**Chapter 26: Rescue**
After walking a distance, the three successfully arrived below the White Jade Pillar.
By the time they reached here, the scarlet energy was already visible to the naked eye. Even wearing protective suits, Bai Feng and the others could feel the strong oppressive sensation it brought.
"Where exactly is this energy coming from? It's too terrifying!" Calyrex couldn't help but say.
Lysandre guessed, "I think this is very likely from a Legendary Pokémon!"
Bai Feng nodded, "I think so too. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why it comes with such a powerful oppressive sensation."
"Let's go up and see. Maybe the answer is up there." Calyrex said, pointing at the White Jade Pillar.
"Let's go."
Lysandre and Bai Feng nodded simultaneously.
On the tall White Jade Pillar, there was a staircase leading directly to the top.
From a distance, Bai Feng and the others thought the White Jade Pillar was pure white and flawless. Only after getting closer did they discover that the pillar was covered in fine cracks, dotted with dark red, looking very much like the result of erosion by the scarlet energy.
Before long, the three arrived at the top of the White Jade Pillar. The path was clear, and they encountered no obstacles. The top of the White Jade Pillar was very spacious, except for a Magic Formation-like Pattern carved on the ground, and something was placed in the center of the Pattern.
That thing was continuously releasing a large amount of scarlet energy outwards. Clearly, this thing was the source of all the energy in the Sea God's Cavern.
"What is that?" Bai Feng asked, pointing at the dark, lumpy thing in the center of the Magic Formation.
"Why does it look like a Pokémon Egg to me?" Calyrex said, squinting and staring intently at the object. However, it was a bit far, and she couldn't see clearly.
"It looks like one to me too." Lysandre expressed agreement.
"A Pokémon Egg? No way?" Bai Feng was incredulous. What kind of Pokémon Egg could be this powerful? Not even a Legendary Pokémon could, right?
"Let's get a little closer to take a look." Lysandre suggested. As he spoke, he cautiously stepped one foot into the Magic Formation. He only breathed a sigh of relief when the Magic Formation showed no special reaction.
Bai Feng truly admired Lysandre's courage. Who knew if this Magic Formation had any hidden secrets? He just stepped in without even thinking.
With Lysandre as the vanguard, Bai Feng and Calyrex also entered the Magic Formation one after another and walked step by step towards the object suspected to be a Pokémon Egg.
However, as they walked, they suddenly discovered something unusual. In some places on the Magic Formation, there were scattered bones of humans and Pokémon.
Moreover, those bones had turned pitch black under the prolonged erosion of the scarlet energy. Clearly, Bai Feng and the others were not the first people to come here, and this place was not as safe as it appeared on the surface.
Looking at the ground full of remains, Bai Feng looked at the two and asked, "How about it? Do we still want to continue forward?" To be honest, as someone who hadn't seen much of the world, he was a little scared facing so many remains.
Lysandre gritted his teeth and insisted, "Continue. We've already come this far. Even if we die here, it's fate!"
Bai Feng thought to himself: You're quite open-minded.
"I want to continue too!"
Calyrex agreed with Lysandre's decision. Hearing this, Bai Feng could only say, "Since both of you want to continue, I'll have to risk my life to accompany the heroes!"
So the three continued forward. As they got closer and closer to the black egg, terrifying roars seemed to echo in their ears. The sound was unsettling.
"Hiss~ Ha~ Ang~"
"Did you hear that?" Bai Feng asked.
"I heard it. I thought I was hallucinating." Calyrex nodded.
"I heard it too." Lysandre said.
After exchanging glances, the three continued forward.
Just as they were only a short distance away from the black egg, a sudden change occurred. The scarlet energy on the black egg suddenly surged rapidly and spread outwards non-stop, like a spoonful of water poured into a pot of boiling hot oil.
Immediately after, a pitch-black phantom emerged from the fluctuating scarlet energy.
"Ang!!!"
The suddenly appearing phantom roared furiously at Bai Feng and the others. This sound was exactly the same as what they had heard before.
The black phantom was enormous, almost covering the sky above the three of them, pressing down on them until they could barely breathe.
"Whoosh~"
The black phantom's roar brought forth a large wave of air, directly knocking the three of them to the ground.
"Leave here! Leave here!"
Calyrex and Lysandre didn't understand what the phantom's roar was expressing, but Bai Feng, who could understand what Pokémon needed, heard it clearly. Its tone seemed very anxious, constantly urging Bai Feng and the others to leave this place.
