Whew—
The tunnel delved deeply, the sound of rushing winds echoed around him, while the light from the cave entrance rapidly diminished until it vanished completely.
Nalan Xia had remarked that the three clans once had their own valiant souls who dared to explore the depths of the earth, yet all had vanished without a trace, leading to a gradual shift towards a predominantly defensive strategy.
At this moment, however, Wang Hui was determined to test the depths of this cavern!
"The purple-skinned beasts that invade the surface all share similar physiques, and their intelligence is hardly superior to that of ordinary wild creatures…
In their lair, there are likely much stronger individuals orchestrating their movements!"
As he descended into the dark abyss, Wang Hui continued to fall for nearly a minute before his feet finally touched solid ground.
Here, the environment was shrouded in utter darkness, and the oxygen levels were alarmingly low.
Any ordinary miniature denizen entering this space would be hard-pressed to survive beyond ten minutes, even if they were fortunate enough to escape fatal injuries from the fall!
Fortunately, Wang Hui possessed a unique projection body, allowing him to clearly perceive the surrounding topography enveloped in darkness.
This was a relatively spacious cavern, with numerous entrances scattered throughout, resembling a network of tunnels akin to an anthill.
Wang Hui had barely begun to observe when a rustling sound reached his ears.
Immediately after, a throng of purple-skinned beasts poked their heads out from the openings, roaring at him in dense formation!
"They've pinpointed my location so swiftly; that commanding entity possesses some skill..."
Wang Hui felt a flicker of surprise but remained unperturbed.
Should he confront a formidable monster beyond the capabilities of his projection body, he could simply retreat his consciousness.
If they dared to pursue him to the surface, he would not hesitate to lift the glass dome.
He would gladly show them what a righteous iron fist truly entailed!
Ignoring the menacing roars, he confirmed the direction of the griffin's aura and strolled forward at a leisurely pace.
"Hiss!"
A group of purple-skinned beasts charged towards him, only to be obliterated by Wang Hui's swift strikes; Celestial Crystals were extracted from them effortlessly.
The remaining beasts, though filled with trepidation, seemed compelled by an irresistible order, relentlessly launching attacks one after another!
Wang Hui, akin to a relentless human meat grinder, pressed forward through the tunnel.
After approximately half an hour of slaughtering, his motions became almost robotic, when suddenly, the space opened wide before him!
This was an expansive, pear-shaped cavern, its walls dripping with viscous fluid, where the long-lost griffin was ensnared.
Entangled in layers of sticky goo, it hung suspended, unable to move.
At the sound of distant battle growing closer, the weakened griffin opened its eyes.
Upon seeing Wang Hui emerge at the angled entrance, it was overcome with excitement and attempted to flap its wings.
However, the bizarre goo tightened its grasp the more it struggled!
"Enough, stay still."
Wang Hui shot a disapproving glance at the griffin, surveying the surroundings.
"This goo is saturated with primal energy; no wonder it could ensnare my fused beast..."
He cautiously stepped further into the cavern, noting that the texture of the goo felt nothing like liquid but rather resembled a strong adhesive of peculiar properties.
As he lifted his foot again, he felt a powerful tug, rendering his movements nearly impossible!
"Without an ancestral artifact, no amount of flashy utilization of primal energy is futile."
Wang Hui scoffed, concentrating the primal energy at his feet.
With a resounding "pop," the tightly bound goo was shaken loose, no longer impeding his mobility!
"Is it entertaining to lurk in the shadows?"
Wang Hui turned his gaze towards a dim corner of the cavern, awaiting a response that never came.
"Come out, you coward!"
His eyes narrowed with intensity as he raised his hand in a clawing gesture.
Primal energy swiftly coalesced into a semi-transparent giant hand, surging towards the hidden presence!
Simultaneously, the accumulated goo began to swirl, mimicking the formation of a giant hand to counterattack!
Boom!!
The two hands collided, unleashing a tempestuous wave of force that echoed throughout the cavern!
Wang Hui's garments billowed as the suspended griffin swayed precariously, its eyes wide with alarm as it watched the ensuing battle.
The two adversaries seemed like ancient martial masters, unwilling to yield to one another.
After a brief stalemate, Wang Hui ultimately displayed superior skill, shattering the goo's resistance with his colossal hand!
Whoosh!
In the instant the giant hand descended, a small, pitch-black creature emerged, narrowly escaping the crushing fate that awaited it.
Its form resembled a gelatinous blob the size of a watermelon, a deep blue-purple hue adorning its exterior.
Lacking limbs, it moved by bouncing or wriggling, evoking the image of…
"A slime?"
Wang Hui was somewhat taken aback.
He had expected a colossal, fearsome underground monster to be controlling the army of purple-skinned beasts from the shadows!
Yet, it turned out to be this diminutive creature, reminiscent of the weakest magical being, the slime, from the fantastical tales he had heard.
"Ooh… ooh…"
Upon the appearance of the blue-purple slime, the griffin attempted to roar in fury.
Regrettably, its mouth was also ensnared by the goo, stifling its ability to vocalize fully.
Its reaction further confirmed the identity of the creature…
If it were not the king of the underground monsters, how could it suppress a fused beast?
"Goo goo—"
The blue-purple slime emitted a series of nonsensical bubbly sounds.
Swish—
The goo throughout the cavern began to soften and roil violently.
It surged forth like a living entity, a formidable force!
The griffin panicked, remembering that it had fallen victim to this very attack!
Summoning all its might, it struggled to pry open the goo's binding.
Just as the griffin was about to dive in a desperate attempt to rescue its master, Wang Hui raised a finger.
"Enough with the theatrics; perish!"
Primal energy condensed into a line, swiftly puncturing the wave of goo.
The blue-purple slime, caught unawares, could not evade; its gelatinous form exploded!
Primal energy is a unique substance derived from vitality and spiritual essence, theoretically devoid of moral alignment.
Just as a healer might use it to save lives, an assassin could wield it to take them.
This energy could enable the severely weakened Nalan Xia to recover rapidly, while also serving as a weapon to eliminate those standing in his way!
The body of the blue-purple slime burst into countless droplets, scattering everywhere, leaving no remains behind.
Wang Hui regarded the scene with a hint of disappointment, shaking his head slightly.
"The mighty king of the underground is of such trivial caliber?"
With a thought, he set the Yin-Yang Fish within him into rapid motion, creating a formidable vortex that generated immense pulling power!
The chaotic goo throughout the cavern was swiftly stripped of its primal energy.
As Wang Hui absorbed the energy entirely, the goo evaporated into thin air, as if it had never existed.
**[Current Available Primal Energy: C-24%→31%]**
The griffin approached dejectedly, softly chirping an apology.
It felt utterly useless.
Not only had it failed in its duty as a "guardian of the world," but it had also fallen into peril, needing its master to come to the rescue…
What an embarrassment!
"Next time, refrain from such impulsive actions; your strength lies in the skies. Why venture underground to confront them alone? It's nothing short of self-inflicted hardship!"
Wang Hui patted the griffin's head, imparting a gentle reprimand.
Suddenly, he noticed the numerous wounds adorning the griffin's form, with patches of skin appearing notably sunken, causing him to frown slightly.
"What happened… Did it lose blood?"