Violent winds suddenly rose, forming ferocious tornadoes around him that swept toward the dark shadows. Wherever the wind blades reached, the shadows let out piercing shrieks as they tried to dodge the fatal attack, but many were still slashed to pieces, dissolving into wisps of black smoke that vanished into the air.
However, the dark shadows were numerous, surging forward endlessly. Qingmiao did not shrink back in the least; the sword in her hand flashed with a cold light, and her sword techniques were fierce, carrying a resolute momentum with every swing.
Nimble of foot, she wove through the shadows, her blade piercing the enemies' vital points with absolute precision. Yet the shadows were exceptionally cunning, launching surprise attacks sometimes from behind and sometimes from the flanks, plunging Qingmiao into a difficult situation.
Seeing this scene, I no longer hesitated. I quickly formed hand seals with both hands, chanting incantations as the water-type magic power surged from within my body. A sheet of azure water light burst forth from my hands, transforming into Water Arrows that shot toward the dark shadows.
Wherever the Water Arrows traveled, the movements of the shadows were slightly hindered, but they quickly adapted to my attack and continued their ferocious charge.
My heart tightened. I concentrated my spirit once more, condensing my magic power so that the water light transformed into a water curtain, attempting to block the advance of the shadows. Yet the power of the shadows was formidable, and the water curtain was pushed to the verge of collapse under their impact.
At that very moment, several dark shadows seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Mu Yanfeng. He failed to dodge in time, and his arm was clawed by a shadow, blood flowing out in streams. Yet Mu Yanfeng clenched his teeth, braving the pain as he swung his sword even more fiercely, the might of his wind-type spells growing stronger still.
By this time, Qingmiao's clothes had also been torn, revealing wounds. Yet their gazes remained resolute, devoid of the slightest trace of retreat.
Thus, I unleashed even greater power, and the water curtain instantly transformed into roaring waves that rolled forward, crashing a group of dark shadows this way and that. Seizing the right moment, I manipulated the water currents to tightly bind several shadows, creating an offensive opening for Mu Yanfeng and Qingmiao.
Mu Yanfeng erupted once again, a powerful tornado tearing the bound shadows apart. At the crucial moment, Qingmiao also found a flaw in the shadows, piercing the core of one of the powerful dark shadows with a single sword thrust.
After a long and fierce battle, the number of dark shadows gradually dwindled. Finally, driven by our indomitable fighting spirit and stubborn resistance, the shadows were thoroughly beaten back.
At this moment, all three of us were panting and covered in wounds, sweat and blood mingling together, yet our fatigued faces all revealed the steadfast expression of victory.
The sky had already grown dim. We found a relatively intact house and decided to spend the night there to rest and recover. Mu Yanfeng and Qingmiao lit a campfire in front of the house, while I found a corner inside and sat down.
As the night grew deeper, the surroundings became frighteningly quiet. I could not help asking, "Senior Brother, will we be able to find the Divine artifact fragment?" Mu Yanfeng glanced at me and said firmly, "We certainly will!"
Just then, a slight sound of footsteps came from outside the house. The door was pushed open with a creak, and a mysterious figure draped in a black cloak slowly walked in. Under the illumination of the campfire, his figure appeared exceptionally tall and slender. His face could not be seen, yet he exuded an aura that made one's blood run cold.
Mu Yanfeng and Qingmiao instantly grew alert, their weapons gripped tightly in their hands as their gazes fixed firmly on this uninvited guest.
The mysterious figure halted his steps and slowly raised his head, revealing a stern face. His gaze was deep and sharp, as though capable of piercing through everything.
"You should not have come here," the mysterious figure said in a low, hoarse voice.
Mu Yanfeng frowned and demanded, "Who are you? Why do you appear here?"
The mysterious figure sneered. "Who I am is not important. What matters is that the road ahead of you is fraught with danger, and the Divine artifact fragment is not something you can easily obtain."
Qingmiao shouted angrily, "Stop trying to alarm us with your scaremongering! We will surely succeed!"
The mysterious figure gently shook his head. "Hmph, ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. The demonic energy along this path is merely a minor test; the true trials and hardships still lie ahead."
I stood up and asked, "Since you know so much, can you give us some hints?"
The mysterious figure fell silent for a moment before replying, "Hints? That depends on whether you have the ability to make me speak."
With that, a powerful surge of force suddenly erupted from his body, and black aura permeated the air, rushing toward the three of us.
Yet, surprisingly, his target of attack seemed to be Mu Yanfeng alone. Every move went straight for Mu Yanfeng's vital points, yet pulled back enough to leave room, not delivering a fatal blow.
