Chapter 80: Core Area.
Chapter 80
Bu Xingjin cautiously approached the nearly ten-thousand-year-old dragon ginseng grass, barely a foot tall. Each step was extremely light, as if he feared disturbing this spiritual creature. Finally, he reached the dragon ginseng grass, ready to pluck this rare treasure.
By this time, the cold pond in the deep valley had fallen silent. Dead aquatic beasts floated within, emitting a foul stench of blood. Near the pond, everyone was moving nervously and methodically. Gu Jiuge and Jia Feng were concentrating on plucking younger dragon ginseng grass, their movements deft and careful, fearing to damage these precious spiritual herbs. The others were scattered around, breathing heavily to restore their spiritual energy while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings, fearing any malicious individuals might attempt to snatch them.
Bu Xingjin squatted down, his mind focused, and gently grasped the nearly ten-thousand-year-old dragon ginseng grass with both hands. Strangely, despite its near-ten-thousand-year existence, the grass hadn't developed any intelligence, defying the notion that the older it lives, the more magical it becomes. It obediently allowed him to hold it. He could clearly feel the powerful spiritual energy within the herb trembling slightly in his grasp, as if tinged with a hint of reluctance. A faint smile curled his lips as he prepared to pocket the dragon ginseng grass.
However, the moment he reached out, something strange happened. A strange light suddenly shone from the roots of the dragon ginseng grass. A powerful and strange force surged out from the roots, instantly enveloping Bu Xingjin. The force was cold and eerie, as if it came from another mysterious, forgotten world, carrying with it endless unknowns and dangers.
"Not good!" Bu Xingjin was horrified. He hurriedly channeled his spiritual energy to resist. But the force, as if possessing a will of its own, instantly penetrated his spiritual shield and swept him into a vast vortex. His body spun wildly in the air, the surrounding scenery instantly blurring. Only the whistling sound of the wind whistled past his ears, as if he were being forcibly dragged into an endless abyss by an invisible giant hand.
"Bu Xingjin!" Qing Yan's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. He immediately noticed something unusual and without hesitation, he flashed like a bolt of black lightning in the direction where Bu Xingjin had disappeared. The seemingly ordinary dry branch in his hand, now infused with spiritual power, instantly transformed into a dazzling ray of light. Carrying surging spiritual power fluctuations, it was like a flexible rope, trying to pull Bu Xingjin back from the abyss.
However, the mysterious force was too overpowering, and Qing Yan's powerful attack was like a drop in the ocean, unable to stop Bu Xingjin from being swept away. Seeing this, he gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with determination, and leaped into the vortex that looked like the mouth of a glutton.
"Be careful!" Baili Xuan's pupils suddenly shrank upon seeing this. He shouted loudly, and his figure flashed like a ghost, quickly moving towards Bu Xingjin's direction. His hands danced rapidly, forming a series of mysterious hand seals. In an instant, a dazzling golden light curtain appeared out of thin air, like a shield from the gods, accurately covering Bu Xingjin, adding an indestructible layer of protection to him.
This sudden change stunned everyone around. Gu Jiuge reacted the fastest, his expression solemn as he quickly summoned a magical weapon shaped like a copper bell. As soon as the magic weapon appeared, it shone brightly, instantly transforming into a golden beam that pierced the sky and the earth. Like a sharp sword, it stabbed in the direction where Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan had disappeared. However, the mysterious power, as if it saw through everything, instantly rebounded the beam of light. Gu Jiuge hurriedly reached out to catch the magic weapon, but was knocked back several steps by the recoil force, and a glaring streak of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"What on earth is going on?" Jia Feng's eyes widened as he looked towards the place where the dragon ginseng grass had disappeared. The fear in his eyes seemed to materialize. "Could it be that this dragon ginseng grass is hiding something mysterious?"
But in the blink of an eye, Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan disappeared into the depths of the vortex. No one noticed that just as the vortex was about to close, a slender figure, like a nimble swallow, leaped in at an extremely fast speed and disappeared with the vortex.
Before anyone could recover from the brutal battle with the water beast, they witnessed such a terrifying turn of events. Baili Xuan's face darkened. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid this dragon ginseng grass isn't real dragon ginseng grass. It actually contains the power of teleportation. It must have triggered some ancient restriction within the secret realm."
Gu Jiuge frowned, his face full of confusion: "Then where will they be teleported to? I have never heard of such strange things happening in the Shangli Secret Realm before."
