The Fight Begins

Since kind advice was useless, it was time to take action!

Despite his reservations, Xiao Xiao wasn't intimidated by this human-monster duo.

Xiao Xiao didn't try to hide the sound of his footsteps.

"Tap~ tap~"

Xiao Xiao walked faster and faster, eventually breaking into a run.

After rounding a corner, Xiao Xiao suddenly stopped.

In the dim environment, Yang Yi stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning lazily against a wall. The branches extending diagonally from above cast dappled shadows, making it impossible to see his expression clearly.

However, the aura he exuded was clearly relaxed and indifferent, with no hint of tension, as if he didn't care about the bloodshed nearby at all.

Xiao Xiao glanced at Yang Yi before fixing his gaze on the Gu carving.

The Gu雕 was eating with its back to him.

Xiao Xiao couldn't see the specifics, but he could clearly hear the Gu carving's chewing and swallowing sounds.

It was chilling.

Xiao Xiao felt his scalp tingle, the smell of blood in the air was nauseating, and the sounds in his ears hammered against his eardrums like a giant hammer, making his head roar.

His excellent vision even allowed him to see two legs sticking out from in front of the Gu雕.

They were clad in dusty, oversized jeans, and he wasn't wearing socks. His ankles looked withered, as if all the blood had drained away. A pair of worn-out sneakers were loosely tied on his feet. The shoelace on the right shoe was untied and bobbed with the carving's movements, looking like it would fall off at any second.

This must have been a homeless man. He might have thought his end would come from freezing, starvation, or illness, or even a car accident, but he certainly never imagined this scene.

A monster was feasting on his body, gnawing on his bones, drinking his blood.

And even if this monster devoured him completely, no one would ever notice his disappearance.

They would just assume he had wandered off to some other place.

Xiao Xiao gripped the Monster Compendium in his hand.

Yes, for some reason, Xiao Xiao had brought the Monster Compendium with him, even though he didn't need the physical item to summon a monster.

Thick blood, a rich scent of gore, Xiao Xiao could even hear the gurgling sound of blood flowing down a throat, gulping down human blood greedily and insatiably.

The faint sound of bones cracking seemed to be amplified infinitely in the quiet, cramped space. Sharp teeth crushed hard bones effortlessly, the crisp sound revealing a hint of the eater's cheerful mood.

The Gu雕, in the midst of its meal, was lazy and relaxed, seemingly posing no threat.

However, the alarm in Xiao Xiao's heart hadn't stopped ringing since the moment he stepped into this space, making him afraid to make the slightest move.

He could clearly feel that the Gu carving had become stronger.

It seemed to be growing stronger by feeding on humans.

No, perhaps it was recovering its strength.

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Xiao's eyes. He couldn't delay any longer. The Gu diao was becoming increasingly powerful, even its size had increased by two or three parts compared to when he last saw it. Its feathers seemed cast from steel, gleaming with a chilling light.

In front of Xiao Xiao's eyes, the phantom image of the Monster Compendium became clearer and clearer, its pages rustling in the wind with a "swish~ swish~ swish~" sound.

In the dark, shadowy space, the Ling Yao, as red as alchemical fire, suddenly appeared, as if illuminating the entire area.

"Caw~" Its clear and bright cry drowned out the Gu diao's eating sounds, making the air flow more smoothly.

Yang Yi suddenly straightened up, his face, revealed from the shadows, was filled with shock.

The moment the Ling Yao appeared, the Gu worm seemed oblivious, still eating. It had already reached the homeless man's waist, "crunch~ crunch~".

It wasn't eating particularly fast, but it wasn't swallowing whole either. The deliciousness of human flesh had always been highly favored by monsters.

But later, the Ling Yao's clear cry clearly disturbed the Gu雕.

The Gu paused, then swallowed the remaining two legs without even chewing, even swallowing the shoes along with them.

Then, the Gu雕 finally turned around, its scarlet eyes flashing with ferocity, clearly displeased at being interrupted during its meal.

"What kind of monster is that?" Yang Yi finally came to his senses, looking at the Ling Yao flying beside Xiao Xiao, his eyes filled with covetousness.

Covetousness? Xiao Xiao was a little surprised, and a little amused. He had expected to see other emotions, like shock, but never covetousness.

Xiao Xiao blinked, almost doubting if he had seen correctly.

But Yang Yi's covetousness was completely undisguised, staring directly at the Ling Yao so brazenly.

Xiao Xiao's silence caused Yang Yi's expression to darken, a hint of displeasure appearing between his brows. But soon, the corners of his eyes turned up, revealing a hint of a smile.

"Scythe, I want it."

Is it really okay to be so blatant? Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded, then chuckled.

Besides, what made him think the Gu carving could definitely beat the Ling Yao?

Alright, he admitted, just by appearance, the sinister and eerie Gu雕 with its dark aura did feel more dangerous, while the Ling Yao, adorned in gorgeous feathers, clearly appeared harmless and fragile.

Moreover, in terms of size, the carved jade was a whole circle bigger than the Ling Yao.

However, countless lessons learned through blood and tears by their predecessors had taught future generations not to judge by appearance. The same applied to judging monsters; otherwise, the consequences could be dire.

The Gu雕 was powerful, so obviously powerful that anyone with eyes could see it.

But, Xiao Xiao had a vague feeling that perhaps a full-powered Gu雕 might give the Ling Yao a headache, but the current Gu雕 was no match for the Ling Yao.

"Tch~" Hearing the human's absurd and laughable words, the Ling Yao let out a disdainful snort, not even sparing Yang Yi a glance.

It didn't fear a full-powered Gu-worm, let alone one that was heavily injured and still recovering?

Perhaps it was Ling Yao's arrogant disdain that provoked the Roc. Even though it knew the other party was dangerous, the usually arrogant Roc, made even more irritable by its injuries, immediately lost its temper.

"Jie~" The Gu Diao let out a sharp cry and flapped its wings, lunging at the Ling Yao. The edges of its dark wings flashed with a chilling glint, and its massive form exuded an overwhelming presence, as if the entire space was under its control. The Ling Yao within it was at its mercy.

Facing the Gu雕's fierce onslaught, the Ling Yao remained motionless, as if stunned. A triumphant smile spread across Yang Yi's lips, but Xiao Xiao showed no panic at all.

Just as the Roc's huge, sharp claws were about to slash across the Ling Yao's soft belly, a sharp glint flashed in the Ling Yao's eyes. Its long, magnificent tail feathers whipped out at the Roc with lightning speed.

The sound of air being torn apart had barely registered when, in the next instant, the Roc was sent flying.

The sudden turn of events froze the smile on Yang Yi's lips before it could fully bloom.

Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, smiled.