The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 422: Thick fog and full of dangers

After repelling the shadow, Yun Yao and Chu Mochen studied the rune for a long time, but still could not figure out the mystery. The rune looked like an ancient spell, with winding strokes, revealing a mysterious and evil aura, as if hiding a shocking secret from thousands of years ago, but no matter how hard they racked their brains, they could not figure out its deep meaning.

Just as the two of them were frowning and full of anxiety, another piece of news came like a bolt from the blue: the sect's spiritual vein seemed to be eroded by a strange force, and the spiritual energy was rapidly draining away. If it was not stopped in time, the foundation of the sect would be destroyed. This news was like a heavy hammer, hitting the two of them hard. They knew that the spiritual vein was like the lifeline of mortals to the sect. Once it was damaged, the cultivation resources of the disciples of the sect would be exhausted, and the foundation of decades or even hundreds of years would collapse in an instant. At that time, let alone gaining a foothold in the world of cultivation, they would be reduced to fish at the mercy of others.

Without saying much, the two hurried to the place where the spirit vein was. Along the way, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people suffocate. The sound of the wind whistled in their ears, but it seemed to be accompanied by bursts of crying, as if the ancestors of the sect were lamenting the impending disaster. As soon as they approached the entrance of the spirit vein valley, a gloomy chill came over them, and Yun Yao shuddered subconsciously. Seeing this, Chu Mochen gently held her to his side, trying to use his body temperature to dispel the chill for her. At the same time, his eyes revealed vigilance and determination, as if silently declaring that even if there were mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, he would protect Yun Yao.

However, they had never expected that the road to the spiritual vein would be so difficult. As soon as they stepped into the valley, a thick fog came over them. In an instant, the world in front of them was shrouded in white fog, and the visible range was drastically reduced. It was difficult to distinguish between people and animals five steps away. Yun Yao was shocked. This fog was definitely not ordinary fog. She could keenly perceive the chaotic spiritual power fluctuations contained in it. It seemed that someone deliberately set up this formation to disrupt the minds of intruders and make them lose their way.

"Chen, be careful, this is a maze." Yun Yao held Chu Mochen's hand tightly, her voice trembling slightly, but it was not because of fear, but because she knew that the situation was critical at the moment and there could be no room for error.

Chu Mochen nodded slightly, and held Yun Yao's hand tightly with his backhand, giving her response and strength. His palm was broad and warm, and the familiar touch made Yun Yao's flustered heart calm down a little. At this moment, there was no need for the two to say much, just a look and a gesture, and they understood each other.

Yun Yao took a deep breath and tried to find the pattern in the chaotic spiritual power fluctuations with the help of the system prompts. She closed her eyes tightly, concentrated her mind, and sent out her perception to try to catch the vague clues. Time passed by, and every second seemed to be torture. Sweat oozed from her forehead, slid down her cheeks, and dripped onto the ground under her feet. Finally, she caught a faint spiritual power pull, like a ray of light in the fog.

"This way, Chen!" Yun Yao opened her eyes, with a glimmer of hope in them. She pulled Chu Mochen and walked quickly in the direction guided by the spiritual power.

The two of them shuttled through the mist, their steps hurried but cautious, always on guard against unknown dangers. But the danger of this maze array was far beyond imagination. As they walked, the ground under their feet suddenly trembled violently, making a dull roar, as if a prehistoric beast was awakened and roaring. Then, the ground began to collapse, and huge cracks like ferocious mouths quickly spread around. In the cracks, spikes stood in a forest, flashing cold light, exuding a chilling breath.

Seeing the danger approaching, Chu Mochen reacted quickly, holding Yun Yao's slender waist, tapping his toes, and flying on the sword. In an instant, the flying sword took the two of them into the air, narrowly avoiding the collapsed ground and the deadly spikes. Yun Yao looked up at Chu Mochen's cold but extremely resolute profile, her heart full of emotion and relief. In this life-and-death situation, he stood up without hesitation again and again, using his strong arms to support a safe sky for her.

