Chapter 1027
Just in Time
“This music…” Youlan said softly, a hint of surprise in her eyes, “It seems to be coming from over there.”
She pointed to the depths of the bamboo forest, where a stone pavilion could be vaguely seen, and it seemed as if someone was playing a zither inside.
Murong Feng squinted and observed for a moment. "This person's zither skills are extremely high, and the music contains powerful spiritual energy. We should be careful, this place may be the territory of some master."
"Should we go over and greet them?" Bai Wei asked, looking somewhat impatient.
Yang Ling pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. "We can try to get closer, but we must remain vigilant. Nothing here is as simple as it seems."
The four approached the stone pavilion quietly, and as they drew closer, the music grew clearer. Upon reaching the pavilion, they saw an elderly man with white hair sitting inside, his fingers deftly plucking the strings, each note seemingly possessing a life of its own.
The old man looked up and saw them arrive. He did not stop playing, but smiled slightly and said, "Young people, it seems you are destined to be here because of my music."
Yang Ling stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Senior, we juniors have mistakenly entered this place. Upon hearing your music, we were filled with admiration and have come to pay our respects."
The old man nodded, and the music gradually stopped. "You have come at the right time. This mountain region holds many ancient secrets, and I can give you some guidance."
Murong Feng asked curiously, "Senior, we are exploring the mysteries of this mountain. Could you tell us more?"
The old man gently shook his head. “Giving you the answer directly is not the best approach. You need to explore and experience it for yourselves. However, I can offer some hints.”
He took out a small jade pendant from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Ling, saying, "This jade pendant contains a special spiritual power that can help you find the right direction in the mountains. However, you will still have to overcome the trials along the way on your own."
The four accepted the jade pendant, sensing the warm yet powerful spiritual energy within. Youlan said softly, "Thank you for your gift, senior. We will cherish this guidance."
The old man smiled and began playing his zither again. “Go, young man. The secrets of the mountains await your discovery. Only the truly brave can unveil the mysteries of this mountain range.”
The four bowed again in thanks, then turned and left the stone pavilion to continue their exploration. As they ventured deeper into the mountains, the music gradually faded into the wind.
The four continued their journey among the peaks. The jade pendant in Yang Ling's hand emitted a faint glow, seemingly guiding their way. Murong Feng carefully observed the surrounding mountains and vegetation, trying to find more clues.
“The rocks and vegetation here are unusual,” Murong Feng said in a low voice, pointing to a strangely shaped rock. “Judging from the texture of this rock, it seems to have been formed by the long-term immersion of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. We may be approaching an important region.”
Youlan nodded, gently waving her hands to draw upon the surrounding water-based spiritual energy and natural spiritual energy. "Indeed, I sense that the spiritual energy here is extremely active and diverse. Each type of spiritual energy seems to have its own will."
Bai Wei gripped the silver snake whip tightly, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily. "We must be careful. Such strong spiritual energy could easily attract many spirit beasts or other cultivators. We may not be the only ones seeking the secrets of this place."
Yang Ling nodded. "We'll continue, but we must remain vigilant. Every step here could conceal a trap or mechanism."
They followed the winding path along the mountainside and soon entered a dense forest. Ancient trees towered high, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Birdsong echoed through the forest, a vibrant scene of life.
Suddenly, a faint light flashed from somewhere in the forest. Yang Ling immediately stopped and gestured for everyone to stand still.
"What is that?" Bai Wei asked softly, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.
Murong Feng stared at the source of the light. "That seems to be a rare spiritual flower—the Ghostly Light Flower. It grows only in extremely special environments, and it is said that its petals can be used as a rare material for refining elixirs." Youlan also observed closely. "The Ghostly Light Flower is not only precious, but also extremely sensitive. We must be extremely careful when we approach it, and not disturb it, otherwise it will wither immediately."
The four of them slowly approached the place where the Radiant Flower grew, each step extremely gentle, for fear of disturbing this rare and precious flower. Upon reaching the flowerbed, the Radiant Flower was in full bloom, its petals emitting a faint glow, beautiful and mysterious.
Yang Ling reached out, carefully attempting to pluck a luminous flower. "This flower will be of great help to our journey; we must make sure we don't miss this opportunity."
The moment his fingertips touched the petals, a powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from the flowerbed, causing him to stagger back several steps, his face showing surprise.
"The spiritual energy contained in this Ghostly Flower far exceeds our expectations," Murong Feng said nervously, quickly stepping forward to check on Yang Ling's condition.
Youlan quickly used her water-based spiritual magic to heal Yang Ling. "Fortunately, Brother Yang is unharmed. This flower's spiritual power is too strong; we need to find another way to pick it."
Bai Wei frowned in thought, "Could it be that we need special tools or magic to pick the Ghostly Flower?"
Yang Ling slowly stood up, shook his head and said, "No, I think what we need is not tools, but a deeper understanding and respect. This Gloom Flower is closely related to the spiritual energy of the dense forest. It cannot be taken by force, but should be carefully sensed to understand its will."
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to slowly chant an ancient incantation. As the incantation progressed, a faint halo gradually rose around him, echoing the radiance of the ghostly flower.
Murong Feng, Youlan, and Bai Wei watched quietly, not daring to disturb Yang Ling. After a moment, Yang Ling opened his eyes, a light he had never seen before gleaming in them.
“I sense it; this luminous flower is willing to travel with us,” he said softly, his fingers touching the petals again. This time, the luminous flower did not resist; instead, it gently floated into his palm, radiating a warm glow.
The four were overjoyed, for this was a special connection established between Yang Ling and the Ghostly Flower.
"Let's continue on our way," Yang Ling said, carefully putting the Ghostly Flower into his bosom.
They passed through the dense forest and came to an open meadow. The meadow was covered with all sorts of exotic flowers, and a faint fragrance filled the air. In the distance, a huge stone formation stood in the center of the meadow, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
Murong Feng pointed to the stone formation, "Look there, that stone formation might be the core of this mountain range. We need to explore it to uncover the secrets of this place."
They approached the stone formation with extreme caution, taking each step carefully. As they neared the formation, a dazzling pillar of light suddenly rose from its center, shooting straight into the sky.
"This is..." Youlan said in surprise, her eyes filled with awe, "Such power seems to be some kind of ancient forbidden spell."
Bai Wei gripped the silver snake whip tightly, her expression tense. "Should we retreat? This power is too great; we might not be able to withstand it."
Yang Ling pondered for a moment, then decided to continue. "We've come this far; we can't give up easily. We need to be cautious, but we also need to bravely face the unknown."
The four slowly walked into the center of the stone formation. As they approached, the pillars of light in the formation gradually softened, eventually transforming into a warm glow that enveloped them completely.
In the radiant light, they saw ancient scrolls unfold before their eyes, scenes from prehistoric times, presenting forgotten histories and legends. (End of Chapter)