allonlinenovel Chapter 328 The Strange Forest
Chapter 328 The Strange Forest
The Mingshui Palace seemed even colder at night than during the day. Walking along the palace path, despite the white walls and black tiles and the picturesque scenery, there was a chilly feeling.
At this moment, Xuan Yuan, holding a long sword, used less than 20% of his inner strength to quickly chase after the white figure not far away.
The white figure was both human and inanimate, moving like a ghost through the dark corners of the palace at an astonishing speed.
Strangely, such a large palace should have palace servants patrolling from time to time, but further outside the Frost Palace, there was almost no palace servant, adding a touch of gloom to the dark and desolate environment.
"Whoosh!"
The arrow was deflected by the sword and fell to the ground with a clatter.
Upon seeing this, a flash of murderous intent crossed Xuan Yuan's eyes, and he quickened his pace. He was determined to find out whether it was a human or a ghost, and whether it was targeting him.
The white figure moved skillfully through the various corridors and pavilions. Xuan Yuan did not slacken his pursuit and chased it closer and closer until he cornered it in a corner of the garden, where there was nothing but a small grove of trees.
"who are you?"
He moved slowly, his face cold and indifferent.
As Xuan Yuan pressed closer, the white figure gradually moved backward, slowly approaching the grove of trees.
The bright moon hung high, illuminating the few scattered trees in the woods. Seeing this, he was not worried about any ambush and stepped directly into the woods.
"bass!"
A cold glint appeared, and the sword moved like a snake. This time, he showed no mercy. He touched the ground with his toes and quickly flew forward to thrust.
The white figure stood upright under a tree, seemingly unafraid of Xuan Yuan's attack.
Just then, an unnamed gust of wind suddenly swept across the flat ground, causing leaves to flutter and fall in all directions.
Immediately afterwards, a thick fog appeared around the forest, forming a giant circle that enveloped him completely.
Xuan Yuan's brows were almost furrowed at this moment. He subconsciously held his breath. The sharp blade drew several silver streaks in the air, but the fog did not diminish at all. Instead, it got closer and closer until it was completely pitch black.
Suddenly, a blinding white light emanated from the mist centered on him, and in the blink of an eye, he and his sword vanished from the spot.
The corner still had a few scattered trees, and the surroundings remained as quiet as still water, as if no one had ever been there and nothing had ever happened.
With a loud bang, Xuan Yuan subconsciously raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light. The sudden brightness made him feel very uncomfortable. He slowly opened his eyes again, and his originally indifferent eyes revealed a look of disbelief.
What comes into view is a vast, secluded, dense forest, with the sun shining overhead and sunlight filtering through the leaves onto your face, even bringing a touch of warmth.
He stood there dumbfounded for a long time, still unable to understand how the night, which had been as cool as water, could suddenly become as bright as day. And where was this place?
As far as the eye could see, vines thicker than an adult man's waist were intertwined, and looking up, the shadows of the trees were dappled. There were no chirping insects or birds, no gentle breeze, and apart from the smell of damp earth, everything seemed so mysterious.
Suddenly finding himself in this place, Xuan Yuan was puzzled, but he dared not relax in the slightest. He was even more alert than before, carefully moving his feet to explore the strange dense forest in front of him.
"Jie Jie Jie~"
At that moment, a strange cry came from the depths of the forest, like the cry of a baby, or the laughter of a woman, or, upon closer listening, the roar of some kind of beast.
His eyes sharpened, and he gripped his longsword, ready to fight at any moment. But when he tried to hear the source of the sound again, the surroundings suddenly returned to calm, so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly.
"Whoo~"
"Huh~"
A sound of flapping wings was heard, and a strong wind arose, making the branches creak and the leaves fall in heaps.
Xuan Yuan stopped in his tracks, his sharp eyes scanning back and forth. He wanted to see what exactly that thing was.
"Huchi~"
"Huchi~"
The wings flapped faster and faster, and strange noises surrounded them, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact location.
Xuan Yuan held his breath, using his most acute senses to pinpoint the source of the strange sound.
"Wow~"
He suddenly looked up and leaped into the air, his sword flashing like lightning, instantly slicing open a large circle in the dense branches.
"Jie Jie Jie~"
A splash of blood caught the eye; a large red bird flapped its wings and circled in the sky above Xuan Yuan's head.
When he looked closely, it was a giant, fiery red falcon. Its wings, talons, and eyes were all crimson. Its size was many times larger than that of an ordinary falcon, and one of its wings alone could cover a towering tree.
It hovered in the air, staring sharply at the dark figure on the ground, seemingly somewhat angry at Xuan Yuan for suddenly intruding into its territory.
Xuan Yuan's eyes were like torches, also fixed on the sky. He channeled his inner energy into his sword. He had never seen such a giant eagle before. It seemed that the Ancient Cang Kingdom was indeed as mysterious and unpredictable as the legends said, with its unique species.
"roar~"
The eagle gradually lost patience, suddenly roared, and swooped down to rush straight towards Xuan Yuan, its speed too fast to be judged by the naked eye.
"boom!!!"
With a loud crash, trees fell down. Xuan Yuan dodged the fierce attack from the eagle, and then, taking advantage of the blind spot of its tail, leaped up and thrust his right wing with all his might.
With a tearing sound, the skin and flesh on the wing were slashed open by a sharp blade, and the crimson liquid mingled with the bird's body.
"Whoo~"
Enraged, the falcon's crimson pupils grew even more bloodthirsty, and its curved, sharp talons gleamed. Once it locked onto Xuan Yuan's location, it swooped down.
In the blink of an eye, the figure disappeared into the lush forest without making a sound.
"Huchi~huchi~"
The eagle circled back and forth above the forest, its sharp red eyes scanning the surroundings. It couldn't believe that Xuan Yuan had simply disappeared from sight.
With its enormous wings outstretched, it remained oblivious to the man hiding in the branches, continuing its patrol of the forest.
As soon as the eagle's body turned right in front of him, Xuan Yuan quickly seized the opportunity, leaped into the air, and his sword flashed in the air, creating a dazzling light.
"Pfft!"
The longsword pierced the heart of the eagle with perfect accuracy.
"Heh~"
The giant beast let out a mournful howl and used its last bit of strength to flap its wings.
At this point, he had no choice but to kill the falcon and could only watch helplessly as the giant wings swung toward him.
"boom!"
The moment the falcon plummeted straight down, Xuan Yuan's body was flung dozens of meters away, flying deeper into the dense forest.
Finally, he landed in a patch of flowers covered with short thorns. The flowers were an eerily bright blood red, but the thorns, no longer than a fingernail, pierced him to the bone, and he couldn't get up for a while.
After a while, when the surroundings returned to their original calm, Xuan Yuan supported himself on the ground with one hand and slowly got up, enduring the excruciating pain.
However, his right shoulder was covered with thorns, and as the poison penetrated, more and more blood flowed, and stains gradually appeared on his black robe.