nycdaug Chapter 164 Severely Injured
Chapter 164 Severely Injured
Deep within this enchanting forest, shrouded in mist and fraught with danger, lies a mysterious valley.
The valley is surrounded by towering peaks that seem like a deep scar on the earth.
The Purple Cloud Spirit Vine grows in a hidden crevice at the bottom of this valley. The vine is slender and tough, and its whole body shimmers with a faint purple fluorescence, making it particularly eye-catching in the dark environment. Its leaves are shaped like willow leaves, and mysterious purple light flows between the veins, which is a symbol of powerful spiritual energy.
Following the clues in the ancient book, Xu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Jingzhi went through many hardships and finally stepped into the valley. The valley was filled with the damp scent of grass, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves. With each step, they could hear a "crunching" sound under their feet.
The surrounding trees were tall and twisted, their branches intertwined to form a dense, impenetrable net that completely blocked out the sunlight.
The two cautiously made their way through the valley, their eyes warily observing everything around them. Just as they were about to reach the spot where the Purple Cloud Spirit Vine was growing, Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a strong sense of oppression coming from all directions, as if invisible eyes were watching them in the darkness. She subconsciously gripped her sword tightly, her body trembling slightly.
"Senior Brother, I have a bad feeling about this," Xu Xiaoxiao said in a low voice.
Jiang Jingzhi nodded, his expression grave: "Be careful, there seems to be something watching us from here."
As soon as they finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound came from overhead. The two looked up and saw a group of huge bats swooping down from the branches. These bats were more than a person tall, with wings spread like a black curtain. Their sharp fangs gleamed coldly in the darkness, and their eyes emitted a blood-red light, full of aggression.
"Xiaoxiao, watch out!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted and rushed forward first, his sword flashing with cold light as he tried to block the bats' attack.
Xu Xiaoxiao was not to be outdone. She flashed and nimbly weaved through the swarm of bats, her sword thrusting out repeatedly. Each attack accurately struck the bats' vital points. However, there were simply too many bats, wave after wave, seemingly endless.
During the fierce battle, Xu Xiaoxiao was accidentally scratched on the arm by a bat's claw, and blood instantly stained her sleeve.
Seeing this, Jiang Jingzhi was extremely anxious. He rushed towards Xu Xiaoxiao, wielding his sword with incredible speed and skill, driving back the surrounding bats one by one.
"Xiaoxiao, how are you?" Jiang Jingzhi asked with concern.
Xu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and endured the pain, saying, "I'm fine, Senior Brother. Let's continue. We must find the Purple Cloud Spirit Vine."
Just then, a deep roar suddenly came from the valley, the sound seemed to come from the depths of the earth, and the ground trembled slightly.
A gigantic rock beast slowly emerged from the depths of the valley. This rock beast was ten zhang tall, its entire body covered in hard rock armor. Each time its huge claws fell, they left deep marks on the ground. Its eyes were like burning flames, glaring angrily at the two people in front of it.
"What...what kind of monster is this?" Xu Xiaoxiao said in horror.
Jiang Jingzhi's expression turned serious: "This is the guardian beast of the Rock Valley, and it is extremely powerful. It seems that it won't be so easy for us to obtain the Purple Cloud Spirit Vine."
The rock beast roared and charged at the two of them, its huge claws slashing down with a whooshing sound. Jiang Jingzhi quickly pulled Xu Xiaoxiao aside, the claws grazing their clothes and leaving a deep trench in the ground.
"Xiaoxiao, let's attack its eyes together, that's its weak point!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted.
The two exchanged a glance and launched their attack simultaneously. Xu Xiaoxiao moved nimbly and charged towards the rock beast's eyes first, raising her sword high, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
However, the rock beast seemed to be prepared. It suddenly swung its head, and its huge head slammed into Xu Xiaoxiao like a cannonball.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Jingzhi rushed forward without hesitation, using his body to block the rock beast's attack. He was knocked away by the rock beast and crashed heavily to the ground, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Senior Brother!" Xu Xiaoxiao cried out in grief.
Her anger and sorrow erupted instantly, and the sword in her hand burst forth with a powerful light. She charged towards the rock beast without regard for anything else, each attack filled with unparalleled determination and power. Under her frenzied assault, she finally pierced the rock beast's eye.