Jia Feng nodded repeatedly and agreed, "Indeed, this is really too bizarre."
Baili Xuan looked around again, his expression solemn. "At this point, panicking is useless. They may have had another adventure. Let's hurry up and collect the dragon ginseng grass and evacuate this place as soon as possible."
At the same time, at the other end of the vortex.
The moment Bu Xingjin was swept away by the mysterious force, his vision suddenly went dark, as if he were being dragged into the void by an invisible giant hand. When he finally opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place.
The deep, cold pools and dense jungles of the valley were gone, replaced by a desolate, silent plain. The cracked ground, like a riverbed that had dried up for a thousand years, was crisscrossed with cracks, devoid of any grass. The leaden sky, like a heavy sheet of lead, was shrouded in a thick layer of dark clouds, shrouding it completely without a single ray of light.
"Where is this?" Bu Xingjin gripped the Blood River Knife tightly in his hand, the blade flashing with cold light. He looked around vigilantly, every inch of his muscles tense as a string, ready to deal with the danger lurking in the dark at any time.
Just as he was filled with suspicion, he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around like a frightened cheetah and saw Qing Yan running towards him.
"Qing Yan!" Bu Xingjin felt relieved, his tense nerves slightly relaxed, but were immediately replaced by new tension, "Why are you here too?"
Qing Yan looked calm. He walked a few steps to him and said, "Seeing you being teleported away, how could I just stand by and watch? I followed you here. Where exactly is this place?"
Bu Xingjin slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion: "I don't know either, but my intuition tells me that this place is probably several times more dangerous than the cold pond before."
As they spoke, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled slightly, like the breath of a sleeping giant. Then, a deep, powerful roar echoed from afar, like thunder rolling across the sky. They looked out, and saw, at the horizon, a dark mass like a surging black tide, sweeping toward them at breakneck speed.
"What is that?" Bu Xingjin narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the haze and see the true face of the black shadow.
Qing Yan's expression suddenly changed, and he said hurriedly, "Not good! It's a herd of monsters! There are so many of them, let's go!"
Bu Xingjin nodded in agreement, and the two of them, like wild horses, ran wildly in opposite directions. But before long, they realized that this plain was like an endless maze. No matter how hard they ran, the scenery around them remained the same, as if they were trapped in an endless cycle.
"We are trapped!" Bu Xingjin stopped panting, his face as solemn as ice.
Qing Yan looked around with a deep gaze and said in a deep voice: "This place may be an illusion, or some kind of mysterious spatial restriction. We must find a way to break it, otherwise, we will be trapped here to death."
At that moment, the thick, dark clouds in the sky seemed to be ripped apart by an invisible giant hand, and a dazzling light, like the light of divine judgment, shone down directly, accurately pointing to the dragon ginseng grass in Bu Xingjin's hand. Under the enveloping light, a magical scene occurred: the dragon ginseng grass slowly melted like ice in the heat, transforming into fine strands of golden light that drifted gracefully into the air.
"What's going on?" Bu Xingjin widened his eyes and watched in astonishment as the dragon ginseng grass in his hand gradually disappeared into thin air.
Qing Yan's eyes flashed, as if he had grasped some key clue: "Perhaps, this dragon ginseng grass is the key to unlocking the core of the secret realm. We have been teleported to the very center of the secret realm, and this place is the core area of the secret realm."
Bu Xingjin frowned, worried: "But how are we going to leave here?"
Qing Yan took a deep breath and calmed himself: "Since the Dragon Ginseng Grass is the key, after it disappears, there will definitely be some changes here. Let's wait and see what happens and be prepared to respond at any time."
As expected, as the dragon ginseng grass completely dissipated, the surrounding landscape began to distort and transform, as if being wantonly kneaded by an invisible giant hand. In the blink of an eye, the barren plains disappeared like a dream, replaced by an ancient and magnificent stone temple.
They were now within the stone hall, the surrounding walls gradually becoming distinct, as if emerging from a dream. Intricate and mysterious runes were carved into the walls, and a faint blue light flickered like will-o'-the-wisp, emanating an ancient and mysterious aura, as if telling of a millennia-old story. It felt as if one had journeyed through time and space, into a mysterious and unknown ancient world.
Bu Xingjin slowly stood up, gripped the long sword tightly in his hand, and looked around vigilantly. A sense of unease inexplicably welled up in his heart, as if a pair of eyes hidden in the dark were quietly watching their every move.
