A dark sprawling section spread out in front of Labby, the narrow cavern tunnels and walls expanding into a hollowed dome. Labby sniffed the air, watching as waves upon waves cresting across the lake lying in the middle of the cavern.

Large amounts of Qi swirled beneath the surface of the water, vibrating with power as the waves of Qi spread outwards.

A rock-like island stood at the centre of the lake, oddly circular and uniform in shape and covered in odd plants. At the heart of the island, she saw the largest spirit flower she’d ever seen before. It brimmed with Qi, drawing her towards it.

“Something lies beneath the surface. The parasitic plants are spreading from the little island in the lake,” the spider spoke to Labby, as she flicked her ears, watching the rumbling waves.

“Labby needs to get there somehow. Labby wants- uhh, no, her Great Master wants the lotus!” Labby exclaimed to the spider, her tail moving happily behind her as she watched the beautiful flower blossoming with potent Qi.

Thoughts of feasting on the delightful treat filled Labby’s mind. Biting into the scrumptious leaves as the Qi filled her core…

“The little rat needs to be less greedy. The humans need help.”

Labby sniffed the air, taking one last look at the lotus before she pushed her desires back. She needed to make her Great Master proud, and she couldn’t do that if she kept running after spirit herbs.

Turning away from the lotus and the lake, Labby began to head towards where she senses the humans. These humans, like the ones from the city, and the village, held little Qi, unlike her great master. It reminded Labby of herself, from before she’d met her Great Master.

The three humans lay near the cavern walls, tangled in roots covering their bodies that continued to drain the Qi from within them, slowly but surely.

Labby walked closer, carefully touching the plant root. The plant jerked at her touch, as roots began to move towards her, trying to pull her in.

“Stay back, the roots can tangle you up. Leave the humans to Zhi Zhu, the plant hasn’t invaded their cores yet. There’s hope. While Zhi Zhu will try to remove the plant roots, the little rat should guide Liuxiang and her Master here.”

Labby stared at the spider, it’s black eyes looking back at her blankly. Her instincts still told her to run away from the spider, from the predator that would try and eat her. She didn’t like the fear that rose within her from the spirit.

Labby nodded, with a squeak as she turned around. She wasn’t the mindless rat she’d been before, her instincts wouldn’t hold power over her actions.

Labby reached out to her Great Master, through their bond. Excitedly, she sniffed the dense Qi filled air, crackling with quiet sparks as she sent her message to her master.

She felt a loud rumble go through the ground as she did, and Labby turned around in a hurry to see water pouring out from the lake in a giant wave as the island at its core began to rise. Labby jumped back nervously as the water began to spread through the cavern. A sense of wonder filled her as she felt the presence, so large she couldn’t even begin to grasp it, like trying to see a mountain in its entirety.

“What what? Where are you Labby? Did you-” she heard her Great Master’s words get cut off, as a massive presence emanated from the lake.

Her Qi crackled nervously, as water swirled in a torrent. Labby started as two giant legs rose from beneath the lake, as a massive creature rose from beneath. A loud rumbling voice that shook the walls bellowed through the creature’s mouth as it walked, displacing the water in a tidal wave.

Labby eye’s went to the flower, as lightning cracked around her. She had to get the flower!

***

Rumbles echoed through the dark cave, as a cacophony of sounds screeching and chittered all over, echoing in a dissonant hum. The ground shook beneath my feet as I rushed towards the direction Labby was in.

“What’s happening Labby?” I asked Labby through our bond, receiving a mix of confusion and surprise.

“Great Master, the island stood up on its legs.”

The words almost made me stumble as I ran, and even though I knew Labby couldn’t see me, I gave her the most shocked look that I could manage. The what did what now?

“The island with the pretty flower stood up Master! It even has a mouth and the bad plants are all coming from it.”

I felt like rubbing my head, to check if I was hearing things right. A moving island woke up and started screaming. I wished I could laugh at that, but knowing the world I lived in and the fact that I was currently talking to a lightning shooting rat only made me grimace.

“The two have found the source of the plants, alongside a moving island,” I said to Liuxiang, as the dainty looking boy ran across me, easily carrying a grown and well built man on his shoulders like nothing.

“A moving island?” the boy asked and I shook my head.

Another loud rumbling roar had me refocusing my attention as I ran. The path ahead soon led to a gap within the walls that led into a dark open circular area.

I rushed my way in finding soft grass touching my feet. Vegetation covered the walls and the ground, little purple flowers blooming all around in the wide expanse filled with Qi. I didn’t get a chance to look around for more than a second as a massive creature rose from the giant lake at the centre of the cave.

This was totally a boss arena wasn’t it?

I cursed under my breath, as the massive turtle rumbled, it’s back covered in thick roots that pierced its shell. Tremors hit the cave at each movement of its body and I realised what the source of disturbance had been within the Qi vein.

I spotted a pure white flower, growing at the centre of all the roots, with deep purple stripes running through it. The creature kicked, sending a wave of water as I rushed through the cave and towards where the unconscious group of people were.

“Where are you Labby?” I sent in a panic as I found no signs of Labby, near the group of people lying unconscious stuck under the roots.

“Here Great Master! Labby is getting the Lotus!!”

I turned towards the direction I sensed her voice coming from, and stared in a mixture of surprise and horror as I saw Labby climbing the massive turtle.

The creature groaned and I noticed large roots tying it down in place. The massive turtle roared, as it lifted its legs trying to free itself. A heavy presence spread like a wave, followed by a massive splash of water. I watched as the water swirled around the turtle, and I noticed the pain in it’s voice.

