The Portal of Wonderland

Shi Mu was startled; he couldn’t control his own body. He had the same sensations as he used to have while he’d practice the Moon Swallowing Art in his dreams…

‘Bang!’ a loud sound echoed from the forest. Then, a skeleton-arm was seen propping upwards. It seemed as if they skeleton was trying to get up with by taking support from the ground. After that, a skeleton-head was raised. A faint-green soul flame was flickering within its eye sockets. It was none other than Yan Luo.

Yan Luo’s skull and right arm were barely connected to the small part of its breastbone. The other parts of its body had vanished into thin air.

Its remaining body glittered with a white light – like the luster of gems – as the moon shone on it.

Suddenly, the faint-green soul flame in its eye-sockets started to tremble in a violent manner as it saw that Shi Mu had transformed into a white ape.

Then, something strange happened.

Yan Luo started to move in the direction of the white ape with the help of its remaining hand. It continued to crawl forward in a diligent manner.

It was moving slowly. So, it managed to cover a distance of mere five feet even after it had crawled for a long time.

Meanwhile, the three-headed python was approaching them; even Shi Mu hadn’t noticed it approach.

The python swooped forward, and stopped several feet away from the ape. Its remaining two heads exposed the trace of an indeterminate and scary look.

The ape’s body was exuding a terrifying aura. It didn’t look inferior to that of the python’s aura.

The ape slowly turned around. Its huge pair of eyes looked like copper bells. An ominous glint flickered across its eyes as it looked at the python.

‘Roar!’

The ape started to beat its chest with its arms in a furious manner. Its legs stomped on the ground, and its huge body sprang-up in the air. It then threw itself towards the python, and grasped its middle head with its sharp claws.

The python hadn’t anticipated this move. So, it reacted slowly. Its body flickered and tried to move aside in order to dodge the claw. But, it failed. Then, its middle head got caught by the giant claw.

Three deep wounds burst open on its heads. Its hard scales were shattered into pieces. Fresh blood started to gush out from its wounds in torrents.

The two heads of the python became enraged. The right head bitterly nipped the white ape’s arm – like a thunderbolt – in a counterattack.

However, the ape didn’t seem to have the slightest trace of fear. Instead, it wielded its furry and sturdy long arms. They started to emit an intermittent burst of claw-lights in order to deal with its opponent.

The combat between the two Xian Tian level giant beasts set-off a giant wind that proliferated in all directions.

Yan Luo had just arrived at the periphery of their battlefield when it was rolled-up and thrown away by a strong wind. It tumbled several times in the air, and fell almost hundred feet away.

It raised its head as soon as it landed on the ground. Then, it started to crawl in the direction of the ape with the help of its right arm.

Meanwhile, the remaining heads of the python were looking in different directions. The ape took advantage of this negligence, and sprang-up high in the air. Its claws flashed in midair.

A blood-red light flashed.

The python tried to dodge the attack. But, the claw-lights arrived, and blinded one of the eyes of its middle head.

The python’s remaining two heads issued a blood-curdling screech. Its right head made a vicious counterattack. It opened its mouth, and nipped at the ape’s left arm.

Suddenly, a wisp of black Qi tried to invade the ape’s body through the python’s bucktooth. But, it stopped before it reached the ape even though the distance between them was non-existent.

The python was shocked to notice that its venom didn’t have any effect on the ape; it had always worked earlier. However, the python didn’t give up. It continued to try to tear apart the ape’s left arm.

The ape moved into action despite the extreme pain. It curled its right arm into a fist, and shot it towards the python’s right head. ‘Bang!’ a loud sound was issued as the ape tried to rescue its arm from the python’s grip.

The python’s eyes turned bright-red. It continued to grasp the ape’s left hand in its mouth; it didn’t wish to let go of its arm at any cost. Its middle head looked a bit sluggish. But then, an ominous glint flashed across its remaining one eye. After that, it opened its mouth and spouted out a massive amount of foul poisonous fog towards the ape’s face.

The ape looked unaware of its action. Suddenly, the ape grabbed the python’s right head with its right arm, and pierced its razor-sharp claw into its flesh.

The python issued a furious roar.

‘Puff!’ then, a dull sound was heard.

The ape pulled the python’s right head upwards with extreme force. However, its left arm also got pulled-up along with its head. Two deep wounds burst open on its arms; blood started to gush out of its injuries.

The ape’s body had been enveloped by the foul poisonous fog by that time. But, the gas seemed to have no effect on its body. The ape let out a crazy roar. It then started to nip at the python’s neck with its huge teeth. It dug its teeth deeply into the python’s flesh, and started to swallow its blood.

The python’s remaining two heads issued a burst of agonizing roar. Suddenly, it whirled its body, and wrapped it around the ape’s body. It then started to squeeze the ape tightly with its long body. Its middle head started to tear at the ape’s body at the same time.

However, the ape didn’t pay any attention to this attack. A spurt of blood gushed into its huge eyes. Its big mouth continued to bite the python’s neck.

Shi Mu was stupefied as he saw this scene; so much so that he couldn’t even move a muscle.

The surrounding forest area had encountered a catastrophic destruction owing to the strong winds that had been set-off by the ape and the python’s respective attack; so much so that several dozen feet of the forest land had turned into a flat land.

Yan Luo attempted to get close to the scene of the war several times. But, it was thrown away by the strong wind every time it tried. It finally realized that it couldn’t succeed. So, it gave up.

Its right arm propped its skull up. The soul flame within its eye sockets wriggled as it looked towards the white ape.

‘Hiss!’ suddenly, a stuffy tearing sound echoed.

