The shadowy figure exuded a strong aura of darkness, with tangible black mist swirling around it. The aura seemed to have a life of its own, twisting and entwining in wisps, causing the surrounding space to appear eroded, distorted, and sinister.
He stared silently at the five forks in the road, a meaningful, cold smile playing on his lips.
His smile was full of mockery and certainty, as if he knew everything about everyone's choices and the challenges they were about to face, as if everything was under his control and everyone was nothing more than ants in his palm, struggling in vain.
"A bunch of overconfident fools, do they think they can unravel the mystery of Xunyang so easily?" the shadowy figure muttered to himself.
The voice was deep and hoarse, like a broken bellows struggling to operate in a silent ancient cave. Every note echoed between the cave walls, exuding a chilling and intimidating power, as if an ice blade pierced the heart, adding even more terror to the already mysterious and unpredictable ancient cave.
...
At this moment, on the road to Jinde, Chen Xiao and Qian Yi fought side by side. Facing the fierce attack of the phantom soldiers, they cooperated with each other and gradually improved their skills.
Chen Xiao unleashed a set of exquisite sword techniques, his sword moving lightly and nimbly, like a nimble swallow darting through the enemy ranks. Each strike precisely deflected the phantom soldiers' weapons, causing their attacks to miss. The crisp sounds of the collisions were like beautiful music, playing on this perilous road.
Qian Yi used the system's power to release energy shields, which were like transparent glass, emitting a dark blue luster, to protect Chen Xiao from attacks from the side. At the same time, his eyes were like torches, locked on the phantom soldiers, looking for the flaws hidden behind the layers of phantoms.
“These phantoms seem to be formed from some kind of resentment. We need to find the source of the resentment to completely dispel them.” Qian Yi analyzed while defending, his voice steady and calm, which brought Chen Xiao strength and confidence.
Chen Xiao nodded, her gaze becoming even more resolute. She concentrated, trying to sense the fluctuations of resentment. Her focused expression seemed to penetrate the illusory appearance and reach the essence.
...
On the Path of Fire, Chao Yuan and Yin Yuyao struggled to move forward amidst the raging flames.
Although Chao Yuan's sword energy could cleave through the flames, the flames would instantly close up again. The flames were like a hungry beast, devouring everything, or like a mischievous elf, playing a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with them.
Yin Yuyao closed her eyes, channeling her inner energy to try and sense the location of the fire. Her face was calm and resolute, but fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead under the intense heat.
"I sense the source of the fire deep ahead, where there is a powerful energy fluctuation," Yin Yuyao said, opening her eyes. Her eyes revealed a hint of excitement and determination.
Chao Yuan took a deep breath, concentrated his sword energy on the blade, and said, "Then let's charge in!"
Her voice was still clearly audible amidst the howling flames. The two of them braved the scorching heat of the flames and approached the source of the fire step by step. Their figures appeared so small in the raging fire, yet so resolute, like two fearless war gods.
...
On the Path of Wood, Ning Yuyuan and Ye Yu's battle against the thorns has reached a stalemate.
Despite their constant efforts to cut and disperse the thorns, the thorns seemed endless, like a surging tide, one wave after another.
"This can't go on. We need to find a way to break through," Ye Yu said, his brows furrowed.
Ning Yu thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "I have an idea. We can use the wood element to establish a connection with these thorns and then guide their growth direction."
Her voice was full of joy and confidence.
Ye Yu agreed, and the two began to implement the plan.
As expected, the surrounding thorns gradually stopped attacking and began to twist and turn according to their will. The thorns, like obedient puppets, changed shape under their command, making way for them.
...
After observing the crossroads for a moment, the dark figure flashed and drifted away towards the Path of Earth.
As he left, the atmosphere in the ancient cave grew increasingly tense, as if an even greater crisis was about to unfold. The tense atmosphere was like an invisible net, tightly enveloping everyone.
Everyone forges ahead on their own paths, completely unaware of the shadowy figure's movements. They grope and fight in the unknown, relentlessly striving for the truth of Xunyang.
...
On the road to Jinde, Chen Xiao and Qian Yi continued their fierce battle against the phantom soldiers.
Qian also discovered that although the attacks of these phantom soldiers were fierce, they seemed to follow some kind of fixed formation.
While defending himself, he said to Chen Xiao, "I feel that the attacks of these phantoms are patterned, like some kind of ancient battle formation."
His eyes gleamed with wisdom.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao observed carefully for a moment before replying, "You're right. If we can break their formation, we might be able to defeat them in one fell swoop."
So the two began trying to find the core of the formation.
Relying on her familiarity with formations during this period, as well as the knowledge about formations from the ancient books she had read in Lingxu Valley, Chen Xiao weaved through the gaps in the phantom soldiers' attacks. Her movements were light and agile, like a butterfly in flight, attempting to disrupt their formation.
Qian Yi extracted a special energy wave from the system's power and traced it in reverse along the phantom's attack trajectory. The energy wave, like a silver thread, weaved and moved within the phantom.
After much effort, they finally found the key point of the formation.
Chen Xiao leaped into the air, his longsword piercing straight into the eye of the formation. With a flash of light, the phantom soldiers vanished instantly, and the path became clear. The light, like the dawn of hope, illuminated their way forward.
...
As Chao Yuan and Yin Yuyao approached the source of the fire on the Path of Fire, the intense heat caused their skin to crack almost completely. Their skin was like a dried-up riverbed, covered with cracks, causing them unbearable pain.
But they showed no sign of backing down; their eyes burned with a resolute flame, like two inextinguishable torches.
Chao Yuan raised his spiritual power to its limit, and the sword in his hand emitted a dazzling white light. With each swing of the sword, he could cleave through large swathes of flames. The sword energy was like a white rainbow, cutting through the raging fire.
Yin Yuyao cast a defensive spell to protect Chao Yuan from the flank attacks of the flames. She moved her hands and chanted incantations, and a transparent shield slowly rose up around Chao Yuan.
Suddenly, a huge vortex of fire appeared ahead, with the source of the fire at the center of the vortex.
"This is the final test, charge through!" Chao Yuan shouted, her voice full of strength and determination.
The two rushed into the vortex hand in hand. The powerful flames constantly assaulted their bodies, but they supported each other and stubbornly advanced towards the center. Their figures appeared and disappeared in the vortex of flames, as if they were fighting a desperate battle with the demon.
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