Sunlight bathed Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er, who, filled with the joy of victory and anticipation for the future, were preparing to throw themselves wholeheartedly into the operation to eliminate the remnants of Murong Xuan's forces. Various sects in the martial world had already responded, and the righteous army, like a sharp sword about to be drawn, was ready to sever the remaining roots of Murong Xuan's evil in the martial world.
However, without warning, a thick fog surged up from all directions. The fog arrived with tremendous speed, as if controlled by an invisible hand, instantly enveloping the world. The once clear world became blurred in the blink of an eye; sunlight was blocked by the fog, leaving only a hazy, gray expanse.
Xiao Yichen was startled, instinctively realizing that something was wrong. "Wan'er, be careful!" he shouted, gripping his sword tightly and warily scanning his surroundings.
Lin Wan'er also sensed the danger. She moved closer to Xiao Yichen, standing back to back with him. "This fog is strange; it definitely didn't form naturally," she said, her voice tinged with worry.
Visibility was extremely low in the thick fog; they could only see what was within a few steps around them. The fog seemed to be alive, constantly churning and surging, with wisps of mist wrapping around them like tentacles.
"Could this be Murong Xuan's last resort? Is he trying to take this opportunity to escape?" Xiao Yichen said, frowning.
Their guess was correct. In a corner of the underground palace, Murong Xuan, who had been on the verge of death, gleamed with a cunning light under the cover of the thick fog. He used his last bit of strength to cast an ancient and mysterious escape technique. This technique could use the surrounding natural elements to conceal one's aura and create a passage in the fog that only he could perceive.
Despite the excruciating pain, Murong Xuan slowly stood up. His body swayed precariously, but his will to live and his obsession with revenge compelled him to persevere. He walked step by step deeper into the fog, each step leaving a bloody trail, which was quickly swallowed by the mist.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er tried to find Murong Xuan's trail in the thick fog, searching carefully within their limited field of vision. Suddenly, Xiao Yichen noticed some fresh bloodstains on the ground; the blood was not completely dry, indicating that it had been left recently.
"Wan'er, there's blood here. Murong Xuan might have gone in this direction," Xiao Yichen said, following the trail of blood.
Lin Wan'er followed closely behind him, and the two cautiously made their way through the thick fog. As they ventured deeper, the fog seemed to grow even thicker, and the surrounding environment became increasingly unfamiliar. They didn't know where they were, only that they had to capture Murong Xuan and not let him escape.
During their pursuit, they encountered some strange phenomena. Eerie sounds echoed intermittently from the thick fog, like weeping or the howls of demons. These sounds reverberated through the mist, sending chills down their spines.
"There seems to be some evil entity in this thick fog. We must not be affected by it," Xiao Yichen reminded Lin Wan'er, while simultaneously circulating his inner energy to try and stabilize his mind.
Lin Wan'er took a deep breath, concentrating her mind to prevent the sounds from disturbing her concentration. They continued to follow the bloodstains, but after walking a distance, the bloodstains suddenly disappeared, as if Murong Xuan had vanished into thin air.
"What happened? Where did the bloodstains go?" Lin Wan'er asked anxiously.
Xiao Yichen crouched down and carefully observed the ground. He noticed that the surrounding mist had subtle flow patterns, seemingly guided by some force. "He must have used some method to conceal his tracks. Let's follow the flow of the mist and search around."
They walked in the direction the fog was flowing, but they hadn't gone far when they encountered a huge, maze-like obstacle. This obstacle consisted of enormous stones and vines, the stones covered with strange runes, and the vines twisting and turning in the thick fog, as if trying to stop them from moving forward.
"Is this another trap set by Murong Xuan?" Lin Wan'er asked, frowning.
Xiao Yichen stepped forward to examine the runes on the stone, attempting to decipher their meaning in hopes of finding a way through. After some study, he discovered that the runes seemed to be an ancient sealing technique; only by activating the runes in a specific order could the mechanism be unlocked.
