activa-t Chapter 219 Crisis in the Cave
Chapter 219 Crisis in the Cave
Zhuang Yu felt a chill run down his spine and gripped the defensive magic weapon in his hand tightly.
The spiritual energy fluctuations around the cave grew increasingly intense, and the chilling aura intensified, as if something was lurking in the darkness, waiting for its chance to strike.
He cautiously stepped into the cave. The originally soft light inside now seemed somewhat eerie, and a faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood filled the air, making him feel inexplicably oppressed.
Deep within the cave, the Black Fiend Ancestor's sinister eyes gleamed with greed.
He held his breath, completely concealing his presence, as if he had merged with the surrounding darkness.
Beside him, Gui San rubbed his hands anxiously, itching to make a move.
"Ancestor, why isn't this kid coming out yet? Let's just rush in and rob him!" Gui Si smiled sinisterly and waved his hand. "Don't rush. There might be arrays or restrictions set up inside this cave. Rushing in will only alert him. We can strike when he's off guard and make sure we hit him in one hit."
Zhuang Yu slowed his pace, taking each step with extreme caution.
The cave was silent, with only the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears.
This unknown danger made him extremely nervous, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his palms.
He looked around, trying to find the enemy hiding in the shadows, but to no avail.
"Strange, this chilling aura is clearly nearby, so why can't I find any trace of them?" Zhuang Yu muttered to himself, his doubts deepening.
He sensed danger approaching step by step, yet he felt as if he were trapped in a fog, unable to see the road ahead.
"Ghost Three, make your move!" The Black Fiend Ancestor gave the order...
Gui San's patience had long been exhausted. He roared and his burly body shot straight at Zhuang Yu like a cannonball.
"Boy, prepare to die!" He wielded a giant axe that gleamed with a chilling light, and cleaved towards Zhuang Yu with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks.
The axe blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, causing rubble to fall from the cave.
Zhuang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
I knew this brute would lose his temper!
With a change of hand seals, an ancient bronze mirror appeared out of thin air, its surface shimmering with light and radiating a powerful spiritual energy.
The bronze mirror swelled in the wind, instantly transforming into a massive shield of light that blocked Zhuang Yu's path.
"A mere trick!" Gui San scoffed disdainfully, slamming his giant axe down on the light shield.
With a deafening roar, it was as if a violent earthquake had struck the cave, sending rocks flying and filling the air with dust.
Gui San felt a powerful recoil, his tiger's mouth was in excruciating pain, and the giant axe in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.
He stared in disbelief, only to find the light shield completely undamaged, while he himself was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Useless trash!" Old Ancestor Black Fiend cursed angrily. He and Ghost Four exchanged a glance and attacked at the same time.
Black Fiend Ancestor formed a hand seal, and a black beam of light shot out from his palms, heading straight for Zhuang Yu.
Gui Si then unleashed a blood-red longsword, its blade swirling with eerie ghostly energy, and thrust it toward Zhuang Yu's throat like a venomous snake.
Zhuang Yu was prepared. He used the Seven Star Steps, his figure flashing like a ghost, easily dodging the attacks of the two.
At the same time, he quickly formed hand seals, and countless runes suddenly lit up inside the cave. These runes intertwined to form a huge array that enveloped Black Fiend Ancestor and Ghost Four.
"Not good! It's an array!" The Black Fiend Ancestor's expression changed drastically. He felt the surrounding spiritual energy becoming chaotic and his own power being suppressed.
Gui Si's face was equally grim. He brandished his blood-red longsword, trying to cleave the formation, but found that his sword energy was absorbed by the formation and he could not shake it in the slightest.
"You dare to show off your petty skills before an expert!" Zhuang Yu sneered. He changed his hand seals again, and the array shone brightly. A powerful force surged out from the array, causing Black Fiend Ancestor and Ghost Four to retreat repeatedly.
"This cave dwelling isn't a place you can come and go as you please!" Black Fiend Ancestor Zhuang Yu steadied himself, his gaze fixed on Zhuang Yu with a sinister glint, gritting his teeth as he said, "Boy, you..."
