The Valley Calls

"You, what nonsense are you spouting? Who wants to marry you?"

Xiao Feng burst into laughter and was about to say something else, but Zhao Yuwei suddenly frowned and asked, "Right, Xiao Feng, don't you think it's strange? Didn't Wu Yang say there was a Three-Maned Black Dog here before? Why haven't we seen it since we came in?"

Xiao Feng was also startled by her words, then fell into thought.

"Indeed, this is a powerful Monster guarding the Formation, how could it be missing?" He stroked his chin, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, "Could it be hiding? Or could it be..."

Just then, Xiao Feng's words came to an abrupt halt.

He suddenly heard a strange summoning sound coming from the underwater valley not far away, as if someone was whispering, "Come... come over..."

"Did you hear that?" Xiao Feng asked in a low voice.

Zhao Yuwei nodded, her face slightly pale. "I heard it, that sound... it's so strange."

Xiao Feng clenched his fists.

"Perhaps, we can find the Three-Maned Black Dog there, and maybe even figure out why Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird appeared in the Formation."

Zhao Yuwei hesitated slightly but still nodded. "Then... shall we go take a look?"

Xiao Feng took Zhao Yuwei's hand and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. Let's go see what's going on together."

Xiao Feng and Zhao Yuwei walked hand in hand, carefully heading towards the direction of the sound.

However, when they reached the source of the sound, the scene before them greatly surprised both of them.

Looking around, the surroundings were desolate, with not a blade of grass growing.

The once lush underwater valley had now turned into a dead silent desert.

Yellow sand filled the sky, obstructing their view.

Occasionally, a few dry coral skeletons emerged from the sand.

"This... what's going on?" Zhao Yuwei said in surprise, her voice particularly clear in the empty surroundings.

Xiao Feng frowned, looking around.

"Something's not right, this should clearly be the seabed, how did it turn into this?"

The two searched carefully but still couldn't find any clues.

Just as they were preparing to leave, Zhao Yuwei suddenly stopped and pointed at the ground, saying, "Xiao Feng, look there!"

Following her finger, Xiao Feng saw a dying puppy lying on the sandy ground.

The puppy was completely wet, as if it had just crawled out of water, yet it was paradoxically lying in the dry desert.

"How could there be a dog here?" Xiao Feng asked in confusion.

Zhao Yuwei, however, didn't care about that; her compassion was instantly aroused.

"Poor little thing, we have to save it!" she said, about to step forward.

Xiao Feng quickly pulled her back, "Wait, this is too strange. We have to be careful..."

But Zhao Yuwei had already broken free from his hand and was crouching beside the puppy.

"Look how pitiful it is," she said softly, reaching out to pet the puppy, "We can't just leave it to die."

Xiao Feng sighed, knowing he couldn't convince Zhao Yuwei.

He stepped forward and carefully examined the puppy's condition.

"Alright, I'll try to save it using Immortal Power."

He placed his palm on the puppy's body, and a gentle stream of Immortal Power slowly flowed in.

The puppy's breathing gradually stabilized, and the light in its eyes slowly returned to normal.

"It's much better!" Zhao Yuwei said happily.

Xiao Feng nodded but felt a wave of exhaustion.

"The battle with Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise earlier consumed a lot of my vital energy, and now I've saved this dog. We need to find a place to rest."

They found a relatively flat spot nearby and sat down on the ground.

Zhao Yuwei held the puppy in her arms, gently stroking its fur.

Xiao Feng leaned against a dry coral, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Night fell.

Zhao Yuwei groggily opened her eyes and found that the puppy in her arms was gone.

"Xiao Feng!" she exclaimed, "The puppy is gone!"

Xiao Feng immediately became alert, "Don't panic, let's look together."

The two searched separately, and soon, Zhao Yuwei found traces of the puppy.

However, as she approached, the scene before her made her recoil in horror.

The puppy's eyes turned blood-red, and its body was swelling at a visible speed.

Its bones emitted a terrifying cracking sound, and the muscles beneath its fur twisted and deformed.

In the blink of an eye, the pitiful puppy turned into a giant beast over two meters tall, its fangs exposed, and foul-smelling saliva dripping from its mouth.

"Ah!" Zhao Yuwei screamed, and the giant beast lunged at her, its sharp claws heading straight for her face.

At the critical moment, a figure flashed like lightning and rushed in front of Zhao Yuwei.

Xiao Feng formed hand seals, and a golden light instantly forced the giant beast back.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Feng asked with concern.

Zhao Yuwei was still shaken, breathing heavily, "I, I'm alright. But that dog..."

She carefully observed the rampaging giant beast and suddenly noticed strands of black aura entwined around its body.

"Xiao Feng, look!" she said, pointing at the giant beast, "Is that Evil Qi?"

Xiao Feng focused his gaze and indeed saw an evil power circulating within the giant beast's body.

"You're right, this dog has been possessed by Evil Qi."

"Then we have to save it!" Zhao Yuwei said eagerly, "It was just an innocent puppy!"

Xiao Feng frowned and said, "But..."

"Please, Xiao Feng." Zhao Yuwei pulled on Xiao Feng's sleeve, her eyes full of pleading, "We can't just leave it to die."

Looking at Zhao Yuwei's sincere eyes, Xiao Feng's heart softened.

"Alright, I'll try. But you have to be careful, don't get too close."

He took a deep breath and formed hand seals again.

This time, a stronger golden light enveloped the entire giant beast.

The giant beast let out a painful howl, its body twitching violently.

The black Evil Qi overflowed from its body like smoke, dissipating in the air.

As the last wisp of Evil Qi disappeared, the giant beast's body began to shrink, eventually turning back into the pitiful puppy.

It lay weakly on the ground, the wild red light no longer in its eyes.

Zhao Yuwei carefully walked forward and held the puppy in her arms.

"Great, it's alright." she said happily, turning to look at Xiao Feng, "Thank you, Xiao Feng."

Zhao Yuwei gently stroked the trembling puppy in her arms, her eyes full of pity.

Her fingers gently combed the puppy's fur, wanting to soothe its frightened emotions.

However, when her fingertips touched the puppy's back, she suddenly felt something strange.

"Huh? What is this..." Zhao Yuwei was surprised to find that three tufts of black fur growing against the grain had appeared on the puppy's back, like three small manes.

She leaned closer to look carefully and saw an eerie, faint blue light flickering in the puppy's eyes.

This...

Just then, the puppy suddenly began to struggle, its claws scratching wildly at the ground.

Zhao Yuwei watched in astonishment as the seemingly soft claws left scorched black marks on the hard bluestone ground, as if they had been burned by intense flames.