The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 197: Fighting the Enemy

As soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, Murong Rui's expression turned extremely serious. He knew what Lin Xiao's decision meant—it wasn't just a risk, it was a life-or-death struggle. However, the situation didn't allow them to hesitate any longer.

"Are you really determined to do this?" Murong Rui's voice was low and a little helpless.

Lin Xiao nodded, his eyes filled with unquestionable determination. "If we don't break this formation, not only us but also the outside world will be trapped in this space." He took a deep breath. "Besides, I can't let the Murong family be trapped here."

Murong Rui was silent for a moment. Finally, he looked at Lin Xiao deeply, as if weighing something. Finally, he nodded gently: "Okay, I believe you."

Lin Xiao's eyes lit up slightly. He knew that although Murong Rui appeared calm on the surface, the trust behind him was more powerful than any words.

"Are you ready?" Lin Xiao asked, his tone already filled with the momentum of preparing to charge.

Murong Rui took a deep breath, gripped the sword tightly, and nodded heavily: "Anytime."

Lin Xiao said nothing more, quickly closing his eyes and focusing his full attention on the core of the formation—the massive stone tablet. The energy of the formation poured continuously into his body, and his aura became increasingly steady. As the energy flowed, Lin Xiao's consciousness slowly entered a mysterious state—as if he had become one with the power of the formation, sensing its every fluctuation and every change.

His spiritual power surged towards the stone tablet like a tide, briefly resonating his strength with the energy of the formation. The air around him began to grow thicker and thicker, and even time seemed to slow down.

At the same time, Lin Xiao sensed a powerful force attempting to resist his attack. The core of the formation was like a massive beast, invisibly striking back, attempting to tear at Lin Xiao's consciousness. The pressure nearly choked him, but he gritted his teeth and refused to retreat.

"I must hold on!" Lin Xiao said in his heart.

The formation's counterattack intensified, and the energy in the air grew more intense. Lin Xiao knew that if he relaxed even a little at this moment, the consequences would be disastrous. He quickly channeled all his energy into his spiritual realm, attempting to resonate with the formation's core through his consciousness and channel its power into the stone tablet.

At this moment, the runes on the stone tablet suddenly flickered violently, radiating blue light. The energy of the formation began to vibrate, as if the entire cave were trembling. Lin Xiao's eyes snapped open, a cruel smile playing on his lips—he had sensed the formation's weakness, and he was gradually closing in on its source.

"Break it for me!" Lin Xiao shouted in a low voice. As he released his last bit of strength, the entire formation instantly burst out with a dazzling light, and then shook violently, as if the air around it was torn apart.

"boom--!"

After a loud bang, the surrounding space completely collapsed. The runes on the stone tablet finally disappeared, and the energy of the formation also dissipated. Peace returned to the cave, and the oppressive feeling in the air completely disappeared.

Lin Xiao's body trembled violently, and he instinctively fell to his knees, panting heavily. His heart was pounding, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat, but he knew he had succeeded.

"The formation... has been broken." Lin Xiao gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, with a hint of fatigue and relief in his voice.

Murong Rui walked forward, holding Lin Xiao's shoulders, a glint of relief flashed in his eyes: "You did it."

Lin Xiao gave a bitter smile, a look of fatigue on his face. "It wasn't entirely my doing. The core of the formation is very powerful after all. I'm afraid it would have been difficult for me to do it without your assistance."

Murong Rui nodded: "Your decision is right. Now, we must move on."

Lin Xiao raised his head and looked forward, took a deep breath, and his eyes became firm again: "We have to leave here quickly.

The two men emerged from the cave, their vision utterly different from their previous perception. The oppressive, oppressive atmosphere had long since dissipated with the destruction of the formation. The light in the sky gradually grew brighter, yet Lin Xiao remained unperturbed. He knew that while the formation had been broken, it was only a temporary reprieve; the true danger was yet to come.

"Let's go." Lin Xiao said in a low voice, his eyes swept around, and he had a clear action plan in his mind.

"Yeah." Murong Rui didn't say much. He followed Lin Xiao's steps and walked towards the edge of the distant mountains.

They didn't rush back to the core area of ​​the plains, but chose to take a detour, not only to avoid possible enemies but also to fully prepare for the next move. Although the formation had been broken, the atmosphere around them remained tense, and they could encounter uninvited guests at any moment.

As they were walking, Lin Xiao suddenly stopped and his expression became serious. Murong Rui also noticed Lin Xiao's abnormality and immediately looked around intently.

