Dungeons of the Divine (Blue Phoenix Book 2) (7 page)

Standing in complete darkness, Hui Yue felt even more alert than he had previously, and he quickly withdrew a light stone from within his storage stone. Light appeared within the dark tunnels causing shadows to flicker all over the place. Some of which were actual shadows while others were creatures which tried to escape from the light that was being emitted.

Deng Wu took out the one Hui Yue had passed him earlier and Wang Ju Long picked up two from her storage stone, one for her and another for Sha Yun.

Although Sha Yun accepted the stone, she had no need for them because she was a magical beast with enhanced senses. Her cat-like eyes were specialized to see during the night and in a tunnel like this it was no different.

Most of the magical beasts were retreating from the light, yet a good distance away a horrendous howl could be heard and the tunnel ground shook slightly as something was dashing towards Hui Yue and the group.

This was clearly no lightweight magical beast and as soon as they noticed it approaching, energy fluctuations could be felt as all of the young cultivators released their spiritual energy, creating shields which covered their bodies.

With a quick flick of his hand, Black Blood appeared in Hui Yue’s grasp and a red flame sprung to life within his hand. Killing intent surged forward and the advance of whatever beast was arriving slowed down significantly.

Green energy was swirling around Wang Ju Long as she started her incantations. Within her hand was seeds from three different types of plants. She then spread these seeds out in front of her as she kept mumbling incantations.

Suddenly the seeds started to sprout and with an unimaginable speed one of the plants grew and surround Wang Ju Long, shielding her from anything outside.

The plant had long vines filled with thorns and flowers, poisonous flowers, so that anyone who dared to get close to her would have to fight through the barricade she set up.

Although the first type of seeds had grown into the shield which protected her, Wang Ju Long continued mumbling incantations and soon the second type of seed started to sprout into long roots that dug under the ground. Ripples could be seen on the surface, as the roots dug further and further away from the trunk of the small tree before they finally stilled.

The final seed grew as Wang Ju Long’s final incantation finished and beautiful poppies appeared on the ground, an alluring scent emitting out from within the petals.

Looking at these petals one could instantly tell that they were poisonous. Having given life to three kinds of seeds, Wang Ju Long’s face had grown slightly pale, and she sat down in her protective shell, closed her eyes and started to meditate.

The beast which had been slowed by Hui Yue’s killing intent was still running their way, and the closer it came the more the ground shook, causing small stones to rain down from the ceiling.

Deng Wu was unable to use his soul shadow inscriptions in this tunnel as no other living bodies were available, other than himself and his friends, and instead he found some fire inscriptions he had previously made  while still living within Riluo City.

Together with inscription patterns small magical gems were taken out of the storage stone. As soon as they entered Deng Wu’s hand he started to chant an incantation, his attention focused fully on the stones in his hands. Slowly the gems started to liquidize and under the expert care of Deng Wu’s incantations the previously shiny red gem turned into a red liquid. He quickly gathered it within a jade bottle before he elegantly started to spread it onto a sheet of paper into a complex inscription.

In the middle of this inscription was the sign for Fire and after a short time the sheet of paper lit up with a red hue. By the time the inscription had been finished Deng Wu placed it on his arm, preparing to use it should the roaring creature appear.

Sha Yun stared at the other two with slight disdain in her eyes, as she stood there just waiting for the beast to appear. Her skills could be used to protect Hui Yue and herself, yet her personality was not much of a defensive type. Instead she was ready to create a tomb for the creature the moment it appeared.

Sha Yun was in the fortunate position of having synced with the earth and incantations were useless for her. With the wave of her hand appeared a chair created from the stone beneath her feet and she sat down with a satisfied smile on her lips, much akin to an empress overseeing an interesting play in front of her.

Hui Yue grasped Black Blood at the start but seeing the actions of his friends he laughed quietly, as he once more stored it within his storage stones. A complacent look formed on his face as he allowed for his friends to deal with whatever beast was rushing their way.

In the dim light of the light stones a massive figure appeared and even Hui Yue was taken aback from seeing the creature in front of him. It was a wolf like creature, yet not a wolf. It was easily five meters long and three meters tall, filling up the entire tunnel.

Its fur was black with grey legs and a long scaled grey snake-like tail. The look caused Hui Yue to snort slightly as he looked at Sha Yun, who, with the help of a deadly glare, silenced the younger boy.

Its head was raised looking up into the sky and its fangs were like those of a sabretooth tiger. Its eyes were fiercely red with killing intent shining from deep within.

Looking at those eyes, Hui Yue quickly found that deep inside the eyes, behind the killing intent was intelligence and as soon as the snake saw the poppies on the ground it instantly stopped its advance, standing completely still with its body lowered as though it was ready to pounce at any time.