The rock beast let out a painful roar, its body trembling violently. It frantically swung its claws, trying to throw Xu Xiaoxiao away. Xu Xiaoxiao held tightly to the rock beast's arm, her sword repeatedly stabbing towards its eyes.
Jiang Jingzhi struggled to his feet. He was anxious to see Xu Xiaoxiao in danger. Damn it, something was suppressing his cultivation. He took a deep breath, circulated all his spiritual energy, and the sword in his hand gleamed with a dazzling light.
He shouted and charged towards the rock beast, launching a final attack together with Xu Xiaoxiao.
Under the combined attack of the two, the rock beast finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground with a thud, its body hitting the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xu Xiaoxiao and Jiang Jingzhi sat exhausted on the ground, panting heavily. Their bodies were covered in wounds, and their clothes were stained with blood.
"Senior Brother, we succeeded! Here's a Rejuvenation Pill, let's heal our injuries quickly," Xu Xiaoxiao said weakly, while also taking out the pill.
Jiang Jingzhi smiled and nodded: "Yes, we succeeded. Xiaoxiao, you heal your injuries first, and I'll protect you."
Xu Xiaoxiao checked her senior brother's injuries and confirmed they weren't that serious, then agreed to heal first. "Alright, thank you for protecting me, senior brother."
Under Jiang Jingzhi's protection, Xu Xiaoxiao quickly entered a meditative state after taking the Rejuvenation Pill. The medicinal power of the top-grade Rejuvenation Pill circulated within her body, and a warm aura gradually spread to her limbs and bones, repairing her damaged meridians and wounds. As time passed, the paleness on her face gradually faded, replaced by a faint blush.
About an hour later, Xu Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes, her eyes regaining their former brilliance. She moved her body and felt that her spiritual energy was abundant, and her injuries were no longer a problem. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Senior Brother, thank you for protecting me," Xu Xiaoxiao stood up and looked at Jiang Jingzhi gratefully.
Jiang Jingzhi waved his hand, a relieved smile on his face: "No need to thank me, we are fellow disciples, it is only right that we look after each other." After saying that, he took the Rejuvenation Pill handed to him by Xu Xiaoxiao, took it, and began to close his eyes to heal his injuries.
While Jiang Jingzhi was healing, Xu Xiaoxiao began to carefully search the surroundings. She knew that the Enchanted Forest was fraught with danger and that she had to proceed with caution at every step.
As she reached the edge of the valley, she discovered a path hidden by weeds. The path meandered and twisted, extending into the depths of the valley, seemingly concealing some unknown secret.
Just then, Jiang Jingzhi finished healing. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt that he had recovered about 70-80% of his strength. He noticed that Xu Xiaoxiao was staring at the path in a daze, so he went up to her and asked, "Xiaoxiao, what did you find?"
Xu Xiaoxiao pointed to the path and said, "Senior Brother, look at this path. It seems to lead to a deeper part of the valley. Perhaps we can find something we need there."
Jiang Jingzhi looked in the direction she pointed and frowned slightly: "This Enchanted Forest is full of hidden dangers. We don't know where this path leads. It would be dangerous to go in rashly."
A determined glint flashed in Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes: "Senior Brother, we've already come this far, how can we give up halfway? Besides, what we're looking for might just be at the end of this path."
Jiang Jingzhi pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, since you insist, let's go take a look together. However, you must be careful and vigilant at all times. If there's any danger, stay behind me, understand?"
Xu Xiaoxiao obediently agreed, and the two carefully walked along the path. The surrounding fog grew thicker and thicker, and their vision became increasingly blurry.
After walking for a while, a huge lake suddenly appeared ahead. The lake's surface was as calm as a mirror, shimmering with an eerie dark green light. A thin layer of mist hung over the lake, making the entire lake look even more mysterious and unpredictable.
“There looks suspicious about this lake, be careful,” Jiang Jingzhi stopped and said warily.
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded: "Hmm, is there something inside?"
Just as they were hesitating, ripples suddenly appeared on the lake surface, and then a huge figure slowly rose from the bottom of the lake.
A monstrous beast, whose appearance was unknown, let out a deafening roar. Its enormous tail slammed into the water, sending up sprays several meters high. The sprays hurtled towards the two of them like cannonballs, and Jiang Jingzhi and Xu Xiaoxiao quickly dodged.
