The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 172 Wooden Buttons

Before entering the portal, Lin Xiao had already made some judgment in his mind.

There were five golden portals, each leading to a different area. It was not difficult for him to guess that they represented the five different areas of the trial.

Just as he thought, these areas were undoubtedly the five natural zones of the Hanging Island, and the environment and difficulty of each zone must be different.

Qi Yebai chose the portal on the far right. Lin Xiao had a slight thought and decided to choose the same area as him.

He knew very well that Qi Yebai had just helped him destroy the "Transparent Button Tracking" and secretly offended those who were plotting against him.

In this case, being in the same area with Qi Yebai might allow them to look after each other. Even if he did not completely trust Qi Yebai, this was also a suitable opportunity to repay him for his help.

When Lin Xiao stepped into the portal, he was not overly nervous, but rather more cautious and alert about the unknown.

As the light in front of my eyes dimmed, I stepped heavily onto another piece of land.

The surrounding scene gradually became clear, and Lin Xiao found himself in a dense forest.

The air was filled with a moist scent. The surrounding trees were tall and straight, with lush branches and leaves. Occasionally, a few unknown strange creatures would quickly shuttle between the treetops, making rustling sounds.

Lin Xiao was about to stand up and start investigating, but at this moment he realized that he was inside a transparent protective shield.

This strange feeling made him nervous instantly - he was trapped.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to use his skills to escape, he suddenly heard the cold voice of Elder Haidong:

"The area you're currently in is the plains. The remaining four areas are the desert, swamp, hills, and a small island with a central tropical climate. Every two days at dawn, a certain area will collapse. The collapsed area will be notified in advance at noon, and contestants can evacuate accordingly. At noon on the tenth day, the only remaining area will continue to collapse, leaving only a duel arena the size of a ring."

Lin Xiao's mind moved. It turned out that this trial relied on continuously shortening the area to force the participants to meet.

Elder Haidong continued, "If there are more than five people remaining in the final duel arena, the winner must be decided in the early morning, and the remaining five will advance. If there are still more than five people remaining at midnight, the duel arena will collapse and all participants will die together. Tianshu Academy will not continue to recruit students this year."

As the elder finished speaking, Lin Xiao felt that the transparent shield in front of him suddenly disappeared, as if it had never existed.

The oppressive feeling that had once held him back was instantly released. He breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"The rules of this Brave Trial are quite interesting. The shield not only ensures the safety of the contestants, but also ensures that everyone can take action after understanding the rules of the trial, avoiding being ambushed without knowing the situation."

However, just as he relaxed, the ground suddenly shook violently, and several thick vines suddenly pulled out from the ground like tentacles and smashed towards Lin Xiao mercilessly.

This sudden attack made Lin Xiao's heart tighten, and his eyes narrowed slightly, realizing that he was being targeted as soon as he entered the trial.

"Danger!"

Lin Xiao did not hesitate at all and used the "Dragon Traveling the Four Seas" technique. He retreated quickly like a ghost, avoiding the attack of the vines. He turned his feet quickly and his body seemed to leap up.

There was a loud noise behind him, and the vines hit the place where he had just stood. The ground suddenly cracked, and gravel and dirt flew everywhere.

"What kind of monster is this?" Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel alert.

The vines in front of him were obviously not ordinary plants. Not only were they extremely fast, but they were also incredibly powerful, and they clearly contained some kind of powerful spiritual power.

At the same time, more vines stretched out from the ground again, and attacked Lin Xiao with a sharp sound of breaking wind.

This time, they were more strategic, attacking from all directions at the same time, as if they wanted to trap Lin Xiao completely.

A cold light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. With a thought, a sharp sword quickly condensed in his hand. The sword energy was so strong that it rushed towards the vines like a storm.

"Sword Qi Strike Back and Forth!"

He shouted loudly, and the sword in his hand emitted two vigorous air currents, which passed through the air and instantly slashed at the vines that kept rushing towards him.

"Shh! Shh!"

The sword energy cut through the air, and several vines were cut off instantly. Thick green juice overflowed from the wounds, emitting a pungent smell.

The vines suddenly shrank in intense pain, as if afraid of being exposed to the deadly sword energy again, and quickly disappeared into the ground.

