Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 1002 Strange Evil Spirits

Si Xuanshuang said no more, and waved her jade hand lightly: "In that case, go inside! Be careful and on guard!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her protective aura and, like a blooming ice lotus, plunged into the churning black mist without hesitation.

Chen Mu and the others followed closely behind, their auras concealed, and various protective lights shone as they filed in.

The three heroes of Cangshan exchanged glances and hurriedly activated their magic power, their slightly mixed spiritual light enveloping their figures as they rushed in, their figures instantly swallowed up by the thick, inky black mist.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

call!
A gust of wind arose, and black mist surged in all directions before a group of people appeared and landed slowly.

There were no mountains or valleys to the left or right, only endless rolling hills, slightly undulating, shrouded in thick black mist that had existed for countless years, obstructing everyone's vision and making their senses feel as if they were stuck in quagmire, unable to move beyond a few thousand feet.

Si Xuan Shuang looked wary, her brows furrowed slightly, and she slowly extended her divine sense to carefully sense every slight movement in this desolate space.

"Such a rich aura of yin energy."

Fu Danian stretched out his hand, his palm releasing a small amount of magical power, gathering a small, dense black mist that was so cold it seemed to freeze one's soul. He clicked his tongue repeatedly, saying, "It's practically solidified!"

Chen Mu was also alarmed.

The dense yin energy formed a mist, something he had only witnessed in the desolate Eastern Valley of Guixu, but compared to the present, it was still far inferior.

The Yin energy in the Eastern Valley has accumulated for at most ten thousand years, but here, the ancient and decaying aura, seemingly from before an era, silently tells of its long existence. It has been countless millennia since anyone set foot here, and the Yin energy has settled to the point of near crystallization.

"Look, everyone." As she pondered, Si Xuan Shuang seemed to have made a discovery. Her clear, cold voice pierced through the thick fog as she stretched out her slender finger and pointed to a certain spot deep within the sea of ​​fog.

Everyone stared intently, initially seeing only a chaotic scene, and their brows furrowed slightly.

However, when one's gaze or spiritual sense tries to penetrate the layers of darkness and go deeper, one can vaguely see a faint but unusually stable spiritual light flickering uncertainly in the deep fog in the far distance.

Although the distance was extremely far, in this desolate sea of ​​fog, which was no different from any other, that faint light stood out like a lone star in the night.

"What is that?" Fu Danian asked curiously, even though he could only see a blurry dot of light despite straining his eyes.

Murong Xi shook her head, her eyes scanning the churning black mist around her: "Regardless of what it is, it's completely different from the deathly stillness and filth of this place. I reckon that the opportunity here might lie at the source of that light..."

Si Xuan Shuang nodded slightly, her voice lowered, carrying an undeniable solemnity: "Be careful, this place... will never be peaceful. Those tall silhouettes we sensed earlier, though temporarily hidden, are surely lurking in the shadows."

Her words reminded everyone that the danger shrouded in black mist had not disappeared; on the contrary, it appeared even more menacing due to the unknown.

After speaking, she no longer hesitated. A protective aura, like moonlight, rose around her, and she took the lead, walking steadily toward the light.

Everyone was on edge, following closely behind.

With a clang, Fu Danian drew his Xuan Yang Greatsword. The sword hummed, and its crimson-gold sword light, like a blazing torch, emitted a hazy glow, forcefully dispelling the black mist within a radius of about ten feet around him, creating a relatively bright area.

He grinned, picked up his greatsword, and approached the dawdling Three Heroes of Cangshan: "Fellow Daoists, how about we cover the rear together? That way we can look after each other."

Upon hearing this, the three heroes of Cangshan's small eyes, beady eyes, and rat-like eyes darted around, cursing inwardly: "Bah! The vanguard and the rearguard are the most vulnerable. This Taoist looks rough and tough, but he's got a vicious heart. He actually wants to drag us down with him?"

Thinking of this, the short, fat Pang Yuanba laughed heartily, his fat face jiggling, and said eagerly, "This Taoist priest is too late. Just now, the fairy herself promised to remember our merit in guiding the way! Since we are the ones guiding the way, we should naturally be at the front to share the fairy's worries and difficulties, how can we cower and hide at the back?"

Having said that, before Fu Danian could react, he winked at Hou Tong and Zhu Mancang, "Second brother, third brother, protect the fairy, let's go!"

"Absolutely!" Hou Tong and Zhu Mancang hurriedly agreed. The three of them darted to the middle of the group and closely surrounded Si Xuanshuang about ten feet behind her, ensuring that they were within the protection range of the strongest female cultivator without overstepping the boundaries.

