"It's not fog monsters; the surrounding formation has changed," Chu Dingjiang said calmly.
He turned and walked toward the right. Though everyone clearly remembered there had been a wall there moments ago, they followed him without hesitation.
Unexpectedly, they didn’t collide with the wall they had seen earlier.
Thick fog enveloped everything, obscuring their surroundings. Chu Dingjiang didn’t venture too far.
Sun Dixian whispered, "Will the fog disperse by dawn?"
"No," Sui Yunzhu stated firmly. "This isn’t an ordinary formation. It feels vast here, but we’re likely trapped in a confined space, endlessly circling in the mist."
"Do you understand formations?" Chu Dingjiang asked.
Sui Yunzhu shook her head. "Only the basics. I can’t break this one. But every formation has a core—destroy it, and the formation collapses."
"Wait," Chu Dingjiang said, sitting cross-legged. "There are living things in this formation. They won’t stay idle forever."
Everyone followed his lead, sitting in a circle of ten, backs pressed together as they meditated and prepared for battle.
Only An Jiu lacked Inner Force. She rested the Dragon Subduing Bow across her knees and closed her eyes to rest.
The cool mist coiled around her like icy silk. An Jiu focused all her senses on the fog, and for a fleeting moment, she grasped something crucial—but before she could process it, a familiar whistling sound pierced the air.
"Arrows!" An Jiu shouted, already nocking an arrow.
With a sharp twang, her arrow shot forth, bursting into a dazzling blue light midair. The arrowhead seemed to explode into a radiant sphere, cleaving through the incoming arrows before hurtling into the depths of the fog with devastating force.
A Rain of Arrows descended upon them. The group drew their swords, deflecting the projectiles.
Chu Dingjiang’s Protective Qi Aura flared, shattering the arrows that neared him.
BOOM!
An Jiu’s blue-lit arrow struck something unseen, triggering a deafening collapse. The surrounding fog was sucked away as if by a giant maw, leaving them blind but acutely aware of the howling wind.
"Move!" Chu Dingjiang led the charge, following the wind’s pull.
The group advanced cautiously, still fending off arrows as they went.
With his formidable Protective Qi Aura, Chu Dingjiang could have easily dashed to the exit—arrows shattered harmlessly against his defenses. But the others lacked his strength, and he couldn’t abandon An Jiu.
An Jiu, without Inner Force, was at a disadvantage in close combat. Outside, she was safer alone than with the group. But the formation’s treachery was such that even Chu Dingjiang couldn’t guarantee a safe escape, let alone the others.
Opportunities were fleeting. The gap torn open by the arrow quickly sealed, and the formation returned to stillness.
In the dense fog, where visibility ended at three feet, twenty black-robed figures emerged, encircling Chu Dingjiang’s group in silence.
"I feel like we’re surrounded..." Though Sui Yunzhu’s Mental strength was suppressed here, his instincts remained sharp.
"Twenty of them," Chu Dingjiang revealed the exact number. "Enough lurking. Show yourselves!"The black-robed figures initially panicked, but then realized that within these thick mists, they could see their opponents while remaining unseen themselves. With the enemy exposed and themselves concealed, they quickly regained composure, silently observing for weaknesses in this group.
A hissing sound emerged from Qiu Yunxiao's bag. Two small snakes seemed to awaken from slumber, poking out their heads with crimson eyes greedily scanning the mist as if it contained some treasure they desperately craved.
Qiu Yunxiao's eyes lit up, and he tore open the bag to expose the snakes to the mist. Yet they recoiled like lightning, only cautiously peeking out again moments later, appearing both drawn to and fearful of this "treasure."
His attention diverted to the snakes, his guard momentarily slipped. The surrounding black-robed figures saw this clearly, and immediately two of them launched a coordinated attack against him.
A black shadow flashed forward. Qiu Yunxiao flicked his folding fan, transforming it into a wisp of blue smoke. Before the blackness before him could fade, the shadow split into two, attacking from left and right with a wave of putrid stench.
Just as those on his left and right moved to assist, they heard his cold command: "No one interfere! How dare they wield a sword before the master!"
As he spoke, a blood-red umbrella unfurled with a sweeping motion.
The hands of the two shadows were withered like dead wood, their three-inch-long nails black as iron, scraping against the umbrella with a horrifying screech. Instead of tearing through, the nails struck the umbrella, releasing a cloud of red mist.
The shadows caught in the mist burst into crackling flames. Soon after they vanished into the fog, piercing shrieks echoed through the air.
This brief exchange was utterly bewildering.
Li Qingzhi was momentarily distracted when he noticed the mist ahead stirring violently.
"Watch out!" An Jiu raised her Dragon Subduing Bow and fired two Mental Strength-infused Startling Strings.
The attack abruptly ceased.
Then, two shadows shot straight for An Jiu's face. She swiftly fired two more Startling Strings, but the shadows' assault didn't falter—instead, it grew fiercer and faster!
Gripping her bow with one hand, An Jiu drew a sword hidden at her thigh with the other and slashed at the two shadows.
The shadows paused, then suddenly retreated with unimpeded speed.
This didn't seem like a movement a human could make! And if they were human, An Jiu's Mental Strength should have had some effect.
After a few breaths, the surrounding mist churned violently as the black-robed figures surged from all directions—yet none approached Chu Dingjiang.
An Jiu stowed her bow and met the enemies with dual swords.
The black robes billowed like clouds, ignoring her blades as they coiled around her, forming a dark cocoon.
Trapped inside, An Jiu faced a wooden effigy of a woman—bald, with a gaping mouth and hollow, eerie eye sockets.
An Jiu cleaved the puppet from the top of its head, splitting it in two. White mist gushed from within, quickly filling the cocoon.
A faint buzzing hummed in the mist.
Outside, the snakes in Qiu Yunxiao's bag flickered with red eyes and suddenly darted out, frantically circling the black cocoon, searching for an entrance.
Qiu Yunxiao slashed at the black fabric with his sword, but the material was impervious to blades.
An Jiu felt a sharp pain on her hand—something was burrowing into her flesh! As she tried to examine it, a series of cracks sounded above her.
She felt a gust of wind against her cheek and swung her sword upward to meet the attack. Another wooden puppet shattered, releasing another flood of mist.
An Jiu's eyes burned with unbearable pain, forcing them shut.The small snakes outside crawled onto the black cocoon, appearing even more frantic.
Chaos reigned around them, the mist now thicker than before—so dense one could barely see their own hand in front of their face.
"Don't wander off!" Chu Dingjiang warned the group while channeling energy into his palm. The black cloth seemed to dissolve upon touching his hand.
Seizing the opportunity, Qiu Yunxiao's two snakes slithered inside.
In those brief moments, the group had already scattered, with several people now missing.
"Old friend, we meet again."
The voice was hoarse.
The black cocoon dissolved, revealing a tall man in red robes wearing a black mask standing before An Jiu, holding a long flute in his hand.
Chu Dingjiang said coldly, "Yin Sha!" (To be continued...)
PS: Recommending a new book by my friend Xunzhao Shiluo de Aiqing (Seeking Lost Love), "The Beauty's Many Charms"—humorous and delightful, with excellent reliability and stable updates. Currently ranking on the New Books and PK charts, everyone should check it out! Here's the synopsis: So charming is the beauty, once causing countless gallant youths to bow in admiration! After transmigrating into a stunning beauty, Xia Yun Jin faces immense pressure dealing with these handsome yet scheming suitors.
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