Heavenflame Ridge — Magma Basin — Black Caves Exit
Gao Tian and Shu Yu sat quietly near the jagged rocks that marked the edge of the Black Caves. They had just emerged from the dark, stifling caverns and now rested in the open basin, waiting for any word from Second Body.
Gao Tian leaned forward, his fingers tapping nervously on his knees. His eyes were tense, lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't try to hide it—he was worried.
Shu Yu, as always, remained composed. Her face was expressionless, her crimson gaze calm and unbothered. She turned slightly to glance at him.
"Any reply?"
Gao Tian sighed. "No."
Then suddenly, his eyes lit up. Second Body's spiritual transmission buzzed in his mind like a spark in the silence.
"Gao Tian, I saved the clan. I killed the lead assassins, captured the rest with Demon's Authority, and turned them into protectors. Now, I'm heading back to Whitefield Chamber."
Relief washed over him like a tide. He shot to his feet, grinning.
"He did it! My second body killed the assassins. He even forced the rest to protect the clan. Ah, now I'm really relieved."
Shu Yu also stood, brushing dust from her robes. She looked at him calmly.
"So we move forward?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Let's see what else this place is hiding."
Together, they turned toward the heart of the magma basin. The entire area was vast and eerie, with skeletal remains scattered like ashes across black stone. Jagged cliffs loomed in the distance, and in the center of it all stood a strange altar, bathed in glowing orange light from the magma streams that flowed around it.
Upon the altar was a small stone pillar, no taller than a child. Engraved on its surface were glowing blue words in a language that shimmered faintly, like embers flickering in the dark.
Their steps echoed as they approached, the silence deepening around them. Gao Tian stared at the runes, his eyes narrowing. Shu Yu watched him carefully.
"What is this language?" she asked. "I've never seen it before."
Gao Tian didn't answer right away. He stepped up to the pillar, his gaze locked onto the symbols. He seemed mesmerized.
"Do you understand what it says?" she pressed.
He nodded slowly. "It's... Lego Language. It's not from this world."
Shu Yu's brows furrowed. "Not from this world? Then how do you know it?"
The question caught him off guard. His mouth opened slightly, but no sound came. After a pause, he scratched his head and gave an awkward smile.
"My master taught it to me."
"Then how did your master know it?" Shu Yu asked again, her expression unchanging.
Gao Tian coughed lightly. "How should I know that? Hehe..."
She stared at him for a moment, her cold gaze seeming to pierce through his half-hearted lie. Then she simply said, "Enough nonsense. What does it say?"
Gao Tian took a deep breath, eyes still fixed on the glowing runes. He spoke softly, translating the words aloud:
"In a land where hearts are cold and grim,
Mercy's light grows faint and dim.
Show it once, and fall instead—
What am I, where kindness leads to death?"
Shu Yu blinked once.
"A riddle?"
Gao Tian nodded. "Seems like it… but I don't know what it means."
Gao Tian reached out and placed his palm gently on the ancient pillar. A stream of spiritual energy flowed from his hand into the stone, and immediately the entire pillar began to tremble.
He instinctively stepped back, and Shu Yu mirrored his movement, both of them watching intently as the glowing blue symbols flickered violently.
The trembling intensified. Cracks spread rapidly through the stone surface.
And then—
Boom.
The pillar exploded in a burst of radiant force, sending dust and light in every direction. Gao Tian and Shu Yu raised their spiritual barriers just in time to shield themselves from the debris.
As the dust settled and the humming in the air died down, silence fell once more over the magma basin. Then, in the very center of the altar, something stirred.
A small figure emerged from the settling dust—white, fluffy, and sitting calmly with its legs tucked beneath it. It was no taller than Gao Tian's knee, and it resembled a tiny dog with snow-white fur and jewel-like eyes. The creature casually licked its paw, utterly unconcerned with the chaos around it.
Gao Tian stared at the creature, frozen.
His thoughts churned in disbelief.
What… this can't be real.
That language… it was from the Immortal World. And now this?
He felt his heart race.
A Ruler Dog… Here? In this realm?
His mind reeled.
This beast once allied with the Demon King and tried to annihilate the Immortal World. What is it doing sealed here in such a place?
Gao Tian's eyes darkened.
I can't let him grow again. I won't.
