From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 461 The Perilous Valley

The sudden sense of oppression was like a giant, tangible hand that gripped my heart tightly, and even my soul felt a tearing pain.

The vast star map before them flickered rapidly, seemingly becoming unstable due to the intervention of this force.

The most brilliant point at the center of the star chart suddenly burst forth with dazzling light. Then, the entire star chart seemed to come alive, with countless stars flowing and converging, tearing open a deep and unfathomable rift in front of us.

Beyond the rift lies a chilling stillness and darkness.

"This...this is a passage that leads directly to the location marked by the star?" Ling Feng exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with vigilance.

The Azure Lotus Fairy also looked grave. She helped me up and asked worriedly, "Xiao Yao, how are you? You look terrible."

I forced back the stabbing pain in my soul, shook my head, and said weakly, "I'm fine... I just seemed to have exhausted my mind deciphering the runes. This passage is probably the clue to the 'Key of Destiny,' we must go in." Even though a terrifying aura emanated from beyond the rift...

Ling Feng took the lead and said in a deep voice, "I'll clear the way. Xiao Yao, you follow behind me. Fairy Qinglian, please bring up the rear and take care of Xiao Yao."

Fairy Qinglian nodded: "Fellow Daoist Lingfeng, rest assured, Miss Xiao Yao, if you feel unwell, please let me know immediately."

I glanced at her gratefully, took a deep breath, suppressed my surging blood and qi, and followed Ling Feng into the rift of light.

The moment you pass through the crack, it feels as if you have crossed time and space, and the surrounding scenery suddenly changes.

We found ourselves in a dark valley, the air thick with a strange, cloying stench mixed with a rotten smell. A single breath made us dizzy, and the stinging sensation in our souls seemed to intensify as a result.

"It's poisonous fog! Everyone be careful, hold your breath, and circulate your spiritual energy to protect yourselves!" Ling Feng, with his experience, immediately warned.

Visibility in the valley was extremely low, with a hazy fog enveloping everything. Underfoot were rugged rocks, interspersed with bottomless cracks, where a slight misstep could lead to a fall.

Within those cracks, a faint, eerie green light flickered, like the eyes of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.

Ling Feng took out a celestial sword that glowed with a blue light. The tip of the sword emitted a sharp sword light. He carefully explored the path ahead, breaking through some hidden restrictions and traps one by one.

The Azure Lotus Fairy then took out a milky-white jade pendant, and upon activating it, it emitted a soft white light that enveloped the three of us.

The white light carried a refreshing scent, which immediately lessened the corrosive effects of the poisonous fog and slightly relieved the pain in my soul. I couldn't help but cast a grateful glance at her.

"The poisonous fog here is extraordinary; it seems to contain a power that corrodes the soul. Miss Xiao Yao, you must be careful," Fairy Qinglian whispered.

I nodded, my vigilance growing even stronger. This valley was eerie and definitely not a safe place.

We trekked with difficulty for about half an hour, and then the view ahead suddenly opened up, and the poisonous fog seemed to thin out a bit.

A jet-black stone bridge appeared before us, spanning between two towering cliffs. Below the bridge was a bottomless abyss shrouded in mist, where occasionally a howling wind would whistle past, making a mournful sound.

The stone bridge is narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, and its surface is covered with traces of erosion from the years.

"It seems this is the only way out." Ling Feng examined the stone bridge with a solemn expression.

We stepped onto the stone bridge one by one, and at first it was quite smooth.

But as we reached the middle of the bridge, something unexpected happened!

The entire stone bridge began to shake violently without warning, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

At the same time, the originally thin poisonous fog around us suddenly became thicker, and as it rolled, it condensed into a series of ferocious fog phantoms, letting out shrill roars and baring their fangs and claws as they pounced on us!

"Watch out!" Ling Feng shouted, his immortal sword swirling with sword flowers, its sword energy crisscrossing, instantly shattering the phantoms that rushed towards him.

However, the shattered phantoms quickly reformed, and their numbers seemed to have increased, continuing to surge forward fearlessly.

The Azure Lotus Fairy also unleashed her magic weapon, sending out streaks of azure light to try and bind the phantoms. However, the phantoms seemed to have no substance, and the light streaks passed right through them, with little effect.

“These phantoms are endless!” Ling Feng’s forehead was covered in sweat, clearly feeling the pressure. “Their energy seems to originate from the poisonous fog in this valley!”

I endured the dizziness from the shaking and the pain that intensified in my soul, staring intently at the ever-regenerating phantoms and churning poisonous fog.

Ling Feng was right; these phantoms and the poisonous fog originated from the same source.

Simply chopping and hacking can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

We must find their control core, or the source of their energy!

I cautiously extended my divine sense, risking being corroded by the poisonous fog, and carefully sensed the flow of energy around me.

The stone bridge was shaking violently, but Ling Feng and Fairy Qinglian were still fighting hard to buy me time.

Gradually, I detected an unusual energy fluctuation. It didn't come from the surrounding poisonous fog, but... from under the bridge!

"Brother Lingfeng, Fairy Qinglian, cover me!" I cried out urgently, my eyes fixed on a certain spot at the bottom of the stone bridge.

There, a faint but unusual light seemed to be flickering, cleverly concealed by the thick fog and the shadows of the bridge.

"Xiao Yao, what are you doing?" Ling Feng asked urgently while brandishing his sword.

"These phantoms are probably controlled by something under the bridge. I'm going to destroy it!" I gritted my teeth and said, ignoring the violent shaking of the bridge, I suddenly flipped over and grabbed the edge of the stone bridge, reaching down to the bottom.

"Xiao Yao, it's too dangerous!" Fairy Qinglian exclaimed, trying to stop her, but it was too late.

The wind under the bridge was even stronger, making it almost impossible for me to open my eyes.

I gripped the slippery bridge edge tightly, and with my other hand, I gathered the last of my immortal power and looked toward the place emitting an eerie light.

Sure enough, on a protruding rock at the bottom of the stone bridge, there was a fist-sized dark red crystal that was constantly emitting an eerie aura. Wisps of poisonous mist were drawn in by it and transformed into new phantom energy.

that's it!

Without the slightest hesitation, I unleashed a torrent of immortal power from my palm, condensing it into a sharp ice spike that pierced fiercely towards the dark red crystal!

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and the crystal shattered into dust, dissipating in the wind.

Almost at the same instant the crystal shattered, the ferocious, roaring phantoms of mist above the stone bridge seemed to lose their support, letting out a resentful shriek before dissipating. The dense poisonous mist also quickly receded, and the violent shaking of the stone bridge abruptly stopped, returning to stability.

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling completely drained, and almost fell off the bridge. Luckily, Ling Feng reacted quickly and pulled me up.

"Xiao Yao, you...you were too impulsive! But well done!" Ling Feng was still in shock, but a smile of appreciation appeared on his face.

Qinglian Fairy also stepped forward, gently patting my back, her eyes filled with lingering fear and relief: "Miss Xiao Yao, you are truly courageous and wise. If you hadn't discovered the clues in time, we would probably have been trapped for a long time."

I forced a smile, but I dared not relax in the slightest.

The crisis in this valley is probably not limited to this.

Just as we thought we could catch our breath and prepare to continue, a chilling, bone-chilling cold suddenly spread from the depths of the valley, even more penetrating than the previous poisonous fog, as if the air itself were about to freeze.

Immediately afterwards, a faint rustling sound, like a venomous snake crawling through the grass, came from the direction we had come from, neither too close nor too far, carrying an indescribable eeriness and malice, slowly approaching us.