Chapter 1117
Guardians
At the end of the passage, Shi Ji saw a huge and ancient altar. In the center of the altar was a crystal that emitted a pale blue light, surrounded by a thick spiritual aura, as if a mysterious power was flowing within it.
Shi Ji cautiously approached the altar, sensing the immense power contained within the crystal. He reached out and touched the crystal, instantly feeling a surge of cool energy flow into his body, elevating his cultivation to another level. Just then, an aged voice rang in his ears.
"Young man, you've finally arrived."
Shi Ji was startled and looked around for the source of the sound, only to find that it seemed to be coming from the crystal. He calmed himself and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The aged voice rang out again, carrying a hint of majesty and vicissitude: "I am Xuanlingzi, the guardian of the Xuanling Ancient Palace. Young man, your presence here indicates that you are destined to be with the Xuanling Ancient Palace."
Upon hearing this name, Shi Ji's heart skipped a beat. Legend had it that Xuan Lingzi was an unparalleled powerhouse from ancient times who created many extraordinary skills and techniques. Composing herself, Shi Ji respectfully said, "This junior, Shi Ji, is fortunate to have this opportunity. May I ask what instructions you have, senior?"
Xuan Lingzi's voice carried a hint of relief: "The jade pendant you possess is something I left behind. It is fate that it could sense your arrival. Now that you have obtained the Xuanling Treasure Scripture, you must shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the Xuanling Way."
Shi Ji nodded solemnly: "This junior will definitely do his best to study the 'Mysterious Spirit Treasure Book' and live up to the senior's high expectations."
Xuan Lingzi continued, “Your cultivation is still shallow, but you are intelligent and have boundless potential. This crystal is the result of my life's cultivation and can help you improve your cultivation. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and you will face more challenges and crises in the future.”
Shi Ji felt a continuous surge of power within her body, her heart filled with both excitement and a heavy heart: "Senior, rest assured, I will definitely keep your teachings in mind, face difficulties without fear, and forge ahead bravely."
Xuan Lingzi sighed with satisfaction, "Good. Remember, the Xuanling Path is not just about pursuing power, but also about protecting the righteous path and upholding justice. If you can do this, you will not have failed my expectations of you."
Before she finished speaking, the crystal suddenly emitted a bright light, and Shi Ji felt a warm energy envelop her, filling her with power. At the same time, Xuan Lingzi's voice gradually faded away, eventually returning to silence.
Shi Ji slowly stood up, feeling that his cultivation had reached an unprecedented height. He bowed deeply to the crystal, silently vowing to inherit the Xuanling Dao and live up to Xuanlingzi's expectations.
He turned and walked out of the passage, returning to the stone hall, ready to continue exploring this mysterious place. The moment he stepped out of the stone hall, he suddenly heard a low roar, and the entire hall began to shake violently. Shi Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ran outside.
Shi Ji rushed out of the stone hall and saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds and lightning, as if a disaster was about to strike. The surrounding trees swayed in the gale and made mournful noises. Just then, the ground began to shake violently, and cracks spread rapidly, as if the whole world was collapsing.
"What exactly is going on?" Shi Ji wondered, but he knew that now was not the time to investigate the cause; he had to leave this dangerous place first.
He quickened his pace and ran swiftly down the mountain. However, he hadn't gone far when he suddenly felt an immense pressure descending from the sky. He looked up abruptly and saw a gigantic figure vaguely appearing within a dark cloud in the sky. The figure exuded boundless pressure, sending chills down his spine.
"Young man, how dare you trespass into the Xuanling Ancient Palace!" The voice of that figure rang out like thunder, shaking Shi Ji's mind.
Shi Ji felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that the person before him was no ordinary being. He steadied himself, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Senior, I had no intention of offending you. I entered this place by chance and had no disrespect whatsoever."
The figure sneered, "Although you possess Xuan Lingzi's relics, you still need to prove that you are qualified to receive the inheritance of the Xuanling Ancient Palace."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Ji felt a powerful force pressing down on him, almost immobilizing him. He gritted his teeth and persevered, pushing his spiritual energy to its limit to desperately resist the force.
"Very good, you have some backbone." The figure seemed to appreciate Shi Ji's performance. "However, to obtain the inheritance of the Xuanling Ancient Palace, you still need to pass the final test."
Shi Ji was startled: "Senior, please enlighten me."
The figure said coldly, "A calamity has befallen us. You must save the creatures of this mountain forest during this disaster. If you can do so, you will have passed the test."
