Inside the main gate, a monstrous, mutated creature covered in distorted limbs writhed towards them.
Its movement was peculiar; despite being covered in hands and feet, it propelled itself forward by contorting its body, like a puddle of mud engulfing everything in its path.
Was this a more severely mutated cultivator?
Su Luo felt a powerful aura of malevolence. Her Divine Eye Mirror displayed: Severe mutation, formed from over a hundred cultivators fused together, absorbing the toxic fumes exhaled by a Dark Kun, possessing the power of consumption. Extremely hungry…
It seemed this severely mutated being still possessed consciousness, or it wouldn't be hungry.
Li Tianjue did not retreat. Instead, he stepped across the threshold of the City Lord's mansion. With each movement, thunderbolts struck from above, dazzling with their electrical light, like countless silver snakes lashing down upon the severely mutated creature.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…!
A large gush of black, foul-smelling toxic water sprayed from the mud-like entity.
The putrid black water, upon hitting a foot away from Li Tianjue's body, was blocked by a spiritual light barrier. The spiritual light dissipated violently with a sizzling sound, indicating its toxicity.
The mutated creature stretched and transformed into a vast black membrane, enveloping him.
“Be careful, Senior Brother!” Su Luo’s gaze sharpened.
Li Tianjue swiftly dodged, his expressionless face betraying no emotion. He raised his hand, sending out another fire dragon. Golden flames ignited the black membrane, and the intense heat instantly incinerated the spraying black toxic water, turning the entire courtyard into a sea of fire.
The severely mutated creature hissed and writhed, spraying, but it could not escape the burning inferno.
Gradually, it fell silent, wriggling limply, turning into a pile of foul-smelling charred remains.
As the flames died down, Li Tianjue, taking Su Luo with him, flew upwards, continuing inward.
The Dragon Hound glanced at the height of the gray-black mist above, then leaped over, forging ahead to clear the path.
The entire City Lord's mansion was infested with mutated beings; normal people were almost nowhere to be seen. Li Tianjue spread his divine sense, investigating the source of the black energy and constantly adjusting their direction. After eliminating over a dozen severely mutated creatures, he finally pinpointed the Dark Kun's location to the dungeon.
“It should be in here.”
Li Tianjue gazed ahead. The deep dungeon, like other cells, was messy and eerie.
But in its deepest reaches, he detected a very strong aura of malevolence. That dark, bloodthirsty aura could be smelled from afar, as palpable as substance, undoubtedly emanating from the mutated divine beast, the Dark Kun.
As the two stepped into the prison, only a few paces in, Su Luo suddenly heard a dull thudding sound from all around.
It was strong and resonant, like a heartbeat.
Su Luo frowned and instinctively asked, “Senior Brother, did you hear that? What sound is that?”
Li Tianjue paused, discerning, “It sounds like… someone is crying?”
Crying?
No, how could this be crying?
“I heard a thudding sound, very rhythmic, like a heartbeat or a drumbeat, but it’s definitely not someone crying. Senior Brother, didn't you hear it?” Su Luo looked at Li Tianjue strangely, unsure if she had misheard or if he had.
“You heard thudding? That seems odd.” Li Tianjue’s expression grew solemn.
Such an obvious sound of crying, thin and mournful, accompanied by sobs. Though he couldn't tell if it was a child's or a woman's voice, how could it possibly be a heartbeat?
“Be careful, there must be something wrong. I'll go in and take a look first. Perhaps this is the Dark Kun’s special ability.”
Li Tianjue pulled Su Luo behind him, urging her to stay close, and took the lead.
The prison was dark and silent, a place of deathly stillness. Su Luo walked step by step further in, becoming increasingly vigilant. She scanned her surroundings; there was no one here, no prisoners, no guards, and not even any mutated creatures.
But the more it was like this, the more uneasy she felt.
