in2ebook Chapter 184 Star Stone
Chapter 184 Star Stone
Everyone nodded in agreement. Despite the fierce battle, their determination to find the Star Stone remained unwavering.
Jiang Jingzhi took a deep breath, gripped his longsword, and took the lead in walking towards the depths of the palace. The other three followed closely behind. Their figures looked somewhat tired in the dim light of the palace, but their steps were full of determination.
As they walked, Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered something. She looked at Jiang Jingzhi and asked, "Senior Brother, what exactly do you think the Star Stone is used for? Can it really grant cultivators powerful supernatural abilities?"
Jiang Jingzhi pondered for a moment and said, "I have also read about the legend of the Star Stone in ancient books. It is said that it contains the power of the stars. This power is mysterious and powerful. If one can master it, it is indeed possible to obtain powerful supernatural abilities. But we will only know the specifics after we find the Star Stone."
Upon hearing this, Lan Ji's eyes sparkled with curiosity: "If it's really that magical, then we'd better find it quickly. Maybe with the power of the Star Stone, we can easily deal with all kinds of challenges in the future."
Mu Zhusheng said cautiously, "However, the greater the power, the greater the danger it often brings. We must be extra careful in our search for the Star Stone."
As they discussed, the group continued their journey. The palace's passageways were intricate, and the gems on the walls emitted a faint glow, illuminating their path. Occasionally, they could hear strange noises coming from afar, as if reminding them that danger was not entirely gone.
As they rounded a corner, Jiang Jingzhi suddenly stopped, looking ahead warily and signaling for everyone to be quiet.
Everyone immediately understood, stopped in their tracks, gripped their weapons, and prepared for battle. Jiang Jingzhi listened carefully to the sounds around him, and after a while, he said softly, "It sounds like there's something ahead. Everyone be careful."
The group moved forward slowly, taking each step cautiously, afraid of disturbing the danger lurking in the shadows.
As they drew closer, they gradually saw the scene ahead. A huge stone beast stood silently in the center of the passage. It was enormous, made entirely of hard stone, and exuded an ancient and mysterious aura.
Xu Xiaoxiao frowned. She had never seen such a peculiar stone beast before. She turned to look at her senior brothers, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "What is this thing? It doesn't look like a living creature, but something feels off."
Lan Ji curiously peeked out, wanting to see more clearly: "Could it be a mechanism to protect this palace?"
Mu Zhusheng stepped forward and carefully examined the patterns and structure of the stone beast. As he looked, he said, "It's possible. This stone beast is covered with strange runes. These runes seem to contain some kind of power. Let's not act rashly and see if we can find a way to break it."
Just as everyone was pondering a strategy, the stone beast suddenly moved. It slowly raised its head and let out a deep rumble, as if it were a roar from ancient times. Everyone was startled and immediately assumed a fighting stance, preparing to meet the new challenge...
Just as Jiang Jingzhi and the others got into their fighting stances, before they could even react, a sudden dizzying sensation swept over them, and the surrounding scenery instantly distorted and changed. When they regained their footing, they found themselves in a strange space.
The place is full of jagged rocks, with sharp points jutting out from the ground. Some are like swords piercing the sky, while others resemble fangs crisscrossing in the air. A sense of oppression permeates the air, and dim light struggles to penetrate between the rocks, making the entire space appear even more gloomy and eerie.
"What's going on? Where are we?" Xu Xiaoxiao asked in a panic, her voice echoing in the empty space, trembling slightly.
Jiang Jingzhi frowned, warily surveying his surroundings: "It seems we've stumbled into an illusion set up by this stone beast. Everyone, be careful of these stones."
Xu Xiaoxiao gripped the longsword tightly in her hand, her eyes filled with tension: "These stones look so sharp, I feel like I could get hurt if I just touched them."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge rock suddenly flew towards them. Jiang Jingzhi reacted quickly, wielding his longsword and unleashing a sharp sword aura that instantly shattered the flying rock. However, the broken pieces did not fall to the ground but instead transformed into countless small stone points, shooting towards the group like hidden weapons.
Everyone hurriedly cast spells to defend themselves. In an instant, light flashed and the booming sound of spells echoed continuously in the enclosed space. Mu Zhusheng formed a hand seal, and a defensive barrier instantly unfolded, enveloping everyone. Small stones struck the barrier, making a "clanging" sound.
"This can't go on, these stones seem endless!" Mu Zhusheng said anxiously as she took out a defensive magic artifact to maintain the barrier.