Shi Ji nodded and took a deep breath: "This junior understands and will do my best."
The figure fell silent and gradually disappeared into the clouds. Shi Ji felt the pressure on him vanish. He immediately sprang into action, running through the mountains and forests, searching for the trapped creatures.
Using his spiritual power, he sensed his surroundings and discovered that many animals were trapped in the cracks, and some trees had been blown down by the wind, burying their nests. Shi Ji used the Xuanling Technique she had just learned to quickly enhance her power, moved the fallen trees one by one, and rescued the trapped animals.
While rescuing the lives of the dead, Shi Ji was single-minded and devoted himself wholeheartedly. Suddenly, a deep roar came from afar, carrying immense anger and pressure. He immediately felt a strong hostility assail him.
"Give me your life!" The voice boomed like thunder, shaking the entire mountain forest.
Shi Ji turned around quickly and saw a huge monster leap out of the crevice, its eyes burning with hatred. It was enormous, its scales like iron, its claws like knives; clearly, it was the overlord of this forest. The monster glared at Shi Ji, as if regarding him as an intruder, determined to tear him to pieces.
Shi Ji understood that he had to fight this demonic beast, not only to complete the test set by Xuan Lingzi, but also to protect the creatures in this mountain forest. He circulated his spiritual power, condensing a sharp sword aura, which he aimed directly at the demonic beast.
The demonic beast roared and pounced, its claws gleaming coldly, aimed straight for Shi Ji's face. Shi Ji dodged swiftly, then launched a counterattack, her sword energy like a rainbow, slicing through the sky. The two clashed fiercely, causing rocks to crumble and dust to fly everywhere.
Although the demonic beast was ferocious, Shi Ji gradually gained the upper hand thanks to the power of the Profound Spirit Technique. His spiritual energy surged, and his swordsmanship was fierce, each strike carrying the momentum of thunder. Although the demonic beast was powerful, it gradually became unable to withstand the attacks, and its body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely.
Just as Shi Ji was preparing to launch her final attack, the demonic beast suddenly let out a shrill roar and lunged at her with all its might. Instead of retreating, Shi Ji advanced, concentrating her sword energy to its peak, and thrust it straight at the beast's heart. In an instant, the sword energy pierced through the beast's body, and it let out a final wail before collapsing to the ground. Shi Ji, panting heavily, looked at the fallen beast and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that this battle had exhausted a great deal of his physical and spiritual energy, but he had no time to rest; he had to continue searching for and rescuing the creatures of the mountains and forests.
Just as he turned to continue, a familiar voice came from afar: "Shiji, so you're here too."
Shi Ji was startled and quickly looked in the direction of the sound. He saw Lin Qinping emerge from the dense forest, looking at him with a complicated expression. Lin Qinping had once been a close friend of Shi Ji, but they had gradually drifted apart due to differences in their ideals. Shi Ji couldn't help but frown, wondering, "Lin Qinping, what are you doing here?"
Lin Qinping smiled slightly, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes: "I am also searching for the inheritance of the Xuanling Ancient Palace. This is our place of trial. I didn't expect to meet you under these circumstances."
Shi Ji was wary, but remained calm on the surface: "I see. Since we're all here, why not join forces and face the upcoming trials together?"
Lin Qinping nodded: "You're right. In a place like this, only by helping each other can we survive. The commotion just now has alerted even more monsters, and things probably won't be peaceful from now on."
Before the words were even finished, the surrounding trees began to tremble, and a low roar echoed, clearly indicating that more demonic beasts were approaching them. Shi Ji and Lin Qinping exchanged a glance, quickly adjusting their stance to prepare for the new challenge.
Before long, the surrounding trees collapsed under the weight of the enormous demonic beast, and several even larger demonic beasts came into view. Their eyes were filled with murderous intent, clearly enraged by the death of their companion.
"Lin Qinping, let's split up and keep these monsters occupied." Shi Ji quickly made the decision, circulating her spiritual energy throughout her body, preparing to launch another attack.
Lin Qinping nodded and immediately used his unique movement technique to quickly move to the other side. He brandished his spear, creating sharp spear rays that aimed directly at the demonic beast's vital points.
Shi Ji used her swordsmanship, her sword energy crisscrossing, and in coordination with Lin Qinping's attacks, gradually suppressed the monsters' offensive. The two cooperated tacitly, and the battle became increasingly fierce. Under their combined strength, the monsters gradually could not withstand the attack and were covered in wounds.
