Tap, tap, tap!
The sharp clicks of high heels echoed across the floor.
Hiss!
A massive python coiled inside its cage, gnashing its fangs against the iron bars. Its triangular serpentine eyes glared at the woman with pure hatred.
Wah! Wah!
A grotesque creature—woven from vines into a wooden humanoid form—flailed its limbs, violently ramming against its prison. Yet no matter how fiercely it struggled, it couldn’t break free.
"Such restless little things."
Shirley swayed her hips, her enchanting smile never leaving her lips as she observed the horrifying creatures.
"Shirley, you’re here."
A middle-aged man in a white lab coat greeted her with deference.
"How are things progressing?"
Shirley’s gaze lingered on the caged monstrosities before turning to him, her voice low and serious.
"It’s done. There’s no room for delay."
The man whispered cautiously, adding, "As for Boss Nie—"
"Don’t meddle in affairs beyond your concern!"
Shirley’s icy glare silenced him.
"Y-yes, of course!"
The man trembled, his eyes cold with suppressed fear.
Shirley studied the imprisoned abominations, her beautiful eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion.
"Dr. Yang, where’s the serum?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper, meant only for his ears.
The man in the lab coat smiled. "In my possession, ready to be delivered to the organization. Heaven’s already sent someone to extract us."
"Hand it over."
Shirley’s tone was indifferent. "I’ll ensure it reaches the organization safely."
"I have no issue giving it to you, but Boss Nie—"
Dr. Yang hesitated, his expression wary.
"Boss Nie won’t be as easy to deal with."
"It’ll be far simpler for me to take it out than for you," Shirley replied coolly.
"What the hell are these things?"
Hongtian shook his massive dog head, looking around in bewilderment.
The warehouse reeked of blood.
Walls and floors were stained with dried, foul-smelling gore.
In the corners, piles of unidentifiable skeletal remains lay scattered.
Bizarre corpses floated in formaldehyde-filled tanks.
Further inside stood rows of cages—
Holding what appeared to be humans.
No… not humans!
An Yi’s eyes narrowed as he studied the imprisoned beings.
"Monsters!"
These caged creatures, though humanoid in appearance, were unmistakably monsters!
Their numbers were few, but each bore a distinct, unnatural form.
Among them, one stood out—a naked female monster.
"All Tier Three monsters."
An Yi’s expression darkened.
Tier Three monsters shouldn’t be capable of human transformation. The Gourd Immortal had been an anomaly, but this? An entire group of them?
"Help… me!"
A green-eyed youth with a wolf’s tail pressed against the bars, pleading in the ancient tongue of the Forgotten Continent.
An Yi’s eyes sharpened.
He recognized the language.
"Why are you locked up here?"
An Yi responded in the same ancient dialect.
"How did you end up here?"
The wolf-tailed youth’s face twisted in confusion.
Then, with a thud, he collapsed to his knees, clutching his head in agony.
"I don’t remember… I don’t remember anything!"
His screams turned into snarls as his body contorted—
Transforming into a three-meter-tall monstrous wolf, slamming against the cage.
"RAAAGH—!"
"Shut the hell up!"
Hongtian rammed his dog head into the wolf’s skull, his single eye radiating terrifying pressure.
Thud!
The frenzied wolf collapsed, unconscious.
"This place is beyond messed up."
An Yi scanned the eerie warehouse, his unease growing.
The remaining monsters in the cages stayed quiet, barely glancing at the newcomers.
"What even are these? Human-beast hybrids?"
Hongtian muttered.
He’d lived for centuries and never seen monsters take human form.
How were these low-tier freaks pulling it off?
An Yi fell into thought.
Why were monsters from the Forgotten Continent imprisoned here?
What was Boss Nie planning?
The more he considered it, the more terrifying Boss Nie seemed.
This man was far more than just a wealthy figure.
As An Yi ventured deeper, his breath caught.
A massive glass tank—like an aquarium—dominated the space.
And inside it…
A dragon.
A majestic silver Eastern dragon, coiled in slumber.
Its crimson mane swayed gently in the water, its eyes closed yet exuding an overwhelming presence.
"A dragon… How?"
Hongtian was stunned.
"The dragon race went extinct five thousand years ago! How is this possible?!"
An Yi’s expression grew even stranger.
"Boss Nie… is on another level. Dude’s keeping a freaking dragon!"
A sinking feeling hit him.
He’d stumbled into something far bigger than he’d imagined.
He shouldn’t have come tonight.
Clang!
The warehouse door slammed shut.
"Kid, shouldn’t you be asleep at this hour?"
A hunched old monk emerged from the shadows, his voice calm.
Bald with a single visible eye beneath long brows, the monk’s frail frame belied the oppressive aura he radiated.
Hongtian bristled. "This bald fraud is copying my look!"
"Quiet."
An Yi’s voice was tense.
He hadn’t sensed the monk’s presence earlier.
This man’s power was beyond comprehension.
"Who are you?" An Yi demanded.
"I believe that’s my question."
The monk took a step forward, his body glowing with a faint golden light—
A human lantern in the darkness.
"Golden Bell Technique!"
An Yi’s guard shot up.
He’d seen Long and Hu use this skill—their defenses were nearly impenetrable.
"You’re from Lantuo Temple?"
An Yi ventured a guess.
The monk smiled serenely. "Lantuo Temple… What a distant memory. I’d nearly forgotten." His single eye gleamed. "This is no place for you, young one."
"Apologies, Master. We’ll take our leave. Amitabha."
An Yi clasped his hands in a bow, feigning retreat.
The monk chuckled. "You misunderstand. Since you’ve wandered in… why not stay forever?"
"Aren’t monks supposed to be merciful?" An Yi shot back.
Golden light flared around the monk as his lone eye gleamed ominously.
"Who said I was ever a monk?"