They then pretended to look around warily, their expressions serious, but in reality, their eyes never left Si Xuan Shuang's figure.

Fu Danian was speechless for a moment, so he moved closer to Chen Mu and said in a low voice, "Brother Chen, these three clowns are really good at pretending to be crazy. I don't know if they are really stupid or just pretending to be wise. We should be careful and not let them stab us in the back."

Chen Mu's gaze swept over the three somewhat comical figures in front of him, then glanced at the taciturn Wei Cangdong at the end of the line, who quickly lowered his eyes when Chen Mu's gaze swept over him.

Chen Mu felt a growing sense of unease, but now was not the time to delve into it. He nodded, his voice calm and even: "It's alright, let's go, stay close to Senior Sister Xuan Shuang."

The group set off again, trekking along the undulating, scorched hillsides.

The world was completely silent, except for the faint footsteps and breathing of the group echoing in the thick fog, creating an eerie and oppressive atmosphere that was suffocating.

The distant radiance, however, was like a mirage, seemingly closer yet still unattainable...

After walking for about half an hour, the light ahead became more and more conspicuous, and its outline seemed to become clearer, like the outline of a dilapidated building.

However, the anticipated danger did not materialize, and the tense nerves of the group involuntarily relaxed slightly amidst the deathly silence and repetitive trek.

But in that brief moment of relaxation!

"Roar—! What...what the hell?!" A sharp, piercing scream suddenly rang out from the left front of the group, it was "Miaoyinzi" Hou Tong.

That shout was like a thunderclap, instantly tightening everyone's relaxed nerves.

Everyone's hearts clenched, and they turned their heads abruptly, their gazes shooting like lightning in the direction Hou Tong was pointing.

Upon seeing the scene that caused Hou Tong to scream in terror, even the most knowledgeable people couldn't help but gasp and their pupils dilate sharply.

About twenty paces to the left front of the group, a blurry figure had appeared silently without anyone noticing.

It stood there quietly on the edge of the churning black mist, as if it had been there since time immemorial.

Its figure was slightly hunched, and its body was shrouded in a thin layer of grayish-white light and shadow that seemed to be formed from the mist itself, making it barely possible to make out its human shape.

What's most unsettling is what it wears—clothing that is definitely not from any sect in this world.

The robes were wide and the sleeves were long and the style was ancient and strange. The fabric had a decaying dark blue color, and there seemed to be some faded and unrecognizable ancient patterns on them, which gave off an indescribable sense of vicissitude and death.

“This is… a ghost?!” Fu Danian exclaimed.

The spirit's head was lowered, its face blurred, and only a chaotic shadow could be seen.

It had no physical body, but rather resembled a highly condensed mass of Yin energy containing fragmented thoughts. It seemed unaware of the group's presence, merely floating aimlessly in place, uttering incomprehensible whispers. The voices were hoarse and intermittent, like sandpaper rubbing against rotten wood, or wind blowing through the holes of a broken bone flute—fragmented syllables that were completely incomprehensible to the group, as if they came from a distant ancient era.

"Phew..." After recognizing it as a ghost, many people relaxed their tense bodies slightly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The unknown is the scariest thing.

In comparison, although the spirits were eerie, everyone present had experienced their share of storms. They were already used to the idea that spirits would breed in places where yin energy gathered.

After all, this place has accumulated terrifying yin energy over countless millennia. It would be truly strange if there wasn't even a single yin spirit here.

"Hou Lao Er! What are you yelling about!"

The short, stout Pang Yuanba was startled by the sudden shout, his heart pounding. Before he could recover, he was filled with rage and shame, and he hissed at Hou Tong, "A mere mindless ghost, you think you're worthy of your attention..."

He meant to say, "Is it really worth making such a fuss about?", but before he could finish speaking—

A sudden change occurred!

The spirit, which had been in a daze and muttering to itself, suddenly raised its head the moment it heard Pang Yuanba's voice.

Two eerie green lights, like will-o'-the-wisps, suddenly lit up in the shadows on its face, locking onto Pang Yuanba.

In an instant, a violent, cold, and malevolent aura, filled with destructive desires, erupted like a bursting dam!

"Hoh—!" A shrill, inhuman scream tore through the deathly silence of the foggy sea.

The ghostly figure suddenly transformed into a pale afterimage, carrying a biting wind, and rushed straight for Pang Yuanba's face with lightning speed, leaving only a faint gray mark in its wake.

