The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Chapter 473

With unwavering resolve, Jing Chu, the pharmacist, and their companions stepped into the eerie mist. The mist was as thick as ink, each strand seemingly whispering tales of unknown danger. The moment they entered, a chilling aura swept over them.

The moment their feet touched the ground, a faint yet chilling "click-click" sound came from all directions. Before they could react, countless gleaming arrows rained down from every direction like a storm. The arrows slicing through the air with sharp whistling sounds, like the death knell's clarion call.

Jing Chu's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, he shouted, "Watch out!" He then lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped high into the air like a nimble cheetah, his body tracing a graceful arc. His companions also swiftly displayed their superior lightness skills; some dodged sideways with the agility of swallows, while others darted through the gaps in the arrows like fish.

While dodging the arrows, the pharmacist, relying on his keen senses honed over many years, sensed the deadly danger lurking within the mist. His face turned deathly pale, and he hurriedly shouted a warning to the others: "Oh no! There's a hallucinogenic toxin in this mist! Cover your mouths and noses!" Upon hearing this, everyone quickly pulled out the cloths they had prepared beforehand, tightly covering their mouths and noses, and continued to cautiously venture deeper into the mist.

As they moved forward, the surrounding fog thickened, reducing visibility to almost nothing. Suddenly, several strangely shaped figures slowly emerged from the fog—the vanguard guards of the evil faction. These guards were terrifying in appearance, their bodies twisted and contorted, as if reshaped by some evil force. They gripped strangely shaped, eerie weapons in their hands, and each step they took was accompanied by a low roar.

Before Jing Chu and the others could make adequate preparations, these vanguard guards had already attacked with vicious weapons and ruthless moves. Their attacks were chaotic yet deadly, each strike carrying a putrid stench that made them want to vomit.

Jing Chu's gaze was resolute. He swung his longsword, drawing a sharp arc, and engaged a vanguard guard in battle. His swordsmanship flowed like clouds and water, each move imbued with profound internal energy, aimed directly at his opponent's vitals. The pharmacist assisted him from the side, skillfully using his superb medical skills and agile movements to sometimes evade enemy attacks, and at other times seize opportunities to deliver a heavy blow with his pestle. The other companions also unleashed their unique skills, engaging in fierce close combat with the evil guards. They cooperated seamlessly, like a tightly coordinated fighting machine, supporting each other and gradually gaining the upper hand in the battle.

However, just as everyone thought victory was imminent, a sinister laugh echoed from the depths of the mist. Immediately afterward, a powerful figure exuding a black, malevolent aura slowly appeared. His eyes revealed boundless evil and arrogance. With a flick of his black staff and incantations, he instantly summoned a massive black vortex. This vortex, like a bottomless black hole, emitted a powerful suction force, attempting to devour Jing Chu and the others.

Seeing this, Jing Chu's expression turned solemn. He knew the power of this evil magic and dared not be careless in the slightest. He took a deep breath, concentrated all his energy, and channeled his powerful inner strength into the sword. Then, he roared, leaped high into the air, and swung his sword towards the black vortex. A dazzling sword light flashed, carrying boundless sharpness and power, and slashed fiercely at the center of the vortex.

Meanwhile, his companions also exerted their strength. Some unleashed powerful palm techniques, pushing the surging force towards the vortex in an attempt to weaken its suction; others used hidden weapons to attack the evil master, interfering with his spellcasting. With everyone working together, the suction of the black vortex gradually weakened. After a hard-fought battle, they finally broke free from the vortex's hold.

But the evil master was unwilling to accept defeat. Enraged, he brandished his staff again, chanting incantations. This time, he summoned a horde of beasts controlled by evil magic. These beasts were enormous, covered in sharp fangs and claws, their eyes gleaming with blood-red light, and they were incredibly ferocious. They roared and pounced madly on Jing Chu and the others.

Faced with this sudden crisis, Jing Chu and the others remained fearless. They quickly calmed themselves and began to skillfully use the surrounding terrain and their weapons to fight off the wild beasts. Jing Chu used the trees as cover, nimbly moving through the forest, occasionally delivering a fatal blow with his sword. The apothecary climbed a large tree, crafting poison into projectiles and throwing them at the pack of beasts to weaken their fighting ability. The other companions also displayed their unique skills; some used traps to ensnare the beasts, while others engaged them in close combat, using their superb martial arts to deflect their attacks.

After a fierce battle, Jing Chu and his companions finally defeated the group of beasts and evil masters controlled by sorcery. They rested briefly before continuing their advance, eventually finding the evil sect's lair. However, the moment they stepped inside, they discovered it was riddled with traps and mechanisms. The walls were concealed with hidden arrows and traps, and the floor was covered in eerie runes; a single misstep could trigger a deadly trap.

As Jing Chu and his group arrived at the entrance to the evil sect's lair, a decaying and sinister aura assaulted their senses. An eerie silence permeated the surroundings, as if countless eyes were lurking in the darkness, watching them. Jing Chu's eyes instantly sharpened. He narrowed them slightly, his gaze sweeping across everything around him with piercing intensity. Then, he raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to be quiet and cautious.

Amidst the tense and expectant gazes of the crowd, Jing Chu took a deep breath and cautiously took the first step. His gaze was fixed on the strange runes on the ground, which exuded a mysterious aura, seemingly containing endless danger. Relying on his limited understanding of mechanisms accumulated from his past adventures in the martial world, Jing Chu began to move slowly and meticulously, each step feeling like a tense game of wits with an invisible enemy. His brow was furrowed, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes revealed focus and determination, not overlooking any detail that might conceal danger.