"Who is controlling these vines behind the scenes?" Lin Xiao glanced around, his eyes fixed on a hunched figure in the distance.

The man was wearing a black robe, his entire body covered tightly, his face hidden under a black veil, and he held an ancient wooden scepter in his hand.

She was short, with a slightly hunched back and thin hands and feet, as if the traces of time had left deep marks on her body.

Her hands were shriveled and wrinkled, like a Western wizard, with a strange and mysterious aura.

"Ding Si Level 1..." Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. If she was only at Ding Si Level 1, then he wouldn't have to worry too much.

"You don't need to know who I am. The dead don't deserve to know the truth." A hoarse voice came from the black robe.

Then, she thrust the scepter fiercely into the ground, and immediately, the ground shook violently, as if some creature had awakened from underground.

The vines seemed to have received orders and quickly moved underground, surrounding Lin Xiao.

The mound of earth on the ground bulged and got closer and closer to him, as if he was about to fall into the abyss.

As the vines spread, the air around them became heavier and heavier, as if every vine carried the breath of death.

"She is indeed a witch..." Lin Xiao sighed in his heart. Looking at the vines that kept emerging, he felt a great threat.

He did not panic, but remained calm, watched the situation and prepared to act when the opportunity arose.

When the vines approached him, they suddenly broke out of the ground and transformed into vine-armored warriors, three meters tall, with strong muscles, holding spears. Their ferocious faces and heavy steps made these vine-armored warriors look like evil spirits from hell.

Their movements were swift and precise, carrying a strong murderous aura as they pounced towards Lin Xiao.

"Fuck! This is so cool..." Lin Xiao couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, his eyes shocked.

Even in the face of such a threat, he still did not feel the slightest bit of fear, but instead felt a sense of excitement in the challenge.

He did not pause, but swung his sword to meet the attack, performing the "Sword Dance of Wind and Wind".

The long sword was swung, and the sword energy was like the wind, cutting through the air. The sword blade and the spear of the vine armor warrior kept colliding, making bursts of crisp collision sounds.

Lin Xiao relied on the flexibility of his sword energy to easily kill several vine armor warriors.

But he soon discovered that these vine armor warriors were not as strong as they looked. They were as fragile as paper and could be easily cut through with a single sword strike.

However, Lin Xiao did not feel relieved, because he found that these vine armor warriors seemed to have no end. They were generated from the ground in wave after wave, like enemies that could never be defeated, and surrounded him more and more.

It may not be easy to break through the encirclement.

"It seems that she intends to use these vine armors to wear me out..." Lin Xiao's heart moved, and he immediately realized that this battle was not a simple fight, but a test of endurance.

Lin Xiao kept swinging his sword and moving flexibly, trying to break through the siege, but he knew that if he continued like this, he would sooner or later attract the attention of other contestants.

The spears of the rattan armor warriors continued to leave marks on Lin Xiao's body, and blood was imprinted on Lin Xiao's Taoist robe.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the witch in the distance who was still casting a spell with all her might. The tone of her spell became more and more rapid, and her posture became more and more tense.

At this moment, Lin Xiao's eyes lit up and he had a plan in mind.

He gently exerted his strength and secretly activated the "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitating Phantom Moves".

His energy changed rapidly in the air, and one of the "energy Lin Xiao" rushed towards the witch at a speed so fast that it was almost imperceptible.

At this moment, the witch suddenly sensed the threat, her eyes narrowed suddenly, and she quickly directed the vines underground to gather again, forming a solid barrier to meet the fatal blow from the powerful Lin Xiao.

"boom!"

The barrier formed by the vines was instantly hit by Lin Xiao's sword. The violent collision and vibration made the surrounding air stagnate.

However, to the witch's surprise, the sword fighting did not stop there, but a figure appeared behind her.

"Pfft!"

A long sword silently pierced her chest from behind, the tip of the sword pierced her heart, bringing out a trace of blood.

She turned her head in shock and wanted to say something, but because of her severe injuries, her mouth opened and couldn't close, and her eyes were full of disbelief and pain.

"You...you..." Her eyes were filled with anger and despair, but her voice was no longer able to speak.

Finally, the witch fell heavily to the ground, her hands hanging limply, and she completely lost her life.