Pang Yuanba never expected that this seemingly dull spirit would turn on him so suddenly and so quickly.
Terrified, almost instinctively, his obese body jerked backward, and at the same time, he swung the heavy, mountain-shaking bronze hammer in his hand with all his might at the approaching pale ghostly figure.

The hammer whistled, producing a dull, piercing sound as it cut through the air.

However, what happened next made everyone who was about to lend a helping hand or watch the spectacle feel a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts.

The spirit, halfway through its attack, faced the heavy bronze hammer hurtling towards it without flinching or dodging. Instead, its blurry hands moved with an extremely strange yet ancient rhythm, rapidly forming a hand seal in front of it.

In an instant, the gray-white aura around the Yin Spirit surged violently, and an invisible force was mobilized by it.

Pang Yuanba's powerful hammer blow struck the Yin Spirit about a foot away, but it seemed to hit an invisible, resilient wall of air.

"Oh!"

A muffled thud! The shockwave exploded, dispersing the surrounding black mist.

The copper hammer was abruptly stopped, and its momentum vanished.

The invisible wall of air fluctuated violently, rippling outwards, but it did not break.

The Yin Spirit's attack only paused slightly, its eerie green eyes gleaming even more fiercely. Its withered claw-like hand pierced through the still-undulating air barrier, accompanied by a piercing whistle, and continued to grab at Pang Yuanba's throat.

"My God!" Pang Yuanba was terrified out of his wits. He didn't even care that the copper hammer had slipped from his hand. He scrambled backward, screaming like a pig being slaughtered, "Second brother, third brother! Quickly, save me!!"

All this happened in a flash of lightning.

Hou Tong and Zhu Mancang were also stunned by the sudden ferocity of the evil spirit and its exquisite qi-controlling technique.

This is no ordinary, confused spirit. It is clearly a Yin Sha ghost cultivator who has retained some of his fighting instincts and spellcasting abilities from his previous life.

Seeing their elder brother on the verge of death, the two were terrified, but their brotherly bond ultimately prevailed.

"You audacious fiend! Don't you dare harm my brother!" Hou Tong shouted shrilly, slamming his greasy fish drum down.

Boom!
A muffled drumbeat suddenly reverberated, not a melodious sound, but rather carried a strange, unsettling vibration that rushed straight towards the evil spirit.

At the same time, he quickly made a hand seal with his other hand, and a gray, foul-smelling arrow of filthy water shot out from his sleeve.

"You damned bastard, you're asking for death!" Zhu Mancang's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He swung the "fair scale" on his shoulder, and the copper gourd weight flew out, growing larger in the wind until it transformed into a giant brass ball the size of a millstone. With the force of wind and thunder, it slammed into the back of the Yin spirit.

At the same time, the scale beam, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, unleashed several sharp gusts of wind.

For a moment, the three of them were locked in battle with the evil spirit.

The copper hammers whirled, the drumbeats were chaotic, the water arrows were filthy, the copper balls whistled, and the winds shot out in all directions.

The spirit's figure was as elusive as a ghost, sometimes forming walls of energy to block attacks, and sometimes summoning sharp blades of yin wind to counterattack. Although its movements were slightly stiff, there was a discernible pattern to its spells, and it was by no means an unconscious, random attack.

Pang Yuanba, having lost his weapon, could only dodge in a sorry state, relying entirely on Hou Tong and Zhu Mancang to desperately defend him. The scene appeared lively and intense, but was fraught with danger.

At first, everyone thought that although the "Three Heroes of Cangshan" were cunning, they were loyal at crucial moments and their fighting style was quite "unique", which made it more like watching a show.

Si Xuanshuang and Chen Mu frowned slightly, observing the movements of the evil spirit warily.

However, less than ten breaths had passed.

“Listen…” Si Tengxiao, who had been silently observing his surroundings, suddenly changed his expression, listened intently, and asked with a hint of barely perceptible surprise in his voice, “Is there… some kind of noise?”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Chen Mu's expression changed drastically. His usually calm eyes flashed with a cold light, and he shouted sharply, "Be careful!"

Roar—! Awooo—! Woo—!
As if to confirm his warning, the thick, ink-like black fog suddenly boiled and churned in all directions.

Countless chilling, frenzied roars, shrieks, and wailing sounds surged forth from the depths of the deepest hell, instantly engulfing the entire space.

The next moment, to everyone's horrified gaze, the surrounding sea of ​​fog surged and tore violently like boiling water.

One, two, ten, twenty... countless pale, gray, and even pitch-black ghostly figures silently "emerged" from the rolling black mist...

……

(End of this chapter)