Chapter no.20 Demon Beast

Yang Xinhai, the undisputed champion of yesterday's competition, slowly opened his eyes as he saw a cloud of smoke rising towards the sky. He could sense a fiery aura clashing against an alien-like aura that he identified as Demonic Qi. The sound of the battle was distant but it was still audible, the clashing of weapons and the roar of the fighters.

He sat up and looked down to see two twin brothers, Xiao Long and Xiao Fei, working diligently on an intricate runic array that was etched onto a large stone pillar. The pillar was located in the Eastern Region of the Dreamland prison, a vast expanse of barren land with towering walls of grey stone encircling it. The only sign of life within the prison were the guards patrolling the perimeter, their armor clanking with every step they took.

"Are you two done?" Yang Xinhai asked, his voice deep and commanding.

Xiao Long looked up at Yang Xinhai, his face covered in sweat and his hands shaking slightly. "Sir, we still need a few more days to complete this." he answered in an extremely respectful tone.

Yang Xinhai nodded, his expression inscrutable. The twins let out a sigh of relief as they looked at each other in concern. They had been spared from this monster's wrath because of their skills in the art of inscription arrays. This monster wanted them to build an array to forcefully disable the Dreamworld array so he could escape.

Xiao Long and Xiao Fei looked at Yang Xinhai as he began his cultivation once more. His attire was that of a cultivator, a black robe adorned with intricate patterns of gold thread that seemed to glow in the sunlight. He was unarmed, but the aura emanating from him was powerful enough to make anyone feel uneasy.

"Hey, are you sure we should do this?" Xiao Fei asked, his voice low and hesitant.

Xiao Long nodded, his expression serious. "Of course, brother. This is the only way for us to remain alive from this monster's wrath. You saw how effortlessly he killed all those people."

Xiao Fei swallowed nervously, his eyes flicking back to Yang Xinhai. "Yeah." he whispered.

The sound of the battle continued to grow louder, a reminder of the danger that loomed just beyond the walls of the prison. The twins knew that they had to finish this array as soon as possible if they wanted to survive. They returned to their work, their hands moving quickly and expertly over the stones as they etched the final symbols of the array.

.....

Wong Fei sat in his office, the dim light casting shadows across his face as he stared intently at the holographic screen in front of him. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he watched the Twins futilely attempt to construct a counter array for the Dreamland Array. He knew that their efforts were in vain. The Dreamland Array was the culmination of thousands of years of research and dedication by the greatest array formation masters in history, this information was common throughout the Murim so why were they even trying to counteract it. If it were so easy to construct a counter array, the Dreamland Array would never have gained such widespread use and infamy.

He turned to his secretary, Lee, and asked, "Secretary Lee, how many contestants remain in the Dreamland Array?"

"Sir, as of now, there are 50 contestants remaining," Lee responded, his voice crisp and professional.

"Show me their positions on the map," Wong Fei commanded.

With a few deft taps on his array key, Lee brought up a grid map on the holographic screen, and small red dots began to flash across it.

Wong Fei's frown disappeared as he examined the map. But his curiosity was piqued when he noticed a red dot that seemed to be looping in a residential area. "Secretary Lee, zoom into Area C-6," he said.

The holographic screen shifted, and they found themselves looking at a residential area. A tall, handsome man with sharp eyebrows, a pointed nose, and clear skin was running alongside a pathway. But what caught Wong Fei's attention was that the man had no coins on him.

"Secretary Lee, who is this man, and tell me his previous paths," Wong Fei asked, his voice tinged with intrigue.

"Sir, this man is a member of the Scale of the Dragon cult. His path seems to be a loop in that residential area," Lee responded.

"What do you think, Secretary Lee?" Wong Fei asked, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Sir, he seems to be looking for someone," Lee said, her tone thoughtful.

"Interesting," Wong Fei said, leaning back in his chair. He heard the sound of beeping, indicating that there's a new message, "Secretary Lee, check my mail please."

"Yes, Sir." Secretary Lee nodded and read the message, "Sir, it's from the surveillance team, they are reporting that some of the contestants are forming groups and working together."

"That's even more interesting" Wong Fei said with a smirk.

...

The swamp was a dense, humid jungle of twisted trees and murky waters. The air was thick with the hum of insects and the croaking of frogs. The water was a deep, dark green, and the trees seemed to leer down at the travelers, their twisted roots reaching up from the water like gnarled fingers. The only light came from the occasional beam of sunlight that broke through the thick canopy overhead.

Hu Lunmei moved quickly through the swamp, her white hair streaming behind her like a banner. She wore a suit of light armor, with intricate designs etched into the metal plates. Her armor was made of a shimmering white metal that seemed to glow in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. She carried a small bag of marbles, which she used as her weapon of choice. The marbles were made of a rare, shimmering jade that seemed to pulse with an inner light.

As she leapt from tree to tree, she heard a sudden whoosh, and she twisted mid-air to deflect an incoming attack. But before she could land, she felt the swamp beneath her give way, and a massive white gator erupted from the waters, jaws gaping wide.

Hu Lunmei threw a handful of marbles at the demon beast, and they began to vibrate at high frequencies, the spiritual Qi swirling around them. "Jade Dragon Art: Roar," she shouted, and the marbles hit one another, creating a deafening screech that echoed through the forest. The spiritual Qi in the shape of a dragon attacked the white-scaled alligator, who responded by lashing out with its tail. The beast was injured, but it dived deep into the swampy water.

"Worst mistake, buddy!" Hu Lunmei exclaimed, and her marbles floated back to her, spiraling around her arm. She attacked the swamp water with her sound attack, reverberating through the water. Suddenly, two black razor nail claws tore through the surface of the water and flew towards her.

"Jade Dragon Art: Hide of Scales," she shouted, and her marbles floated in front of her, spinning in a clockwise motion, creating an air stream that deflected the claw nails.

A horrifyingly deep roar echoed throughout the swamp as the hulking body of the white-scaled alligator emerged from the water. Its mouth was open wide, and spiritual Qi swirled around its jaws. Hu Lunmei made a praying motion, and her marbles glowed with runic patterns. "Jade Dragon Art: Barrier," she shouted, and spiritual Qi exuded from the marbles, enveloping her.

The demon beast landed on the swampy waters, but it was too late. It felt a sharp pain in its chest before its eyes rolled to the back of its head. Hu Lunmei emerged from the belly of the alligator, covered in blood, and jumped up from the swamp that was quickly turning red.

As she caught her breath, she thought of her brother's words. If they got separated, she needed to move towards the south, but she was extremely bad with directions. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past her head, and her marbles moved instantly, destroying the arrow.

"Come out, you bastard!" Hu Lunmei screamed, and silence enveloped the ground before a figure appeared in the battle. Zhongli's eyes gazed upon Hu Lunmei as he charged towards the white-haired woman with a long sword in hand.