The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 229 Exploring Ghost Mountain, Suddenly Teleported Back to Illusory Sky

Ye Fan sped along, soon arriving at the edge of the Black Forest. The forest was filled with an eerie atmosphere; the trees were tall and twisted, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun, making the forest dark and gloomy. A thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground, emitting a putrid smell, and occasionally, scattered among them were a few skeletons, the remains of some unknown creature.

Ye Fan had barely stepped into the forest when he sensed a faint, malevolent aura surging around him. He warily surveyed his surroundings, his magical artifact already gripped tightly in his hand. Suddenly, a group of ethereal ghosts emerged from behind the trees, their faces contorted in a ferocious grimace, emitting shrill cries as they lunged at Ye Fan. Ye Fan coldly snorted, his magical artifact blazing brightly, unleashing a barrage of sharp sword energy that instantly shattered the ghosts into dust.

However, this was just the beginning. As Ye Fan ventured deeper into the forest, he encountered more and more evil spirits, each stronger than the last. There were monstrous beasts covered in sharp spikes, incredibly fast, attacking Ye Fan from all directions; and there were evil cultivators who could manipulate poisonous mist, leaving a trail of poison wherever they went, making them impossible to defend against. But Ye Fan, relying on his formidable strength and rich combat experience, repeatedly escaped danger.

After a grueling battle, Ye Fan finally arrived at the foot of Ghost Mountain. The mountain soared into the clouds, shrouded in a thick black mist, exuding a chilling and oppressive aura. At its foot stood an ancient stone gate, covered in mysterious runes that flickered with an eerie light, seemingly warning of the mountain's danger.

Ye Fan walked to the stone gate and carefully examined the runes on it. Just then, a deep voice sounded in his ear: "To pass the test and enter Ghost Mountain to search for treasure, you must first unravel the mystery of the runes on this stone gate." Ye Fan frowned and asked, "Who are you? Why set up such a test?" The voice chuckled coldly: "I am an elder of the Sword Immortal Sect guarding this place. This test is naturally to select those with strength and wisdom. If you can unravel the runes, you can enter Ghost Mountain; if you cannot, leave as soon as possible to avoid losing your life."

Ignoring the threatening voice, Ye Fan focused on studying the runes on the stone door. These runes were complex and difficult to understand, seemingly containing some profound law. Ye Fan used his divine sense and knowledge to decipher them bit by bit. After some effort, he finally discovered some patterns. He quickly formed hand seals, chanted incantations, and poured his spiritual power into the runes. As the spiritual power was poured in, the runes began to flash with dazzling light, and the stone door emitted a rumbling sound, slowly opening.

The voice rang out again: "Not bad, you have some skill. But after entering Ghost Mountain, even more challenges await you. I hope you can come out alive." Ye Fan didn't speak, and stepped into the stone gate. As soon as he entered Ghost Mountain, he felt a powerful force rushing towards him, a force that seemed to be testing his will and strength. The surrounding environment became even more harsh, with howling winds, lightning flashing, and huge boulders tumbling down the mountain every now and then.

Ye Fan cautiously moved forward. Suddenly, a huge crater appeared ahead, filled with black flames that radiated intense heat. On the opposite side of the crater lay a treasure chest emitting a faint glow. The voice sounded again: "To obtain the treasure within, you must cross this crater. But these black flames are incredibly powerful; once touched, you will be reduced to ashes. You'd better watch out."

Ye Fan stared at the black flames in the deep pit, pondering a solution. He surveyed his surroundings and noticed some protruding rocks on either side of the pit. He decided to use these rocks to leap across the pit using his lightness skill. He took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy, and leaped towards the first rock. Just as he was about to land, a powerful gust of wind suddenly swept over him, nearly blowing him into the pit. Ye Fan quickly steadied himself, exerted his strength again, and finally landed successfully on the first rock.

Then, he repeated the process, leaping one stone at a time towards the other side. When he reached the last stone, the black flames suddenly surged, forming a wall of fire that blocked his path. Ye Fan frowned; he knew that if he didn't get through quickly, he would fall into the pit once his spiritual energy was exhausted. He concentrated his mind, gathering all his spiritual energy in his hands, and then forcefully pushed against the wall of fire. A powerful wave of spiritual energy surged towards the wall of fire, fiercely clashing with the black flames.

Under the impact of spiritual energy, a gap appeared in the wall of fire. Ye Fan seized the opportunity, flashed through the gap, and successfully landed on the other side. He walked to the treasure chest, opened it, and inside were an ancient manual and a pill radiating multicolored light. The voice sounded again: "Congratulations on passing the test. These two treasures are yours. But there are still many more secrets and dangers within Ghost Mountain. I hope you will continue to venture deeper and reap even greater rewards."

Ye Fan put away the treasures, ignoring the voice's urging, and began to consider his next move. He knew that Ghost Mountain definitely held more secrets, but he also knew it was fraught with danger and he couldn't act rashly. He decided to first find a safe place to study the obtained manuals and pills to improve his strength before continuing his exploration of Ghost Mountain.