Turning her head, Su Luo suddenly realized Li Tianjue was gone. His back had vanished into the darkness, and even his footsteps were silent.
“Senior Brother!” Su Luo called out.
But she received no response from Li Tianjue, only the echo of her own voice, making the dark, foul-smelling prison appear even more terrifying and eerie.
At this moment, Su Luo noticed the thudding sound intensifying, as if beating a drum right beside her ear, causing her own heart to beat faster and faster, as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
She cautiously stepped back, then heard a growl filled with malice from beside her feet. Looking down, the Dragon Hound had also mutated.
At some point, its forehead had split open, growing three eyes, bloodshot and crimson, staring at her intently.
Its glossy black fur had become patchy and was falling out. Its body had inflated like a balloon to the size of a calf. Its gaping mouth revealed teeth that had all become sharp, and it protruded a long, scarlet tongue, drooling saliva, as if it were about to pounce at any moment.
“Big Black, you actually…”
Su Luo’s heart leaped. When had Big Black inhaled the black energy?
She had no idea!
A low whine sounded. The Dragon Hound opened its massive maw and ferociously lunged at her, a strong, fetid wind engulfing her.
Su Luo retreated rapidly, and with a thought, her Verdant Jade Sword flew out from her hair, flashing forward like lightning.
Just as it was about to pierce the Dragon Hound’s head, Su Luo reacted, waving her hand swiftly. The Verdant Jade Sword veered off at the last moment, grazing the Dragon Hound’s head and piercing the wall.
Boom!
Stones flew, but the Dragon Hound did not stop its attack. It turned and lunged at Su Luo again.
“Big Black! Wake up!”
Su Luo cried out anxiously, trying to rouse the Dragon Hound’s consciousness. Knowing it was futile, she still couldn't bring herself to strike, constantly dodging and weaving through the prison, evading the Dragon Hound’s attacks.
But the mutated Dragon Hound had completely lost its reason and no longer recognized Su Luo. It opened its mouth and shot out its tongue, as red as rope. Su Luo felt a chill run down her spine and dodged again.
Buzz, buzz, buzz…
The Verdant Jade Sword circled Su Luo constantly, wanting to protect her, and also wanting to attack the Dragon Hound.
But Su Luo controlled it, not giving the command. The Verdant Jade Sword traced arcs of green light in the dim air but never struck.
“Roar—”
A sinister, chilling sound emanated from the Dragon Hound’s mouth… No, it could no longer be called a Dragon Hound. Su Luo’s gaze gradually turned cold as she looked at the monster continuously attacking her, finally hardening her resolve.
Swish!
The Verdant Jade Sword shot through, piercing its head as it lunged.
Sounds of slicing continued as the Verdant Jade Sword moved back and forth across the monster, countless green lights cutting it into countless pieces. Black smoke rose, and chunks of carcass fell to the ground, emitting a foul stench.
Su Luo's heart grew heavy. She carefully examined the remains, only to find they were not the Dragon Hound’s.
There wasn't a single black hair on them.
“Could it not have been the Dragon Hound, but someone else? But I clearly saw…”
Using her Divine Eye Mirror, Su Luo understood. It was a hallucination.
The bloodstains, slime, and severed pieces all over the ground were identical to those left by the mutated creatures encountered earlier. If it had been the Dragon Hound after mutation, it would still have retained its fur. Since it hadn’t, it meant she had been hallucinating.
Su Luo was not alarmed but delighted. This meant the Dragon Hound had not mutated.
From the moment they entered the prison, they had fallen into an illusion, and they had become separated. She was currently within an illusion created by the Dark Kun, and everything she saw could be a deception that she needed to discern.
“So it was an illusion, that makes things easier.” Su Luo’s mind gradually calmed. She composed herself and began walking further into the prison. Looking around again, although it was still eerie and deathly silent, she no longer felt the previous apprehension.
If she could be alright, Li Tianjue and the Dragon Hound would surely be fine as well.