"This... this is... Lugia!" Lysandre, who was lying on the ground, exclaimed in surprise.
No wonder this place was called the Sea God's Cavern, and even had three Legendary Birds guarding it. Legend says that Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos are the messengers of the Sea God, Lugia.
But the Lugia before them was clearly not right. Not only was it pitch black all over, but its eyes were also glowing with terrifying scarlet light. Its face was contorted, as if enduring immense pain.
Most importantly, this Lugia before them had no physical body; it was just a phantom.
"Ang!!!"
The phantom Lugia roared again. This time, its voice could no longer convey any meaning; it was just a pure roar. Its gaze towards Bai Feng and the others was filled with aggression.
Perhaps the remains not far away were left by the humans and Pokémon killed by this phantom Lugia.
"Watch out, it's going to attack!" Bai Feng shouted loudly.
As his words fell, the phantom Lugia sprayed a large amount of black mist towards the three. The black mist was filled with ill omen; one look was enough to know not to touch it.
The three agilely rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the phantom Lugia's attack. However, the phantom Lugia immediately launched a second round of attacks.
Just as the black mist was about to spray towards Bai Feng and the others, Lugia's face became contorted again. It seemed to be desperately restraining something and let out bursts of deafening roars.
"Ang!!!" Leave here, leave here!
Seeing this, Bai Feng quickly shouted to the other two, "Let's leave here. This Lugia is not something we can handle."
"Okay!" Lysandre and Calyrex also knew the situation was impossible to deal with, so they nodded decisively.
The three got up and were about to run out of the Magic Formation.
However, just as they ran two steps, Lugia went berserk again. In an instant, it was directly above their heads, its scarlet gaze sending chills down their spines.
"Ang~"
Just like that, Bai Feng and the other two watched helplessly as a large mass of black mist descended upon them from above. They were almost unavoidable.
"Screech~"
Just as the three thought they were about to die here, a cry suddenly rang out. A golden light streaked across the sky, instantly dispersing the black mist that was covering Bai Feng and the others.
"Screech~" "Ang~"
A Zapdos appeared out of thin air, blocking the path in front of Bai Feng and the others, confronting the phantom Lugia.
"Screech~"
"Screech~"
Then came two more cries. Moltres and Articuno appeared simultaneously to the left and right of the phantom Lugia, joining forces with Zapdos to surround it.
"Screech~" Leave here!
Articuno's voice rang out, conveying its meaning to Bai Feng and the others, its tone full of anxiety.
Seeing that the phantom Lugia was temporarily blocked by the three Legendary Birds, Bai Feng decisively grabbed Calyrex and said to her and Lysandre, "Let's go!"
Calyrex hesitated, "But Articuno and the others..."
Bai Feng said without hesitation, "We can't help them at all by staying here; we'd only be a burden!"
Lysandre nodded, "Bai Feng is right. Our leaving is the biggest help we can give!"
"Okay, let's go!" Hearing this, Calyrex could only grit her teeth and say.
The three glanced at Zapdos and the others, then ran towards the bottom of the White Jade Pillar without looking back. At this moment, the three Legendary Birds had already started fighting the phantom Lugia.
Explosions and roars continuously came from behind them. It was clear without thinking that the battle on the White Jade Pillar was intense.
After running for an unknown amount of time, Bai Feng and the others finally ran out of the Giant Pit. They didn't leave immediately but stood at the edge of the Giant Pit, anxiously waiting for Articuno and the others to return.
Before long, Talonflame Captain, Braviary, and Gyarados, who had been separated from Bai Feng and the others, found the three again. Gyarados was rescued by Talonflame Captain. Articuno hadn't intended to kill, so it wasn't seriously injured.
"Look quickly, are they back!"
About an hour later, Bai Feng and the others finally vaguely saw three shadows in the sky flying towards the outside of the Giant Pit. However, before they could fly out of the Giant Pit, the three shadows fell towards the ground one after another.
"They're injured!" Calyrex exclaimed.
"Let's go see!" Saying this, Lysandre ran towards the bottom of the Giant Pit again without hesitation, with Bai Feng and Calyrex following closely behind.
Soon, the three found the injured three Legendary Birds. They were lying listlessly on the ground, constantly emitting scarlet energy, and desperately enduring the immense pain caused by the scarlet energy's erosion.
