With Lin Yang's cry of "Starfall," countless illusory starlight plummeted towards the statue and runic array like meteors. Amidst the flashes of light, the temple was illuminated as if it were daytime, the powerful impact causing the surrounding air to tremble. The illusory starlight crashed against the black barrier, producing a series of deafening roars. Under the impact of this powerful force, the barrier began to flicker, and cracks appeared.
The puppets seemed to sense the danger, and their attacks became even more frenzied. Ignoring their own damage, they charged towards the group relentlessly. The Xuanfeng Sect elder used the Qingfeng Huaying Technique to defend against the puppets while shouting, "Lin Yang, give it your all! This barrier is about to collapse!" The Yanshen Sect protector activated his flames with all his might, trying to stop the puppets from getting close to Lin Yang and buy him time.
Lin Yang gritted his teeth, maintaining the "Starfall" spell with all his might. Veins bulged on his forehead, and large beads of sweat rolled down his face, but his eyes revealed unwavering determination. Finally, under the continuous impact of the star power, the black barrier shattered with a "bang," turning into countless black fragments that dissipated into the air.
Without the protection of the barrier, the runic array was directly exposed to the attacks of the star-like phantoms. A dazzling light flashed, and the runic array began to tremble violently, its light gradually dimming. As the light of the runic array weakened, the frantically attacking puppets stopped abruptly, frozen in place, and then with a "boom," turned into a pile of scrap metal scattered all over the ground.
The temple finally returned to peace, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Yang withdrew his magic, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him, but he knew he couldn't relax yet. He walked to the statue and carefully examined the mysterious object. Although the statue no longer emitted a red glow, its eerie aura still lingered.
“This statue seems to have a strong connection to a mysterious force; perhaps we can find more clues from it,” Lin Yang said. The crowd gathered around, examining the statue together.
The Flame God Sect Protector frowned and said, "The appearance of this statue seems somewhat similar to the shadowy figure we encountered in the Qingfeng Town mine. Both are shrouded in darkness and exude an evil aura."
The Xuanfeng Sect elder nodded in agreement: "That's right. Moreover, this temple is so secluded, yet it has such strange statues and puppet mechanisms. It seems that the mysterious force is hiding many secrets here."
As everyone was discussing, Lin Yang noticed some small runes engraved on the base of the statue. These runes were similar in style to those seen in the mine, but more complex. Qin Yue also came over and studied the runes with Lin Yang.
After much effort, they finally deciphered part of the runes' meaning. The runes contained information about a "Dark Ritual," suggesting that a mysterious force was preparing a large-scale dark ritual closely related to opening the forbidden gate. The ritual required a large amount of cultivators' blood as offerings, which explained why so many cultivators had disappeared.
"A dark ritual? That doesn't sound like a good thing," a sect disciple said worriedly.
Lin Yang's expression was grave: "It seems the mysterious force's conspiracy is even more terrifying than we imagined. We must find out the exact time and location of the festival as soon as possible and stop them."
Everyone nodded. However, the runes did not explicitly mention the time and place of the festival, leaving only some vague clues. The clues seemed to point to a mysterious valley deep within the Spirit Illusion Mountains, but the exact location was difficult to pinpoint.
“The Spirit Illusion Mountains are vast and boundless; finding that mysterious valley is no easy task,” the Flame God Sect Protector said helplessly.
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yang said, "Although it is difficult, we cannot give up. We can return to the sect first, gather more manpower, and at the same time collect detailed maps and information about the Spirit Illusion Mountain Range for further planning."
So, everyone left the abandoned temple and returned to their respective sects. Lin Yang informed the sect leader and elders of his discovery in the temple, and everyone in the sect realized the urgency of the matter. The sect leader immediately ordered all core disciples to be summoned, and they prepared to head to the Spirit Illusion Mountains to search for the mysterious valley.
