Deep within the Misty Forest, Murong Xuan, like a cunning fox, remained constantly vigilant, alert to his surroundings. He nestled in a secluded tree hollow, its walls concealed by dense vines and thorns, blending almost seamlessly into its environment from the outside. Inside, however, lay a different world. Murong Xuan had set up a simple bed and some essential supplies, making it his temporary base in the forest.

He had just returned from an ancient ruin in the forest, where he seemed to have discovered some clues related to his current purpose, but at the same time, he sensed Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er approaching. Murong Xuan knew how formidable these two were, especially their tenacious pursuit, like an inescapable shadow that gave him a major headache. He sat on a rock in a tree hollow, his brow furrowed, and began to ponder a countermeasure.

First, Murong Xuan decided to use the environment of the Misty Forest itself to create more chaos. He took out a cloth bag from the corner of the tree hollow, which contained some special powder he had collected earlier. This powder was extracted from the stamen of a flower called "Psychedelic Flower." Once sprinkled in the air, it would mix with the mist, producing an even stronger psychedelic effect, causing hallucinations, disorientation, and even the seeing of terrifying phantoms. He carefully divided the powder into several small portions, wrapped them in leaves, and then began to arrange them in key locations around the tree hollow.

Then, Murong Xuan thought of the ferocious beasts in the forest. He had lived in the forest for some time and knew its ecology intimately. He knew of a valley that was the den of a pack of venomous wolves. These wolves' teeth and claws contained potent venom; once bitten or scratched, the toxin would spread rapidly, causing complete paralysis. Murong Xuan decided to go to the valley and try to lure the wolves towards the path Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were bound to take.

He quietly left the tree hollow and headed towards the Poison Wolf Valley. During his journey through the forest, Murong Xuan displayed exceptional lightness skills; his figure moved like a ghost through the trees, leaving no obvious trace. As he approached the valley, he heard the incessant howls of poisonous wolves. He stopped and took out a small flute from his waist—a special tool he had previously crafted that could mimic the howls of poisonous wolves.

Murong Xuan began to play his flute, the sound echoing through the valley. Hearing the sound, the wolves mistook it for a call from their own kind and rushed towards its source. Murong Xuan saw the wolves appear, a sly smile playing on his lips. He turned and ran towards the direction where Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er might appear, followed by a pack of ferocious wolves.

As he ran, Murong Xuan used the surrounding environment to conceal his tracks while simultaneously guiding the Poison Wolf. He deliberately avoided areas with traps, such as sharp pits hidden under fallen leaves and areas where branches would suddenly spring out, allowing the Poison Wolf to keep up with him.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er continued forward, following the map clues they had found in the cave. Unaware that Murong Xuan had laid numerous traps for them, they walked ahead. Lin Wan'er carried a tree branch, occasionally waving it through the fog to try and clear the mist and better observe the path.

"Yichen, this forest is becoming increasingly eerie. We need to be even more careful," Lin Wan'er said softly.

“Hmm, I have a feeling that Murong Xuan already knows we’re here, and he’ll definitely be prepared,” Xiao Yichen replied, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Suddenly, Lin Wan'er felt the fog in front of her grow thicker, and strange lights and shadows began to appear. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was seeing things, but the lights and shadows became clearer and clearer. She saw some terrifying scenes: dead villagers reaching out their hands to her, their eyes filled with resentment; and some enemies she had defeated before, charging at her with weapons.

"Yichen, did you see that?" Lin Wan'er asked in a somewhat frightened manner.

Xiao Yichen also saw these illusions, and he knew someone was playing tricks. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and used his inner strength to stabilize his mind. Then he held Lin Wan'er's hand and said, "These are illusions, don't let them affect you. Let's concentrate and imagine the justice in our hearts, and these illusions won't be able to harm us."

Hearing Xiao Yichen's words, Lin Wan'er also tried to concentrate. She thought of the innocent people harmed by Murong Xuan, and of her own mission; the fear in her heart gradually dissipated. Hand in hand, they continued forward through the mist, breaking through this layer of illusion.

