As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

Chapter 135: Appearances

Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan walked towards the mysterious passage cautiously.

The inside of the passage was pitch black, and you could hardly see your hand in front of you.

The cold wind blew, bringing with it a chilling atmosphere, as if countless invisible eyes were watching them in the dark.

Xiaoxuan tightly grasped Ding Chen's arm, her fingertips trembling slightly under the invasion of the cold. Her voice was low and nervous: "Ding Chen, this place is too weird, should we go back?"

Ding Chen's pupils flickered slightly in the darkness. He looked around vigilantly with a frown.

His eyes were as sharp as a falcon, as if searching for any possible threat in the darkness.

He held Xiaoxuan's hand tightly and comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. Now that we're here, we have to get to the bottom of this. Maybe there's some important secret hidden behind this passage."

The deeper they went into the tunnel, the thinner the air became.

Every step seemed to be in the void, and breathing began to become difficult.

Ding Chen felt as if an invisible stone was pressing down on his chest. He couldn't help but slow down his pace, and his expression looked a little uncomfortable.

Xiaoxuan was the same. Her breathing became rapid and her eyes flashed with worry.

She bit her lip, trying to keep herself calm, and said softly: "Ding Chen, I...I feel a little breathless."

Ding Chen stopped and patted Xiaoxuan's back hard, trying to make her relax a little.

He said firmly: "Hold on a little longer, we will definitely find a way out." Xiaoxuan nodded, and a warm power surged in her heart.

She held Ding Chen's hand tightly, and the two encouraged each other and continued to move forward.

Finally, the air became so thin that breathing almost became a burden.

Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan's faces turned pale, but their eyes remained firm.

At this moment, Xiaoxuan suddenly felt a strong impulse. She broke free from Ding Chen's hand and ran forward alone.

Ding Chen was extremely surprised and hurriedly shouted, "Xiaoxuan, where are you going?"

Xiaoxuan's footsteps were hurried, and her back gradually disappeared in the dark passage, leaving only a quick and firm words: "You can't come, it's too dangerous here!" Xiaoxuan's actions were like an arrow shot from a bow, without any warning. She broke free from Ding Chen's tightly grasped hand and rushed to the depths of the passage with a nimble figure.

The speed was so fast, like a ghost moving through the darkness, leaving only a blurry silhouette.

Ding Chen looked in astonishment at the direction where Xiaoxuan disappeared, with a strong sense of uneasiness in his heart. He shouted in disbelief: "Xiaoxuan! Where are you going?!" His voice echoed in the empty passage, with a hint of panic and anxiety.

He hurriedly ran after him, his footsteps making a dull sound on the wet ground.

In the dark passage, his cries seemed particularly weak, as if swallowed by the darkness.

As he ran, he shouted Xiaoxuan's name loudly, but the only response he got was the vibration of the air and the approaching unknown.

Just when Ding Chen was about to catch up with Xiaoxuan, the scene in front of him suddenly changed.

An old man with white hair and beard, dressed in coarse linen clothes, appeared at the end of the passage at some point and blocked their way.

He was hunched over, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle. He was leaning on a black cane in his hand, and he exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

When the old man saw Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan suddenly appear, his face darkened and obvious hostility appeared on his originally calm face. He swung his crutch, and with a whistling sound, he smashed it down on Ding Chen's head.

The attack was so swift and sudden that it apparently came without warning.

Ding Chen was caught off guard and hastily raised his arm to block. With a dull "bang", the crutch hit his arm heavily, causing a sharp pain.

He staggered back a few steps, his arms feeling numb.

The old man's attack did not stop. He rushed forward again like a ghost, and the swing of his crutch brought up gusts of wind that were dazzling.

Ding Chen could only fight back with all his might, he was in a panic, beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and he looked in a miserable state.

Xiaoxuan, watching from the side, was terrified. She wanted to step forward to help, but was intimidated by the strong aura emanating from the old man and dared not move. She could only watch anxiously, shouting, "Ding Chen! Be careful!"

The old hermit suddenly retracted his attack, slamming his cane down on the ground with a dull thud. He narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over Ding Chen and Xiao Xuan, and said coldly, "Anyone who trespasses will die!"

Xiaoxuan took a deep breath, as if she had discovered something. Her eyes flickered and she said hurriedly, "Ding Chen, he..."

Xiaoxuan's eyes flashed with a gleam. She quickly scanned the old hermit's attack trajectory and said very quickly: "Ding Chen, every time before he swings his crutch, there will be a very slight tremor. Pay attention to the movement of his wrist! When he exerts force with his right foot, the force of the crutch will be stronger!" After Xiaoxuan finished speaking, Ding Chen immediately adjusted his posture. As Xiaoxuan said, the old hermit's attack precursors were extremely subtle. If Xiaoxuan hadn't observed carefully, it would be impossible to detect it.

He held his breath, dodged sideways at the moment when the old hermit swung his stick, and threw a backhand punch, hitting the old hermit under the armpit.

The old hermit didn't expect Ding Chen to seize his weakness so quickly. His body swayed, his steps became unstable, and the crutch in his hand fell off and fell to the ground with a "bang".

He staggered a few steps and finally fell to the ground in a mess, with a trace of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

The old hermit's hair and beard were disheveled, and he looked extremely miserable, without any trace of his former dignity.

Seeing this, Ding Chen felt a sense of relief in his heart. He looked at Xiaoxuan.

Ding Chen strode towards Xiaoxuan and hugged her tightly in his arms with such strength that it seemed as if he wanted to rub her into his body.

He felt Xiaoxuan's soft body, the faint herbal scent lingered on his nose, and his heart was filled with tenderness.

Xiaoxuan also hugged Ding Chen tightly, resting her head on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat.

There was a smile of satisfaction and happiness in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, as if all the thrilling experiences just now had never happened.

The originally cold atmosphere in the passage seemed to have a touch of warmth because of the warmth between the two people at this moment.

"Xiaoxuan, I'm lucky to have you." Ding Chen whispered in her ear, his voice filled with a hint of relief at surviving a disaster.

"I'm glad you're okay." Xiaoxuan responded softly. She raised her head and looked at Ding Chen gently, her heart full of love for him.

However, just as the two were immersed in the joy of surviving the disaster, the old hermit lying on the ground suddenly uttered a weak voice with fear in his tone: "You...you can't go in, there...there is a demon sealed!" He seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength, and after saying this, he began to cough violently, his voice hoarse and rapid.

Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan were stunned for a moment, looked at each other, and the relaxed look on their faces was instantly replaced by nervousness.

The old hermit struggled to his feet.