Chapter 122: The Frenzy of Demonic Beasts

The Feathered Clan flew at a brisk pace, quickly reaching the skies above the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons. From afar, I saw my master locked in combat with the Blood-Tailed Spotted Python. Master rolled on the ground like a weary donkey to dodge the serpent’s head, but just then, its tail whipped around simultaneously. Exhausted, Master seemed unable to evade the strike. I flew forward with all my might, crossing the hundred-meter distance in a mere second, but the Feathered King was faster. With wings unfurled, the King took the brunt of the python’s violent blow, being flung away by the impact. Master seized the moment to scramble to his feet.

The python’s tail was covered in sharp, blood-red barbs over three inches long. Seeing me, Master retreated a few steps and cried, "The Samsara Cauldron! Place it back quickly; the demons are about to shatter the seal!"

I did not dare to delay. The bluestone slab was already trembling violently. I rushed to the center of the stone statues and withdrew the Samsara Cauldron from my spatial ring. It slammed down with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. At that very moment, the bluestone slab could no longer withstand the demons' onslaught; it was sent flying, and countless plumes of black mist surged out from the cave.

Tracking the flying slab, I kicked it mid-air, sending it hurtling toward the Blood-Tailed Spotted Python. Just as the giant serpent adjusted its form to strike, the slab smashed into its head with a thunderous boom, pinning it firmly to the ground. The Feathered Clan stood along the canyon’s edge, a truly spectacular sight. Seeing the black mist pouring out, Master frantically threw down talismans to suppress it. Several explosions rocked the ground, leaving deep craters at the cave entrance, but the talismans failed to stem the tide of mist. Master turned back, his expression grave, and looked at the cauldron: "What is going on? Did you place it incorrectly?"

I quickly checked the cauldron, as the python had not yet broken free. Upon inspection, it was indeed in its original position. It had sat there for countless years, wearing four inch-deep grooves into the hard stone where the legs rested perfectly.

Master stepped over and looked: "Disaster! The orientation is wrong. The four divine beasts must align with their corresponding directions. Fix it at once!"

The python had broken free of the slab and was charging, head swaying. Master left me to deal with the alignment while he went to intercept the beast. I realized my mistake: I had placed the Azure Dragon in the south, the Vermilion Bird in the west, the White Tiger in the north, and the Black Tortoise in the east, instead of the correct configuration of East, South, West, and North respectively. No wonder the seal had failed! I gathered my internal energy, lifted the heavy cauldron, and rotated it into the correct position. Only then did the surging black mist cease. I could only wonder how many demons had escaped during those few moments!

While Master and the Feathered King battled the python, the escaped mist coalesced into various monstrous forms, hiding in the shadows where the sun could not reach. Among them were ox-headed humanoids, one-legged creatures with half-meter-long ears, and a giant spider the size of a house. There were easily a hundred different types. I ordered the Feathered Clan to descend and help subdue these monsters. My carelessness had unleashed a horde, and I could only hope no high-level ancient terrors were among them.

Master and the Feathered King barely managed to pin the python down, while I and a thousand feathered warriors fought the others. The space was too cramped, leaving thousands more warriors stranded on the mountaintops, helpless. The monsters lurked in the dark, releasing black mist that exploded upon contact. Feathered warriors fell in droves, their bodies torn asunder by the blasts. Other monsters dissolved into mist, latching onto any warrior who stepped into the shadows, leaving behind nothing but a skeleton. Yet, the warriors were undeterred; seeing their comrades perish only fueled their courage. They surged forward, eager to surround the monsters, but I shouted them back—these creatures were too cunning to be fought head-on.

I turned my attention to Master’s fight. The Feathered King had taken to the air, dealing heavy blows, while Master struck from the ground. Caught between them, the python was losing. I cast a protective barrier around the warriors and ordered them to retreat; I would handle the rest alone. I condensed internal energy in my left hand and demonic energy in my right, compressing them into a massive orb of power. I hurled it at the rock wall where the monsters hid. A series of screams followed as mangled corpses littered the ground.

It worked! The monsters had been hiding their true forms. Emboldened, I gathered an even larger orb of energy. Another explosion decimated a large group. Since the sunlight was limited, the monsters were trapped in the shadows, making them easy targets. A few, caught in the sun while dodging, reverted to their true forms—women with the bodies of horses. As the sunlight touched them, they hissed and vanished into ash.

A loud boom drew my attention. The Feathered King had driven his arm into the python's eye, finally slaying it. Master and the King rushed over. About fifty monsters remained, flickering in the shadows. Master unleashed a flurry of talismans before he even arrived, obliterating the remaining creatures in a series of explosions. I thought the ordeal was over, but suddenly, the house-sized spider opened its maw and swallowed a smaller monster whole without even chewing. Sensing danger, I gathered my energy, but Master was blocked by the Feathered King as he tried to intervene. In mere seconds, the spider had devoured a dozen monsters. I launched my energy orb, but to my horror, the giant spider vanished before my eyes. Before I could react, it reappeared directly in front of me, and I felt its massive jaws snap shut over my head.