144 Phylactery Stone

The Wine Master shook his head in response to the Doctor’s query. “I’m not sure. What is clear was that the power radiating from it was intense. Even under strain from my Singularity, it was raising shields to protect itself. Keep an eye on that bit – even the small piece feels like it’s full of life. Jewelry Master, tell us what happened here.”

Lan Jue’s voice was deep and thoughtful. “From what I’ve gathered after these few hours, I don’t believe these beasts are from Taihua. They must have come from elsewhere. How they got here I can’t say. The mist they release is destructive, but it doesn’t destroy life – it devours it. They use the life force they steal to replenish themselves. The key to their enormous power and size was Taihua itself, and the sheer amount of animals and plants they could sap for strength. The one we just killed was likely their maker. It somehow released eggs across the planet, then used the surrounding life force to keep producing.”