I turned back to look at Bai Qi. At this moment, Bai Qi was moving at a much slower pace, while the soul of the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon became even more ferocious.
I had no idea how the fight between Long Lin and the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon was going on outside. If I hesitated any longer, I was afraid I might get them killed.
Finally, with a firm resolve, I decided to follow Bai Xiangjun. I pressed my injured leg and limped painfully to catch up with him.
The belly of the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon was incredibly large, like a maze full of branches and forks. If it weren't for Bai Xiangjun leading the way, I would never have found this place on my own.
After walking for a while, Bai Xiangjun brought me to a place similar to a dreamland. It was pitch - black, with nothing in sight.
Seeing that I had caught up, he tapped the ground lightly with one foot. Suddenly, countless canaries flew out of the darkness. Their bodies glowed with colorful lights, illuminating this illusory place like a neon - lit street.
"See these canaries? One of them is the inner core of the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon."
"There are so many. How can I find it?" I looked up at the canaries flying all over the sky. Not to mention countless of them, even if there was just one, I couldn't catch it in my current state.
"You only have one chance to catch it. If you choose the wrong one, your soul will be devoured, and your body will be drained of essence and blood just like the people outside."
A look of difficulty crossed my face. "Even if I find it, I can't catch it."
I stretched out my injured foot for Bai Xiangjun to see, feeling extremely anxious.
"This is an illusory place without gravity. You can float in the air to catch it. If you don't even have this little ability, you're not worthy of Gu Yuan. He is..." Bai Xiangjun's words trailed off. There was an indescribable feeling in his voice. It seemed that he was quite familiar with Gu Yuan.
"Hold your breath and concentrate. Maybe you can see things that others can't."
After he finished speaking, I took a deep breath and slowly closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them, there would be a miracle, like the canary flying towards me on its own.
But I was being too optimistic. As soon as I closed my eyes, all I could think about was the scene of Gu Yuan being punished. I simply couldn't hold my breath and concentrate.
I tried several times but still failed. I was really annoyed with myself.
Frustrated, I stomped my foot hard, and the canaries were startled again and took to the air.
As the birds took off, they seemed to be flying chaotically at first, but actually, they all seemed to be protecting a plain - looking canary that resembled a sparrow.
It was so unremarkable. Why did the other canaries go out of their way to protect it? If I hadn't looked closely, I wouldn't have even noticed its existence.
Although I wasn't sure, I had to take a gamble. I didn't know where I got the strength, but I gently pushed off the ground with my injured foot, and my body actually rose into the air.
As the birds flew around randomly, I found a pattern. I fixed my eyes on the canary with dim light and a somewhat grayish body and reached out to grab it.
When the canaries beside it saw me grab that one, they swarmed towards me and pecked me all over, leaving me covered in wounds. But I didn't let go. I held onto the canary tightly. As my body landed, the birds still kept pecking at my wounds.
I was in so much pain that I rolled on the ground.
It wasn't until Bai Xiangjun waved his mourning robe that the canaries scattered.
"You've made your choice?" Bai Xiangjun asked.
I lay on the ground, covering the unremarkable canary tightly with both hands, and nodded firmly.
"Okay, then I'll take you out."
"But what about my friend?" I wasn't sure how Bai Qi was doing.
"Follow me." After saying that, he waved his arm, and we were back at the place where I had fainted.
Bai Qi was covered in wounds and still trying to fight against the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon.
This Bai Xiangjun was truly unfathomable. His magical power far exceeded my imagination.
Just as the soul of the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon launched another deadly attack on Bai Qi, Bai Xiangjun just snapped his fingers, and Bai Qi was in front of him.
The Nine - Headed Flood Dragon missed its target. Before it could react, Bai Xiangjun grabbed us and disappeared from this stinking place.
However, it wasn't peaceful outside either. At this moment, Long Lin had transformed back into his true form and was fighting with the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon.
Through a layer of mist, the two were locked in a fierce battle.
