Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 378: Shadow Reappears

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li smiled at each other. They saw the determination to win in each other's eyes, but they did not realize that a shadow was quietly covering their hearts. The intelligence Nan Li received was indeed accurate. The evil organization was indeed planning a large-scale attack. However, the target of the attack was not the area where they were, but a bait, a carefully laid trap, waiting for them to fall into it.

After receiving the intelligence, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li did not hesitate at all and immediately gathered the alliance forces to catch the other side off guard. Late at night, they led the elite troops and sneaked into the valley where the evil organization's base was located. The moonlight was like water, illuminating everything in the valley, but it could not illuminate the thick darkness, as if countless unknown dangers were lurking.

"Remember, fight quickly and decisively, don't fight too long!" Gao Xingchen whispered, with a barely perceptible hint of nervousness in his tone.

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison. Their voices were low, but they could not hide the excitement and excitement in their hearts.

However, when they rushed into the depths of the valley, they found that the situation was far worse than they had imagined. The stronghold that was supposed to be well defended was now empty, with only a few dim lanterns swaying in the wind, as if mocking their self-entrapment.

"Oh no! We've fallen into a trap!" Gao Xingchen's face suddenly changed, and an ominous premonition suddenly arose in his heart.

Before he finished speaking, numerous torches suddenly lit up around them, illuminating the entire valley as bright as day. At the same time, deafening shouts of killing came from all directions, and countless men in black emerged from the darkness and surrounded them.

"Kill!" Gao Xingchen roared, and rushed into the enemy camp first. The long sword in his hand turned into silver lightning, harvesting the lives of the enemies. Nan Li followed closely behind, moving through the crowd like a ghost, and taking away a life every time he attacked.

However, the evil organization was well prepared. They had a large number of people, and each of them was well-trained and fearless. Although Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were powerful, they gradually felt overwhelmed.

"Xingchen, be careful!" Nan Li suddenly exclaimed, and saw a man in black holding a sharp blade attacking Gao Xingchen from the side.

Gao Xingchen reacted quickly and dodged the attack, but was still cut on the arm by the sharp blade. Blood flowed down the wound, staining his clothes red.

"Damn it!" Gao Xingchen was furious and slapped the man in black who was attacking him. However, more enemies had already surrounded him.

The fierce battle lasted all night until dawn, when both sides called off their troops. The raid ended in a disastrous defeat for the Alliance. Not only did they fail to destroy the evil organization's stronghold, but they also suffered heavy losses, and many familiar faces fell forever on this cold land.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li stood on the hillside, looking at the devastated battlefield below, their hearts filled with grief and self-blame. They knew that they were to blame for the failure.

"We underestimated the enemy." Gao Xingchen murmured to himself, his tone full of bitterness.

"No, we don't know enough about the evil organization." Nan Li shook his head, his eyes revealing a trace of solemnity, "They are more cunning and more powerful than we imagined."

Gao Xingchen was silent. He knew Nan Li was right. This failure taught them a profound lesson and made them realize that the road ahead was far more difficult and dangerous than they had imagined...

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li dragged their tired steps back to the alliance headquarters. The air was filled with sadness and depression. The head of the Gao family and Elder Zhao had already been waiting in the meeting room. Their faces were gloomy and their brows were furrowed. They were obviously very disappointed with the failure of this operation.

"Xingchen, Lier, tell me, what happened?" The voice of the head of the Gao family was low and hoarse, with undisguised fatigue.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other and recounted in detail everything that had happened in the valley, including how they were ambushed, how they fought hard, and how they had no choice but to retreat in the end.

After listening to their story, the Gao family head and Elder Zhao were silent for a long time, and no one spoke. The meeting room was silent, and only the heavy breathing of each other could be heard.

"Alas..." After a long moment, the head of the Gao family sighed and broke the silence, "We underestimated the enemy and overestimated ourselves. We are all responsible for the failure of this operation."

