Night fell swiftly over the dense forest. Dare Drake and Zhu Bajie were examining strange marks on the ground—deep, charred footprints, as if scorched by some dark energy.
"Dark Beast," Zhu Bajie observed, for once with no snack in his mouth, his tone unusually serious. "But something's off. These traces are too fresh, too clear. It's almost as if they want us to find them."
Dare nodded. With the instincts of a former Celestial Lord, he could sense the oddness as well. Yet, with his current cultivation level stuck at Foundation Establishment Stage 4, he could hardly compete with even a typical beast.
"Live stream, Senior?" Dare asked, readying to activate the system.
"Just be cautious," Zhu Bajie warned, his eyes narrowing. "Dark beasts aren't a joke, especially when…"
He didn't get to finish. A distant roar tore through the silence of the forest, and the entire area was shrouded in sudden stillness.
[Notification: Live stream "Night Hunt with the Fallen Celestial Lord" has started] [Notification: "Dark Qi Detection" feature has been activated]
"Hello, everyone!" Dare whispered to the virtual screen. "Tonight, we're diving into a special adventure. Remember to keep quiet!"
Viewer numbers shot up, with everyone intrigued by this night hunt.
[CelestialPalace_001: Be careful. This dark beast is not normal.]
[CelestialPalace_002: Watch for signs of dark energy.]
"Senior," Dare muttered with a shiver, "these comments…"
"I know," Zhu Bajie nodded. "It seems more than one person is watching us."
They moved silently deeper into the woods, with Zhu Bajie taking the lead, occasionally pausing to examine the trail. Suddenly, he raised his hand, signaling Dare to stop.
"Listen…" Zhu Bajie whispered.
There was a faint noise, like claws scraping against stone. But something wasn't right. Dark beasts usually didn't move this way…
[System Alert: High-intensity dark energy detected!]
[CelestialPalace_001: GET OUT OF THERE! NOW!]
Reacting instinctively, Dare dove to the side just as a massive shadow shot out from the darkness. Its eyes glowed a strange red—a dark energy he had never seen before.
"No way…" Zhu Bajie murmured. "This is a Shadow Night Wolf! But how…"
The beast let out a bone-chilling howl, freezing the air around it. Strange, glowing symbols of dark energy pulsed along its body, illuminating the night.
The live stream viewership surged past 10,000 as viewers caught sight of the Shadow Night Wolf. The chat window exploded with warnings and tense commentary.
[Be careful! The Shadow Night Wolf can spew dark poison!]
[Those markings… they look familiar…]
[CelestialPalace_001: Don't look directly into its eyes! Focus on the dark energy symbols!]
"Junior! Fall back!" Zhu Bajie called, brandishing the Nine-toothed Rake, his old weapon from his days as the Celestial Marshal. "I'll…"
But before he could finish, the beast lunged at them, its speed blinding. Dare barely saw a dark blur but relied on his instincts from his years as a Celestial Lord. Despite his weakened cultivation, his reflexes were sharp.
"Senior! To your left!"
Zhu Bajie twisted, his Nine-toothed Rake slicing through the darkness. The beast dodged, but a few black hairs were severed, falling to the ground where they burst into eerie purple flames.
"Dark fire…" Dare narrowed his eyes. "Only a dark arts master could…"
[CelestialPalace_002: Exactly. Someone has infused dark energy into its body.]
[Notification: Detecting unique dark energy traces. Analyzing…]
The Shadow Night Wolf roared, a spine-chilling sound. Dark energy spewed from its mouth, reducing the trees around them to ashes in an instant.
"TRENDING! Fallen Celestial Lord's Night Hunt reaches 100,000 viewers!"
"GIFTS! Viewer TranPhai88 sends a 'Virtual Protection Talisman'!"
"GIFTS! Viewer PhongVu102 sends a 'Virtual Spirit Pill'!"
To Dare's surprise, the virtual gifts from viewers materialized into tangible energy, flowing directly into his body, strengthening him.
[System: Activating "Energy Conversion" feature—virtual gifts are transformed into real power!]
"Fascinating!" Zhu Bajie chuckled. "Now this is what hunting in the new age looks like!"
But his smile faded as the beast launched another attack, this time aimed directly at Dare. Its claws sliced through the air like razors…
"NO!"
Zhu Bajie leaped forward, shielding Dare with his own body. Blood splattered onto the ground, staining the earth red.
[CelestialPalace_001: Quickly! Use "Dark Energy Analysis" to find its weak point!]
[CelestialPalace_002: Focus on the symbol on its neck!]
Dare didn't hesitate, activating his new feature. Lines of data flashed across his vision:
[Analysis Complete:
Beast Type: Level 3 Shadow Night Wolf
Weak Point: Dark energy mark on its neck
Special: Signs of remote control
Source of dark energy: Great Virtue…]
The screen suddenly glitched, and the last bit of information disappeared. But Dare understand...
"Senior Brother!" Tran Ba Dao rushed to Zhu Bajie, who was injured. "Let me..."
