flstandardbreds Chapter 111: Tracing the Conspiracy, the Way Forward Becomes Clearer
Chapter 111: Tracing the Conspiracy, the Way Forward Becomes Clearer
The biting wind blew up dust, swirling over the ruins of the cult's lair. The air was filled with a sickening smell of blood and a lingering evil atmosphere.
Yan Yue and Nong Jin stood side by side in the middle of the ruins, their clothes fluttering, and both of them had extremely solemn expressions.
"The Netherworld Cult..." Nong Jin repeated the name in a low voice, his brows full of worry, "Yuer, this is not an ordinary cult. Their methods are extremely cruel and their actions are secretive. Even I..." He paused, as if he didn't want to show his vulnerability in front of Yan Yue, but there was still a hint of uneasiness in his tone, "Even I know very little about them."
Yan Yue gently held Nong Jin's hand and gave him a comforting look.
"Brother Jin, don't worry, we will face it together." On the surface, her tone was calm, but her heart was turbulent.
The Netherworld Sect, this name existed like a nightmare in her memories of her previous life.
They were ruthless and committed all kinds of evil, and it was this organization that pushed her into a desperate situation.
Now, the enemy is right in front of her, and a flame of revenge is burning in her heart, but she knows that now is not the time to reveal her strength. She must proceed step by step to completely eradicate them.
"Let's start here." Yan Yue pointed to a destroyed altar in the ruins. "The remaining evil energy here is the most intense. Perhaps we can find some clues."
They approached the altar cautiously. The air around them seemed to freeze, making it hard to breathe.
Suddenly, strange runes appeared on the ground, flashing with a faint green light, and a powerful suction force pulled them towards the center of the altar.
"Be careful!" Nong Jin reacted quickly, protecting Yan Yue behind him and at the same time taking out his own magic sword to resist the powerful suction.
However, the power of the rune was far beyond their imagination. Nong Jin groaned and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"Brother Jin!" Yan Yue's heart tightened, and she quickly supported him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Nong Jin endured the pain and shook his head, "It's just a minor injury, don't worry."
Yan Yue looked at him with heartache, her heart full of self-blame.
If it weren't for protecting her, Nong Jin wouldn't have been hurt.
She secretly vowed to improve her strength as soon as possible and stop making him worry about her.
They continued to go deeper into the ruins, carefully avoiding various traps and residual spells along the way.
Suddenly, Yan Yue felt a strange breath. She stopped and her eyes fell on an inconspicuous stone slab in the corner of the ruins.
"Wait," Yan Yue pointed at the stone slab and said, "I think something is wrong here."
Nong Jin followed her gaze but didn't see anything unusual. "What's wrong?"
Yan Yue did not explain. She squatted down and carefully observed the patterns on the stone slab.
These lines seem chaotic, but they exude a faint sense of familiarity.
She closed her eyes and tried hard to recall everything about the Netherworld Cult from her past life.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to her mind, and she opened her eyes suddenly, with a gleam of brilliance in her eyes.
"I remember now!" she said excitedly, "This is a special magic circle used by the Netherworld Cult to hide secrets!"
She stretched out her hand, and a golden light condensed from her fingertips, gently tapping it on the stone slab.
The lines on the stone slab suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling light, and a hidden passage slowly appeared before them...
"It seems that we are one step closer to the truth..." Yan Yue looked at the passage in front of him, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.
The passage is deep and narrow, filled with an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.
Yan Yue and Nong Jin walked side by side, carefully observing the surrounding environment.
The walls on both sides of the passage were engraved with strange runes, flickering with faint light, illuminating the road ahead.
"These runes..." Yan Yue carefully identified the shape and arrangement of the runes, frowning, "It seems to be an ancient restriction used to seal some powerful power."
Nong Jin nodded, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. "The Netherworld Cult is indeed very well hidden. We must be even more careful."
As they went deeper, the air in the passage became heavier and heavier, and a feeling of oppression enveloped them.
Suddenly, Yan Yue stopped and his eyes fell on a huge stone gate in front of him.
