Chapter 71: Misty Forest.
Chapter 71 Misty Forest
Sword energy transformed into a rainbow, like a terrifyingly sharp blade, instantly piercing the thick, inky darkness of the misty forest. The vast, all-consuming shadow, under the sword's piercing, almost extreme edge, let out a heart-wrenching scream that shook the surrounding air. Then, torn apart by a pair of invisible, violent hands, it slowly dissipated into the void, leaving no trace.
Bu Xingjin, still trembling with fear, stumbled and hurriedly steadied himself. Looking up, he saw Qing Yan, standing tall and majestic amidst the chaotic mist. His expression was as stern as ever, unfazed by the world's turmoil. The seemingly ordinary dry branch he had casually broken off now radiated a chilling light like frost and snow. The thrilling, life-or-death moment seemed to him like a fleeting, insignificant incident, barely surfacing.
"Are you okay?" Qing Yan's voice penetrated the thick fog and was clearly audible, with a hint of imperceptible concern in it, like a glimmer of light quietly flickering in the cold night.
Bu Xingjin nodded slightly, a warm feeling welling up in his heart, dispelling some of his initial panic. He subconsciously tightened the gleaming Blood River Knife in his hand, his gaze once again firm as a rock. "I'm fine. What was that thing just now?"
Qing Yan's expression remained calm. "They are merely the remnant souls of demonic beasts eroded by the power of the secret realm. They may seem intimidating, but they are nothing to be afraid of." He paused and continued, "I sensed the presence of a sword deep in the dense forest. I must continue on."
Bu Xingjin nodded again, his heart quietly tensing like a drawn crossbow. This misty forest truly held hidden mysteries. He encountered such peril the moment he entered. The journey ahead was likely to be filled with thorns and a perilous journey.
The two continued to struggle forward in the foggy forest. The light emitted by the night pearl seemed quite weak in the fog that was so thick that it seemed to be substantial. Fortunately, it could still barely illuminate the vague road ahead, giving them some guidance.
The whistling sounds around them became more and more frequent. Countless pairs of eyes hidden in the dark abyss were staring at them with greed and malice. Every step they took seemed to be as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Something seems strange here." Bu Xingjin lowered his voice, his words filled with uneasiness, "The fog is getting thicker, and there are these sounds..."
"I know." Qing Yan interrupted, his eyes piercing through the fog, as if he was searching for something, trying to see through the secrets of this misty forest. "I'm afraid there's something strange here. We must be careful."
Before he finished speaking, the surrounding fog was suddenly stirred violently by an invisible force that seemed to come from the Nine Nether Hell, and it surged up like surging black waves.
Immediately afterwards, more shadows emerged from the endless darkness like a tide, rushing towards them from all directions. Their speed was so fast, like lightning across the night sky, making it impossible to defend against them.
Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan quickly stood back to back, like two unshakable mountains, staring around vigilantly, their eyes like hungry wolves, not missing any sign of danger.
Bu Xingjin clenched his teeth, the Blood River Knife in his hand flashed with blood, like a blood-soaked god of war, ready to strike.
Qing Yan's voice was calm and steady, like the sound of a bell in the cold night, each sound was shocking: "Be careful of their attacks, these monsters' residual souls seem to be able to devour spiritual energy, don't be careless."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark shadow suddenly rushed out from the mist, as fast as a black lightning, aiming directly at Bu Xingjin. Bu Xingjin reacted quickly, like a nimble cheetah, and swept out with the Blood River Blade wrapped in a strong wind. The blade and the shadow collided with a loud thud.
However, instead of being dispersed, the shadow let out an even more shrill roar, like a completely enraged demon. Its body expanded instantly, and a powerful suction force surged from the shadow, attempting to devour Bu Xingjin's spiritual power.
"Be careful!" Qing Yan saw this and his body moved like lightning, teleporting in front of Bu Xingjin in an instant. He raised his hand and released a sharp sword energy, like a sword that split the sky, which dispersed the shadow in one fell swoop. At the same time, he moved as nimbly as a monkey and pulled out a jade talisman from his bosom. He muttered something, and in an instant, the jade talisman transformed into a dazzling golden light curtain, like a solid shield, firmly enveloping Bu Xingjin.
"What kind of jade talisman is this?" Bu Xingjin asked, still in shock, his eyes fixed on the golden light curtain.
"This is a defensive jade talisman I found by chance. It can temporarily resist the attacks of the residual souls of these monsters and keep you safe for a while." Qing Yan explained concisely.
