Chapter 1081
The Black-Robed Man's Resentment
The two exchanged a smile and fell silent again. They knew the battle to come would be even more difficult, but they were fully prepared.
Meanwhile, by the Bibo Pool, Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi stood beside the water, feeling the tranquility and peace brought by this spiritual place.
“Senior Bai, although we have successfully resolved the black-robed man’s resentment this time, his true form still exists.” Yang Ling said thoughtfully, gazing at the shimmering pool.
Bai Yunzi nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Yang Ling, you're right. Our next goal is to find the black-robed man's true form and eliminate him completely."
"What are your plans, senior?" Yang Ling turned to look at Bai Yunzi, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Bai Yunzi stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then said, "We need to go back to that temple and find the location of the man in black from the clues he left behind."
"Alright!" A determined glint flashed in Yang Ling's eyes. "Then let's set off immediately, find the black-robed man's true form as soon as possible, and rid the world of this great scourge!"
As night slowly faded and the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi mounted their flying swords and sped towards the ancient temple. The morning breeze caressed their faces, their robes fluttering, making them appear as if two immortals were walking on clouds.
"Senior Bai, where do you think the true form of that man in black robes is hidden?" Yang Ling, riding his sword alongside Bai Yunzi, finally couldn't help but ask.
Bai Yunzi's gaze was deep as he looked ahead: "That man in black robes is cunning, and his true form must be extremely well hidden. However, we should be able to find some clues in that ancient temple."
No sooner had they finished speaking than the two arrived at the temple. The temple was simple and elegant, with the marks of time etched upon it. Pushing open the door, a sense of vicissitude and antiquity immediately washed over them.
Yang Ling looked around, his gaze landing on the ancient book and rusty sword in front of the statue: "Senior, could these two things be the key?"
Bai Yunzi walked to the ancient book, gently opened it, and slowly ran his fingertips across the yellowed pages: "This book records the past of the man in black robes, and may also contain clues to his true identity."
He flipped through the pages carefully, then suddenly stopped on a particular page: "Yang Ling, come look here!"
Yang Ling responded and moved closer. He saw that the ancient book mentioned a place called "Netherworld Valley," and there was a simple map attached to it.
“Netherworld Valley… I’ve never heard of that name before.” Yang Ling frowned in thought.
Bai Yunzi put down the ancient book, picked up the rusty sword, and the blade trembled slightly, as if telling some secret: "This sword is connected to the black-robed man's mind. It may be able to guide us to the Valley of the Underworld."
Having said that, he closed his eyes, gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, as if sensing the information conveyed by the sword. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a glint in them: "Northeast, a hundred miles away."
Yang Ling's spirits lifted immediately upon hearing this: "Then let's set off right away!"
The two left the ancient temple and once again ascended into the sky on their swords. This time, their destination was very clear—the Valley of the Underworld.
During the flight, Yang Ling couldn't help but ask, "Senior, what kind of place is the Netherworld Valley?"
Bai Yunzi explained, "The Netherworld Valley is a mysterious place. It is said that the valley is filled with Netherworld energy that can devour all living things. However, that is just a legend. We will have to go and find out the truth for ourselves."
A hundred miles is but a blink of an eye for cultivators, and soon they arrived at the entrance to the Netherworld Valley. Before them lay a desolate valley, shrouded in thick fog that seemed to swallow up all light.
"Such a strong aura of the underworld," Yang Ling said, frowning. He could feel the eeriness and strangeness emanating from this aura.
Bai Yunzi nodded solemnly, "We must proceed with caution; there are likely many dangers in this Netherworld Valley." The two cautiously stepped into the Netherworld Valley. All around was deathly silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing within. The deeper they went, the denser the Netherworld energy became, as if it would engulf them.
Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew in, carrying a chilling aura. Yang Ling couldn't help but shiver. He gripped his longsword tightly and cautiously looked around.
"Senior, something seems off here," he said in a low voice.
Bai Yunzi nodded: "It is somewhat strange, we need to be more careful."
As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful force of the netherworld suddenly attacked from all directions. Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi dodged it swiftly.
"Who dares to trespass into the Valley of the Netherworld!" A sinister voice echoed through the valley.
Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi exchanged a glance, understanding that this must be the guardian of the Netherworld Valley. They did not reply, but quickly prepared for battle.
Sure enough, a dark figure burst forth from the Netherworld aura, rushing straight at them. Yang Ling swung his sword, unleashing a sword aura at the dark figure. The dark figure swayed, easily dodging the attack.
"Hmph, they've come with ill intentions!" the dark figure sneered, then launched a fierce attack.
Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi joined forces to fight, and for a time, sword energy crisscrossed and magical power surged in the Netherworld Valley. The three fought fiercely, and the Netherworld energy grew increasingly dense during the battle.
After a fierce battle, Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi finally found an opening in the shadowy figure's defenses. Bai Yunzi struck out with a palm, hitting the shadowy figure squarely in the chest. The shadowy figure screamed and flew backward.
"How dare you hurt me!" the shadowy figure roared, his voice filled with anger and resentment.
Yang Ling pointed his longsword: "We've only come to find the true identity of the man in black robes, and we don't wish to be your enemy. But if you insist on obstructing us, we won't hesitate to eliminate you!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of apprehension flashed in the shadowy figure's eyes. He knew he was no match for the two before him, and if he continued to entangle himself, he feared he would suffer a great loss. So he snorted coldly, turned, and vanished into the aura of the netherworld.
Yang Ling and Bai Yunzi exchanged a smile, knowing that the battle was temporarily over. They continued deeper into the Netherworld Valley to search for the true identity of the man in black robes.
As they ventured deeper, the ghostly aura in the valley grew increasingly dense. A deathly silence enveloped them, as if time itself had frozen in that moment.
Suddenly, Yang Ling's eyes lit up. He noticed a black stone tablet not far ahead, covered with ancient runes.
“Senior, look at that stone tablet!” he said, pointing to it.
Bai Yunzi looked in the direction he was pointing and frowned slightly: "There seems to be the aura of a man in black robes on that stone tablet."
The two cautiously approached the stone tablet, where the runes shimmered with an eerie light. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that these runes were actually an ancient sealing formation.
"It seems the true form of the man in black robes is sealed inside this stone tablet," Bai Yunzi said in a deep voice.
Yang Ling nodded: "Then how should we break this sealing formation?"
After pondering for a moment, Bai Yunzi said, "Unlocking this sealing formation is not easy. We need to find the core of the formation and then break it with powerful magic." (End of Chapter)