Chen Hao waved a hand, and a crimson crystal broke free from the wall and floated slowly into his palm.
He weighed the crystal in his hand and gently rubbed it with his fingertips, instantly understanding everything.
This crystal was a Flame Spirit Stone that had formed out of nothing deep beneath Mount Lao after the upheaval of heaven and earth.
Sealed away for ten thousand years, the Taotie King had never given up on escaping. He had beguiled the mortals on the outskirts of Mount Lao, hoping to use blood sacrifices to break the seal.
But after the Primordial Era, the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth had vanished. Without enough spiritual power to sustain them, the blood sacrifices had failed time and again.
Then, not long ago, vast quantities of Flame Spirit Stones had materialized beneath Mount Lao. Their energy seeped through the earth into the sealed chamber, steadily corroding and battering the ancient seal.
That had given the Taotie King his chance. Drawing on the energy of the Flame Spirit Stones, he had forcibly shattered the seal and escaped to wreak havoc on the world.
Chen Hao turned and walked out of the chamber.
The moment he emerged from the tunnel, a blue-green figure rushed toward him. It was Three Blue Birds, who had been gravely wounded and near death earlier but had now recovered much of his strength.
Looking at Three Blue Birds before him, Chen Hao allowed a rare, faint smile to cross his impassive face. "I'm leaving," he said softly.
With that, he turned, intending to fly out of Mount Lao.
But as soon as he turned, Three Blue Birds flapped his wings and silently followed behind him, staying close and refusing to leave his side.
Chen Hao stopped and slowly turned back to