Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

In the ruins of the temple, Zhu Feifei sat slumped on the ground, panting heavily. His nine-toothed rake lay limply beside him, and dust covered his face, making him look even more disheveled than a mud monkey.

He wiped his face, grinned, and said, "Your Majesty, I feel like I'm burnt to a crisp right now. Is it too much to ask for a subsidy?"

The Queen of Jingjue did not answer; her gaze was fixed intently on the single point of blue light in the center of the ruins. The blue light was faint, yet it exuded an eerie attraction, as if summoning something.

"What's this?" Zhu Feifei followed her gaze. "Is it another bomb? Why does this temple seem to love planting mines?"

The Queen said in a deep voice, "They don't look like enemies, but they're definitely not simple. Let's be careful." She slowly approached the blue light, gripping her dagger, ready to react at any moment.

However, when she reached out and touched the blue light, a warm power flowed into her body.

The blue light suddenly intensified, transforming into a phantom image—a mysterious man wearing a mask and a sand-colored robe, like the embodiment of the desert.

His voice was deep and majestic: "I am the soul of Jingjue, the last consciousness guarding this place. You have successfully destroyed the 'Heart of the Desert,' but you have also unleashed its remaining power... This catastrophe is far from over."

Zhu Feifei's eyes widened: "What? It's not over yet? Bro, can we please stop with these sequel plots? We don't have enough budget for this movie!"

The masked figure seemed to ignore his sarcasm and continued, "The Heart of the Desert is merely one link in the chain. The true crisis lies hidden deep within the ruins of the ancient Jingjue Kingdom. If you do not stop it, the desert will be forever shrouded in curse."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Feifei almost jumped up: "What do you mean? We fought a whole battle, and in the end, it's just an appetizer?"

The phantom turned to look at the Queen of Jingjue, its tone icy: "You are the last of Jingjue's bloodlines, and only you can break the seal deep within the ruins. Take this mortal with you; though he is dull-witted, he may be able to help you complete your mission."

"Hey! That's a bit much!" Zhu Feifei protested, patting her chest. "No matter what, I, Old Pig, have put in a lot of work for you guys. Shouldn't I be given some respect?"

The phantom remained silent, slowly dissipating into a crystal-clear blue stone that landed in the hand of the Queen of Jingjue.

"What is this?" the Queen asked in a low voice.

The Ringwraith White peeked out and said, "Hey, baby! This thing can enhance soul power; it's probably the key to unlocking the ruins!"

Zhu Feifei pouted: "We have to unseal it again? Why do these ancient relics love to be so encrypted? Can't they just make a simpler switch?"

At the bottom of the temple ruins, as a blue stone was inserted into a groove, the earth began to tremble, and a stone door leading underground slowly opened. A dry, hot wind swept in, carrying a strong, ancient aura.

Zhu Feifei stared at the dark entrance and shuddered: "Are we really going in? This place looks ominous; there's definitely a bunch of monsters waiting to kill us!"

The Queen of Jingjue glanced at him: "If you're scared, stay outside. I can handle this on my own."

Zhu Feifei immediately straightened up: "No way! I'll take this job! Let's team up, who's afraid of who?"

The two stepped into the passage and entered a complex underground labyrinth. Everywhere there were crisscrossing corridors, eerie murals, and traps, with danger lurking at every step.

While passing through a narrow passage, Zhu Feifei accidentally stepped on a trap. A volley of poisoned arrows shot out from both sides. He panicked and ran around in all directions, only to be grabbed by the Queen and pinned to the ground.

"Don't move!" the Queen shouted.

The poisoned arrow grazed the back of Zhu Feifei's head. He gasped for breath and cursed, "Your Majesty, could you please tell me which floorboards I shouldn't step on? My heart can't take it!"

The Queen sneered: "The wisdom of mortals is indeed worrisome."

Not far away, a mysterious figure wearing a straw hat slowly walked over. He was thin, his face was covered with a veil, and strange bells hung from his waist.

"Friend, could you do me a favor?" Zhu Feifei immediately waved to him. "This place is too complicated, we're a bit lost."

The man in the straw hat smiled faintly: "Lost? I can help you, but you'll have to pay a price."

Zhu Feifei instinctively protected his pockets: "Brother, we're traveling on a budget, don't even think about getting any treasures."

The man in the straw hat snorted: "What I want is not money, but power—as long as you fight me and defeat me, I'll consider it a favor I owe you!"

"Another fight?" Zhu Feifei's scalp tingled. "Brother, can't we try to reason with them? Do we have to resort to violence?"

The man in the straw hat shook his head, and the bell jingled softly: "No need for words—come on!"

As the man in the straw hat waved his hand, the bell emitted a strange sound wave, forming a pitch-black field. Zhu Feifei felt dizzy and her figure suddenly appeared in a bizarre illusion.

Queen Jingjue frowned and said, "This is a sonic field. Once trapped, your spirit will be weakened."

Zhu Feifei rolled her eyes: "You should have said so earlier! I didn't even bring earplugs!"

As the battle began, the man in the straw hat displayed extraordinary speed and strength, each swing of his arm accompanied by a piercing sonic wave that made the two men gasp for breath.

Zhu Feifei dodged left and right, his nine-toothed rake whistling through the air, but he couldn't even touch the hem of his opponent's clothes. He stomped his foot in anger: "Hey! Xiao Bai, if you don't step up this time, we're both going to be done for!"

The spirit guide, Xiaobai, said helplessly, "He's a master of the domain; you have to use your mental power to break through the sound waves. I'll teach you a new bracelet mode—the Spiritual Awareness Mode!"

"What do you mean?" Zhu Feifei asked, panting.

"Use your spirit to guide the power of the bracelet and directly lock onto the source of the opponent's sound waves!" The newbie spirit instructed while simultaneously complaining, "Idiot, hurry up and try it!"

Zhu Feifei switched the bracelet with some skepticism, and immediately felt a cool energy flow into his mind. He closed his eyes, and the piercing sound waves in his ears seemed to become clear, with every direction and frequency immediately apparent.

"So that's how it is!" He opened his eyes, swung his rake, and smashed it hard at a hidden spot, hitting the man in the straw hat's bell right in the middle.

"Ding!" The bell shattered, and the sonic field instantly collapsed.

The man in the straw hat was stunned, then burst into laughter: "Haha! I didn't expect you to be quite capable! I admit defeat!"

After the battle, the man in the straw hat introduced himself: "My name is Lingxuan, and I'm a wandering adventurer. Seeing how interesting you all are, I've decided to lend you a hand."

Zhu Feifei grinned: "Brother, you should have said that earlier. Do you have to fight to be happy?"

Lingxuan smiled helplessly: "Strength is the most reliable language in the world of adventure."

The Queen of Jingjue sized him up: "I hope you keep your word. There are even greater crises waiting for us."

The trio joined hands and ventured deeper into the maze.

Unseen by them, a pair of dark red eyes were watching them, and a low laugh echoed through the ruins:

"The blood of Jingjue will eventually unleash ultimate power... Keep moving forward, for the destined fate has only just begun..."