Chapter 20: Kunpeng and the Dark Evil

“Ha, I told you, today I drew the best lot; surely Heaven will bless me.”

With that, Zhuang Yun softly chanted an incantation. The compass device from her spatial pouch sliced through the air, rapidly expanding into a massive shield that firmly guarded her from behind, successfully fending off the barrage of incoming shells.

Before long, cracks appeared across the compass surface. Suddenly, with a loud bang, something inside seemed to break.

Immediately after, the compass needle spun wildly, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, before finally coming to rest, pointing decisively in one direction.

At that very moment, the earth trembled, and the mountain peaks began to sway.

“Is this—a quake?” The crowd exchanged fearful glances, panic evident on their faces.

Soon, signs of collapse appeared on the mountainside; boulders tumbled down, dust billowing into the air.

“Run! The cave is collapsing!” Amidst terrified cries, countless mechas fled like startled birds.

Zhuang Yun fixed her gaze on a vast fissure opening in the ground. She recalled her master’s warning in the interdimensional space—that disturbances would arise from the northeast, the very direction she had traveled.

She had also calculated that today would bring great fortune, yet after a harrowing escape, capture, and injury, where was this luck she’d foretold?

She sensed that beneath the earth’s crack, some otherworldly entity was about to emerge.

Great fortune, great fortune—show yourself quickly!

Suddenly, a dazzling white light erupted within the cave. A creature, about the size of a palm and resembling both fish and bird, shot forth from the fissure.

The creature was covered in fish scales but bore a pair of pure white wings, radiating a shimmering teal glow.

“Yo-ho! Sealed for five thousand years! I’m finally free!”

The little fish-bird joyfully circled in flight.

“A fish-bird?”

“Bah! Fish-bird my foot. I am Kunpeng—the Dark Malevolence!” the creature declared indignantly.

“Ha! You’re joking. My esteemed Celestial Master says Kunpengs span thousands of miles. How can you be such a runt?”

“Uh, that was thousands of years ago… I’ve just been asleep too long and haven’t regained my strength yet,” the Dark Malevolence thought to himself, concealing his embarrassment behind a calm facade.

“You actually know my Celestial Master?” he asked in surprise. Few had ever seen him; he usually hunted demons deep in the mountains with a certain companion, rarely appearing before others.

“?”

“What’s your Celestial Master’s name?” he pressed.

“My Celestial Master is Zhuang Mengzhou,” Zhuang Yun said proudly.

“Zhuang—Mengzhou!” The Dark Malevolence’s voice trembled slightly, feigning composure but betraying a faint, unhidden dread as memories of that fearsome man flashed through his mind.

“What’s your relation to him?” he asked nervously.

“I’m his descendant. My name is Zhuang Yun!”

The Dark Malevolence snapped back to reality, sensing a familiar yet foreign aura—the unique essence of Zhuang Mengzhou.

“Is he… here?” There was uncertainty in his gaze as he scanned the surroundings.

“The Celestial Master passed into immortality long ago.”

“Ah! Dead?! Yes, dead indeed!” The Dark Malevolence first showed a fleeting melancholy, then quickly brightened. Wonderful! Now I’m truly free!

Zhuang Yun keenly noticed the subtle shifts in his tone and expression, pondering silently.

“Are you afraid of my Celestial Master?” she tentatively asked.

“Afraid of him? Not at all!” The Dark Malevolence replied with feigned bravado, yet the flicker of avoidance in his eyes aroused Zhuang Yun’s suspicion.

With that, he spread his wings, ready to take flight. “Little girl! This is goodbye for now!”

Hearing the words Kunpeng, Zhuang Yun sensed this creature was the key to today’s turning point. She rose to pursue him. “Dark Malevolence! Come back! I need your help!”

Instantly, she tugged at her previously sealed wound, fresh blood oozing anew.

The Dark Malevolence caught the intensifying aura of that man in the air and grew restless. Memories from a millennium past surged like a tide.

That once-side-by-side war god—Zhuang Mengzhou—his figure, his gaze, his presence… all so familiar yet so distant.

Outside, the mecha soldiers swiftly gathered at the cave entrance once the tremors ceased, bracing themselves.

Their commander sat astride a fierce, crimson-eyed Tengu, signaling them with a wave to scout ahead.

Soon they spotted Zhuang Yun crouched on the ground, clutching her shoulder. They raised ion cannons and unleashed a furious barrage on her defenseless form.

Zhuang Yun’s heart sank. This was going awry!

In a flash, as if sensing her telepathic plea, the Dark Malevolence transformed instantly into human form, spreading his ten-meter wingspan. The massive wings, like iron walls, formed an impenetrable barrier that blocked every incoming shell.

“…” The Dark Malevolence was utterly exasperated. He recalled the pact he had made with Zhuang Mengzhou a thousand years ago—that whenever Mengzhou summoned him telepathically, he must come, no matter where.

But Mengzhou had long passed, and a millennium had slipped by. The contract still bound him. Moreover, this wasn’t even Mengzhou himself, but his descendant! Was he expected to protect them all? Was he some charity case?

Zhuang Yun looked up in astonishment at the Dark Malevolence, now standing before her in human shape.

His white eyelashes were distinct and exquisite; the red beauty mark beneath his right eye stood out strikingly against his pale skin. For someone usually steadfast and calm, Zhuang Yun found herself momentarily distracted.

This ancient demon, despite being thousands of years old, still appeared as a youth!

The Dark Malevolence met Zhuang Yun’s puzzled gaze and coldly asked, “You want my help to deal with those people behind you?”

Zhuang Yun blinked and nodded earnestly. “Yes! Also, there’s a Tengu outside. Please help me with that!”

He sighed, helpless. “Fine, I’ll help you this once, for the sake of being his descendant. The last time. Don’t call me again!”

Zhuang Yun blinked again, offering no reply.

…

“I’ll take that as consent!” The Dark Malevolence huffed, annoyed.

Why were all his descendants so cunning?

He approached Zhuang Yun, removing her hand from her injured shoulder with his cold fingers. Bending down, one hand pressed on her shoulder.

A tingling and then a sharp pang coursed through her.

He spat out a bullet from his mouth and thought, “This descendant’s aura is quite similar to his.”

Her wound gradually stopped bleeding and lost its pain.

Absorbing her energy, the Dark Malevolence’s body transformed once more, becoming a colossal Kunpeng spanning hundreds of meters. With a mighty beat of his wings, he soared upward, carrying Zhuang Yun directly into the sky.

The rumbling collapse of the mountain followed, burying the still-unaware mecha soldiers beneath rubble.

Dawn was breaking. Those outside saw a gigantic bird burst through the mountain, spreading its vast wings that blotted out the sun, soaring straight into the clouds.

Time seemed to freeze; all was silent.

Initially panicked, Zhuang Yun gripped the scales on the Dark Malevolence’s neck, gradually feeling a familiar sense of steadiness, allowing her to stand firmly atop him.

She reached out across the air, summoning the Shiyu Bow from the heavens.

Drawing the bow, she aimed at the Tengu on the ground, its tail already lifted, and released the arrow.