The mist, thick as ink, spread wildly through the forest, every breath of air seemingly permeated with the tense atmosphere of the battle between good and evil. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er stood by the ancient broken bridge, struggling to resist the allure of the ethereal and eerie song. Fine beads of sweat had formed on their foreheads, their eyes revealing determination, but their hearts were as taut as a bowstring.
Xiao Yichen knew all too well that this song was yet another sinister seduction within the Misty Forest, like the whispers of a demon, attempting to erode their will and lead them into an abyss of no return. He forcibly steadied his mind, circulating his inner energy, trying to form a barrier within his body to resist this invisible demonic power. His gaze was fixed on Lin Wan'er, seeing her also struggling desperately, her lips trembling slightly, as if she were silently chanting something to stay conscious.
"Wan'er, concentrate! This is an attack from evil thoughts. We cannot be defeated by it!" Xiao Yichen shouted loudly, his voice piercing through the mist and reaching Lin Wan'er's ears.
Hearing Xiao Yichen's call, Lin Wan'er nodded slightly. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and recalled the righteous beliefs she had upheld throughout her journey. The faces of the innocent people harmed by Murong Xuan flashed through her mind; their pain and despair transformed into a force that rekindled Lin Wan'er's resolve. She suddenly opened her eyes, slammed her sword heavily on the ground, and shouted, "Break!" With this shout, the song lingering in her ears seemed to weaken slightly.
Seeing this, Xiao Yichen also unleashed his internal energy cultivation technique. He formed hand seals and chanted incantations. A surge of pure internal energy erupted from his dantian, transforming into a white light that enveloped him and Lin Wan'er. Under the light, the song gradually dissipated, and some of the surrounding mist was also dispersed. They finally broke free from the allure of the song.
"That was close. The evil magic in this misty forest is getting more and more bizarre," Lin Wan'er said with lingering fear.
“That’s right, Murong Xuan must have used the evil power in this forest to deal with us. We must find him as soon as possible and stop him from continuing his evil deeds.” Xiao Yichen clenched his fist. He could feel the forces of good and evil clashing fiercely in this forest, and they were at the eye of the storm.
Deep within the Misty Forest, Murong Xuan stood before an ancient altar. The altar was laden with strange objects: a crystal skull radiating an eerie light, a black stone slab inscribed with runes, and various unidentified herbs and powders. Murong Xuan, clad in a black robe, wore a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he could already see his wicked goal about to be achieved.
"Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, do you think you can stop me? The evil power in this Misty Forest will all be at my disposal. You are just courting death," Murong Xuan muttered to himself. He stretched out his hands and began to make complex hand gestures on the altar, chanting ancient incantations. With his movements, the air around the altar began to fluctuate violently, and the previously still objects seemed to be given life, beginning to tremble slightly.
A powerful black aura surged from beneath the altar, slowly rising and enveloping Murong Xuan. This black aura contained countless resentments and evil forces; it was the negative energy left behind by the creatures devoured by the Misty Forest over the years. Murong Xuan greedily absorbed this power, and black arcs of electricity began to flicker around his body as his power steadily increased.
"Once I fully master this power, you will all become my stepping stones." Murong Xuan laughed wildly, his laughter echoing through the forest, causing the surrounding trees to tremble.
After resting briefly by the broken bridge, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er decided to continue their search for a way to cross the river. They carefully observed the bridge's structure and discovered that although most of it was broken, some thick ropes still connected the two banks. These ropes looked very strong and might be used to build a simple passage.
“We can try to cross the river using these ropes, but be careful, the water looks dangerous,” Xiao Yichen said.
They began to move. Lin Wan'er, who was better at light footwork, took the lead and slid down the rope towards the center of the river. However, when she was halfway down, she suddenly felt a powerful force pulling on the rope, as if something in the river was trying to drag her down.
"Yichen, something is pulling me!" Lin Wan'er shouted.
Seeing this, Xiao Yichen hurriedly grabbed the rope and pulled back with all his might. He could feel a tremendous resistance, as if an invisible behemoth was fighting against him underwater. Just then, a huge whirlpool surged in the river, and some blurry figures appeared in the whirlpool. These figures were humanoid, but their bodies emitted a black light, and their eyes were like two burning black flames, filled with malice.
"It's a water ghost!" Xiao Yichen was shocked. He had heard that there were water ghosts in the rivers of the Misty Forest, which were formed from resentment and would drag people into the water to suck their souls.
