Beast Taming Star Journey

A chilling aura clung to my skin like a bone-deep infection, making me shiver involuntarily. The passage was deep and silent, with only the echoes of our footsteps reverberating within, adding to the eeriness of the place.

The enormous gear mechanism stood before us like a steel behemoth, its cold metallic gleam unsettling in the dim light.

The gaps between the meshing gears seemed to conceal endless darkness, as if they could devour any life that approached them at any moment.

"Be careful..." Su Yao's voice was low and solemn. Her hand was already on the hilt of her sword, ready to deal with any sudden danger.

I nodded and summoned Little Gold as well. Little Gold shimmered with golden light, warily watching everything around it.

This gear mechanism was more complex than any we had encountered before. Countless gears of different sizes meshed with each other, operating in an intricate and complex manner, emitting a teeth-grinding grinding sound.

I tried to use my mental power to probe the internal structure of the mechanism, but I found that a powerful force blocked my investigation. My mental power disappeared without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

"I'll give it a try." Su Yao said, and in a flash, she turned into a blur and rushed towards the gear mechanism.

Her longsword flashed with a dazzling light as she slashed fiercely at one of the giant gears. A deafening clang rang out, and sparks flew everywhere.

The massive gear only vibrated slightly and did not suffer any substantial damage. Instead, a powerful recoil force traveled along the sword to Su Yao's arm.

Su Yao groaned, staggered back a few steps, and her face turned slightly pale.

“This mechanism… is very strange.” She took a deep breath and said, “My attack seems to have been absorbed by some kind of power.”

My heart sank; this mechanism was indeed extraordinary. It seemed brute force wouldn't work; I had to find a way to break it.

I carefully observed the gears turning, trying to find the pattern within them.

These gears vary in size and speed, but there seems to be a subtle connection between them, like a precision instrument where every component is indispensable.

Time ticked by, and fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead. The mechanisms of operation were extremely complex, and I felt my brain was about to overload.

Just when I was about to give up, I suddenly noticed that among the many gears, there was a small gear that operated slower than the others, and its position was also quite special, seemingly a key node connecting the other gears.

"Wait!" I suddenly called out, stopping Su Yao who was about to try again. "I think... I've found the key..."

I pointed to the small gear and said to Su Yao, "Look at that gear. Its rotation speed is different from the other gears, and its position is also very important. I suspect that it is the key to controlling the entire mechanism."

Su Yao followed my finger and observed carefully for a moment before nodding and saying, "There are indeed some differences. What do you plan to do?"

"Little Gold," I summoned my tamed beast, a small snake covered in golden scales, "See that gear? Use your tail to jam it the next time it reaches its lowest point!"

Little Gold let out a neigh to indicate that it understood.

Like a golden ray, it swiftly moved to the side of the gear mechanism, its snake eyes fixed on the small gear, waiting for the perfect moment.

The gears continued to turn in a complex and tangled manner, emitting an annoying grinding sound.

My heart rose and fell with the turning of the gears, as if a taut string was about to snap. Finally, the tiny gear reached its lowest point.

"Now, Jin!" I shouted.

Like an arrow released from a bow, Xiao Jin darted out in an instant, its tail precisely inserting into the gap of the gears, firmly locking them in place.

With a soft "click," the entire gear mechanism stopped operating, and the passage returned to calm.

"I did it!" I breathed a sigh of relief, my heart filled with joy.

However, this brief joy was soon shattered.

"Who goes there?!" Su Yao shouted, drawing her longsword and pointing it at the entrance of the passage.

A group of men in black surged in from the entrance of the passage, carrying various weapons and staring at us fiercely.

"It seems someone doesn't want us to get through so easily," I said in a deep voice.

"Little Gold, defend!" I commanded, and Little Gold quickly coiled up in front of me, its golden scales shimmering with dazzling light, forming a solid defensive barrier.

