12dz Chapter 182 Spirit Abyss Secret Realm
Chapter 182 Spirit Abyss Secret Realm
Grandpa Turtle waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need to be polite. This is also for the peace of the Three Realms. However, the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm is extremely dangerous. You must be very careful on your journey. I have some records about the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm here. Although there are not many, they may be of some help to you."
As he spoke, an ancient book appeared in Grandpa Turtle's hand. With a gentle wave of his hand, the book transformed into a beam of light and merged into the crystal ball.
Lan Ji quickly channeled her spiritual energy into the crystal ball again and received the message from Grandpa Turtle. "Grandpa Turtle, we've got it. Don't worry, we'll be careful," Lan Ji said firmly.
Grandpa Turtle nodded and instructed, "Remember, never be greedy in the secret realm. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately. If anything changes, contact me using this crystal ball."
Everyone nodded in agreement. After saying goodbye to Grandpa Turtle, the light from the crystal ball gradually dimmed, and the room returned to calm.
However, the group's emotions remained unsettled for a long time. They were about to embark on a journey to the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm, a place filled with unknowns and dangers, yet also carrying the hope of repairing the barrier between the two worlds.
Jiang Jingzhi took a deep breath and said, "Everyone, go back and rest well and prepare. Three days later, we will go to the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm together. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must work together to find the Sky-Mending Stone."
"Okay!" everyone answered in unison, their eyes filled with determination and resolve.
They knew it would be a difficult adventure, but for the sake of peace between the two worlds, they were fearless.
Over the next three days, they busied themselves preparing various items and studying the information about the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm that Grandpa Turtle had sent them.
Three days later, as dawn broke, the soft light spilled onto the ruins of the imperial city, adding a touch of tranquility to this war-torn city.
Jiang Jingzhi, Xu Xiaoxiao, Mu Zhusheng, and Lan Ji had already packed their bags and stood at the city gate of the imperial city, ready to embark on their journey to the Lingyuan Secret Realm. Their bags were filled with various pills, weapons, and information about the Lingyuan Secret Realm provided by Grandpa Turtle.
"Is everyone ready? The journey to the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm is fraught with danger, so we must proceed with utmost caution," Jiang Jingzhi said, his gaze sweeping over his companions with unwavering determination and a concerned yet solemn expression.
"Ready!" the three replied in unison, their voices filled with fearlessness and determination.
After saying this, the four of them transformed into four streaks of light and sped off to the north. Along the way, they traversed vast grasslands, where the green grass swayed gently in the breeze, as if telling of the peace and tranquility of the past. They also crossed rushing rivers, whose surging waters seemed to cheer them on for their adventure. As they continued northward, the spiritual energy in the air became increasingly rich, and the surrounding scenery gradually became more mysterious.
Finally, they arrived at a forest shrouded in white mist. This vast forest stretched as far as the eye could see, with thick fog enveloping the entire forest like a veil, obscuring the view within. A mysterious aura emanated from the mist, as if beckoning them.
"This should be it. Grandpa Turtle said that the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm is deep in this White Mist Forest." Lan Ji looked at the forest in front of her, her eyes revealing a hint of tension and anticipation.
Jiang Jingzhi nodded slightly, his expression wary: "Everyone be careful. The forest is shrouded in mist, and there may be hidden dangers. As we agreed before, we must maintain a tight formation and not get separated."
The four of them cautiously stepped into the forest, taking each step with extreme care. Their eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, alert to any possible danger. Suddenly, Xu Xiaoxiao exclaimed softly, "Wait, I can sense the flow of spiritual energy!"
The group stopped and focused their attention on sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy around them. Sure enough, deep within the mist, a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated, like an invisible thread guiding them forward.
“Follow the flow of this spiritual energy, and perhaps we can find the entrance to the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm,” Jiang Jingzhi said, leading the way in the direction of the flowing spiritual energy.
Along the way, they encountered many troubles. Vines would occasionally sprout from the ground, trying to entangle their feet; and some monsters hidden in the mist would launch sudden attacks. However, the group managed to escape danger time and time again thanks to their superb martial arts skills and tacit cooperation.
As they ventured deeper, the fog thickened, and their vision became increasingly blurred. Just as they were starting to lose their way, a faint light suddenly appeared ahead.
"Look, there it is!" Mu Zhusheng pointed excitedly ahead.
The four quickened their pace and ran towards the light. As they approached, they discovered that the light came from a huge vortex, which shimmered with multicolored light. It was the entrance to the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm. However, the entrance was slowly shrinking and was about to close.