"No worries," Zhu Bajie grinned through clenched teeth, "just a scratch. I've been through worse back in Heaven."
The demonic beast roared menacingly but didn't attack right away. It circled them, its red eyes glowing with an inner conflict – as if fighting against an invisible command.
[CelestialPalace_001: It's resisting control. This is your chance!]
[CelestialPalace_002: Use pure spiritual energy to break the seal!]
The viewer count had passed 200,000. Virtual gifts flooded in, transforming into streams of real spiritual energy flowing toward Tran Ba Dao.
"Senior Brother, I have an idea."
Tran Ba Dao quickly shared his plan with a glance. Zhu Bajie nodded, instantly understanding.
"The livestream's still on!" Zhu Bajie suddenly called out, enthusiasm in his voice despite his injury. "Everyone, do you want to see an epic collaboration between the Great General of Heavenly Marshal Tianpeng and the Fallen Celestial Master?"
[GIFT ALERT! 1,000 viewers simultaneously send 'Spiritual Energy Elixirs!']
[GIFT ALERT! 500 viewers send 'Protective Charms!']
[TRENDING! #HeavenlyMarshalCelestialMaster is now trending!]
Tran Ba Dao concentrated all the received energy into his palms. Despite his injuries, Zhu Bajie charged toward the beast with the Nine-Toothed Rake, creating a dazzling web of light.
"Hey! You mangy mutt!" Zhu Bajie shouted. "Remember me? I once hunted down your entire pack!"
The beast roared in fury, leaping toward Zhu Bajie – just as planned.
"NOW!"
Tran Ba Dao released a burst of pure spiritual energy, a combination of natural energy and the power from thousands of viewers. The bright blue light sliced through the air, striking the demonic seal at the beast's neck.
CRACK!
The sound of the seal shattering echoed in the night. The beast froze, its red eyes gradually fading to a natural yellow. It gazed at them briefly, as if… showing gratitude, before disappearing into the darkness.
[CelestialPalace_001: Not bad. But this is just the beginning.]
[CelestialPalace_002: Keep the broken seal fragment. It will lead you to The Great Mercy Temple.]
Tran Ba Dao picked up a fragment of the demonic seal. Under the moonlight, he could make out a familiar symbol – the emblem of The Great Mercy Temple, though strangely altered.
"Senior Brother," he said, turning to Zhu Bajie, who was tending to his wound, "I think we need to reach The Great Mercy Temple sooner than we planned."
"Agreed," Zhu Bajie nodded seriously, "but first... I'm starving! Let's go make some congee!"
[Stream notification: Livestream ended with over 500,000 viewers! New record achieved!]
[Notification: Total of 100,000 virtual gifts received]
[Notification: Achievement unlocked: "Legendary Demon Hunter"]
As they walked back under the crescent moon, the two brothers discussed their recent discoveries.
"This demonic seal fragment," Tran Ba Dao mused, turning the piece over in his hand, "has the symbol of The Great Mercy Temple, but distorted in a... very familiar way."
"Yes," Zhu Bajie nodded, his wound now bandaged. "It resembles the demonic energy of the Nether Realm. I saw this style back in Heaven."
Tran Ba Dao stopped in his tracks. "Do you think... there could be a connection between The Great Mercy Temple and the Nether Realm?"
"Possibly." Zhu Bajie stroked his chin. "But what intrigues me even more is… the two mysterious viewers in the livestream."
"CelestialPalace_001 and 002..." Tran Ba Dao muttered. "They showed up at just the right time, and their hints were uncannily accurate."
The system suddenly displayed a new notification:
[New Quest Unlocked:
• "Secrets of The Great Mercy Temple"
• Difficulty: ★★★★☆
• Reward: Increase cultivation level by 1 + Special feature
• Time Limit: 3 days]
"Three days..." Zhu Bajie calculated. "Just enough time to cross the forest to The Great Mercy Temple. But first..."
"Let me guess," Tran Ba Dao chuckled, "you want to make congee?"
"No, no!" Zhu Bajie said with unexpected seriousness. "I want to make… demon beast soup! Lucky I snagged a few of the Dark Demon Wolf's fur strands earlier. Perfect for soup!"
Tran Ba Dao shook his head, exasperated. But a warm feeling rose in his heart. Perhaps, he thought, this was the one thing he'd been missing during his celestial days – a companion who was both amusing and dependable.
[System Notification: Analysis of Seal Fragment Complete
• Confirmed Origin: Nether Realm
• Time of Existence: Approximately 1 month
• Characteristics: Displays markings of The Great Mercy Temple
• Warning: Multiple similar seals detected in the area]
"Senior Brother," Tran Ba Dao said, looking toward the horizon where the first light of dawn was breaking, "the real adventure is just beginning."
"Yes." Zhu Bajie nodded, his voice unusually solemn. "And this time, I won't let you face it alone."
The first light of dawn pierced the darkness, signaling a new day. And with it, mysteries awaited at The Great Mercy Temple.