From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 307 A New Journey in the Immortal Realm, Peril Returns

After bidding farewell to Wen Chen, I resolutely embarked on the journey to the depths of the Immortal Realm.

The heavy footsteps seemed to pound on my heart; the crisis in the cultivation world was like a boulder pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.

I struggled to suppress the urge to go back immediately. Now is not the time; I must become stronger!

Only with sufficient strength can I protect those I want to protect in the storm to come.

The ethereal immortal and Zi Ling followed silently behind me, sensing the solemn aura emanating from me.

The ethereal immortal remained calm and composed, as if nothing could disturb his peace of mind.

Ziling, on the other hand, seemed somewhat uneasy, glancing at me furtively from time to time, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

We entered a strange forest.

Thick fog blanketed the forest, reducing visibility to less than ten feet.

The surrounding trees appeared and disappeared in the mist, like ferocious beasts lurking in the shadows, ready to devour anyone at any moment.

A strange aura permeated the air, making people feel inexplicably uneasy.

"Be careful, there's something strange about this forest." The ethereal immortal's voice came from the thick fog, carrying a hint of barely perceptible vigilance.

I nodded, slowed my pace, and carefully probed the surroundings with my divine sense.

However, the thick fog seemed to block the detection of divine sense; my divine sense could only extend to a range of a few feet around me.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, thick fog rolled in, and the world before my eyes became a blur.

When I could see my surroundings again, the ethereal immortal and Zi Ling had already vanished.

"Ethereal Immortal! Zi Ling!" I called out their names anxiously, my voice echoing in the thick fog, but I received no response.

My heart sank suddenly and a strong sense of unease came over me.

This forest is more dangerous than I imagined!

The surrounding trees seemed to come alive, their twisted branches resembling menacing monsters, slowly approaching me.

"Who's playing tricks there? Show yourself!" I shouted sharply, gripping my sword, Ice Soul, tightly in my hand.

However, all that answered me was endless silence and the rustling of leaves through the thick fog.

I gripped my sword tightly, cautiously looked around, and retreated step by step.

Suddenly, I felt a chilling aura coming from behind me...

"Who?" I whirled around, the tip of my sword pointing directly behind me...

I turned around abruptly, the tip of my sword pointing straight behind me. The cold blade sliced ​​through the air, but only touched nothingness.

Nothing at all!

But that chilling aura just now was definitely not an illusion!

I clenched my teeth, and fine beads of sweat appeared on my palms.

The surrounding fog seemed to come alive, thickly clinging to my body and making me feel suffocated.

Suddenly, a blurry figure appeared before my eyes.

The figure was elusive, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry, as if it might vanish into the mist at any moment.

I instinctively gripped the Ice Soul sword, its tip pointing directly at that figure.

"Who are you?" I demanded sharply, my voice trembling slightly in the thick fog.

The figure did not answer, but simply stood there quietly, motionless.

Suddenly, it moved!

The figure pounced on me like a ghost in an instant.

I quickly swung my sword to block, but the Ice Soul slashed past the figure as if it had struck thin air, without any resistance.

How could this be? I was shocked; the figure was an illusion!

Immediately afterwards, more phantoms appeared around me.

They came in all shapes and sizes: soldiers wielding sharp blades, grotesque demons, and fairies in flowing robes.

These phantoms surged toward me like a tide. I wielded my Ice Soul, hacking and slashing relentlessly, only to find that my attacks were utterly ineffective against them.

These phantoms are impossible to hit!

My heart was filled with confusion and anxiety.

What exactly are these phantoms?

Why are they attacking me?

How can I get out of this predicament?

The fog around me grew thicker and thicker, and the number of phantoms increased. I felt as if I were trapped in an unsolvable maze.

It can't go on like this!

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

If the attack is ineffective, it means that these phantoms are not physical entities; they are merely manifestations of some kind of energy or illusion.

Since that's the case, we can't solve it with brute force. We must find the source of these problems in order to completely break this illusion.

I slowly closed my eyes, held my breath, and calmed my mind.

I tried to feel everything around me with my heart, to feel the flow of the mist, the fluctuations of the phantoms, and the pulse of this forest.

Not far away, the figures of the ethereal immortal and Zi Ling were faintly visible in the mist.

They didn't seem to be attacked by the phantom; they just stood there quietly, watching my every move.

"What is she doing?" Zi Ling's voice carried a hint of doubt.

"Perhaps she has found a way to break the illusion." The ethereal immortal's voice remained calm, but there was a hint of barely perceptible expectation in his tone.

The moment I closed my eyes, I felt a faint energy fluctuation.

The energy fluctuations were hidden in the thick fog, appearing and disappearing intermittently, making them difficult to grasp.

However, I can clearly feel that it is the source of the illusion!

I suddenly opened my eyes, a confident smile playing on my lips.

"I've found you..."