"Oh no, the secret realm is about to close!" Jiang Jingzhi's expression changed, and he shouted anxiously, "Quick, we don't have time!"
Without hesitation, the four rushed toward the entrance, and just as it was about to close, they leaped into the vortex one by one.
After a dizzying spin, the four landed slowly and found themselves in a strange space. The surroundings were filled with rich spiritual energy, and various exotic flowers and plants emitted a soft light, creating a dreamlike scene. In the distance, the mountains rose and fell, shrouded in mist, like a beautiful painting.
"This must be the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm," Xu Xiaoxiao exclaimed, looking at the surrounding scenery with awe in her eyes.
Jiang Jingzhi cautiously surveyed his surroundings and said, "That's right, the spiritual energy here is so rich, it is undoubtedly a secret realm. However, the more beautiful a place is, the more dangers it may hide. Everyone should not let their guard down and should always remain vigilant."
The group nodded and began to cautiously explore this mysterious world. They walked along a winding path, with various strange plants growing on both sides. Some plants made pleasant sounds, while others emitted an alluring fragrance.
However, Jiang Jingzhi and the others knew that behind these seemingly beautiful things, there might be deadly dangers lurking.
As they walked, a wide river suddenly appeared ahead. The water was crystal clear, yet it exuded a cold aura.
Jiang Jingzhi crouched down and reached out to touch the river water, but quickly withdrew his hand as soon as he touched it: "This river water is icy cold; there's probably something there."
Just then, a ripple suddenly appeared on the calm river surface, and a huge figure slowly rose from the water.
It was a colossal beast covered in scales, its eyes flashing red, its gaping maw emitting a deafening roar; it was a snake that looked like a fish.
"Watch out, it's a serpent!" Jiang Jingzhi quickly drew his sword and stood in front of everyone.
The giant beast lunged at them, splashing water everywhere. Jiang Jingzhi and the others quickly scattered, each casting spells to engage in a fierce battle with the beast.
Xu Xiaoxiao brandished her longsword, its blade shimmering with spiritual energy, each attack carrying immense power; Mu Zhusheng cast spells, beams of light shooting from his hands in an attempt to restrain the giant beast's movements; Lan Ji used demonic magic to assist from the sidelines, creating opportunities for her companions to attack.
Jiang Jingzhi seized the opportunity, leaping into the air. His sword, imbued with a sharp aura, pierced the beast's vital point. The beast roared in agony and struggled frantically. After a fierce battle, the group finally managed to defeat the beast.
The giant beast sank into the river, and the river gradually returned to calm. Everyone was exhausted and sat down on the ground, panting heavily.
"This Spirit Abyss Secret Realm is indeed fraught with danger. We've only just entered and we've already encountered such a powerful guardian beast," Mu Zhusheng said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with lingering fear.
As Jiang Jingzhi watched the serpent slowly sink to the bottom of the lake, a thought arose in his mind. Now that he had come this far and encountered such a powerful guardian beast, perhaps there were some precious treasures hidden at the bottom of the lake.
He turned his head and looked firmly at Xu Xiaoxiao, Mu Zhusheng and Lan Ji, and said, "I think there might be treasure hidden at the bottom of this lake. You wait for me on the shore, and I will go down to find out."
Xu Xiaoxiao looked worried and hurriedly said, "Senior Brother, the lake water is icy cold and probably very dangerous. We shouldn't take the risk."
Mu Zhusheng chimed in, "Yes, senior brother. We are all exhausted from the battle with that serpent. We should reconsider our strategy."
Lan Ji was equally worried: "Brother Jiang, you must be careful."
Jiang Jingzhi smiled slightly and comforted him, "It's alright. I cultivated in the ice cave for hundreds of years and am more resistant to cold than you. Besides, if there really is a treasure, it will be of great help to our subsequent exploration in this Spirit Abyss Secret Realm."
Having said that, Jiang Jingzhi no longer hesitated. He took a deep breath and plunged into the icy lake water. As soon as he entered the water, the biting cold attacked him like countless ice needles. Jiang Jingzhi gritted his teeth, endured the cold, and swam forward with all his might.
The lake water was cold and dark, greatly limiting Jiang Jingzhi's vision. However, relying on his keen senses honed over many years, he struggled to discern directions. His body moved forward with difficulty in the water, each stroke requiring immense effort.
After swimming for a long time, Jiang Jingzhi finally saw the entrance to a cave ahead. He was overjoyed, guessing that this must be the lair of the serpent. He cautiously approached the cave, becoming even more careful, as he didn't know what dangers were hidden inside.