Xiao Yichen increased the output of his internal energy; his hands were bleeding profusely from the ropes, but he still held on tightly. Lin Wan'er also struggled, thrusting her sword into the water to try and drive away the water ghosts. With their combined efforts, they finally escaped the water ghosts' clutches and returned to shore.
"This river is too dangerous, we need to think of another way," Lin Wan'er said, panting heavily.
As they searched for other ways to cross the river, they suddenly discovered some huge tree trunks on the bank. These trunks appeared to have been washed ashore by a flood. Xiao Yichen had a flash of inspiration and thought of using them to build a pontoon bridge. They began to move the trunks, dragging them one by one to the riverbank, and then tied them together with vines.
As they built the pontoon bridge, they could feel countless eyes watching them from the surrounding mist, and the tension between good and evil grew increasingly intense. Every movement felt like a race against the evil forces lurking in the shadows; they knew Murong Xuan wouldn't give them much time.
Just as the pontoon bridge was nearing completion, several black arrows suddenly shot out from the forest. These arrows were incredibly fast and carried a pungent odor, clearly indicating they had been poisoned. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er hurriedly dodged, the arrows landing in the ground around them and kicking up clouds of dust.
"Someone is attacking us!" Lin Wan'er shouted.
They looked in the direction from which the arrows had come, and saw several figures emerge from the mist. These figures were dressed in black night clothes, their faces covered with black cloth, revealing only pairs of cold eyes. They were armed and charged towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er.
"It seems to be Murong Xuan's men," Xiao Yichen said, gripping his sword tightly, ready to face the enemy.
A fierce battle immediately ensued. The men in black were highly skilled in martial arts, their teamwork was impeccable, and their moves were ruthless. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er stood back to back, maneuvering against the men in black. Xiao Yichen's swordsmanship was sharp, each strike imbued with powerful internal energy, forcing back any approaching men in black. Lin Wan'er, on the other hand, used her lightness skill to weave among the men in black, her sword as agile as a serpent, searching for any openings in her enemies.
During the battle, Xiao Yichen noticed that the attacks of these men in black seemed to follow a certain pattern; they appeared to be fighting according to some kind of formation. He carefully observed their movements, trying to find a way to break the formation.
"Wan'er, they are attacking according to the formation. Let's disrupt their rhythm first," Xiao Yichen shouted.
Lin Wan'er nodded. She unleashed her ultimate technique, concentrating her inner strength at the tip of her sword and thrusting it towards the densely packed group of men in black. This sword strike transformed into a powerful sword aura, instantly shattering the men's formation and throwing them into chaos.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Yichen launched an attack, charging into the group of men in black as if they were nothing. His sword flashed, knocking down one after another. Lin Wan'er was not to be outdone; she and Xiao Yichen worked together to defeat the remaining men in black.
"Murong Xuan really goes to any lengths, even sending out his subordinates," Lin Wan'er said.
“He’s trying to stall us. We can’t let him succeed. We need to cross the river as soon as possible,” Xiao Yichen replied.
They continued building the pontoon bridge, and amidst the tense atmosphere of the battle between good and evil, they finally completed it. They carefully stepped onto the bridge and headed towards the other side of the river. Meanwhile, Murong Xuan had also completed his evil ritual at the altar. He sensed the defeat of his subordinates, but he paid no heed, for he now possessed far greater power.
"Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, your death is imminent." Murong Xuan stared in the direction they had left, his eyes flashing with icy killing intent. He chased after them with powerful evil energy, and the final showdown between good and evil was about to begin.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er cautiously crossed the pontoon bridge, each step taken with extreme care, as if afraid the makeshift bridge might suddenly collapse. The river below roared and surged, its black currents seeming to conceal countless unknown dangers, ready to swallow them at any moment. When they successfully reached the other side, they breathed a sigh of relief, but their tense nerves did not relax, for they knew that Murong Xuan's threat remained ever-present.
Stepping onto the riverbank, the surrounding fog seemed to thicken even more, compressing visibility to just a few steps ahead. The ground was damp and muddy, covered with messy footprints, some left by wild animals, others with strange, indistinguishable shapes. Xiao Yichen crouched down, carefully examining the footprints, his brow furrowed slightly, his eyes focused and sharp.
“These footprints are a bit strange. Look here.” Xiao Yichen pointed to some of the footprints and said to Lin Wan’er, “The depth and spacing of these footprints are not uniform. It looks like someone deliberately disguised them, but the method is very rough. It should be the work of Murong Xuan’s men in a hurry.”
