Radiance Illuminating the Path: Contending for Opportunities in a Perilous Land
Filled with anticipation, the group sped toward the radiant light.
Along the way, the wind howled in their ears, and their robes snapped violently in the air, mirroring the turbulent and unsettled state of their hearts.
Surrounded by swirling spiritual power, Hu Feng possessed the steady yet majestic aura of the Foundation Establishment stage. His gaze was sharp as a falcon's, fixed firmly upon that auspicious land as he thought to himself: "Such a wondrous radiance must conceal supreme treasures. If we can use them, why worry that our grand endeavor of vengeance will fail? The Rosy Clouds Sect has hope for revival!"
With these thoughts, he gripped the hilt of his Red Sun Sword so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly pale.
Lin Yao followed closely behind, the Spirit Rhinoceros Bracelet flickering with a faint glow on her wrist. With her slender brows furrowed and her expression fraught with gravity and vigilance, she softly said: "Senior Brother, this celestial phenomenon is far too conspicuous. I fear various factions have already caught wind of it and are moving in. Though we urgently need this opportunity, we must proceed step by step with caution and avoid falling into someone else's trap."
Hu Feng nodded slightly, turning his gaze toward her. Their eyes met, filled with mutual understanding and trust: "Rest assured, Junior Sister, I know what I'm doing. With you and the junior sisters by my side, even surrounded by formidable enemies, we will surely carve out a path to survival."
As they spoke, the group drew close to the place where the radiance fell—a mysterious valley named the "Phantom Spirit Valley".
The valley entrance was shrouded in clouds and mist, curling tendrils of vapor churning wildly yet exuding a subtle, eerie aura that obscured what lay within.
The spiritual energy inside the valley was so dense it was nearly viscous. Flowers and plants swayed gracefully, all emitting brilliant spiritual lights, yet Hu Feng keenly sensed that the surroundings were unnaturally quiet, with a fierce, latent oppression lurking about.
Just as they stepped into the entrance, a low roar echoed, like a prehistoric giant beast awakening and bellowing.
The group looked closely and saw a third-rank Monster Beast covered in golden scales with a single horn on its head—the "Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros". Its eyes were blood-red, dust swirled beneath its hooves, and its horn flashed with a cold light as it charged toward them with the force of a landslide.
Terrified out of her wits, Chu Li turned pale and instinctively hid behind Ye Xuan, her hands clutching tightly at her hem as she trembled and asked: "How... how could such a fierce beast be guarding this place?"
Hu Feng showed no fear whatsoever. He lifted his sword and leaped into the air, the Taiji Chaos Banner spinning above his head as spacetime distorted around him. He shouted loudly: "Don't panic, everyone! Obey my command, form the sword array to meet the enemy! Lin Yao, Su Yao, use the Spirit Rhinoceros Bracelet to restrict its movements; Ye Xuan, Chu Li, seize the moment to unleash the Ice Soul Silver Needle and Spiritual Power Vines to attack its vital points!"
With that, the Red Sun Sword surged with roaring flames as he executed the Blazing Sun Wind-Breaking Formula, its sword shadows transforming into three blazing pythons that bared their fangs and lunged at the Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros.
Lin Yao reacted swiftly, exchanging a glance with Su Yao as they simultaneously activated the Spirit Rhinoceros Bracelet. The spiritual light flared brightly, transforming into tough threads of spiritual power that coiled like a Spirit Snake around the limbs of the Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros, restricting its charging speed.
Steadying their minds, Ye Xuan and Chu Li formed hand seals at lightning speed. The Ice Soul Silver Needle whistled through the air, piercing into the gaps of the rhinoceros scales; the Spiritual Power Vines burst forth from the ground, winding upward in an attempt to strangle the monster.
After a fierce battle, although the onslaught of the Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros was hindered, it grew increasingly ferocious. The scales all over its body flashed with light, shattering the spiritual power threads. It threw back its head and roared, its sonic wave carrying a spiritual shockwave that sent the group's blood roiling.
Hu Feng's brows furrowed deeply as anxiety gripped his heart: "Continuing like this is no solution. This beast has thick skin and flesh; a frontal assault consumes too much energy."
As he pondered, his peripheral vision caught a faint halo at the base of the Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros's single horn, appearing to be its weak spot.
His eyes lit up, and he sent a voice transmission to the group: "Do you see that halo at the base of the single horn? Attack that spot with all your might!"
