Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

Deep within the dungeon, the air was thick and stifling, the stench of decay mingling with the nauseating smell of sulfur. The moss on the walls was slippery, as if every brick and stone was groaning, telling of the pain and despair that had once taken place here.

The torchlight cast blurry, distorted shadows on the stone wall, like ghostly apparitions. Juckley and Avril's figures appeared exceptionally lonely and vulnerable in this silent, dark space.

They reached the deepest part of the dungeon, where a vast underground space suddenly appeared before them. In the darkness, a huge black stone tablet stood prominently, its cold and isolated presence like some ancient taboo, not to be easily touched.

The surface of the stone tablet was covered with dense runes, which seemed to have a life of their own, shimmering with a dark purple light and emitting a chilling aura, as if warning anyone who dared to approach.

Avril stared at the stone tablet, her lips slightly pursed, a resolute determination flashing in her eyes. Her breathing grew heavier, her hand gripping her magic wand tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. After a moment, she whispered, "This is it, the place that seals away ancient evil power."

Jukeli followed silently behind her, his gaze shifting back and forth across the stone tablet. He sensed a powerful, chaotic, and chilling force, as if echoing in the air. That force silently eroded the surrounding space, making it difficult for him to breathe. Each step became heavy and difficult, and a faint unease rose in his heart.

He stepped forward, frowning as he carefully examined the runes on the stone tablet. The runes seemed to be ancient writing, filled with complex structures and incomprehensible mysteries. His gaze swept over the runes, and the shadow in his heart grew heavier.

“Avril, are you sure you want to break this seal?” Juckley’s voice was tinged with urgency and anxiety. He knew Avril’s thirst for power, but he couldn’t ignore the unknown danger. “I feel that this seal is not as simple as you think. What is sealed inside may be more terrifying than we anticipate.”

Avril's hand trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She raised her head, her gaze icy, and looked resolutely at Juckley: "I have no choice, Juckley. My parents died at the hands of Augustus, and I cannot give up any opportunity to defeat him. Only great power can allow me to exact my revenge."

Her tone was resolute, and Juckley's heart sank. Since meeting Avril, he had watched this resilient girl gradually become cold and ruthless, while the thought of revenge coiled around her mind like a venomous snake, transforming her from a warm and kind girl into the warrior she was today.

He wanted to say something more, but when he saw the determination in Avril's eyes, he knew all words would be futile. Her resolve was unshakeable.

“Alright,” he finally sighed, his voice filled with helplessness and deep worry, “Since you’ve made your decision, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

Avril nodded silently upon hearing this. Standing before the stone tablet, she took a deep breath and then began to chant an ancient unsealing incantation in a low voice. Her voice was deep and steady, as if she were conversing with this forbidden power. As the incantation was recited, the runes on the stone tablet began to light up, emitting an eerie glow, like the awakened eyes of a demon.

Suddenly, the entire dungeon began to tremble violently, and a heavy sense of oppression gradually filled the air, as if some powerful being was awakening from the abyss. Avril's voice became more urgent, and the beads of sweat on her forehead were particularly glaring in the firelight.

"Avril, watch out!" Juckley's heart clenched, as if he had a premonition of an unavoidable disaster.

Just then, Avril let out a painful groan, and her magic wand slipped limply from her hand to the ground. Her body suddenly went limp as if all her strength had been drained, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her head with both hands, her face as pale as paper.

"Avril!" Juckley rushed forward and supported her swaying body. The moment his hand touched her skin, he felt a bone-chilling cold that seemed to seep into his very marrow.

"I...I'm so cold...it hurts so much..." Avril's voice trembled, her eyes were unfocused, and her breathing became rapid and uneven. She seemed to be trapped in an inescapable nightmare, her expression one of immense pain.

Juckley's heart sank. He realized that Avril had been corrupted by the evil power within the seal. Her face grew paler and paler, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her hands gripped Juckley's wrists tightly, her nails digging deep into his skin, as if desperately resisting that invisible force.

"Little White, what should we do? Avril seems to be controlled by that force!" Zhu Keli was anxious and immediately called out to Little White, who was sleeping in the jade pendant he always carried with him.