"What have you found?" Murong Rui asked, with a hint of alertness in his eyes.

Lin Xiao said slowly: "There is movement not far away, we can't go directly over."

"What's going on?" Murong Rui followed closely behind and began to look around.

"Someone is hiding their tracks." Lin Xiao whispered, "The aura is not strong, but the technique is very proficient. It must have been the result of long-term training."

Murong Rui frowned: "Enemy?"

Lin Xiao nodded slightly, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: "It is very likely. But now is not the time to face them."

He scanned the surroundings and quickly calculated the best circuitous route. He knew that directly confronting these people was not the best option. After all, the current situation was already very complicated, and any unnecessary conflict could lead to greater trouble.

"Let's go." Lin Xiao whispered, then turned around and took Murong Rui to walk quickly along another path.

The two walked lightly and quickly, trying to avoid making any noise. Lin Xiao remained highly alert. As they approached the edge of the woods, the hidden aura became more and more obvious, like a cunning cheetah, quietly approaching them.

Finally, Lin Xiao stopped behind a big tree. He turned around abruptly, scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes.

"Show yourself." Lin Xiao said coldly, his voice was low but carried a sense of deterrence.

As his voice fell, the surrounding trees suddenly stirred slightly, and the figures hidden within finally emerged. They were two men in black. One was older, with a stern expression, while the other was younger, appearing to be in his twenties. Standing not far away, their eyes were sharp, and they had clearly noticed Lin Xiao's presence.

"It's you guys, indeed." A cold glint flashed in the older man's eyes. "The Eighth Realm of Jiayin is an interesting challenge."

"Who are you?" Lin Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, but there was no panic in his eyes.

"We are - the money is not touched." The older man said lightly with a slight smile on his face.

"Qian Budong?" Lin Xiao repeated the name, his heart slightly shocked. This was the first time he heard this name, but judging from the other party's attitude, this did not seem to be a simple force.

"That's right." The young man sneered. "Our principle of not touching money is: no matter the situation, we won't be tempted or emotional. We only care about money."

Lin Xiao frowned secretly, feeling slightly alert. Although he had never heard of the name "Qian Budong", judging from the two people's calm attitude, they must have a considerable background.

"It seems you are not ordinary participants." Lin Xiao said in a low voice, "But I don't want to be your enemy. Since you have no intention of being my enemy, why don't we fight on our own?"

The older man smiled slightly. "Since you put it that way, I'm not in a hurry to make you my enemy. However, the resources in this area are not easily accessible to everyone. You still need to think carefully."

"I can handle it," Lin Xiao said, his tone carrying a hint of undeniable coldness. "If you dare to stop me, don't blame me for being rude."

After saying this, Lin Xiao said no more to them and turned to leave. At this moment, Murong Rui also tacitly followed his pace. The two of them quickly passed through the woods and headed further away.

"Pay attention to those two people, they are not simple." Lin Xiao reminded in a low voice.

Murong Rui nodded. Although he didn't ask any more questions, he was already a little alert in his heart.

The two men walked quickly, but they did not completely let their guard down. Although the "Qian Budong" force behind them did not take action immediately, Lin Xiao knew that he could become the other party's target at any time.

Just as they walked a short distance, a sudden gust of wind blew up, and a low whistling sound filled the air. Lin Xiao stopped abruptly and looked around vigilantly.

"Someone is approaching." A hint of coldness flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and his body leaned forward slightly, ready to face any possible battle at any time.

Lin Xiao quickly gathered his composure, his nerves tensed like a bowstring, as he vigilantly sensed every movement around him. The wind still whistled in his ears, as if some force was quietly approaching. He knew the enemy behind him was no longer the two men who had "not moved by the money." Another force had quietly approached, carrying a strong murderous intent.

Murong Rui also sensed the change in atmosphere and immediately glanced at Lin Xiao, asking in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Lin Xiao shook his head slightly, his tone solemn: "It's hard to say. But they are very strong, and they are definitely not opponents we can underestimate. Are you ready?"

Murong Rui clenched his fists, his eyes showing no sign of retreat: "I'm ready."

The two of them adjusted their formation in tacit understanding. Lin Xiao calmly activated the spiritual power in his body, condensing a powerful aura, ready to deal with sudden enemies at any time.

