Slaying the Bat in the Cavern · The Tower Spirit Returns

--

Three days later, at the entrance to the third basement level.

A dim green light flickered at the end of the passageway, and all that lay ahead was darkness. Hu Liena leaned against the stone wall, fiddling with a short dagger. When she saw Nan Feng approaching, she raised an eyebrow.

"On time."

She sheathed the dagger and gestured with her chin toward the darkness.

"The Bat King is inside. Its aura is stronger than it was two months ago; it may have devoured what that Tower Master left behind."

Nan Feng walked to the side, Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light probed deeper. The dark golden light was moving, its aura profound, and there was a faint, Primordial World fluctuation nearby.

Nan Feng's pupils contracted.

"Walk."

He stepped into the darkness. Hu Liena followed, her fox tail glowing and illuminating the rock face. The Bat King's roar echoed from the depths.

The passageway descended, narrowing to just two people side by side. Nan Feng used Gravity Field to walk close to the ground, while Hu Liena touched the ground with her toes.

There is light ahead.

At the end of the crevice was a cave, in the center of which sat a dark gold bat with three heads facing three different directions.

Nan Feng scanned it with his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light. The Bat King was Ferocious Beast over 100,000 years old, and its power was suppressed to the early stage of Titled Douluo. If the two fought head-on, the chance of victory was less than 30%.

"It's injured," Hu Liena said.

There was a tear on the left wing membrane, with blackened edges, and a glimmer of gold was flashing deep inside the wound.

The Primordial World Power.

"It was left behind by that Tower Master," Nan Feng said. "He severely injured this Bat King, but he himself also—"

"It's missing too," Hu Liena added, her voice carrying a seriousness Nan Feng had never heard before. "The golden light on its wing membrane is exactly the same as the power in your soul."

Nan Feng stared at the wound. The Tower Master had failed to kill it.

"What are you thinking about?" Hu Liena asked.

"Thinking about how to kill it."

Hu Liena raised an eyebrow. "You have a plan."

Yes, but it requires your complete trust in me.

Hu Liena smiled, her golden fox eyes curving into two crescent moons. "When have we ever trusted each other?"

"Now it's possible." Nan Feng turned to look at her. "The Rakshasa Curse in your soul resonates with the Primordial World Power within the Bat King. I can sense it, and so can you. You've been ignoring it."

Hu Liena's smile froze. She pressed her fingers to her heart, the spot where the cursed brand was.

"What do you want to do."

"Release the Rakshasa Power, just a little is enough," Nan Feng said. "The Primordial World restrains the Rakshasa, but the Rakshasa can also draw upon the Primordial World. If you release a little, the Primordial World Power within the wound will react, tearing it open from the inside."

Hu Liena stared at him for a long time.

"You know what this means." Her voice lowered. "Once I'm released, my master will be able to sense my location. She left a tracking mark when she planted the curse."

You don't want her to know what you're doing.

"I never wanted to," Hu Liena answered quickly. "She sent me to kill that Tower Master without telling me why. All she knows is to obey orders. I've had enough."

Nan Feng looked at her. The dim green light cast half of her face into shadow, and anger shone in her golden fox eyes.

"Then don't let her know," Nan Feng said. "The Primordial World can restrain the Rakshasa while also forming a barrier. When you release it, I'll use the Tower Realm to shield you."

Hu Liena was stunned. A crack appeared in the composure in her eyes, then she suppressed it again.

"You're so good to me, I hardly believe it."

"It's not for you. I need the Bat King dead. There's something I need three levels underground."

Hu Liena snorted and walked to Nan Feng's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

"You'd better stay calm when I unleash it," she said. "The curse is strong; don't let it backfire."

Mind your own business.

Hu Liena smiled. It was a genuine, unpretentious smile. She closed her eyes.

The dark gold brand began to loosen. Rakshasa Power surged from his meridians, and dark gold light seeped from beneath his skin. Nan Feng unleashed his Tower Realm, enveloping the two of them.

The Rakshasa Power rushed in, Nan Feng's body trembled. That power was cold and violent, like countless needles piercing his meridians. The Primordial World Power surged up, enveloping and transforming it.

Old Huai said, "If the Rakshasa God's primordial curse were fully unleashed, your Tower Realm wouldn't last three breaths. She only released a small amount; the Primordial World can handle it."

On the Bat King's injured wing membrane, that Primordial World Power pulsated violently.

"It works." The Nan Feng whispered, "Add a little more."

Hu Liena opened her eyes. Her fox-like eyes blazed with golden light, and dark gold lines spread from her chest to her cheeks. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and a triumphant smile curved her lips.

All three heads turned around at the same time. It let out a hiss and went berserk.

Three mouths opened simultaneously, unleashing a burst of dark golden sound waves.

