Ask the Mirror
Chapter 168: Howl

Blazing flames roared atop the high cliff. The massive beast’s body was now nothing but a looming shadow within the inferno, as if it would be reduced to ashes at any moment. But in truth, the pressure coming from the cliff grew stronger instead of weakening. 

In the flickering firelight, Yu Ci even saw the beast shaking its head and trembling its fur—completely unharmed.

Narrowing his eyes, Yu Ci fixed his gaze on the fire atop the cliff. The haze clouding his mind was finally burned away by the tongues of flame, and his doubts vanished.

A demonic beast!

This creature was a dominant force in Sky Rift Valley, said to be the abandoned pet of the Rakshasa Demon King. It had always lived within the valley—so why had it appeared here, two thousand li away?

An old acquaintance indeed. Yu Ci hadn’t seen it since witnessing the demonic beast unleash a shocking illusion beneath Sky Rift Valley, slaughtering countless demons and monsters. That was four or five months ago. Time had flown by, and the situation in Sky Rift Valley had changed greatly. Was the demonic beast’s appearance here somehow related to those developments?

At that moment, Yu Ci recalled something else. Back in Sky Rift Valley, when he was with Ye Tu, they had experienced a disturbance much like last night’s. The raptors and beasts in the valley had panicked and fled in chaos—just like now. And the cause back then had also been the demonic beast on the cliff.

He had initially assumed it was just the overwhelming presence of the demonic beast. Only later did he realize that its roar carried a bewitching power that stirred all living beings into frenzy. Even demons who had crossed into this realm weren't immune, let alone the comparatively weaker valley creatures.

Judging by the unconscious cultivators at the valley’s base, the demonic beast’s roar was still just as fierce. But that thunderous roar couldn’t last forever—it eventually softened into deep, suppressed growls. Cloaked in fire, the demonic beast seemed to glance downward but made no further move.

From Yu Ci’s vantage point, it looked like the demonic beast had another target atop the cliff. After proclaiming its presence with its roar, it turned and vanished without a trace.

Gone?

Yu Ci didn’t know what that abrupt appearance and retreat meant, but he didn’t have time to ponder. He hurried to check on the others. At a glance, they were all unconscious but not in mortal danger. Not wasting another second, he began dragging them toward the port.

Six people lay scattered in the valley. Yu Ci had to get them inside the mountain before the demonic beast returned. Fortunately, the tunnel leading to the porting area was still open.

Cultivators possessed exceptional physical strength. Yu Ci grabbed two people under each arm and slung the remaining two over his shoulders, sprinting madly toward the passage. Halfway there, figures emerged from within—it was Zhou Hu and Feng Zhao, whom they had taken in yesterday.

The two had noticed the upheaval outside and rushed out to help. Yu Ci noticed fresh blood under their nostrils—proof that the demonic beast’s roar had penetrated the thick rock layers and caused real harm even inside the port!

The mountain interior wasn’t exactly safe, but it was still better than staying outside.

As the three of them transferred the injured, someone suddenly groaned under Yu Ci’s arm and woke up. 

“You trying to choke me, you brat? Put me down!”

“Elder Zhu?”

Yu Ci and Zhou Hu both perked up with joy, especially Zhou Hu. 

Elder Zhu was one of the most important figures at the port. If something happened to him, Yu Ci might get scolded, but Zhou Hu, as his assigned protector, would face much worse.

They both let out a breath of relief. 

Elder Zhu pushed himself off of Yu Ci, still bleeding from the orifices on his face, but otherwise looking fairly well—better, even, than Zhou Hu and Feng Zhao.

He turned to look at the cliff, but the culprit that had knocked him out was already gone. Shaking his head, he said, “That was close. Good thing I used the Soul Transfer technique in time to redirect the spiritual impact to my physical body. If I’d taken that hit head-on, my soul might have been scattered.”

As expected of a master of soul cultivation, Elder Zhu’s “Soul Transfer” was a mysterious technique Yu Ci had never even heard of. But before he could marvel at it, the old man turned his sharp eyes on him.

“How about you? How did you resist the soul-shaking impact?”

Elder Zhu was puzzled, and so was Yu Ci. When did he develop resistance to the demonic beast’s hallucinatory power? Everyone outside, even Elder Zhu, had been knocked down by the roar, yet he’d only suffered from ringing ears. And he wasn’t even holding the Heart-Binding Horn in his mouth!

“Brother Yu trained under Rifting Earth Sect, right? Wouldn’t be surprising if he had some special technique… Elder Zhu, let’s get inside first!”

Zhou Hu handed the unconscious over to Feng Zhao and tried to pull Elder Zhu along. He was responsible for all this—no way he was taking chances. But Elder Zhu, stubborn as ever, slapped Zhou Hu’s hand away and stood blocking the tunnel, demanding an explanation from Yu Ci.

Suddenly, from behind the cliff came a thunderous roar. Even without its mind-shaking force, it still made the ground tremble. Through the mountain peak, they could still feel the demonic beast’s fearsome energy radiating outward.

Why’s this thing so troublesome!?

