With an ethereal sweep of divine awareness, Yu Ci's perception was heightened and refined in his current state. He could discern the shape, color, and even the unique tactile sensations of objects. However, the excessive details made it difficult to confirm the exact nature of these objects.
Something seemed amiss?
The fragments of information peeled from the "Iceberg" were just that - fragments. More accurately, they were fleeting images, incredibly vague. Matching them to real objects was not an easy task.
Just as he was lost in thought, light filtered through the crevices of the rock layer above, densely lined with cracks. Warm ashes fell like raindrops. Amidst this, the restlessness of the Ghost Beasts was strikingly conspicuous. Corresponding with its mood, the firelight in the crevices flickered, casting a gray-white glow. Occasionally, sparks would leap out, crackling loudly, creating quite a spectacle.
Yu Ci's mind was on high alert, ready to withstand the thunderous onslaught of the Ghost Beasts. Yet, one breath, two breaths, three breaths passed…
The firelight in the crevices was blinding, but the Ghost Beasts did not charge. The location of its presence even seemed to retreat slightly, as if it was hesitating or wary of something.
Inside the opening, the green and red blood were still burning, their radiance interweaving with the firelight from above, casting a bizarre hue over the space. Amidst the strangeness, changes were occurring.
Yu Ci noticed that within a few breaths, the area's luminosity seemed to intensify, and the temperature rose as well.
The Ghost Beasts retreated further within the rock layer, but quickly halted. Perhaps it felt embarrassed by its previous display; a deep roar pierced through the rock layer, causing the firelight in the crevices to surge. The flaming splendor gathered and rolled in the void, forming a vague outline. Fire layered upon fire, solidifying and expanding outward. Clearly, it was transforming.
It's coming out!
Around the platform, the burning lights of the two-colored blood ebbed and flowed. The bluish-white firelight seemed more "excited", its flames flickering erratically. In comparison, the blood-red glow paled. The cliff wall turned a ghastly white, with a hint of green.
Within the light, the Ghost Beasts roared like thunder, each roar louder than the last. Its transformation was much quicker this time. In a matter of moments, the mountain-like body of the Ghost Beasts dominated the platform, its roar reverberating through the open space. It was imposing, yet it did not launch an attack immediately.
Yu Ci saw that the surrounding temperature had significantly increased, the air distorted by the intense heat. The Ghost Beasts' eyes, like burning coals, narrowed slightly. Smoke swirled around its body, seeming to exert a strong pull that caused the bluish-white firelight nearby to lean towards it. In a blink of an eye, a clear light edge formed on the outer layer of the Ghost Beasts' smoke, its light constantly shifting, feeling oddly familiar!
The Illusion Power of Rakshasa seemed to be even purer than that of the Ghost Beasts.
Finally, Yu Ci could make a judgment about the burning green blood droplets. Combining all the clues, wasn't the identity of the blood owner obvious? And if the green blood had such an origin, how could the red blood be any different?
Fragmented pieces of information and judgments based on them emerged one after another. Yu Ci felt like he was untangling a knotted thread, occasionally finding an end, but always pulling out other threads halfway through. In the blink of an eye, his thoughts had flown far and wide.
The escalating heat finally pulled him back to reality. As Yu Ci looked at the Ghost Beasts, it was apparent that they were absorbing the Illusion Power of Rakshasa. The expression on its massive head was remarkably human-like. Yu Ci had seen similar displays in many places, a look of blissful intoxication that ordinary folks wore after indulging in a pouch of tobacco or a cup of fine wine, a state from which they found it difficult to extricate themselves.
Observing this, Yu Ci recalled Elder Chu's words. Reflecting on the situation in the hollow above, it seemed that the Ghost Beasts had sealed the cave entrance with a bluestone, perhaps to resist the temptation of the pure "Illusion Power of Rakshasa" present here. On the other hand, it might be their way of absorbing it in a more restrained manner.
But now, the Ghost Beasts' patience and restraint had completely failed!
Before long, the Ghost Beasts roared again. The roar was incredibly loud, and its massive body paced back and forth restlessly. Its red beastly eyes were wide open, sweeping back and forth, finally fixing on Yu Ci's shadowy ghost.
Attack!
This strike came without warning. Just as Yu Ci thought to dodge, the massive body of the Ghost Beasts had already collided with him, a hot wind howling past.
With a "thud", the Ghost Beasts crashed into the increasingly high cliff wall outside the platform, shattering the rock. Yu Ci paused, then remembered that he was currently in a Yin Spirit State, without substance, so the collision was futile.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
However, the Ghost Beasts had almost rolled past his body lying on the ground, and if its foot had deviated slightly, it might have crushed his body.
A chill ran through Yu Ci's heart. His Yin Spirit quickly sidestepped, widening the angle. Sure enough, the second wave of attacks from the Ghost Beasts followed closely. This time, it was finally far from his body, carrying the heat and smoke once more.
The Ghost Beasts still hit nothing, but Yu Ci could no longer take it lightly. The surrounding Scent of Rest was becoming increasingly thin, but more importantly, the temperature of the fire and smoke on the Ghost Beasts and the surrounding green and white light edge was rising. This was the Illusion Power of Rakshasa burning, and the resulting flames even gave the Yin Spirit a burning sensation.
The Ghost Beasts did not launch a third attack, but shook its head, trying to clear its mind. After a while, its gaze fell on the platform, where Yu Ci's body lay.
It had finally reacted.
Without any hesitation, Yu Ci's mind flickered, and his Yin Spirit returned to his body.