They began searching the rocks for clues, trying to figure out the correct order of the runes. Meanwhile, the thick fog continued to swirl around them, and the eerie voices grew louder, as if urging them to leave.
"Found it!" Xiao Yichen suddenly shouted. He found a small mark on the bottom of a rock, which pointed to one of the runes.
Following the marked instructions, they activated the runes one by one. As the last rune was activated, the stones and vines began to slowly move, revealing a narrow passage. The passage was filled with mist, but they could sense that it led them to the direction where they were continuing their pursuit of Murong Xuan.
Without hesitation, they entered the passage, which was very damp, with water droplets constantly seeping from the walls. After walking for a while, they found themselves at a fork in the road, both passages shrouded in thick fog, unsure which way to go.
Just as they were hesitating, Xiao Yichen heard a faint breathing sound coming from the passage on the left. He gestured for Lin Wan'er to be quiet, and then the two of them quietly walked towards the passage on the left.
At the end of the passage, they saw a blurry figure. It was Murong Xuan, leaning against the wall, seemingly at his limit. His face was ashen, his body trembling uncontrollably, but his eyes still gleamed with resentment.
"Murong Xuan, you can't escape!" Xiao Yichen shouted, and he and Lin Wan'er rushed towards Murong Xuan.
When Murong Xuan saw them appear, a flicker of despair crossed his eyes. He tried to use his escape technique again, but his body could no longer withstand it. He picked up a stone beside him and threw it at Xiao Yichen, then turned and ran in the other direction of the passage.
Xiao Yichen easily dodged the stones and continued his pursuit of Murong Xuan. Their chase in the thick fog intensified. Although Murong Xuan was seriously injured, he used every trick in the book to escape. He frequently used the surrounding environment to create small obstacles, trying to slow down Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er.
However, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were not deterred by these obstacles. They overcame them one by one, gradually closing the distance with Murong Xuan. At a bend, Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity, used his lightness skill to pounce on Murong Xuan. He grabbed Murong Xuan's clothes, pulled hard, and threw Murong Xuan to the ground.
"We've finally caught you." Lin Wan'er arrived and pointed her sword at Murong Xuan.
Murong Xuan lay on the ground, his eyes filled with despair. He knew he had nowhere to run, but his heart was still filled with resentment. "Do you think this will end everything? My influence extends throughout the martial world; you can't kill them all."
"We will completely thwart your conspiracy and restore peace to the martial world," Xiao Yichen said, raising his sword, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Murong Xuan.
Just then, the fog suddenly became even more violent, and a powerful force surged from it, blasting Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er away. Murong Xuan seized the opportunity to disappear into the fog again, leaving Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er searching for him in a state of anger and helplessness. The fog seemed to be Murong Xuan's last refuge, providing him with a final chance to escape, while Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were caught in a difficult struggle against both the fog and Murong Xuan.
After being thrown back by the powerful force within the thick fog, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er quickly regained their footing. They watched helplessly as Murong Xuan disappeared into the fog once more, their hearts filled with frustration and anxiety.
"We can't let him get away!" Xiao Yichen roared, his eyes revealing unwavering determination, and immediately chased after the direction Murong Xuan had disappeared in. Lin Wan'er followed closely behind him, the two of them moving like cheetahs through the thick fog, not letting go of any possible clues.
However, the fog seemed endless; the deeper they went, the thicker it became, until all they could see was a vast expanse of white. The surroundings were eerily silent, save for the sounds of their hurried footsteps and breathing echoing through the fog. Xiao Yichen frequently stopped, trying to find any trace of Murong Xuan, but the ground was soaked by the fog, and any marks were quickly concealed.
"This fog is too strange, it seems to be deliberately helping him hide his tracks." Lin Wan'er said with a frown, her eyes searching through the fog, her hand gripping the sword tightly, ready to deal with any possible danger.
They continued onward, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, they suddenly came upon the outline of a blurry forest ahead. The trees were indistinct in the thick fog, their trunks covered with moss and vines, their branches intertwined to form a natural barrier.
"Could Murong Xuan be hiding in the woods?" Xiao Yichen said in a low voice, slowing his pace and cautiously approaching the woods.