"Clan leader..." Gao Xingchen opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but was stopped by the clan leader who raised his hand.

"Xingchen, Li'er, you don't have to blame yourselves too much." The head of the Gao family said earnestly, "Failure is the mother of success. This lesson will make us more aware of our own shortcomings. As long as we don't give up and keep working hard, one day we will defeat evil and restore peace to the Nine Star Realm!"

Elder Zhao also nodded and said, "Yes, Xingchen, Li'er, you are both gifted young people with unlimited prospects. This setback is just a hurdle in your path of cultivation. Once you overcome it, your future will be even brighter."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li felt a little comforted after hearing this. They knew that what the Gao family head and Elder Zhao said was right. Failure is not terrible. What is terrible is losing confidence and giving up hope.

At this moment, a disciple hurried into the meeting room and said anxiously: "Clan leader, it's bad, Master Sun..."

"What's wrong with Young Master Sun?" Gao Xingchen's heart tightened and he asked hurriedly.

"Young Master Sun's injuries have worsened and he is now unconscious!"

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li turned pale upon hearing this. Young Master Sun was the most beloved grandson of the Sun family patriarch. He also volunteered to join the team in this operation. In the fierce battle in the valley, in order to cover the retreat of his companions, Young Master Sun was seriously injured. Although he received emergency treatment at the time, his injury has been very unstable.

"Quick, take me to see it!" Gao Xingchen didn't have time to think about it, and immediately followed the disciple to Master Sun's residence.

In the room, Master Sun was lying on the bed, his face as pale as paper, his breath weak, as if he would stop breathing at any time. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li saw this scene, and their hearts were filled with guilt and self-blame.

"It's all our fault. If it wasn't for saving us, Young Master Sun wouldn't have..." Gao Xingchen clenched his fists and said painfully.

Nan Li gently held Gao Xingchen's hand and comforted him: "Xingchen, don't blame yourself, this is not your fault. The most important thing now is to heal Mr. Sun's injury. We can't let him just..."

"Yes, cure Young Master Sun!" Gao Xingchen came back to his senses and said with a firm look in his eyes, "I will definitely find the best doctor to cure Young Master Sun's injury!"

However, at this moment, a powerful aura suddenly appeared above the alliance headquarters, and then a cold voice rang in everyone's ears: "No need to bother, let me do it..."

A strong aura enveloped the entire room, with a bit of coldness and mystery. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked up in surprise, and saw a woman in white floating down, like a fairy. Her face was pure and elegant, with a hint of sadness between her eyebrows. She was the other guardian of the Heart of Stars - Fairy Zhou.

"Fairy Zhou!" Gao Xingchen and Nan Li shouted in unison, their eyes full of surprise and hope.

Fairy Zhou smiled at them and said, "I came to see you all. Thank you for your hard work in this operation."

She walked to the bedside of Mr. Sun, and gently placed her delicate hand on his wrist, and a gentle spiritual power slowly flowed into Mr. Sun's body. Everyone held their breath and watched this scene nervously.

After a moment, Fairy Zhou withdrew her hand, and Master Sun's complexion improved significantly, and his breathing became steady.

"Fairy, how is Young Master Sun?" Gao Xingchen asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, his life is no longer in danger." Fairy Zhou comforted, "I have used my spiritual power to stabilize his injuries. He just needs to rest for a while and he will recover."

After hearing Fairy Zhou's words, everyone finally let go of their worries, and the head of the Gao family and Elder Zhao also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fairy, this time it's thanks to you for arriving in time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous." The head of the Gao family said gratefully.

"Yes, fairy, this time we were too impulsive and underestimated the enemy's strength." Nanli said guiltily.

Fairy Zhou looked at them with eyes full of understanding and encouragement: "Victory and defeat are common in the military, and a single failure does not mean anything. The evil forces are hidden very deeply, and we need to be more cautious and more united to finally defeat them."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other, their eyes gradually firmed up. Fairy Zhou's words were like a warm current, dispelling the haze in their hearts and letting them see hope again.

