Chapter 56
Chapter 56: Awakening from the Dream, No Escape
***
Originally, she had kept that weapon spirit only to corrupt it into a demonic artifact, never expecting it to somehow acquire a surge of spiritual energy from somewhere.
This gave it the power to resist, directly collapsing the illusion from within.
With no other choice, the seductive woman unleashed her demonic energy with full force, black mist surging like a tide as she tried to forcibly maintain the crumbling illusion.
Unexpectedly, the bead in her palm suddenly vanished into thin air, and the disciples trapped by the bead gradually regained consciousness as their awareness flowed back into their bodies like a tide.
Seeing this situation, all three people present were stunned, staring at each other as the air seemed to freeze solid.
“What are you standing there for? Why aren’t you running?”
Elder Feng’s anxious voice exploded in Ye Fan’s mind.
“Huh?”
Finally sensing the heavy killing intent in the air, the bewildered Ye Fan immediately pulled out a precious Thousand-Li Shadow Escape Talisman from his storage ring and crushed it violently.
Although this Thousand-Li Shadow Escape Talisman was extremely precious, he couldn’t care about such things at this moment.
Because the woman beside him, her claws dripping with demonic energy, was already reaching for him.
Unfortunately, the woman was ultimately a step too slow.
“Damn it, the hostage is gone!”
Watching Ye Fan’s figure disappear from where he stood, the woman’s face turned dark as pitch, her demonic energy churning violently around her in rage.
However, she suddenly adjusted her posture, putting on a seductive appearance, and said resentfully:
“Well… handsome Elder, I think we can talk~”
“Sure, let’s talk in the underworld!”
Elder Zangjian squinted his eyes, suddenly swinging the long sword in his hand with all his might, channeling his sword momentum with every ounce of strength. A terrifying pressure instantly swept toward the woman.
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time!
“This old man’s sword has long been thirsting for action!”
The woman’s expression changed dramatically. Knowing she couldn’t take this sword strike head-on, she hastily dodged to the side.
But Elder Zangjian’s next sword followed like a shadow, blocking all her escape routes, making it impossible to avoid.
With no choice, she gritted her teeth and activated her demonic power, black energy exploding around her as she transformed into her true form on the spot.
“Hmph, so you’re a poisonous needle. No wonder your thoughts are so vicious!”
The originally alluring woman’s form flickered, directly transforming into a thin, hard, pitch-black poisonous needle.
By relying on her pinpoint defensive technique, she ultimately managed to withstand this sword strike.
However, even bearing only 10% of this sword’s power, the needle’s body was covered with fine cracks.
“Not good, this old man is too strong. If this continues, I won’t be able to hold on!”
The slender demonic needle appeared particularly tiny in the air, as if it would be crushed by sword energy the next second.
But in this critical moment, she had a flash of inspiration and drove all her demonic power to flee at full speed toward the distance.
“Hmph, still trying to escape? Wonder if your speed is faster, or this old man’s sword energy is faster!”
Elder Zangjian snorted coldly, about to swing his sword, but a sudden change made him forcibly halt his sword momentum.
The demonic needle was specifically darting toward areas where disciples were densely gathered.
His sword technique was naturally grand and sweeping with tremendous power. The slightest carelessness would crush these disciples into fragments.
With no choice, Elder Zangjian could only follow behind the demonic needle in frustration, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
“Old man, this little woman will be leaving first~”
The woman’s unrestrained voice reached Elder Zangjian’s ears. At this moment, she was only 100 steps away from the small crack torn open by the fox.
Once she broke through the crack, there would be people waiting outside to receive her, and she could escape to freedom.
Elder Zangjian followed behind her, his face full of unwillingness.
This was the first time he had to restrain himself due to his sword technique’s excessive power, having to watch a powerful enemy escape right before his eyes.
He swung his final sword with some unwillingness, sharp sword energy directly pursuing the demonic needle.
