Kang and Furball lunged at empty air, colliding with the fading phantom of the light portal.
Green motes drifted down in a flurry.
Willow branches drew together and intertwined into an enormous green cocoon. Two hazy silhouettes sat cross-legged within it.
Beneath the tree roots.
Kang screeched to a halt, his beady eyes fixed on the green cocoon. He raised his front hooves and pawed frantically, letting out urgent grunts.
Furball crouched beside him, clutching the tuft on his head with both paws as he bounced up and down.
The pig and monkey had missed their ride and were so anxious they spun in circles.
The Void God Realm.
Dense fog spread everywhere, and chaos churned.
A pitch-black figure plummeted straight down through the gray expanse.
Bang!
His feet struck the ground.
Shi Hou bent his knees to absorb the impact, rolled forward, and settled into a steady crouch.
He reached toward his ear. His fingertips touched rough stone. Both his knife and wok were there.
Shi Hou breathed a sigh of relief, took down the Black Pot, shook it into the wind, and swung it onto his back.
He reached down and pinched his thigh. It hurt.
He tugged at his hair. That hurt too.
Shi Hou rubbed his chin. In a world constructed from spiritual energy, even the simulated pain felt this real. If there truly were divine birds and exotic beasts here, could he catch one, cut off a chunk, and stew it in his pot-and actually taste it?
Before he could finish that thought.
The rush of something cutting through the air came from overhead, accompanied by a loud child's voice.
A dark shape crashed down on his head.
Bang!
Shi Hou slammed facedown into the ground and got a mouthful of glowing dirt.
A weight