The moment the party first entered the misty forest, a thick aura of qi flooded their senses. However, before they could fully absorb it, deep growls sounded around them. A pack of demon beasts, neither wholly wolves nor entirely something else, emerged from all directions, their eyes flickering with a dim glow.
Mo Wenjie was the first to strike, his spiritual energy taking the form of a long sword aimed at the leader of the demon beasts. Others also began to cast spells, creating a dazzling array of light. However, these demon beasts were incredibly cunning, constantly shifting formations, making it difficult for the group to break through the encirclement.
At that moment, Mo Wenjie noticed that the demon beasts seemed to fear a spiritual herb emitting a blue glow. He immediately directed everyone to find this type of herb. After a thorough search, they finally located several plants. By swinging the herbs, the demon beasts indeed began to retreat.
Mo Wenjie and Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yurou, Xiao Yawen, Ding Yan, Tuobayi Yingying, Qin Xiaodie, Cao Chunling, the Golden Silkworm fairy, and Ling Xue all took the opportunity to rush forward. But before they had gone far, a massive chasm appeared ahead, shrouded in black mist, hiding endless dangers. Mo Wenjie took a deep breath and decided to use his flying technique to try crossing the chasm to scout the path first. He would lead everyone else across if it was safe.
Mo Wenjie gathered his energy, and a faint spiritual glow appeared under his feet. Gradually, he soared upward towards the opposite side of the chasm. The closer he got to the black mist, the greater the pressure. Mo Wenjie gritted his teeth and pushed through the resistance with all his might. Finally, he arrived in the middle of the chasm. Suddenly, a giant black claw emerged from the mist, aiming for Mo Wenjie. Unable to dodge in time, Mo Wenjie's arm was sliced open by the claw. He quickly retrieved a talisman and held it up to fend off the attack. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mo Wenjie accelerated towards the other side of the chasm.
After stabilizing himself, Mo Wenjie examined his arm wound and found no major issues. He shouted across the chasm, "I've arrived safely. There's something in this black mist, but it's defensible. Follow me closely." Afterward, he released a strand of spiritual force to connect both shores. The group carefully flew over the chasm using the strands as guides. Once the last person landed, the creatures within the black mist roared in anger. Mo Wenjie swiftly led everyone away as they knew that every step within this forest held danger. It was imperative to find a safe place to rest and regroup while uncovering more secrets about this forest and forging a path out of it.
After a hurried journey, the group discovered a cave. Mo Wenjie cautiously probed with his spiritual power to ensure there were no dangers before inviting everyone inside. Once inside, Mo Wenjie set up simple barriers to prevent intruders. The group then sat on the ground to meditate and recover.
Suddenly, Ding Qingyao shouted, "Look at this wall!" As everyone looked over, they saw ancient symbols etched onto the wall. Mo Wenjie got closer to study them, feeling that these symbols were like a part of a map. While he was thinking, a melodious flute sound came from outside. The group curious about the sound walked out of the cave to see a young white-clad boy playing it.
Mo Wenjie asked alertly, "Who are you?" The youth smiled and said, "My name is Lin Fan. I have been trapped here for a long time." Mo Wenjie was suspicious of his identity, but Lin Fan took out a jade token that had information about the misty forest. Lin Fan said that assembling similar jade tokens could lead to an escape path. After discussing it, the group decided to temporarily travel with Lin Fan. At this moment, the pack of demon beasts unexpectedly chased after them.
Lin Fan stood there quietly, like a stable mountain peak. Gently, he lifted the exquisite flute in his hand to his lips, closed his eyes slightly, and then parted his lips, slowly blowing out a series of melodious yet peculiar notes.
These melodies seemed to possess a magical power, like lightweight fairies fluttering in the air, rapidly spreading around them. Those demon beasts that were once fierce and ferocious suddenly came to a halt, as if under a charm, after hearing these strange melodies.
The demon beasts stood there, wide-eyed, with deep fear in their eyes. Their bodies trembled as if they wanted to flee from this terrible place but were unable to move due to some unknown force.
Mo Wenjie and the others were utterly stunned by the sight. Their mouths agape, they stared at what was happening in disbelief. It took a while before someone managed to snap out of it, stammering, "What... what's going on here?"
Lin Fan's mouth twitched up slightly, revealing a mysterious smile. Instead of answering the questions of the others, he turned and waved towards the deep parts of the forest, indicating for everyone to follow his lead. Thus, the group followed Lin Fan, proceeding forward with caution.
As they walked, the scenery around them gradually became brighter. A dilapidated palace emerged in the distance. Lin Fan's expression grew serious as he stopped and said, "This palace looks ordinary but is filled with traps." The group tensed upon hearing this.
Upon entering the palace, they found intricate patterns etched into the ground. Lin Fan moved cautiously, occasionally reminding everyone of safe landing spots. Suddenly, walls on both sides shot out countless arrows. The group hurriedly dodged them. Lin Fan waved his hands, creating several spiritual barriers to protect everyone.
As they continued forward, they came across a tightly closed stone door. The door had strange indentations on it. Lin Fan took out the jade token before him and placed it into the indentations. The stone door slowly opened. Inside, golden light shone, and a large spiritual bead hovered in mid-air.
Lin Fan explained, "This spiritual bead holds a powerful force and is the key to leaving here, but there are also strong illusory beasts guarding it." Just as he finished speaking, a phoenix with flames emanating from its entire body appeared. Lin Fan's eyes were determined as he charged forward to engage in combat. Seeing this, the others also joined the battle, combining their efforts to confront the illusory beast. They fought together with a single goal in mind: to obtain the spiritual bead and open a path home.