"I warned you long ago, you idiot!" Xiao Bai's voice came from the jade pendant, tinged with anger and helplessness. "You insisted on letting her unseal it, and now look what's happened!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Tell me what to do!" Juklee almost shouted, his hands trembling slightly from gripping them so tightly.

Xiao Bai sighed, her voice tinged with weariness: "The only way now is to seal that power back! Quickly use the power of the nine-bead bracelet to suppress it!"

Jukeli's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly took out a nine-bead bracelet from his waist. This was a priceless treasure bestowed upon him by Guanyin Bodhisattva, containing powerful sealing energy. At this moment, the nine beads seemed to sense the evil aura and began to emit a soft light.

“I understand.” Juklee gritted his teeth and unhesitatingly pushed the power of the bracelet to its limit. In an instant, the nine beads detached from the bracelet, floated in the air, and transformed into a nine-toothed rake, radiating a sacred golden light.

"Go back to where you belong, you evil thing!" Juklee roared, gripping his nine-toothed rake with both hands, and lunged at the evil force.

With his roar, the dungeon instantly erupted in a whirlwind of wind and billowing energy. The torchlight flickered in the wind, and lightning crackled within the space, as if the entire dungeon was teetering on the brink of collapse in this clash of forces. The runes around the stone tablet emitted a piercing buzzing sound as they flickered, seemingly resisting Jukli's attack with a defiant air.

The nine-toothed rake collided violently with the evil force, producing a deafening roar. The immense shockwave nearly sent Jukli flying; his body trembled violently, as if every muscle and bone was under unbearable pressure. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing became rapid and unsteady.

"I... can't hold on much longer..." He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and said to Xiaobai in a trembling voice.

"Don't give up, you silly pig! Think about the mission you're carrying!" Little White's voice was no longer mocking, but full of encouragement and determination.

Zhu Keli's eyes instantly hardened. He remembered Guanyin Bodhisattva's instructions to him, and the responsibility on his shoulders. A surge of power welled up within him, a conviction he had never felt before.

"Ah!" He let out a powerful roar, mobilizing all the spiritual power within his body. He pushed the power of the nine-bead bracelet to its limit, and a golden light, like a blazing sun, erupted from the nine-toothed rake, striking directly at the core of evil. The dark power let out a shrill howl, as if struggling, but ultimately could not withstand this holy radiance and was completely repelled.

The sealing power covered the stone tablet again, the light of the runes gradually dimmed, and the entire dungeon returned to silence. The chilling aura that had permeated the air also dissipated, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

However, Juklee's body could no longer hold on, and he collapsed weakly to the ground.

Avril gradually regained consciousness from the influence of the dark forces. Her eyes were glazed, and her body was still trembling slightly, but she quickly noticed Juckley's pale and weak body. She hurriedly struggled to crawl to Juckley's side, placed her hands on his shoulders, and her eyes were filled with worry and guilt.

"Juckley! How are you? Why did you work so hard to help me?" Her voice was choked with sobs.

Jukli weakly opened his eyes and forced a smile: "I...I'm fine, just...a little tired..."

Avril was filled with remorse. Looking at Juckley, who had done everything in his power for her, tears welled in her eyes. Finally, she lowered her head and whispered, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..."

“You don’t need to apologize,” Jukeli interrupted her. “I know the pain in your heart. Revenge isn’t wrong, but have you ever thought about whether revenge can really bring happiness?”

Avril fell silent. The feeling of being corrupted by the dark power was still vivid in her mind; the coldness, loneliness, and despair had deeply shaken her. She had never imagined that the price of revenge would be so heavy, and this power had not brought her the relief she had imagined, but instead plunged her into endless darkness.

"I...don't know..." she whispered, her voice filled with deep confusion.

“Revenge will only lead you into the abyss,” Juklee’s voice was weak but firm. “Love and forgiveness are the forces that will save you.”

Avril didn't speak again, but Juckley's words seemed to have planted a seed in her heart. She nodded gently, and the once iron-hardened desire for revenge began to slowly melt away.