With that, he poured his full spiritual power into driving the Taiji Chaos Banner, using the distorted spacetime power to firmly pin the Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros in place.
Lin Yao unleashed the Hunyuan Spirit Shield, blocking the beast's frenzied counterattack and buying time for the group's assault.
Su Yao, Ye Xuan, and Chu Li poured out their spiritual power, sending the Ice Soul Silver Needle and Spiritual Power Vines pelting toward the halo like a torrential storm.
With a deafening crash, the Golden-Scaled Storm Rhinoceros collapsed heavily to the ground, kicking up a flurry of dust.
The group slumped to the ground, panting heavily and tattered in their attire, yet unable to conceal the joy of surviving a catastrophe.
Hu Feng leaned on his sword to stand, wiped the sweat from his brow, and let out a long breath: "We finally took care of it. Is everyone unharmed?"
The others rose one after another. Though nursing quite a few injuries, they all shook their heads to signal they were fine.
Delving deeper into the Phantom Spirit Valley, the surrounding scenery grew increasingly fantastical and illusory.
When they reached a cliff face, a stone door suddenly appeared upon it. Runes flickered across the door like an ancient heavenly book, exuding a mysterious pressure.
Hu Feng stepped closer to examine it, murmuring to himself: "These runes look familiar, as if they bear some relation to the records in the ancient texts of the Rosy Clouds Sect..."
Just as he racked his brains for a way to break the seal, the stone door shuddered violently and slowly swung open, revealing blinding light and billowing treasure qi within.
The group filed in to find the cavern piled high with heavenly treasures. High-grade magical treasures glowed brilliantly, rare spiritual plants radiated intense spiritual energy, and several scrolls of archaic cultivation manuals floated in midair, their pages rustling as they turned.
Su Yao's eyes lit up as she jumped for joy: "Senior Brother, we've struck it rich! With these treasures, why worry that our vengeance has no hope?"
Hu Feng's face was likewise filled with excitement, yet he forcefully suppressed the joy in his heart and said in a deep voice: "Don't rush just yet. It is too quiet here; I fear there are still contingencies."
Before his voice faded, the cavern ceiling flashed with light, and a swarm of bat-like "Youying ghosts bats" wreathed in nether flames lunged fiercely forward. Their bat wings flapped, splashing nether flames everywhere, scorching the air and hissing wherever they passed.
Chu Li exclaimed in alarm: "More monster beasts! Will they never end?" Lin Yao quickly expanded the Hunyuan Spirit Shield, protecting the group behind her as she called out loudly: "Don't panic, keep the sword array together!"
Hu Feng formed hand seals, his spiritual power blazing brightly as he executed the Nine Suns Incinerating Heaven Technique, using the searing heat to drive back the vanguard of the ghost bats. Ye Xuan danced her hands, chanting incantations as her spiritual power transformed into an ice-blue light barrier to block the intrusion of the nether flames.
Su Yao produced the Ice-Heart Jade Pendant, whose warm, gentle glow enveloped the group with a calming force that stabilized their minds and warded off the sonic interference of the ghost bats.
Amidst the fierce battle, Hu Feng seized the opportunity to unleash the Taiji Chaos Banner, twisting spacetime to sweep a large swathe of ghost bats into a different dimension.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Yao used the Spirit Rhinoceros Bracelet in tandem with the Hunyuan Spirit Shield to clear out the remaining ghost bats.
After a bitter struggle, the threat was finally cleared. The group collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.
Hu Feng struggled to his feet and began selecting treasures.
Picking up a cultivation manual titled "Great Void Spirit-Governing Art" and opening it to study, his expression grew increasingly surprised: "This cultivation technique is wondrous and arcane, capable of commanding the spiritual power of all things for one's own use. If one comprehends it thoroughly, strength will undoubtedly soar!"
Lin Yao found a magical treasure called the "Spirit Firmament Feather Garment". Light flickered across the lightweight garment, seemingly capable of concealing one's form and resisting powerful assaults. She was filled with delight: "Senior Brother, look at this garment. We'll have a bit more security when encountering danger in the future."
As the group took what they needed and prepared to withdraw, the stone door slammed shut, cutting off their retreat.
Immediately following this, the ground flashed with light, and a massive array slowly emerged. Runes flowed across the array and spiritual power surged, as if intending to swallow the group whole.