But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, a new crisis came. As soon as the flying sword rose to mid-air, countless black ropes suddenly emerged from all around. These ropes seemed to have life, twisting and entwining, and quickly flew towards the two of them. Yun Yao's eyes were stern, and he drew his sword and swung it. The blade collided with the ropes, splashing a series of sparks and making a sharp "sizzling" sound. However, these ropes were extremely tough. When one was cut off, two more were added in an instant, as if they were endless.

Seeing this, Chu Mochen snorted coldly, and the spiritual power in his body surged. The long sword in his hand shone brightly, and a sharp sword energy whistled out, like a roaring dragon, fiercely crashing into the black ropes. Under the impact of the sword energy, the ropes broke one after another, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating in the air. But before the two of them could rejoice, a group of ghost-like monsters suddenly jumped out of the fog below. They were erratic and extremely fast, and pounced on the flying sword with their fangs and claws.

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen looked at each other, and both saw solemnity and determination in each other's eyes. The two attacked at the same time, and two spiritual lights, one red and one blue, intertwined and turned into a defensive light curtain, covering the flying sword. The ghostly monsters kept hitting the light curtain, and every collision caused ripples in the light curtain, and the spiritual power fluctuations were violent. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen gritted their teeth and continued to inject spiritual power to maintain the stability of the light curtain.

After finally breaking through the entanglement of these ghostly monsters, the two finally saw the location of the spiritual vein. However, the scene before them made them gasp. They saw a thick black fog as thick as ink wrapped around the spiritual vein. The black fog seemed to have substance, constantly rolling and surging, and there seemed to be countless resentful souls roaring inside, the sound was shrill and creepy.

Yun Yao was extremely anxious, knowing that if she didn't dispel the black fog quickly, her sect would be in danger. Without thinking too much, she immediately activated the purification technique, forming seals with her hands. A soft white light flowed out from her palms and slowly flew towards the black fog. But the black fog seemed to sense the threat, and suddenly churned. A powerful recoil force rushed towards her. Yun Yao couldn't avoid it in time and was shocked back several steps, with blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"Yao'er!" Chu Mochen felt so distressed that he rushed forward and supported Yun Yao's shaky body, his eyes full of anxiety and self-blame. He gently wiped the blood from the corner of Yun Yao's mouth, his voice trembling a little: "How are you? It's all my fault. I didn't protect you well."

Yun Yao shook her head, her eyes firm: "Chen, I'm fine. This evil creature is too powerful, we must not act rashly, we haven't figured out its details yet."

At this time, the valley was dead silent, with only the roar of the resentful souls in the black fog and the faint humming sound of the damaged spirit veins interweaving together, like a song of despair and sorrow. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen looked at the predicament in front of them, knowing that this difficult battle had just begun, and they were responsible for the life and death of the entire sect, and they could not afford to lose. They had to find a way to crack it as soon as possible, dispel the evil black fog, and save the sect from danger.

The two of them took a breath and began to carefully explore the spiritual vein. Yun Yao activated the system's deep scanning function, not missing any details, hoping to find a clue from the strange black fog and the damaged spiritual vein. Chu Mochen used his spiritual power as a probe, trying to sense the energy structure in the black fog and find its weaknesses.

Time passed quietly in this tense atmosphere, and every minute and every second was extremely precious. The coldness in the valley became more and more biting, as if even the air was frozen, but Yun Yao and Chu Mochen were unaware of it, and they devoted themselves to this race against time.

Suddenly, Yun Yao's system issued a slight prompt sound. She perked up and looked down. She saw a string of complex rune information displayed on the system interface, which was somewhat similar to the runes found in the cave in the back mountain before.

"Chen, look!" Yun Yao hurriedly shared the information displayed by the system with Chu Mochen, with excitement flashing in her eyes, "This may be a key clue, we have to study it quickly."

