Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

Chapter 152 Deep in the Reef

The sand on the beach crunched softly under their feet as Rito, Itadori, and Fushiguro Megumi hurried along the coastline.

The sounds of battle faded into the distance over the sea behind them, but the terrifying aura still lingered.

The giant waves generated by the collision between Fuhesh and Tuoliang kept crashing against the shore, with white foam spreading on the beach and then quickly receding.

Li Ren's gaze was fixed on the group of reefs in front of him.

The black rocks cast long, deep shadows under the sunlight, intersecting to form a natural labyrinth.

"Are you sure she's there?" Itachi turned his head, his voice tinged with worry.

"I sensed her spell power fluctuations, though very faint, but it was definitely Hitomi's aura," Rito replied, without slowing his pace in the slightest.

As they approached the reefs, they discovered that the area was much larger than they had imagined.

The tallest rocks are seven or eight meters high, standing like black towers on the beach.

The surface of the reef is covered with holes and cracks eroded by seawater, each one looking as if it has undergone countless years of weathering.

"Should we split up and search separately?" Huzhang asked.

"No," Li Ren shook his head.

"This is the territory of a top-tier cursed spirit; it's too dangerous to act alone. Let's maintain formation and look out for each other."

Fushiguro nodded. Although his face was still pale, he had regained some strength after a short rest.

He formed a hand seal, and a shikigami flew out from his shadow.

"Let it conduct reconnaissance from the air; if there are any anomalies, it will issue an early warning."

Li Ren nodded and took the lead into the entrance of the reef group.

As soon as we entered the reef area, the surrounding light dimmed instantly.

The towering reefs blocked out the sunlight, leaving only narrow, winding passages leading into the unknown depths.

Rito walked at the front, his eyes scanning every corner warily.

He could sense that the magical energy within this group of reefs was extremely chaotic, as if it had been deliberately disrupted by some force, making it difficult to pinpoint the source of the energy.

"She might be moving too," Rito said in a low voice. "Or rather, someone is deliberately interfering with her position."

"Interference?" Itadori frowned. "You mean, there are other people in this area?"

"I'm not sure, but my gut feeling tells me that things aren't that simple."

The three continued forward, passing through a narrow passage, and arrived at a relatively open space.

In the center of the open space was a huge black reef, its surface polished smooth as a mirror by the seawater, reflecting the pale purple curtain of light in the sky.

"here."

Rito's voice was slightly hurried, and Itadori and Fushiguro Megumi immediately followed.

Upon reaching the other side of the reef, all three stopped simultaneously.

Tong was huddled in the shadow of the reef, her back against the rough rock surface, her eyes closed and her face as pale as paper.

Her breathing was very weak, and her forehead was covered with a fine layer of cold sweat.

"Hitomi!" Rito crouched down and reached out to touch her neck.

The pulse was still beating, though weak, but at least the person was still alive.

"What happened to her? Was she under a spell? Or was she attacked?" Itadori squatted down next to Rito, his face full of anxiety.

Rito did not answer immediately. He examined Hitomi's body and found no obvious external injuries.

However, her magical energy fluctuations were extremely unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, as if something was violently churning within her body.

"It must have been the impact when I passed through the barrier," Fushiguro Megumi said weakly, leaning against the wall.

"She probably entered earlier than us and faced more pressure."

Li Ren gritted his teeth.

He raised his hand and placed it on Tong's forehead, slowly injecting a wisp of magical power into her body, attempting to help stabilize the chaotic flow of magical power.

As soon as the cursed power entered Hitomi's body, Rito frowned.

The cursed power within her body was operating in an incomprehensible way, like countless streams rushing wildly, colliding and intertwining with each other to form a chaotic torrent.

"The situation isn't good. Her magical power is very unstable, as if it has been forcibly impacted by some kind of force." Rito withdrew his hand.

"What should we do then?" Itadori clenched his fist, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Rito and Hitomi.

Rito was silent for a moment, then made a decision.

"Wait until she wakes up."

"Wait here?" Itadori paused, "This is a battlefield, things could change at any moment..."