The stone gate is carved with complex patterns, exuding a heart-pounding atmosphere.
"Is this the secret hidden by the Netherworld Cult?" Yan Yue whispered to himself, his heart filled with anticipation and nervousness.
She stretched out her hand and gently touched the pattern on the stone door with her fingertips.
In an instant, the pattern on the stone gate lit up, emitting a dazzling light.
A low roar was heard, and the stone door slowly opened, revealing a hidden secret room.
In the center of the secret room, a huge crystal ball was suspended in the air, emitting a soft light.
Inside the crystal ball, swirling images revealed a startling truth - the real mastermind behind the recent chaos was not the seemingly defeated cult leader, but a powerful figure lurking in the shadows that even the Immortal Emperor could not easily identify.
The figure's face is hidden in darkness, but an evil aura emanates from it.
"It's him..." Yan Yue's face suddenly changed, and a hint of shock and anger flashed in his eyes.
She recognized this figure; it was the enemy who had driven her to a dead end in her past life!
This discovery made her blood boil and the flames of revenge burned fiercely.
At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
There was a loud noise at the entrance of the passage, and then a group of cult remnants dressed in black rushed in. They had hideous faces and crazy lights flashing in their eyes.
"Kill them! Don't let them leave alive!" The leading man in black roared, waving the sharp blade in his hand and rushed towards Yan Yue and Nong Jin.
"Looking for death!" A cold light flashed in Nong Jin's eyes, and the fairy sword in his hand shone brightly. A sharp sword energy swept out, instantly cutting the several men in black who were rushing in the front into two.
Yan Yue was not to be outdone. She dodged the enemy's attacks nimbly and cast a special spell from her memories of her past life. Rays of golden light danced at her fingertips, accurately hitting the enemy's vital points.
The battle was extremely fierce, and the secret room was filled with the flashing of swords and the roar of spells.
Nong Jin was always concerned about Yan Yue's safety, and every attack was full of strength and protection.
Yan Yue felt his love, which made her more determined to fight alongside him.
Their eyes occasionally met, full of trust and affection.
Yan Yue seized the opportunity and cast a special spell to trap a man in black in a golden light shield.
The man in black struggled frantically, but was unable to break free from the light shield.
"Tell me! Who is the mastermind behind this?!" Yan Yue asked sternly.
The man in black was pale and his eyes were full of fear, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to reveal any information.
A cold light flashed in Yan Yue's eyes, and she was about to increase the power of the spell when suddenly, Nong Jin grabbed her hand.
"Yuer, wait..." Nong Jin looked at Yan Yue, his eyes full of worry, "I have a bad feeling..."
Before he finished speaking, the air in the secret room suddenly became extremely cold, and a powerful evil aura emanated from the crystal ball... The evil aura emitted by the crystal ball became stronger and stronger, as if it was about to swallow up the entire chamber.
Nong Jin protected Yan Yue behind him and watched the changes in the crystal ball vigilantly.
An invisible pressure enveloped them, making it almost impossible for them to breathe.
The man in black who was trapped in the golden light shield suddenly let out a shrill scream, and his body began to twist and deform violently, eventually turning into a pool of black liquid, seeping into the ground and disappearing.
"Oh no! This is the secret technique of the Netherworld Cult - blood sacrifice!" Yan Yue's face changed drastically. She recognized this evil spell. Once the blood sacrifice was completed, it would release unimaginable terrible power.
"Yu'er, be careful!" Nong Jin hugged Yan Yue's waist and took her away from the radiation range of the crystal ball.
He was surrounded by a golden light, forming a protective barrier that kept out the evil aura.
The battle continued, but Yan Yue's attention was no longer on these ordinary remnants.
She keenly noticed that the attacks of some of the remnants were not fierce, but instead seemed to be deliberately protecting something.
Their eyes flickered and their movements were hesitant, as if they were guarding a secret.
Yan Yue's heart moved. Could this be the key?
"Jin, look at those people!" Yan Yue pointed at the remnants who were behaving strangely and said hurriedly, "They must be hiding something!"