"Yao'er, you've just used up a lot of your true energy. Rest inside the defensive circle for a bit. Let me take over!" Su Yao didn't try to be brave and nodded, stepping behind me.

Her face was slightly pale, and her breathing was somewhat unsteady, clearly indicating that the previous battle had taken a heavy toll on her.

The men in black swarmed forward, brandishing their weapons and launching a fierce attack on us.

"Bang bang bang!" A series of rapid impacts rang out, but Xiao Jin's defensive barrier remained unmoved, blocking all the attacks.

I took this opportunity to carefully observe these men in black. They weren't particularly strong, just small fry, but there were quite a few of them, and they worked together seamlessly, clearly having undergone specialized training.

I became secretly alarmed; it seemed we were in serious trouble.

Just then, Su Yao's voice came from behind me: "I've almost recovered."

Wielding a longsword, she charged out of the defensive circle like a bolt of lightning. "Swish, swish, swish!" The sword flashed, like a cascading silver river, and instantly several men in black fell into pools of blood.

Su Yao's figure was agile and nimble. The long sword in her hand seemed to come alive, and with each swing, it carried a sharp killing intent.

Watching her heroic figure, I couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. As if sensing my gaze, Su Yao's attacks became even more ferocious, her sword flashing like a rainbow, invincible in its path.

Those men in black were no match for her at all; one by one, they were easily cut down by her like straws. I... I was somewhat mesmerized. Her sword-wielding figure was like a blooming snow lotus, noble and aloof, yet carrying an indescribable charm.

The flashing sword light reflected off her stunningly beautiful face, adding to her heroic spirit.

The excitement in my heart was like a spring breeze rippling across a calm lake, creating waves that lingered for a long time.

Seemingly sensing my gaze, Su Yao's attacks became even more ferocious, her sword light like a rainbow, invincible.

A slight upturn at the corners of her lips revealed a confident smile, a smile as warm as the winter sun, illuminating my entire world.

"Watch out!" I suddenly shouted.

The remaining men in black suddenly stopped resisting and instead clung tightly to each other. Their bodies began to swell, emanating a dangerous aura.

"Oh no! They're about to self-destruct!" I exclaimed in alarm, and immediately commanded Xiao Jin, "Xiao Jin, expand the defensive perimeter!"

Little Gold let out a hiss, and its golden scales instantly expanded, forming a larger golden light shield that firmly protected Su Yao and me within it.

A deafening boom resounded. The violent explosion slammed into the golden light shield, causing it to tremble violently as if it were about to shatter at any moment.

I held Su Yao tightly, using my own body to shield her from the impact. The aftershocks of the explosion gradually dissipated, and the golden light barrier returned to calm.

I cautiously peeked out and found that the passage had been blown beyond recognition, with rubble everywhere and smoke filling the air.

"Cough cough..." Su Yao coughed a few times, lifted her head from my arms, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, how about you?" I asked with concern.

"I'm fine too." Su Yao shook her head, her face a little pale.

I helped her to her feet, and as we looked around, we discovered a stone door at the end of the passage.

"Could it be... that's the prison cell where the Di Messenger is held?" A glimmer of hope rose in my heart.

We walked cautiously toward the stone gate, taking each step with utmost care.

An eerie silence hung in the air, as if some danger lurked in the shadows, waiting for our arrival.

When I got to the stone gate, I gently pushed it, but the stone gate didn't budge.

"It seems this door is locked," Su Yao said.

I carefully examined the stone gate and found that it was covered with complex runes, emitting a faint energy fluctuation.

“These runes… seem to be a powerful restriction.” I said in a deep voice, reaching out to touch the runes. A powerful force rebounded instantly, making my arm go numb.

I withdrew my hand, secretly surprised. The power of this restriction was far greater than I had imagined.

Su Yao also stepped forward to examine it, her expression grave. "It seems that opening this door won't be easy..."

I stared at the tightly closed stone door, took a deep breath, and said, "There's always a way..." as I pulled a small dagger from my pocket...