Lin Wan'er looked in the direction Xiao Yichen pointed and also noticed these clues. "That's right, they wanted to mislead us, but they left such an obvious flaw. However, this also shows that we are heading in the right direction, and Murong Xuan is very likely nearby."
They followed the suspicious footprints, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Suddenly, Lin Wan'er noticed a new, deep scratch on a nearby tree, as if made by a sharp object. She approached the trunk and examined it closely, discovering that the scratch was shaped like an arrow, pointing in a specific direction.
"Yichen, look at this," Lin Wan'er called out.
Xiao Yichen walked over, looked at the arrow marks on the tree, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "This could be a clue accidentally left by Murong Xuan's men, or a trap deliberately set, but we can't let any possibility go unnoticed."
They decided to follow the direction the arrow pointed, becoming more cautious along the way. They hadn't gone far when they came to a thicket of bushes. The bushes were so dense that it was almost impossible to pass, but at the edge, some broken branches and flattened grass formed a narrow path that was barely passable.
“There are new tracks here. It seems we have to go this way,” Xiao Yichen said. He took the lead and stepped into the path through the bushes, his sword ready to clear any obstacles that might appear.
While traversing the bushes, they discovered some small strips of cloth. The cloth was made of a special kind of silk, the kind that could only be bought in the high-end silk shops of the capital. Xiao Yichen picked up the strips, a thought striking him. He remembered seeing similar silk decorations on Murong Xuan's clothes during a confrontation.
“This belongs to Murong Xuan. We’re getting closer to him,” Xiao Yichen said, his eyes revealing a hint of excitement, but even more so, wariness.
Lin Wan'er looked at the strip of cloth and nodded. "He certainly didn't expect that these small items would become clues for us to track him down. However, we still need to be careful; this might be bait he deliberately left behind."
Continuing onward, the bushes gradually thinned out, revealing a small valley ahead. A light mist hung in the air, and the surrounding rocks were covered with moss and some unidentified small plants. At the valley's entrance, they found some charred marks, suggesting that someone had recently lit a fire there.
Xiao Yichen walked to the charred area, squatted down, and touched the ground with his hand. "It's still warm, which means someone stayed here not long ago." He stood up, looked around, and found some blurry footprints leading into the depths of the valley.
They followed the footprints into the valley, where the air was damp and heavy. As they walked, they heard a faint dripping sound, echoing clearly in the silent valley. The dripping grew louder as they went deeper, until finally they saw a small waterfall. The waterfall cascaded down a rocky wall on one side of the valley, the water crashing into a pool below and splashing up in sprays.
At the edge of the pool, they discovered some strange symbols carved into the surrounding rocks. These symbols appeared to be some kind of ancient script, but neither Xiao Yichen nor Lin Wan'er recognized them. The symbols were deeply carved, and the surrounding rocks showed signs of being polished, clearly indicating that someone had deliberately done them.
“These symbols might have some special meaning, perhaps related to Murong Xuan’s purpose,” Lin Wan’er said.
Xiao Yichen carefully observed the symbols, trying to find clues from their shapes and arrangements. Suddenly, he noticed that several of the symbols were similar in shape to a description of mysterious powers he had once seen in an ancient book.
“I think I’ve seen similar symbols in ancient books. They seem to be related to a mysterious formation that can enhance one’s power. Could it be that Murong Xuan is looking for such a formation?” Xiao Yichen said.
As they studied the symbols by the pool, the surrounding mist began to change. The previously evenly distributed mist started flowing in one direction, forming a vortex. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er immediately became alert, sensing that this change in the mist might be a sign that some kind of mechanism had been triggered.
"Be careful, there might be danger," Xiao Yichen said, as he and Lin Wan'er stood back to back, watching the surrounding fog.
Just then, several flashes of cold light shot out from the mist, like hidden weapons. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er reacted quickly, wielding their swords to deflect the weapons one by one. The weapons fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and they then realized that they were some strangely shaped darts, their tips gleaming with a blue light, clearly poisoned.
“It’s another trap set by Murong Xuan,” Lin Wan’er said, a hint of anger in her eyes.
They continued exploring the valley, searching for a possible path leading to Murong Xuan's hiding place. Behind the waterfall, they discovered a secluded cave. The cave entrance was small, hidden by vines and weeds, and difficult to spot without careful observation.
Xiao Yichen pushed aside the vines and peered into the cave. It was pitch black inside, emitting a pungent odor. He took out a tinderbox, lit it, and cautiously entered the cave. Lin Wan'er followed closely behind, their figures moving slowly through the cave in the dim light.