"Fairy Zhou is right. We cannot be intimidated by the difficulties before us, and we must not give up hope." Gao Xingchen clenched his fists and said firmly, "I will definitely find out the truth of this incident, find the mastermind behind it, and avenge all the brothers who sacrificed their lives!"

Nan Li also nodded and agreed: "That's right, we will definitely get to the bottom of this and will never let the evil forces go unpunished!"

Fairy Zhou looked at them with relief and said, "I believe in you, and I also believe that justice will eventually triumph over evil!"

However, at this moment, Gao Xingchen suddenly remembered something, frowned slightly, and asked: "Fairy Zhou, you said that the evil forces are very hidden, do you know something?"

Fairy Zhou was silent for a moment, a complicated look flashed in her eyes, and she slowly said: "I have been secretly investigating the traces of evil forces. I have recently found some clues, but they are not enough to determine their true identity and purpose. However, I am sure that their leader has an extremely powerful power that can even control people's hearts..."

Fairy Zhou's words filled Gao Xingchen and Nan Li with doubts and uneasiness. They realized that the enemy they were facing was far more powerful and terrifying than they had imagined. Who was behind all this? What was their purpose?

Fairy Zhou's warning cast a shadow on Gao Xingchen's heart. Controlling people's hearts, this ability sounds evil and strange, and it makes people shudder. He and Nan Li are determined to find out the truth as soon as possible and never let this force wreak havoc in the Nine Star Realm.

"Xingchen, what should we do next?" Nanli frowned slightly, obviously worried about this matter.

Gao Xingchen pondered for a moment and said, "Fairy Zhou mentioned controlling people's hearts. I think we should start investigating the disciples in our family who have behaved abnormally recently to see if we can find any clues."

Nan Li nodded in agreement, and the two immediately began to investigate. They visited several family disciples who had recently behaved abnormally, but found nothing. These disciples seemed to have just had a sudden change in temperament, and there was no sign of being manipulated by anyone.

"How could this happen?" Nan Li was a little discouraged. "Could it be that we are thinking in the wrong direction?"

Gao Xingchen did not answer. He looked at the gloomy sky outside the window, his heart full of doubts and uneasiness. At this moment, the head of the Gao family and Elder Zhao hurried in, with some anxiety on their faces.

“Xingchen, Nanli, this is bad!” The head of the Gao family said in a heavy tone, “Young Master Sun… has gone astray!”

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were horrified and immediately rushed to Master Sun's room. They saw Master Sun's eyes were red, and he was emitting violent spiritual energy, and he was madly attacking everything around him. The barrier set by Fairy Zhou was like paper in front of him and shattered in an instant.

"Oh no, his power is out of control!" Elder Zhao exclaimed.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li joined forces to fight against Master Sun, but his power seemed endless, and his moves were ruthless, and he had completely lost his mind.

"The spiritual energy in his body... is very chaotic, and there is a strange smell!" While resisting Master Sun's attack, Nan Li carefully sensed his breath.

Gao Xingchen also noticed something was wrong. Young Master Sun's current condition was more like someone had placed some kind of evil restriction on him, rather than simply being possessed.

Just as they were struggling to hold on and at a loss, a dark figure appeared silently in the room. He was wearing a black cloak and a mask on his face, so his face could not be seen clearly, and he exuded a cold aura.

The black shadow just waved his hand lightly, and the violent Young Master Sun seemed to be frozen in place, instantly becoming quiet and collapsing to the ground.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at the stranger who suddenly appeared warily, their hearts full of confusion and vigilance.

"Don't be nervous. I mean no harm to you." The man in black said in a low and hoarse voice, making it impossible to tell whether he was a man or a woman. "I'm here to tell you a secret, the answer you've been looking for."