111 - Dungeon Growth Log

### Chapter 111 As soon as the boy finished speaking, the moss on his flute disintegrated in the blink of an eye, revealing its true form under a dazzling divine light. It was an immaculate jade flute, pure and warm to the touch, with a streak of blood sealed within. The blood slithered like a snake, making the white jade stand out even more vividly. The contrasting colors of red and white created an eerie, ghostly atmosphere. Instinctively, the green dragon roared, spewing forth green flames that engulfed the boy! The boy slowly lifted his head, gazing at the oncoming flames. His crimson eyes were pure, and there was even a faint smile at the corners of his lips. After a moment, as if he had confirmed something, he nodded. "I am... Huoming." He placed the red-blooded white flute to his lips. As his blood-stained white garments fluttered in the wind and the flute's sound resonated, the entire world trembled in an instant! The skull within the green flames contorted and roared. Instantly, countless bats and specters emerged from the labyrinthine stone tunnels, madly charging toward the dragon under the flute's spell! "Eight Desolations · Annihilation." The sound of the flute echoed. At the moment the bats attacked, and the boy muttered under his breath, the once silent space began to twist endlessly. The space seemed to be cleaved into eight segments, each flashing numerous illusions like a silent film. The Eight Desolations World. Just as the space was divided into eight pieces, the dragon let out a tragic howl. Its indestructible body was sliced as easily as tofu, split into eight pieces in the blink of an eye! "Aaargh—" Emerald green blood gushed out! The boy gently closed his eyes, a nostalgic and tender smile lingering at his lips. "We're finally together again." Only you and I are meant to be. The severed body of the green dragon writhed frantically, like a decapitated snake. Though cut apart, it continued to twist and struggle. It roared with fear, causing the cave to tremble. The small creatures controlled by the flute's sound gained a terrifying, earth-piercing strength, each impact tearing scales from its shattered body. In mere moments, the once arrogant green dragon was reduced to a battered and pitiful state. The eight segments of space shredded its existence. With each body part in a different world, there was no possibility for self-regeneration. It convulsed, looking at Huoming in despair. Even though it was cut into eight pieces, its near-divine vitality allowed it to endure this inhuman pain. It stared at Huoming, as if it had suddenly remembered something, and let out a suffocating cold laugh: "So it's you." "Thank you for giving me this opportunity," the boy murmured softly. "So just die slowly like this." Even a divine dragon would struggle if its body were severed into eight parts, let alone a dragon that hadn't passed its divine tribulation and had lost its core. Not worth fearing. The boy, holding the flute in one hand, slowly walked over to the unconscious Chuyi, his pale fingers gently touching her neck, his gaze dreamy. "I should... clear the obstacles for you." This person... is no longer useful. The boy's hand suddenly paused. He didn't stop because of the boastful red ribbon nearby, named Xiangsi, which was repeatedly bounced back by the flute's barrier as it tried to approach. "Don't want to?" Instead, it was because his body was rejecting it. As if instinctively trembling. Huoming chuckled softly. "You'll get used to it." The body's resistance remained strong. With the flute in her hand, Huoming said faintly, "If you don't like blood, I'll play a tune for her instead." After a moment, as if she thought of something amusing, she put the flute to her lips, her smile a bit eerie. "When the tune ends, people part. How beautiful." Just as the flute's sound was about to reverberate, an arrow shot out like lightning, striking the jade flute from the boy's hand! The arrow, initially ethereal, solidified upon touching the flute, knocking it to the ground before turning into wisps of smoke. With a "plop," the jade flute fell into the water. The boy looked up to see a dark figure flash by and land on the dying dragon's head. The dragon's head remained in a small, ever-changing world — the Eight Desolations World. A desolate star transformed mysteriously, with only the dragon's head unchanged, dripping with green blood; it was on its last breath. A black-clad girl stood atop the dragon's head, holding a black curved bow like a crescent moon, her cold arrowhead aimed at Huoming's crimson eyes. Her face was veiled, showing only a pair of ethereal eyes. Huoming was startled. "Who?!" The black-robed person, with a quiver of arrows