The walls inside the cave were very smooth, as if they had been polished by hand. On the walls, they discovered some new symbols and patterns, which depicted scenes of people performing some kind of mysterious ritual. One of the figures looked very much like Murong Xuan.
"It seems this cave is closely related to Murong Xuan; he might very well be inside," Xiao Yichen said.
They continued deeper into the cave, the passage sometimes narrow, sometimes wide. In a wider area, they found some tattered boxes and miscellaneous items. The boxes had been opened, and their contents were scattered all over the ground: some old books, moldy rations, and some strange little objects.
Xiao Yichen picked up an ancient book, opened it, and found that it recorded some legends and secrets about the Misty Forest. One passage mentioned a treasure hidden deep in the forest, which was said to possess immense power and could grant its owner any wish.
"Could it be that Murong Xuan is searching for this treasure?" Lin Wan'er asked.
“It’s very possible. He’s always been very ambitious, and he’s capable of anything for this so-called treasure,” Xiao Yichen replied.
They continued searching for clues among the clutter when suddenly Lin Wan'er discovered a map. The map looked old, and the writing on it was somewhat blurred, but the general outline was still legible. Several locations were marked on the map, one of which was specially marked and seemed to be the cave they were currently in. Deep inside the cave, there was a red marker, which appeared to be their final destination.
“This map might be the key; we can use it to find Murong Xuan,” Lin Wan’er said.
They carefully put away the map and headed deeper into the cave. However, they were unaware that all these seemingly smooth discoveries were actually part of Murong Xuan's plan. Murong Xuan deliberately left these clues to lure them into a far more dangerous trap, a life-or-death test they had never faced before.
Holding the old map, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er slowly made their way deeper into the cave by the dim light of their tinderbox. As they ventured further in, the air grew increasingly stuffy, and the pungent odor intensified, as if the aura of death lingered around them.
The cave passageway began to become rugged and uneven, the stones underfoot loose and unstable, threatening to cause a fall at the slightest misstep. Xiao Yichen walked ahead, occasionally tapping the ground with his sword scabbard to test for hidden mechanisms ahead. With each step, he felt an invisible pressure, as if countless eyes were watching them from the darkness.
Suddenly, Lin Wan'er felt a slight fluctuation in the air above her head. She looked up sharply and saw small holes in the rock above the cave, from which wisps of smoke were seeping out. "Yi Chen, watch out above!" Lin Wan'er shouted a warning.
Hearing the sound, Xiao Yichen looked up and his expression changed upon seeing the smoke. He quickly took out two damp cloths from his pack and handed one to Lin Wan'er. "Cover your mouth and nose; this smoke might be poisonous." As he spoke, he covered his own mouth and nose with the damp cloth.
The two quickened their pace, trying to leave the smoky area as soon as possible. However, as they moved, the smoke seemed to spread with them, growing thicker and thicker. Their vision gradually blurred, and they could only rely on their senses and memories to grope their way forward in the cave.
"This smoke is strange; it seems to be controlled by someone," Xiao Yichen said, his voice muffled through the damp cloth.
“Murong Xuan is definitely nearby. He wants to trap us here,” Lin Wan’er replied, a resolute look in her eyes, her grip on the sword tightening.
Just as they were starting to panic, a bright light suddenly appeared ahead. The light was particularly dazzling in the dark cave, as if guiding them forward. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er exchanged a glance; though wary, they had no better choice but to walk towards the light.
As they approached the light, they discovered it was a vast stone chamber. The walls of the chamber were inlaid with numerous luminous gems, illuminating the entire space as bright as day. In the center of the chamber stood a massive stone platform, its surface covered with intricate runes and patterns that shimmered with an eerie light, seemingly imbued with mysterious power.
"This looks like a place of worship. What on earth is Murong Xuan up to?" Xiao Yichen looked around warily.
Lin Wan'er walked to the stone platform and carefully examined the runes. "I've never seen these runes before, and they feel full of evil energy."
Just as they were studying the stone platform, they heard a heavy thud of a stone door closing behind them. They quickly turned around and saw that the original entrance had been sealed off by a huge stone door, which was also covered with runes and had no obvious mechanism to open it.
"We've been locked up," Lin Wan'er said anxiously.
Xiao Yichen walked to the stone door and tried to pry it open with his sword, but the door wouldn't budge. He knew this was a trap carefully designed by Murong Xuan, and they had to find another way out.