Meanwhile, other sects also received the news and responded one after another, deciding to send their elite forces to act together with Lin Yang's sect. Soon, a joint team composed of elites from various sects was assembled and set off towards the Spirit Illusion Mountains.
When they arrived at the foot of the Spirit Illusion Mountains, the mountains were, as always, shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere. Clouds and mist swirled within the mountains, and strange sounds echoed from time to time. Looking at the mountains before him, Lin Yang secretly vowed to uncover the conspiracy of the mysterious forces and stop the Dark Ritual from taking place.
The joint team cautiously entered the Spirit Illusion Mountain Range. The paths within the range were rugged and difficult to traverse, and the surrounding area was filled with all sorts of strange plants and ferocious beasts. While remaining vigilant against attacks from the beasts, the group searched for clues related to the mysterious valley.
During their journey, they encountered a pack of wolf-like demonic beasts. These beasts were enormous and exuded a strong, bloody aura. Upon spotting the group, the beasts immediately let out low growls and surrounded them.
"Everyone be careful, these monsters look tough to deal with," Lin Yang warned. The group quickly formed battle formation, ready to meet the enemy.
The Xuanfeng Sect disciples were the first to act, unleashing the "Azure Cloud Wolf Howl Spell," sending streaks of azure sound waves hurtling towards the wolf pack. Wherever the sound waves passed, the air vibrated, and several demonic beasts were struck, emitting painful howls.
The disciples of the Flame God Sect unleashed "Flame Dragon Strike," sending a giant dragon formed from flames flying from their hands and swooping down on the wolf pack. The fiery dragon bared its fangs and claws, spreading fire wherever it went and engulfing some demonic beasts in the inferno.
Lin Yang, wielding the Starry Golden Sword, charged into the wolf pack. He unleashed the "Starry Dance Technique," causing the sword to shine brightly, and countless star-like sword energies spread outwards. The sword energies crisscrossed, slashing and wounding the approaching demonic beasts.
Disciples from other sects also unleashed their unique abilities, some using ice magic to freeze the demonic beasts, others unleashing powerful attacks with magical artifacts. For a time, the Spirit Illusion Mountains were ablaze with magical light, and shouts of battle mingled with the roars of demonic beasts.
However, these demonic beasts were extremely ferocious. Although many were killed or injured by the group's attacks, they still charged at them relentlessly. One particularly large demonic beast, seemingly the leader of the group, had black flames burning on its fur and a fierce glint in its eyes. It leaped high into the air and pounced on Lin Yang, its massive claws gleaming with a cold light.
Sensing the danger, Lin Yang swiftly used the "Starry Shadow Step," his figure flashing as he dodged the beast leader's attack. Simultaneously, he swung his sword in a backhand thrust towards the beast leader's abdomen. The beast leader reacted extremely quickly, its body twisting in mid-air to avoid a fatal blow, but it was still cut by the sword, blood flowing from the wound.
The demonic beast leader roared angrily, spewing out a stream of black flames that swept towards Lin Yang. Lin Yang immediately activated his "Star Shield," a golden shield enveloping him and blocking the black flames. However, the black flames were extremely hot, and the shield began to flicker under their scorching heat.
Just as Lin Yang was desperately trying to fend off the attack from the demon beast leader, the other demon beasts seized the opportunity to launch an even fiercer attack. The combined team was caught in a fierce battle, their spiritual energy was greatly depleted, and the situation became extremely critical.
"Don't panic, everyone! Focus your efforts on taking down this monster leader first!" Lin Yang shouted. Hearing this, everyone adjusted their attack direction, unleashing a barrage of powerful spells towards the monster leader.
The Xuanfeng Sect disciples amplified the power of the "Azure Cloud Wolf Howl Spell" to its limit, condensing the azure sound waves into a sharp blade that slashed towards the head of the demon beast leader. Meanwhile, the Yanshen Sect disciples fused "Flame Dragon Break" with other fire-based spells, creating an even larger and more powerful fire dragon that once again pounced on the demon beast leader.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yang unleashed the "Star Annihilation Slash," a golden sword aura imbued with world-destroying power, surging towards the demon beast leader along with the group's attacks. Under the combined assault, the demon beast leader finally succumbed. It let out a piercing scream, its massive body crashing to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
With the death of their leader, the other monsters seemed to have lost their leader and began to scatter and flee. The combined team successfully repelled the monsters, but everyone was exhausted.