Terrified, Ye Xuan said: "Senior Brother, what do we do? We're trapped!"
With a solemn expression and cold sweat beading on his forehead, Hu Feng gritted his teeth and said: "Don't be afraid! Since we could trigger the array, there must be a way to break it. Everyone look carefully to see if there are any abnormal mechanisms or runes around."
The group scattered to search. With her sharp eyes, Su Yao spotted a dull, lusterless rune in the corner of the array that seemed to be the key.
She shouted in urgency: "Senior Brother, over here! This rune isn't right!"
Hu Feng flew over instantly, studied it for a moment, and formed hand seals at lightning speed, pouring all his spiritual power into it.
The rune flickered erratically. After struggling for a moment, with a "crack", the array's light dimmed and it collapsed with a loud crash.
The stone door slowly opened, and the group let out a long breath of relief, dashing out.
Upon leaving the cavern, they found various factions gathered in the valley: some were disciples of major sects wearing lavish robes with aloof temperaments, while others were rogue cultivator groups reeking of evil qi and wearing sinister gazes.
These people stared covetously at Hu Feng's group. A sect disciple stepped forward with an arrogant expression, crossing his arms and sneering: "Oh, a few rogue cultivators actually managed to find this treasure trove? If you know what's good for you, obediently hand over what you've found, and we'll spare your lives!"
With wide, angry eyes, Hu Feng retorted: "Bah! Things obtained by our own ability—you want to rob us? Weigh your own worth first!"
The disciple cold-snorted, summoning his magical treasure, the "Ziying Sword". The sword's body radiated brilliant light and crossed sword qi: "If you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeiture, don't blame me for being impolite!"
With that, he slashed forward with his sword.
Hu Feng raised his sword to meet the enemy, the Taiji Chaos Banner spinning overhead to protect his body. Lin Yao and the others quickly formed their array, engaging the opponents in close combat.
For a time, the sounds of battle and clashing spiritual power deafened the entire Phantom Spirit Valley.
Executing the Great Void Spirit-Governing Art, Hu Feng wielded spiritual power as if it were endless, absorbing the vitality of the surrounding flowers, trees, and grass for his own use. His sword shadows were like a rainbow, forcing his opponents to retreat step by step.
Dressed in the Spirit Firmament Feather Garment, Lin Yao moved like a phantom while the Spirit Rhinoceros Bracelet flashed with light, launching surprise attacks on the enemies' rear and disrupting their formation.
Su Yao, Ye Xuan, and Chu Li cooperated closely, sending the Ice Soul Silver Needle and Spiritual Power Vines whistling forth to support Hu Feng.
After a prolonged and fierce battle, all factions suffered casualties. Seeing that Hu Feng and his companions possessed formidable strength, their opponents gradually developed the intent to retreat.
A rogue cultivator leader shouted: "Forget it, forget it! You're just lucky today! We'll settle this score sooner or later!"
With that, he led his followers in retreat.
Though battered and bruised, Hu Feng and the others stood tall and unyielding, gazing at the backs of their enemies with resolute expressions.
Returning to the abandoned cavern, the group collapsed to tend to their wounds.
Hu Feng swallowed a Blood-Coagulating Soul-Returning Pill and circulated his spiritual power to repair his injuries, thinking to himself: "Through this battle, although our harvest is bountiful, we've also made quite a few enemies. From now on, we must act with greater stealth and caution, boosting our strength as quickly as possible to handle unknown perils."
Lin Yao handed him a damp cloth to wipe the blood from his brow, speaking softly: "Senior Brother, don't worry too much. As long as we are of one heart and have obtained these many treasures, our cultivation will surely yield twice the result with half the effort. Once our strength is sufficient, we won't fear any formidable enemy whatsoever."
Hu Feng grasped her hand, his gaze both tender and resolute: "With you here, my heart is much more at ease. The inheritance of the Rosy Clouds Sect cannot be broken; no matter how perilous the path of vengeance is, I will walk it through. Once everyone's injuries heal, we will enter closed-door cultivation and thoroughly master what we've gained this time!"
The others nodded one after another, their eyes filled with determination and persistence, shining like stars in the dark night.
Even if the road ahead were choked with thorns and drenched in blood and rain, they—harboring hope and hatred—had long since cast life and death aside. Their single-minded goal was to revive the sect and slay their foes, waiting for the dawn's first light to pierce the haze and reignite the glory of Rosy Clouds.