Chu Mochen took a closer look, and a bright light flashed in his eyes. The two sat on the ground, comparing the system information with previous memories, and began to carefully interpret the secrets hidden behind the mysterious rune. As the research deepened, an astonishing truth gradually surfaced: this evil creature was actually the remnant of the demon sect that was sealed thousands of years ago. Because the seal was loosened, it wanted to be reborn by the sect's spiritual veins. The way to crack it is to find three ancient artifacts and use their divine power to reinforce the seal again.

"Of these three artifacts, one is in the Arctic Ice Field, one is in the South China Sea Abyss, and the whereabouts of the other is unknown." Yun Yao frowned, feeling that the task was arduous. The Arctic Ice Field was covered with ice and snow all year round, and the environment was extremely harsh. The biting cold wind could freeze a person's flesh and blood in an instant; the South China Sea Abyss was bottomless, with huge water pressure, turbulent undercurrents, and countless ferocious sea beasts lurking in it. If you were not careful, you would be wiped out.

"It's okay, Yao'er, let's go to the known places to explore first. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we will never give up." Chu Mochen held Yun Yao's hand tightly, giving her strength. His eyes were as firm as a rock, as if any difficulties were not worth mentioning in front of him. At this moment, Yun Yao saw fearlessness and courage in his eyes, which was a promise to her and a responsibility to the sect.

The two stood up, looking at the spiritual vein shrouded in black fog, and secretly vowed to find the artifact and save the sect. Then, they turned around and resolutely walked out of the valley, embarking on a treasure hunt full of unknowns and dangers. Their figures gradually walked away in the fog, but they seemed to bring endless hope, tearing open a ray of dawn for the sect that had fallen into darkness.

As soon as they walked out of the valley, the two began to discuss their itinerary.

"Chen, I think we should act separately to save time. You go to the Arctic ice field, and I will go to the South China Sea abyss. After finding the artifact, I will return to the sect immediately to meet up." Yun Yao looked at Chu Mochen with a firm gaze. Although she was reluctant in her heart, she knew that the situation was urgent at the moment and every second counted.

"No, it's too dangerous. How can I let you go alone?" Chu Mochen refused without even thinking about it. How could he bear to let Yun Yao face those dangers alone? In his heart, protecting Yun Yao was the most important responsibility in his life.

"Chen, listen to me." Yun Yao held Chu Mochen's hand and said earnestly, "The sect is in danger, we don't have time to hesitate. If we act together, we will be delayed on the road for too long, and I'm afraid our spirit veins will not be able to hold on. Moreover, we all have systems and our own strengths, so we may be able to cope with it. I believe that we can take care of each other after we separate, and we will definitely be able to find the artifact smoothly."

Chu Mochen frowned, struggling in his heart. He knew Yun Yao was right, but when he thought of her risking her life alone, he felt like he was being stabbed by thousands of needles. After a long while, he sighed and nodded helplessly: "Okay, Yao'er, but you must promise me that you will be careful. If you encounter danger, notify me immediately with the sound transmission note, and I will rush there as quickly as possible."

"I promise you, Chen. You too, must return safely." Yun Yao's eyes were slightly red, her heart filled with emotion and concern.

The two exchanged a deep hug, as if to merge into each other's body and draw strength. Then, they packed their bags and prepared to embark on their journey.

Yun Yao came to the sect's magic weapon pavilion and selected several magic weapons suitable for underwater combat, and brought enough healing pills and pills to replenish spiritual power. She looked at the storage ring in her hand, which contained all her belongings for this long journey, and also carried the sect's hopes. She secretly made up her mind to succeed.

At the same time, Chu Mochen was also preparing supplies for the trip to the Arctic Ice Field. He put on thick cold-proof clothing, picked out a sword that could withstand the extreme cold, and brought some compasses and other items that could help him find his way on the ice field. After everything was ready, the two came to the sect square and looked at each other again, their eyes full of reluctance and determination.

"Yao'er, wait for me." Chu Mochen said softly. Although his voice was light, it seemed to carry a tremendous force.