As they stepped into the woods, a sinister atmosphere enveloped them. A thicker fog permeated the forest, and with each step they took, it felt as if countless eyes were watching them. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er stood back to back, cautiously observing their surroundings.
Suddenly, Lin Wan'er felt a slight movement above her head. She looked up sharply and saw some dark shadows moving on the branches. "Yi Chen, up there!" she shouted.
Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Yichen immediately swung his sword upwards. A sword aura cleaved through the mist, heading towards the dark figure. However, when the sword aura struck the figure, it turned out to be just some tree branches entangled in the mist; it was a false alarm.
They continued their search through the woods and discovered many strange footprints. These footprints varied in size and shape; some resembled human footprints, while others looked like those left by some enormous wild beast. The footprints were scattered haphazardly, making it impossible for them to determine which ones were left by Murong Xuan.
“These footprints might have been deliberately left by Murong Xuan to mislead us. We need to be careful,” Xiao Yichen said, squatting down to carefully examine the details of the footprints.
During his observation, he noticed faint traces of blood around the edges of some footprints. "These bloody footprints might belong to Murong Xuan. He's seriously injured and shouldn't have gone far." Xiao Yichen stood up and followed the bloody footprints.
The footprints meandered through the woods, and after following them for a while, they found that the footprints disappeared beside a small pond. The surface of the pond was as calm as a mirror, and mist drifted slowly across its surface, creating a scene like a fairyland. But they knew that danger might be lurking beneath this tranquility.
"Could he have swum across the pool?" Lin Wan'er asked.
Xiao Yichen walked to the edge of the pool and examined its surroundings. He noticed some water plants had been trampled down, suggesting someone had passed by. "He probably left from here; let's go down and check."
They dived into the pool, where the water was icy cold and extremely murky, with very low visibility. They groped their way forward when suddenly Lin Wan'er felt a hand grab her ankle. Startled, she struggled free and swam towards Xiao Yichen.
"There's something in the water!" Lin Wan'er said, surfacing and panting.
Xiao Yichen warily surveyed his surroundings, brandishing his sword in the water. Just then, a huge black shadow rose from the bottom of the water and lunged at them. They then realized it was a gigantic water monster, its body covered in scales, its eyes as big as lanterns, and its gaping maw revealing sharp teeth.
They quickly engaged the water monster in combat. Xiao Yichen swam nimbly through the water, seizing the opportunity to thrust his sword towards the monster's eye. The monster roared in pain, its tail sweeping towards Xiao Yichen. Xiao Yichen dodged the attack by diving downwards. Lin Wan'er attacked the monster from the side, channeling her inner strength into her sword and thrusting it towards the monster's abdomen.
After a fierce battle, they finally defeated the water monster. However, the battle had exhausted them, and the time spent in the water had made it even harder to find Murong Xuan.
They climbed out of the pool and continued their search in all possible directions. The fog showed no signs of dissipating; in fact, it seemed to be growing thicker. They walked for a long time in the fog until they reached the mouth of a valley.
A thicker fog filled the valley, accompanied by a strange whistling sound. The sound rose and fell, like a howling wind or some kind of mysterious incantation.
"Could Murong Xuan be in the valley?" Lin Wan'er asked.
“Whether he is here or not, we have to go in and check,” Xiao Yichen said, and he took the lead into the valley.
The valley was extremely harsh, with rugged terrain and sharp rocks and thorns everywhere. A whistling sound echoed through the valley, making their ears uncomfortable. They struggled forward, when suddenly Xiao Yichen felt his footing give way, as if he had stepped on some kind of trap.
"Watch out!" he shouted, pulling Lin Wan'er backward as he jumped.
The instant they left, countless spikes shot out from the ground. The spikes rained down on the spot where they had just stood, and if they had reacted even slightly slower, they would have been riddled with them.
"There are traps everywhere here. Murong Xuan must be using these to delay us," Lin Wan'er said angrily.
