"Senior! Senior!" I called out at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing across the empty Gobi Desert, but there was no response. The old man in green had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. Meng Li paced back and forth anxiously beside me, her exquisite face etched with worry.
"We're lost, Kong Chen," Meng Li said, a tremor in her voice. "What should we do now?"
I shook my head powerlessly, gazing at the endless, desolate landscape before me as a deep sense of helplessness washed over me. Not only had we lost our way, but we had also lost the protection of that mysterious old man. Even more terrifying was the question: what hidden forces were behind those two men in black? Why did they target us?
"Let's head back to the Wu Family first," I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "At least we can find temporary shelter there."
Meng Li nodded. Supporting each other, we dragged our exhausted footsteps forward in the direction we remembered. All along the way, we tried our best to avoid any obvious traces of human activity, a lingering shadow cast over our hearts the entire time.
I don't know how long we walked before a familiar cluster of buildings finally appeared in the distance—the defensive fortifications of the Wu Family! My spirits instantly lifted, and I quickened my pace. However, as we drew closer, the sight before me made my heart sink.
The once-sturdy fortifications were now battered and scarred, with shocking cracks running across multiple walls; some sections had even completely collapsed into piles of rubble. The air was thick with the stench of gunpowder and blood, enough to turn one's stomach.
"How could this be..." Meng Li covered her mouth, staring in disbelief at the tragic scene before her.
We stumbled into the Wu Family estate, only to find the once-orderly streets in utter chaos, filled with panicked crowds everywhere. Wu Family disciples were frantically repairing the damaged fortifications, their faces fraught with exhaustion and despair.
"Kong Chen! Meng Li! You're back!" A familiar voice called out. I looked up to see Kong Fang! He was covered in dust and bore numerous wounds, but seeing us return safely still brought a relieved smile to his face.
"Father! What on earth is going on here?" I asked anxiously. "Who attacked the Wu Family?"
"Ah, it's a long story," Kong Fang sighed. "A group of mysterious men in black with immense power attacked. The Wu Family's defenses are barely holding on..."
Just then, a booming voice rang out across the crowd: "All disciples, assemble at the Council Hall immediately!" It was Elder Wu!
Meng Li and I exchanged glances, a bad omen rising in our hearts. We followed Kong Fang to the Council Hall, where Elder Wu sat in the main seat with a face as dark as iron, while the other elders wore equally grave expressions.
"Everyone," Elder Wu swept his gaze over the assembly and said in a deep voice, "the Wu Family is facing an unprecedented crisis. The enemy's strength far exceeds our expectations..."
I noticed Elder Wu's gaze fall upon Meng Li and me—to be precise, it landed on the pack I was carrying on my back. That was the weapon we had risked our lives to bring back from the Realm of Wuji, and it was our last hope...
I took a deep breath and slowly untied the pack, revealing the oddly shaped, dim-glowing weapons inside.
"Elder, we did our best..."
The elder's gaze slowly swept across the weapons in the pack, and I clearly saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes, perhaps mixed with a trace of despair. I clenched my fists, a bitter taste rising in my mouth. We had risked our lives to bring these weapons back, but now they fell far short of our expectations—one could even call them defective goods.
"Sigh..." Elder Wu let out a long sigh, breaking the suffocating silence in the Council Hall. "Although these weapons are..."
He paused, seemingly searching for the right words, before finally shaking his head. "Forget it. Matters have reached this point, no use talking more. Kong Chen, Meng Li, it is already a miracle that you survived. You've both worked hard these past few days, head down and get some rest."
The elder's tone was heavy with exhaustion and helplessness. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately kept silent. I knew that nothing I said mattered now; the Wu Family had reached a life-or-death juncture, and any words seemed pale and feeble.
Meng Li and I silently retreated from the Council Hall. Just as we stepped out the front doors, we heard Elder Wu's booming voice from within: "Hear me, Wu Family disciples! Today, we stand and fall with the Wu Family!"
The voice was filled with resolute tragedy, and my heart sank heavily as I realized the final decisive battle was at hand. Meng Li and I looked at each other, seeing the same death-defying determination in each other's eyes.
"Meng Li, are you afraid?" I asked softly.
Meng Li shook her head, gripping my hand tightly in return, her voice firm. "No. As long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid of death."
A warmth bloomed in my chest, and I squeezed her hand back, silently vowing to protect her even if it cost me my life!
Right at that moment, the ground shook violently, and a series of deafening roars echoed from the distance, making the entire Wu Family estate tremble.
"Oh no, the enemy is attacking again!"
My face drained of color as I grabbed Meng Li and bolted toward the city wall.
Rushing onto the ramparts, the sight that met my eyes made me gasp. A sea of black enemies surged forward like a tide; clad in black armor and wielding sharp blades, they wore ferocious grins like demons crawling straight out of hell.
"Charge!"
Amidst earth-shattering battle cries, the enemy's assault began. Like madmen, they flung themselves recklessly against the Wu Family's defense line. Though the Wu Family disciples resisted desperately, they were heavily outnumbered, and the defense line was pushed back step by step.
"Boom!"
With a deafening explosion, the section of the city wall where I stood was smashed open by an enemy battering ram, and countless foes poured into the city like a breached dam.
"Kill!"
With a roar, I drew my long sword and plunged into the enemy ranks alongside Meng Li, slashing wildly with my blade to harvest lives.
Blood stained my clothes and dyed my vision red, but I could no longer feel fear or exhaustion. I knew only that I had to fight, I had to protect Meng Li, and I had to protect the Wu Family!