However, before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, they heard a deep roar coming from ahead. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er immediately became alert; they knew this was not an illusion, but a real danger was approaching.

As the roars grew closer, the figures of the poisonous wolves came into view. These wolves were agile, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, their teeth flashing coldly in the mist. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er quickly stood back to back, assuming a fighting stance.

"It seems Murong Xuan is trying to use these poisonous wolves to hold us back. We can't let him succeed," Xiao Yichen said.

The wolves launched their attack, splitting into several directions and lunging towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er. Xiao Yichen wielded his sword, the blade flashing, each strike precisely aimed at the wolves' vital points. His swordsmanship was fierce, and the wolves charging in the front were repelled one by one. However, the wolves were numerous, and their continuous attacks kept Xiao Yichen somewhat overwhelmed.

Lin Wan'er used her lightness skill to weave freely among the poisonous wolves. Her sword moved with the agility of a serpent, specifically targeting the wolves' eyes and leg joints. Each of her attacks injured a wolf, weakening its fighting ability.

During the battle, a poisonous wolf caught Xiao Yichen off guard and pounced from the side, its claws reaching for his shoulder. Xiao Yichen sensed the movement behind him, but it was too late to dodge. At that critical moment, Lin Wan'er flew over, blocking the wolf's claws with her sword and then kicking the wolf away.

"Watch out!" Lin Wan'er shouted.

Xiao Yichen nodded, and they continued fighting the poisonous wolves. After a fierce battle, the wolves began to falter. Their casualties mounted, and the remaining wolves grew increasingly fearful, no longer as ferocious as before. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er seized the opportunity, launching a final attack and driving back all the remaining wolves.

They were panting heavily, and had abrasions and bite marks on their bodies. Lin Wan'er took out some herbs from her bag and gave their wounds a simple treatment.

“Murong Xuan won’t give up so easily; we need to keep going,” Xiao Yichen said.

They continued in the direction indicated by the map, while Murong Xuan, seeing from afar that the Poison Wolf hadn't stopped them, felt somewhat annoyed. He decided to launch his next plan.

Murong Xuan arrived near a swamp, where a trap he had set up earlier lay. This trap utilized the swamp's unique environment; he had buried enormous spikes in the swamp and then constructed a seemingly safe passage using ropes and branches. When someone stepped onto the passage, the ropes would trigger the mechanism, causing the passage to collapse rapidly, trapping the person atop the spikes in the swamp.

He camouflaged the area around the trap, making it look like an ordinary swamp. Then, Murong Xuan left some special marks on the nearby trees, which he deliberately left for Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er to see. He knew that with their keen observation skills, they would definitely find the marks and follow them to this place.

After doing all this, Murong Xuan concealed his tracks once more and headed deeper into the forest. He was going to prepare his final and most deadly plan; he wanted to eliminate Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er there, so that they could no longer hinder his plans.

As Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er traveled, they indeed discovered the markings on the trees. Following the markings, they arrived near a swamp. Looking at the swamp, Xiao Yichen felt a sense of unease.

“These markings are too obvious. Could it be a trap set by Murong Xuan?” Xiao Yichen said.

“It’s possible, but we have no other clues, so we can only probe cautiously,” Lin Wan’er replied.

They observed the edge of the swamp for a long time, trying to find a safe path to cross. However, they were unaware that danger lurked in the seemingly normal environment, waiting for them to step into Murong Xuan's carefully designed death trap.

Murong Xuan, like a cunning and ruthless chess player, meticulously laid out his plans on the vast chessboard of the Misty Forest, calculating every move in relation to Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's actions. After setting the trap in the swamp, he rushed deeper into the forest without stopping, where the most crucial link in his plan lay.

Murong Xuan arrived at an ancient stone forest. The stone pillars in the forest were of various shapes, some towering into the clouds, others as thick as giant beasts. They were arranged in a staggered manner, forming a natural maze. However, Murong Xuan was not satisfied with the original complex terrain of the stone forest; he wanted to turn it into a place of death.

