Chapter 105: Divine Artifacts Clash
In the desolate night, everyone sat around the barely erected protective array, some adjusting their breathing, others healing their wounds, the atmosphere heavy and tense.
Mo Yun and Ling Shuang were carefully examining the Bieheqin on Fang Li's lap.
The strange runes on the body of the zither shimmered with a faint spiritual light under the dim moonlight.
“This rune structure…” Mo Yun pondered, tracing a line with his fingertip, “is exceptionally ancient and simple, bearing a resemblance to the ancient restrictions on the sacred mountain of the northern frontier that I once saw in the sect’s ancient books, but it is far more complex and profound.”
Ling Shuang focused her mind, her fingertip gently touching the edge of the rune with a glimmer of spiritual light. She closed her eyes and sensed: "Within the spiritual energy... there is a subtle fluctuation in the void. It doesn't seem like an attack restriction, but more like a... guide, or a key to unlock something."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions became even more solemn, and they couldn't help but gather around.
Just as Mo Yun was trying to probe the depths of the rune with a wisp of purer spiritual energy, attempting to further stimulate its reaction!
bite!
A clear, crisp sound suddenly rang out!
Suddenly, the hairpin in Fang Li's hair shot out on its own without warning, turning into a streak of light and striking the body of the Bieheqin with just the right amount of force!
"??? System! My hairpin has come to life? It can even hit people?!" Fang Li was completely dumbfounded.
[Host! Brother Hairpin is angry!] The system's exclamation exploded in her mind:
"It must be because Brother Qin's attack backfired and hurt you! Domestic violence! This is a scene of domestic violence!"
The sudden knock caused the Bieheqin to tremble violently, emitting a whimper filled with grievance and dissatisfaction. It then floated up on its own, and with a flick of its tail, it struck the Sigui hairpin with a "snap"!
"Hey! The two darlings are fighting?!" Ji Qianqiu's eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed.
Xie Chen's hand, which was waving a fan, suddenly stopped. His eyes flashed with surprise and intense inquiry: "The spirits of the artifacts are fighting each other? They protect their masters on their own and even fight each other... I've never heard of such a thing."
Shen Yunzhou frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword. His sharp gaze swept across the thick darkness of the night, guarding against any danger that this unusual movement might bring.
Under everyone's dumbfounded gaze, the two extraordinary magical artifacts, like sulking children, clattered at each other several times in the air!
The spiritual light flowed with the collision, and the buzzing sound was sometimes rapid and sometimes aggrieved. It seemed to be fighting spirit, but there was no real killing intent. Instead, it revealed a kind of naive spirituality and a kind of indescribable deep bond.
"Help! Are they arguing using a password I don't know? System! Translate it quickly!" Fang Li felt her scalp tingling, and her body, depleted of spiritual energy, felt even more exhausted.
[Translate my foot, host!] The system covered its face in her mind: This is clearly "You hurt my master."
"I didn't mean to!"
"It's all your fault!"
"You hit me again!"
Wait a minute! That aura that Brother Hairpin just emitted... it seems... somewhat familiar?
Just as Tongzi muttered to himself, Siguizan seemed to sense something, her attack slightly paused, and a faint yet warm ripple flowed from the hairpin, gently brushing past Fang Li and also quietly passing through Tongzi in her consciousness.
Tongzi felt his data stream inexplicably stagnate, followed by a chaotic and unfamiliar tremor.
【?! This feeling... is tingling and numb... like... going home? No, no! I am a system! Advanced intelligence! Code! I have no home!】 It forcibly suppressed that strange "feeling" and fell into a brief silence.
In the air, the two magical artifacts seemed to have had their fill of fighting. The hairpin of longing for home dimmed its brilliance and flew back into Fang Li's hair with a "whoosh," obediently putting it back in place, as if its previous "fierce" display was just an illusion.
The Bieheqin gently landed and was caught by Fang Li subconsciously. The mysterious runes on the qin had quietly disappeared, restoring its simple and unadorned appearance.
After this brief incident, everyone's attention returned to Fang Li, whose face was still pale.
Shen Yunzhou silently handed her a jade bottle, the bottle still bearing traces of his refined sword energy: "Meridian Nourishing Pill. Calm the mind." His words were concise, and his gaze lingered on her face for a moment before shifting away.
Xie Chen spoke gently, breaking the silence: "It's a blessing that Junior Sister is unharmed. This zither possesses extraordinary spirituality; although the backlash was dangerous, it also proves its deep connection with you, and good fortune awaits." He naturally changed the subject, "The runes displayed on the zither just now were very clear in their direction. In my opinion, consistent with the clues we've obtained, they point directly to the deeper parts of Black Wind Valley..."
