Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 122

Gu Changzhou kept a close eye on the scarred-faced evil cultivator's movements, searching for the best opportunity to strike.

Just as the scarred-faced evil cultivator was fully engaged in dealing with the attack from the alchemy furnace, Gu Changzhou keenly spotted a slight opening in his defenses.

He shouted, and the Star Sword flew from his hand, transforming into a shooting star that hurtled towards the scarred-faced evil cultivator with overwhelming force.

The scarred-faced evil cultivator sensed the attack from behind and tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The Star Sword pierced his back, and he let out a shrill scream as the Thunder Dragon spell instantly dissipated.

Elder Lang seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and unleashed his strongest sword technique. Countless streaks of azure sword light flew toward the scarred-faced evil cultivator like a rain of pear blossoms.

Under the multiple attacks, the scarred-faced evil cultivator could no longer hold on, and his body was engulfed by sword shadows.

With the fall of the scarred-faced evil cultivator, the morale of the other evil cultivators immediately collapsed. Elder Lang and the others pressed their advantage, and the evil cultivators, having lost the will to fight, fled in all directions.

As everything calmed down, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone down.

Looking at each other's disheveled yet triumphant faces, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Changzhou stepped forward and summoned the Star Sword back into his hand. The sword shimmered with a faint light, as if telling the story of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

He turned to look at Elder Lang, his eyes filled with admiration and gratitude: "Elder Lang, thanks to your all-out help this time, if you hadn't held back that scarred evil cultivator, I would have had no chance to deliver a fatal blow."

Elder Lang waved his hand slightly, his face showing fatigue but also relief: "Lord Gu, you are too kind. We all share the same goal and should cooperate with each other. However, these evil cultivators are so persistent in blocking us. They must have received some information and know the importance of our trip to Misty Palace for help. The road ahead will probably be even more difficult."

Ji He gently stroked the ancient alchemy furnace and nodded slightly: "Elder Lang is absolutely right. The evil cultivators have suffered a loss this time, and they will certainly not let it go. We need to recover our spiritual power as soon as possible and continue our journey. We cannot give them another chance to ambush us."

As he spoke, he took out some pills and distributed them to the three of them: "Each of you should take these pills to restore your spiritual power; they should alleviate some of your fatigue."

They took the pills, swallowed them, and circulated their spiritual energy. After a short while, their complexions improved considerably.

After a brief rest, the four resumed their journey to the Misty Palace. To avoid another ambush by the evil cultivators, they chose a more concealed route, flying low along the edge of the mountains.

Throughout the journey, everyone remained highly vigilant, constantly scanning their surroundings.

After flying for a while, a misty forest appeared ahead.

The forest was shrouded in a thick fog, which exuded an eerie atmosphere.

Elder Lang frowned and said, "This misty forest is strange. I have never seen such thick fog when I passed by before. It is probably a trap set by evil cultivators."

Ji He narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully observing the flow of the mist, and said, "This mist seems to contain a bewitching power. If we enter rashly, we may lose our way or even fall into an illusion."

Gu Changzhou gripped the Star Sword tightly, his eyes resolute: "No matter what obstacles lie ahead, we cannot back down. Perhaps we can try to dispel this fog with spiritual power."

Liu Sijun nodded, took out a jade pendant emitting a soft light from the container, and said, "This jade pendant can resist the power of illusion to a certain extent, so everyone be careful."

Therefore, Ji He used his alchemical power to clear a path in front of him, while Elder Lang set up defensive formations around them to guard against any unforeseen events.

Gu Changzhou and Liu Sijun followed behind, ready to deal with any emergencies.

The moment they stepped into the Misty Forest, a chill swept over them, and the surrounding mist quickly gathered around them.

Gu Changzhou channeled his spiritual power, causing the Star Sword to shine brightly in an attempt to dispel the surrounding mist. However, the mist seemed to have a life of its own, constantly replenishing the parts that were being dispelled.

Suddenly, Liu Sijun let out a soft cry. Strange phantoms appeared before her eyes, resembling scenes she had experienced before, yet tinged with an eeriness. Seeing this, Gu Changzhou immediately channeled his stellar power into Liu Sijun's body to help her calm her mind.

"Everyone be careful, don't be fooled by the illusion!"

Ji He shouted a reminder, while his alchemy furnace spewed out a stream of multicolored flames, which burned in the mist and illuminated the surrounding area.

Just then, a sinister laugh could be faintly heard from within the mist, and a dark figure darted through it, rushing towards them.

The dark figure moved with incredible speed, arriving before everyone in an instant.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a hunched and evil cultivator with a distorted face, eyes flashing with an eerie purple light, and a dagger emitting black mist in his hand.

"You've finally taken the bait!"

The hunchbacked evil cultivator chuckled eerily, his voice like the hooting of an owl, sending chills down one's spine.

After saying that, he flashed forward like a ghost and pounced on Ji He, his dagger aimed straight for Ji He's throat.

Ji He's eyes sharpened, and he swiftly shifted the position of the alchemy furnace in his hand, holding it in front of him. The dagger struck the furnace with a crisp "clang," sending sparks flying.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Elder Lang flicked his longsword, sending several streaks of azure sword light flying toward the hunchbacked evil cultivator.

The evil cultivator remained calm, his body contorting like a mollusk as he easily dodged the sword shadows.

Not wanting to let this evil cultivator continue to entangle Ji He, Gu Changzhou made a decisive move, using his movement technique to quickly circle behind the evil cultivator, and thrust out the Star Sword with spiritual sword energy.

The evil cultivator sensed the attack from behind, dodged to the side, and simultaneously swung his dagger, sending a black mist shooting towards Gu Changzhou.

Gu Changzhou quickly circulated his spiritual power to form a shield, blocking the black mist.

The mist made a hissing sound when it hit the shield.

The shield began to tremble slightly.

Liu Sijun was now fully awake from the illusion. He waved his magpie feather fan, sending icy feathers flying toward the hunchbacked evil cultivator.

The evil cultivator snorted coldly and chanted an incantation. The surrounding mist instantly condensed into a black shield, blocking the ice feathers.

The ice feathers struck the shield, shattering and turning into puddles of water that fell to the ground.

"Is this all the skill you've got? You think you can get through here?"

The hunchbacked evil cultivator laughed wildly, and the black mist around his body grew thicker, enveloping his entire body.

Eerie phantoms occasionally appeared in the mist, as if wronged spirits were struggling in agony, emitting mournful cries that disturbed everyone's peace of mind.

Ji He frowned and poured all his spiritual power into the alchemy furnace. The runes on the surface of the furnace shone brightly, and a powerful alchemy force surged out.

"Watch me break your evil spell!"

With a loud shout, the colorful flames spewed from the alchemy furnace instantly transformed into a giant fire phoenix, carrying intense heat and powerful spiritual energy, and charged towards the hunchbacked evil cultivator.

(End of this chapter)