on her back and her face covered, said nothing. But upon closer inspection, her form appeared hazy, as if merely an illusion. The boy sneered, waving his hand. The fallen jade flute emerged from the water. "Tricks of a lowly kind." "Do you still remember me?" Just as the flute was about to fall back into the boy's grasp, the black-robed figure spoke, pausing slightly, her voice soft. "Shuangshuang, don't do anything you'll regret." Though the cold arrowhead was pointed at her eyes, and her presence was as mysterious and icy as ever, her voice was somewhat crisp and shy, like a young girl. It was like a thunderclap. For an instant, Huoming felt her body stiffen, involuntarily taking a step back. The flute, about to fall into her hand, dropped to the ground. A crisp sound. It was a tremor from the depths of the soul, wild, incredulous, sorrowful, and painful. —About to break free. Huoming steadied herself: "She's a fake! Don't be deceived by her; she's just an illusion in the White Dream Cave! She can't give you anything! But I can give you everything you desire; I can clear all obstacles for you, make you invincible—" Amidst Huoming's frantic shouting, the black-clad girl's voice, though somewhat faint and distant, remained exceptionally gentle. It was a gentleness that came through the tides of time, making one nostalgic. "Have you forgotten me?" It's... Doudou. As if the voice transcended time to awaken a sleeping soul. It was a call from the deepest part of the heart, a genuine desire and yearning. Unable to bear it any longer, Huoming kicked the flute into her hand. No longer maintaining the previous composure from playing the Eight Desolations Annihilation, she was almost frantic. "You're dead!! Dead—" She could be invincible, fearless, wiping out thousands with a flick of her wrist, causing chaos in the world. As long as it could fulfill that person's deepest desires, as long as those desires were met! Before a stronger desire emerged, it could return to her side. It had fulfilled her previous wish — "to stay alive," so it now became Huoming for Xiage. A perfect transaction. Unwilling, it was unwilling... Clearly, in the beginning, even without a transaction... "Go away, don't appear again!" —You must live well. The black-clad girl smiled faintly, her voice soft, "It doesn't matter if you've forgotten." "I remember, and that's enough." This statement seemed like the final straw that broke the camel's back. The boy's expression contorted for a moment. She fell to her knees with a thud, her right eye still ablaze with blood, while the red in her left eye slowly faded, turning pure black. That black eye reflected the silhouette of the black-robed girl standing with a drawn bow in the small world, gradually growing blurry. Slowly, tears welled from the corners of her eyes. "I... haven't forgotten." The tears streamed down her cheeks, seeping into her lips with a bitter taste. "I remember, I won't forget..." ... Doudou. She remembered. She just wanted... to stay alive. Like a promise made a long, long time ago... To live well. Huoming's right eye burned with madness: "She wants to kill you! You want to live, right?! Let me kill her! I can kill her in an instant—" So... give me your soul! However, the body, previously obedient and controlled, now refused to move. The soul, once susceptible to invasion, seemed blocked by something, unable to be penetrated further! Impossible, clearly... Huoming stiffly lowered her head and suddenly noticed the doll at her waist glowing faintly. The puppet doll smiled brightly, the protective spirit array on its back flickering. At the moment Xiage's soul awakened, it firmly guarded that revived soul, rendering further incursions impossible. Just as Huoming reached to remove the doll, the black-eyed girl glared sharply, loosing an arrow! "Whoosh—" The arrow, tinged with a black sheen, pierced through the boy's crimson right eye. The soul arrow emerged with a blood-stained piece of white cloth the size of a fingernail, pinning it firmly to the wall! Then, bit by bit, it disintegrated, disappearing entirely. "Of course, you must live." "But you need to be a little selfish... learn to live for yourself." As the arrow's soul faded, the girl's figure, too, slowly vanished after loosing the arrow. The dragon's head was empty. The voice of the soft-hearted girl seemed to have never existed, leaving nothing behind. As if it were all just a dream. Xiage knelt on the ground, looking up at the dragon's head. Before her lay the blood-sealed white jade flute, and warm tears streamed down her cheeks. "Doudou..." —Don't leave. Yet, there was nothing. For a long time, Xiage didn't know how long it had been. Her knees hurt from kneeling, but she didn't