John wasn't exaggerating; what he saw before him was indeed a group of wandering ghosts. They floated in mid-air, wearing tattered armor, holding broken swords and halberds, and their empty eye sockets burned with two small, eerie blue flames.
The ghosts dressed as soldiers rushed towards them. Souls have no physical form, and ordinary swords and spears could not harm them in the slightest. The sword in the hand of the great swordsman John was of a lower grade, but it was still just an ordinary item.
“Brother John, there might be a necromancer nearby,” Annabella said.
Ordinary ghosts are listless and never get involved in the affairs of the human world. But these ghosts are clearly coming for them, with a very specific purpose. As everyone knows, only necromancers can command the dead.
“Little An’an, I might need your protection this time.” Annabella’s words made perfect sense, and John wholeheartedly agreed. His sword was useless against ghosts, so he could only rely on the water mage Annabella.
Ghosts' natural enemy is light magic, but water magic belongs to the holy magic school. Annabella can easily deal with these clowns.
As it turns out, Annabella is quite capable.
As the ghosts dispersed, the hazy fog grew thicker and thicker, almost solidifying into a tangible substance.
John and Annabella held hands. The place was strange and eerie; if they were separated, the outcome would be dire.
"Brother John, should we continue?" Annabella's heart was pounding, approaching 250 beats per minute.
John stared intently at the other side of the mist for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. Arya is skilled in both magic and martial arts, and her magic attribute is fire. Only necromancers can control the undead, and Arya isn't here."
Necromancers are the most mysterious of all magicians, and Annabella does not want to confront them.
The two agreed to turn back. Ji Xiaoxiao, who was inside the cave, slowly opened her eyes and said, "It's too late for you to leave."
Ji Xiaoxiao activated the Nine Lives-Seizing Array and the Twelve Divine Pillars Heaven-Slaying Array. As the mist dissipated, terrifying and chilling sword and blade shadows suddenly appeared, carrying a cold killing intent.
Without a single person in sight, countless swords, spears, and halberds flew towards them, along with hail, fireballs, lightning, hurricanes, and all sorts of magical attacks. The formation was fraught with danger, and John and Annabella, struggling to cope, sustained minor injuries.
“Little An’an, we can’t stay here any longer. Let’s use our most powerful move to create a breakthrough,” John said.
Annabella answered with a firm and resounding "Okay".
"The floodwaters were devastating."
"Swift sword strike."
The two shouted in unison and attacked simultaneously.
A torrent of water poured down from the sky, its force unstoppable, utterly devastating. A sword wave, like a crescent moon, swept across the sky, cleaving everything in its path.
Ji Xiaoxiao tried her best to maintain the formation, but her cultivation level was too low, and she barely managed to stay upright before vomiting two mouthfuls of blood.
"hateful."
Taking advantage of the moment when Ji Xiaoxiao vomited blood, the formation paused briefly, allowing John and Annabella to quickly escape from its range.
Ji Xiaoxiao casually wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, took three or four deep breaths, and suppressed her resentment and anger.
Take your time, don't rush. They will get back their debts sooner or later, many times over.
Ji Xiaoxiao secluded herself deep in a mountain cave, devoting herself to cultivating the Dao Tian.
On one side, John and Annabella, who had narrowly escaped the killing frenzy, lay on the ground, panting heavily.
“Brother John, that was a real threat. We almost didn’t make it out,” Annabella said, still shaken.
John nodded, his golden hair now much duller.
"Brother John, what should we do now? Should we continue chasing Arya?" Annabella asked.
Annabella felt a sense of fear. This was only the outer central area of the Monster Forest, and they had already been ambushed by necromancers. If they ventured deeper into the Monster Forest, they feared they would be powerless to fight back and would be at the mercy of their captors.
John said, “Let’s go back.”
"What about Arya?" Annabella needed to see her alive or dead; she couldn't rest a moment without finding Arya's body. If Arya miraculously survived and returned to Atlantis, exposing their actions—their plot to murder their classmates, their use of illegal drugs, and all the crimes they committed—their fate was predictable.
John hugged Annabella, "Anna, calm down. Aria is afflicted with [Corruption Power]. Without power, it's impossible for her to survive in the Monster Forest."
"Brother John."
"Little An'an, believe me, I will definitely protect you."
John believed that "no pain, no gain" was the only truth.
John looked at her with deep affection, his body tall and imposing. Annabella blushed and buried her head in John's arms, nodding vigorously.
...
A month later, Ji Xiaoxiao officially entered the first level of Qi Refining. Instead of continuing to hide in the cave for secluded cultivation, she went out to experience life-and-death trials and gained true power through the tempering of various crises.
The monsters in the central part of the Monster Forest were mostly incredibly powerful, and Ji Xiaoxiao initially lost almost every time she faced them. However, as time went on, Ji Xiaoxiao's victories increased. Two years later, there were no more rivals for Ji Xiaoxiao in the central part of the Monster Forest.
"It's been two years. My cultivation has reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, which is equivalent to a magic master or a great swordsman."
With sufficient strength, Ji Xiaoxiao gathered up the magic cores scattered throughout the cave and left the Magic Beast Forest.
Iron Bucket City.
Iron Bucket City is the first city to directly withstand the annual monster hordes in the Monster Forest. It is also a supply and rest stop for adventurers. It is a mixed bag, with countless thugs and ruffians, as well as powerful figures. Various forces are mutually restraining each other, making it no less complex than the capital city of Etes.
Ji Xiaoxiao entered Iron Bucket City dressed in animal skins, which was not surprising to the crowd, but they were amazed by her beauty.
After finding a hotel, washing up, and changing into new clothes, Ji Xiaoxiao looked even more radiant and beautiful. Stepping out of the room, all eyes, men and women alike, were fixed on her. Some stared intently at her face, while others greedily tried to see through her clothes.
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