Chapter 548: Chu Mo Island (Forty-Nine)
Chapter 548: Chu Mo Island (Forty-Nine)
Despair Cage, located beneath the central pit of the Crystal Labyrinth.
This was a unique Space situated between the main island of Chu Mo Island and its counterpart, Reversal Island.
Time flowed in opposite directions on the two islands, but here, positive and negative coexisted, forward and reverse currents merged.
For instance, standing at the pit's depths and gazing upward, one could see the sky of the main island—a blood moon entwined with violet mist hung in the heavens. The surrounding crystal columns glowed faintly, not entirely dark.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of Moon Steps slicing through the air echoed from above.
A figure in crimson streaked across the sky like a gale, descending rapidly. Seconds later, the shadow landed, shattering vast swaths of crystal beneath his feet.
Feng Bu Jue stood there, drenched in blood, his gaze as cold as a winter storm.
"You really do run fast", a deep voice soon followed. Another towering figure drifted down from the sky.
The newcomer was none other than Xing Shi.
His right hand gripped Hong Hu by the hair, dangling him like a ragdoll. Hong Hu still breathed but had lost all fight—his fingers twitched weakly toward his satchel, unable to retrieve even a single pill.
As for Tian Ma Xing Kong... he never made it here alive.
"Or perhaps I should say—your reflexes were impressive", Xing Shi added, halting three meters above the ground. With a casual toss, he hurled Hong Hu onto the floor. "Dodging my ambush with such an extreme maneuver... I must admit, that surprised me."
Feng Bu Jue's icy gaze swept over Hong Hu. "Your methods and capabilities seem... mismatched."
He made no move to rescue Hong Hu. He knew—Xing Shi had thrown him down precisely to lure him in.
"Ah? Are you calling me despicable?" Xing Shi sneered. "How amusing. Who said strong fighters couldn't use surprise attacks?"
"Fair point", Feng Bu Jue agreed. "Remember those words well..."
"Mad... Bu Jue!"
A roar erupted from behind Feng Bu Jue, thick with fury and hatred.
Familiar yet twisted, the voice carried infinite rage.
Feng Bu Jue instantly sidestepped, glancing sideways. Through the eerie shadows, he spotted a massive Crystal Cage.
The "cage" resembled a flattened crystal ball, its surface latticed with glowing crystal, fully hollowed out. Within, a horned beast thrashed wildly.
"Samo Di Er?" Feng Bu Jue ventured.
"Aarrgh!" came the reply.
The roar still echoed when Samo Di Er lunged, charging the cage wall. His arm shot through the gaps, claws slashing at Feng Bu Jue. "I've waited for this day too long... Don't you dare run!"
"Oh? How intriguing", Xing Shi floated above, watching with theatrical delight. "Could this be... Mad Bu Jue?" He turned to Feng Bu Jue.
"The one and only", Feng Bu Jue replied, hands in pockets, posture relaxed. "And you might be...?"
"Xing Shi", Xing Shi stroked his thick beard, pride in his voice. "Chief architect and maintainer of Chu Mo Island." He grinned. "How do you like my work?"
"Hmph." Feng Bu Jue scoffed. "You're showing off your craftsmanship to a real artist? Since I was eight, the only talent worth boasting about has been my creative genius. In my eyes, your island is nothing but a tomb for imagination."
His hands never left his pockets as he paced. "You deafen creatures who crave to hear sins... You turn immortality-seekers into rotting wood... You drown the pure in filth. Such cheap tricks—clearly the work of a self-righteous sadist." He tapped his chin. "And those boring mutations? Just twisted plants and animals. Can't you think of anything better?"
"You wretch..." Xing Shi's fury surged, his face reddening. Feng Bu Jue had struck his rawest nerve.
"Though I've yet to meet the other prisoners, I already grasp your patterns", Feng Bu Jue pressed on, his mockery just beginning. "What other gimmicks? Locking a growing giant in a shrinking cell? Forcing sweet-toothed fools to eat only mayonnaise daily?" He tapped his forehead. "To create something truly memorable? Let me suggest one solution—why not try a frontal lobotomy on yourself?"