The moment they saw the three, the three Legendary Birds' faces were full of anger, especially Articuno, who wished it could curse Bai Feng and the other two's ancestors eighteen generations back.
We told you not to go near there, but you insisted on going. Are you satisfied now? We're the ones suffering!
Calyrex and Lysandre didn't understand what the three Legendary Birds were saying, only that they were very angry. Only Bai Feng, who understood everything, was full of embarrassment.
Legendary Pokémon are quite good at cursing...
"Let's take Articuno and the other two away from here first." Lysandre suggested.
"Okay!"
So the three had Talonflame Captain, Braviary, and two Gardevoir work together to transport the three Legendary Birds out of the Giant Pit. The three Legendary Birds didn't resist; after all, under the erosion of the scarlet energy, they were completely unable to move.
After leaving the Giant Pit, the three looked at the three Legendary Birds, who had pained expressions, and became troubled.
"What should we do?" Calyrex said. The three Legendary Birds were injured saving the three of them. Neither Calyrex, Bai Feng, nor Lysandre could ignore them.
The three Legendary Birds were lying listlessly on the ground at this moment, feeling incredibly bitter. They had guarded Lugia for so many years; was this truly the fate they couldn't escape?
If they continued to be eroded by the scarlet energy, it wouldn't be long before they ended up looking just like Lugia.
"How about I give it a try?" At this moment, Bai Feng suddenly said with hesitation.
Since his Golden Finger Energy could expel the scarlet energy within him, perhaps it would also be useful for the three Legendary Birds.
Although he didn't want to expose his Golden Finger, it depended on the situation.
The three Legendary Birds ended up in this state because they saved him. He truly couldn't stand by and do nothing to save them just to hide the existence of his Golden Finger.
The Pokémon World is a world with various miraculous abilities. Although his Golden Finger is wondrous, it's not to the extent that it absolutely cannot be shown to others.
"Bai Feng, you have a way?" Calyrex said in surprise.
"I'll try. I'm not sure if it will definitely succeed." Bai Feng replied.
"Whether it succeeds or not, having a method is better than just staring blankly. Hurry and try!" Calyrex urged.
Bai Feng nodded, then walked over to Articuno and said, "I have a way to help you clear this terrifying energy from your body. Later, no matter what I do, don't resist."
Articuno actually didn't believe Bai Feng's words. Something Lugia couldn't do after so many years, how could a mere human possibly do it?
But at this moment, it had no ability to resist and could only lie there motionless, allowing Bai Feng to work on it.
Bai Feng controlled his Golden Finger Energy, letting it invade Articuno's body little by little. Then, an incredibly vast and complex Energy Circuit, filled with Origin Energy as vast as the sea, appeared in his mind.
Is this the Energy Circuit of a Legendary Pokémon? Bai Feng was incredibly shocked.
Immediately after, he saw the scarlet energy mixed in with Articuno's Origin Energy within the Energy Circuit. They were running rampant, contaminating Articuno's originally clear and pure Origin Energy bit by bit into dark red.
Seeing this, Bai Feng quickly controlled the Golden Finger Energy to expel the scarlet energy.
It works!!! He was pleasantly surprised.
The moment the scarlet energy collided with the Golden Finger Energy, it was like ice and snow meeting the sun, quickly melting away.
In fact, the moment Bai Feng's Golden Finger Energy entered its body, Articuno sensed the difference. It felt a refreshing energy flowing through its body. Wherever the energy passed, all the pain disappeared.
It looked at Bai Feng in surprise, incredibly shaken. "Who is this kid? How can he be so powerful!"
The scarlet energy was extremely stubborn, and it wasn't easy for Bai Feng to clear it. He continued clearing it intermittently for a day and a night before finally clearing all the scarlet energy from Articuno's body.
The moment the scarlet energy disappeared, Articuno felt incredibly light all over. It flapped its wings and soared high, letting out a long cry towards the sky, feeling more comfortable than it ever had in its life.
In the blink of an eye, three more days passed. Bai Feng successively helped Zapdos and Moltres clear the scarlet energy. After doing all this, he felt incredibly exhausted.
But the three Legendary Birds were different; they seemed to see hope in Bai Feng. After fully recovering, the three birds immediately looked at Bai Feng with bright, piercing eyes, as if looking at some rare treasure.
To a certain extent, Bai Feng, who possessed the Golden Finger, was indeed a great treasure.
(End of this chapter)