The ape looked extremely fierce. It was still trying to bite-off the python’s right head. Its arms continued to exert a huge effort. It finally wrenched apart the python’s head. The severed head bumped against the ground heavily – like a megalith.

The white hair around the ape’s mouth were smeared with the python’s blood. Its entire body was covered in blood and injuries due to the python’s attacks. It looked like an ominous beast from hell; it looked extremely ferocious and dreadful.

The python was now in a mortally injured state. The blood fog wrapped around its body gradually thinned down.

Its remaining middle head exposed a trace of fear. ‘Whiz!’ it loosened its grip on the ape, turned around, and dashed towards its cave.

It had hardly covered a distance of a few feet when its tail was grabbed by the white ape. Then, its fleeing body was abruptly pulled back. The python was stunned.

It became alarmed, and started to sway frantically. It wanted to break itself free. But, the ape’s huge hand was like a steel hoop; it couldn’t be shaken-off easily.

The ape raised its head, and issued a loud roar. It pulled the python’s body, and pounded it against the ground.

‘Bang!’

The python’s body was severely whipped on the ground. It produced a long and muffled sound.

The python’s head had been smashed on the ground with such force that it started to feel dizzy.

The ape didn’t wait for the python to regain its consciousness. It continued to brandish its arms, and smashed the python’s body against the ground and the mountain of the surrounding forest.

The python’s body seemed to be dancing like an illusionary image in the ape’s hands.

‘Bang! Bang! Bang!’

A string of violent sounds resounded.

Several huge pits were created on the ground. The surrounding forest area within the radius of several dozen feet had been razed to the ground. The nearby mountain looked as if had been painted with the python’s blood. The python’s scales were scattered everywhere. It was an incomparably dreadful scene.

The python tried to resist at first. But, its resistance gradually grew weaker. Eventually, its body turned soft, and its breathing stopped.

‘Bang!’ a loud sound was heard.

The ape revolved its arms, and smashed the python’s body severely against the mountain wall. A crashing sound was heard as a huge mountain rock collapsed. The python’s head sank into the mountain-wall, and remained hanging there for a while.

The ape bellowed in rage. Its hands loosened the python’s tail. Then, it rushed forward like wind. It arrived before the mountain-wall in the blink of an eye. After that, it pounded its fist on the python’s head, and sank it deeper into the mountain wall.

Then, it started to bombard its fists on the middle head of the python. It only came to a stop after it had thrown twenty to thirty punches.

The mountain-wall shook in a violent manner. Several huge rocks collapsed and scattered in all directions. Some of them even pounded on the ape’s body. But, they were bounced back each time they hit its body. They failed to cause any injury to the ape.

The python’s middle head had been beaten to the pulp by now. Its soft body was hanging lifelessly on the mountain-wall.

Suddenly, a ray of light flashed across the ape’s eyes. It then opened its mouth, and spouted a silver light that submerged into the python’s body.

Then, a group of black light-balls wrapped in silver light pulled out of the python’s body. A miniature of a three-headed python also floated out along with it.

That group of black light balls struggled to unfetter itself. But, it was swallowed by the ape the next moment.

The ape raised its head and issued a loud roar. It then started to drum on its chest in a ferocious manner. Suddenly, its eyes turned expressionless, and its mountain-like huge body toppled backwards.

Shi Mu had observed everything like a bystander. He felt that his ‘own’ living form had slaughtered a Xian Tian middle-stage formidable beast. He was terror-stricken to see this bewildering scene. Then, a burst of dizziness took over his soul, and he fell asleep.

A violent sound burst out from the ape’s body. Then, its huge body rapidly started to shrink; it had transformed into Shi Mu’s stature within a few breaths’ time. But, his clothes were tattered. He lay on the ground naked and motionless.

Everything around him returned to its normal tranquil state. But, the chaotic surroundings could clearly illustrate the intensity of battle that had taken place there some time ago.

Suddenly, a rustling sound was heard from afar. It felt as if fallen branches and leaves were being removed. It turned out that a broken skeleton was making that sounds; it was Yan Luo.

The soul flame within its eye sockets flickered. It supported its body with its remaining hand, and started to crawl towards Shi Mu.

It finally reached Shi Mu’s side after a while. Its soul flame trembled as it looked at his face; as if it was pondering over something.

It then raised its right arm in a hesitant manner, and touched Shi Mu’s face. Then, it retrieved its hand.

Yan Luo’s eyes were still flickering; it revealed its doubtful state of mind. Then, its soul flame finally got restored to its original state.

Yan Luo’s eyes twinkled; as if it had decided something. It turned around and looked at a blood-red leather bag that lay nearby. It was the beast-soul bag.

It crawled and grabbed the leather bag. Its soul flame trembled as its right hand pulled open the mooring rope of the bag. After that, it opened its mouth and issued a suction.

A series of light-balls floated out of the bag and flew into its mouth. Yan Luo then swallowed all of them.

The color of it soul flame changed from faint-green to dark-green as the beast souls submerged into its mouth. It also got more solidified.

All the souls had been devoured by Yan Luo in a short while. And, the color of its soul flame had seen a drastic transformation. It had become deep-green with a shining but faint-blue light around it.

Yan Luo raised its head, and issued a silent roar. Then, its right arm flew towards a large piece of bone that lay near a collapsed tree. Yan Luo released its black Qi, and started to stitch the bone’s pieces together.

Yan Luo’s shattered body parts got restored in a split-second. But, several cracks could still be seen all over its body.

Yan Luo then turned around, and looked towards unconscious Shi Mu. Suddenly, a black light bubbled-up on the surface of its body. Then, its body integrated itself, and disappeared without a trace.

The empty beast soul bag fell down besides unconscious Shi Mu.