He took out several small black beads from the brocade pouch at his waist. These beads looked ordinary, but they were actually "Exploding Flame Beads" that he had spent a lot of time and effort developing. As long as they were subjected to the slightest external impact, the beads would explode, generating powerful flames and shockwaves. Murong Xuan buried the Exploding Flame Beads in various key passages and forks in the stone forest, and then covered them with small branches and leaves to blend them into the surrounding environment.

Next, he found a huge, circular stone slab in the center of the Stone Forest maze. This slab seemed incredibly heavy, but Murong Xuan knew its secrets. He had inscribed special runes on the ground around the slab. Once activated, these runes would cause the slab to release a powerful suction force, pulling everything around it towards the abyss below. The abyss was filled with sharp stalagmites; falling in would be certain death.

After setting up the trap in the stone forest, Murong Xuan created a deceptive illusion at its entrance. He used magic to create several phantoms of himself, which moved back and forth at the entrance, seemingly patrolling, but in reality, to lure Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er into the stone forest. The phantoms' movements and expressions were so lifelike that even those familiar with Murong Xuan would find it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake in a short time.

On this side of the swamp, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were still cautiously observing. Xiao Yichen picked up a stone and threw it towards a seemingly solid spot in the swamp. As soon as the stone landed, the surrounding ground trembled slightly, and then a plume of black smoke, emitting a pungent odor, spewed out from the swamp.

"It really is a trap. We can't go this way," Xiao Yichen said, frowning.

“Then let’s look for another way. Murong Xuan wants us trapped here, but we can’t let him have his way,” Lin Wan’er replied.

They circled the edge of the swamp, hoping to find a path around it. During their journey, they discovered new tracks, seemingly left intentionally, guiding them in one direction. Xiao Yichen crouched down, carefully examining the tracks, his mind filled with doubt.

“These traces are too deliberate; it’s very likely another of Murong Xuan’s schemes. But we don’t have many options right now; we can only follow along and see,” Xiao Yichen said.

They followed the tracks and soon found themselves before a dense thicket of bushes. The bushes were thick with thorns and seemed difficult to traverse. But through the gaps in the bushes, they saw some blurry figures moving about, as if someone were active within them.

"Could it be Murong Xuan inside?" Lin Wan'er asked in a low voice.

"Whether it is or not, we must be careful." Xiao Yichen gripped his sword tightly and slowly walked towards the bushes.

As they approached the bushes, several enormous wild boars suddenly burst forth. These boars were covered in stiff bristles, had red eyes, and spewed hot breath as they charged madly towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er reacted swiftly, each using their lightness skills to evade the boars' charge.

"It's Murong Xuan's trick again. He wants to wear us down," Xiao Yichen said.

They engaged the wild boars in combat. The boars were incredibly strong, each charge carrying immense force. Xiao Yichen seized an opportunity, leaping onto the back of one of the boars and striking its head hard with the hilt of his sword, attempting to stun it. Lin Wan'er, meanwhile, nimbly weaved among the boars, stabbing them in the eyes and leg joints with her sword to weaken their fighting ability.

After a fierce battle, they finally drove the wild boars away. However, they were also exhausted and had sustained some new wounds. They rested briefly by the bushes and tended to their wounds.

“Murong Xuan is definitely watching us from somewhere. We can’t let him laugh at us; we have to keep going,” Xiao Yichen said.

They continued along the trail and soon found themselves at the entrance to the stone forest. Upon seeing the stone forest, both Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt a sense of foreboding. A mysterious aura permeated the stone forest, and phantoms flickered in and out of sight at the entrance, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“There’s definitely something wrong here. We need to be careful,” Lin Wan’er said.

“Yes, this might be another trap set by Murong Xuan, but we have no way out and can only take the risk,” Xiao Yichen replied.

They cautiously entered the stone forest, and as soon as they did, the phantoms rushed towards them. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er immediately drew their swords to meet the attack, but when their swords pierced the phantoms, they vanished in a wisp of green smoke. They then realized that these were just illusions, but in that moment of distraction, their surroundings changed. The original passage seemed to have shifted, and they found themselves in an unfamiliar place. All the surrounding stone pillars looked exactly the same, making it impossible to discern any direction.