"Xiaoxiao, let's attack it from both sides!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted.
The two launched their attacks simultaneously. Jiang Jingzhi charged forward from the left, his sword gleaming coldly as he thrust it toward the water beast's head, while Xu Xiaoxiao circled around from the right, attempting to attack the water beast's abdomen.
The water beast sensed their intentions. It twisted its body violently, its massive form swirling nimbly in the water. It opened its gaping maw and spewed a stream of dark green venom at Jiang Jingzhi.
Seeing this, Jiang Jingzhi quickly dodged to the side. The venom grazed his clothes and landed on the ground, instantly corroding a large pit.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Xiaoxiao rushed to the lower abdomen of the water beast, raised her sword high, and thrust it down with all her might. However, the water beast's scales were extremely hard, and her sword could not penetrate even a fraction of an inch.
"Damn it, these scales are too hard," Xu Xiaoxiao thought to herself anxiously.
Just then, Xu Xiaoxiao was struck hard by the water beast's thick and powerful tail. She was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, tracing a shrill arc in the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
Her body rolled several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop, raising a cloud of dust. In that instant, it felt as if all the bones in her body had shattered, and her internal organs had been churned into a mess. Intense pain overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
A mouthful of blood gushed from the corner of her mouth, trickling down her pale cheeks in a shocking manner. Her eyes became unfocused, and the sword in her hand had fallen to the ground at some point. She lay helplessly to the side.
She tried to struggle to get up, but her body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. Every muscle movement was accompanied by excruciating pain, making it impossible for her to stand up.
"Xiaoxiao!" Jiang Jingzhi's eyes instantly reddened when he saw this scene, and an unprecedented fear and anger surged in his heart.
He rushed toward Xu Xiaoxiao without regard for anything else, but the water beast did not give him the chance. It opened its blood-red maw again and spewed out an even more concentrated dark green venom at him. Wherever the venom passed, the air seemed to be corroded, making a sizzling sound.
Jiang Jingzhi dodged to the side, barely avoiding the venom's attack, but his attention remained focused on Xu Xiaoxiao.
Seeing Xu Xiaoxiao lying motionless on the ground, her life hanging in the balance, his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.
In this enchanted forest, a mysterious force was suppressing his cultivation, greatly reducing his strength. But at this moment, for Xu Xiaoxiao's sake, he couldn't care less about that.
He took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes, gritted his teeth, and forcibly mobilized all the spiritual power in his body.
The spiritual energy surged wildly within his body, like a raging torrent, breaking through the suppressing force.
His body shone brightly, his clothes fluttered in the wind, and he exuded a powerful yet dangerous aura. His hands gripped his sword tightly, the blade gleaming with light, as he had gathered all his spiritual power into this single strike.
"Die!" Jiang Jingzhi roared, his voice filled with rage and killing intent. He rushed towards the water beast like lightning, his sword whistling through the air as he thrust it toward the beast's head.
This sword strike, imbued with all his strength and determination, was so fast that the water beast had no time to dodge.
The water beast seemed to sense the immense power of the sword strike. It let out a terrified roar and tried to twist its body to dodge, but it was too late.
Jiang Jingzhi's sword pierced the water beast's head with perfect accuracy, and a powerful burst of spiritual energy erupted instantly, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting.
The water beast's body trembled violently, its eyes filled with fear and resentment. Its massive body struggled in the water for a few moments before slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake.
As the water beast collapsed, Jiang Jingzhi was also jolted by the powerful backlash, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, staining his clothes red.
His body swayed precariously, and he staggered toward Xu Xiaoxiao, each step seemingly exhausting all his strength.
Finally, he reached Xu Xiaoxiao's side, slowly knelt down, and reached out his trembling hand to gently hug her in his arms. His voice was choked with sobs: "Xiaoxiao, wake up, you can't be hurt..." His eyes were filled with worry and anxiety, and tears welled up in his eyes.
He held Xu Xiaoxiao tightly, as if he could snatch her back from the clutches of death. With trembling fingers, he gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, then took out a healing pill from his pocket and fed it to her. At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: no matter what, he had to keep Xu Xiaoxiao alive.