Jiang Jingzhi took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing: "Everyone, don't panic. Since we can't avoid it, let's attack with all our might. Perhaps we can find a way to break this illusion."
Having said that, he charged towards a huge, strange rock, his long sword dancing and flashing, each swing carrying immense power. The rock shattered under his attacks, but the broken pieces would instantly recombine and return to their original form.
Lan Ji was not to be outdone. She quickly formed hand seals and chanted incantations. A dazzling spell shot out from her hands and struck a stone beside her. The stone was instantly shattered into pieces, but in the blink of an eye, it reformed on the spot.
Xu Xiaoxiao brandished her longsword, its blade shimmering with light. She relentlessly attacked the surrounding stones with her swordsmanship, trying to find an opening. However, each attack was like a stone sinking into the sea; the stones remained standing there unharmed.
In this fierce battle, everyone gradually discovered that although these stones could not be completely destroyed, their own strength seemed to be constantly increasing in the fight against them. Every time they swung their weapons or cast spells, they could feel their spiritual power becoming more abundant and their control over spells becoming more proficient.
After attacking dozens of stones in succession, Jiang Jingzhi suddenly felt that the spiritual energy in his body was circulating more smoothly. The bottleneck in his cultivation that had been stagnant showed signs of loosening. He was overjoyed and immediately told everyone about this discovery.
"Don't be discouraged, everyone. Although we can't break these stones, our strength is constantly improving during the battle. This may be a test from this illusion. As long as we persevere, we will definitely find a way to break through it," Jiang Jingzhi encouraged the crowd.
Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and they rallied again, attacking the surrounding rocks with even greater intensity. Their figures darted among the strange stones, and the light of their magic illuminated the entire dim space.
As time went on, everyone became more and more skilled at controlling their own power, and the spells they cast became more and more powerful.
However, this illusion seemed to have no end. Stones continued to appear, and everyone's physical and spiritual strength was constantly being depleted. Gradually, they began to feel tired.
"I can't hold on much longer. When will this illusion ever end?" Lan Ji said breathlessly, her clothes soaked with sweat.
"Hang in there a little longer, we'll definitely find a way out." Although Jiang Jingzhi was also exhausted, his eyes still showed determination.
Just when everyone was feeling hopeless, Jiang Jingzhi suddenly discovered that whenever he attacked a particular stone, the surrounding stones seemed to change in subtle ways. He immediately focused his mind and carefully observed the changes in that stone.
After some research, he finally discovered the pattern: the runes on this stone were slightly different from those on other stones. When he attacked these runes in a specific order, the frequency and attack method of the surrounding stones would change.
"I think I've found a way to crack it!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted excitedly.
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly gathered around. Jiang Jingzhi told them about his discovery, and then, following Jiang Jingzhi's instructions, they began to systematically attack the runes on the stone.
As they attacked, the surrounding rocks began to change drastically. The once incredibly hard rocks began to become brittle, and the broken pieces no longer reformed.
"That's it, keep attacking!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted.
With everyone working together, the light of the spells continuously fell on the stone. Finally, with a loud bang, the stone collapsed, and the surrounding illusion began to dissipate rapidly.
As the last ray of light faded, they found themselves back in the palace passageway, the enormous stone beast still standing silently before them, as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.
"We did it!" Xu Xiaoxiao jumped up excitedly.
The group exchanged smiles. Although exhausted, their eyes shone with the joy of victory. Through the test of this illusion, their strength had also been enhanced.
Jiang Jingzhi took a deep breath and gripped his longsword tightly: "Let's go. The Star Stone is waiting for us ahead. This is just a small episode in our journey."
The group roused themselves and continued along the passage. The further they went, the more somber the atmosphere became, and the brilliance of the gems on the walls dimmed, as if foreshadowing the great test to come.
After turning another corner, the space suddenly opened up to a huge circular hall. In the very center of the hall, a stone platform emitting a soft blue light floated. On the platform was the Star Stone they had been searching for. The Star Stone was surrounded by mysterious stellar power, its light shimmering like a dream, as if beckoning them.
However, before they could even get excited, countless dark figures suddenly surged out from all around the hall, quickly converging into a group of monsters of various shapes. These monsters exuded an evil aura and lunged at the group with bared fangs and claws.
"Watch out!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted and charged into the monster horde. His longsword flashed with cold light, and each swing repelled several monsters. However, there were simply too many monsters, one wave after another, endlessly.
Xu Xiaoxiao unleashed her most proficient swordsmanship, her sword flashing as she attempted to carve a bloody path through the monster horde. Lan Ji, meanwhile, continuously cast spells from behind, providing support for everyone. Her spells were dazzling, with beams of light shooting from her hands, repelling any approaching monsters.