They re-examined the stone chamber and discovered that, in addition to the central stone platform, there was a small stone statue in each of the four corners. These statues varied in form, some human and some animal, but each statue's eyes seemed to be staring at the stone platform, giving it an eerie feel.
Xiao Yichen walked up to a stone statue and noticed small holes in its surface, from which something seemed to be flowing. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a black liquid. This liquid emitted a pungent odor, similar to the one he had smelled in the cave earlier.
“There’s something wrong with these stone statues; they might be part of some kind of mechanism,” Xiao Yichen said.
Just then, the runes on the stone platform suddenly shone brighter, and the entire platform began to tremble slightly. Then, black smoke billowed from the ground around the platform, quickly spreading and enveloping the entire stone chamber. Within the smoke, they heard strange sounds, like someone weeping softly, or like the roars of wild beasts.
"Oh no, this is part of a trap, we have to get out of here!" Xiao Yichen shouted.
They tried to find shelter from the smoke, but there was nowhere to escape in the stone chamber. Suddenly, Lin Wan'er noticed that one of the stone statues was in an odd position; it seemed asymmetrical with the others. She approached the statue and examined it closely, discovering a small crack beneath its base from which a faint light shone.
"Yichen, there seems to be a problem here," Lin Wan'er called out.
Xiao Yichen walked over and, together with Lin Wan'er, pushed the stone statue with all their might. The statue was extremely heavy, but with their efforts, it slowly moved. After the statue was moved, they saw a downward passage, from which a cool breeze wafted, a stark contrast to the pungent smoke in the stone chamber.
"This might be the exit, let's hurry," Xiao Yichen said.
Without hesitation, they jumped into the tunnel and slid down it. The tunnel was steep, and they slid down quickly, with stones constantly scraping against their bodies against the surrounding walls, but they paid no heed to the pain.
After an unknown amount of time, they finally slid to the end of the passage. It was an underground cave, filled with a thin layer of mist. Some glowing crystals shone around, barely illuminating the surroundings. Stagnant water on the cave floor reflected the surrounding scenery, making it appear particularly eerie.
“We seem to have escaped the trap of that stone chamber, but it’s not safe here either.” Xiao Yichen stood up and looked around at his surroundings.
Lin Wan'er nodded, her gaze suddenly drawn to the wall on one side of the cave. There, a huge mural depicted a fierce battle. On one side were a group of righteous warriors dressed in ancient attire, and on the other, a group of hideous demons. Although the righteous warriors fought bravely, the demons seemed to possess immense power, and the righteous warriors were gradually losing ground.
“This mural… seems to be telling a story, perhaps related to Murong Xuan’s plan,” Lin Wan’er said.
Xiao Yichen walked over and looked at the mural. "These demons look very similar to the evil aura we encountered in the cave. Could it be that Murong Xuan wants to use this evil power to achieve his ambitions?"
As they studied the murals, a "drip, drip" sound came from the cave, like the sound of water dripping, but more rhythmic. They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge pool deep in the cave. The water in the pool was an eerie black color, and bubbles kept rising to the surface, making a "drip" sound.
They approached the pool and found some footprints on the edge, extending into the pool and disappearing into the water. Xiao Yichen crouched down to examine the footprints and found that their size and shape were very similar to Murong Xuan's.
“Murong Xuan has been here; he may have entered the pool,” Xiao Yichen said.
Lin Wan'er looked at the black pool, a hint of hesitation in her heart. "This pool looks dangerous; we don't know what's inside."
“But this is our only lead right now, and we have to follow it,” Xiao Yichen said, making up his mind as he prepared to enter the pool.
Lin Wan'er gritted her teeth and followed Xiao Yichen to the edge of the pool. They took a deep breath and then jumped in. The water was icy cold, as if it would freeze their blood. They swam vigorously in the water, diving towards the depths of the pool.
As they swam underwater, they discovered passages beneath the pool. The walls of these passages were inlaid with glowing seashells, illuminating their path. They swam along these passages, unsure of what awaited them, but they knew they were getting closer to the heart of Murong Xuan's trap, and that all of this would be a tremendous test for them.
As they swam around a bend in the passage, they suddenly saw a gigantic figure ahead. It resembled a massive python, its body covered in black scales, its eyes as large as lanterns, gleaming with a ferocious light. The python spotted them, opened its blood-red jaws, and swam towards them. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were startled; they knew a new danger had arisen, and this was just one link in Murong Xuan's trap.
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