“Labby, you need to come back here. It’s too dangerous up there,” I sent, quickly glancing behind me to check on the unconscious villagers.

Luxiang was taking care of them, alongside his spider spirit. Guess I was the one dealing with the turtle.

The ground shook beneath me as the creature turned more and more frantic in its struggle. With that size, the turtle had to weigh tons, just a light kick would have me splattered in a slimy pool of meat and blood, despite my cultivation.

“Labby is alright! She can see the lotus… and some bad black things on here. Something is wrong with the turtle, great master.”

I sensed Qi swirling around the turtle in a whirlpool as water began to rise from the lake behind. Massive amounts of Qi began to pour forth from the creature as it struggled to break free of the restraints around it and I cursed.

Shit, this was bad. The entire cave would flood like this and those villagers are in no condition to be moved.

I felt panic rising as more and more Qi began to pour forth. My senses started to feel like a noisy incoherent blur as water Qi flooded the cavern. I needed to do something quickly.

“Senior, this one needs a few moments to create a formation around the turtle to keep it still,” Luxiang spoke in my mind, and after my brief moment of surprise at hearing his voice, I nodded.

“Spirit herbs! Pills! Master can give the turtle pills! Master’s aura is soothing too!” Labby shouted and I stared at her.

There’s no way that was going to work right?

A pained grunt and the rising water forced my hand. I let go of my hesitation, as I grabbed a handful of pills crushing them as I guided their essence out towards the turtle as I ran.

Fuck it, time to drug my way through this boss fight.

I guided my Qi, mixing it with the herbs towards the turtle. Taking out almost all pills from my pouch, I let their essence form a swirling pool that I sent towards the turtle.

The creature’s massive nostrils twitched as it’s struggles started to slow down. Yes, good. Calm down.

I walked closer, keeping up the fragrant Qi filled spell of the pills drifting towards the turtle as it’s movements started to slow down.

“Now, Liuxiang!”

The other boy ran like a gliding wraith, his hands moving in a blur. With a crack, I saw a needle bury itself in the ground, filled with potent Qi and carved with symbols onto it. More needles followed, being set in the ground at specific intervals.

The turtle started to move once more, as it’s legs rose in the air, smashing the ground with a stomp as it shook the ground and I sent all the essence that remained in the pills towards the creature.

In a thundering rumble, the turtle took a step ahead, and I froze as it’s massive limbs headed right at me. Fuck.

“Five- Pronged Restraint Formation,” I heard Liuxiang whisper as his voice carried on the Qi. Glowing lines appeared on the ground, forming a pentagon, as they connected the glowing needles that glowed brightly with Qi.

I watched as Qi began to swirl around the creature, pushing down as invisible walls formed along the edges of the pentagon. With a rumble and a groan, the turtle collapsed right in front of me.

I stared with my heart thundering in my chest as a plume of dust rose. The ground shook beneath me from the impact and I took a step back, as the rush from the adrenaline began to fill my chest, mixing in with relief.

Sensing Liuxiang walking towards me, I calmed my emotions, collecting myself. The boy walked closer as the dust cloud began to dissipate, I could see sweat covering his face as I felt his movement sluggish. He looked to be dangerously low on Qi.

“Thanks,” I said to the guy and I saw a light smile cover his face.

“This one could only do it due to Senior’s help,” the boy said with a light bow. “The formation will hold for a while, but the source will still need to be purged. This one will return to the villagers. Some of them need care, though all should survive.”

I nodded, watching as Liuxiang walked away. The great turtle lay on the ground, it’s legs sprawled as it had its eyes shut close. I could see the thick flesh beneath it’s massive shell moving with each breath it took.

I could almost sense the pain it was going through.

“Master… Labby thinks the flower is eating the turtle. There’s something black forming under it, and Labby doesn’t like it. The Qi behaves strangely around it.”

I heard Labby’s voice, sensing her confusion mixed with her apprehension. I walked closer towards the turtle, checking the formation to make sure I could come out of it, before I headed in.

I grabbed onto the thick roots, deflecting any that tried to burrow through my skin with my Qi as I climbed over the massive turtle. With a light jump, I was leaping through the air and up above.

“You need to stop rushing ahead like this,” I told Labby, grunting as I set myself up in the thick and overgrown shell. I could see cracks from where the roots were digging into the turtle. With how overgrown the area was, the turtle must’ve been in this condition for a long time now.

“Where is it Labby?” I asked her, as she climbed on my back and up to my shoulder.

“The flower, beneath it. There’s dark things that the Qi burns through,” she replied and I turned towards the flower at the centre.

It glowed with a dim light, it’s appearance tantalising, and a sweet fragrance emanated from it. Striking purple stripes ran across it’s petals as the soft petals rustled in an unseen breeze and I felt myself being drawn towards it.

Labby crackled with sparks as I circulated my Qi as the effect passed quickly. Something was very wrong with that thing.

I moved closer, lighting the roots on fire if they touched my body and flooding them with Qi. I guided the Qi to boil the water within the cells, melting and burning the roots from within. All that alchemy wasn’t for nothing it seems.

I touched the flow lightly, shifting it to the side as I saw a dark pungent clot formed beneath it. My Qi burned like fire, as the dark haze mingled with it, as a wave of heat poured out. I yelped in pain, letting go of the flower and moving a step back.

I stared at the flower, clutching my burnt finger as a frown etched itself across my brow. Something within my mind seemed to whisper, a knowledge I didn’t know I possessed. What I’d found was the anathema to my Qi. To cultivation and life itself.

I’d found a clot of Miasma.