Fierce Battle in the Lake Center and Glimmer of Light at the Formation's Core
The moment the Red Sun Gu, transformed into a fire snake, collided with the Marsh Spirit, the lake surface exploded with mist. The fire snake's fierce flames burned the giant snake's dark blue scales, emitting a sizzling sound. White smoke, shrouded in a burning smell, rose. The Marsh Spirit, in pain, let out a roar that shook the lake. Its massive tail slammed into the water, sending up waves several feet high that swept towards the four people.
Meng Meng immediately stretched the Gu-repelling fabric to its full extent. Blue light condensed into a translucent barrier. Waves crashed against it, sending ripples through the fabric. However, the silver threads along the fabric's edges, strained by the intense force, cracked slightly. She gritted her teeth and poured even more spiritual energy into the fabric. "Hold on! Once the barrier breaks, the miasma will immediately engulf us!"
Lin Xi's brass bell rang rapidly, his fingertips turning white from the effort. The rapid sound waves were no longer a mere distraction; they transformed into invisible blades, repeatedly stabbing at Ze Zhongling's head—the giant snake's weak spot. Ze Zhongling's movements visibly slowed, a flicker of annoyance in his lantern-like eyes. With a sudden jerk of his head, his miasma-filled mouth lunged at Lin Xi, his saliva dripping onto the ground, carving tiny pits in the lakeside mud.
"Be careful!" Zhao Yu suddenly pulled Lin Xi behind him and swung his knife at the snake's mouth. The knife slashed against the Ze Zhongling's scales, leaving only a shallow white mark. The recoil numbed Zhao Yu's arm and caused a dull pain in his knuckles. He stumbled back two steps, and just as he regained his balance, the Ze Zhongling's tail swept toward him with a whistling sound. He could only barely sidestep, and the lotus leaves behind him were shattered, the remaining leaves flying everywhere.
Taking advantage of the moment when Ze Zhongling was restrained by Lin Xi, Su Xiao quickly formed hand seals with her fingertips. The flames of the Red Sun Gu suddenly surged, and the crimson light from the fire snake nearly pierced through the thick fog. "Go!" she shouted softly, and the fire snake turned, no longer fighting, but slithering behind Ze Zhongling. The flames penetrated the gaps between the giant snake's scales and penetrated its body. Ze Zhongling's roars became more shrill, and his body twisted violently on the lake, causing waves that became more violent each time. Meng Meng's barrier began to shake noticeably, and the blue light flickered.
"This isn't a solution. Its scales are too tough for the Red Sun Gu's fire to penetrate!" Su Xiao watched the fire snake's light gradually fade, feeling anxious. While the Red Sun Gu was powerful, it needed her spiritual energy to sustain it. After a long battle, her spiritual energy had been somewhat depleted. Her gaze swept across the stone island in the center of the lake, and a thought suddenly struck her. "Zhao Yu, help me entangle it! I'll go activate the center stone tablet!"
Zhao Yu nodded immediately, shifting his machete to his left hand. With his right hand, he pulled the insect repellent herb he had prepared from his backpack. While the herb had no effect on the Ze Zhongling, it produced a blinding cloud of smoke when ignited. He struck a tinder and ignited the herb, sending a cloud of smoke billowing into the air. The Ze Zhongling's vision was obstructed, and its movements became even more aggressive. Zhao Yu seized the opportunity to circle around the giant snake and repeatedly hack at its belly scales with his machete. These scales were slightly thinner than those on its back, so while they wouldn't pierce through, they would attract its attention.
Su Xiao seized the opportunity, stepping on the withered lotus leaves by the lake, and rushed towards the stone island. The water was ankle-deep and icy cold, but she didn't dare pause. As soon as she stepped onto the stone island, the ancient runes on the stone tablet began to flicker with a faint green light, as if sensing the aura of the evil core in her body. She immediately pulled a evil core from her Gu box and pressed it into the groove in the center of the stone tablet. The evil core fit perfectly into the groove, and the green light of the rune instantly surged. A green light shot out from the top of the stone tablet, piercing the sky.
Ze Zhongling, sensing the power of the array's center, suddenly broke free from Zhao Yu's grasp and charged frantically toward the stone island, his massive head ramming into Su Xiao. Su Xiao was about to dodge when Lin Xi's copper bell suddenly emitted a sharp buzzing sound. The sound waves, like a physical chain, entangled Ze Zhongling's neck, abruptly halting his movements. "Quick! Su Xiao!" Lin Xi's voice trembled, clearly exhausting all his strength.
Su Xiao no longer hesitated, placing both hands on the stone tablet and pouring all his remaining spiritual energy into it. The rune's azure glow grew stronger, and the lake water around the tablet began to swirl, forming a massive vortex. Ze Zhongling's body was pulled by the vortex, unable to approach the stone island. It struggled to break free, but the Red Sun Gu, transformed into a fire snake, suddenly swooped down, its flames piercing the scales of its seven-inch body—the exact spot where the fire snake had left its wound.
"Roar!" Ze Zhongling let out a final, desperate roar. Under the combined influence of the azure light and flames, his body gradually transformed into tiny specks of azure light and merged into the vortex. As Ze Zhongling dissipated, the thick fog on the lake began to dissipate, and the soul-devouring miasma gradually disappeared. Meng Meng's Gu-repelling fabric finally ceased to bear the pressure, and the blue light slowly subsided.
Su Xiao slumped beside the stone tablet, breathing heavily as he watched the vortex gradually subside. The runes on the stone tablet returned to a faint green glow, and the evil core sat securely in its groove, emitting a soft light. Zhao Yu, Lin Xi, and Meng Meng also walked onto the stone island. The four of them smiled at each other, their faces filled with the exhaustion of surviving a disaster, but also with a hint of joy—the second formation center had finally been held.
"Next, it's the Burning Heart Cave," Su Xiao said softly, looking at the gradually clearing sky in the distance. But thinking of the fire leeches that Meng Bo mentioned, which could melt spiritual energy, her brows furrowed slightly again - that place was probably even more dangerous than the Hidden Mist Marsh.
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