Hole Digging

Kuntu, not understanding what was happening, dared not confront it head-on and could only leap away, landing beside Yang Chan.

The white figure crashed onto the bed, directly caving it in. It turned its head towards Bada, who was closest, and let out a ferocious roar from its gaping maw.

"ROAR..."

Bada's pupils dilated instantly as he got a clearer look at the figure. It was covered in snow-white fur, its appearance was neither human nor beast, and its features were indistinct.

"Man-Fiend, it's a Man-Fiend..." he immediately screamed in terror.

Before his voice even faded, he was already scrambling away from Kuntu and Yang Chan.

Yang Chan hadn't felt particularly scared until then, but seeing him flee immediately gave her the urge to retreat as well. However, before she could move, Kuntu grabbed her arm.

"What are you afraid of? Don't forget why we're here!" Kuntu roared at her.

Yang Chan then remembered that they were indeed here to find and kill Man-Fiends.

"Hmph, it's all Bada's fault, that coward, for scaring me too," Yang Chan spat, steadying her nerves.

Yuan Ming, who had transformed into a White Ape using the Furring Technique, saw that they weren't scared off and sighed inwardly. Without any hesitation, he leaped forward again, clenching his fists and smashing them onto the ground.

"BOOM!"

The temple floor shook violently. The ground beneath Yang Chan and Kuntu cracked, sending countless fragments flying.

A crack on a damaged stone pillar near the two widened, and with a "CRASH," it shattered, bringing down half the roof with it. A large amount of tiles and dust poured down.

Yang Chan and Kuntu quickly dodged backward, retreating outside the temple.

From within the dust, Yuan Ming picked up Chen Wan, who lay sprawled on the ground. He roughly tidied her clothes and leaped upward, heading towards the roof.

That punch earlier hadn't been due to his immense strength, capable of smashing half the temple with a single blow. Instead, he had used the Wood Thorn Technique in conjunction with the impact on the already rotten stone pillar, creating that intimidating scene.

Seeing an opportunity to escape, Yuan Ming dared not delay.

As his figure burst through the roof and he felt the first drops of rain on his skin, he suddenly noticed a shadow overhead blocking the falling rain.

Yuan Ming looked up and saw a pair of eerie green "lanterns" lighting up in the night sky. Around the dim green glow, patches of diamond-shaped, dark red scales appeared.

Before he could get a clear look, a "hissing" sound reached him. The shadow rapidly descended, revealing a massive snake's head. It opened its gaping maw and lunged towards Yuan Ming.

"Yang Chan's spirit beast," Yuan Ming's body froze, and he punched upwards.

"THUMP!" A dull thud echoed as the fiery red python was struck, its head recoiling. Yuan Ming's body also plummeted from the sky.

The moment they landed, Bada's shouts could be heard from afar in the rain: "Captain Kuntu, Wubao is dead! That beast slave named Yuan Ming is gone!"

Upon hearing this, Kuntu immediately realized.

"We've been tricked! It wasn't a Man-Fiend inside, but that Furred Beast Slave," he roared, immediately patting the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

A streak of green light shot out, revealing a towering Green Wolf, about twenty feet long.

Without Kuntu's command, the Green Wolf's mane bristled. Its muscles tensed, and its dark red eyes flashed with a faint light. It opened its mouth and let out a sky-shattering roar towards the dilapidated temple.

"ROAR..."

Accompanying the roar, a gale erupted from the Green Wolf's mouth. Countless wind blades, emitting a green glow, shredded the rain curtain, forming visible cyclones that slammed into the ruined temple.

With a "RUMBLE," debris and tiles flew everywhere, crashing into the temple.

Sensing the ferocious power, Yuan Ming could only quickly dodge, seeking cover to the side of the strange idol.

The violent wind blades swept past, striking the uncollapsed wall behind him and blasting a huge opening in the precarious stone wall.

Yuan Ming looked at the gap in the wall behind him. Just as he was about to escape, he saw two green lights rapidly charging towards him from the darkness outside.

Upon learning that it was not a Man-Fiend but merely a Furred Beast Slave inside, Bada's fear vanished. He summoned his own spirit beast.

The Black-haired Boar, its fur bristling, was enveloped in a dark glow. It charged headlong towards Yuan Ming on its hooves, its two sharp tusks gleaming faintly, seemingly coated with poison.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming slammed one palm onto the ground. The spiritual energy in his dantian surged, pouring into the earth.

The Wood Thorn Technique was immediately activated.

About twenty feet in front of him, the ground erupted, and three thick, leg-thick green wooden thorns shot out of the earth at an angle, like chevaux de frise, aimed at the charging Black-haired Boar.

"BANG!"