Although Long Lin's body was a bit smaller than the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon's, his ferocity was astonishing. Every time he collided with the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon, there were thunder and lightning, showing his determination to die.
Scales had fallen off the bodies of both the dragon and the flood dragon. Long Lin was especially badly injured, with dragon's blood gushing out. It was a terrifying sight.
"Make up your mind. Squeeze it hard. If you're right, you'll take its inner core, and it will fall into the mountain of corpses. Your two friends will be saved, and you can take the inner core to save Gu Yuan."
"If you're wrong, you... will be the loser's wager. Even I won't be able to save you."
"Lan Lan, don't. You can't die... uh..." Bai Qi was lying on the ground, barely alive. He couldn't even maintain his human form.
"If you hesitate any longer, maybe no one can be saved." Bai Xiangjun stood in the forest. His mourning robe fluttered in the wind, exuding a kingly air.
I looked at the canary in my hand. Its innocent little eyes made me reluctant to do it.
But for Gu Yuan, for Long Lin, and for Bai Qi, I had to sacrifice it.
"Gu Yuan, if I die, my soul will definitely float back to find you."
"Ah..." I squeezed my hand hard, and the canary didn't make any sound.
Instead, the nine heads of the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon on the mountain of corpses let out a painful wail. Its body suddenly went limp and it fell heavily into the forest.
The noise was so loud that it was as if thunder was rolling beside my ears, and my eardrums were buzzing.
Immediately afterwards, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. All the plants on this mountain of corpses withered instantly, and the white fluff all over the mountain was stirred up again.
I held the light - green inner core in my hands, my heart pounding. Great! I guessed right.
Seeing the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon fall into the valley, Bai Xiangjun whipped out a white silk ribbon and wrapped it around the body of the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon. It let out another wail.
As Bai Xiangjun pulled the white silk ribbon back, the huge creature instantly turned into a white skeleton. The sea breeze blew, and the skeleton turned into powder and drifted away with the wind.
This demon beast that had practiced for thousands of years had finally met its end. I couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
I fixed my eyes on Bai Xiangjun. This Bai Xiangjun was definitely not an ordinary person. His magical power far exceeded that of Long Lin and was even greater than Gu Yuan's.
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you," Bai Xiangjun said softly.
I wanted to ask him what he meant.
Suddenly, the mountain shook violently. If we didn't leave quickly, we might not be killed by the Nine - Infant Demon Immortal but by the white fluff instead.
Seeing that the Nine - Headed Flood Dragon had been killed, Long Lin transformed back into his human form and fell heavily in front of me.
I rushed over to help him drive away the annoying white fluff. Bai Xiangjun waved his arm and took us away from this mountain of corpses.
A loud rumbling sound came from behind, and the desolate mountain of corpses was completely submerged in the sea.
Bai Xiangjun didn't take me to the gangster den but directly brought me to Dan Zhu's cave.
How did this guy know everything?
"Who exactly are you?" I stood at the door of Fairy Dan Zhu's cave and questioned him.
Bai Xiangjun adjusted his sleeves and said, "You don't need to know who I am. Just know that our goals are the same."
"I have no goals. If you don't tell me, I won't go in."
Bai Xiangjun wasn't angry. He gently rubbed his fingers and said, "Today is the fifteenth."
His words suddenly reminded me. I didn't expect we had stayed on the mountain of corpses for so long.
Before Bai Xiangjun could say anything else, I had already turned around and knocked on the big door of Dan Zhu's mansion.
"What's the matter?"
I politely said to the little immortal attendant, "I need to see your Fairy Dan Zhu. I have something important to discuss with her."
"Our fairy has gone on a journey and hasn't returned yet. Please leave."
Hearing what the little immortal attendant said, my heart skipped a beat. I knew this Dan Zhu couldn't be trusted. Immediately, my tone became excited. "How is that possible? I made an appointment with Dan Zhu to meet here within three days. How can she go back on her word?"