Dapeng's Time Travel Life

Chapter 474 The Secret of the Contract and the Shadow Clan's Conspiracy

Holding the second key, Zhang Peng was immersed in the flood of information pouring into his mind. The complex details of the ancient contract slowly unfolded in his consciousness. It turned out that this contract was not only an agreement between cultivators and the Shadow Clan, but also contained a mysterious mechanism for balancing the world's spiritual energy. Once the contract was broken, the world's spiritual energy would fall into chaos, triggering a cataclysmic disaster.

"This means that if the man in black robes breaks the seal on the Shadow Clan, the entire cultivation world and even all things in the world will face annihilation." Zhang Peng frowned as he relayed the key information of the contract to Murong Yu and Liu Ruoli.

Murong Yu clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "These men in black robes are utterly depraved. For their own selfish desires, they disregard the well-being of all people."

Liu Ruoli gently stroked her jade flute, her expression worried: "But we don't even have a clue about the third key, while the man in black robes may already be on his way to find it. Time is of the essence."

Knowing the gravity of the situation, the three immediately began searching the forest for clues about the third key after leaving the cave. They traversed among the ancient giant trees, leaving no suspicious trace unchecked. Suddenly, Liu Ruoli discovered strange symbols carved on the trunk of a giant tree, symbols similar to some ancient script they had previously seen in ancient books.

Zhang Peng channeled the power of the Chaos Laws, a power he possessed in the late Nascent Soul stage, in an attempt to decipher the symbols. As the Chaos Laws permeated the symbols, they gradually emitted a faint glow, piecing together a blurry message: the third key was related to a reclusive cultivator who had been severely injured in a great battle and was recuperating in a mysterious place, keeping the key hidden by his side.

"Where could this mysterious place be?" Murong Yu asked in confusion.

Zhang Peng pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to the depths of the forest: "Ancient texts mention a forgotten valley where the spiritual energy is chaotic, making it difficult for ordinary cultivators to approach. Perhaps we should try our luck there."

The three ventured deeper into the forest, encountering various dangers along the way. A pack of shadow beasts, resembling wolves, pounced on them. These beasts were surrounded by dark spiritual energy, agile, and extremely powerful. Zhang Peng activated the "Chaos Law Shield," protecting the three within it, while simultaneously unleashing the "Chaos Myriad Forms Break," where the power of the Chaos Law coalesced into a chaotic sword, slashing towards the shadow beasts.

Murong Yu wielded the Chaos Breeze Sword, unleashing the "Gentle Breeze Demon-Slaying Whirlwind," its sword energy swirling towards the Shadow Beasts like a vortex. Liu Ruoli played the "Sonic Chaos Impact," the sound waves transforming into sharp blades that weaved through the Shadow Beast horde. After a fierce battle, they finally repelled the Shadow Beasts, but all three were somewhat exhausted.

When they finally arrived at the forgotten valley, the sight before them shocked them. Thick black fog filled the valley, with eerie runes flickering within it, as if the entire valley was shrouded in a dark barrier.

"The dark spiritual energy in this valley is more concentrated than we imagined; we must be careful," Zhang Peng said cautiously.

The three cautiously stepped into the valley. As soon as they entered, the ground suddenly cracked open, and countless black vines sprouted from the ground, frantically coiling around them. These vines were incredibly tough, covered with sharp thorns, and any place pierced by them would be corroded by dark spiritual energy.

Zhang Peng unleashed the "Chaotic Law Cage," trapping the three within to defend against the vines' attacks. Murong Yu swung his sword to sever the approaching vines, but the vines seemed endless. Liu Ruoli played the "Sonic Chaos Shield," strengthening her defense while attempting to disrupt the vines' movements with sound waves.

During the stalemate with the vines, Zhang Peng suddenly discovered a connection between the vines' growth patterns and the ancient symbols he had previously deciphered. He concentrated his mind, using the power of the laws of chaos to guide his spiritual energy according to the symbols' patterns, attempting to break free from the vines' attack.

As the power of the Chaos Laws circulated, the vines' attacks gradually weakened, eventually ceasing and slowly retreating underground. The three continued onward; at the end of the valley lay a cave hidden between cliffs.

An ancient aura permeated the cave, and gems embedded in the walls emitted a faint glow, illuminating the path ahead. Deep within the cave, they discovered an elderly man with white hair, sitting cross-legged on a boulder, his breath faint.

“Senior, we are here to find the third key,” Zhang Peng said respectfully.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the three people: "Why are you looking for the key? Don't you know the dangers involved?"

Zhang Peng told the old man about the black-robed man's conspiracy and the secrets of the contract they knew. After listening, the old man sighed and said, "Many years ago, I participated in the great war that sealed the Shadow Clan. After being seriously injured, I went into seclusion here. The key is with me, but I swore an oath that only those who truly have justice in their hearts and have the ability to protect the world can obtain it."

After the old man finished speaking, he waved his hand, and three phantoms appeared in the cave, each casting powerful spells. "If you can defeat these three phantoms, you will prove your strength and determination, and the key will be yours."

Zhang Peng and his two companions exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with determination. They knew this was a crucial test to obtain the third key, and a vital step in thwarting the black-robed man's plot; a new battle was about to begin…