The mutated monsters, once spirit beasts, exchanged uneasy glances. The Long-Nose Monster finally spoke up: "Fine, let's finish her off first, then move on."
"Alright." The Pangolin Monster nodded in agreement.
Lynn Lin heard their murderous plan and exploded in anger. "You dare?!"
"Why wouldn't we? If we all attack together, there's no way you can withstand it alone," said the Long-Nose Monster.
"Even if I die, I won't let you get away with it!" Lynn Lin struggled defiantly.
"Shout all you want—it won't change anything," the Pangolin Monster laughed mockingly.
"Damn you all!" Lynn Lin cursed. Just as she thought she couldn't hold on, a figure appeared—Evan Yang, wielding the Soul-Devouring Divine Sword. With a sweeping strike, he slashed through the monsters, each receiving wounds of varying severity. At the same time, Evan's barrier sealed off the area.
The monsters were stunned, never expecting someone could sneak in. The Pangolin Monster, seeing Evan Yang, paled in shock. "Y-You! How did you get in here?!"
"You sure talk a lot. But this place is pretty interesting—I wonder what it really is. How can there be such a huge underground space, and what's that spot over there?" Evan Yang smirked.
"That's none of your business! Everyone, fight—don't let him attack us again!" the Pangolin Monster shouted. Evan Yang just smiled. "Don't bother struggling. Even if you try, it's pointless."
Naturally, the monsters refused to give up and tried to gang up on Evan Yang. But their strength was nowhere near his, and in moments, he knocked them all aside.
Evan Yang released Lynn Lin. Overjoyed, she exclaimed, "You finally made it! I almost died in here!"
"Oh, please. You're not even old enough for that attitude. If I'd known, maybe I wouldn't have bothered saving you," Evan Yang teased, shaking his head.
Lynn Lin ignored him and rushed to the monsters, unleashing a furious attack. After her rampage, they were barely recognizable. Evan Yang stopped her, saying, "That's enough. Spare their lives."
"Spare their lives? Why should I? They were just trying to kill me!" Lynn Lin snapped angrily.
"Because keeping them alive is useful," Evan Yang explained.
"Useful? For what? We already know how to get through the Nether Sky Abyss," Lynn Lin asked curiously.
Evan Yang just smiled and walked up to the monsters. "You’re all mutated, so it’s understandable you’re strong. Earlier, you mentioned something about a summoning—what does that mean?"
"Are you talking to me?" the Pangolin Monster asked, dragging its injuries, clearly afraid of Evan Yang.
"Yes, that's right. I'm talking to you," Evan Yang replied with a smile.
"Fine, I'll explain. The place I'm talking about is what you call the Nether Sky Abyss. There's a strange force there—a kind of magic. It regularly summons us, gives us tasks, and then rewards us. This time is no different," said the Pangolin Monster.
"Oh? Tell me the details," Evan Yang prompted.
The Pangolin Monster explained that deep inside the Nether Sky Abyss, there was a place like an altar where a strange gas drifted. That gas had a magical power—it could control them. Whenever something needed doing, it would summon them and offer rewards. There were also many powerful mutated beasts guarding the area, so not just anyone could get close.
After listening, Evan Yang pondered aloud, "So you're saying that same power is summoning you all this time too?"
"That's right," the Pangolin Monster replied.
"So, can anyone enter that place?" Evan Yang asked.
"Of course not. If a human even gets close, they'll go insane. Spirit beasts lose their souls and willpower, becoming mindless. We're lucky—our minds are mostly clear, but when that power summons us, we can't resist," the Pangolin Monster explained.
Evan Yang nodded, then asked, "So only mutated beasts like you can approach it?"
"Exactly. That's absolutely right," said the Pangolin Monster.
"Looks like I’ll need to borrow your help when the time comes," Evan Yang said with a smile. The monsters didn’t know what he was planning, but seeing his grin, they couldn’t help feeling a chill of fear.
Lynn Lin, still confused, asked, "What are you up to, anyway?"
"You don’t need to know. Just head into the space—I’ve got other things to handle," Evan Yang replied.
"Why should I?" Lynn Lin glared back.
"Suit yourself. But if something like this happens again, don’t expect me to bail you out," Evan Yang warned.
Thinking about what just happened, Lynn Lin realized if Evan Yang hadn’t shown up, she really would have been doomed. Reluctantly, she muttered, "Fine, I’ll go."
With that, Lynn Lin entered the Strange Spiral Shell, while Evan Yang turned to the monsters and asked, "What is this place, anyway? Why is it so silent?"
"We don’t know either. We stumbled in by accident and found this silent area," replied the Pangolin Monster.
