Chapter 73: The Sea of Red Spider Lilies and the "Welcome Ceremony" in the Punishment Hall
The sea of red spider lilies and the "welcome ceremony" at the torture chamber
The boat finally reached the shore, escaping the suffocating black water swamp. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they stepped onto the solid (albeit muddy) land, feeling as if they had been reborn.
Li Jiuyou and Jiang Xuelan shook off each other's hands almost simultaneously, their movements so violent that it felt like they had touched a red-hot iron. They each turned their heads away, one adjusting their neatly arranged collar, the other smoothing out their wrinkle-free cuffs, attempting to mask the equally pounding heartbeats and lingering embarrassment that could be clearly heard through the blood pact vines.
The ferryman laughed hoarsely. The light of the soul-guiding lantern on the bow gradually dimmed, but a trace of the colorful light seemed to be permanently imprinted on the core of the flame. "Transaction completed. Guests, take care of yourselves." He spoke slowly, and the boat retreated silently, sinking back into the thick miasma, disappearing as if it had never appeared.
"What a weird old guy!" Li Jiuyou cursed in a low voice, trying to dispel the uncomfortable feeling of being seen through.
Jiang Xuelan surveyed his surroundings in silence. At the edge of the swamp lay a seemingly endless, eerie, vibrant sea of crimson flowers. The blossoms, shaped like dragon claws, were leafless, their blood-red petals blooming freely, emitting a sweet fragrance so rich it made one dizzy. It was the legendary "Red Shore Flower."
"Wow! So many beautiful flowers!" Ache wanted to reach out and touch them curiously.
"Don't touch it!" Xuan Jia and Jiang Xuelan stopped him at the same time.
Xuanjia's green eyes turned vigilantly. "The red spider lily, also known as the flower of guidance, has a hallucinogenic fragrance and often blooms at the intersection of yin and yang or in places of great danger. This sea of flowers is so large, I'm afraid it's not simple."
Jiang Xuelan added, "Also, the spiritual energy here is disordered, completely different from the other side of the swamp. It's more like a... forgotten ancient battlefield site." He keenly sensed the lingering solemnity and resentment in the air.
As if to confirm his words—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Without warning, several sharp sword energies shot out from the depths of the sea of flowers, striking directly at everyone's vital points! The sword energy was pure and fierce, carrying the unique aura of immortal sect's skills, but even more ruthless and cunning!
"Be careful!" Li Jiuyou reacted extremely quickly, sweeping the Jinsheng Sword across, and the red-gold demonic fire turned into a barrier, blocking most of the sword energy, sparks flying everywhere!
Jiang Xuelan unsheathed the Frost Silence Sword, and the icy blue sword energy accurately shattered the fish that had escaped the net. His face darkened slightly, "It's the sword formation of the Immortal Sect's Punishment Hall."
A dozen figures slowly emerged from the sea of red spider lilies ahead. Leading them was none other than the Punishment Hall deacon from Xingtong's vision—**Iron Punishment**. His face was as cold as steel, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, and the Punishment Hall token at his waist radiated an icy light. Behind him, the disciples formed an attacking sword formation, their auras united and filled with murderous intent.
"Jiang Xuelan," Tie Xing's voice was like the friction of cold iron, "I follow the order of the Immortal Lord to apprehend the traitor and bring him to justice. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!" His eyes swept over Li Jiuyou and the others, "Anyone who shelters the traitor and associates with the demon race will be guilty of the same crime!"
Li Jiuyou sneered, heaving the Jinsheng Knife on his shoulder: "Kill without mercy? What a big mouth! I want to see if you, a bunch of running dogs of the immortal sect, have the ability to do that!"
The chill in Jiang Xuelan's icy blue eyes grew even colder. "Deacon Tiexing, isn't it too arbitrary to label me a traitor based on only one side of my testimony?"
Tie Xing had no expression on his face: "Whether it was arbitrary or not, we will know for sure when we get back to the punishment hall. Catch him!" He didn't give anyone a chance to explain and gave the order directly!
The sword formation instantly activated! Dozens of disciples from the Punishment Hall intertwined, their swords radiating like a net, enveloping them with the power of confinement and destruction! Simultaneously, Tie Xing himself moved, aiming directly at Jiang Xuelan! His sword was as heavy as a mountain, carrying the pressure of judgment!
"Damn it! Bullying the minority with numbers!" Li Jiuyou roared, and the demonic fire burst out, heading towards the sword formation!
Jiang Xuelan swung his sword to meet Tie Xing, and the frost and heavy sword energy collided with each other, making a deafening roar!
Man Gu roared and protected A Che and Xuan Jia, swinging his bone stick to knock away the flying sword.
The tentacles under Xingtong's skirt were dancing, and the illusion was interfering with the operation of the sword formation, but the disciples of the Punishment Hall had obviously received special training and had a strong mind, so the effect was limited.
Ache held the Jianmu fragments and tried hard to stimulate the green light, trying to purify the increasingly strong murderous aura around him and the oppressive feeling brought by the opponent's formation.
The battle erupted instantly and was incredibly intense! The elite members of the Punishment Hall lived up to their reputation, working in perfect harmony. Their sword formation was immensely powerful, and with Tie Xing, a master nearing the peak of his power, personally leading the charge, even though Li Jiuyou and Jiang Xuelan were formidable, they were temporarily suppressed after battling so many fierce battles and still recovering from their injuries!
To make matters worse, the sea of red spider lilies seemed to be affecting the battle situation. The rich fragrance of the flowers permeated every corner, beginning to corrode everyone's consciousness. Distorted phantoms occasionally appeared before their eyes, and faint, bewitching whispers echoed in their ears, interfering with their judgment and the flow of their strength.
Li Jiuyou was distracted and his arm was almost cut by a sword light. Almost at the same time, Jiang Xuelan felt a sense of tension through the blood contract.
Jiang Xuelan blocked Tie Xing's heavy sword, and her arm felt numb. At the same time, she could clearly sense Li Jiuyou's irritability and the agitation of his demonic power churning at the other end of the blood contract.
This kind of forced "empathy" is simply fatal in battle!
"We can't go on like this!" Man Gu shouted anxiously, "Their sword formation is too difficult to break!"
Iron Punishment's attack became more and more fierce, and he said in a cold voice: "Give up resistance, and you will suffer less physical pain."
Just when the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, Ache, who had been trying to use Jianmu fragments to purify the influence of the sea of flowers, suddenly exclaimed "Huh".
The green light emanating from the Jianmu fragment in his hand seemed to resonate strangely with the sea of red spider lilies. The enchanting blossoms swayed gently under the green light, their hallucinogenic, sinister fragrance seemingly purified, revealing instead a hint of... sadness and protection.
Moreover, Ache felt that the fragments became a little warm, guiding him to look in a certain direction deep in the sea of flowers.
"Senior Brother! Brother Li!" Ache shouted hurriedly, "The fragments... the fragments seem to be talking to these flowers? There... there seems to be something over there!" He pointed to an inconspicuous small mound deep in the sea of flowers.
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