62. Origin of the Monster

"Senior Brother, that ore crystal is moving." Lin Jiuge clearly sensed that something blinked on top of the ore crystal, accompanied by heavy, thick breathing.

A moment later, the stream resembling the Milky Way suddenly shifted, and the crystal began to move as well. The two of them retreated a bit further.

The crystal continuously morphed and finally transformed into a monster bearing starlight, crowned with deer antlers, possessing transparent wings and a fish's tail. A complex set of runes circled its neck, and its physical stature and appearance somewhat resembled a bear.

The position of the ore crystal was precisely the monster's eyes, but the monster's right foot was bound by something, with a yellow cord trailing out from the water.

"I have slept for three thousand years, and finally someone has entered," the monster spoke, looking at Lin Jiuge and Zhou Yan.

"Such an alluring scent, even more fragrant than what this deity consumed three thousand years ago. Let me think, this fragrance feels somewhat familiar," the monster continued to mutter to itself.

Hearing this made their hair stand on end—this monster ate people! The two of them silently inched back along the path they had come, moving bit by bit for fear of alarming the pondering monster.

Just as they were about to reach safety, an icicle plummeted from the sky, directly blocking their path.

"Little appetizers, did this deity say you could leave?" the monster said indifferently.

The two immediately changed direction, but no matter where they walked, icicles ultimately sealed their way.

"Little appetizers, I haven't moved in thousands of years. Let me play with you," the monster cast a playful gaze at Lin Jiuge and Zhou Yan.

"Senior Brother, can you set up a concealment array?" Lin Jiuge asked, keeping her eyes on the monster. The creature was very strange; the soul residing within it did not match this appearance, while its orb was pitch black—completely inconsistent with the blue-and-white soul.

"I can."

"Senior Brother, you set up the array. Remember, once successful, do not step into the array; use a concealment talisman instead. Do you have one?" The final question was asked with some uncertainty.

"I do."

"I will go attract the monster's attention, and Senior Brother will set up the array quickly. Once you activate the concealment talisman, run straight to the place where the monster's foot is bound. We will rendezvous at the location binding its right foot." After giving her instructions, Lin Jiuge separated from Zhou Yan.

"Little appetizers, do you think splitting up makes a difference? You think too simply." Having not seen living creatures for millennia, the monster watched their actions with amused mockery.

With the hand-speed honed from rigorous training, Zhou Yan quickly set up the concealment array and then, following Lin Jiuge's instructions, activated his concealment talisman. Lin Jiuge activated hers at the same time.

The monster froze for a second. How had the two little appetizers vanished? Its wide eyes darted around frantically.

***

The two arrived at the right foot as instructed, carefully moving forward along the cord that bound the monster.

The monster attacked the surroundings irritably, sending icicles and water splashes flying everywhere. The concealment array was destroyed, yet there was still no sign of the two.

Taking cover amid the external commotion, the two tore off their concealment talisman and advanced rapidly.

Soon, they saw what was binding the monster: an ultra-smooth, blue-and-white sphere of light. Inside the sphere slept a small bear with deer antlers, sky-blue wings, and an ice-blue body.

Seeming to sense someone entering, the small bear slowly opened its eyes. Its ice-blue gaze was initially dead and devoid of life, but it soon lit up with a brilliant light.

"Who are you? You are not of the Hu clan?" the small bear asked.

"Naturally, we are not of the Hu clan; the two of us merely stumbled upon this place by accident." They did not reveal their identities, but answered the second question.

"Only those of the Yin, Ling, and Hu clans can enter this place. Which clan do you two belong to?" the small bear continued to inquire.

"We are merely of the human race." The junior sister and senior brother exchanged a glance and answered truthfully. There was no need to ask about Zhou Yan; he was a disciple of the Zhou family, an affiliated clan of the Daiyue Sect. Lin Jiuge's background was even simpler—she came from the mortal realm.

The small bear's ice-blue eyes turned a deep blue as it looked at them. Lin Jiuge unconsciously met its gaze, and the moment their eyes touched, it struck straight to the bottom of each other's hearts.

"Though I do not understand why, you are the ones I have most longed to wait for," the small bear said with relief.

The two looked at each other in confusion.

"You saw the monster outside that looks somewhat like me, didn't you? I am a member of the ancient Dragon Bear clan, and this is my clan's forbidden secret land. But that monster outside is neither truly my clansman nor is it not!" The small bear grew somewhat emotional at this mention.

"Have you ever heard of the Hu clan?" the small bear asked.

"Could it be the Tuwei?" Lin Jiuge asked cautiously.

"Tuwei? Is that what they are called now? Not bad either. The Hu clan excels at divination and replacement. They calculate a clan's fortune and then allow their own clansmen to supplant the most outstanding disciples of that clan, absorbing them to become their own power," the small bear said through gritted teeth.

The Tuwei of the present were the Hu clan of the past—that explained everything.

"The monster outside is my child." At this, sorrow flashed in the small bear's eyes.

"This rope is called the Spirit-Binding Rope, refined by the elders of my entire clan using the entirety of their primordial energy. The crystal you saw is the Ice Dragon Blue Crystal of my Dragon Bear clan, and the flowing water is the Milky Way Spring used to nurture Dragon Bear cubs."

"Back then, my child was supplanted by the Hu clan. Sensing something was amiss, I asked a senior of the Yin clan for help. That senior calculated that a great calamity awaited my Dragon Bear clan, and the only glimmer of survival lay with my child. My child has been sealed away like this for three thousand years."

"Is your child a tiny white bear?" Lin Jiuge asked.

"You have seen my child?" The small bear was agitated.

"Inside the monster there is a slumbering little bear, alongside a pitch-black orb," Lin Jiuge explained.

Beside her, Zhou Yan wondered why he hadn't seen any of that.

"That is my child. The pitch-black orb you mentioned should be the soul pearl of the Hu clan. The distinction between the Hu clan and other races is that we possess souls, whereas the Hu clan possesses soul pearls." The small bear's mood remained unsettled.

"Young friend, might I trouble you with a task? Kill my child, take his soul away, and nourish it with the Milky Way Spring. My child will then be able to re-form his body," the small bear pleaded.

"His corpse must be incinerated. The Hu clan can resurrect themselves using a secret method even if the faintest trace of aura remains," the small bear added.

"Senior, is it possible that the two of us are simply no match for that Hu clan entity?" Zhou Yan chimed in.

Although the monster was trapped here, its cultivation base was plain to see. The two of them—one at the Mortal Transformation stage and the other at the Shedding Mortality stage—were complete novices. What could they possibly do?

"From the moment you managed to evade that monster and reach this place, you already possessed a chance of winning," the small bear replied, understanding their concerns.

"I will go with you, and this Spirit-Binding Rope shall serve as a token of gratitude," the small bear continued.

"Jiuge, agree to it. I'll help you get the bear cub out." After a long silence, the nameless sword suddenly scribbled rapidly across her sea of consciousness.

"Alright, I agree," Lin Jiuge consented. Zhou Yan nodded along as well; although he didn't understand, following his junior sister was bound to be the right choice.

"Remember to harvest the eyes—those are good things. Rest assured, the Hu clan lot cannot taint those. That monster's weakness is its eyes. With this upgrade, the golden sword should be able to pry them out." The nameless sword left behind another line of furious brushstrokes.