Facing this killing blow, the woman couldn’t help but sneer: “Too late!”
Immediately, she suddenly accelerated, barely dodging that sword energy by a hair’s breadth, “whooshing” through the crack and arriving outside Qinglan Sect.
“Although the plan failed, at least I escaped.”
Just as she eagerly searched for the black-clothed person who was supposed to receive her, a large gourd stood quietly ahead, emanating a powerful pressure that made her heart palpitate.
Also being a spiritually awakened artifact, this large gourd gave her the feeling of a celestial immortal, as if it could crush her, this “ant,” at any moment.
In extreme panic, the demonic needle burst forth with all her demonic energy trying to escape, but that bit of demonic energy was nothing before the gourd.
The gourd’s mouth tilted slightly, and a terrifying suction force locked her firmly in place.
“No… don’t!”
Even though the demonic needle struggled desperately, it was ultimately futile.
The large gourd swallowed everything equally like devouring rivers, absorbing all things in the world into itself.
On the other side, Elder Zangjian, who had hastily completed the Qinglan Sect formation identification and rushed out of the crack, saw the large gourd standing guard there. His heart immediately settled, understanding everything.
He stroked his beard and breathed a sigh of relief, murmuring:
“No wonder this matter could be resolved so easily. So that person took action. It seems this old man owes a favor.”
This favor was no ordinary debt. If anything had gone slightly wrong, it would have caused great disaster.
Not only would he lose his Elder position, he might even be expelled from the sect and become a criminal.
As he pondered left and right, Elder Zangjian suddenly remembered, hadn’t that great person recently taken on a disciple? Perhaps…
In the dense forest of the mountain, Lin Muyu slowly awakened.
She gently rubbed her eyes, stretched lazily, and looked around to discover many disciples who had just awakened were enthusiastically discussing that illusion.
“I seem to have had a dream, a very strange dream.”
One disciple said while touching his head.
“Right, in my dream there was also a woman’s voice, constantly tempting me to stay there. When I realized something was wrong and wanted to wake up, I couldn’t no matter what.”
Another disciple patted his chest, his face showing lingering fear.
“Mine was clearly a beautiful dream, extremely comfortable inside. I really wanted to stay there forever.”
“Why was mine a nightmare? It kept forcing me to give up hope of living?”
The disciples spoke with various opinions, all puzzled by that extremely realistic “dream.”
Lin Muyu, who understood everything, silently stood up and walked to the newly awakened Luo Chenxi’s side, quietly hiding behind her.
If this group discovered she had inexplicably obtained a spiritual artifact… she didn’t want to become a target for everyone.
Luo Chenxi seemed to see through her thoughts. Without saying much, she simply moved aside silently, shielding her more completely.
“Hey? Do you still remember why we came here?”
One disciple suddenly realized and asked those around him.
“Right, we came to find spiritual weapons. Could that illusion have been the spiritual weapon trial?”
“Then who passed the trial?”
Amid the discussions, before long, an elder appeared above the disciples, urging:
“Half a day has already passed. Please hurry up, disciples.”
This person was unmistakably Elder Zangjian, whom they had encountered at the entrance earlier.
“What? Half a day has already passed?”
Only then did the disciples notice that the blazing sun in the sky had already moved to the west.
The disciples who had been enthusiastically discussing immediately scattered in all directions, they still hadn’t found their own weapons yet.
“Quick, didn’t you still not find a suitable spirit weapon?”
Lin Muyu hurriedly urged Luo Chenxi in front of her. She already had Xiaotao, so she wasn’t in a hurry.
Luo Chenxi turned her head, glanced at the bead hanging on Lin Muyu’s chest, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly:
“Actually, I think you should also find a weapon. After all… this bead doesn’t seem usable as a weapon.”
Hearing this, Lin Muyu looked somewhat thoughtful and somewhat agreed.
After all, was she supposed to throw this bead at people?
Just then, Elder Zangjian’s voice came:
“You two, come here.”