want to stand. Her mind was blank, and after a while. "Little puppet." System: "Yes... here." It seems that guilt arose from arbitrarily sealing those memories. "...Who am I?" Xiage slowly lowered her head, clutching her chest, staring at the blood-sealed jade flute below, and murmured, "Am I Huoming now?" "You are not," the system replied. "You are Xiage." "..." Kneeling on the ground, Xiage felt utterly spent after Huoming withdrew. Earlier, Huoming wielded the flute recklessly. Despite Huoming's powerful spiritual energy, it still drew upon the life force within Xiage’s body as a foundation. She hadn’t felt it then, but now that Huoming was gone, the Eight Desolations World created by the flute drained her power directly. It was predictable. She raised her eyes; without Huoming’s power sustaining it, the Eight Desolations World could only rely on her strength. However, after sapping her power, the once unpredictable stars in the eight smaller worlds hesitated for a moment. Indeed, as if disdainful, they hesitated briefly. Then they shattered decisively, not spinning for another second. Xiage: "..." Damn it. The green dragon, fragmented by the Eight Desolations World, was now painfully trying to piece its shattered body back together. Having barely managed, it held its position, not daring to move, afraid it would fracture again. Even though Xiage lacked strength now, the dragon had no energy to trouble her further. An old dragon that lost its core should first restore its fragmented bones. After resting for a while, Xiage regained some energy. "Did you seal my memories? When?" The system hesitantly confessed to the forced measures taken when she was mentally broken after being injured. Xiage listened, remaining silent as she raised her head to look at the spot where the vanished black-clothed girl once stood. When her memories first returned, hearing Doudou's voice felt like an eternity had passed, filling her with overwhelming emotions and regret, causing her to cry uncontrollably. But upon thinking carefully, something felt off. How could Doudou... be here? "Was that really... Doudou?" She murmured. The system replied, "Probably not, don’t forget where we are." The abode of the Dream God, the White Dream Cave. Anything could be an illusion; everything could be a mirage. She turned back, noticing that the black soul arrow piercing her right eye had disappeared, leaving nothing behind. It truly seemed like a dreamy illusion. But Xiage realized it wasn’t a dream. That figure resembling Doudou genuinely existed. The flute was proof. "She said... to live well," Xiage murmured, "to live for myself." "She likely meant not to let Huoming control you anymore," guessed the system. "Although becoming Huoming makes you immensely powerful, you wouldn’t be yourself." That’s right. That’s it. Xiage glanced at the flute on the ground, her eyes shimmering with a faint green light. [Eight Desolations Flute: A divine and demonic flute that once swept across the Eight Desolations.] Nothing else. An exceedingly simple description, no rank mentioned, nothing more. But judging from the Eight Desolations World Huoming created just now, the flute was of an incredibly high grade, while she was far too weak to discern more than its name. However, its mysterious origin was undeniable. Xiage always felt an insidious aura emanating from it. This suspicion was not unfounded. The resonance between the dragon’s blood and dragon core restored her sealed memories. Even with the prior agreement with Doudou, it wouldn’t have stirred her emotions so intensely, nor made her fear death to that extent. But the moment the flute's seal broke— Fear was born. That overwhelming fear of death, an absolute terror, suppressed all rationality, allowing Huoming to take advantage and forge a “deal” with her. Everything happened too fast. In retrospect, Xiage couldn’t pinpoint exactly when she transformed into Huoming. System: "Pick it up." Xiage: "It feels... like something sinister." System: "If you don’t want it, I’ll buy it for ten thousand points, ahem, I mean, eight thousand points. After all, it’s not something good." Without even needing to imagine, Xiage could picture the system's gleeful, greedy expression. The system’s offer of ten thousand points for the flute, despite its usual stinginess, indicated it was worth far more. After considering, Xiage cautiously picked up the flute. The moment her fingers touched the flute, an indescribable sensation washed over her. At that instant, she felt her blood momentarily freeze, the blood-red streak within the flute writhing like a snake before calming down again. That grim feeling emerged briefly, then faded into the background. Though fleeting, Xiage was nearly