Dangerous Surges of Darkness
Spiritual power surged wildly around Xuanjizi as he tried to reinforce his crumbling barrier, but the dark force clung to him like an incurable disease, frantically tearing at his defenses.
The old man's face turned as red as if he had been constipated for three days, and beads of sweat poured down his forehead in a torrential patter.
Hiding behind Xuanjizi and witnessing this apocalyptic scene, Lu Yao and the others felt their hearts pounding in their throats, as if they might explode on the spot at any second.
A suffocating tension filled the air, making it feel as though time itself had frozen.
"Damn it, this dark aura is way too fierce. This old man is probably not going to hold out much longer!" Suyi muttered a curse as he looked at Xuanjizi's trembling back.
Right at this critical moment, Xuanjizi let out a loud shout and pulled a palm-sized golden disc from his storage ring.
The moment the disc appeared, it burst into a blinding golden light that forcibly blocked the erosion of the dark power and stabilized the shattering barrier.
However, no sooner had one wave settled than another arose!
A dark figure darted out from the shadows like a ghost, aiming straight for Lu Yao.
It was Yingsha, the disciple of the old man in the black robe!
Moving like an assassin with a speed boost, this fellow launched a sudden sneak attack while everyone's attention was drawn to the dark force.
Lu Yao had just been through a grueling battle and her body was still extremely weak, leaving her with no time to react. With a dull thud, she was sent flying by Yingsha's palm strike and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Yaoyao!" Lin Yue cried out in alarm, tears welling up in her eyes.
Yet just as everyone gasped in shock, a figure shot toward Yingsha like an arrow released from a bow, moving so fast that only a blurred afterimage remained.
It was Ma Lin!
Without the slightest hesitation—and without even checking on Lu Yao's injuries first—he immediately swung his sword. The fierce sword Qi, carrying a bone-chilling frost, closed in directly on Yingsha's vital points.
Yingsha clearly had not expected Ma Lin to be so decisive, nor had he anticipated such terrifying speed.
Shocked by Ma Lin's overwhelming momentum, he froze for a second, a flash of panic crossing his face as he thought to himself: *Has this poker-faced guy started using cheats?*
However, just as Yingsha managed to steady himself and prepare a counterattack, he suddenly saw the corners of Ma Lin's mouth curl upward as he spoke.
"Now, it's time for you to pay your debts..."
A savage grin flashed across Yingsha's sinister face as his hands moved rapidly through a series of hand seals while he chanted under his breath.
In an instant, countless shadow illusions of Yingsha appeared around Ma Lin, as if he had cast a shadow clone technique.
Every single one of these phantoms brandished a sharp weapon and hacked away at Ma Lin like a pack of rabid dogs.
Ma Lin swung his longsword, sending sword Qi slashing in all directions, but he could never tell the real body from the illusions and was forced into a desperate, frantic defense.
Injuries quickly piled up on his body, and shocking trails of blood oozed out, looking excruciatingly painful.
"Ma Lin!" Lu Yao cried out, her heart aching as if being twisted by a knife when she saw Ma Lin's multiplying wounds.
She struggled to stand up, but because she had been badly hurt by Yingsha's earlier palm strike, the moment she moved she collapsed back to the ground.
The anxiety and helplessness in her eyes were almost overflowing, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze into ice, pressing down so heavily that it was hard to breathe.
"Brother, we're coming to help you!" Suyi roared, charging toward Yingsha like a cannonball fired from its barrel. Flames blazed in his hands, burning the air until it distorted.
Lin Yue followed closely behind, spiritual wind surging in her palms as she coordinated with Suyi's fire to unleash a powerful combined attack.
Caught off guard by this sudden assault, Yingsha was scorched black and purple all over. He looked as disheveled as a beggar crawling out of a coal pile, having completely lost his previous arrogance.
"Awesome!" Lin Yue waved her fist in excitement, her face beaming with the joy of victory as if she hadn't just been the one getting beaten to a pulp.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ma Lin finally broke free from the entangling illusions.
Ignoring the dull aches still lingering across his body, he hurried to Lu Yao's side and carefully helped her up. "Are you alright?" he asked in a low, gentle voice.
Lu Yao looked at Ma Lin, her cheeks flushing slightly as her heartbeat accelerated.
She shook her head and whispered, "I'm fine. You... you be careful." The surroundings seemed enveloped in a pink filter, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.
Suyi and Lin Yue exchanged a knowing smile as they watched the pair, the previously tense atmosphere relaxing as well.
Yet at that very moment, an unsettling tremor surged in from all directions.
The dark force that had been running rampant suddenly seemed to gain a will of its own, beginning to gather around Lu Yao and the others.
Xuanjizi tried desperately to stop it, only to find that he was already powerless to intervene.
With a deeply furrowed brow and a pale face, he could only watch helplessly as the dark force inched closer by the second.
Just as everyone wondered what this dark power was trying to do, the surrounding temperature plummeted abruptly, and a bone-chilling frost instantly washed over them.