At this moment, a cultivator stumbled over. His face was pale, his clothes tattered and stained with blood, and his eyes were filled with terror and exhaustion. Upon seeing Ye Fan, he seemed to grasp at a straw, staggering towards Ye Fan and urgently saying, "Fellow Daoist, save me! This Ghost Mountain is teeming with evil spirits. I came here with my fellow disciples, but we encountered a group of powerful ghosts on the way. They were all killed; only I managed to escape."

Ye Fan frowned slightly, looked the cultivator up and down, and asked, "Now that you've escaped, why didn't you leave this Ghost Mountain immediately, but instead continued deeper?" Upon hearing this, the cultivator's face showed a trace of bitterness and helplessness, and he said, "Fellow Daoist, you don't know, I originally fled towards the exit, but for some reason I lost my way in the mountains and ended up back here. Moreover, I vaguely feel a mysterious force driving me deeper, as if something is calling me."

Ye Fan's heart stirred, and he pondered whether the cultivator's words were true and whether there was any secret hidden behind them. After a moment of thought, he said, "You should come with me to find a safe place to rest for now, and I will make further plans after I understand the reason behind this." Upon hearing this, the cultivator was overjoyed and nodded in agreement, following closely behind Ye Fan.

The two cautiously searched for a safe place in this ghostly mountain, encountering several small groups of evil spirits along the way, but Ye Fan easily repelled them all with his formidable strength. Finally, they found a relatively secluded cave, its entrance blocked by huge boulders, leaving only a narrow passage. Ye Fan used magic to move the boulders aside, and together with the cultivator, they entered the cave.

After entering the cave, Ye Fan told the cultivator to rest aside while he began studying the manual and pills he had obtained from the treasure chest. The ancient manual recorded a unique cultivation method that seemed to have some connection to the mysterious power within this Ghost Mountain. The pill, radiating multicolored light, contained immense spiritual power; consuming it would undoubtedly greatly enhance one's strength.

Just as Ye Fan was engrossed in his study, the cultivator suddenly became restless, his eyes revealing a hint of madness and struggle. He abruptly stood up and rushed towards the depths of the cave, muttering, "It's calling me... it must have it..." Ye Fan was startled upon seeing this and hurriedly put down the manual and pills, chasing after him.

Ye Fan moved with lightning speed, instantly catching up to the crazed cultivator. He grabbed the cultivator's shoulder and pulled him back forcefully, saying in a deep voice, "Calm down! What's going on? What's calling you?" The cultivator's eyes were bloodshot, as if he had lost his mind. He struggled desperately to break free, muttering incoherently, "Treasure... a huge treasure... it's deep inside..." Ye Fan frowned, realizing that the cultivator might have been affected by some mysterious force within Ghost Mountain. He circulated his spiritual energy, injecting a cool aura, trying to bring him back to his senses. After a moment, the cultivator's eyes gradually cleared, but a complex expression of fear and fanaticism remained on his face. He gasped for breath, his voice trembling as he said, "Fellow Daoist, I don't know what's going on either. Ever since I entered Ghost Mountain, I've felt a force guiding me. Now this feeling is getting stronger and stronger, as if a voice keeps telling me that deep inside there's a treasure that can change my destiny..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan became secretly wary. He knew that Ghost Mountain was no ordinary place, and that great danger must be lurking behind all the strange phenomena. At the same time, however, he also developed a strong interest in this so-called "treasure." After a moment's thought, he said to the cultivator, "Now that you've reached this point, I can't just abandon you. But you must stay alert and stick close to me. If this happens again, I might not be able to save you in time." The cultivator nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with gratitude and lingering fear. Afterward, the two continued deeper into the cave.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, the light grew increasingly dim, and a pungent stench of decay permeated the air, accompanied by eerie sounds. Ye Fan gripped his magical artifact tightly, his attention focused and alert to any disturbances. Suddenly, a large fork in the road appeared ahead, both passages extending into endless darkness, exuding a sinister aura. The cultivator was about to speak when Ye Fan raised his hand, signaling for silence. He closed his eyes, using his divine sense to carefully examine both passages. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a hint of certainty in them, and pointed to the right passage, saying, "Let's go this way. I sense that while the aura of this passage is strange, it doesn't seem to harbor any strong malice. But the one on the left… I have a feeling it hides a deadly danger." With that, Ye Fan led the way into the right passage, the cultivator quickly following.

The two cautiously made their way through the passage. After an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead. They quickened their pace, and when they emerged from the passage, the sight before them shocked them. A massive cavern lay before them, and in the center stood a colossal stone platform radiating multicolored light. Precious treasures seemed to rest on the platform, and the light illuminated the entire cavern. Around the platform swarmed countless malevolent spirits of various shapes and sizes, emanating a nauseating aura, eyeing the treasures on the platform with predatory intent, yet seemingly hesitant to approach for some reason.

Ye Fan and the cultivator hid at the exit of the passage, observing the situation inside the cave. Ye Fan pondered what exactly the treasure on the stone platform was that could attract so many evil spirits, and why these spirits seemed to be guarding it. What secrets lay hidden behind it…?