However, as the battle intensified, Shi Ji suddenly noticed that Lin Qinping's behavior had become strange. His attacks seemed to become chaotic, and he would occasionally move closer to Shi Ji, intentionally or unintentionally. Shi Ji felt a chill run down her spine and became secretly vigilant, but outwardly continued to fight the demon beast with all her might.
Just then, a demonic beast pounced on Shi Ji. Shi Ji's spiritual power surged, and her sword energy blazed like a rainbow, severing the beast's claws. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Qinping suddenly appeared behind Shi Ji, her spear pointing directly at Shi Ji's back.
"Lin Qinping, what are you doing!" Shi Ji turned around in shock and hastily swung her sword to block, but Lin Qinping's spear was already close at hand.
"Shi Ji, don't blame me. Only by obtaining your spiritual power can I acquire the inheritance of the Xuanling Ancient Palace." Lin Qinping's eyes were filled with madness and determination, and powerful spiritual power surged on his spear.
Shi Ji's eyes turned cold, realizing that Lin Qinping had planned this all along. He unleashed his spiritual power, forcefully pushing away Lin Qinping's attack and quickly retreating to maintain distance: "For the sake of inheritance, you're willing to betray your friends?"
Lin Qinping sneered: "This is the way of cultivation, the law of the jungle. I don't want to be your enemy, but for greater power, I have no other choice."
As the two faced off, the surrounding demonic beasts seemed to sense an opportunity and pounced on them. Shi Ji's mind raced; she used the demonic beasts' attacks to evade Lin Qinping's sharp edge, while simultaneously adjusting her battle strategy.
"Lin Qinping, if you insist on this, then we have no choice but to fight to the death." Shi Ji's gaze was firm, her spiritual power increased again, and the long sword in her hand emitted a dazzling light.
Lin Qinping looked at Shi Ji with complicated emotions, her lips twitching slightly: "Shi Ji, you don't know what I've been through. To obtain the inheritance of the Xuanling Ancient Palace, I have already paid too high a price and lost too much. Now, I have no way out."
A hint of sympathy flashed in Shi Ji's eyes, but more so was her determination: "Lin Qinping, everyone has their own choices, but by doing this, you will only lose yourself."
Lin Qinping gave a bitter smile, then suddenly brandished his spear, filled with boundless grief and determination, thrusting it straight at Shiji. He knew this might be his last chance; if he didn't give it his all, there would be no turning back.
Shi Ji dared not be careless. She circulated her spiritual energy, brandishing her longsword with sword energy that clashed with Lin Qinping's spear. The two's spiritual energies intertwined, creating powerful shockwaves that forced the surrounding demonic beasts back, preventing them from getting close.
The battle intensified, with Shi Ji and Lin Qinping exchanging deadly blows. Although Lin Qinping's attacks were fierce, Shi Ji, relying on her profound cultivation and unwavering belief, gradually gained the upper hand. Each of her sword strikes carried immense power, suppressing Lin Qinping's offensive.
Lin Qinping felt himself gradually losing ground and grew increasingly anxious. He knew that if he didn't fight to the death, he would have no chance of winning. He gritted his teeth and suddenly channeled all the spiritual power in his body, his spear transforming into a bolt of lightning, aimed straight at Shi Ji's vitals.
"Shiji, can you withstand this attack?" A hint of madness flashed in Lin Qinping's eyes. He concentrated all his strength into this one strike, hoping to turn the tide in this desperate situation.
Shi Ji's eyes narrowed, sensing the extraordinary power of Lin Qinping's attack. He took a deep breath, unleashing his spiritual energy, and his longsword transformed into a dazzling light, colliding head-on with Lin Qinping's spear.
In an instant, the heavens and earth seemed to tremble, and intense spiritual energy fluctuations spread outwards, stirring up countless clouds of dust. The two people's powers intertwined in the air, forming a dazzling light that seemed to tear the entire world apart.
As the light faded, Shi Ji and Lin Qinping stood there, panting heavily. Shi Ji gripped her longsword tightly and looked coldly at Lin Qinping: "Lin Qinping, you have already lost."
Lin Qinping swayed slightly, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He knew he no longer had the strength to fight. He smiled weakly, his eyes dim: "Shiji, you are indeed stronger than me. I have lost."
Shi Ji remained vigilant, gripping his longsword tightly, ready to counter Lin Qinping's counterattack at any moment. However, looking into Lin Qinping's eyes, a complex emotion arose within him: "Lin Qinping, you could have had a better choice." (End of Chapter)