The group fought with various tactics, their attacks falling like rain on the illusory beast. However, the beast had thick skin and flesh, and its flames were scorching. Huang Ling'er let out a battle cry, summoning an ice-based artifact to suppress the beast's flames. Jiang Yurou used her agile movements to attack from behind the beast. The beast, facing attacks from both sides, roared in anger and abruptly swung its tail, sweeping Ding Qingyao away. Mo Wenjie was swift with his eyes and hands, throwing a strand of spiritual force to catch Ding Qingyao mid-air.
As the group's energy began to wane, Lin Fan let out a loud shout and his spiritual power surged within him, causing his sword to glow brightly. Finding the right moment, he plunged his sword into the illusory beast's abdomen. The beast received a serious wound, its breath weakening. The group seized the opportunity and launched their strongest attack together. The illusory beast finally could not bear the pain and vanished, leaving no trace behind.
The spiritual bead floated down gently. Lin Fan reached out and caught it. Instantly, the bead radiated a gentle glow enveloping everyone. A brief flash later, the group felt their surroundings shift. They were no longer within the misty forest but were outside of it.
Mo Wenjie looked at Lin Fan with gratitude, "Thank you, brother, for your help." Lin Fan smiled, "We are all outcasts in this world; it's just mutual support." After that, they parted ways. The group set off on their journey back, filled with reflections of their experiences. And this legendary story quietly spread throughout the celestial realms.
A few days later, Mo Wenjie and others encountered Lin Fan once again during a training journey. Lin Fan had been searching for the bigger hidden secret behind the misty forest ever since their parting. He discovered that the forest was seemingly the site where an ancient great power sealed away evil forces, and that the seal was now loosening. Upon hearing this news, Mo Wenjie and others decided to join Lin Fan in investigating.
Upon arriving at the forest's edge, they saw dark clouds looming in the sky, and the once lively qi had become chaotic. They ventured further into the forest and found a cave emanating with dark energy. Just as everyone was about to enter the cave to investigate, suddenly numerous demon beasts were unleashed by the darkness. Lin Fan and Mo Wenjie exchanged glances, leading their group to bravely fight against them. During the battle, Lin Fan realized that these demon beasts were mere puppets controlled by dark forces. The true threat lay deep within the cave. Hence, they pushed forward and killed their way into the cave until they discovered the mastermind behind it—a sorcerer attempting to dominate all seven levels of heaven through malevolent power.
Mo Wenjie, Ding Qingyao, Huang Linger, Jiang Yurou, Xiao Wenwen, Dai Yan, Tuo Ying, Qin Xiaodie, Cao Chunling, Jin Chao Xianzi, and Ling Xue all fought together against the sorcerer with their hearts united. Lin Fan used the power he gained from the spiritual bead to deliver a decisive blow to the sorcerer. After this battle, their relationships became even closer and they became a group of heroes who guarded the celestial realm together.
Although the sorcerer had been defeated, the group knew they still needed to stay vigilant. One day, an unusual celestial phenomenon appeared in the heavens, with streaks of blood-red lightning breaking through the sky. Mo Wenjie felt a bad omen and called a meeting with everyone. Lin Fan theorized that it could be remnants of the sorcerer's party causing trouble, or perhaps a new malevolent force was eyeing the celestial realm's peace.
The group decided to split up to investigate the source of the anomaly. Mo Wenjie and Ding Qingyao formed a pair, and as they reached a secluded valley, they found an intense presence of dark magic. Just as they were about to delve deeper, they were attacked by a group of people in black robes. These individuals moved in an eerie manner and possessed formidable strength.
Meanwhile, the other groups encountered various obstacles as well. Huang Linger and Jiang Yurou were ensnared by a mystical array, while Xiao Wenwen and Dai Yan faced powerful magical restrictions. However, the group remained composed. Mo Wenjie and Ding Qingyao cooperated to unleash a joint technique, driving away the dark robed individuals. The other groups also overcame their challenges through their own wit and abilities, eventually regrouping together.
The group pressed on, following the increasingly intense magical energy, their footsteps hurried and their expressions grave. The further they went, the stronger the magical energy became, surging like dark clouds billowing and spreading. The noxious odor made them feel stuffy. Finally, at the bottom of a shadowy valley, they discovered the source of the trouble—a mystical artifact emitting an eerie glow, enveloped in thick magical aura as if it were telling endless evil.
Without hesitation, the group quickly dispersed and, according to their previous arrangements, joined forces to lay down a purifying spell array. For a while, a bright light shone and magical runes flowed, counteracting the magical energy. The artifact seemed to possess intelligence and sensing the threat, it let out ear-piercing screams and released numerous black energy waves aimed at the spell array. The group gritted their teeth and worked together to maintain it, sweat soaking their clothes.
The battle reached a boiling point, with dark shadows relentlessly attacking. The group was also being corroded by the malevolent energies, and some began to show signs of exhaustion. However, they trusted each other and encouraged one another, their eyes showing unwavering determination. At the crucial moment, the leader concentrated all their strength and roared, pouring pure spiritual force into the spell array. The light shone brightly like a surging tide heading towards the artifact. The dark shadows struggled and let out desperate growls of resistance.
Finally, through the relentless efforts of the group, the thick magical energy gradually dissipated, and the artifact returned to its original form, emitting a soft glow. The hard-fought battle came to an end. Though exhausted, each member of the group wore a relieved smile on their face. They had successfully purified the artifact and eliminated this potential huge threat.
