Dapeng's Time Travel Life

Chapter 416 The Return Journey and a New Crisis in the Cultivation World

With weary yet gratified expressions, Zhang Peng and his group slowly departed from the mysterious ruins. The afterglow of the setting sun shone upon them, outlining their resolute silhouettes. This journey to the ruins had tested them to the death, and had also given them a deeper understanding of their responsibilities to the cultivation world.

"We owe a great debt to Zhang Peng this time. If it weren't for you establishing contact with the Spirit Pearl, we probably wouldn't have been able to defeat the man in black robes, let alone reinforce the seal that was about to loosen," Murong Yu said sincerely as he walked, his eyes full of admiration.

Zhang Peng shook his head slightly, a humble smile on his face: "This is a collective achievement. Without your protection, I would not have been able to communicate with the Spirit Pearl smoothly. Moreover, although the crisis in the cultivation world has been temporarily resolved, we cannot be complacent in the slightest."

Liu Ruoli gently stroked the jade flute, her eyes filled with thought: "That's right. Although the black-robed men were repelled, their power was not completely eradicated, and they may make a comeback."

Pan Liwei and Cao Long walked at the back of the group, their dark spiritual energy subtly fluctuating, as if they were on guard against potential danger. "No matter when they come again, we must be prepared," Cao Long said in a low voice.

As the group continued their journey home, the once peaceful trip was suddenly disrupted by a sudden change in weather. In the sky, the once snow-white clouds rapidly gathered, turning into a gloomy, inky black, with faint flashes of lightning within the clouds, and a sense of oppression spreading throughout.

"What...what's going on?" Murong Yu gripped his longsword tightly, looked up at the sky, and felt a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Zhang Peng's expression was solemn as he circulated his mid-stage Nascent Soul spiritual power, attempting to sense the source of this unusual celestial phenomenon. "Something's not right. The power fluctuations in these clouds are extremely strange, unlike ordinary celestial phenomena."

As soon as the words were spoken, a colossal black figure slowly emerged from the clouds. The figure was as massive as a mountain, emanating a dense aura of darkness—an ancient and powerful dark beast. Its eyes flashed with blood-red light, and it opened its gaping maw, unleashing a deafening roar. The sound waves spread outwards like sharp blades, sending sand and gravel flying from the ground.

"Be careful! This dark behemoth is probably no weaker than a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!" Zhang Peng shouted, and took the lead in using "Law Cage" to envelop everyone and resist the impact of the behemoth's roar.

Murong Yu unleashed the "Chaotic Breeze Sword," its sword energy crisscrossing as he attempted to attack the giant beast's weak points. However, the beast's skin was as hard as iron; when the sword energy struck it, it only sparked a shower of sparks, failing to inflict any real damage.

Liu Ruoli played her jade flute, unleashing the "Sonic Chaos Storm." The sound waves transformed into a powerful force, sweeping towards the giant beast. Sensing the sonic attack, the giant beast swung its massive claws, creating a gust of wind that dispersed the sonic storm.

Pan Liwei and Cao Long unleashed the "Dark Chaos Vortex," a black vortex with a powerful suction force, attempting to pull the behemoth into it. The behemoth roared and spewed out a stream of black flames, instantly igniting the vortex. The flames burned fiercely, greatly weakening the power of the Dark Chaos Vortex.

"This behemoth is too powerful; our attacks have little effect on it!" Murong Yu said anxiously, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Zhang Peng frowned. He knew that ordinary attacks would pose no threat to this dark behemoth. He focused his mind, fusing the power of the Chaos Laws with the power granted by the Spirit Orb, attempting to create a completely new method of attack.

Guided by the laws of chaos, Zhang Peng gathered his spiritual power in his palm, forming a five-colored energy sphere. The energy sphere contained powerful laws and the mysterious power of the spirit pearl, radiating a dazzling light.

"Everyone, let's channel our power into this energy sphere!" Zhang Peng shouted. Hearing this, everyone poured their spiritual energy into the energy sphere. Murong Yu's sword energy, Liu Ruoli's sonic energy, and Pan Liwei and Cao Long's dark energy all merged into the energy sphere, making its light even brighter and its power even stronger.

Zhang Peng held the energy ball aloft with both hands and hurled it towards the dark behemoth. The energy ball, like a meteor, hurtled towards the beast with devastating force.

Sensing the immense threat posed by the energy sphere, the dark behemoth roared madly, unleashing every ounce of its power in an attempt to withstand this fatal blow. It spewed forth streams of black flames and swung its massive claws, trying to shatter the energy sphere.

However, the energy sphere was too powerful; the black flames and claws were shattered the moment they touched it. The energy sphere continued its advance and eventually struck the dark behemoth.

With a deafening roar, the energy ball exploded inside the giant beast, its immense power instantly tearing its body apart into countless black fragments that dissipated into the air.

As the giant beast disappeared, the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and the sun shone on the earth once more. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, collapsed to the ground, and were overwhelmed with the joy of surviving a disaster.

"We... succeeded again," Liu Ruoli said wearily, a relieved smile on her face.

Zhang Peng slowly stood up, looking at the sky that had returned to calm, but he felt no relief. He knew that the appearance of this dark behemoth was no accident, and that a greater conspiracy must be hidden behind it.

"We must return to Lingxiao Pavilion as soon as possible to inform all the major sects about this series of events so that everyone can prepare for the crisis," Zhang Peng said.

The group nodded and followed Zhang Peng, quickening their pace on the way back.

When they returned to Lingxiao Pavilion, the pavilion was bustling with activity. Xuan Chenzi and Chi Songzi had already learned of their return and were waiting at the entrance.

"Zhang Peng, you're finally back!" Xuan Chenzi greeted them with concern. "Did you gain anything from this trip to the ruins?"

Zhang Peng recounted his experiences in the ruins to Xuan Chenzi and Chi Songzi in detail, including the battle with the man in black robes, the secret of the spirit pearl, and the encounter with the dark behemoth on their way back. Upon hearing this, the two men's expressions became extremely grave.

"I never imagined the crisis in the cultivation world would be so profound." Chi Songzi stroked his beard and said with deep concern, "The appearance of this dark behemoth is probably just the beginning."

Xuan Chenzi nodded in agreement: "We must immediately convene all the major sects to discuss countermeasures. Zhang Peng, you have just gone through so many battles, go and rest for a while. Chi Songzi and I will chair the meeting."

Zhang Peng nodded. He did indeed feel physically and mentally exhausted and needed time to recover. He returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his spiritual energy to restore his depleted physical and spiritual strength.

However, before Zhang Peng could even get a proper rest, a series of urgent bell tolls suddenly sounded outside Lingxiao Pavilion. This bell was an emergency alarm for Lingxiao Pavilion, signifying an impending major crisis.

Zhang Peng immediately opened his eyes, got up, and rushed out of the room. He saw that disciples from various sects had already assembled in the Lingxiao Pavilion's plaza, their expressions tense. Xuan Chenzi and Chi Songzi stood on the high platform, their faces grim.

“Zhang Peng, I just received news that several sects in the cultivation world have been attacked by a mysterious force and have suffered heavy losses,” Xuan Chenzi said immediately upon seeing Zhang Peng.

Zhang Peng's heart sank. He knew that a new crisis had arrived in the cultivation world, and an even more severe test awaited them...