met free Chapter 153, Group 221
Chapter 153, Group 221
Upon hearing the sound, everyone became alert. Chen Xiao quickly put away the dossier in one smooth motion, then drew his sword, the blade gleaming with a chilling light in the dim light.
Qian Yi focused his attention, closing his eyes and concentrating all his energy on the surrounding environment, trying to determine the monster's location and strength. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, and his expression was solemn and focused.
"Everyone be careful, don't panic, let's find the monster's trail first," Qian Yi said in a low voice, his voice steady and calm, as if injecting a calming agent into the tense atmosphere.
The group slowly approached the source of the roar, their steps light and cautious.
Ning Yuyuan and Yin Yuyao continuously exerted their inner strength, their bodies trembling slightly. A faint light flickered around them, strengthening their defense and detection capabilities. Their eyes revealed tension and determination.
After turning a corner, a huge shadow beast appeared before us.
Its body was as large as a mountain, towering majestically. Its eyes gleamed with a ghostly red light, like two burning flames of hell. It exuded a powerful aura of darkness, which spread like a tangible force, making people feel a chill in their hearts.
"What kind of monster is this? It's so powerful!" Chao Yuan exclaimed, her voice trembling with shock and astonishment, her eyes wide with terror.
Ye Yu, however, was not afraid at all. He drew his sword and charged towards the giant beast. His movements were as agile as a cheetah, and the blade of his sword shone brightly as he fiercely stabbed at the giant beast's leg.
The giant beast, in pain, let out a deafening roar, raised its massive claws, which resembled enormous fans, and slammed down with a whooshing sound.
Ye Yu dodged nimbly, his body as slippery as an eel. He turned sideways and slashed his sword, cutting a wound on the giant beast. Black blood splattered from the wound, emitting a pungent odor.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qian Yi activated the system's power, shooting beams of light into the giant beast's eyes. The beams were as sharp as arrows, attempting to blind it.
Ning Yu chanted an incantation, her lips moving rapidly as she recited incantations, summoning vines that, like long green snakes, tightly coiled around the giant beast's limbs, restricting its movements.
Yin Yuyao then threw out hidden weapons, which streaked across the sky like meteors, aiming specifically at the giant beast's vital points.
However, as the giant beast struggled, the vines snapped one by one. It roared furiously, spewing black flames from its mouth. The flames were like surging waves, and everyone hurriedly dodged, ending up in a sorry state.
Chen Xiao seized the opportunity, leaping into the air with the lightness of a swallow, her sword aimed at the giant beast's neck, thrusting with all her might.
Sensing danger, the giant beast turned its head to dodge, and Chen Xiao's sword grazed its fur, making a piercing scraping sound.
Despite being injured by the group's attacks, the giant beast remained incredibly ferocious. Its attacks became increasingly frenzied, like a maddened wild beast charging recklessly towards the group.
Seeing that the attacks were not effective against the giant beast, Qian Yi knew that he had to use all his strength to find the beast's weakness, so he decided to activate the power of the Elemental Link Symbol.
He stood firmly on his feet, slightly bent his knees, adjusted his breathing, and allowed his breath to flow steadily within his body.
Then, he slowly closed his eyes, immersing all his consciousness in the mysterious space within his body.
In this deep, blue realm of consciousness, energy flows crisscross like a dazzling galaxy.
Qian Yi concentrated his mind, like a precise navigator, guiding his perception along the energy channels.
Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, slowly sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground beneath his feet, disappearing instantly.
His hands trembled slightly at his sides, and the trembling became more pronounced as his mental focus intensified.
Within the space, Qianyi began to attempt to activate the hidden, deep power. His consciousness transformed into a beam of light, rapidly traversing and exploring the energy flow.
Each attempt to break through a new energy node would trigger a strong mental shock, as if thunder were exploding in his mind, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, refusing to back down.
As time passed, Qianyi's face gradually turned pale, her lips lost their color, and her body began to sway slightly.
However, his will was as hard as steel, and during this arduous exploration, he suddenly detected a faint but unique energy fluctuation.
Following this fluctuation, his senses, like a nimble fish, swiftly swam through the complex energy labyrinth, finally locking onto the deeply hidden energy core on the giant beast's forehead.
Qian Yi suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He let out a low shout and quickly formed a complex hand seal in front of his chest.
As the hand seal was completed, a dazzling light emanated from his body, spreading outwards in ripples like tangible matter.