'

"I know, but in her current condition, forcibly moving her will only worsen her injuries. Let's just wait here."

"Moreover, without the help of the pupil's technique, it would be difficult for us to leave this place."

Huzhang opened his mouth, but ultimately did not refute it.

After all, they had only been able to enter the second level thanks to Tong's help.

The three of them waited in the shadow of the reef.

Time passed by, second by second.

On the sea, the battle between Fuhesh and Tuogen seemed to have entered a white-hot stage, with each collision causing violent tremors, even the reefs were trembling slightly.

The seawater was churned into a murky mess, and the rolling waves crashed against the rocks with a dull roar.

Rito stayed by Hitomi's side the whole time, his gaze fixed on her face.

I don't know how much time passed.

Tong's eyelids twitched.

Very light, very slow.

Like the first ripples created by a fallen leaf on the water.

Li Ren's heart skipped a beat.

"Tong?" he asked in a low voice, with a hint of probing.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, first her nostrils twitched so faintly they were almost imperceptible, and then her tightly closed eyelids slowly opened a crack.

A flash of amber light appeared deep within his pupils and then quickly faded.

Those eyes were no longer the calm and deep pupils of the pupils, but had become a purer and more innocent gaze.

It's Xiaoye.

"Rito...brother?"

The voice was very soft, carrying a sense of bewildered confusion, as if it had just woken up from a long and deep dream.

Rihito was taken aback.

"Saya?"

She blinked, her amber eyes still slightly clouded, but quickly cleared.

"I..." Xiaoye tried to sit up by supporting herself on the ground, but her body went limp and she fell back down.

Li Ren quickly supported her shoulders and helped her sit firmly against the rocks.

"Don't rush, take your time."

Xiaoye took a few breaths and glanced around blankly.

When her gaze fell upon the churning sea and she saw the enormous water column shooting into the sky, her pupils suddenly contracted.

"Where am I?" Her voice was tinged with panic.

"The realm of the second stage," Rihito explained simply.

"We are currently in the realm of the cursed spirits, and outside there is a man named Fuheshel who is fighting against the cursed spirits."

Xiaoye's face turned even paler.

"I—" She lowered her head, looking at her hands, her voice trembling slightly, "I feel like—I can't do anything."

Li Ren was silent for a second.

"Do you remember your technique?" He tried to keep his voice calm. "See those lines?"

Xiaoye paused for a moment, then closed her eyes, as if trying to sense something.

A moment later, she opened her eyes, a faint golden light flashing within them.

"I can see some lines, but it's different from when Sister Tong was here. Those lines are blurry, like they're through a layer of fog."

Her voice sounded somewhat insecure.

"Can we find an exit?"

Xiaoye bit her lower lip and looked around.

Her gaze swept between the rocks and the sky for a long time before she finally shook her head helplessly.

"I can't see clearly—" Her voice carried a hint of frustration.

"Those lines—there are too many, too tangled, I can't tell which one leads to the way out and which one leads to a dead end."

Li Ren frowned.

He could sense that the fluctuations of the cursed power within Xiaoye's body were still unstable, and that chaotic torrent of cursed power was still churning within her.

"It's alright," Rito said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't push yourself."

Xiaoye raised her head, her amber eyes filled with a hint of self-reproach and confusion.

"But—how can we leave here if I can't see those lines clearly?"

Li Ren fell silent.

He knew Xiaoye's technique.

That is, by analyzing the flow of magical energy in objects and space, and presenting it as a line, one can determine its structure, weaknesses, and even direction.

Under Hitomi's control, this ability is almost omnipotent, allowing her to easily find flaws in any barrier or domain.

But Xiaoye————

She is not yet proficient in this skill.

The world she saw was too complex, with too many lines intertwined, making it impossible for her to discern what was crucial.

"Then there's only one way." Rito stood up, his gaze fixed on the churning sea.

Both Itadori and Fushiguro looked at him at the same time.

"What method?"

Rito took a deep breath, his voice sounding particularly heavy in the sea breeze.

"Break through this barrier!"