Ji Qianqiu scratched his head, looked at this one and then that one, and finally blurted out, "Junior sister, your face is so pale... how about I carry you on my back? I promise it'll be fast and steady, and I won't make you bounce!"
Chu Yunfan was focused on using silver needles to regulate the disordered energy in Fang Li's body when he heard this and gently but firmly interrupted, "Junior Sister, your spiritual energy is overdrawn, and your meridians are also slightly damaged. You need to rest and recover for several days. You should not move around recklessly, and you should avoid bumpy rides and fatigue." His fingertips gleamed with silver light, and his tone carried the unquestionable authority of a healer.
"Master! Is it too late for me to fall into a coma now?" Fang Li cried out inwardly, but could only manage a weak smile on her face. "Thank you for your concern, fellow disciples. I... I'm alright. I should recover a little after a night of meditation."
Ji Kuangshi then took stock of the remaining manpower and supplies, and ordered them to rest on the spot until dawn before setting off.
Night deepened.
Fang Li sat cross-legged in a corner of the formation, trying her best to guide the medicinal power that Chu Yunfan was receiving and the effects of the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill to nourish his depleted meridians.
In his arms, the leather map he had obtained from the man in the black robe lay quietly.
Suddenly, in the corner of the map, next to the scarlet cross marking the location of Blackwind Valley, an arrow emitting an ominous red light appeared without warning! The arrow was sharp, pointing directly to an unmarked, pitch-black area deeper in the valley!
A faint yet chilling wisp of demonic energy flashed from the arrowhead, its chilling aura piercing to the bone.
System: [Warning! Extremely high concentration of magical energy detected in the host! Host! The map... the map updated itself!]
Fang Li suddenly opened her eyes and looked down at the map in her arms. The ominous red light was slowly seeping into the leather map, as if it were alive, leaving a new mark.
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At the entrance to Black Wind Valley, the sky and earth were as dark as night. Ink-like malevolent energy surged endlessly, emitting piercing shrieks, and frantically eroding the protective spiritual light erected by everyone.
Before his divine sense could extend more than ten feet, it was bound by the thick, malevolent energy and could not move an inch.
Three twisted, pitch-black totem poles, like the fangs of a giant beast, stand at the entrance of the valley. The poles are carved with wolf-shaped demonic patterns of painful struggle, emitting a dark red halo, and intertwine to form a solid barrier, completely blocking the way ahead.
Behind the barrier, the dark mass of wolf riders stood silently, their bloodthirsty gazes piercing through the thick fog.
Dozens of black-robed priests, holding bone staffs, chanted evil incantations in a low voice, continuously injecting the surrounding malevolent energy into the totem pole.
The high priest in the center was emaciated, holding a bone staff inlaid with a dark crystal core, from which countless wronged souls seemed to wail.
His lips moved, but his hoarse voice clearly pierced through the howling wind: "The sacred mountain is a forbidden area. Anyone who trespasses shall die! Offer up your Chaos Dao Foundation, and perhaps... you may be spared your corpse!"
"Playing tricks! Take this!" Ji Kuangshi roared, his bronze aura soaring into the sky. His giant axe, accompanied by a violent gale, slammed down on the nearest totem pole!
Boom—!!!
A deafening roar erupted! The axe blade collided violently with the dark red aura of the barrier, sending up violent ripples!
However, the magical runes on the totem pole suddenly lit up, and a twisted black light actually surged upwards along the axe blade! Ji Kuangshi grunted, his tiger's mouth split open, and his blood surged as he staggered back three steps, each step leaving a deep pit in the ground.
With a wave of his bone staff, the high priest briefly opened several gaps in the barrier, and a dozen elite wolf riders darted out like ghosts, using the dense baleful aura as cover to rush straight to the flanks of the group's formation!
"Don't even think about it!" Shen Yunzhou coldly rebuked. The "Frost Chant" sword hummed as it was drawn from its sheath. He became a blur as he unleashed the "Heavenly Evolution Sword Technique: Breaking Army," the sword light flashing like cold stars, piercing with unparalleled precision into the throats and eye sockets exposed by the charging wolf cavalry! Each strike brought forth a spray of blood.
Xie Chen frowned slightly, his jade fan flashing as the "Nine Palaces Maze Formation" shimmered, forcibly twisting the wolf riders' charging path, causing them to collide and stumble. At the same time, several streams of "Sharp Metal Talisman" light enhanced Shen Yunzhou's sword, while the yellow light of the "Thick Earth Talisman" entered the Ironclad Heavy Shield.