"The same to you, Chen." Yun Yao nodded slightly, tears flashing in her eyes.

Afterwards, the two of them no longer hesitated, and simultaneously summoned their flying swords, dashing off in different directions. Yun Yao stared at Chu Mochen's receding figure until he disappeared into the sky, then she turned her head, looking firmly in the direction of the South China Sea abyss, and sped forward.

As the flying sword flew through the clouds, Yun Yao felt extremely heavy-hearted. She knew that this trip to the South China Sea Abyss was full of dangers, but for the sake of the sect and her future with Chu Mochen, she had to move forward bravely. Along the way, she kept recalling the information about the South China Sea Abyss in the system and thinking about how to deal with it.

After flying for an unknown amount of time, Yun Yao finally saw the deep ocean in the distance. The seawater was a deep blue, like a huge sapphire, but Yun Yao had no intention of appreciating the beauty. She knew that beneath this beautiful appearance, there were endless dangers hidden.

Near the seashore, Yun Yao put away her flying sword and walked towards the beach. The sea breeze blew with a salty and wet smell, ruffling her hair. She looked at the rough sea, took a deep breath, and stepped into the water resolutely.

As soon as she entered the water, she felt a huge pressure. Yun Yao used her spiritual power to form a protective film on her body to resist the water pressure. She swam carefully towards the deep sea, holding the sword tightly in her hand, always on guard against attacks from sea beasts.

As the depth increased, the light became dimmer and the water temperature became lower. Yun Yao turned on the lighting function of the system, and a soft light emanated from her forehead, illuminating the surrounding waters. However, this light also attracted the attention of some small sea beasts. They were small in size but extremely fast, and rushed towards Yun Yao like an arrow from a bow.

Yun Yao's eyes were stern, and she swung the sword in her hand, with sword flowers flashing, instantly repelling these small sea beasts. But she did not dare to slack off and continued to move towards the depths of the abyss.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Yao finally arrived at the entrance to the South China Sea Abyss. It was a huge black hole, like the entrance to hell. The surrounding seawater was pulled by a strong suction force, forming huge whirlpools. Yun Yao's heart tightened, and he approached cautiously, trying to find a way to enter.

Suddenly, a giant octopus jumped out from behind the reef nearby. Its tentacles were as thick as tree trunks, and it waved vigorously, sweeping towards Yun Yao. Yun Yao reacted quickly, dodged sideways, and at the same time, the sword in her hand fiercely chopped at the octopus's tentacles. However, the octopus had thick skin and flesh, and the sword only left a shallow white mark on it.

Yun Yao was startled, knowing that she had encountered a tough opponent. She quickly retreated, distanced herself from the octopus, and thought about how to deal with it. She remembered the introduction of this type of octopus in the system, and knew that its weakness was in the eyes. So, she focused her eyes, seized the opportunity, and used her body skills to rush towards the octopus's eyes like a ghost.

At the moment of approaching the octopus's eye, Yun Yao's sword shone brightly and stabbed the octopus's eye fiercely. The octopus let out a shrill scream and waved its tentacles wildly, trying to throw Yun Yao away. Yun Yao tightly grasped the sword, took advantage of the force, jumped to the top of the octopus's head, and swung the sword again, blinding the octopus's other eye.

The octopus lost its eyes and went crazy, rolling around in the water, causing huge waves. Yun Yao took the opportunity to jump into the black hole and entered the abyss of the South China Sea.

After entering the abyss, Yun Yao found that the environment here was even worse. The water pressure was incredibly high, the spiritual power was consumed very quickly, and there were some strange lights flashing around from time to time, as if there were unknown dangers hidden. She didn't dare to stop, and followed the direction prompted by the system, heading towards the place where the artifact might be.

Along the way, Yun Yao encountered numerous difficulties and obstacles. Once, she was surrounded by a group of glowing jellyfish, and the electric current released by these jellyfish almost paralyzed her; another time, she accidentally entered a maze-like underwater cave and almost lost her way. It took her a lot of time to find the exit.