Seeing this expression on the wolf’s face, the playfulness which Hui Yue had been feeling before instantly dissipated and was instead replaced by vigilance and alertness, as he once more brought forth Black Blood and infused it with his spiritual energy.

The wolf seemed as though it understood that the cultivators in front of it were people it could not easily defeat and with a low growl it turned around and got ready to leave.

“Do not let it get away!” Sha Yun jumped up from the stone chair she had created for herself, her voice echoing throughout the humid tunnel walls. This urgency caused Hui Yue, Deng Wu, and Wang Ju Long to prepare for battle.

Wang Ju Long closed her eyes and once more entered meditation, yet this time she kept mumbling her incantations and soon spores of red light appeared from all the poppies after which they floated towards the fleeing wolf.

Currently the wolf was not fleeing at a rapid speed, but as soon as it noticed the spores coming it’s way, his speed instantly picked up.

Swearing at the sight, Hui Yue activated Velocity Flow and with the additional speed-boost he rushed towards the wolf itself.

Right behind him was Wang Ju Long and the inscription he had written earlier which had been wrapped around a flying Qi sword which shot forward at an incredibly speed.

“Duck Yue!” Deng Wu yelled and per reflex the white haired boy did just that. Moments after a resounding boom could be heard throughout the tunnels and small stones seemed to fall from the ceiling, a blazing fire was burning within the tunnel.

The Qi knife had landed on the wolf and as soon as it landed the inscription erupted with a power in no way inferior to Hui Yue’s fireballs. This was one of Deng Wu’s most used and also most practiced skills.

Although it was as powerful as Hui Yue’s Fire Orbs they also had a heavy price to pay for Deng Wu. Every time he created a new inscription, he had to let go of some of his cultivation base and to rebuild that cultivation base he would have to struggle quite hard.

He did have some inscriptions which did not require cultivation base but spiritual energy instead, however these inscriptions were far weaker and their result lacking in power when compared to cultivation based ones.

Deng Wu was in general not fond of using his inscriptions to fight as all of them would take the life of those who were standing close by, innocent, allies, or enemies, no one would be spared.

This was, however, a choice he had made upon noticing that he was a Metal affinity cultivator. Deng Wu was aware that Hui Yue was the type who chose single target attacks and who enjoyed one on one fighting. This was great whenever it was a cultivator duel, yet Deng Wu knew that it would have its downsides on the battlefield. and since he long ago decided to stay by  Hui Yue’s side, he was also ready to choose what he figured would be the most beneficial for his friend.

No matter who was in the way, Deng Wu would do his best to not drag Hui Yue down, and at the same time complement the friend’s strength.

This was the thoughts which ruminated through Deng Wu’s mind, as he saw the flames ignite on the black wolf in front of them.

Deng Wu was not the only one who wished to show off, and as soon as the fires were booming, causing the wolf to howl agonizingly, spears of earth appeared from all sides, directly penetrating the protective fur of the wolf.

The already agonizing screams quickly picked up in intensity, but within a few moments, the twitching body stopped moving, and instead the body collapsed on the ground, the last breath of air escaping the fanged lips as the beast no longer had the will to live.

Excitement was seen in the eyes of Deng Wu and Sha Yun, yet annoyance was evident within Wang Ju Long’s eyes as her abilities had not been used.

Killing the flames with a cancelation inscription, Deng Wu walked closer to the beast followed by Hui Yue and the others.

The beast was like a treasure trove, filled with good items which they could have much use for later.

First was the meat which was clearly of high quality, and the sheer amount was simply stunning. If dried properly it could easily refill the storage ring which Deng Wu had emptied previously while trading for information.

The fur was softer than any other fur they had ever touched before, and while not knowing what they might encounter in the future, Hui Yue decided to skin the beast in case they ever needed warmer clothes. Although it was filled with holes from Sha Yun’s spikes, it was still a high quality item and he gladly accepted it.

The beast core was beautifully white, showing that this animal had a pure cultivation, which was increasingly rare with beasts, and also something that could explain the gleam of intelligence which Hui Yue had seen earlier.

Although a beast core like this sold for a lot of money, Hui Yue quickly handed it over to Deng Wu, as it was one of the items he needed whenever he was crafting new inscription patterns. Giving it to him could provide them with a high ranked inscription one day when they were in a tight spot.

Looking at the dead wolf, Hui Yue knew that the bones would be a great benefit as well. hee squatted down and started to take the beast apart, carefully treating each and every bit as a priceless treasure.

The three friends were all used to Hui Yue doing such work and they all helped as though they were one entity, everything working in perfect harmony.

Wang Ju Long and Deng Wu were finding wooden blocks within their storage rings which they used to set up a fire. Sha Yun was using her affinity with Earth to scout the area and set up protective traps.