"This... what kind of hell is this place?" Bu Xingjin frowned and muttered to himself in a low voice. His palms tightened slightly unconsciously, and his five fingers turned white due to the force. His spiritual power was like a turbulent undercurrent, quietly flowing in his body. The muscles all over his body were tense as strings, ready to give a fatal counterattack to any danger that might arise.
Qing Yan did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes lightly, as if he had escaped into a quiet and silent spiritual realm, immersing himself in it wholeheartedly, trying to sense the subtle clues hidden in the mysterious space around him.
A moment later, he lifted his eyelids slightly, and his eyes suddenly opened. A gleam of light flashed across his eyes, revealing a hint of indescribable surprise and certainty: "I have detected the aura of the hilt. It is right here!"
"The hilt?" Bu Xingjin froze in his tracks, eyes wide open, as if struck by thunder. He repeated in astonishment, "The hilt is actually here?"
Qing Yan nodded solemnly, his gaze seeming to penetrate layers of fog. "It seems that the inexplicable involvement of you and me in this place is by no means a coincidence. I'm afraid there must be some deeper meaning behind it."
Their eyes met, and in an instant, they understood the unspoken words in each other's eyes, and they both knew clearly in their hearts that from now on, the road ahead would be full of thorns and there would be no peace.
They slowly advanced along the long, eerie passage of the stone hall. On the stone walls on either side, mysterious and complex runes grew denser and denser, like an invisible net enveloping the entire space. The air felt as if infused with lead, heavy and oppressive. Every breath seemed to require an effort, leaving one feeling suffocated.
Suddenly, a dull and powerful roar came from the depths ahead, as if an ancient giant beast had broken free from the shackles of sleep and was slowly waking up. The sound was like a heavy hammer, hitting the two men's hearts hard.
"Be careful!" Qing Yan's eyes flashed, and he shouted in a low voice. The seemingly ordinary dry branch in his hand was instantly wrapped by surging spiritual power, and it shone brightly, like a shooting star. In the blink of an eye, it stretched across the two of them, turning into an indestructible barrier.
Bu Xingjin did not dare to slack off at all. He clenched his teeth and quickly mobilized the spiritual power in his body. The spiritual power was like a burning flame, rushing and roaring in his meridians, making a faint halo around him. The whole person seemed like a sharp blade about to be unsheathed, ready to strike.
However, when they turned a corner cautiously with trepidation in their hearts, the scene that suddenly appeared before their eyes made them feel as if a basin of ice water was poured over their heads, and they both gasped.
A massive stone statue, more than two men tall, slowly rose from the ground with an incredibly slow yet majestic momentum. The statue's body resembled a towering mountain, composed of countless ancient, weathered stones covered in moss and the marks of time, as if it had been sculpted and carved through countless epochs. Its eyes, crimson like pools of blood, gleamed with an eerie and terrifying light within the dim stone hall, like will-o'-the-wisp fire from the Netherworld, staring intently at the intruder.
Like an enraged demon, the stone statue let out a deafening roar. The sound waves, like a materialized storm, impacted every corner of the stone hall, shaking the surrounding runes. Then, like a wild bull out of control, it lunged at the two with immense force.
"Retreat!" Qing Yan's expression was stern, and he shouted again. Under the extreme stimulation of spiritual power, the dry branch in his hand instantly turned into a dazzling sword light, like a sword that splits the sky. With an indomitable momentum, he slashed fiercely at the extremely hard body of the stone statue.
However, what was shocking was that the sword light that seemed to be able to split mountains and rocks was like a dragonfly skimming the water when it struck the stone statue, leaving only a shallow white mark on its surface, as if it had been gently tickled, and could not cause any substantial damage to the behemoth.
Bu Xingjin and Qing Yan stood before the stone statue. The air seemed frozen, heavy and almost suffocating. The statue's massive body looked particularly ferocious in the dim stone hall, its eyes flashing a blood-red light, as if it could see through everything.
Bu Xingjin could feel the pressure emanating from the stone statue, which made it almost impossible for him to breathe.
"What exactly is this stone statue?" Bu Xingjin asked in a low voice. There was a slight tremor in his voice, but he quickly regained his composure.
Qing Yan didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the stone statue, as if he was pondering something. He could sense that this stone statue was no ordinary stone sculpture, but rather contained a powerful force. This force made him feel familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar.
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