Just as the crowd cheered, the symbols on the stone beast suddenly shone. Mo Wenjie was startled and realized that something was wrong. He quickly retreated. Only to see the stone beast slowly stand up, and its originally dull eyes shine with a faint glow once more. It seems that the stone beast has the ability to be reactivated again.
Everyone tensed up, Mo Wenjie took a deep breath, and tightened his grip on the sword in his hand. He summoned the remaining spiritual energy in his body, muttering under his breath, and a faint blue light halo began to appear around the sword. This time he decided to attack the core of the stone beast - the energy source at its heart.
Mo Wenjie charged towards the stone beast like lightning, skillfully dodging the massive claws it flailed. In a series of swift movements, he reached the beast's chest and thrust the sword forward. The stone beast roared in anger, its massive paws coming down to strike Mo Wenjie.
Seeing this, Mo Wenjie gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and with both hands firmly gripping the hilt of the sword, he exerted all his might to drive the razor-sharp treasure sword into the stone beast with all his might. Every inch he penetrated seemed to require draining all his strength, but he showed no sign of retreat.
As the blade was fully inserted into the stone beast's body, there was a colossal "boom," and within the massive creature, countless dazzling beams shot out. These beams scattered like lightning, intertwining to form a brilliant yet eerie spectacle. Immediately thereafter, the stone beast's originally iron-hard body began to tremble violently, accompanied by a deep rumble. It finally slowly fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust and ceased all movement entirely.
At this moment, Mo Wenjie, who had expended too much spiritual energy earlier, was unable to support his own body and knelt on one knee. He was panting heavily, sweat streaming down his face and soaking his clothes. Despite his exhaustion, a faint smile of relief still appeared on his face involuntarily.
After this thrilling life-and-death confrontation, Mo Wenjie successfully overcame the powerful stone beast, and his sense of achievement and joy was obvious. Moreover, more importantly, through this intense battle with the stone beast, he could clearly feel that his cultivation realm had achieved a new breakthrough and improvement.
As Mo Wenjie knelt and gasped for breath, a shimmering portal suddenly appeared at the spot where the stone beast had fallen. Everyone was shocked, and Mo Wenjie struggled to stand up. He felt a mysterious call from the portal, as if it held a world-shattering opportunity. Ignoring his weakened state, Mo Wenjie stepped towards the portal one foot at a time.
Upon stepping into the portal, he found himself in a strange dimension. Spiritual mist enveloped everything, and various artifacts glowed with divine light suspended around. Just as Mo Wenjie was marveling at this sight, an ancient voice spoke in his ear: "You have defeated my guardian beast. This is your reward." Following that, a beam of golden light infused into Mo Wenjie's body, replenishing the spiritual energy he had expended and further broadening his meridians. Mo Wenjie was overjoyed and began to select artifacts. He took notice of an ember-fueled fan that exuded a fiery aura; as soon as he picked it up, the surroundings vanished and he returned to his original location.
Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yurou, Xiao Yawen, Ding Yan, Tuobaying, Qin Xiaodie, Cao Chunling, Ling Xue, and Liu Chuandong gathered around. Seeing Mo Wenjie not only restored his vitality but also acquired a treasure, they all showed envious expressions. Mo Wenjie was well aware that his gain from this adventure lay not just in the artifacts but also in the enhancement of his own strength and the boundless possibilities of the future. With a confident smile, he turned and left the battlefield.
As Mo Wenjie stepped away not far from there, the sky suddenly darkened. A group of black clouds quickly gathered, and a huge, black tendril emerged from it and rapidly lunged towards Mo Wenjie. Mo Wenjie ducked to the side to avoid the tendril, but he found that the surroundings had been plunged into darkness. It turned out that the owner of the stone beast, who was dissatisfied with his treasure being taken, had used forbidden magic to retaliate against Mo Wenjie.
Upon seeing this, the crowd, though still frightened, drew their swords and charged forward to assist. Mo Wenjie shouted: "Step back, this is directed at me." He waved the fan he had just acquired, sending a torrent of flames towards the dark cloud. However, the tendril easily dispersed the fire and sped up its attack. Mo Wenjie concentrated his thoughts and channeled his spiritual energy into his feet, leaping into the air.
In mid-air, he quickly sealed his hands and chanted a complex incantation. For a moment, the essence of heaven and earth rushed into his body. With a roar, he pushed out a beam of light imbued with immense spiritual energy. The light beam struck the dark cloud, which emitted a painful roar and slowly withdrew its black tendrils.
Mo Wenjie plummeted from the sky like a meteor, his feet landing solidly on the ground. Although this landing caused the spiritual energy within him to rush out like a broken dam, overwhelming him with a sudden wave of intense weakness, his gaze became even more resolute at this moment.
He knew that as his strength continued to rise, the enemies he faced would also become increasingly powerful and difficult to deal with. However, how could that be? In Mo Wenjie's heart, fear had long since been driven away by courage. Even if the road ahead was fraught with thorns and filled with dangers, he would never hesitate once.
Seeing this, Mo Wenjie took a deep breath and forced himself to suppress the discomfort caused by his excessive consumption of spiritual energy. Following that, he lifted his head, eyes shining brightly as he gazed into the unknown path ahead. Then, with his steps determined and strong, he slowly walked towards the distance one step at a time.
