During the break, Huo Xiuxiu took out the two bells again and gently shook them. The bells emitted a clear and melodious sound, seemingly engaging in some kind of mysterious communication with the surrounding mist. Zhang Shi noticed that as the bells rang, the surrounding mist seemed to undergo a subtle change, becoming slightly thinner.
"This bell...can it really dispel the fog?" Ge Dalong asked curiously, his eyes flashing with surprise.
Huo Xiuxiu nodded gently and explained, "These two bells can clear one's mind and temporarily weaken the power of the fog, giving us some freedom of sight and movement. However, the effect is limited, and we must find a real way to leave this place as soon as possible."
Zhang Shi secretly rejoiced, thankful he hadn't lost the bell; otherwise, their situation might be even more precarious now. He then asked, "Miss Huo, how much do you know about the curse in this mist? Is it possible to find a way to lift it?"
Huo Xiuxiu shook her head, a hint of helplessness on her face: "The root of the curse lies deep beneath this land, closely connected to the history of Huo Family Village. To lift the curse, we must find the source of the curse, but that is almost an impossible task. Our goal now is simply to find a safe way out."
As they talked, the fog seemed to dissipate briefly, allowing them to glimpse blurry outlines in the distance. Zhang Shi keenly noticed this and suggested, "While the fog is thinning, shouldn't we take the opportunity to travel a little further?"
After a moment's consideration, Huo Xiuxiu finally agreed to the proposal. They resumed their journey, taking advantage of the brief dissipation of the fog to speed up their progress.
However, their good fortune was short-lived. As they ventured deeper into the mist, the surrounding scenery began to turn eerie. Trees twisted and deformed, as if contorted by an unseen force; vines on the ground wriggled like living creatures, trying to entangle their feet. Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong had to proceed with even greater caution, fearing they might inadvertently fall into danger.
"Watch out!" Huo Xiuxiu suddenly warned in a low voice, her voice tinged with tension. "I sense something approaching nearby."
Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong immediately became alert, gripping their weapons tightly and scanning their surroundings warily. Just then, a gigantic, emaciated beast burst forth from the mist, charging straight towards them.
Zhang Shi reacted swiftly, slashing his blade and narrowly missing the giant beast. But it didn't retreat; instead, it attacked again. Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong fought back together, but the beast's speed and strength were beyond their expectations, leaving them struggling to defend themselves.
At the critical moment, the bell in Huo Xiuxiu's hand rang again. The clear sound seemed to possess some kind of magic, instantly slowing down the giant beast's movements. Zhang Shi, Zhao Feng, and Ge Dalong joined forces to counterattack, injuring the giant beast and driving it back.
"What is this thing?" Ge Dalong asked, panting heavily, his face full of doubt. This creature was different from the dark figures he had seen outside the village.
“Cursed creatures, driven by the evil forces in the mist, have become the guardians of this land,” Huo Xiuxiu explained. “We must be even more careful; there may be many more such creatures.”
Zhang Shi's heart sank. If the monsters in the mist were all as powerful as the giant beast from before, he knew the road ahead would be even more difficult. But he also understood that they had no way back; they could only go down this path until they found hope of leaving this place.
After exploring for half a day, the group encountered several more creatures in the mist. With Huo Xiuxiu's help, nothing unexpected happened, and the group worked together to defeat all the monsters.
Huo Xiuxiu looked up at the gray sky shrouded in mist and said to the group.
"It's getting late, and the nights here are dangerous. Let's stop here for today and head back to the cabin the way we came."
Zhang Shi and the other two nodded, agreeing with Huo Xiuxiu's words, and followed the marks back. They hadn't gone far when the fog ahead suddenly thickened, and shouts and sounds of fighting could be heard intermittently.
Zhang Shi looked at Huo Xiuxiu and asked.
"So, should we take a detour?"
Huo Xiuxiu shook her head, her eyes filled with confidence.
"Changing direction in this fog is suicide. Even if there are some formidable monsters ahead, we have to find a way to force our way through."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi and the others drew their weapons and prepared for battle. In this foggy area, Huo Xiuxiu was their greatest asset. Following her instructions would be much safer than blindly venturing out on their own.
The group carefully followed the marks and groped their way forward. The sounds in the mist grew clearer, and Zhang Shi could vaguely make out that two creatures were fighting ahead. Huo Xiuxiu gently shook a bell, temporarily dispelling the mist and opening up a wider field of vision for everyone, allowing them to see the scene before them.
In the open space, a winged, decaying humanoid creature stood in front, seemingly a winged human. It held a rusty spear in its hand, indicating that it possessed a certain level of intelligence.
The other side turned out to be the three-headed monster that had been devoured by the earth beast along with them. At this moment, the three-headed monster was smaller than before, and it seemed that it had paid a price for escaping from underground.
Zhang Shi looked at its three heads, all of which were intact. It seemed that Chen Beipan and the old woman could still be saved. However, even though they were so close, his contractual connection with Chen Beipan was very weak, as if it had been blocked by some means.
Both the winged man and the three-headed monster noticed Zhang Shi and his group when they suddenly appeared. The winged man ignored Zhang Shi and the others and charged at the three-headed monster with his spear, seemingly determined to fight it to the death.
The three-headed monster, however, began to have second thoughts. He already had old grudges against Zhang Shi and the others, and now he had a new enemy, the winged people. Fearing being attacked from both sides, he decided to defend and retreat step by step into the mist behind him.
"Don't let him get away, capture him alive."
Zhang Shi whispered instructions to his companions, then picked up Lao Duan and joined the battle.
The three-headed monster knew Zhang Shi's power. Its three heads roared to the sky in unison, and its body condensed back into human form, copying Old Duan in its hand.
With Huo Xiuxiu backing him up, Zhang Shi was no longer worried. He flashed behind the three-headed monster, unleashing powerful and sweeping attacks, quickly leaving numerous blade marks on its body. To Zhang Shi's surprise, the winged monster seemed displeased with his sudden appearance, roaring and turning its attention to him. Fortunately, Zhao Feng and Ge Dalong intervened, stopping the winged monster from joining the battle and causing further trouble.
During the battle, Zhang Shi noticed that the three-headed monster's self-healing ability had slowed down considerably, indicating that something had happened to it and the situation was not good.
"I'll take advantage of your illness and kill you!"
Zhang Shi's moves became increasingly fierce, and the three-headed monster was quickly defeated, only able to rely on its self-healing ability to keep fleeing through the mist.
Zhang Shi didn't dare stray too far from his companions, so he slowed down his attack, but he managed to entangle the three-headed monster, preventing him from escaping.
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