As Jiang Jingzhi slowly entered the cave, a strange and refreshing fragrance wafted towards him. Upon closer inspection, he saw a crystal-clear ice lotus growing in the center of the cave. The ice lotus emitted a soft light, and the surrounding cold air seemed to be gathering towards it.
Jiang Jingzhi was overjoyed. He knew the preciousness of this thousand-year-old ice lotus. It was said that eating this ice lotus could increase one's cultivation by five hundred years. He carefully approached the ice lotus, afraid of disturbing anything.
Just as he reached out to pick the ice lotus, he suddenly sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy. Jiang Jingzhi's heart tightened, and he stopped what he was doing, cautiously observing his surroundings. After a while, seeing that there was nothing unusual, he reached out again and gently picked the ice lotus, placing it into the jade box that had been prepared beforehand.
After putting away the ice lotus, Jiang Jingzhi continued to observe the situation inside the cave. He discovered that there were still many ice stones around, which were also extremely precious materials that could be used to refine magical artifacts and pills.
He quickly took out a storage bag and carefully put the ice stones into it. During the process of collecting the ice stones, Jiang Jingzhi remained highly vigilant and dared not relax for a moment.
At this moment, Xu Xiaoxiao and the others on the lake waited anxiously. Time passed by, but Jiang Jingzhi was nowhere to be seen, and their worries grew.
Xu Xiaoxiao was getting impatient and said she wanted to go down and find her senior brother, but Mu Zhusheng and Lan Ji stopped her, saying, "We're waiting for half an incense stick's time. If our senior brother hasn't come up yet, we'll go find him. We have to trust in his abilities."
Jiang Jingzhi, now in the cave at the bottom of the lake, had finally collected all the ice stones he could find. He took a deep breath and prepared to return.
The return journey was equally arduous, with the cold lake water constantly draining his strength. However, the thought of his anxious companions waiting on the shore and the precious treasures he had just acquired filled Jiang Jingzhi with strength.
Finally, Jiang Jingzhi saw the faint light coming down from above. He quickened his pace and swam toward the lake.
With a splash, Jiang Jingzhi burst out of the water, and Xu Xiaoxiao and the others quickly surrounded him.
"Senior Brother, you're finally back! We were so worried about you. Hurry up and dry your clothes, or you'll catch a cold," Xu Xiaoxiao said anxiously.
Jiang Jingzhi smiled with satisfaction, showing them the jade box and storage bag, and drying his clothes with one hand: "This trip was worthwhile; we obtained the Thousand-Year Ice Lotus and the Frost Stone."
Everyone's faces lit up with joy, knowing that these treasures would greatly aid their adventure in the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm.
After a short rest, Jiang Jingzhi and the others continued their journey into the depths of the Lingyuan Secret Realm.
Along the way, the scenery became increasingly strange. At times, brilliant rays of light streaked across the sky, and at other times, mysterious runes flickered on the ground. The group felt both excited and nervous, hoping to gain something from this mysterious world.
As they walked, Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly pointed ahead and said, "Senior Brother, look, there seem to be other demons over there." Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a group of demons dressed in strange clothes moving quickly through the forest.
Jiang Jingzhi frowned slightly and said with a solemn expression, "It seems that there are many other people exploring this secret realm."
Xu Xiaoxiao looked worried and quickened her pace to Jiang Jingzhi's side. "Senior Brother, what if someone else gets the Heaven-Mending Stone first?"
Jiang Jingzhi walked beside her, glanced at the demon race members running at top speed, and comforted her, "No, the Heaven-Mending Stone is so rare, and no one has found it for so long, which means the time is not right yet, and it is waiting for the right person. Besides, we have gone through many difficulties along the way, and it is not so easy for us to be surpassed."
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded after hearing this, but the worry in her heart had not completely dissipated.
Mu Zhusheng said, "Senior brother is right. We cannot lose our composure. Even if there are others around, we still have our advantages and opportunities."
Lan Ji chimed in, "That's right. As long as we remain vigilant and work together, we will definitely find the Sky-Mending Stone."
The group continued on their journey, and the surrounding environment became increasingly complex. The road was rugged and uneven, and the trees on both sides were tall and towering, their branches and leaves intertwined to form a dense green canopy. Along the way, they also collected many spiritual plants and herbs.
Suddenly, a sinister wind blew, seemingly carrying eerie laughter. Everyone stopped in their tracks and cautiously observed their surroundings.
Jiang Jingzhi said in a low voice, "Everyone, be careful."
Before they finished speaking, a flock of black spirit birds surged out of the forest and swooped towards them. Jiang Jingzhi and the others quickly cast spells, and beams of light flashed in the air as they engaged in a fierce battle with the birds.