The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 196 Meeting Murong Rui Again

Lin Xiao and Murong Rui quickly gathered their spoils, clearing all traces of their progress before disappearing into the darkness and continuing on their way. Night had already fallen, and the atmosphere around them grew even more oppressive. The wind blew through the trees, carrying a damp, humid air, as if everything in the world were roaring softly.

"Where are we going now?" Murong Rui asked in a low voice, his eyes cold. It was obvious that he had not fully recovered from the fierce battle just now.

Lin Xiao slowly withdrew his gaze, his brows slightly raised. "Go a little further, we're still some distance from the edge of the plain. There will definitely be more people competing for the Amethyst Jade tonight. We just need to wait and see."

Murong Rui nodded. Although he still had many questions in his mind, he knew at this moment that the most important thing was survival and victory, and everything else could be put aside for the time being.

As they continued forward, the surroundings gradually became more desolate, with almost no trace of other contestants. Lin Xiao was secretly alert in his heart, knowing that this area was not safe, especially at this special moment tonight.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard approaching rapidly from a distance. Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes and raised his hand to signal Murong Rui to stop. The two of them quickly disappeared into the night, hiding behind a huge tree. Lin Xiao concentrated, carefully sensing the presence of the approaching person.

Soon, several figures appeared within sight. They were three cultivators with extremely powerful auras, seemingly fellow disciples. Each of them exuded an extremely powerful aura, and Lin Xiao's heart trembled. He knew that these three were clearly not ordinary Jiayin Realm cultivators, and might even have broken through to a higher realm.

The leading monk wore a golden robe, a long sword stabbed at his back. The sword emanated a faint glow, giving off an extremely intimidating aura. The other two were a burly man in black and a white-haired old man, both of whom exuded a strong aura.

"It seems that we have a new competitor in this trial." Murong Rui said in a low voice, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

Lin Xiao didn't reply, instead holding his breath and continuing to observe. As he'd expected, the three men didn't head straight for the amethyst jade, but instead began a thorough search of the surrounding area. Clearly, they were well prepared, knowing that a large number of cultivators would arrive tonight to vie for resources.

"They're looking for other contestants." Lin Xiao frowned slightly, feeling uneasy. "If these people sense the aura of the Amethyst Jade, they might track us down."

"What should we do?" Murong Rui asked in a low voice, a hint of anxiety on his face.

"We can't fight head-on. We have to avoid this wave and wait until they disperse before taking action." Lin Xiao's eyes were cold. "As long as we can save our lives, the Amethyst Jade will be ours sooner or later."

Although his words were calm, they had a sense of oppression that made Murong Rui lower his head. He knew that the situation before him was not as simple as they thought.

The three monks gradually approached. Lin Xiao and Murong Rui almost held their breath in the bushes, almost blending into the surrounding darkness.

Just when they thought they could escape safely, suddenly, the golden-robed monk's gaze suddenly stopped on the trees where they were hiding.

"I sense an unusual aura." The Taoist in the golden robe suddenly spoke in a low and intimidating voice, "Someone is here."

Before he finished speaking, he quickly waved his hand and sent a powerful energy to the surrounding trees. The trees shook, and several thick branches were instantly destroyed. Leaves flew everywhere, instantly revealing the hiding place of Lin Xiao and Murong Rui.

"Here they come." A cold glint flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and he suddenly leaped up, his figure moving through the trees like a ghost. At the same time, he activated his "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitating Phantom Moves" with a thought. In an instant, two identical figures appeared in the bushes, seemingly creating even greater confusion for the enemy.

Murong Rui also reacted quickly and used "Extreme Wind" to suddenly accelerate the surrounding airflow, forming a powerful whirlwind that temporarily obscured the vision of the three monks.

"They're hiding in the woods!" the man in black roared, clearly aware of Lin Xiao and Murong Rui's presence. He quickly mobilized his energy and prepared to give chase.

However, Lin Xiao and Murong Rui did not stop. They both used their skills to quickly cross the woods. With the help of the lightness and speed of the "Dragon Swimming Around the Seas" skill, they quickly distanced themselves from the enemy.

The Taoist in golden robes sneered: "Do you think you can escape like this?"

He swung his sword, and the sword light instantly cut through the air, like a meteor falling to the ground, at an extremely fast speed, pointing directly at the backs of Lin Xiao and Murong Rui.

At that moment, Lin Xiao turned around suddenly, raising his sword to meet the attack. As his sword flashed, a sword energy attacked the golden-robed Taoist like a tornado.