The tangible sensation of his physical body reached his central nervous system. Yu Ci didn't delay and spurred his divine intent!
During the time his Yin Spirit was out of his body, his greatest gain was understanding the source of the foreign power that restrained his body in this open space, and figuring out some patterns. At this moment, the only layer of vital energy maintaining his life was pushed to its limit by him. He broke through the barriers one by one, taking advantage of the imbalance between the green and red blood fire, breaking the shackles, unstoppable like a bamboo shoot after a spring rain.
Upon regaining his freedom, Yu Ci suddenly exerted his strength, performing a series of three movements - rolling, bouncing, and sliding - in one breath. The moment he slid out, the massive body of the Ghost Beasts swept past, its intense firepower scorching and threatening to singe his hair.
Despite their massive size, the Ghost Beasts were significantly faster and more responsive than Yu Ci. Having finally found a tangible target, they would not let it slip away. Just as they charged forward, they somersaulted, forcefully changing their direction to pounce again.
"Clang!"
The Ghost Beasts abruptly froze.
Yu Ci took a deep breath. In his hand was the Hook Rope he had discovered in the Monster Nest.
Under the pale blue light, the gray-green Hook Rope shone with an eerie luster. Two small curved hooks spun in the air, occasionally colliding with a pleasing sound.
But the Ghost Beasts exhibited a great sense of dread.
In the fiery light, the colossal beast slightly crouched, readying itself for an attack. Its partially severed tail swung relentlessly, indicating its extreme restlessness. It scratched the rocky ground with its claws, causing it to split open like tofu. The ground soon became a mess, no longer suitable for exerting force. Yet, the Ghost Beasts neither advanced nor retreated, maintaining its stance, its gaze fixed on the Hook Rope in Yu Ci's hand.
At this moment, Yu Ci recalled another rope he found in the Monster Nest, the "Spirit Trap Rope" used by Elder Xu of the Thousands Spirits Sect. It was no ordinary item, yet it was torn to shreds by the Ghost Beasts as if it bore a deep grudge against it.
The Ghost Beasts had an extreme aversion to ropes, yet the Hook Rope found in its nest was as shiny as new, without any damage. Clearly, this Hook Rope possessed a characteristic that deeply intimidated the Ghost Beasts.
The Hook Rope hung in Yu Ci's hand, swinging non-stop with the slightest movement. When he swung it backward, the Ghost Beasts moved a little forward, but when he swung it forward, they retreated a bit. Their bodies swayed back and forth, resembling a neurotic creature.
Seeing the Ghost Beasts' behavior, Yu Ci tightened his grip on the Hook Rope. He infused it with Primordial Qi, causing the rope to rise and fall as if it had a mind of its own, again making a "clang" sound. At this moment, the massive body of the Ghost Beasts visibly shuddered, and the fire and smoke around it churned, becoming denser and obscuring its beastly face.
Yu Ci became increasingly certain that if he wanted to retreat unscathed, this Hook Rope was his best bet. However, the question remained, how should he use it?
Recalling how he used the Hook Rope against Nan Songzi, Yu Ci gritted his teeth. He swung the Hook Rope, causing the two hooks to collide forcefully, producing a sharp, twisted sound. This time, Yu Ci did not have the Heart-Tugging Horn in his mouth, relying solely on the True Essence of the Heavenly Dragon. He felt a sudden dizziness, but he managed to withstand it.
The Ghost Beast let out a roar as it leaped backward, covering several yards in a single bound. It almost seemed ready to turn tail and flee, but it was only an "almost."
Yu Ci gritted his teeth, urging his hook to strike once more.
Dizziness passed, but this time, the Ghost Beast did not move.
Its lantern-sized eyes spun, half-shrouded in smoke, its beastly face appeared somewhat perplexed. This almost human-like expression allowed Yu Ci to particularly discern the creature's psychological shift.
Danger lay ahead, suspicion behind!
A chill suddenly struck Yu Ci's heart: judging by the Ghost Beast's reaction, this Hook Rope must have its unique method of activation, without which it could not harness the power to restrain the Ghost Beast. Of course, this method was certainly not as simple as swinging the double hooks.
The Ghost Beast seemed to have understood as well, its crimson eyes once again ignited with fire. It was still hesitant, but this emotion was rapidly dissipating, replaced by rage and frenzy.
Boom!
The roar of the Ghost Beast morphed into thunderous sound, sweeping across the open space. The mountain seemed to tremble, the Ghost Beast crouched, gathered strength, and sprung up, transforming into an elusive phantom with a force akin to a collapsing mountain, lunging at Yu Ci.
Such an assault had exceeded Yu Ci's sensory limit, his eyes were virtually useless. But at this moment, an image flashed in his mind, still blurry, yet Yu Ci managed to grasp the form of the object at this critical juncture.
A streak of Divine Light rose, Phosphorus Fire burst into flames!
Right in front, the Ghost Beast's charge abruptly halted, the wind from the residual impact suppressed his breath, making him unable to breathe. At this moment, the giant mouth exhaling foul breath, its sharp teeth, were only a few feet away from him. The massive body could crush him underneath with just a fall.
At this distance, Yu Ci could see the stubs and patterns of the three broken horns on the Ghost Beast's forehead. The pale Phosphorus Fire spread on the Hook Rope, burning Yu Ci's hand, yet he felt no pain. Then, the grey-green color faded, countless golden threads whipped around, lightly striking the stubs of the Ghost Beast's broken horns.
The Ghost Beast held its breath for a moment, then let out a horrified howl. Its massive body turned around, enveloped in hot wind, it rushed out of the open space, disappearing without a trace.
**********