The group emerged from the forest outside the Abyss of Illusion, sunlight bathing them. Having survived countless dangers within the Abyss, they all felt a sense of relief at having escaped death. However, they soon sensed something amiss in the atmosphere around them.
The once tranquil town was now bustling with noise. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, gathering in small groups to whisper amongst themselves. Lin Feng and his companions approached a seemingly kind-looking elderly man to inquire about the situation.
The old man looked at them, sighed, and said, "You may not know this, but recently a mysterious force has suddenly appeared in this area. This group is very powerful, plundering cultivation resources everywhere, and has even forcibly occupied several spirit mines. Many sects have tried to stop them, but they have all been driven back. Now the whole region is in a state of panic."
Lin Feng frowned and asked, "Do you know where this mysterious force comes from, and what their characteristics are?"
The old man shook his head: "I don't know. I only know that they act strangely. Everyone is masked, and the leader is a man who exudes a dark aura. I heard that his strength is unfathomable."
Upon hearing this, Su Ran had a vague sense of unease: "Could it be related to the dark forces we encountered in the Abyss of Illusion?"
After a moment of contemplation, the woman in white said, "It's very possible. The Abyss of Illusion is inherently mysterious. Perhaps they discovered something within the abyss, which triggered this conflict."
Xuanfeng's expression was solemn: "No matter what, this group is so arrogant. If we don't stop them, they may bring even greater disaster to this area."
The woman from the Blood Shadow Sect sneered, "Why should we be afraid of them? We've even ventured out of the Illusionary Sea Abyss, why would we be afraid of this rabble?"
Lin Feng nodded: "Let's find a place to stay first, learn more about this mysterious force, and then make a plan."
The group found an inn in the town to stay in. Lin Feng arranged for the Blood Shadow Sect woman and Su Ran to gather intelligence on the mysterious force, while he, Xuan Feng, and the woman in white discussed countermeasures in their inn room.
Before long, Su Ran and the woman from the Blood Shadow Sect returned. Su Ran said with a serious expression, "We've learned that this mysterious force seems to be searching for an ancient artifact. It's said that this artifact possesses world-destroying power, and they're plundering resources everywhere in order to initiate the ritual to find it."
The woman from the Blood Shadow Sect continued, "Furthermore, they have already clashed with several major sects in the vicinity. Although those sects resisted, they all suffered heavy losses. They are now heading towards our town and should arrive soon."
Lin Feng stood up, his eyes resolute: "It seems we can't stand idly by any longer. Senior Xuanfeng, young lady in white, you are quite familiar with the sects in this area. Could you gather some forces willing to resist?"
Xuanfeng nodded and said, "I will contact a few friendly sects and ask them to come and provide support as soon as possible."
The woman in white also said, "I will also go and inform some chivalrous people in the martial arts world. If we work together, we might be able to defeat this mysterious force."
Lin Feng turned to the Blood Shadow Sect woman and Su Ran and said, "You two come with me to set up some defensive measures around the town to delay the mysterious forces as much as possible and wait for reinforcements to arrive."
So, everyone sprang into action. Lin Feng used his ice spirit power to set up layers of ice barriers along the main roads surrounding the town. The ice barriers were incredibly smooth and extremely hard, making them difficult for ordinary people to break through. Su Ran, on the other hand, set up ice spirit traps around the ice barriers; once triggered, sharp ice spikes would erupt from the ground. The Blood Shadow Sect woman hid many traps with blood spirit scimitars at the town's entrance; any mysterious force that stepped in would be met with a sudden attack.
Meanwhile, Xuanfeng and the woman in white were also working diligently to contact various forces. Before long, disciples from various sects and chivalrous figures from the martial arts world arrived in the town. Lin Feng stood on a high point in the town, watching the people arriving one after another, and hope ignited in his heart.
However, the mysterious force moved even faster than they had anticipated. Just as everyone finished their preparations, a series of muffled hoofbeats sounded in the distance. A group of people dressed in black robes and wearing masks rode black steeds, surging towards the town like a black tide.
Leading the group was a tall man, exuding a dense aura of darkness. He gripped a black longsword, its blade gleaming with an eerie light. The man reined in his sword, coldly surveying the crowd in the town, and said, "You ants, how dare you block our way! If you know what's good for you, leave now, or today will be your death day."
Lin Feng stepped forward and said without fear, "You gang of villains have been committing evil deeds and robbing resources everywhere. Today, we will not let you succeed."
The man in black robes looked at Lin Feng and sneered disdainfully, "You lot? A bunch of ignorant fools." With that, he swung his black longsword, and a black sword aura shot towards Lin Feng like lightning.