As soon as Sha Yun started doing her tasks, her face turned pale, as she quietly moved closer to Hui Yue, slowly poking his shoulder as she said with a silent voice, “I don’t want to worry you, but there really are a lot of wolves coming our way.Quite a lot really.”

Hearing what Sha Yun said, Hui Yue instantly stopped taking the wolf corpse apart and placed a hand on the stone floor, merging with the stone to scout the tunnel ahead of them.

It was exactly as Sha Yun had said, and a sneer was visible on Hui Yue’s face as he quickly returned to his body.

Thinking quickly, Hui Yue gestured to the others that they should withdraw for now, drawing back to the location where they had started, as the tunnel was the smallest there. While facing such a horde of wolves, it was beneficial to limit the amount they would have to fight at once.

Standing back, Wang Ju Long once more spread her plant seeds on the ground. This time she only used two incantations: the one which created poppies and the other which sprouted a tree trunk with multiple roots underneath the stone floor.

Deng Wu sighed as he swept across one of his storage stones, picking up a large stack of middle ranked inscriptions.

These inscriptions were all powered by spiritual energy, but none of them were as powerful as the ones he had used against the previous wolf. Deng Wu did not have the luxury to keep burning his cultivation base and instead picked up the premade inscriptions instead.

Sha Yun was no longer complacent while seated in the stone chair. She was instead gathering all her energy from her beast core in preparation of unleashing wave after wave of Earthen Spikes, ready to impale one wolf after another.

Hui Yue was the only one who was not preparing. Within his right hand was his Black Blood dagger, and after having sent a small amount of spiritual energy into it, he did nothing more than circulate the spiritual energy and Qi within his meridians, ready to assist should the others not be able to deal the final blow to the wolves.

Having returned to the entrance, only one wolf could attack at a time. Although this strategy was much safer, it would be important for Hui Yue and the others to save their spiritual energy when facing off against the wolves, unfortunately. They would be in quite a bit of trouble should their energy run out before the wolves did.

As a means of practice and to save spiritual energy, the friends quickly came up with the idea of killing five wolves each before switching out. This would let them have someone with their energy reserved at all times, able to step in should a higher ranked beast appear or any mishaps occur.

Growling could be heard as a wolf tried its luck, moving slowly towards the poisonous flowers and the youngsters behind them.

Its eyes were lit with intelligence, much like the previous wolf’s, and its fangs were bared in a sneer as it slowly inched closer and closer.

The flowers bloomed beautifully in the rays of light, which cascaded out from within the light stone, and Hui Yue could not help but feel a slight anticipation as he waited for the wolves.

The wolf looked at the flowers, but as though it knew they were toxic, it inhaled deeply and held its breath as it tiptoed through the flower field.

Hui Yue had never seen Wang Ju Long using such abilities before, so he looked at her in confusion with a hint of curiosity. Had the wolf truly overcome her flowers?

As soon as Hui Yue turned his head to look at Wang Ju Long, a single word escaped her lips. As soon as the mouth had closed, agonizing howls could be heard from within the flower field.

Hui Yue turned around in shock and the sight caused his eyes to widen in surprise, as the wolf was being dissolved while still alive.

The flowers had released a poisonous fog which grouped around the wolf, attaching itself to the soft fur and slowly corroding its skin. The fog entered the body and turned the petrified wolf into a mass of liquefied flesh and bones.

Seeing this, Hui Yue rose an eyebrow and could not help but let out a praising whistle. Although the flowers were unable to move, it was obvious that they managed to deal with the wolf in a simple and effective way.

The stench of blood quickly aggravated the wolves and one fierce howl after another could be heard from deep within the tunnels. The howls were so piercing that even the guards standing outside the gate leading to the tunnels shivered from the sounds. They immediately sent a message to the City Lord, letting him know that something was amiss within the tunnels. Even these guards were capable enough to know that it was due to the entourage they had allowed in.  

Looking at the few scraps left from the first wolf, Hui Yue noticed how flowers close to the carcass seemed to have sprouted roots above the ground which sucked up the liquid goo, causing the poppies to undergo a transformation.

Seeing this unexpected result, Hui Yue stopped with his previous idea of switching between cultivators right away and chose to ask Wang Ju Long to continue for as long as she could, as he found the transformation interesting.

Although it hurt his heart slightly to see the many valuable materials turn into plant fodder, he still did not complain, rather deciding to watch and see if the plants could hold their own.

Seconds after, great shock filled Hui Yue as he saw how the flowers fought each other for the sake of absorbing the beast core. Each flower in the area was frantic in their attempts to absorb the others. Some attacked each other straightforwardly while others seemed as though they preferred ambushes.