Ding Qingyao, Huang Ling'er, Jiang Yurou, Xiao Yawen, Ding Yan, Tuobaying, Qin Xiaodie, Cao Chunling, Ling Xue, and Liu Chuandong stood in place, silently gazing at Mo Wenjie's receding figure as he walked away. Each of their faces bore a look of profound admiration. The fearlessness and determination exuding from this man were like a beam of light illuminating the path for everyone to follow.
After Mo Wenjie walked away, the crowd snapped back to reality. Ding Qingyao softly said, "We cannot lag behind either." Everyone nodded in agreement. Then they dispersed, seeking opportunities to improve their cultivation.
Mo Wenjie traveled alone and reached a secluded valley. The valley was permeated with dense spiritual essence, and at the center stood an ancient stone altar. Just as he approached the altar, numerous puppets emerged from around him. Mo Wenjie remained calm and unflinching, waving his fire fan. Flames shot towards the puppets, but they were not afraid of fire and continued to charge at him.
Mo Wenjie sheathed the fan, formed hand seals with both hands, and a barrier of spiritual energy appeared. The puppets collided with the barrier, causing Mo Wenjie to sweat on his brow as he exerted all his effort to maintain it. Suddenly, he thought of his experience from the battle against the stone beast and focused his spiritual energy on a single point, breaking through the core of one puppet. The other puppets ceased their movements instantly.
Mo Wenjie carefully stepped onto the ancient and mysterious stone altar, filled with anticipation and curiosity. As he finally stood firm, his gaze was drawn to a vibrant gem on the altar, radiating seven colors of light. The gem shone like the brightest star in the night sky, emanating an irresistible charm that made it impossible to look away.
Involuntarily, Mo Wenjie extended his right hand and slowly moved it closer to the gem. The moment his fingertips touched the gem, a strange energy flowed up his arm and throughout his entire body. The gem seemed to have a life of its own, actively merging with his body. Instantly, Mo Wenjie felt a powerful surge of spiritual energy flood into him like a mighty tide.
This surge of spiritual energy flowed freely through his meridians, continuously pounding on every acupoint. The already considerable amount of spiritual energy became even more powerful, like a raging flame that wouldn't subside. Mo Wenjie could clearly feel the surge in his power, an exciting sensation that filled him with exhilaration.
At this moment, Mo Wenjie realized that he had made an important step forward on his journey to becoming a true warrior. All the hardships and countless life-or-death trials he had undergone were finally paying off. However, he also understood that the road ahead was still long and filled with thorns. But with such a powerful spiritual energy to support him, he was confident that he would be able to overcome all difficulties and reach the pinnacle of martial arts.
Feeling the surging spiritual energy within him, Mo Wenjie's lips curved into a faint smile. As he was about to leave the altar, a fierce wind swept through the valley. The wind carried with it a piercing howl. Mo Wenjie looked around alertly and saw a massive vortex forming in the sky above. Inside the vortex, there were faint flashes of lightning.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the vortex, revealing an elderly man with white hair. The old man's eyes were cold as he stared at Mo Wenjie, "You brat, dare you take the spiritual gem? It was meant for my apprentice." Mo Wenjie cupped his hands in a bow and explained, "Elder, this artifact has come to me by destiny, and I have also endured much hardship to obtain it." But the old man would not listen and raised his hand to unleash a powerful spiritual attack. Mo Wenjie dodged and drew his sword to block the attack. After several rounds of combat, though Mo Wenjie had greatly increased his spiritual energy, the old man was experienced.
Just as Mo Wenjie began to show signs of fatigue, he remembered the unique ability granted by the spiritual gem, and tried to tap into that power. Suddenly, a burst of seven-color light enveloped him, and his strength surged. Mo Wenjie took advantage of this opportunity to counterattack, and the old man was unable to defend himself. In the end, the old man shook his head helplessly and said, "Alright then, since this spiritual gem recognizes you as its master, it is yours." Then he retreated back into the vortex. Mo Wenjie breathed a sigh of relief and continued on his journey towards reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.
Mo Wenjie followed the mountain path forward and soon arrived at a treacherous peak. There was a cave on the mountain, with swirling clouds around its entrance, exuding an aura of mystery. Curiosity piqued, Mo Wenjie entered the cave. Inside, the light was dim, and the walls were covered with unfamiliar runes. As he walked deeper, he found a massive stone tablet blocking his path. Mo Wenjie tried to move it with his spiritual energy but found that it wouldn't budge.
While he was contemplating a strategy, the stone tablet suddenly emitted a soft glow, and the runes on it seemed to come to life, seeping into Mo Wenjie's mind. A sharp pain struck him, and he gritted his teeth to bear it. After the pain subsided, he was surprised to find that these runes contained an ancient and long-lost cultivation technique called the "Divine Fire Clause." Following the instructions of the technique, Mo Wenjie practiced the cultivation method, and his spiritual energy became even more condensed.
Just as he was immersed in it, the sound of commotion came from outside the cave. Going outside to investigate, he found that a group of demonic cultivation practitioners were attacking a few cultivators.
Mo Wenjie, without hesitation, joined the battle. He activated his spiritual energy, moving as a ghost, and waved his fire fan, sending streams of flames towards the demonic cultivators. The demonic cultivators were taken by surprise at the unexpected intervention and their formation collapsed.
Mo Wenjie led the cultivators to quickly turn the tide of the battle and defeat the demonic cultivators. Afterward, he led everyone, filled with aspirations, back onto the journey to pursue the pinnacle of cultivation towards immortality.