They continued their journey through the valley, carefully avoiding trap after trap. Deep within the valley, they discovered a cave. A strong wind blew from the cave, carrying with it mist that obscured the view inside.
"Could Murong Xuan be in the cave?" Xiao Yichen asked.
“Let’s go in and take a look,” Lin Wan’er replied.
They entered the cave, which was very dark, with some glowing minerals on the walls barely illuminating the surroundings. The cave had many branching passages, each shrouded in mist, their destinations unknown.
They chose a side path and went in. After walking for a while, they found a huge stone chamber ahead. The chamber was filled with all sorts of strange objects, including ancient chests, decaying bookshelves, and some oddly shaped statues.
In the center of the stone chamber was a stone platform, and on the platform sat a crystal ball that emitted a faint light. The crystal ball seemed to be drawing their attention, and they approached the platform to examine it.
Just then, the surrounding mist suddenly surged into the stone chamber, completely enveloping them. Indistinct figures appeared within the mist, lunging towards them. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er hurriedly fought back, but the figures seemed endless, constantly emerging from the mist.
"This is a trap! We have to get out of here!" Xiao Yichen shouted.
They tried to break through the fog and the figures surrounding them, rushing towards the exit of the stone chamber. After a fierce battle, they finally broke out of the chamber, but by then they were completely disoriented and had no idea where Murong Xuan had escaped to.
The thick fog still shrouded everything. They searched everywhere within it, calling out Murong Xuan's name, but only silence and the fog answered them. Murong Xuan had successfully escaped under the cover of the fog, disappearing without a trace, leaving Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er in the mist, their hearts filled with resentment and worry. They knew that Murong Xuan's escape meant that the martial world would still face a great threat.
Murong Xuan vanished without a trace under the cover of thick fog, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples and instantly changing the fate of the capital and even the entire Rong Kingdom. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er stood in the vast fog, their hearts heavy as if weighed down by lead, filled with resentment and worry.
Beyond the thick fog, the flames of hope that had been ignited by Murong Xuan's defeat were now gradually being shrouded in an uneasy gloom. In the streets and alleys of the capital, the people's initial anticipation of peace had been replaced by whispers and fear. In the teahouses and taverns of the city, people talked in hushed tones about Murong Xuan's escape; everyone could sense that a much larger storm was brewing in the shadows.
Inside the palace, the emperor listened intently to his ministers' reports, his brow furrowed. The atmosphere in the court was oppressive, almost suffocating. The ministers exchanged worried glances. "Murong Xuan's escape will surely become a great threat. The court must make a swift decision," an old minister said, his voice trembling. The emperor nodded slightly, understanding that if this villain, who had once wreaked havoc in the martial world, were to cause trouble again, the peace of the Rong Kingdom would be shattered.
Meanwhile, the forces that had been gathered by various martial arts sects to wipe out Murong Xuan's remnants were now gripped by a subtle unease. The sect leaders gathered to discuss countermeasures. "Murong Xuan's escape this time must have been well-prepared; we cannot be careless," said the Huashan sect leader, his face grave. "Indeed, his power is deeply entrenched; now that he has escaped, he will surely retaliate even more fiercely," the Shaolin abbot said, his hands clasped together in worry.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er knew they had to find Murong Xuan as soon as possible and stop him from continuing his evil deeds. They traversed the thick fog, trying to find some clues again. Every step was extremely difficult; the fog not only obstructed their vision but also seemed like a psychological barrier left by Murong Xuan, making them feel utterly lost in this vast unknown.
“We can’t keep searching like this without any clues. We need to rethink our approach,” Xiao Yichen said to Lin Wan’er, stopping in his tracks.
Lin Wan'er nodded, her gaze hardening. "Murong Xuan is seriously injured. He'll definitely need to find a place to heal after escaping. We can start from that point."
They began to recall the details of their battle with Murong Xuan, trying to find possible clues. Xiao Yichen remembered some documents he had seen in the underground palace, which mentioned Murong Xuan's secret strongholds in various places, some of which were specifically used for healing and hiding.
“Let’s go back to the underground palace and see if we can find more detailed information about those strongholds,” Xiao Yichen said.