The greed in Black Fiend Ancestor's eyes intensified. He exhaled a foul breath, "Boy, I advise you to be sensible and hand over all the treasures in the cave. Perhaps you can still have a whole corpse!" Before he finished speaking, he condensed a ball of black energy in his hand, which emitted a nauseating stench, and bombarded the refining array that was operating deep in the cave.
The refining array hummed, and a faint golden light appeared on its surface, seemingly trying its best to resist the erosion of the black energy.
"Stop!" Zhuang Yu suddenly shouted. The Black Fiend Ancestor paused slightly and looked at him in confusion.
"Do you have any last words?" Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, a look of heartache on his face. "I have a piece of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron here. I'm willing to use it to exchange for your departure. How about it?" Ten-thousand-year-old cold iron is an extremely precious refining material even in the cultivation world. Upon hearing this, Black Fiend Ancestor hesitated for a moment. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally agreed to Zhuang Yu's proposal.
"Alright, the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron is mine. Let's leave immediately!"
After the Black Fiend Ancestor and the others left, the cave returned to peace once again.
Zhuang Yu watched their departing figures, a barely perceptible cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
He sat cross-legged and restarted the refining array.
In the center of the magic circle, a ball of multicolored liquid slowly rotated, radiating a rich spiritual energy.
Zhuang Yu carefully controlled the temperature of the flame, adding various precious materials one by one.
As time passed, the colorful liquid gradually solidified, eventually forming a crystal-clear longsword.
The longsword emitted a faint golden light, its blade incredibly sharp, seemingly capable of cutting through anything.
Zhuang Yu reached out and grasped the sword hilt, and a powerful force instantly surged into his body.
He nodded in satisfaction and muttered to himself, "It's done..." Suddenly, a slight noise came from the depths of the cave. Zhuang Yu's expression changed slightly, and he turned his head sharply to look in the direction from which the sound came.
"Who?!"
Zhuang Yu's hand gestures became increasingly complex, and the spiritual energy within the cave surged, converging like a tide towards the center of the refining array.
In the center of the formation, the colorful liquid began to churn violently, emitting a dazzling light that illuminated the entire cave.
A powerful pressure emanated from the liquid, causing Zhuang Yu to feel a pang of fear.
He could sense that the magic weapon was about to take shape, and a feeling of joy welled up within him.
"It's finally going to be a success!" Zhuang Yu muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
The refining array operated faster and faster, and the multicolored liquid gradually condensed, eventually transforming into a crystal-clear longsword.
The sword emitted a faint golden light, and the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to be drawn to it, flowing slowly around the sword.
The hilt of the sword is carved with intricate dragon patterns, so lifelike that they seem ready to take flight at any moment.
A powerful force emanated from the sword, and Zhuang Yu could even feel the sword tremble slightly, as if it couldn't wait to show its sharpness.
He reached out and carefully grasped the hilt of the sword.
A warm current instantly spread throughout his body, perfectly merging with his spiritual power.
An unprecedentedly powerful feeling filled his mind and body, making him want to burst into laughter.
"What a fine sword!" Zhuang Yu exclaimed, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
This sword is the culmination of all his efforts and a powerful weapon for his future endeavors.
Just then, a soft footstep sound came from outside the cave, breaking the tranquility inside.
Zhuang Yu frowned slightly, a sense of vigilance rising in his heart.
He slowly turned his head and looked towards the entrance of the cave.
There stood a short, white-haired old man outside the cave, smiling at him.
The old man was dressed in a simple gray robe and leaned on a cane; he looked kind and approachable.
"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?" Zhuang Yu asked in a deep voice, his tone tinged with wariness.
The old man stroked his beard and said with a smile, "I am a master craftsman of magical artifacts. I heard that a rare treasure has appeared here, so I came to take a look." Zhuang Yu was puzzled; the timing of the old man's appearance was too coincidental.
He eyed the old man warily, and said in a deep voice, "Master, your visit so late at night seems rather abrupt, doesn't it?" The old man still smiled, "Hehe, young man, don't be nervous, I mean no harm." He paused, his gaze falling on the longsword in Zhuang Yu's hand, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, "However, this sword..."