Beams of light shot out continuously from his palms, forehead, and chest. These beams were bright and intense, carrying Qianyi's will and power, and shot towards the giant beast's eyes like sharp arrows.
Wherever the light passed, the air seemed to ignite, emitting a slight "sizzling" sound, and the space itself seemed to be slightly distorted by this powerful force.
However, the giant beast still did not fall.
Qian Yi realized that this couldn't go on, so he focused his energy on exploring the system's power again, trying to find the giant beast's weakness.
His expression was serious and focused, with veins bulging on his forehead. Suddenly, he noticed a faint energy core on the giant beast's forehead, which should be its fatal point.
"Attack its forehead!" Qian Yi shouted, his voice booming like a bell, full of power and determination.
Upon hearing this, the group changed tactics and worked together to attack the giant beast's forehead.
Ye Yu and Chen Xiao drew the giant beast's attention, and their attacks were as fierce as a storm. Ning Yu and Yin Yuyao assisted in the attack, with hidden weapons and incantations flying together. Qian Yi gathered powerful energy, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
His hands moved, and light gathered in them, growing brighter and brighter.
After a fierce battle, Qian Yi finally seized the opportunity and unleashed a powerful energy beam, which, like a dazzling laser, accurately struck the energy core on the giant beast's forehead.
The behemoth finally crashed to the ground, smashing a huge crater in the earth, raising a cloud of dust, and shaking the very ground.
Seeing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued their exploration deeper into the ancient cave, exhausted but full of hope. They knew they were one step closer to the truth about Xunyang.
They carefully bypassed the giant beast's body and continued their exploration deeper into the ancient cave.
The air inside the cave grew increasingly damp and cold, and strange phosphorescence flickered on the walls, a ghostly green light that seemed to be guiding them.
They arrived at a spacious stone chamber, surrounded by all sorts of strangely shaped objects. Some resembled giant eyeballs, which seemed to be coldly watching them, while others looked like twisted skeletons, exuding a sinister aura.
In the center is a stone platform, on which sits a crystal ball that emits a faint blue light.
Inside the crystal ball, clouds seemed to swirl, vaguely revealing some images: the former prosperity of Xunyang and the peaceful lives of its people. Then the scene shifted, darkness descended, disaster struck, and people fled in all directions. The scenes in the picture were so lifelike that it made the viewer feel as if they were there.
Is this a scene from the past, or a prophecy of the future?
Since the establishment of the Night Dynasty, Xunyang has never suffered any disasters. Could it be that something happened during the Rong Dynasty?
Chen Xiao looked at Yin Yuyao, who understood her meaning and shook her head.
If it's not from the Rong Dynasty era, then when is it from? Or is it a prophecy of the future?
Chen Xiao was puzzled, so she moved closer to the stone platform, wanting to see it more clearly.
Just as her hand was about to touch the crystal ball, Qianyi quickly stopped her: "Don't touch it yet, this crystal ball may be hiding some mystery or danger."
His eyes were filled with vigilance and caution as he grabbed Chen Xiao's wrist.
Just then, the surrounding equipment suddenly began to shake violently, and beams of light shot out from those eye-shaped devices. The beams of light, like colorful threads, intertwined and formed a light curtain in front of everyone.
Some words gradually appeared on the screen, seemingly an ancient prophecy: "The calamity of Xunyang arose from greed and was resolved by sincerity. To break the predicament, one must gather five virtues: the steadfastness of metal, the vitality of wood, the fluidity of water, the heat of fire, and the weight of earth."
The group looked at each other, puzzled and confused, wondering how to collect all five virtues.
During this time, Chen Xiao had seen too many scenes she had never seen before, which made her gradually forget that she was not a local.
But seeing this collection of five virtues reminded me of the modern collection of five blessings, and I couldn't help but feel a little more relaxed.
After pondering for a moment, Yin Yuyao said, "Could it be that we need to find a treasure or place that possesses these five virtues?"
Her eyes held a hint of contemplation and speculation.
Chao Yuan nodded in agreement: "That's possible, but this ancient cave is so mysterious and unpredictable, finding these things would be extremely difficult."
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness and worry.
Ning Yu looked around and discovered a small opening in one corner of the stone chamber, from which a faint, fresh scent wafted.
"There might be some clues over there. Let's go take a look."
The group cautiously made their way towards the cave entrance, their steps slow and careful, for fear of triggering any traps or mechanisms.
After entering the cave, there is a narrow passage inside. The walls of the passage are inlaid with gems, which sparkle like stars and illuminate the way forward.