Braving the thick fog, they hurried towards the underground palace. Along the way, they witnessed many scenes affected by Murong Xuan's escape. Some villages were shrouded in panic, with villagers keeping their doors tightly shut, afraid to venture out. Crops in the fields lay unattended, a scene of desolation. Seeing this, their resolve to capture Murong Xuan only strengthened.
Back in the underground palace, the air still thick with the lingering smell of battle. They searched meticulously, looking for any documents or clues they might have missed. In one corner, they found a map marked with several locations, some specially marked and accompanied by annotations that seemed to relate to Murong Xuan's secret stronghold.
“These marked locations are suspicious; we can start our investigation from here,” Lin Wan’er said, pointing to the map.
Following the markings on the map, they headed towards the nearest suspicious location. This location was situated in a remote valley, surrounded by mountains, in a treacherous terrain. A mysterious atmosphere permeated the valley, as if it concealed countless unknown secrets.
As they approached the valley, they discovered several guards surrounding it. These guards, dressed in black, watched their surroundings warily. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er carefully avoided the guards and slipped into the valley.
In the valley stood an ancient building, its walls covered in vines, clearly showing its age. They approached quietly, hearing faint sounds emanating from within. Xiao Yichen used his lightness skill to leap onto the roof and peered through a crack. He saw several people bustling about, seemingly preparing something.
"This might be one of Murong Xuan's strongholds. We need to be careful," Xiao Yichen said to Lin Wan'er, who arrived shortly afterward.
They sneaked into the building from the roof and found some medicinal herbs and equipment for healing in one of the rooms. "It seems we've come to the right place; Murong Xuan is likely healing here," Lin Wan'er said softly.
However, as they continued their search, they found no trace of Murong Xuan. "Could it be that he's not here? Or did he sense our arrival and leave beforehand?" Xiao Yichen frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Just then, they heard an alarm sound; they had triggered a mechanism during their infiltration. Guards rushed towards them and surrounded them inside the building.
"It seems we're in trouble. We need to find a way to break out." Lin Wan'er gripped her sword tightly, preparing for battle.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er engaged in a fierce battle with the guards. Although these guards were not as strong as Murong Xuan, they were well-trained, coordinated, and numerous. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er stood back to back, maneuvering against the enemies. Their swordsmanship was sharp, and each move repelled the approaching enemies, but the enemies kept surging in.
During the battle, Xiao Yichen discovered that the guards seemed to be under the command of a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows, constantly adjusting the guards' attack strategies. He decided to find this mysterious figure first to disrupt the enemy's deployment.
He used his lightness skill to weave through the enemy ranks, trying to find the mysterious figure. Finally, he spotted a man in black robes in a corner, holding a horn and directing the guards. Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity and charged towards the man in black robes. Sensing danger, the man in black robes tried to escape, but Xiao Yichen was faster. He thrust his sword into the man in black robes, and the man fell to the ground, dead.
Without a commander, the guards began to fall into chaos. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er seized the opportunity to break through, fighting their way out of the valley.
Although they didn't find Murong Xuan in this operation, they did obtain some new clues. They discovered that Murong Xuan's strongholds seemed to be connected in some way, and each stronghold had some special markings and mechanisms.
“We need to organize these clues and find out where Murong Xuan is hiding,” Xiao Yichen said.
They returned to a safe place and began to study the clues. After some analysis, they discovered that the distribution of these strongholds seemed to be related to an ancient formation, the key to which lay in a mysterious mountain range near the capital.
“Murong Xuan is likely in that mountain range; we need to get there as soon as possible,” Lin Wan’er said.
They embarked on their journey once more, heading towards that mysterious mountain range. They knew that this operation would determine the fate of the entire Rong Kingdom; they had to succeed and prevent Murong Xuan from escaping again, otherwise, the martial world and the people would be plunged into even deeper suffering. At this turning point in their destiny, they became the last hope of the Rong Kingdom, and what awaited them ahead were even more difficult challenges and unknown dangers.
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