"The residual souls of these monsters have a cultivation level close to the stage of distraction. You stay inside and protect yourself well." Qing Yan's voice was calm, and it was obvious that he did not take the residual souls of the monsters too seriously.
"Okay," Bu Xingjin replied, his reliance and trust in Qing Yan increasing. Although he had no knowledge of weapon refining, based on the magical effects of the jade talisman, he knew that if he sold it, it would be worth a fortune, like a rare treasure.
Qing Yan was in front, nonchalantly resisting the remnant soul of the monster that was rushing towards him, while Bu Xingjin was obediently hiding under the protection of the golden light curtain. The two of them fought and walked at the same time, like warriors groping forward in the dark.
However, the shadows around him grew more numerous, and the whistling sounds grew sharper and more piercing, like the howling of ghosts and wolves. Bu Xingjin felt a chill in his heart, and the ominous premonition grew stronger, a gloomy haze hanging over his heart.
"Qing Yan, don't worry about me. I can keep up. We need to speed up." Looking at Qing Yan, who was moving ahead with ease, Bu Xingjin whispered, "I feel like this dense forest is coming alive, like a sleeping giant beast about to awaken."
"Okay." Qing Yan replied briefly.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, they suddenly heard light footsteps from behind. Someone was quietly approaching. Bu Xingjin's heartstrings tightened, like the strings of a twanged instrument, and he whispered, "Someone's coming."
Qing Yan nodded slightly, a gentle nod, indicating that he should not act rashly. The two held their breath, like petrified, waiting quietly for the owner of the footsteps to appear.
A moment later, a figure gradually emerged from the thick fog. He was dressed in a gray robe, holding a long sword. He looked around warily, like a frightened hare. When his gaze fell on Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, like a meteor streaking across the night sky. Then, he smiled friendlyly, "My two fellow Daoists, are you also lost?"
"That's not the case. We want to go deeper into the dense forest." Bu Xingjin saw that the other party had no hostility, so he relaxed his guard a little and nodded in response, "May I know who you are?"
The gray-robed man smiled and said, "My surname is Jia, my given name is 'Feng', and I am a wandering cultivator from Shangli City. I entered this secret realm hoping to try my luck, seek opportunities, and explore for treasures."
Bu Xingjin was moved when he heard this and asked, "Fellow Daoist Jia, are you familiar with this Misty Forest?"
Jia Feng shook his head and said with a wry smile, "This is my first time here too, and I'm completely unfamiliar with this forest. However, since you two fellow Daoists are also here, why don't we travel together so we can look after each other? The remaining spirits of the monsters on the outskirts are so formidable, so the depths must be even more dangerous."
Bu Xingjin looked at Qing Yan and saw that he had no objection, so he nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's go together."
The three of them set out together, Jia Feng leading the way, Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan following closely behind. With Jia Feng's presence, Bu Xingjin's nervousness eased slightly, but he still didn't dare slack off. After all, this misty forest was teeming with dangers; a single misstep could lead to a place of no return, akin to stepping into hell.
After walking for a while, Jia Feng suddenly stopped and turned back to Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan and said, "My two fellow Daoists, something seems to be wrong up ahead."
Bu Xingjin's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Jia Feng raised his hand and pointed ahead, whispering, "Look, the fog is thicker than before, and there's a faint fishy smell in the air, almost like the smell of blood." Bu Xingjin's alarm bells rang. Qing Yan also frowned slightly, his gaze piercing the thick fog, searching for something.
Suddenly, a deep, powerful roar erupted from the dense fog ahead, like the roar of an ancient beast. Something enormous was rapidly approaching. Bu Xingjin's heart trembled, and he subconsciously gripped the Blood River Knife tightly in his hand, as if grasping a lifeline. He whispered, "What is that?"
Qing Yan's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "Be careful, it might be the residual soul of a demon beast in the fusion stage."
As soon as he finished speaking, the thick fog ahead seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand, and a huge black shadow roared out from it, rushing straight towards the three people. The shadow was huge, resembling a giant wolf, its body covered in inky black scales, its eyes were scarlet, its fangs were exposed, and its appearance was ferocious and terrifying, even more terrifying than the hound of hell.
Jia Feng's expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed, "It's a black-scaled wolf! Retreat!"
Bu Xingjin was shocked. The black-scaled wolf was an extremely ferocious monster. Its strength was comparable to that of a cultivator in the Spiritual Dissociation stage when it was just born. The one in front of him had already reached the Fusion stage. Although it was just a remnant soul with only some instincts left, if it fought alone, except for Qing Yan, the two of them in the Nascent Soul stage would be no match for it. It would be like trying to hit a rock with an egg.