His spiritual aura flared violently. Wind rushed around him, sweeping across the basin like a tidal wave. He clenched his fist, and the blue energy of the Dynamic Palm technique surged to life.
Shu Yu noticed the sudden shift in his aura and glanced at him with her ever-calm, expressionless face.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
But Gao Tian didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the tiny beast, his intent to kill radiating from every pore.
Without another word, he dashed forward, fist raised, surging toward the white creature.
The beast looked up just as Gao Tian drew near—and suddenly curled into a ball, covering its head with its small legs, trembling and letting out a high-pitched whine.
Shu Yu's eyes widened slightly, the most emotion she had shown in days. In the next instant, she flashed forward, moving faster than even Gao Tian.
Just before his attack landed, she appeared between him and the beast, scooping the little creature into her arms and twisting mid-air to dodge his strike.
The blast of Gao Tian's Dynamic Palm hit the stone altar behind her, blowing a massive crater into the surface.
Landing a few paces away, Shu Yu held the quivering creature protectively.
Gao Tian skidded to a stop, face twisted in disbelief.
"Hey! Are you mad? Why did you save him?"
Shu Yu looked up at him, the small white beast nestled in her arms.
"Why do you want to kill him?" she asked flatly. "He's cute."
Gao Tian's eye twitched.
"Cute? You're judging a Ruler Dog by its fluff?"
He pointed a trembling finger at the creature, his voice rising with frustration.
"You have no idea what that thing is. He's not some adorable pet. That 'cute' face hides a monster. If he grows again, he'll destroy everything!"
Shu Yu looked down at the creature. It wagged its tiny tail and buried its face in her robes, still shaking slightly.
She said nothing.
But Gao Tian could tell—she wasn't planning to hand it over.
And in that moment, he realized he had just taken on a second problem... far fluffier than he ever expected.
Gao Tian took a step forward, his eyes locked on the small white beast nestled in Shu Yu's arms. His tone was stern, yet edged with urgency.
"Hey, please give it to me. He's dangerous."
Shu Yu didn't respond. She stood silently, unmoving, holding the beast close to her chest. Her stance was firm, protective. She said nothing, but her meaning was clear—she wasn't about to let him harm it.
Gao Tian sighed sharply, then raised a hand as if to halt the tension.
"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. "But we have to seal his beast core. Otherwise, I swear, I'll kill him... even if it costs me my life."
Shu Yu looked at him for a long moment. Her eyes, emotionless as ever, seemed to search his face. Then, slowly, she took a step forward, her boots crunching against the scorched stone.
"Okay," she said quietly. "But after that, you won't harm him."
Gao Tian waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I won't."
She stopped in front of him and gently shifted the beast in her arms so its small frame faced Gao Tian.
Taking a deep breath, Gao Tian lifted his hand and began tracing intricate symbols in the air. Each stroke shimmered with golden light, the characters ancient and powerful, glowing with a spiritual presence that made the air grow still.
He was writing a sealing formation—one not from this world, but one passed down in memory through countless lifetimes.
The final rune flared bright gold as the seal formed in full.
With a swift motion, Gao Tian flung the glowing seal toward the beast.
It struck the small creature gently. The beast twitched but didn't resist. Its tail began to glow softly, and ancient runes etched themselves into its fur, wrapping around like a bracelet of sacred words.
The golden light pulsed once, then slowly faded.
Gao Tian took a step back, his breathing ragged. Sweat clung to his brow.
My cultivation is still too low, he thought, so I could only create a basic seal. I don't know how long it'll hold his core… maybe years, maybe months.
Shu Yu glanced down at the beast. It blinked up at her with large, innocent eyes. Then, without a word, she hugged it closer to her chest.
Even now, her face remained unchanged—calm, cold, unreadable.
Gao Tian looked at her, a strange mix of exasperation and curiosity.
"Hey," he muttered, watching her cradle the beast with so much care, "if you're happy, then smile. Why do you still look so cold?"
Shu Yu didn't answer. She turned away from him without a word, the hem of her robe sweeping across the blackened stone floor.
Behind her, the sealed Ruler Dog let out a small yawn and snuggled deeper into her arms, as if it had finally found a safe place in a world that had long forgotten mercy.
Gao Tian stood there, silent, watching her figure recede into the shadows of the magma basin.
And for once, he couldn't tell if he had won... or lost.