Though his arm was wounded, Mu Yanfeng showed no fear, swinging his sword as wind-type spells emerged once more to collide with the mysterious figure's attacks. The mysterious figure's moves were bizarre and unpredictable—at times as swift as lightning, at times as gentle as the wind—making it difficult for Mu Yanfeng to fathom.
Qingmiao and I wanted to step forward to help, but we discovered that the power released by the mysterious figure had formed an invisible barrier, blocking us outside.
"This is a contest between him and me!" the mysterious figure said coldly.
Mu Yanfeng clenched his teeth and met the challenge with all his might. His clothes were shredded in the intense combat, and his wounds began to seep blood anew from the exertion, but his gaze grew ever more resolute, every counterattack imbued with an indomitable will.
Seeing this, the mysterious figure grew even fiercer in his attacks, attempting to force Mu Yanfeng to use his full strength. Understanding the other's intent, Mu Yanfeng no longer held anything back, pushing the power of his wind-type spells to the absolute limit. Howling gales intertwined with the mysterious figure's black aura.
After a fierce clash, the mysterious figure suddenly withdrew his hands, and the black aura instantly dissipated.
"Not bad, you still have some skill," the mysterious figure nodded slightly. "But the road ahead remains arduous; take care of yourselves."
With that, the mysterious figure turned and quietly left, just as he had come, leaving the three of us standing in place, filled with doubt and confusion.
Just after the mysterious figure departed, I discovered something unusual at the spot where the fight had just taken place.
There was a faint scratch on the ground, almost imperceptible unless looked at closely. Following this scratch, I found an ice crystal emitting a strange glow tucked away in a corner.
"Senior Brother, come and look!" I called out excitedly.
Hearing the call, Mu Yanfeng and Qingmiao hurried over. Seeing the ice crystal in my hand, a flash of surprise crossed their eyes.
"This seems to have been left behind by the mysterious figure," I said.
Mu Yanfeng took the ice crystal and examined it closely. Faint patterns were visible inside the crystal, as if harboring some mysterious power.
Pondering for a moment, Qingmiao said, "Perhaps the patterns inside this ice crystal hold some special meaning."
We gathered around, trying hard to decipher the significance of these patterns. At that moment, the light on the ice crystal suddenly grew intense, illuminating the surrounding walls.
The outline of a map faintly emerged on the wall. The three of us looked at each other in dismay, hope reigniting in our hearts.
Suddenly, I felt a trace of extremely faint light flash before my eyes. Startled, I hurriedly rubbed my eyes and looked fixedly once more. Sure enough, in the corner of the map, several pinhead-sized spots of light were flickering intermittently.
"Senior Brother, look over there!" My voice was distorted with excitement as I pointed a trembling finger toward those specks of light.
Hearing this, Mu Yanfeng and Qingmiao quickly locked their gazes onto those mysterious glowing spots, their eyes filled with anticipation and confusion.
"Could... could this be the clue to the Divine artifact fragment we've been searching for?" I asked in a trembling voice, my heart pounding so fiercely it felt as though it might leap out of my throat.
Mu Yanfeng's brow was furrowed, his gaze deep. He reached out a finger to gently touch those light spots, sensing some mysterious power seemingly concealed within that faint radiance. "It's possible, but these light spots are scattered so sparsely—what on earth do they represent?" he muttered to himself.
Qingmiao crossed her arms over her chest, thought for a moment, and said, "Perhaps the location of each light spot is where a Divine artifact fragment is hidden, only scattered across different places. This means we will have to endure even more hardships and obstacles."
"No matter what, this is our only clue for now. Difficulties abound though they may be, we can only give it our all." I clenched my fists, looking at them with a resolute gaze.
Mu Yanfeng nodded slightly, his expression solemn as he said, "That's right. We must carefully study the distribution pattern of these light spots and plot the optimal route, striving to find the Divine artifact fragment in the shortest time and at the smallest cost."
Thus, the three of us gathered around the map and began a tense, meticulous analysis and planning session.
The campfire inside the house burned quietly off to the side, casting its glow upon our focused and resolute faces. We knew well that the road ahead was fraught with the unknown and challenges, but for the sake of all people under heaven, we would not turn back.
After a night of discussion, we finally decided to set out from our current position, proceed along the relatively flat valley path, and be the first to reach the mysterious Phantom Illusion Forest where the first light spot was located.
When we stepped into this forest, the sunlight struggled to pierce through the dense, almost impenetrable leaves, scattering mottled patches of light and shadow.
A faint mist lingered in the forest, winding like a light gauze and making the tall trees appear hazy and dreamlike, as if we had stepped into an illusory scroll.
"Everyone be careful; this forest is unusual," Mu Yanfeng said vigilantly.