Yet the enemy's numbers were simply too vast. They poured in like an endless tide, impossible to kill or exterminate completely. Meng Li and I gradually grew physically exhausted, and the wounds on our bodies multiplied and deepened.
"Hahahaha, kill them all! Leave none alive!"
The enemy commander, a hulking man in black armor, roared with laughter as he directed his troops, cruel light flashing in his eyes.
Despair, like an invisible dark fog, slowly enveloped Meng Li and me...
Despair, like a poisonous snake's forked tongue, licked coldly and sharply at my heart. I watched helplessly as one Wu Family disciple after another fell, the fires in their eyes gradually extinguishing as their bodies grew cold and rigid. My ears were filled with the clashing of blades, miserable screams, and the frantic roars of both friend and foe. These sounds intertwined like a dirge from hell, battering my eardrums over and over until my sanity was nearly swallowed whole.
"Kong Chen, watch out!" Meng Li's voice pulled me out of my trance. Subconsciously, I swung my sword to parry, barely blocking a sneak attack aimed at my back by an enemy soldier. Before I could even catch my breath, a cold flash appeared before my eyes as another soldier lunged forward, thrusting a spear toward my chest. I scrambled to dodge sideways, the spear grazing the tip of my nose; the icy killing intent sent a shiver down my spine.
"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, spinning around to force the soldier back with a counter-slash. The prolonged high-intensity combat had drained me to the bone, and the arm holding my sword began to tremble slightly—I knew I was reaching my limit.
"Meng Li, how are you holding up?" Taking advantage of a brief lull in the fight, I turned to look at Meng Li, and my heart tightened instantly. Her face was pale, a trace of blood stained the corner of her mouth, and a large patch of her originally pristine white dress was soaked red with blood.
"I'm fine, just minor injuries." Meng Li forced a strained smile through the pain, "Don't worry about me, focus on the fight!"
I knew she was comforting me; given her personality, she would never show such an expression unless she were heavily injured. It felt as though an invisible hand was tightly gripping my heart, the searing pain making it hard to breathe. It was all my fault! If only my strength were greater, if only I had discovered the enemy's intentions sooner, Meng Li wouldn't have been hurt!
Self-blame and fury burned like a raging fire in my chest. I let out an inhuman roar, and the long sword in my hand erupted with dazzling golden light, slashing the surrounding enemy soldiers in half like a streak of lightning.
"Meng Li, hold on to me!" I grabbed Meng Li's hand, pulling her behind my back, and charged out of the crowd with all my remaining strength. I had to get her away from here, to find a doctor—I absolutely could not let anything happen to her!
Yet the enemy's numbers were simply too overwhelming. They surged like an endless, rolling tide, wave after wave without end. Every single step forward demanded a heavy price. Blood stained my eyes and blurred my vision, but I could neither fall nor stop, because I knew that the moment I collapsed, Meng Li would truly be beyond saving!
"Ah!" Meng Li suddenly let out a cry of pain and slumped limply into my arms.
"Meng Li! What's wrong?" Panic gripped my heart as I hurriedly lowered my head to check her injuries, only to see a shocking gash torn across her fair neck, from which blood was gushing out.
"I... I'm fine..." Meng Li's voice was as weak as a mosquito's buzz. "Hurry... hurry away..."
"No, I won't leave you behind!" I held her tightly, my heart filled with anguish and despair.
At that exact moment, a powerful force slammed into my back from behind. I instinctively tried to dodge, but it was already too late. With a deafening crash, my body was sent flying through the air, slamming heavily into the ground before everything went black...
Struggling like someone trapped in a foggy dream, I let out a painful groan and forced my heavy eyelids open. Vaguely, I saw a patch of mottled light and shadow, and intermittent sounds drifted to my ears, though they were too distant to make out.
"He's still alive!" A familiar voice rang out beside me, carrying a hint of shock and disbelief.
It was Meng Li! I snapped my eyes open, and the world slowly came into focus. I found myself lying in a dense forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees that scraped the sky. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled spots of light on the ground. Meng Li stood guard beside me; her face was pale and her breath shallow, but her clear eyes were filled with worry and concern.
"Meng Li, are you alright?" I struggled to sit up, only to find my entire body aching and weak, with piercing pains radiating from my chest.
"Don't move, your injuries are severe." Meng Li quickly pressed her hand against my shoulder. "I'm fine, just depleted of spiritual energy; a little rest will fix it."
Only then did I notice that although Meng Li's complexion was pale, her own injuries seemed to have been tended to, leaving only a lingering weakness in her aura. My heart settled slightly as memories of what happened before rushed back.
"It was Father... and Elder Wu. Did they save us?" I tried hard to recall the moments before I lost consciousness, vaguely remembering that in the final critical moment, Father and Elder Wu seemed to have arrived on the battlefield.
Meng Li shook her head. "No. When we escaped, they were still locked in fierce combat with the enemy. It was a friend of your father's who happened to pass by and discovered us, and he rescued us."
My heart sank immediately. "Then what about Father and the others..."
"I don't know." Meng Li's voice dropped. "We've been on the run for two days now, and I have no idea what the situation is like over there."
My mood was intensely heavy. With the Wu Family surrounded by enemies, Father and Elder Wu still locked in desperate battle with their fates unknown, while Meng Li and I were heavily wounded, hiding in these deep mountains like stray dogs with an uncertain future ahead of us.
"Meng Li, we can't just sit here and wait to die," I took a deep breath, fighting through the pain in my body. "We must find a way back to rescue Father and everyone in the Wu Family!"
Meng Li raised her head, looking at me with resolute eyes. "Alright, we'll go back together!"
Yet, we both knew all too well that the road back was paved with thorns and danger, and an even crueler trial of fate awaited us.