I followed the faint energy fluctuations and carefully walked forward.

The phantoms around me continued to surge toward me, but I no longer paid them any attention.

I know that once the source is found, these illusions will crumble on their own.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, to the point that you could barely see your hand in front of your face.

I could only rely on that energy fluctuation to explore and move forward step by step.

Finally, I arrived in front of a huge ancient tree.

This ancient tree soars into the clouds, its branches and leaves flourishing. Layers of black vines are wrapped around its trunk, resembling ferocious giant pythons.

I could feel that the energy fluctuation was coming from this ancient tree!

I took a deep breath, raised the Ice Soul, and slashed fiercely at the black vines on the ancient tree.

With a crisp "crack!", the black vine snapped.

The moment the vines snapped, the surrounding illusions vanished like bubbles.

The thick fog dissipated, and the surrounding scenery became clear again.

I saw an ancient treasure chest lying quietly at the base of the old tree.

The surface of the treasure chest is engraved with intricate patterns, exuding a mysterious aura.

My heart started racing involuntarily.

I know that this treasure chest must contain extraordinary treasures!

I couldn't wait to walk up to the treasure chest and slowly open it.

Inside the treasure chest lay a magical artifact radiating dazzling light—a crystal-clear jade ruyi.

The jade ruyi radiated a soft light, and nine lifelike dragons were carved on it, emanating a powerful spiritual energy.

I carefully picked up the jade ruyi, and a warm current instantly flowed through my body.

I felt my strength greatly increased!

A dazzling light emanated from the jade ruyi, enveloping my entire being.

I was bathed in this light, and a joyful smile spread across my face.

"Xiao Yao! Are you alright?"

A familiar voice came from behind me. I looked up and saw the ethereal immortal and Zi Ling running anxiously toward me.

"I'm alright!" I excitedly waved the jade ruyi in my hand. "I've found the treasure!"

The ethereal immortal and Zi Ling came to my side, and their faces showed surprise as they looked at the jade ruyi in my hand.

"This...this is the legendary Nine Dragons Ruyi?" Zi Ling exclaimed in surprise.

I nodded, my joy beyond words.

The three of us hugged each other excitedly, and a warm atmosphere filled the air.

Ziling was genuinely happy for my achievement, and our friendship deepened even further.

"Let's keep going!" I looked into the distance, my eyes filled with determination. "The cultivation world still needs us!"

However, just as we were about to continue, the ethereal immortal suddenly stopped and looked solemnly at the sky...

"Wait a minute..." While we were still immersed in the joy of finding the treasure, Zi Ling excitedly circled around me, chattering about the origin of the Nine Dragons Ruyi.

However, at that moment, the surrounding light suddenly dimmed, as if an invisible hand had covered the sky.

The air suddenly became thick and suffocating.

I instinctively sensed an unprecedented crisis approaching.

"What happened?" Zi Ling's laughter stopped abruptly, her tone filled with a hint of fear.

I looked up and my pupils suddenly contracted.

The once clear sky was now shrouded in a huge shadow.

The shadow moved slowly, gradually revealing an enormous body.

It was a mysterious creature never seen before, its size blotting out the sky, like a moving mountain.

Its body was an eerie dark purple, covered with a thick layer of scales that shimmered with a metallic luster in the dim light.

It has huge wings, and with a gentle flap, it can stir up gusts of wind, causing the surrounding trees to bend and sway, making a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound.

Its head was ferocious and terrifying, with a pair of scarlet eyes that looked like two huge blood lanterns, radiating a chillingly fierce light.

A strong, pungent, fishy stench filled the air, making one want to vomit.

I felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, and breathing became extremely difficult.

"What...what is this?" Zi Ling's voice trembled slightly as she gripped my clothes tightly.

The ethereal immortal, unlike his usual calm demeanor, now wore a solemn expression.

He slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I don't know either. I've never seen such a terrifying creature. Its aura is too powerful, probably surpassing the realm of immortals."

I gripped the Nine Dragons Ruyi tightly in my hand, my palms glistening with sweat.

I just got my hands on the Nine Dragons Ruyi, and I haven't even had a chance to fully master its power yet. Now I have to face such a powerful enemy. The situation is really terrible.

The mysterious creature did not seem to attack immediately; it hovered silently in the air, its enormous body radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Its scarlet eyes were fixed on us, as if waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

All around was silent, with only the howling wind and the sound of trees breaking echoing in my ears, like the whispers of death.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

Now is not the time to panic; we must find a way to survive.

I held the Nine Dragons Ruyi tightly in my hand, and the spiritual power within my body surged into it wildly.

I can feel the Nine Dragons Ruyi gradually merging with my consciousness, and a powerful force is awakening.

"Watch out!" the ethereal immortal suddenly shouted, pulling Zi Ling and me behind him.

Just then, the mysterious creature moved!