"We're trapped. It's a maze," Lin Wan'er said anxiously.

"Don't panic, let's try marking some spots first, maybe that will help us find a way out," Xiao Yichen said.

They carved their marks on the stone pillars and then chose a direction to proceed. As they walked, they discovered some strange footprints. These footprints looked like those left by Murong Xuan, but were different, as if deliberately forged. Xiao Yichen crouched down, carefully examining the footprints, trying to find clues.

“These footprints are suspicious; Murong Xuan is trying to mislead us. We can’t follow them,” Xiao Yichen said.

They changed direction and headed in another direction. However, they hadn't gone far when they triggered a mechanism. Arrows shot out from the cracks in the stone pillars, flying towards them. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er quickly used their lightness skills to dodge the arrows, weaving between the stone pillars, facing constant danger.

“This place is full of traps, we need to be extra careful,” Lin Wan’er said.

They barely managed to avoid the arrow traps and continued onward. At a fork in the road, they discovered some concealed traces. Xiao Yichen parted the leaves and found the Exploding Flame Beads underneath. He was startled, realizing that the entire stone forest was filled with these dangerous objects.

“These are Blazing Pearls. If they explode, we’ll all die. We need to find a way to remove these traps,” Xiao Yichen said.

They carefully studied the structure of the Blazing Beads, trying to find a way to disable them. After much effort, they discovered that they could disable them by cutting the fuses connecting the Blazing Beads. They began to eliminate the threat of the Blazing Beads one by one, a very slow and dangerous process, because if they accidentally triggered a Blazing Bead, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the process of disarming the Exploding Flame Bead, they encountered some new traps, such as stone spikes that would suddenly extend and stone pillars that would rotate. But with their indomitable will and superb martial arts skills, they turned danger into safety time and time again.

However, Murong Xuan was secretly observing their every move. He saw Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er gradually disarming some of the traps in the stone forest, and he felt somewhat annoyed. He decided to activate the mechanism on the stone slab to suck them directly into the abyss.

Murong Xuan arrived at the stone slab in the center of the Stone Forest Maze and began to cast spells to activate the runes on it. As the runes flickered, the stone slab began to emit a powerful suction force. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er, who were in the process of deactivating the Exploding Flame Pearl, suddenly felt a powerful force pulling them, and the surrounding pebbles and leaves flew in one direction.

"Oh no, it's a trap!" Xiao Yichen shouted.

They tried to grab onto the surrounding stone pillars to resist the suction, but the suction grew stronger and stronger, and their bodies began to move involuntarily toward the stone slab. In this critical moment, Xiao Yichen saw a thick vine nearby. He had a flash of inspiration, cut the vine with his sword, and then threw one end of the vine to Lin Wan'er.

"Grab it!" Xiao Yichen shouted.

Lin Wan'er clung tightly to the vines, while Xiao Yichen wrapped the other end of the vines around a stone pillar. They held onto the pillar, resisting the powerful suction. Murong Xuan, seeing that they hadn't been sucked into the abyss, grew even more enraged. He increased the power of his spell, attempting to pull them back again.

Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt their strength dwindling. They knew that if they couldn't escape the suction soon, they would eventually be pulled into the abyss. They began searching for other ways to break the trap, while Murong Xuan waited for them to become exhausted so he could eliminate them in one fell swoop. This life-or-death struggle unfolded fiercely in the stone forest.

The moment Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er stepped into the Misty Forest, they were like two innocent lambs who had strayed into the territory of wolves. The mist enveloped them tightly like thick cotton wool, and with every step they took, it felt as if countless eyes hidden in the shadows were watching them.

A musty smell permeated the forest; the ground beneath their feet was soft and damp, as if it were piled up with withered leaves and debris accumulated over countless years. Occasionally, one or two unknown insects would dart past their feet, their strange glows casting fleeting streaks of light through the mist, sending shivers down their spines.