As they walked, five paths appeared ahead, each entrance to which shimmered with light of five different colors: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.
It seems they are about to face new choices and challenges, and the secrets of Xunyang seem to be waiting for them to uncover after these five forks in the road.
The group stood at the crossroads of five roads, momentarily at a loss.
Qianyi broke the silence first: "These five paths correspond to the five virtues, and each path must have its own unique challenges. We must choose carefully."
His voice was calm and composed as he analyzed the current situation for everyone.
Chen Xiao gazed at the five forks in the road, recalling knowledge he had read in a book, and said, "I've heard that metal symbolizes perseverance and courage; perhaps this path will be a test of courage. Wood is related to vitality and hope; taking that path might lead to a desperate choice between survival and despair. Water represents agility and change; the path may be full of traps and mechanisms. Fire signifies passion and determination; it must be an extremely difficult and dangerous road. Earth symbolizes weight and bearing; perhaps it will be a challenge that requires endurance and resilience."
Her eyes shone with wisdom and insight, as if she could already see the difficulties and obstacles on every path.
Qian Yi nodded and said, "No matter what, we can't stay here any longer. There are six of us in total, so the best option is to split up and choose a different path. But these paths are all dangerous, and splitting up might be even more dangerous."
Chao Yuan suggested, "Then let's pair up; that would be the safest way."
After hearing this, Chen Xiao thought for a moment and then arranged, "Chao Yuan and Yin Yuyao are in one group, Ye Yu and Ning Yuyuan are in another group, and I am in a group with Xi Xi."
Chao Yuan glanced at Qian Yi, who was wearing Xi Xi's shell. Among the group, Qian Yi was clearly the strongest. If he were paired with His Majesty, he would be able to protect him better.
Chao Yuan had no objection, nodded, and said, "I am willing to choose the path of fire virtue, and with my determination, I will overcome this difficulty."
A resolute flame burned in her eyes.
Yin Yuyao knew the purpose of Chen Xiao's arrangement. Given her current situation, she did not like to be in contact with men, so she only gave Chen Xiao and Ning Yuyuan one instruction.
The two resolutely embarked on the path of fire virtue, their figures gradually disappearing into the flame-like light.
Ye Yu had no objections and was waiting for Ning Yuyuan's choice.
Ning Yuyuan glanced at Yin Yuyao's retreating figure and said, "Then I will choose the path of Wood Virtue."
Seeing this, Ye Yu bid farewell to Chen Xiao and then embarked on the Path of Wood together with Ning Yuyuan.
Chen Xiao and Qian Yi, who were left behind, watched the others' backs and chose the Jinde Path.
The two traveled along the Jinde Road. At first, the road was flat, but soon they were attacked by countless phantom soldiers.
These phantom soldiers are ethereal and as elusive as smoke, yet their attacks are incredibly fierce. Their weapons gleam with a cold light and are accompanied by the whistling sound of wind.
“We cannot be deceived by illusions. If we stay true to ourselves, we will surely break through,” Qian Yi said, his voice steady and powerful, giving Chen Xiao strength and confidence.
Chen Xiao gritted his teeth, his long sword flashing like the wind, each block filled with all his courage, the sword shadow dancing like a silver snake.
...
On the Path of Fire Virtue, Chao Yuan and Yin Yuyao encountered raging flames. The flames rushed towards them like a giant beast, and the heat was so intense that it seemed to want to devour everything.
Chao Yuan unleashed his sword energy, which, like a white rainbow, cleaved through the raging flames.
"These flames can't be extinguished. We need to find the source of the fire," Yin Yuyao said, her voice still clearly audible amidst the howling flames, her eyes revealing calmness.
The two struggled through the inferno, their clothes soaked with sweat, but their eyes remained resolute.
...
Ning Yuyuan and Ye Yu were on the Path of Wood, surrounded by withered trees and thorns.
Suddenly, the thorns seemed to come alive, frantically wrapping around them, their sharp thorns gleaming coldly.
Ning Yu chanted a spell, summoning a gentle breeze that dispersed all the thorns on one side.
Ye Yu then drew his sword and swiftly cut the thorns on the other side.
“There must be a key to bringing life back here. We can’t give up,” Ning Yu said, her eyes filled with determination and hope. She and Ye Yu fought tenaciously through the thorns, constantly cutting them down.
...
Outside the fork in the road, a dark figure suddenly appeared.