"Who do you think you are!" Xing Shi barked. "You insignificant human—how dare you judge me..."
"Save the qualifications talk", Feng Bu Jue snapped. "In this cosmos, I've met beings far superior to you. Ever heard of Bi Li? That puppet master makes you look like a child's scribble."
"You... Dare... speak his name..." Xing Shi's teeth ground together as if to crush solid stone.
The air cracked with tension—until a sudden roar of laughter erupted.
"Mad Bu Jue!" Samo Di Er howled from the cage. "Across all universes, I've never met anyone with your gift for mockery. Hahaha!"
Feng Bu Jue remained composed, his sharp eyes catching the flicker in their reactions. "I see... So Xing Shi and Bi Li share some... complicated history?"
"Nothing complicated at all!" Samo Di Er grinned. "Everyone knows it already..."
"Silence!" Xing Shi roared at the cage.
"Hmph. Don't bark at me, you mongrel", Samo Di Er spat. "This Despair Cage isn't your creation—it's a Time Lord's artifact. You're just a jailer." His face pressed against the bars, yellow beast-eyes blazing with tangible malice. "And you? You dare command me?"
Xing Shi's face twisted with humiliation and rage—but he held back. He knew Samo Di Er would soon walk free.
"Hehehe..." Suddenly, Xing Shi chuckled, a sound far darker than rage. "Even as prisoners, your manners remain unchanged..." He descended slowly. "And you..." His eyes fixed on Feng Bu Jue. "A mere human, spouting nonsense before me..."
He straightened, shrugging. "No matter what you think of me, today—I'm just an observer." He raised a finger toward Feng Bu Jue. "Mad Bu Jue, you and your friend sought the key to open Despair Cage... Well..." His laughter rang again. "I've already opened it for you."
Feng Bu Jue's expression shifted slightly.
Xing Shi continued, "The blood staining your clothes—the blood of that Saint-cloaked youth—is the key to unlocking this cage."
Crack!
His words barely left his lips when the cage housing Samo Di Er emitted a sharp, ominous sound—like crystal fracturing.
"He's a follower of Tyrus, God of Truth", Xing Shi added. "The moment his blood touched this Space... the seal broke."
Crack! Crack!
The first fracture triggered a chain reaction. Within seconds, Samo Di Er's Crystal Cage shattered, glass shards scattering across the floor.
Once the seal dissolved, it was little more than an ordinary cage—Samo Di Er's earlier assaults had already weakened it.
[Current Task Completed]
[Main Quest Updated]
[Current Task Completed]
[Main Quest Updated]
These consecutive notifications signaled Feng Bu Jue had completed two tasks at once. The updated task list showed: 【Finding a Method to Open the Cage】 and newly appeared 【Breaking the Despair Cage Seal】, the latter already marked complete.
"Tch." Feng Bu Jue spat. "That task was surprisingly simple..."
In truth, it hadn't been.
Under normal circumstances, this nightmare's progression still had one-third left. The original method to break the seal differed entirely.
First, players would find clues about the "seal" within this Space. Then locate a mechanism to return to Chu Mo Island's main land. Seek several artifacts, and question an Npc for the two escape methods from Chu Mo Island (though Feng Bu Jue already learned them from Fu Ling). Finally, return here to open Despair Cage.
But Bi Li's interference had brought Xing Shi here, derailing the plot.
"Hahahaha!" Xing Shi laughed wildly. "You two have scores to settle—no need to thank me! Hahaha!"
"You released such a critical culprit... Won't the Time Lords hold you accountable?" Feng Bu Jue asked.
"Save your concern for yourself", Xing Shi sneered. "Human, let's see how long your arrogance lasts."
Thud! Thud!
As they spoke, Samo Di Er stepped forth, his massive hooves striking the crystal ground. Bat-like wings unfurled behind him, stirring gusts of wind.
At that moment, Feng Bu Jue's new task appeared, perfectly reflecting the dire situation:
【Survive】
(End of Chapter)
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