"Everyone, take a break and recover your spiritual energy. But don't let your guard down; the Spirit Illusion Mountains are fraught with danger," Lin Yang said. Everyone nodded, found a relatively safe place to sit down, and began to recover their spiritual energy.
After resting for a while, the group continued on their way. They followed a stream in the mountains, hoping to find more clues. Suddenly, one of the disciples walking in front shouted, "Come quick, everyone! There are some strange footprints here!"
The crowd rushed over and saw that the footprints on the ground were peculiarly shaped, unlike those left by humans or ordinary monsters. Around the footprints were some strange symbols, which seemed to be some kind of marking.
“These footprints and symbols might be related to the mysterious valley,” Lin Yang said. The group continued following the footprints and symbols, their hearts filled with anticipation, wondering what awaited them. Could they follow these clues to find the mysterious valley and successfully stop the mysterious force's dark ritual? Everything remained uncertain, but everyone pressed on with unwavering faith.
As the group followed the footprints and symbols, the surrounding environment began to change. The once dense forest gradually thinned out, and the vegetation on the ground turned from lush green to dark gray, as if life was slowly fading away. The air grew colder, carrying an eerie atmosphere that sent shivers down their spines.
"This place feels increasingly unsettling, everyone be careful," an elder from the Xuanfeng Sect said warily. The group gripped their weapons tightly and advanced even more cautiously.
After walking for a while, a thick fog appeared ahead. The fog was so dense that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face, making it impossible to discern anything within. Lin Yang frowned. He activated his Star Power, attempting to perceive the situation ahead through the fog, but the Star Power was interfered with by some force within the fog, and the effect was not ideal.
"This fog is strange. Everyone stay close together and don't get separated," Lin Yang said. The group moved closer together, forming a tight line, and slowly stepped into the fog.
As soon as they entered the thick fog, they heard a low roar, seemingly coming from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint the source. Immediately afterward, some dark figures appeared and disappeared in the fog, moving rapidly towards them.
"Prepare for battle!" Lin Yang shouted. The group quickly formed a defensive formation, ready for battle. The dark figures drew closer, gradually becoming clearer; they were a group of twisted monsters. These monsters were covered in sharp spikes, their eyes flashing with an eerie red light, and they emitted a nauseating stench.
Without hesitation, the monsters lunged at the group, baring their fangs and claws. Lin Yang struck first, his Starry Golden Sword tracing a golden arc through the air, its sword energy shooting towards the monsters like lightning. One monster was struck by the sword energy, its spikes snapping off one by one. It let out a painful roar, yet still charged madly towards Lin Yang.
The disciples of the Flame God Sect unleashed their "Flame Burst" technique, sending fireballs exploding amidst the monster horde, scattering flames and engulfing the surrounding creatures. The monsters struggled in the flames, letting out screams of agony, but they seemed unfazed by the fire, stubbornly continuing their attack.
The disciples of the Xuanfeng Sect then cast the "Gentle Breeze Binding Spell," attempting to use the power of the gentle breeze to restrain the monsters' movements. However, these monsters possessed astonishing strength and forcibly broke free from the gentle breeze's restraint, continuing to pounce on the group.
During the fierce battle, Lin Yang noticed that although these monsters seemed powerful, they were actually rather clumsy. He shouted, "Everyone, focus your attacks on their leg joints! That will slow them down!" Hearing this, everyone concentrated their attacks on the monsters' legs.