"Well done!" Ji Qianqiu roared as he charged forward, neither dodging nor avoiding. He unleashed his "Rock Fist" and clashed head-on with a wolf rider. The shockwave exploded, and the rider's arm bone broke, sending him flying backward with a scream. Ji Qianqiu himself staggered, blood streaming from his fist.
Seeing that the effects of ordinary spells were greatly weakened by the evil energy, Fang Li quickly changed her mind and tried to attach chaotic spiritual power to a basic "fireball talisman" and shoot it out!
puff…
The Chaos Fireball struck the protective aura of a wolf rider, strangely devouring and assimilating a small portion of it! The wolf rider's movements froze abruptly, revealing a fatal flaw, which Shen Yunzhou swiftly pierced through with his sword!
"System! My Chaotic Mudslide seems to be able to devour evil energy? Although... it doesn't cause any direct damage?" Fang Li tried it again to confirm the effect.
【Host is awesome! The power of chaos can only be devoured! Although it's a minor scratch, it can interrupt the casting animation! Top-notch support!】The system cheered in her mind.
But the wolf riders seemed endless, the priest's evil magic kept interfering, and the "Spirit Erosion Curse" caused everyone's spiritual power to drain faster, the defense line kept shrinking, and the situation was full of danger.
In the midst of the fierce battle, the hairpin in Fang Li's arms suddenly became hot! A feeling of urgency and disgust entered her mind, and at the same time, the tip of the hairpin slightly tilted towards a certain spot on the totem pole to the left where a magical pattern was flowing!
"Huh? Hairpin Bro is angry? It seems... to be giving directions?"
[Brother Zan has sent a signal! Quick! Follow him and charge! He must have discovered a bug in the barrier!] Tong Zi responded.
Xie Chen, who had been observing the flow of spiritual energy within the barrier, suddenly sharpened his gaze. Combining the unusual movement of the Thought-Returning Hairpin with the fluctuations in the spiritual energy of the totem poles, he instantly understood: "So that's how it is! The power of this barrier originates from the three pillars connecting the earth's veins and evil energy, forming a self-contained cycle! The core demonic runes of the three main pillars must be destroyed simultaneously to sever the energy cycle! Or..." He quickened his pace, "find an 'ancient sacrificial artifact' of the same origin that can be integrated into this cycle, and use skillful force to break it from the inside!"
Ji Bailie flicked the wolf rider in front of him with his spear, panting heavily as he roared, "The ancient scrolls of our tribe mention it! The Black Wolf Tribe has passed down a 'Wolf God's Fang' for generations. It is said to be the remains of an ancient wolf god, capable of warding off all evil and controlling all the tribe's barriers! It must have been controlled by that high priest!"
"We can't fight for long! Retreat!" Xie Chen made a decisive move, waving his jade fan and unleashing several "smoke screen talismans." The dense fog and chaotic spiritual energy instantly disrupted the enemy's vision and consciousness.
"Cover the rear!" Shen Yunzhou's sword light faded, and his figure moved like a ghost in the rear ranks, instantly killing three wolf riders who were closest to him.
Ji Kuangshi slammed his giant axe into the ground with a deafening roar, sending up a cloud of rubble and dust that effectively slowed down the pursuers.
The group retreated several miles, temporarily escaping the barrier's range. The wolf riders did not pursue them further, but instead remained behind the barrier, emitting provocative howls.
"Pah! A bunch of cowards! If you've got the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!" Ji Qianqiu muttered angrily as he grimaced as Chu Yunfan treated the deep, bone-revealing claw marks on his arm.
Xie Chen's hand, which was fanning himself, moved slightly slower, and sweat beaded on his forehead, clearly indicating that the calculations he had just performed while controlling the array had taken a heavy toll: "We need to plan this carefully. Forcing our way in is definitely not a good idea."
"Phew... my mana bar is almost empty... this evil aura debuff is disgusting! System, do you have any cheats?" Fang Li leaned against the rock wall, panting, feeling a slight pain in her meridians.
[Hold on, host! No cheat codes yet! But we have Brother Zan's cheat code! And Xie Fox's brains! And Ji Hanhan... uh, Ji Hanhan's muscles!]
Mo Yun, who had been vigilantly observing the surroundings, suddenly pointed to a rock fissure on the side of the valley, formed by years of erosion by the fierce winds: "Everyone! Look there!"
The crack was narrow and hidden, almost completely obscured by shadows and flowing malevolent energy.
"This fissure... the direction of the evil wind is different! There seems to be... a very faint trace of ancient and pure aura remaining inside?" Mo Yun's tone was uncertain, but his eyes were focused.
[Holy crap! A hidden dungeon entrance? Host! Mo Yun, the Tomb Raider Captain, is online! Shall we go for it?] The system immediately perked up upon hearing this.
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