They walked along what appeared to be a path, surrounded by unusually tall trees, their trunks covered in moss and vines. These vines seemed alive, swaying gently in the breeze, as if asserting their territorial dominance over the intruders. Some vines even had sharp thorns, gleaming coldly in the dim light, like daggers hidden in the shadows.

As Lin Wan'er walked, she suddenly felt her foot slip, as if she had stepped on something soft and yielding. Looking down, she saw a rotting animal carcass half-buried under fallen leaves, crawling with white maggots and emitting a nauseating stench. Lin Wan'er's expression changed slightly, and she subconsciously took a step back, accidentally bumping into Xiao Yichen behind her.

"Be careful." Xiao Yichen helped Lin Wan'er up, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Just then, they heard a soft rustling sound coming from all directions, as if the entire forest was whispering. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er immediately gripped their weapons, stood back to back, and prepared to deal with any potential danger.

As the rustling sound grew closer, they saw blurry figures moving in the mist. These figures were humanoid, yet somewhat distorted, and their movements were quite bizarre. As the figures gradually became clearer, they realized they were a group of strange people dressed in tattered black robes. These strange people wore black masks, revealing only pairs of empty, lifeless eyes, and held rusty scythes with dried blood still clinging to them.

"Who are these people?" Lin Wan'er asked in a low voice, her voice tinged with nervousness.

“Whatever they are, it seems we’re in trouble,” Xiao Yichen replied, his gaze fixed on the strange men in black robes.

The black-robed figure didn't attack immediately. Instead, he slowly circled around Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er, as if observing them or awaiting some command. This silent pressure intensified the tension, and Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er could feel their hearts racing.

Suddenly, a strange figure in black robes let out a sharp cry, like the hooting of an owl. Hearing the cry, the other strange figures raised their scythes and charged towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er. Xiao Yichen was the first to meet the attack; his movements were lightning-fast, his sword transforming into a streak of cold light as he thrust towards the leading black-robed figure. The blade easily pierced the figure's body, but to Xiao Yichen's surprise, the figure did not fall. Instead, it swung its scythe at him.

Lin Wan'er encountered the same situation; her sword struck the black-robed monsters as if hitting a piece of tough leather, leaving only a shallow mark. These black-robed monsters seemed to feel no pain; they attacked relentlessly, plunging Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er into a fierce battle.

During the battle, Xiao Yichen discovered that the weakness of these black-robed monsters seemed to be their heads beneath their masks. Seizing the opportunity, he sidestepped the monster's attack and then swung his sword fiercely at its mask. The blade shattered the mask, and the monster let out a scream before collapsing to the ground.

Seeing that Xiao Yichen's attack was effective, Lin Wan'er imitated him and attacked the black-robed monster's head. After a fierce battle, they finally repelled the group of black-robed monsters, but both of them had exhausted a lot of energy and suffered some injuries.

"These monsters are really troublesome. It seems that this Misty Forest is more dangerous than we imagined," Lin Wan'er said, panting heavily.

“That’s right, we can’t let our guard down. We don’t know what else awaits us,” Xiao Yichen replied.

They continued on, their steps heavy with pain from their wounds and exhaustion. As they walked, they came to the edge of a swamp. A green mist hung over the swamp, within which they could vaguely make out bones and rotting wood. The swamp's surface appeared calm, but bubbles would occasionally rise to the surface, releasing a pungent odor when they burst.

“We have to get around this swamp,” Xiao Yichen said.

They walked along the edge of the swamp, trying to find a safe path. However, the edge of the swamp was not safe either; the ground was slippery and muddy, and there was a risk of slipping and falling into the swamp. As Lin Wan'er was walking, her foot suddenly slipped, and she slid towards the swamp. Xiao Yichen reacted quickly, grabbing Lin Wan'er's arm and pulling her back forcefully.

"Thank you." Lin Wan'er looked at Xiao Yichen gratefully.

“We need to be more careful; this swamp is fraught with danger,” Xiao Yichen said.