certain. This flute undeniably had something wrong with it. Huoming dared to use it due to her immense power, capable of overwhelming any irregularities. System: "...Are you okay?" Xiage paused. "I'm fine." She walked over to Chuyi’s side. The little ribbon, Xiangsi, hesitated before cautiously approaching, tentatively nuzzling her hand. System: "Earlier, you were emanating Huoming’s aura, and the garb spirits are very sensitive." Holding the flute, Xiage patted Xiangsi. Once it recognized her, it happily coiled around her wrist. The tranquilizer she bought from the marketplace seemed potent; Chuyi hadn’t awakened yet. Her body, cleansed by the dragon’s blood, seemed physically stronger. Xiage found carrying Chuyi almost effortless. The scythe had fallen into the pool. Xiage had no intention of retrieving it. Carrying Chuyi, she looked up at the green dragon. "How do we get out?" Although gravely injured by Huoming, the green dragon, recognizing Xiage’s lack of threat, couldn’t muster the energy to respond to her query. "..." Xiage pondered and picked up the Eight Desolations Flute. The green dragon immediately shivered, eyes widened in alarm, ready to dive into the water at the slightest provocation. Crushing a spirit stone to restore some energy, Xiage smiled innocently, "This is called the Eight Desolations Flute?" Green Dragon: "..." Xiage, feigning innocence, continued, "I can play ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ on the flute, would you like to hear it?" Green Dragon sneered, "Ridiculous!" Three minutes later. After being battered by little bats and the demonic sound, the bruised and battered green dragon reluctantly showed her the way and even retrieved the scythe from the pool for her. Well, although she couldn’t wield the flute to create the Eight Desolations World like Huoming, she could control the soulsong to manipulate little bats to attack. Carrying Chuyi, Xiage strolled through the spacious cave, clutching the Eight Desolations Flute, feeling quite impressed by it. A tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” paired with soul control turned the little bats into fighters, bombarding the green dragon in a flurry, each hit knocking off a scale, nearly separating one of its eight fragmented bodies, causing the dragon to howl in pain. Truly pitiful. Truly satisfying. It seemed the flute’s sound enhanced the little bats' strength multiple times over. The downside was the depletion of spiritual energy after using it. But no worries, she still had plenty of spirit stones left. Pleased, Xiage pocketed the flute and carried Chuyi forward, aware that the flute’s high level couldn’t be stored in her spatial storage. For a long time, Xiage walked through the cave with Chuyi on her back. The green dragon’s directions might not be accurate, but she had to act like they were and move forward. Without any spiritual energy left, once the green dragon swam back into the pool, she didn’t know how many laps its fragmented body needed to heal. But Xiage couldn’t take the risk. Enjoy the thrill and leave promptly. ### Author's Note: Xiage: Finally, I can play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on the flute! (Happy) = = Too many plot threads laid out, now it’s time to fill them little by little =3= Do you think Doudou’s appearance is filling a plot hole or creating one? Actually, I’m patching a hole (looking up at the sky). Probably the main plot moving through flashbacks to fill holes? Looking up at the sky. = = Oh dear, more updates for long comments, torpedoes, bombs... Baldness warning. = = Achai gave up saving money and threw a landmine at 2018-08-11 23:38:47 こ浅色夏沫ゞ threw a landmine at 2018-08-11 23:51:36 Gu Qingzhang threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 03:10:32 色即是空 threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 07:58:48 Bu Xue Ren threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 08:11:29 Chong Ming threw a rocket launcher at 2018-08-12 09:39:30 Depth of the Sea threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 09:44:05 My Wish is to be Tall and Slim! threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 13:42:23 Wangchuan Liuli Leng Moling threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 21:11:05 Learn threw a deepwater torpedo at 2018-08-12 21:36:40 Learn threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 21:40:53 Learn threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 21:41:03 Liu Liu Liu threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 21:50:52 Jiang You Weiguan threw a landmine at 2018-08-12 22:53:05 Miao Miao Miao threw a grenade at 2018-08-12 23:30:58 Thanks little angel for the landmines, grenades, and… a deepwater torpedo from Learn!!