A disciple from the Jade Balance Sect unleashed the "Jade Balance Sword Shadow Slash," several sharp sword shadows slashing towards the monster's legs, successfully severing one of its legs. The monster lost its balance and fell to the ground. Seeing this, the other disciples followed suit, and for a moment, the monsters' movements became sluggish.
However, the monsters were numerous, pouring out of the thick fog in endless streams. The group's spiritual energy was being depleted rapidly, and the battle had reached a stalemate. Lin Yang knew this couldn't continue; he had to find a way to break the deadlock as soon as possible.
Just then, he suddenly remembered the runes he had deciphered in the temple, which seemed to mention a light capable of dispelling dark forces. A thought struck him: could the dense fog here also be a manifestation of dark power? If he could find that light, would he be able to dispel the fog and see the situation more clearly?
While fending off the monster's attacks, Lin Yang recalled the contents of the runes in his mind. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered that the light mentioned in the runes seemed to have some connection with the power of the stars. He took a deep breath, circulated the power of the stars to its limit, and tried to guide the power of the stars in a special way.
"Starlight Radiance Break!" Lin Yang shouted, and a dazzling golden light burst forth from his body, spreading outwards. Wherever the light passed, the thick fog began to dissipate rapidly, and the monsters, illuminated by the light, let out painful howls as the dark aura on their bodies was gradually dispelled.
As the thick fog dissipated, the group finally saw their surroundings. They found themselves at the entrance to a massive valley, filled with a dense aura of darkness. Deep within the valley, a black altar loomed, its surface shimmering with an eerie light.
"It seems this is the Mysterious Valley. That altar might be related to the Dark Ritual," Lin Yang said. The group gazed at the altar deep within the valley, their eyes filled with determination. They knew the real challenge was about to begin, and they had to do everything in their power to thwart the mysterious forces' plot.
The combined team cautiously ventured deeper into the valley. The closer they got to the altar, the denser the dark aura became, and everyone could feel an immense pressure bearing down on them. Suddenly, numerous black vines, covered in sharp thorns, emerged from the rocks on both sides of the valley and began to coil around the group.
"Watch out for these vines!" Lin Yang shouted. He wielded his Starry Golden Sword, severing the approaching vines. However, the vines seemed endless; as soon as one batch was cut down, another surged forth.
Su Ran cast an ice spell, attempting to freeze the vines. "Ice Prison!" Su Ran shouted, and a large area of vines was encased in ice, but the ice was quickly broken by the vines.
The elders of the Xuanfeng Sect waved their whisks, unleashing the "Gentle Breeze Severing Vines Spell," which transformed a gentle breeze into sharp blades, severing the vines one by one. However, the vines continued to surge forward, greatly hindering the group's progress.
Seeing his predicament, Lin Yang knew he had to find the source of the vines and destroy it to continue. He circulated his Star Power, sensing the surrounding energy, trying to find the vines' origin. Finally, he discovered a powerful dark force surging beneath a boulder on the side of the valley; it was this force controlling the vines.
"Follow me, everyone! The source of the vines is under that boulder!" Lin Yang shouted. Led by him, the group rushed towards the boulder. However, just as they approached the boulder, a group of people dressed in black robes suddenly appeared from behind it.
"You've finally arrived. We've been waiting for you for a long time," the leader of the black-robed men sneered.
"You're from the mysterious force?" Lin Yang glared at the man in black robes.
"That's right, since you're here, don't even think about leaving alive." The black-robed man waved his hand, and the black-robed figures behind him unleashed their spells, attacking the group. A fierce battle erupted once more. Could the allied forces break through the black-robed men's obstruction, successfully destroy the altar, and stop the Dark Ritual from taking place? Everything was shrouded in suspense.
The black-robed figures unleashed a variety of bizarre spells. Some threw black fireballs that split into countless smaller fireballs in mid-air, hurtling towards the group; others cast dark chains, attempting to bind their movements. The united team, undeterred, countered with their own unique techniques.