Just as they were relieved to have escaped death, they suddenly heard a tremendous roar from the swamp, as if some enormous creature was awakening deep within. Then, they saw the water in the center of the swamp begin to churn violently, and a huge figure slowly rose from the swamp. It was a monster resembling a crocodile, but several times larger than an ordinary crocodile. Its body was covered with hard scales, some of which were still covered with seaweed and mud. The monster's eyes were like two huge green lamps, emitting a fierce light. It opened its blood-red maw, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and roared at Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er.

"What kind of monster is this?" Lin Wan'er asked in horror.

"Whatever it is, we have to face it," Xiao Yichen said. Although he was also a little nervous, he knew that he could not back down now.

The monster swam towards them at incredible speed, creating huge waves in its wake. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er quickly separated, attacking the monster from both sides. Xiao Yichen leaped onto a tree near the swamp and used his lightness skill to fly towards the monster, his sword aimed at its eyes. Sensing danger, the monster abruptly turned its head, dodging Xiao Yichen's attack, while simultaneously sweeping its tail towards him. Unable to gain leverage in mid-air, Xiao Yichen was about to be struck by the monster's tail.

Seeing this, Lin Wan'er unleashed her ultimate technique, channeling her inner strength into her sword and slashing a sword aura towards the monster's tail. The sword aura struck the monster's tail, causing little damage but deflecting its attack. Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity to land on the ground, narrowly escaping death.

They continued fighting the monster, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er working together to try and find its weakness. During the battle, they discovered that the monster's belly scales were relatively thin, seemingly an vulnerable spot. Xiao Yichen drew the monster's attention, running back and forth along the edge of the swamp, enraging the monster, which gave chase. Lin Wan'er then seized the opportunity to circle around behind the monster and thrust her weapon at its belly.

Lin Wan'er's sword successfully pierced the monster's abdominal scales. The monster let out a painful roar and struggled frantically, its massive body rolling in the swamp, splashing up a large amount of muddy water. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er took the opportunity to move away from the monster. They knew this was a chance, and they had to deliver a fatal blow while the monster was injured.

They charged at the monster again. Xiao Yichen leaped onto its back and plunged his sword into its wounds, while Lin Wan'er attacked its head. After a fierce battle, the monster was finally defeated, its massive body sinking into the swamp.

They sat wearily on the edge of the swamp, covered in mud and wounds. The battle had nearly exhausted them, but they knew they couldn't stay there too long, for more unknown dangers awaited them in the Misty Forest.

“We have to keep going. I wonder what Murong Xuan is up to this time,” Xiao Yichen said.

They stood up and dragged their weary bodies onward. They hadn't gone far when they discovered an ancient, broken bridge emerging from the mist ahead. The bridge spanned a wide river, its structure dilapidated, sections broken, leaving only rickety planks and ropes. The river roared and surged, its waters an eerie black, as if concealing countless secrets.

"How are we going to get across?" Lin Wan'er asked, looking at the broken bridge.

“This bridge looks dangerous, but we have no other choice but to try to repair it or find another way to cross the river,” Xiao Yichen replied.

They approached the broken bridge and began examining its structure. During the inspection, they discovered strange symbols and markings on the bridge, symbols that seemed to possess some kind of mysterious power. Xiao Yichen attempted to decipher these symbols, but they were too ancient and complex for him to understand immediately. Just as they were studying the broken bridge, they suddenly heard a melodious song. The song came from downstream, sounding ethereal and eerie, as if possessing a magical power that drew people closer.

“This singing… seems to be seducing us,” Lin Wan’er said, frowning.

"Don't be fooled by it; this is definitely another danger," Xiao Yichen said.

However, the song grew closer and louder, as if an invisible hand was pulling at their souls. They struggled to resist the song's allure, but their bodies began to move uncontrollably towards it. They knew that if they couldn't escape the song's control, they might find themselves in an even more dangerous situation. In this misty forest, unknown dangers, like shadows in the darkness, relentlessly approached them, and they were struggling on the edge of life and death.