"Tower Realm, Town."

The Nan Feng pressed the Tower Realm to its limit. The first tower door opened completely, unleashing the Power of Mountain Suppression, and the gravity increased several times over. Only 30% of the sound waves reached Nan Feng, who took a step back, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"The Primordial World Power on its wing membrane is about to explode!" Hu Liena shouted.

The Bat King thrashed his body wildly. His Primordial World Power had seeped into his blood and veins, intertwining with his flesh and blood.

Nan Feng took three steps forward, raised his left hand, and the illusory image of the tower solidified. The first floor's door opened completely, the second floor opened completely, and the third floor's door widened slightly. Mountain Suppression, Devouring, and Creation converged into a dark golden pillar of light.

"Tower Suppression - Spirit Binding."

Nan Feng poured in Primordial World Power. Spiritual Power threads burst forth from his palm, binding the three heads, wings, and claws, locking it in place.

"Hu Liena, now."

The fox's tail suddenly lengthened, its golden tip piercing the wound. Rakshasa Power surged in, and the two forces collided within its bloodline.

The Bat King let out a mournful howl. Its wing membranes burst open from the inside, splattering dark golden flesh and blood. Its three heads thrashed about, breaking free of the Spirit Binding threads. Unable to fly, its body plummeted, kicking up rubble.

Seizing the moment, Nan Feng solidified the tower body in his right hand into a dark gold giant hammer. The Gravity Field accelerated, the Mountain Suppression Art was activated, and Primordial World Power was poured in.

"Town."

The giant hammer slammed into the center of the skull with a dull thud. The second blow shattered the left side of the skull. The third blow shattered the right side. All three heads were smashed, and dark golden blood splattered all over Nan Feng's face.

The Bat King's body twitched a few times, then he calmed down.

Only the sound of breathing could be heard inside the cave.

Nan Feng knelt beside the corpse, and the Tower Realm was withdrawn. His joints ached all over, and several of his meridians were injured by the aftershocks of the Rakshasa Power. The Power of Creation seeped out from the cracks in the door to repair them.

Hu Liena leaned against the rock wall, her golden fox tail retracted, and the lines on her face receded and converged at her chest. She was panting, her face was pale, and there was a strange light in her eyes.

"You just used the Tower Realm to shield me from the Rakshasa Power," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. "You could have ignored me and let my master find out. Why did you help me?"

Nan Feng rummaged through the shattered skull. Deep within the Bat King's chest cavity, a golden light flickered.

"Found it."

He reached into the Bat King's chest cavity and pulled out a golden fragment the size of a thumb, its aura originating from the same source as the Primordial World Imprint. The fourth Tower Spirit Fragment.

He attached the fragments to the tower. The Primordial World Imprint resonated, and the gap in the third-level door widened by a line. The Tower Spirit Space opened, fifty cubic meters in size, and the time flow rate reached 1.2 to 1. The illusory image of the Old Huai solidified by one point.

"The Primordial World Power resonated with the Tower Spirit Fragment. You are now ready to cultivate the Mountain Suppression Art."

The first incantation for supernatural powers surfaced within his soul.

He turned to look at Hu Liena, walked up to her, and squatted down to be at eye level with her.

"Because we're allies on the third underground level," Nan Feng said. "You said you Slaughter City."

Hu Liena stared at him for a long time. She snorted and looked away.

"That power within your soul can actually devour the Rakshasa Power." Her voice regained its languid tone, gaining a touch of warmth. "If my master knew—"

"She'll go crazy," Nan Feng chimed in.

Hu Liena turned her head, a complex smile flashing in her golden fox eyes. "Yes. She'll go crazy."

She stood up and brushed the blood off her body. There was a crack in the cave wall behind the Bat King, from which came an even stronger Primordial World energy.

"We've obtained the Tower Spirit Fragment, and we can now cultivate the Mountain Suppression Art." Hu Liena walked to the crack, glancing back at Nan Feng. "There's an even stronger Primordial World aura inside. That Tower Master might be inside."

Nan Feng walked to her side. A golden light was flashing deep within the crack, just like the one in the Bat King's wound. Why was that Tower Master trapped here? The answer lay on the other side.

"Walk."

The two crawled into the crevice, the dim green light receding into the distance, while the golden light grew brighter and brighter.

On the ground, Chrysanthemum Douluo stood at the edge of the stands, holding a secret report from the Spirit Hall in his hand. His gaze swept over the Fallen Ones and landed on the direction of the entrance to the third underground level.

"There's Primordial World fluctuation on the third underground level," Chrysanthemum Douluo wrote in his notebook. "Target: Tower Master. Status: Alive. Recommendation: Standby."

He closed the notebook, a smile playing on his lips.

"Bibi Dong guessed correctly. There are indeed two Tower Master in this city."