While casting defensive spells to protect everyone's safety, Mu Zhusheng searched for the monsters' weaknesses. He discovered that although these monsters seemed powerful, each attack had a brief gap. As long as he could seize this opportunity, he could deliver an effective blow to them.
"Everyone, be careful! There are gaps in the monster's attacks. Let's take the opportunity to counterattack!" Mu Zhusheng shouted.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately adjusted their tactics. Whenever the monsters attacked, they skillfully dodged and then launched fierce counterattacks during the gaps. For a time, the monsters' offensive was temporarily halted.
But as the battle continued, everyone gradually felt exhausted. The monsters seemed endless, and their attacks became increasingly fierce, causing their defenses to begin to falter.
"This can't go on. We must find a breakthrough as soon as possible," Mu Zhusheng said, panting heavily.
Just then, Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly discovered that the light of the star stone seemed to have a certain deterrent effect on monsters. Whenever the light of the star stone flashed, the monsters that approached would pause briefly.
"Senior brothers, look! The light from the starstone seems to be affecting these monsters!" Xu Xiaoxiao exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Jingzhi's eyes lit up: "Perhaps we can use the power of the Star Stone to fight against these monsters, but we can't get close to the Star Stone right now. We have to take care of some of these monsters first."
So, everyone mustered their courage again and attacked the monster with all their might. Jiang Jingzhi unleashed his strongest sword technique, his sword strikes were fierce, and for a moment he forced the surrounding monsters back several feet. Lan Ji concentrated her spiritual power and cast a powerful spell, blasting a gap in the monster horde in front of her.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mu Zhusheng used his movement technique to rush towards the Star Stone. However, just as he was about to reach the stone platform, a huge monster suddenly darted out from the side, opened its blood-red maw, and bit at him.
"Watch out!" Upon seeing this, Jiang Jingzhi immediately flew over and used his longsword to block the monster's attack, but he was also knocked back several steps by the monster's impact.
"Senior brother!" Xu Xiaoxiao and Lan Ji exclaimed. They rushed over to help Jiang Jingzhi fend off the monster's attacks.
Mu Zhusheng took the opportunity to steady himself and continued to approach the Star Stone. While dodging the monster's attacks, he looked for an opportunity. Finally, he arrived at the stone platform and reached out to touch the Star Stone.
Just as his hand was about to touch the Star Stone, the Star Stone suddenly burst out with a strong light, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day. A mysterious fluctuation emanated from the light, causing everyone to feel dizzy.
As the light gradually faded, everyone was surprised to find that all the monsters around them had disappeared, and the Star Stone was now quietly floating in Mu Zhusheng's hand, emitting a soft light.
"We got it!" Xu Xiaoxiao asked in disbelief.
Jiang Jingzhi stepped forward, looking at the Star Stone in Mu Zhusheng's hand, his eyes filled with joy: "It seems that the power of the Star Stone helped us get rid of these monsters."
Lan Ji ran over excitedly, "Great! We finally got the Star Stone!"
However, before they could even celebrate, the floor of the hall suddenly began to shake violently, cracks spread from the ground, and the surrounding walls began to collapse.
"Oh no! This palace is about to collapse!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted. "We have to get out of here right now!"
The group immediately ran towards the exit. Along the way, stones kept falling from above, and they dodged left and right, struggling to move forward through the ruins.
Just as they were about to reach the exit, a huge stone slab suddenly crashed down on them. Jiang Jingzhi reacted quickly, plunging his longsword into the ground and unleashing powerful spiritual energy to form a shield that protected everyone inside.
"Everyone, get out of here!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted.
Xu Xiaoxiao, Lan Ji, and Mu Zhusheng rushed out immediately. After they left safely, Jiang Jingzhi removed his shield and quickly ran out of the palace as well.
The moment they left, the palace behind them collapsed with a deafening roar, raising a huge cloud of dust.
Standing at a distance, the group looked at the collapsed palace, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. They had gone through countless hardships to finally obtain the Star Stone and successfully escaped danger.
"This experience was really thrilling," Xu Xiaoxiao said, still shaken.
Lan Ji nodded in agreement: "Yes, but we also gained a lot. We not only obtained the Star Stone, but also improved our strength."
Jiang Jingzhi looked at the Star Stone in his hand, his eyes gleaming with determination: "We've got the Star Stone. Now, we need to study its power carefully and use it to help us find the Sky-Mending Stone."