The disciples of the Flame God Sect unleashed "Flame Dragon Strike" once more, a giant fiery dragon colliding with the black fireball, erupting in dazzling light. The forces of fire and darkness clashed, neither gaining the upper hand for a time. Meanwhile, the disciples of the Profound Wind Sect used "Gentle Breeze Illusionary Steps" to evade the bindings of the dark chains, simultaneously unleashing "Gentle Breeze Blade," a cyan wind blade shooting towards the black-robed figure.
Wielding the Starry Sky Golden Sword, Lin Yang moved with lightning speed, charging into the group of black-robed figures. He unleashed the advanced version of "Starry Sky Rift Slash," "Starry Sky Rift Chaotic Dance Slash," his sword flashing and sword energy crisscrossing, repelling the surrounding black-robed men. However, the black-robed men were numerous and seemed to have undergone special training, coordinating perfectly and launching continuous attacks from all directions.
Su Ran cast ice spells from the rear to provide support for the group. She first cast "Ice Spirit Shield" to protect her teammates who were nearby from attacks, and then she cast "Ice Arrow Rain," with countless ice arrows shooting down from the sky. Many of the black-robed men were hit by the ice arrows and cried out in pain.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Lin Yang noticed that the leader of the black-robed figures seemed to be manipulating something in the shadows. His hands were constantly changing hand seals, and the surrounding dark power surged accordingly. A thought struck Lin Yang, and he decided to eliminate the leader of the black-robed figures first, hoping it would disrupt their formation.
"Cover me, everyone! I'm going to take care of the leader!" Lin Yang shouted. Upon hearing this, the Xuanfeng Sect elders and Yanshen Sect protectors immediately intensified their attacks, drawing the attention of most of the black-robed men. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Yang used his "Starry Sky Instant Shadow Step," charging towards the leading black-robed man at incredible speed.
The leader of the black-robed men saw Lin Yang charging towards him and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He waved his hands, and a black barrier appeared in front of him. At the same time, he chanted incantations and summoned several huge dark wolves, which pounced on Lin Yang.
Lin Yang showed no hesitation. He concentrated the power of the stars into his sword and unleashed the "Starry Demon-Slaying Slash." A golden sword aura, imbued with the powerful purifying force of the stars, slashed towards the Dark Wolf and the black barrier. The sword aura struck the black barrier, causing it to tremble violently and crack. The Dark Wolf was also struck by the sword aura, letting out a series of miserable howls before turning into black smoke and dissipating.
Taking advantage of the black-robed man's surprise, Lin Yang flashed through the shattered barrier and appeared before him. The black-robed man's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cast spells to defend himself. Lin Yang and the black-robed man engaged in close combat, their Starry Golden Sword clashing repeatedly with the black-robed man's dark magic, their lights flashing.
While Lin Yang fought the leader of the black-robed figures, the other black-robed men launched an even fiercer attack on the allied group. The Xuanfeng Sect disciples' breezy spells intertwined with the black-robed men's dark magic, filling the air with cyan and black light. The Flame God Sect disciples' flames roared through the valley, resisting the dark forces. Su Ran continuously cast ice spells, freezing the approaching black-robed men.
However, the black-robed man's attacks grew increasingly fierce, and the allied forces began to suffer casualties. A disciple from the Tianji Sect, while defending against the black-robed man's attacks, was unfortunately entangled in dark chains and subsequently struck by the black-robed man's magic, collapsing into a pool of blood.
"We can't let them succeed!" Lin Yang was filled with grief and anger upon seeing his companion injured. He unleashed an even greater power, and the Starry Golden Sword in his hand shone brightly. "Starry Sky Shatters the Void!" Lin Yang unleashed his strongest move, a massive golden sword aura tearing through space and slashing towards the leading black-robed man.
The leader of the black-robed figures sensed the threat of death. He mustered all his strength, gathering all his dark power before him in an attempt to block the fatal blow. With a deafening roar, the sword energy collided with the dark power, generating a powerful shockwave. The black-robed figure was struck by the sword energy and sent flying backward.
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