Mo Wenjie stood in front of the crowd, with a firm and profound gaze. "Although our strength is still weak now, every time we undergo a trial, we grow," said the crowd in nodding agreement. At that moment, the sky suddenly became overcast with clouds, and a black rift gradually opened up, from which a group of demon cultivators poured out. "It's just right!" exclaimed Ding Qingyao with a fierce shout and rushed forward first. She swung her spiritual sword in her hand, and the shimmering light fended off several demon cultivators. Huang Ling'er was not to be outdone either. She raised her hands and cast incantations one after another, raising waves of icy cold air around her that froze the approaching demon cultivators. The others joined in the battle upon seeing this. Jiang Yu Ruo waved her sleeves elegantly as if she were a cobra coiling up to entangle her enemies; Xiao Yawen summoned a treasure artifact with brilliant light blazing towards the demon cultivators' group; Ding Yan agilely darted among them, looking for an opportunity to strike back; Tuo Bi Ying Ying and Qin Xia Diei worked together harmoniously to lock down their enemies while temporarily bringing equilibrium to the battlefield.
Liuchuan Dong's face, which was already somewhat serious, now furrowed tightly as if he could crush a fly with his brow. His eyes wide, he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, be extra careful! The ones in front of us are just advance guards sent by the enemy. In my opinion, there must be even more powerful opponents hiding behind them!"
After hearing Liuchuan Dong's words, the hearts of everyone in the scene were instantly raised to their throats. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with hard-to-conceal terror and unease, but soon they managed to calm themselves down. After all, no one wanted to show even the slightest sign of cowardice at this critical moment.
At this moment, Mo Wenjie's expression was grave, his eyes tightly fixed on the front, and without realizing it, his strong and sturdy hands had unconsciously squeezed the handle of his long sword tighter. Standing beside him, Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yu Ruo, and Xiao Yawen—the four women—also looked solemn. Some held short swords, others tight-fisted whips; their beautiful faces now betrayed a sense of determination. On the other side, Ding Yan, Tuo Bayingying, Qin Xia Die and Cao Chunling showed no sign of weakness either; each held their weapon of choice with skillful hands and their eyes were resolutely fixed ahead as if they were ready to strike at any sign of movement.
At the same time, Ling Xue's figure was light and graceful like a swallow, her long lance flashing with cold light, akin to a dragon coiled and ready to strike. Next to her stood Liuchuan Dong, who clasped his hands around his chest and had a giant axe resting on his shoulder. Though it seemed relaxed, from the tensed muscles he could be sensed preparing for an instantaneous burst of overwhelming power. This group of people stood quietly in place without any spoken exchange, but their mutual understanding was palpable.
Mo Wenjie and Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yu Ruo, Xiao Yawen, Ding Yan, Tuo Bayingying, Qin Xia Die, Cao Chunling, Ling Xue, and Liuchuan Dong knew that they were facing an unprecedented great crisis. Yet, they showed no fear; in their hearts, there was only one belief—to protect the weaker ones behind them.
Mo Wenjie stood on the spacious ground, the atmosphere seemed somewhat tense. Each person's eyes conveyed complex emotions. They knew that the path ahead would be filled with difficult and treacherous obstacles.
Ding Qingyao's brows furrowed slightly, her gaze firm and determined, directed towards the distance, as if contemplating the upcoming challenge. Huang Ling'er clasped her arms, a trace of stubbornness in her lips, with no sign of retreat in her eyes. Jiang Yu Ruo bit lightly at her lip, although there was some worry in her heart, but still clenched her fists tightly to display inner strength.
Xiao Yawen's expression was calm, silently observing everything around as if seeking potential threats. Ding Yan was tense, twirling the edge of her robe, but she still straightened her posture, not wanting to show fear in front of everyone. Tuo Bayingying was fearless, her lively eyes sparkling with a readiness to try. Qin Xia Die remained silent, her cool composure hiding a brave heart.
Cao Chunling occasionally looked at Mo Wenjie, as if she were drawing strength from him. Ling Xue stood quietly by one side, exuding a kind of intimidating presence that made people dare not underestimate her. Liuchuan Dong patted Mo Wenjie on the shoulder and whispered, "No matter what, let's face it together."
Mo Wenjie and Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yu Ruo, Xiao Yawen, and the others exchanged glances. In this silent communication, they reached a tacit understanding: no matter how tough the road ahead was, they would move forward together, showing no signs of retreat and facing the unknown storm hand in hand.
As the two sides were in a deadlock, there was a burst of laughter from the black rift. "You think you can stop us? Too naive." With the words, a more powerful aura emerged. Mo Wenjie took a deep breath and shouted, "Form the formation!" The crowd quickly assumed their positions according to the drills they had practiced daily.
Ding Qingyao and the other female cultivators were positioned at the eye of the formation, continuously injecting their magic into it. The demon cultivators launched fierce attacks, causing ripples to spread around the formation. Suddenly, a massive demonic hand broke through the defense and lunged towards Mo Wenjie. Liuchuan Dong rushed over and used his giant axe to block the attack, but his arm was left numb from the impact. At this moment, several teenagers from the weaker group stood up and helped to transmit their spiritual energy to those fighting in the battle. This newfound force stabilized the formation.