Lin Feng was prepared and quickly unleashed his ice spirit power, instantly erecting a thick ice wall in front of him. The black sword energy struck the ice wall, producing a piercing sound, and cracks appeared on the surface of the ice wall, but fortunately, it was not breached.
"Hmph, you've got some skill." The man in black robes was slightly surprised, but he quickly revealed a ferocious smile. "So what?" With a wave of his hand, the men in black robes behind him activated their spiritual power, and various dark spells attacked the townspeople like black meteors.
On Lin Feng's side, the various forces reacted swiftly. Xuan Feng raised his staff, chanting incantations, and shields of light appeared above everyone's heads, resisting the attacks of dark magic. The woman in white wielded her longsword, the blade flashing, shattering the approaching dark power one by one. The Blood Shadow Sect woman moved like a ghost through the crowd, her blood-red scimitar constantly shooting out, engaging in close combat with the black-robed man. Su Ran, on the other hand, continuously cast ice magic from the rear, shooting ice shards at the black-robed man, causing them considerable trouble.
In an instant, the sky above the town flashed with light, and shouts of battle shook the heavens. Although the dark power of the black-robed man was formidable, Lin Feng and his companions, with their close cooperation and tenacious fighting spirit, managed to hold their own against him.
The man in black robes grew increasingly frustrated as he failed to break through the defenses. He plunged his black longsword into the ground and began chanting incantations. The ground trembled violently, and black cracks spread from the earth, billowing black smoke from which grotesque ghostly faces emerged, emitting chilling screams.
"Oh no, this is a dark curse technique!" Xuanfeng's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly warned everyone.
As the black smoke spread, many people began to feel dizzy and their spiritual energy circulation slowed down. Some weaker sect disciples and chivalrous individuals even collapsed to the ground, their fates unknown.
Lin Feng was extremely anxious. He knew that if the dark curse wasn't broken quickly, everyone's lives would be in danger. He looked around and suddenly noticed something strange about the ground beneath the black-robed man's feet; it seemed that a dark power was continuously surging from it.
"Perhaps destroying the foundation of his spellcasting can break this curse!" This thought flashed through Lin Feng's mind. Without hesitation, he used his ice spirit power to shoot several ice shards at the ground beneath the black-robed man's feet.
The man in black robes sensed Lin Feng's intention and sneered, "You think you can break my spell so easily?" He swung his long sword, and several black sword energies shot towards the ice shards, instantly shattering them.
Just then, Su Ran seized the opportunity and unleashed a powerful ice spell from the side at the black-robed man. The black-robed man, focused on defending against Lin Feng's attack, was momentarily distracted and struck by Su Ran's ice spell. He staggered, and the spell's execution paused briefly.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Feng exerted all his strength, gathering all his ice elemental power in his hands to form a massive ice sword. With a roar, he charged towards the black-robed man, ice sword in hand. The black-robed man had barely regained his footing when Lin Feng was already upon him. Unable to dodge, he could only raise his black sword to defend himself.
With a deafening boom, the ice sword and the black longsword clashed, unleashing a powerful surge of spiritual energy that radiated outwards from the two figures. The black-robed figures and Lin Feng's group were all forced back by the force of the impact.
The man in black robes felt a powerful chill creep up his arm, and his body began to freeze. Alarmed, he frantically tried to circulate his dark power to break free. But Lin Feng held firm against the ice sword, giving him no chance to breathe.
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a loud phoenix cry suddenly echoed from the sky. Everyone looked up and saw a huge, five-colored phoenix flying towards the battlefield. The phoenix radiated scorching flames and powerful spiritual energy, and wherever it passed, the dark smoke dissipated.
A five-colored phoenix landed in the center of the town, and with a flash of light, transformed into a woman dressed in a five-colored robe. The woman's face was exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes revealed a sense of nobility and majesty.
"It's Feng Wu, the Valley Master of Lingfeng Valley!" Someone in the crowd recognized the woman and exclaimed in surprise.
Feng Wu surveyed the battlefield, her gaze settling on the man in black robes. She coldly declared, "You wicked bunch, how dare you run rampant on this land! Today is your doomsday!" With that, she formed a hand seal, and the five-colored phoenix reappeared, swooping down upon the man in black robes.
The man in black robes felt a sense of fear upon sensing Feng Wu's immense power. However, he knew that retreating now would mean losing everything. He gritted his teeth, gathered all his dark power into his black longsword, and charged towards the five-colored phoenix.
The five-colored phoenix clashed with the black-robed man's black longsword, unleashing a dazzling burst of light.
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