Nong Jin followed Yan Yue's gaze and noticed something unusual about the remaining criminals. "You're right, Yue'er! Let's take care of them first!"
The two of them understood each other and immediately changed their strategy.
Nong Jin's sword light became sharper, and each sword was aimed directly at the remnants who were protecting the secret.
Yan Yue used his agile body to bypass other enemies and specifically attacked those suspicious remnants.
Their cooperation was seamless, like comrades who had fought side by side for many years.
In the fierce battle, their eyes occasionally met, and they could understand each other's intentions without words.
Yan Yue felt Nong Jin's concern and protection for her, and a warm feeling surged in her heart.
His love is her motivation to fight and her strong support.
As the remnants who were protecting the secret fell one by one, a stone platform hidden behind them gradually appeared.
A complex rune was engraved on the stone platform, emitting a strange red light, echoing the evil aura emitted by the crystal ball.
"That's it!" A gleam of light flashed in Yan Yue's eyes. She stepped forward quickly, wanting to take a closer look at the rune.
"Be careful!" Nong Jin grabbed her and protected her behind him, "This rune looks dangerous."
Yan Yue nodded. She also sensed the strange aura emanating from the rune. She reached out, a golden light condensed from her fingertips, and gently touched the rune.
The moment the golden light touched the rune, the entire chamber shook violently. The rune on the stone platform shone brightly, and a powerful force burst out...
"Yu'er!" Nong Jin exclaimed and hugged Yan Yue tightly... "What is this..." After a burst of strong light, the vibration stopped.
The light of the runes on the stone platform gradually dimmed, but the strange red light still existed, like an evil eye, staring at Yan Yue and Nong Jin.
Nong Jin protected Yan Yue behind him and looked around vigilantly. Only after making sure that there was no new danger did he slowly let down his guard.
"Yuer, are you okay?" Nong Jin asked with concern, his eyes full of worry.
Yan Yue shook her head and said, "I'm fine, it's just this rune..." She looked at the rune on the stone platform again, frowning.
She could sense a powerful force hidden in the rune, but this power made her feel uneasy, as if it concealed some ominous omen.
"This rune is very strange," Yan Yue pondered, "I have never seen a rune like this before. It doesn't seem to belong to any known immortal cultivation sect."
Nong Jin also observed the rune carefully. He reached out to touch it, but was stopped by Yan Yue.
"Wait," Yan Yue held Nong Jin's hand, "The aura of this rune is very strange, we'd better be careful."
Nong Jin nodded and withdrew his hand.
He knew that Yan Yue was right to be cautious. In this dangerous world of immortal cultivation, any negligence could result in a huge price.
The two of them walked slowly around the stone platform, carefully observing every detail of the rune.
The rune patterns are complex and obscure, like some ancient text or some mysterious pattern.
They tried to explore with their spiritual sense, but found that there was an invisible barrier around the rune, blocking their exploration.
"This rune seems to be protected by some kind of power," Yan Yue said, "We must find a way to crack it."
Nong Jin pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps Elder Qingyue knows something." Elder Qingyue is a highly respected senior in the sect. He is knowledgeable and may be able to recognize the origin of this rune.
Yan Yue nodded in agreement, and they decided to return to the sect first, tell Elder Qingyue about the rune, and seek her help.
The two carefully copied the rune and then left the secret room filled with a strange atmosphere.
On the way back to the sect, they remained highly vigilant, fearing that they would encounter the remnants of the Netherworld Cult again.
After returning to the sect, they immediately found Elder Qingyue and handed the rune rubbing to her.
Elder Qingyue took the rubbing and looked at it carefully.
Her brows gradually furrowed and her expression became solemn.
"This rune..." Elder Qingyue pondered for a moment and said slowly, "I seem to have seen it somewhere..."
Yan Yue and Nong Jin held their breath, waiting for Elder Qingyue's next words.
Elder Qingyue's gaze fell on the rune, as if she was lost in some memory. A trace of fear flashed in her eyes, and her lips trembled slightly.
"This...this is..."