Evan Yang asked suspiciously, "Are you sure?"
"Yes," said the Pangolin Monster. Evan Yang questioned the other monsters too, but none seemed to be lying. Satisfied, he stood up and said, "Stay here for now. I’ll come back for you later." With that, he sealed them so they couldn’t move, then strode off into the darkness, determined to figure out what this place really was.
"What kind of trick did he use to trap us all here?" the Pangolin Monster grumbled in frustration.
"No idea. And how did he even find this place? Just our luck," the Long-Nose Monster grumbled.
"I don't know either," the Pangolin Monster replied, still clueless.
Meanwhile, Evan Yang ventured deeper, determined to figure out what this place truly was.
Hours—or maybe days—passed in a blur. Evan Yang had no idea how far he'd gone, but eventually he reached a place where faint light shone. There, he spotted a strange creature devouring the light.
As the creature consumed the light, darkness crept in, and with every bite, the surrounding space seemed to expand. Evan Yang hovered in the void, watching this bizarre entity.
The creature quickly turned around—it looked like a pure black sphere, with no visible eyes or mouth. Facing Evan Yang, it let out sharp squeaking sounds, as if taunting him.
"What exactly are you?" Evan Yang demanded.
The creature only squeaked again. Evan Yang was about to press it further, but found himself curious—why could he speak here, when everywhere else was silent? He wondered aloud, "Why is there sound in this spot?"
Another squeak. Evan Yang decided to act. In a flash, he lunged at the creature, trying to grab it, but it bit his hand and vanished. The darkness was absolute, and with the creature itself pitch black, finding it was nearly impossible.
"Damn, that hurts," Evan Yang muttered, feeling the pain from where the strange creature had bitten him.
He quickly healed his hand, then released his Phantom Spirit Birds to get to work. Unexpectedly, the creature that had vanished reappeared right in front of him.
Evan Yang eyed the creature suspiciously. "Didn't you leave? Why are you back?"
The creature squeaked, louder than before. Evan Yang was about to grab it again, but it suddenly lunged at him, aiming to bite.
"Do you take me for a fool? Letting you bite me twice? No way," Evan Yang snapped, pulling his hand back and retreating. The creature seemed agitated now.
A wild chase ensued. Evan Yang couldn't understand why the creature was so persistent—was it something about his blood, or was there another reason?
Pondering the problem, Evan Yang waved his hand and conjured a beam of light. Instantly, the creature stopped and excitedly circled the light, devouring it bit by bit.
"Is that really all it takes?" Evan Yang exclaimed in surprise as the creature hungrily absorbed the light.
After finishing the light, the creature sought out Evan Yang again. He conjured more light, and gradually, he became more familiar with the bizarre entity.
"Lu lu la la," the creature made strange sounds. Evan Yang laughed curiously, "Lu lu la la? What does that even mean?"
Unable to understand the creature, Evan Yang kept tempting it with light. Suddenly, it lunged and bit his hand hard when he wasn't paying attention.
"Ouch, that hurts!" Evan Yang groaned, never having been bitten like this before. Then he noticed a white glow emanating from the creature, flowing into his body.
Evan Yang watched, confused by what was happening. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the area: "Thank you for letting me eat my fill."
"Eat your fill?" Evan Yang wondered aloud, not recognizing the voice at first. Then realization dawned. "Was that you?"
"Yes, it was me. I love eating light, but there's so little of it here," the creature replied, sounding a bit unhappy.
"If you like it that much, I can give you light every day. But I'm curious—how can you eat light? What exactly are you?" Evan Yang asked, still puzzled.
"Me? I don't really remember. I just know I was born from an egg, and when I saw light, I wanted to eat it. After that, everything around me turned dark," the creature explained.
"Then why can't sound travel in other places?" Evan Yang asked, still baffled.
"It's because I release something from my body that spreads out and blocks sound. Unless I've just eaten, there's none of it, so sound can pass through," the creature explained.
Evan Yang felt dizzy—this world was full of surprises, even creatures like this existed. He quickly recovered and said, "You really do love eating light, huh?"
"Absolutely," the creature replied greedily.
"Alright, if that's the case, I'll take you out so you can eat your fill of light. But you have to promise to listen to me. No acting on your own without my permission," Evan Yang said.
"Really? There will be light?" the creature asked, delighted.
"Of course. As long as you behave, there’s nothing you can’t have," Evan Yang replied with a smile.
"Good, good! I want light!" the creature cried excitedly, circling Evan Yang. He laughed and said, "Alright, let’s head out. I’ll take you to where you can feast on light."