"Sword dances in a whirl of glory!"

The sword energy swept forward like a violent storm, forcing the Taoist in golden robes to retreat repeatedly. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao took advantage of this moment to quickly distance himself and continued to flee deeper into the woods.

"Out of danger for now."

Lin Xiao and Murong Rui swiftly moved through the dense forest, their steps light and swift. Despite a brief clash with the golden-robed Taoist's sword energy, they did not let their guard down. The situation remained fraught with danger.

As they ran deeper and deeper, the surrounding trees and vegetation grew denser, as if they had entered a natural maze. Lin Xiao knew they couldn't keep running. They had to find a suitable opportunity to strike back or set an ambush. Otherwise, with the golden-robed Taoist and his companions closing in, they would be unable to escape.

"Lin Xiao, there is a cave ahead, maybe we can hide temporarily." Murong Rui reminded in a low voice, his eyes sweeping across the hillside ahead.

Lin Xiao nodded, and tacitly quickened his pace, running towards the cave. Just as they were approaching the cave, they suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps from behind. It was obvious that the golden-robed Taoist and his men were chasing them closely.

"Speed ​​up!" Lin Xiao growled and rushed into the cave quickly.

The cave was deep and dark, and the air was filled with a damp smell. Lin Xiao and Murong Rui didn't dare to stop, and went straight into the cave until they completely disappeared into the darkness.

"It's safe here for now." Lin Xiao slowed down and adjusted his breathing. "But we can't stay here for too long. The enemy will catch up soon."

Murong Rui didn't say anything. He looked into the depths of the cave, feeling somewhat puzzled. "You're right, but I feel like there's something wrong with this place."

Lin Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly and was about to respond when he heard a faint sound. It seemed as if something was vibrating slightly deep in the cave.

"Did you hear that?" Lin Xiao asked in a low voice.

Murong Rui immediately pricked up his ears and listened carefully, his expression becoming more serious. "Yes, there should be something moving."

The two exchanged glances, a sense of alarm rising in their hearts. Lin Xiao no longer hesitated, pulling out a sharp dagger and cautiously walking deeper into the cave. As they walked, the echoes in the cave grew louder, as if the air around them began to grow heavy.

Finally, they reached the deepest part of the cave, and suddenly, the ground shook. Then, a faint blue light flickered on the cave wall, casting a strange glow.

"What is this?" Murong Rui widened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face.

Lin Xiao sensed an extremely ancient aura in the air, and his heart was shocked: "Be careful!"

Before he could finish his words, a sudden burst of blue light erupted from the depths of the cave, radiating light so brightly that the two could barely open their eyes. Then, a strange rumbling sound echoed, and the rocks began to shake violently, as if something had awakened from deep underground.

"This is... a formation!" A trace of astonishment flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, "It's actually an ancient formation!"

He quickly exerted his Qi, attempting to explore the formation's structure, hoping to find a way to break it. However, the formation's power far exceeded his expectations, showing almost no sign of loosening. Amidst the flashes of blue light, he felt an invisible force pressing down on him, rendering his Qi nearly ineffective.

"Lin Xiao, what's going on? What should we do?" Murong Rui asked anxiously.

Lin Xiao endured the pressure of the formation and stared at the blue light on the rock wall. He realized that this was no ordinary formation, but some kind of forbidden formation, clearly intended to protect something important. Looking at the blue light, he suddenly remembered a legend: "This place... may be hiding some ancient relic!"

"Relics?" Murong Rui's expression changed. "You mean, there are... treasures hidden here?"

Lin Xiao nodded. Although his heart was still full of doubts, he knew that if he could break the formation, the treasure hidden inside might be enough to change their fate.

"We can't stay here for too long. The power of this formation is too strong." Lin Xiao took a deep breath and made a quick decision. "Let's temporarily avoid the influence of the formation and wait for an opportunity to come up."

The two quickly retreated to the cave entrance, dodging the burst of the formation. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao continued to ponder how to crack the formation. He knew that only by unlocking it could he truly unlock its secrets. The energy of this formation seemed to hint at something hidden within that was not to be underestimated.

"Let's hide here for now and wait for the power of the formation to subside slightly." Lin Xiao said in a deep voice, "We must be careful. Any careless action may lead to a greater crisis."

Murong Rui nodded.

The two retreated to the cave entrance, holding their breath and listening attentively to the roaring sound coming from within. The energy of the formation gradually spread, and a strong sense of oppression permeated the air. Lin Xiao gathered his strength and tried to remain calm. As the fluctuations of the formation grew stronger, he knew that breaking it would be an extremely difficult challenge.