The Black-haired Boar crashed directly into the thick green wooden thorns. Blood splattered from its body as it broke the thorns, causing them to completely dissipate.

Its speed only slowed slightly, and it continued its charge.

Yuan Ming's heart sank, and he quickly rolled to the side to dodge.

The spirit beasts of these registered disciples, while seemingly similar to the Fierce Beasts he usually hunted, were vastly different in combat power. They were not something he could easily deal with.

Not to mention their masters, who were all legitimate disciples of Jade Luo Cave, capable of learning various sect techniques and secret arts.

Yuan Ming suddenly felt a pang of regret, wishing he hadn't acted on impulse, which had nearly led him into a desperate situation. He should have at least waited for a more opportune moment.

"BOOM!" A deafening crash.

The Black-haired Boar, charging ferociously, slammed into the oddly shaped idol of the fierce god. The impact caused the mud-sculpted idol to crumble and disintegrate, even blowing away the base beneath it.

The violent impact made the Black-haired Boar dizzy. It shook its head, oriented itself, and then charged towards Yuan Ming again.

The red Fire Python from above also opened its maw and swooped down towards him.

Yuan Ming, surrounded, quickly scanned for an escape route. He then noticed a dark opening beneath the idol that the Black-haired Boar had toppled.

His mind raced, and he made a decision.

He deactivated the Furring Technique, cradled Chen Wan in his arms, and charged forward, dodging the Fire Python's attack and heading straight for the Black-haired Boar.

Just as he was about to collide, he ducked low, using his size to slide beneath the Black-haired Boar and through to the opening.

Yuan Ming peered into the hole. It was pitch black, and a chilling wind blew out, revealing nothing of its depth.

"You dog, surrender now!" Kuntu's voice boomed. He and his Green Wolf spirit beasts had also charged in.

With no time to ponder, Yuan Ming scooped up Chen Wan and leaped into the opening.

After falling thirty to forty feet, he landed on a slope and began sliding rapidly downward.

Kuntu immediately pursued. After checking the opening's size, he shouted to Yang Chan, "Quick! Send your Fire Python in. We must kill them today, or we'll be in serious trouble when we return to the sect."

Yang Chan's face tightened. Without a word, she commanded the Fire Python to burrow into the cave.

Unless they risked entering themselves, the Fire Python was the only spirit beast capable of navigating the cave.

The Fire Python plunged into the cave, flicking its tongue and wriggling its body as it rapidly chased them downward.

The cave was uneven, with rocks jutting out everywhere. Yuan Ming crashed against them, his body covered in wounds, but he dared not slow down.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind and felt a sense of dread.

A roar followed, and the Fire Python caught up. Its massive maw opened, spewing a stream of fire that erupted into a wave engulfing the entire cave.

Yuan Ming felt the temperature skyrocket and his heart clenched. He quickly activated the Wood Thorn Technique, causing three thick wooden spikes to erupt from the ground behind him, attempting to block the flames.

The fierce flames pierced through the gaps in the wooden spikes, searing his back. The intense burning sensation made him gasp for breath.

"Bang!"

The sound of the wooden spikes snapping echoed from behind. The Fire Python continued its relentless pursuit, and in an instant, its gaping maw was mere inches away.

Feeling the scorching heat emanating from within, Yuan Ming gripped his sword tightly, preparing for a final stand.

Just then, he felt a movement in his arms. Chen Wan seemed to be waking up.

"Hey! If you don't want to die, think of something, fast!" Yuan Ming yelled.

Chen Wan's mind was foggy, her eyes dazed and unfocused. Upon seeing what was behind them, her pupils contracted slightly. She instinctively reached into her sleeve and threw something into the Fire Python's gaping maw.

"Swish!"

A metal pellet, about the size of a walnut, shot out. The intricate flame patterns etched onto it glowed faintly, with tiny sparks flashing within before disappearing into the Fire Python's mouth.

The next moment, Chen Wan burrowed into Yuan Ming's embrace.

Before Yuan Ming could react, a "boom" erupted behind him.

A fierce flame exploded, shattering the Fire Python's head. The scorching wave of heat slammed into Yuan Ming's back, propelling him downward like a projectile.

The fiery blast surged up and down the cave, its immense force creating continuous shockwaves that caused the cave to collapse section by section.

Falling rocks and earth sealed the cave, and a torrent of mud and debris rushed after Yuan Ming and Chen Wan.

The powerful impact, combined with the explosion's roar, created a resonant vibration within the confined space. The force struck Yuan Ming, causing his mind to reel and his vision to blacken before he lost consciousness.

Chen Wan, held in his arms, fared no better. She too succumbed to the shockwaves and fell unconscious.