The field, which had originally been filled with poppies, quickly grew smaller and smaller while the few poppies that remained grew larger and larger in size. The final poppies were about to start fighting one another when the sound of another wolf appeared; they instantly stopped in their tracks, slowly settling on the stone floor, and once more waited patiently for the wolf to advance into their domain.

The petals which had been a beautiful red now shined with a red hue, a mist very similar to the one within Hui Yue’s dantian cave. This time, Hui Yue did not dare remove his eyes from the flowers and closely observed every moment of the attack.

The wolf was unable to see the corpse of the previous beast, causing it to feel fairly confident as it made its way past the flowers. But as soon as it was within reach, Hui Yue gaped in surprise. He saw how the flowers did not emit the poisonous smog from earlier.They actually used their roots to bind the unsuspecting wolf, transmitting the poison and instantly absorbing the flesh left behind.

The flowers not close enough to partake in the wolf banquet ripped up their roots and made their way to the already dead wolf, injecting their own poison and digesting the wolf, increasing their own strength.

From the point the vines and roots swirled around the wolf till the moment it died was less than the time it took for 1 incense stick to burn. The wolf had no time to scream out in despair.

Although the scent of blood thickened, more wolves appeared in the distance, as they assumed the first wolf had success considering the lack of agonizing howls. However, as soon as they saw the flowers feas on a pack brother, hate and indignation were visible within their intelligent eyes. A few barks resounded out as two wolves squeezed together, moving their target from the young humans to the flowers digesting their comrades.

The wolves were in no way something which should be underestimated, as when the two wolves launched their attacks together, the poppies started losing vines and roots. Unfortunately for the wolves, biting the roots filled them with poison. But even then they kept putting up a fight, determined to take down the flowers with them.

As the two wolves finally succumbed to poison, only one of the poppies was still standing. It was a flower which had not participated in the previous battle, but instead took the opportunity to absorb the two previous beast cores.

Hui Yue finally understood what Lan Feng meant when he said that even flowers had a cultivation base and the ability to gain strength much like humans. These seeds were definitely special, allowing for cultivators with an affinity for the Wood element to share their cultivation base with the flowers.

Pondering a little, Hui Yue turned to Wang Ju Long. “This flower...” he started with a cunning smile on his face. “Does it stay for some time? Or is it alive until broken?”

Wang Ju Long thought about the question for a little while. She had practiced the flowery field often, yet this was the first time she had been in fight where she was capable of using it; although, her previous experience told her that the flower would stay until it was destroyed.

“Perfect!” Hui Yue cheered as he patted the girl’s shoulder. “Call the flower here and bring the wolf corpses too. Feeding these things to your flower seem to make it stronger. Having a watchdog like this is not a bad idea.”

Hearing the suggestion from Hui Yue, Wang Ju Long did not wait long before closing her eyes and allowing for a bit of her will to enter the plant, informing it about the orders.

The plant, as though it were highly intelligent, instantly did as ordered. It twisted two vines about the dead wolves and another three around the dead flowers, tugging all four corpses back to its creator and quickly started digesting the new energy sources.

Seeing how easily Wang Ju Long had dealt with four wolves and had even managed to produce a plant which intrigued Hui Yue, Sha Yun could not help but feel a burning jealousy within her stomach. She rushed forward, dead set on being the next one to face the wolves. She would prove to Hui Yu what true strength was.

Sha Yun grumbled, as no wolves were coming her way, and her tail was slowly tapping against the ground, showing her extreme displeasure.

The wolves, however, showed absolutely no signs of attacking. Instead, they settled down in a group five hundred meters away from the entrance as they patiently waited for the cultivators to give up and try attacking all of them at once.

The wolves were not as intelligent as the young cultivators, but although they were not as intelligent, they were still far from dumb. It had been easy for them to see that every wolf which had tried their luck against the humans perished, and considering how often this happened, it was safe to say that the wolves stood no chance in their current location.

This in turn caused the leading male of the pack to call all his eager wolves back with him, as he relocated to a place where all the wolves were together, but at the same time not allowing for Hui Yue to sneak past them.

Having merged with the earth, which the tunnels were made from, Hui Yue observed the entire retreat and had to admit that the wolves were smarter than expected.

Although they were weaker than his friends and himself, they had an astonishing advantage in numbers. Even if Hui Yue went all out, it was likely that they would get injured in the process.

Getting injured on the way to the magnificent Dragon Corps was not on Hui Yue’s to do list. Instead, he leaned against the chilled tunnel wall and closed his eyes, thinking through their options.

Unfortunately, as soon as his eyes closed, he felt the shadow of a figure flash forward; when he opened his eyes, he noticed that Sha Yun had rushed towards the direction of the wolves. While swearing, Hui Yue rushed up and gestured for the others to follow as he dashed after Sha Yun.