression Tower and flew right out. I leaned over to look and saw it crash into the plaza below, causing a brief panic among the people. Fortunately, the bird vanished a moment later, and the door to the seventh floor creaked open.

It was easier than I had imagined. The seventh floor contained a red centipede. It didn’t look very large—maybe a meter long. This time, I dared not be careless. Since I had already reached the seventh floor, I had to make it to the very last level to see the mythical beast. I gripped my Frost Sword and approached slowly. The centipede seemed not to notice me, lying motionless on the ground. Was it dead? I crept closer and nudged it with my foot. No reaction. Had the Nine-Tailed Fox killed it? I crouched down and pressed my revolver against its head; if it made a single move, I wouldn't hesitate to empty the magazine into it. Still, the centipede remained unresponsive. If I didn't kill it, the door to the eighth floor wouldn't open. If it wouldn't move, I would. I slashed my sword across its back, but the creature’s hide was harder than I could have imagined. I had put seventy percent of my power into that strike—enough to shear through solid steel—yet the centipede remained unscathed.

I increased my strength, hacking at it repeatedly, but every blow felt like dropping a stone into a bottomless ocean. Aside from a dull thud, nothing happened. I didn't get rid of the centipede, but I ended up drenched in sweat. This was a damn bug in the system—invincible! No wonder the Nine-Tailed Fox had failed on the seventh floor. I simply sat down and lit a cigarette. Since the centipede wasn't moving, I wondered how Chu Jun had passed this level. Was it dead or alive? The more I thought about it, the less I understood. Why would a dead demon be in the tower? I tossed the cigarette butt aside and kicked the creature. Because I used so much force, it flew right out through the window. At that moment, the door to the eighth floor slowly opened.

You've got to be kidding me. That was it? If I’d known that, I would have tossed it out sooner! What a waste of time! I strode through the steel-reinforced gate into the eighth floor. What met my eyes was a massive azure dragon. It was coiled inside the tower, and it was clear the space wasn't large enough to contain its immense body. The more I looked, the more it resembled the legendary divine beasts. Ancient lore spoke of four great baleful beasts: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. There were others, of course, but these four were the most famous. Regardless of whether it was truly a divine beast, I was going to defeat it and reach the ninth floor.

Before the dragon could detect me, I aimed at its eyes and fired several shots. The bullets simply bounced off its eyelids. This revolver was absolute trash; the moment I faced a high-level creature, it became nothing more than a toy. I threw the gun away in disgust and drew the Frost Sword. The dragon flicked its head, sending my discarded weapon flying, and charged at me with a lash of its tail.

The space inside the tower was cramped, so I didn't dare clash head-on. I dodged the dragon’s attacks while landing a few strikes, but the creature was thick-skinned. Its shimmering scales provided incredible defense, and several times, the shock from my strikes nearly knocked the Frost Sword from my hand. The dragon remained unharmed. As I dodged its tail, I vaulted onto its back. The dragon began to thrash violently, trying to throw me off. I clung tightly to its neck, but suddenly, it reared its head back, slamming me into the ceiling of the tower. Stunned by the pain, I lost my grip. As I scrambled to get back up, the dragon’s massive jaws snapped down. I quickly raised the Frost Sword, and the dragon bit down on the blade, which pierced through its upper jaw. I was swallowed into its foul-smelling maw. I struggled with all my might, pried its jaws apart, and ripped the sword free. A transparent hole appeared on the top of the dragon's head, and it dissolved into a plume of white smoke. The door to the ninth floor opened.

"Haha! I finally made it to the ninth floor! 'Divine beast'—what a joke, it couldn't even take a hit." I laughed triumphantly. It was the brightest, most genuine laughter I had felt in days. The feeling of defeating these exotic beasts was intoxicating. This climb wasn't just to test my physical limits; it was a way to vent the repression in my heart. There was no denying that Xu Qinghuan’s death had hit me hard. Even though days had passed, I would lie awake at night, unable to find rest. Soon, I arrived at the ninth floor. I was finally going to see the legendary divine beast. I fortified my defensive systems and activated my "Heavenly Eye" and laser emitters—tech I rarely used for fear of draining my internal energy. But with all the previous demons defeated, I had nothing to lose. This time, I would use my ultimate attack and try to subdue it in one go. However, when I saw the beast on the ninth floor, I went dumbstruck. The word "Guiche" subconsciously flashed through my mind.

Before me stood a monster bird with nine heads. The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* records that this bird is called Guiche, also known as the Nine-Headed Bird. It is crimson in color, looks like a duck, and has wings spanning a dozen feet. It cannot see during the day and only emerges at night; at the slightest disturbance, it takes flight with a piercing cry. It loves to enter people's homes to suck away their souls. There is also a legend that one of its nine heads was eaten by a celestial dog, causing it to drip blood wherever it goes, bringing disaster to any house it visits.