"Lin Xiao, why don't we just destroy the formation and try to destroy it." Murong Rui suggested a little anxiously. Obviously, he didn't want to stay under this oppression for too long.

Lin Xiao shook his head and said in a deep voice, "No, this formation cannot be destroyed easily. Its structure is complex and exquisite. If we are not careful, it may trigger a stronger backlash and even devour us." He took a deep breath, his eyes solemn. "Furthermore, the core of this formation is not outside. Its true power comes from somewhere at the bottom of the cave. We must find the source of the formation to completely break it."

Murong Rui frowned and said, "Then what should we do?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Xiao whispered, "We can't act rashly. Although the formation is powerful, there must be a weakness at its source. If I can access that core, perhaps I can find a way to break it." He looked at Murong Rui, "You stay here. I'll go investigate."

Murong Rui hesitated for a moment, clearly unwilling to stay here alone. However, he knew this was not the time to argue, so he could only nod in agreement. "Be careful."

Lin Xiao stopped talking, took a deep breath, and tiptoed deeper into the cave. His mind had already entered a state of extreme concentration, carefully examining every inch of land and every rock. The fluctuations of the formation grew stronger as he approached, but Lin Xiao had formed a certain conclusion in his mind. He sensed that the blue light did not come from a single source, but rather a certain energy being guided and concentrated.

The deeper he went, the brighter the blue light became, so blinding that he could barely open his eyes. He paused briefly and slowly channeled his inner energy. The energy within him began to flow, and gradually, his aura resonated with the surrounding energy.

As this instantaneous movement began, Lin Xiao suddenly felt a powerful pressure, as if the entire cave were being twisted by an invisible force, and his footsteps became extremely heavy. Then, his eyes suddenly opened up. It turned out that this formation was not just a simple restriction, but contained a powerful force in itself. It was a formation based on space.

"It's just like that..." Lin Xiao sighed inwardly. He finally realized that the true purpose of the formation wasn't to restrict their movements, but to trap them in a special space, preventing them from escaping.

He had already realized that the core of this formation must be hidden somewhere, perhaps the "center" of the formation, and all energy was converging towards this center. He decided to take the risk and try to find the source of the formation and break it.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiao continued his journey deeper into the cave. After traversing a deep rocky passage, he finally reached the bottom of the cave. The space here was completely different from the one above. Mysterious runes filled the surroundings, and a faint blue light flowed through the air, as if some invisible force was pulling him.

Lin Xiao quickly scanned his surroundings and spotted a place resembling an altar. In the center of the altar stood an enormous stone tablet, engraved with ancient runes. These runes emitted a faint glow, somewhat similar to the blue light he had seen earlier. Lin Xiao's heartbeat quickened, sensing that the core of the formation was indeed here.

Without hesitation, he immediately gathered his strength and began to release his mental energy towards the stone tablet, trying to extract the operating principles of the formation from it. However, the moment he touched the stone tablet, he felt a huge backlash force suddenly hit him, as if a force suddenly seized his mind and made him lose consciousness instantly.

"Retreat!" Lin Xiao only managed to whisper a warning to himself before his body softened and he lost control of himself. The backlash from the formation came like a flood, shaking the entire space.

At this moment, a strong pulling sensation came over him, and Lin Xiao was thrown out by a powerful force, hitting the rock wall heavily, and blood spurted out of his mouth.

"Lin Xiao!" Murong Rui's voice came from a distance. He hurried over and saw Lin Xiao being knocked away. His face changed drastically and he immediately rushed to his side.

"Are you okay?" Murong Rui asked anxiously, reaching out to support Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao forced his eyes open and saw Murong Rui's anxious expression. A wry smile played on his face. "It's okay, just a minor injury." He took a deep breath. "However, the core of the formation is indeed within this stone tablet. If we want to crack it, we must find a new way to break the formation."

Murong Rui obviously didn't quite understand, but he nodded anyway: "Then what should we do?"

Lin Xiao took a breath, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "This time, we can only use our last resort." He paused, "I plan to create a brief resonance with the formation, thereby channeling its energy into the stone tablet, causing it to temporarily lose control."

Murong Rui was shocked: "Are you crazy? This is the core of the formation. If it fails, the whole cave will collapse!"

Lin Xiao stared at him with a firm look in his eyes: "Only in this way can we have a chance to break the formation, and we don't have time to wait."