Afraid the demonic beast might come back any moment, Yu Ci cursed and reacted instinctively—since his hands were full, he rammed into Elder Zhu and knocked him into the tunnel.

The old man staggered but managed to stay upright, then turned around furiously to curse. But right then, atop the cliff, came a deafening crash. Stones and dirt rained down, and the cliff wall shook as if it might collapse. Amid the quake, a blurry shape was hurled from the cliff, crashing into the opposite wall and embedding itself there.

The canyon brightened. The demonic beast leapt from the cliff’s hundred-zhang height, tracing a blazing arc through the air. Flames enveloped its body, dyeing its fur an eerie crimson.

With a thunderous impact, the demonic beast slammed into the opposite cliff. The shock dislodged massive chunks of stone, which plummeted toward the tunnel entrance. Rocks splintered and clanged as they struck.

“Move!”

Zhou Hu yanked Elder Zhu into the mountain. Yu Ci covered the rear, finding the mechanism and triggering it to seal the tunnel entrance. As the giant rock slab came down with a grinding thud, the canyon outside erupted in a cloud of dust.

The demonic beast’s target had been knocked from the cliffs—bloodied and battered, but still alive, trying to rise.

Despite its injuries, the demon's aura remained potent. 

Yu Ci’s heart jumped—a Core Refinement level demon!

Labeling demons by Core Refinement wasn’t entirely accurate, but it still showed their power. Unfortunately, strength was always relative. The demonic beast’s growl drew closer, a gusting wind accompanying it as its massive body descended again.

Another ground-shaking impact, and blood sprayed out like a fountain.

The demon was tough—it sacrificed a leg to dodge the demonic beast’s crushing blow, howling as it fled. Shockingly, it ran straight toward the tunnel.

Yu Ci reacted instantly, retreating just before the sealing boulder blocked his view.

A dull thud. The demon smashed into the rock’s edge. Through the narrow gap that hadn’t yet closed, he glimpsed a gray-black claw. But the next moment, the mountain shook again. The severed claw flew into the tunnel, blood spraying across the floor before the entrance fully sealed.

“You brat…”

Elder Zhu’s furious shout was abruptly cut off, as if sliced by a blade. He finally realized how close the danger was. Inside the mountain, everyone held their breath, straining to hear the sounds from outside.

Soft scraping echoed through the sealing stone. The demonic beast seemed curious about it, scratching it gently with its claws or fur. A low growl rumbled in its throat, muffled by the rock.

Everyone hoped the beast would lose interest and leave. But before that thought could even settle—

A thunderclap tore through the canyon wall, crushing everything in its path.

The sound wave blasted through the narrow tunnel. Yu Ci felt like his scalp would rip off. He retreated swiftly into the reception hall, where chaos reigned. 

Zhou Hu, Feng Zhao, and several other cultivators who had followed in were either on the verge of collapse or already unconscious. Zhou Hu, who had higher cultivation, sat cross-legged, desperately circulating his Qi—but his face was contorted in pain, veins bulging on his forehead.

The roar was one thing—the true terror was the soul-impacting hallucinatory force within it. Yu Ci had no doubt: if the demonic beast kept this up, 80% of the cultivators inside would lose their minds.

Only two people remained relatively clear-headed: Yu Ci, and Elder Zhu. Though pale-faced, the old man’s eyes were sharp, his mind steady.

Yu Ci glanced at him. Just as he was about to speak, another tremor struck. The demonic beast hadn’t roared—it had slammed into the canyon wall. Inside the tunnel, there was a cracking sound—the mechanism had jammed from the impact. This was a fail-safe, though it made no difference. The demonic beast couldn’t enter anyway.

Just then, a sizzling sound rose from the rock—like hot oil splashing onto it. Yu Ci's heart tightened. At the tunnel’s far end, a flickering light appeared. Flames licked through a crack in the wall. At first, they were orange, but as more seeped through, they turned pale gray—chilling to look at, with a hint of steel blue.

The flames twisted, eventually taking shape. 

Yu Ci and Elder Zhu both saw it clearly—it was the demonic beast’s massive face!

What the hell is going on!?

Yu Ci couldn’t figure it out, but he knew—this was urgent.

No more delays. He pulled out a Heart-Binding Horn from his storage ring and tossed it to Elder Zhu. “Save who you can. Hold it in your mouth—”

“Heart-Binding Horn? You have that? Wait—outside, that thing really is the demonic beast?!”

The old man suddenly realized something and shouted in panic. 

Yu Ci nearly kicked him. But then—

“With this, I can form a barrier to shield against the soul impact!”

Yu Ci blinked, turned to look at the unconscious cultivators, then suddenly grinned.

“Good!”

Before the word finished leaving his mouth, he summoned the Dragon Fish hidden deep within the mountain. It darted through a vent and flew into the canyon.

There, the demonic beast’s colossal figure filled its view.

Yu Ci gritted his teeth and charged forward—not through the tunnel, but directly into the rock wall. His body passed through effortlessly and disappeared.

Elder Zhu stood dumbfounded—only to see the demonic beast, now with its flaming head halfway inside, suddenly open its massive jaws and unleash an earth-shattering—

Not a roar.

A piercing howl!