With a thunderous crash, my eyes widened as the sky above the Junkyard seemed to tear open, a gaping hole swallowing the once azure heavens and replacing them with a curtain of black.
The vast expanse of the Junkyard before me had vanished, and the aura of Ethan Zhang, Earthly Soul, was gone without a trace.
After a long while, I felt utterly drained, my spirits sunk to their lowest. Struggling to get up, my head spinning, I glanced once more at the Junkyard, now a vast, deep pit. Then I turned away and headed into the woods.
I had no idea where the Four Sacred Realm lay, but deep down I knew—no matter what, I had to return within ten days, awaken the Azure Luan Egg, and then find a way to save the Earthly Soul.
"Sorry, you'll have to wait a little longer. I owe you another favor this time!"
I smiled, my heart brimming with hope—a hope given to me by the Earthly Soul. I caught it, and I was grateful I could hold on to it.
My body remained unchanged, as always, but I had managed to awaken my instincts. Now, I just needed to return to the Four Sacred Realm.
I had been walking for ages, always skirting the forest's edge. The direction I came from was a mystery, but I hoped to see something different. The Junkyard and the Blackwood Forest were vast; night was falling, and still, I saw nothing new.
Exhausted, I climbed up a tree trunk to rest for a while before moving on. The excitement in my heart was fading, my emotions slowly draining away. I savored the last beats of my heart, gazing at the distant Junkyard.
Only the lingering sadness in my heart reminded me that I was still alive—still human.
Night gradually fell. I quietly observed my surroundings, having rested enough. I climbed down from the tree, and immediately sensed a tremor from not far behind me, as if something was moving.
Suddenly, I caught a glimmer of light and instinctively looked over. A pair of red lights flickered in the darkness. Alarm bells rang in my mind. I bolted toward the tree trunk—whoosh!—a black shadow darted past, and I desperately clung to the trunk, scrambling upward.
A low growl echoed below. I looked down: it was a wild beast with black fur, razor-sharp fangs, and a body larger than mine. Its mane bristled like needles, pointing backward. The creature's limbs were powerful, and it moved with terrifying speed.
I kept climbing up the trunk. Suddenly, I felt a searing heat—drip!—and as I raised my head, I instinctively let go. Clinging to the trunk was a creature with crimson eyes, gripping the bark like an ape. But under the moonlight, I saw it clearly: it was a Red-Eye Bot, its metallic fangs glinting, purple fluid dripping from its mouth.
I plummeted to the ground—bang!—and rolled away. With a crash, the Red-Eye Bot dropped from the tree, and the needle-maned beast howled and lunged at me. In that instant, I realized both monsters wanted to devour me.
I immediately stood upright, raising my paws. The two monsters charged at me from left and right. I roared, summoning the last vestiges of strength within my body, and struck out with all my might.
Smack! The needle-maned beast burst into a cloud of vapor. But the Red-Eye Bot tackled me to the ground. I struggled, twisting my head to dodge its snapping jaws—crunch! Its metal fangs shattered the stone beside me. I pressed one paw against its abdomen.
Now, as an Earthly Soul—a giant panda—using my full strength was nearly impossible. But my instincts had just awakened; heat surged inside me. I gathered every ounce of human strength into my paw, roared, and struck with explosive force.
Sparks crackled. The Red-Eye Bot burst into vapor with a sharp snap.
I had successfully destroyed the Red-Eye Bot. Panting, I climbed to my feet, but the air was thick with unrest. Strange howls echoed from all directions. Alert, I dashed to the tree, scrambled up the trunk, and hid myself among the branches.