Ye Fan took a deep breath and turned to the cultivator beside him, whispering, "The situation is unclear right now. There are many of those evil spirits, so we can't act rashly. Let's observe their movements first and see if we can find a breakthrough." The cultivator nodded repeatedly and replied in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist is absolutely right. We will follow your arrangements."

The two lay in wait at the exit of the passage, their eyes fixed on the situation inside the cave. After a while, Ye Fan noticed that although the evil spirits were circling the stone platform, their movements seemed to follow a pattern. Every so often, a group of evil spirits would move towards a certain corner of the cave and then quickly return. A thought struck Ye Fan, and he guessed that that corner might hold crucial information or something controlling the evil spirits.

He winked at the cultivator and whispered, "You stay here and don't make any rash moves. I'll quietly go check that corner. If you encounter danger, escape immediately and don't worry about me." The cultivator looked worried and said urgently, "Fellow Daoist, this is too dangerous. Let me go with you." Ye Fan shook his head and said firmly, "No, more people will make us a bigger target and easier to expose. It's easier for me to act alone. You stay here and provide backup." After saying that, Ye Fan used a concealment technique, his figure gradually blurring, and carefully made his way towards that corner.

Ye Fan approached the corner step by step, each step extremely cautious, afraid of making a sound that might attract the attention of the evil spirits. Finally, he reached the corner and found an ancient book emitting a faint glow on a small stone platform. Ye Fan was overjoyed and was about to reach for it when suddenly, an evil spirit hidden in the darkness spotted him and let out a sharp cry. This cry acted as a signal, and instantly, the surrounding evil spirits surged towards Ye Fan.

Ye Fan knew he was in trouble and quickly cast a spell, his sharp sword energy repelling the charging evil spirits. However, there were too many of them, and they soon surrounded Ye Fan again. Undeterred, Ye Fan channeled all his spiritual power, unleashing a powerful spell. The light flashed, and the evil spirits were driven back. However, just as Ye Fan was about to seize the ancient book, the treasure on the stone platform emitted a bright light. Stimulated, the evil spirits became even more frenzied, lunging at Ye Fan recklessly.

At this moment, the cultivator hiding at the passage exit, seeing Ye Fan in trouble, grew anxious. He gritted his teeth, disregarded the warnings, and used magic to rush into the cave, shouting, "Fellow Daoist, I'm here to help you!" With that, he brandished his magical weapon and fought alongside Ye Fan. The two stood back to back, desperately resisting the attacks of the evil spirits. During the battle, Ye Fan noticed that while the evil spirits were attacking them, they were also deliberately protecting an ancient book hidden in a corner. He guessed that this ancient book might be related to controlling the evil spirits or the treasure on the stone platform. Therefore, he fought while searching for an opportunity to obtain the ancient book.

Just then, a massive vortex of spiritual energy suddenly appeared. Ye Fan recognized that this huge stone platform was actually a teleportation array. The vortex of spiritual energy was a sign that the teleportation array was activating, and a powerful suction force began to pull the surrounding evil spirits into it. Ye Fan and the cultivator also felt an irresistible pulling force, as if it were trying to drag them into the unknown teleportation array.

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. He knew that if he were caught in the vortex, he didn't know where he would be transported, or perhaps face even more terrifying dangers. He hurriedly shouted to the cultivator beside him, "Quick, grab me!" The cultivator reacted quickly, grabbing Ye Fan's arm tightly. Ye Fan circulated all his spiritual energy, trying to resist the suction force, while keeping his eyes fixed on the ancient book. In this critical moment, he seized the brief opening when the evil spirit was caught in the vortex, and suddenly reached out his other hand, grabbing the ancient book.

The moment they obtained the ancient book, the suction became even stronger. Ye Fan and the cultivator were ultimately unable to resist and were drawn into the vortex of spiritual energy. Everything around them became blurry, strange lights and distorted spatial scenes flashed by rapidly, and the whistling wind and the screams of evil spirits filled their ears.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Fan and the cultivator felt their feet settle, finally escaping the terrifying teleportation. Looking around, they found themselves in unfamiliar territory. The sky was overcast, filled with a oppressive atmosphere. The ground was riddled with huge cracks, from which black smoke occasionally billowed, emitting a pungent odor. In the distance, some dilapidated buildings were vaguely visible, as if they had witnessed a fierce battle.

The cultivator looked terrified and said in a trembling voice, "Fellow Daoist, where is this place? What should we do?" Ye Fan frowned, gripped the ancient book tightly, and said, "Don't panic. Since we're here, let's make the best of it. This ancient book might be the key. Let's find a safe place and see what it contains."

The two cautiously searched for shelter in the unfamiliar land, encountering strange creatures along the way. These creatures were bizarre in appearance and quite powerful, but Ye Fan was strong enough to defeat them all. Finally, they found a relatively intact building and hid inside.

Upon entering the building, Ye Fan eagerly opened the ancient book and began to study it carefully. As he read, his expression grew increasingly solemn…

"Illusory Continent, Azure Phoenix Valley, I've returned to this place..." Ye Fan murmured.