As the witch fell to the ground, the vine-armored warriors around her also dissipated, turning into a wisp of green smoke and disappearing without a trace.

Lin Xiao walked to the fallen body of the witch, a sly smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he whispered:

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you that my 'Illusionary Technique: Imitative Phantom' can not only summon one of myself... but also summon two."

He began to search the witch's body carefully, trying to see if he could find anything valuable.

The moment the black veil was removed, Lin Xiao was mentally prepared, but was still slightly moved by the scene before him.

Although he had expected it, the wrinkled face and pale yellow skin still made him feel uncomfortable when he saw it with his own eyes.

He endured it and continued searching.

Not long after, Lin Xiao found a bottle of poison, an unknown pill, a token of "Jade Courtyard", and some dry food from the witch's robe.

He frowned slightly and thought to himself, "As an elder of the Jade Academy, he has so few things on him. It seems he was well prepared and knew that this trial would be very dangerous."

Just as he was about to leave, Lin Xiao suddenly noticed that there was something strange about the position of the cuffs of the witch's black robe.

He had an idea that he might be able to find some new items here.

After further careful searching, he found two brown "buttons" from the left and right cuffs.

The shape is almost exactly the same as the "transparent button" that Qi Yebai had taken off from his back before. The only difference is the material - one is transparent and the other is brown wood.

Lin Xiao's heart tightened, and he immediately thought of the previous incident. He thought to himself, "It seems that the person who secretly put the 'button' on me at the North Gate was not her. She must have just met me by accident."

He played with the two wooden "buttons" in his hands and whispered, "These things are not simple. I'll keep them for now. Maybe I can get access to the 'Button Secret' in the future."

Then, Lin Xiao quickly left this place.

He knew that the sound of fighting just now would most likely attract the attention of other contestants, especially a contestant like him who was at the seventh level of Jiayin. If people knew that he had survived safely, he would definitely become the target of everyone's pursuit.

As he moved away from the battlefield and looked around, Lin Xiao noticed that although this was a suspended area, the environment was not much different from a normal forest.

The roars of monsters could be heard from time to time all around. It was obvious that this area was not peaceful and powerful monsters were constantly appearing.

Soon after, a winding stream blocked Lin Xiao's way.

He saw that he had been walking for a long time, the wounds on his body had already scabbed over, and there was no human figure behind him.

So I slowed down, walked to the stream, and prepared to take a rest.

He scooped up a handful of clear stream water and drank it all. He felt the sweetness of the water and couldn't help but exclaimed: "What good water!"

However, just when he let his guard down,

Suddenly, a heavy gasp came from behind me, followed by a biting cold wind.

Lin Xiao turned around suddenly, a hint of alertness flashed in his eyes, and then he saw a golden-horned evil deer in the fifth transformation realm running towards him with its antlers shining with golden light.

"not good……"

Lin Xiao's heart tightened, and he changed his feet. His body jumped up quickly like a ghost, avoiding the antlers of the golden-horned evil deer rushing towards him.

After he stood firm, he looked at the angry deer calmly and said coldly: "Misunderstanding, I don't want to eat venison today, you can go."

However, the golden-horned evil deer obviously did not intend to let him go easily.

It raised its front hooves slightly and rubbed them hard against the ground. Then the golden horns on its head emitted a dazzling light, like a laser beam, shooting out from the antlers and rushing towards Lin Xiao fiercely.

"It seems that we have to eat venison today."

Lin Xiao looked at the flying laser with a sneer on his face, and then quickly cast "Sword Rain". Sword energy gathered in the air like rain, and the sword rain rushed madly towards the flying laser.

"Bump bump bump!"

The rain of swords and lasers collided in the air, making a deafening sound, and the sword energy and lasers were in a stalemate.

However, Lin Xiao's strength continued to increase, and the tip of Jian Yu's sword finally broke through the laser's defense. Like a spear in a rainstorm, it pierced through the laser of the Golden Horned Deer and pierced its heart.

"die!"

Lin Xiao shouted softly, and the sharp sword rain struck the deer, causing it to fall heavily into the stream, splashing water everywhere.

Just when Lin Xiao was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the portal on the other side flickering slightly, and a man walked out of it.

The man had his back to him and seemed not to notice Lin Xiao's presence.