Suddenly, without warning, the runes beneath Jing Chu's feet flashed a blinding red light, the glow like the eyes of a demon, appearing particularly terrifying in the darkness. Immediately afterward, a sharp whistling sound ripped through the silence, and several arrows coated with deadly poison sprang from the wall, raining down on Jing Chu. These poisoned arrows were incredibly fast, their tips gleaming coldly, like messengers of death.

Jing Chu reacted with lightning speed. In the instant the red light flashed, his body instinctively dodged to the side, his movements as agile as a cheetah. At the same time, his longsword flashed like a silver lightning bolt, the blade whistling as it scraped against the air. In that critical moment, Jing Chu, with his superb swordsmanship and extraordinary reflexes, deflected some of the poisoned arrows aimed at him. The sounds of metal clashing were crisp and rapid, sparks flying in the darkness; each clash of sword and arrow seemed to hover on the edge of life and death.

The pharmacist witnessed this thrilling scene, his eyes fixed on the flashing runes on the ground, his mind racing. Relying on his years of honed insight, he tried to find a pattern in the changes of the runes. After a moment, a glint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he shouted, "Everyone, follow where I'm stepping! I've found a safe route!" With that, the pharmacist cautiously took his first steps, each one precise and firm, as if he had found a guiding light in the darkness.

Upon hearing this, the companions breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing trust. They followed closely behind the apothecary, proceeding cautiously. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the apothecary's steps, afraid of making the slightest mistake. Led by the apothecary, the group successfully avoided one dangerous trap after another hidden underground, gradually delving deeper into the lair.

However, the deeper they ventured, the more complex and dangerous the mechanisms became. Suddenly, a gigantic rotating wheel appeared in the path ahead. This wheel was several meters tall and as thick as two people could hug. It was covered with sharp blades, each gleaming coldly like the fangs of a demon. At this moment, the wheel was spinning rapidly at an incredible speed, emitting a whooshing sound, and a powerful gust of air rushed towards them, sending chills down their spines. This enormous wheel was like an insurmountable steel barrier, relentlessly blocking their path.

Jing Chu stood before the spinning wheel, his brow furrowed in deep thought. His eyes revealed determination and composure as his mind raced, searching for a solution to this challenge. After a moment's contemplation, Jing Chu's gaze fell upon a massive boulder nearby, and a daring idea surfaced in his mind—to use his internal energy to push the boulder against the spinning wheel, thus slowing its rotation.

Jing Chu quickly shared his idea with his companions, who all nodded in agreement. So, working together, they channeled their inner strength and placed their hands on the boulder. With a unified shout, they exerted their strength simultaneously, and the boulder, propelled by the powerful internal force, slowly moved towards the rotating wheel. Initially, the boulder moved slowly, but as the group increased their strength, its speed increased, eventually crashing into the wheel like an enraged bull.

With a deafening roar, the boulder slammed heavily into the spinning wheel. The wheel, jolted violently by the impact, slowed its rotation slightly. Seeing his opportunity, Jing Chu shouted, lightly touched the ground with his feet, and charged towards the wheel like an arrow. His body nimbly weaved through the rapidly spinning blades, each dodge a close call, lest he be sliced ​​to pieces.

Led by Jing Chu, his companions followed suit. Mustering their courage, they used their martial arts skills and agility to find safe gaps between the rotating wheels, successfully passing through one by one. Finally, they overcame this seemingly insurmountable obstacle and continued deeper into the evil sect's lair.

Having overcome the rotating mechanism, the group breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they could finally advance deeper into the evil sect's lair. But just then, without warning, the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently. The tremors grew stronger and stronger, as if a thousand horses were galloping underground, shaking them so much that they could barely stand and had to support each other.

Immediately following, accompanied by a chilling "crackling" sound, the ground began to crack, and huge fissures rapidly spread outwards. From these fissures emerged a group of short, yet incredibly ferocious, earth-walking demons. These demons were no more than half the height of a normal human, yet their appearance was grotesque and terrifying. Their skin was as black as iron, gleaming with a cold luster in the dim light, as if they were wearing an indestructible armor; their claws were long and sharp, like pointed daggers, capable of slicing through the air with a hissing sound; and they emitted sharp, piercing cries, like the hooting of an owl, sending chills down one's spine.

Before Jing Chu and the others could even catch their breath, the earth-walking demons lunged at them, baring their fangs and claws. Jing Chu's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, he brandished his longsword. The sword danced, the wind whistling, like a silver lightning bolt weaving through the darkness. Each swing carried a fierce momentum, and wherever it struck, the earth-walking demons screamed and fell to the ground. However, the earth-walking demons were numerous, advancing wave after wave, showing no sign of retreat.

The pharmacist busied himself nearby. He used his superb medical skills to stop the bleeding, bandage, and channel internal energy into his injured companions, while simultaneously crafting simple hidden weapons from the surrounding herbs. With practiced ease, he quickly kneaded the herbs into a ball, infused it with his inner strength, and launched it towards the earth-walking demon. Once these herbal weapons hit, the earth-walking demon would writhe in agony, temporarily losing its ability to attack.

But as the battle continued, the earth-walking demons surged forth in ever-growing numbers, seemingly endless. They poured in from all directions, the encirclement growing ever smaller. The group gradually became exhausted, and everyone sustained injuries of varying degrees. Sweat soaked their clothes, mingling with blood, dripping onto the ground beneath their feet.

In this extremely critical moment, Jing Chu keenly noticed during the fierce battle that these earth-walking demons seemed to be emerging from a huge cave. A thought struck him, and without hesitation, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, follow me to block the cave entrance! If we block the entrance and cut off their reinforcements, we'll have a chance of winning!" Hearing this, his companions' eyes rekindled with hope. Despite their exhaustion, they cooperated, forming a tight defensive formation, fighting their way towards the cave with great difficulty.

The earth-walking demon seemed to have sensed the group's intentions, and its attack became even more ferocious.