Qing Yan didn't retreat at Jia Feng's command. Instead, he took a step forward, like a fearless god of war. He raised his hand and unleashed a stream of unparalleled sword energy, piercing the black-scaled wolf's head. The black-scaled wolf roared angrily, dodging Qing Yan's sword energy with a flash of speed. It then opened its bloody mouth and pounced on Qing Yan like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey.
Seeing this, Bu Xingjin was terrified. He quickly swung his Blood River Knife, slashing at the black-scaled wolf's flank. But the wolf's scales were as hard as iron, leaving only a shallow white mark, incapable of inflicting any damage. It was like an ant trying to shake a tree. Instead, the golden shield surrounding his body took effect, pushing the charging black-scaled wolf back. The price he paid was that the jade talisman shattered after the blow.
Seeing the situation was dire, Jia Feng gritted his teeth, pulled a talisman from his pocket, and, with a desperate gamble, hurled it at the black-scaled wolf. The talisman exploded in mid-air, transforming into a blazing, violent flame that pierced the black-scaled wolf's eyes. The black-scaled wolf roared in pain, its body stagnating slightly, its steps halted.
Qing Yan seized the opportunity and swung his sword fiercely. A stream of sharp sword energy that could split the sky and the earth struck the black-scaled wolf's throat. The black-scaled wolf was unable to dodge and was hit by the sword energy. It instantly turned into a wisp of black smoke, and its huge body collapsed and dissipated into nothingness.
Bu Xingjin breathed a sigh of relief and secretly rejoiced. If it weren't for Qing Yan's extraordinary strength, the two of them would have died here today and had a close call with death.
Jia Feng also breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "Thanks to you two fellow Taoists, otherwise I would not have escaped this disaster today."
After defeating the black-scaled wolf, the three of them paused for breath, catching their breath, like weary travelers resting at a post station. Though the fishy smell lingered in the air, the tension had eased somewhat, like the taut bowstrings loosening a little.
"We shouldn't stay here for long. Let's hurry up and get on with our journey." Qing Yan was the first to break the silence, his eyes still scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
Bu Xingjin and Jia Feng nodded in agreement. The three of them reorganized their formation and quickened their pace, heading deeper into the dense forest. Along the way, the fog clung to them like a sticky, wet cloth. Every step seemed to require immense effort, as if they were stuck in a quagmire. And the faint whistling sound, like a ghostly whisper, occasionally passed by their ears, keeping their nerves on edge, like a frightened bird.
After the Black Scale Wolf's spirit was dispersed, no new spirits of demonic beasts appeared in the dense forest. The three of them walked in silence for about half an incense stick of time. Suddenly, Jia Feng paused, a look of surprise crossed his face. "My two fellow Daoists, there seems to be light ahead!"
Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan's spirits lifted upon hearing this. Looking up, they saw a faint glow peeking through the depths of the thick fog. Hope surged in the three of them, and their pace quickened. Soon, they burst out of the foggy area like a bird freed from a cage.
Suddenly, the view opened up to a tranquil valley, lush with grass and a riot of fallen petals, a scene reminiscent of a paradise. A clear stream meandered through, its edges dotted with a few magical plants emitting a strange glow, like twinkling stars in the night sky.
"This... there is a different world here!" Bu Xingjin couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Jia Feng's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a hint of joy: "It seems our chance has arrived."
Bu Xingjin was extremely excited. Just as he was about to walk towards the spiritual plant by the stream, Qing Yan raised his hand to stop him: "Wait a minute. In this secret realm, seemingly peaceful places often hide dangers. It's better to observe first."
Jia Feng, who was following Bu Xingjin, suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly stopped picking rare spiritual plants. He looked ashamed and said, "Thank you, Daoist Fellow Qing Yan, for reminding me. I was reckless."
The three of them stood there, carefully observing the valley. After a moment, Qing Yan frowned slightly. "Although the spiritual energy here is rich, it's too quiet. I always feel something is wrong."
Bu Xingjin gripped the Blood River Knife tightly and whispered, "I feel the same way. It's as if something is lurking in the dark."
At that moment, the gurgling stream suddenly began to ripple strangely, and dark shadows seemed to swarm beneath the surface. Then, columns of water shot up into the sky. At their summits, several dripping, dragon-like beasts suddenly appeared. Their cold eyes fixed on the three of them, and they let out low roars, like dragons guarding a treasure.
"It's a water dragon beast!" Jia Feng exclaimed. "It's said that this beast likes to live in deep water and is extremely difficult to deal with. I didn't expect it to be hiding in the stream in this valley."
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