Mo Wenjie seized the opportunity, pointing his sword towards the sky, channeling heavenly and earthly qi into a sword formation to charge at the demon cultivators. The demonic clan leader had not expected them to be so stubborn, roaring loudly and joining the battle personally.
Mo Wenjie stood on empty space, his posture as straight and tall as a pine tree, facing the enemies in the sky from a distance. In his hand, the long sword shone with cold light under the sunlight, as if it could unleash astonishing power at any moment.
And the other party was no weaker either. The surrounding area was filled with demonic energy, emitting a terrifying aura that made people's hearts palpitate. As their eyes met, it was as if two bolts of lightning collided in an instant, creating numerous sparks.
In an instant, they simultaneously struck, resulting in a cross-fire of sword qi and an overflow of demonic energy. In their alternating attacks, neither side would yield. The intense combat shook the surrounding air.
Amidst the raging battle, Mo Wenjie suddenly experienced an epiphany, a new insight surging into his mind. The long sword in his hand seemed to sense the change in his master's state of mind and trembled slightly, emitting a crisp sound of the sword resonating.
Mo Wenjie followed through with a sword strike, seemingly mundane, but containing the new sword intent he had just gained. As the sword glow sliced through the space, it seemed to tear apart everything in its path, moving forward without hesitation towards the demonic clan leader.
Seeing this, the demonic clan leader was alarmed and hastily channeled his magic power to counter this attack. However, Mo Wenjie's sword strike was too powerful to be easily blocked. The blow easily broke through his defense and directly struck him.
A blood-curdling cry echoed, and the demonic clan leader spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward. His clothing was in tatters, revealing a deep wound that could be seen through the bone. He looked extremely disheveled.
Upon seeing the leader injured, the other demonic cultivators were immediately filled with fear. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear and unease. Eventually, someone led the way and turned to flee in reverse, followed by the others like a wave, quickly retreating.
As the demonic cultivators withdrew, the huge black crack began to slowly close. Mo Wenjie and Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yu Ruo, Xiao Yawen, Ding Yan, Tuo Bayingying, Qin Xia Die, Cao Chunling, Ling Xue and Liuchuan Dong looked at the gradually disappearing crack. Their tightly drawn nerves finally relaxed and they let out a long breath. Everyone was well aware that while this crisis had been temporarily averted, the road ahead was still fraught with unknowns and challenges...
Mo Wenjie turned around and addressed the crowd, "Although we have narrowly won this battle against the demonic cultivators, we must not become complacent." Everyone agreed. Mo Wenjie continued, "We must enhance our strength to be better prepared for any future encounters." Thus, they decided to go to the mysterious Lingxu Cave for cultivation.
Within the Lingxu Cave, the spiritual energy was so thick it was almost tangible. Mo Wenjie sat by a spring of spiritual energy, surrounded by the continuous influx of spiritual qi into his body, feeling a subtle shift in his own cultivation level. Ding Qingyao and the others also found their respective places for cultivation.
However, a few days later, strange noises were heard outside the cave. The group went out to investigate and found many unusual creatures gathered outside. These creatures looked bizarre, and emitted dangerous auras. Mo Wenjie furrowed his brow, realizing that new challenges were approaching.
Mo Wenjie gripped his long sword tightly, leading the charge. The group followed closely, forming a battle formation once again. This time, they were even more composed and calm than before.
Mo Wenjie demonstrated the new sword technique he had just gained, and in the midst of the swirling shadows, these strange creatures were unable to approach for a while. Everyone else also showed their skills, and a flash of magical light illuminated the sky outside the Lingxu Cave. After a fierce battle that lasted for some time, they finally managed to drive these strange creatures away. After this encounter, they realized that challenges would never cease on this cultivation path.
The group heaved a sigh of relief when the ground suddenly began to tremble violently. Mo Wenjie's expression darkened, "There's probably even greater trouble ahead."
From a distance, a high mountain moved slowly, as if a colossal stone beast had awakened. With each step it took, the earth trembled.
Mo Wenjie gritted his teeth and said, "Let's do it!" He charged at the stone beast first. His sword struck the stone beast, only sending up a few sparks, and it couldn't break through its defense. Ding Qingyao waved her short sword, flying to the top of the stone beast and piercing its eyes. The stone beast roared in pain and flung its head violently, knocking Ding Qingyao off. Huang Ling'er threw out an ice crystal chain, wrapping around Ding Qingyao to prevent her from suffering serious injuries.
Realizing that conventional methods were ineffective, Mo Wenjie closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then thought of a plan. He instructed everyone to concentrate their power onto him, and without hesitation, they all complied.
Mo Wenjie was bathed in radiance, soaring high into the air and channeling all his power into the tip of his sword. He drove it deeply into a runic hollow on the top of the stone beast's head. The colossal creature wobbled several times and then collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash. The group erupted in joy. They knew that each victory on this path filled with challenges would only make them stronger.