Suddenly, a gentle sound of footsteps echoed, like a subtle rustling in the empty forest. Lin Xiao's perception was exceptionally sharp; he could sense the other person's presence approaching. Then, a deep laugh filled the air, breaking the dead silence.

"You guys are hiding well enough." A cold voice sounded from Lin Xiao's left, and the threat in the words was self-evident.

Lin Xiao's eyes instantly darted in the direction of the sound. Sure enough, a figure slowly emerged from the trees. Dressed in a dark red robe, his eyes were sharp as a knife, and he exuded a powerful aura. A disdainful smile etched across his face, clearly showing he didn't take them seriously.

"Who are you?" Lin Xiao asked in a deep voice, trying to remain calm, with a threat implied in his tone.

"You don't need to know who I am." The man smiled slightly, "But you can remember my name - Blood Shadow."

Lin Xiao's heart trembled, and he felt secretly alert. Blood Shadow? The name struck him as unfamiliar, yet he also had a vague sense of unease. The other person's aura was far more powerful than that of an ordinary person, clearly a true master.

"Blood Shadow?" Murong Rui repeated in a low voice, "It sounds complicated."

"You two must be participating in this trial." Xueying's gaze swept between Lin Xiao and Murong Rui, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes. "But you don't seem to belong to the same camp. How about I help you remove some obstacles?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Blood Shadow took a step forward in an instant, his movements extremely fast, as if he was ready to attack at any time.

Lin Xiao frowned, sensing the other party's powerful aura. He quickly determined that the other party's strength far exceeded his current realm, possibly even reaching the seventh level of Jiachen, or even stronger. Moreover, he was not just a simple warrior. A faint bloody aura emanated from him, clearly not someone of the right path.

"If you have the courage to come, you must pay the price." Lin Xiao responded in a low voice, already holding the dagger he carried with him in his hand, and his strength began to concentrate between his fingers, ready to fight at any time.

"You're right." Blood Shadow sneered, and suddenly swung his hands forward. Suddenly, a strong airflow swept out, and the trees in the air were instantly broken by the strong wind, and the flying branches and leaves seemed to be torn apart by this force.

"Want to escape? I'm afraid you are not qualified yet." There was a strong sense of sarcasm in Xueying's tone. His figure instantly disappeared into the air, and then appeared right in front of Lin Xiao and Murong Rui.

"He's so fast!" A hint of surprise flashed in Murong Rui's eyes, but then he regained his composure. He knew he had to react quickly.

"Do it!" Lin Xiao shouted softly, and his figure disappeared in an instant. He dodged quickly with the help of the "Dragon Swimming Around the Seas" and flexibly moved to the left. At the same time, he mobilized the energy in his body and released the "Sword Dance in the Wind and Spin". Rays of sword energy passed by his side like wind and splendor, and quickly shot towards the blood shadow.

A hint of ridicule flashed in Xueying's eyes. His body was as light as a swallow, and he dodged Lin Xiao's sword energy like a gust of wind in an instant, unaffected by it. He rolled in the air, skillfully avoiding all the sword energy, and suddenly stretched out his hand. A blood-red light rushed towards Lin Xiao like lightning.

"Looking for death!" Lin Xiao roared angrily, and the strength in his body burst out instantly. His figure disappeared again, and then he used the "Illusionary Body Skill·Imitation Phantom Move". At the same time, another figure of Lin Xiao appeared in the air.

The two Lin Xiaos coordinated with each other, attacking Blood Shadow from the left and right. Blood Shadow snorted coldly, reacting quickly. He waved his hands again, and a strong blood energy instantly emerged in the air, carrying infinite pressure, pressing down on the two Lin Xiaos at the same time.

"What a strong aura!" Lin Xiao was secretly shocked. This aura could actually suppress the attacks of him and the phantom.

But he didn't stop. Using the "Sword Qi Strike", several sharp sword energies shot out from his body again, directly attacking the blood shadow. At the same time, another phantom, Lin Xiao, once again used the "Shadow Spirit Sword Stab", pointing the sword tip directly at the blood shadow's chest.

Xueying was still not panicked. A sneer flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, his body flashed and he actually walked forward to meet the sword energy.

"You are nothing but a bunch of jumping clowns." Blood Shadow said coldly, and a blood-red dagger suddenly appeared in his hand, and he quickly swung it towards the two Lin Xiaos.

"Retreat!" Lin Xiao quickly judged that Blood Shadow's swordsmanship was extremely sharp. Without any hesitation, he decisively ordered Murong Rui to retreat.