A Fantasy Love Story Across the Warring States Period

Chapter 98 Overcoming Obstacles and New Mysteries

The woman in black robes, the man in white, and Ling'er struggled to move forward in the howling wind. The gale, carrying sharp sand and stones, lashed at them like a ferocious beast. The wind howled past, its piercing sound seemingly mocking their pathetic state. Ling'er's eyes were tightly shut, her face stinging from the sand and stones. She clung tightly to the woman in black robes, terrified, silently praying that the terrible wind would stop soon.

The woman in black gritted her teeth, her heart filled with defiance. She was determined not to be trapped here; she had to lead Ling'er and the man in white to the exit and uncover the secret behind everything. She shouted, "Don't stop, everyone! Hold on! The exit is just ahead!" Her voice was mercilessly blown away by the gale, but her unwavering belief only grew stronger in the hearts of the three of them.

The man in white tried to shield his face with his sleeves while simultaneously using his spiritual power to create a thin protective layer in front of him. However, the power of the gale was too great, and the protective layer flickered constantly, seemingly on the verge of shattering. He squinted at the light that was so close yet seemed impossibly far away, silently pondering a way to deal with it. His gaze inadvertently swept across the walls of the passage, and he noticed that the once smooth jade walls had faintly developed strange patterns under the raging wind, like ancient incantations, emitting a faint glow.

Just as they felt they were about to be completely swallowed by the gale, the man in white suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He remembered the array patterns on the stone bridge earlier, and perhaps the patterns appearing on the walls of this passage were also a kind of array. If they could break it, they might be able to stop the gale. He hurriedly shouted to the woman in black and Ling'er, "You two hold on first, let me look at the patterns on the wall, maybe there's a way!" After saying that, he braved the gale and struggled to approach the wall, carefully examining the shimmering patterns.

Upon hearing this, the woman in black and Ling'er exerted all their strength to steady themselves and fight against the raging wind. Although Ling'er was afraid, seeing the determination of the people in white and black, she encouraged herself and clenched her small hands into fists.

The man in white was intently studying the patterns on the wall, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and sliding down his cheeks before being swept away by the gust of wind. He probed the patterns with his spiritual energy, and finally, after some trial and error, he found the key. He then channeled a powerful surge of spiritual energy into the core pattern. Instantly, a soft light spread from the wall, and the raging wind seemed to be held still by an invisible hand, gradually subsiding. The sand and stones fell away, and the passage returned to calm.

The three breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged glances at each other's disheveled appearance, and all wore smiles of relief. "Thanks to you, otherwise we really don't know how long we would have been trapped here," the woman in black said gratefully to the man in white. The man in white smiled slightly, waved his hand, and said, "Don't be too happy yet, who knows what awaits us ahead."

As they spoke, they walked quickly toward the light. As they got closer, the light became more and more dazzling. When they got closer, they found that it was a huge circular opening. Outside the opening, there seemed to be an open space, but it was blocked by a thin layer of light, so they could not see clearly.

The man in white reached out and gently touched the light barrier. Sensing no danger, he slowly increased the pressure. The light barrier rippled and then slowly opened a crack, just big enough for one person to pass through. The man in white slipped through first, followed closely by the woman in black, who was pulling Ling'er along.

Passing through the light curtain, a strange scene unfolded before my eyes. It resembled a vast valley, surrounded by mountains covered in lush greenery. However, the leaves were not the usual green; instead, they shimmered with iridescent colors, rustling softly in the breeze as if playing a mystical melody. A thin mist hung over the valley, within which various exotic flowers and plants could be faintly seen, emitting a refreshing and intoxicating fragrance.

Ling'er opened her eyes wide with excitement, looking at the dreamlike scenery. She couldn't help but break free from the black-robed woman's hand and run towards the flower bushes, shouting, "Sister, this place is so beautiful!" The black-robed woman was about to tell Ling'er to be careful when she saw Ling'er already squatting in front of the flower bushes, gently stroking the delicate flowers with her little hands.

Just then, the man in white frowned. He looked around, a strange unease rising in his heart. This beautiful place was eerily quiet, and he felt as if countless eyes were watching them from the shadows. He lowered his voice and said to the woman in black, "This place is too strange. Let Ling'er come back first. We should be careful." Upon hearing this, the woman in black quickly called out to Ling'er, "Ling'er, come back quickly! Don't run around!"

Hearing the shouts, Ling'er stood up, preparing to turn back. Suddenly, the ground around the flowerbed began to shift, and several strange-looking small beasts emerged from the ground. They were small in size but had sharp claws and teeth, their bodies covered in fur, their eyes gleaming fiercely as they bared their teeth and roared at Ling'er. Ling'er turned pale with fright and stood frozen in place, not knowing what to do.

Seeing this, the woman in black robes was frantic and immediately drew her sword and rushed over. The man in white robes also played his jade flute, and spiritual energy transformed into beams of light that attacked the small beasts. Although the small beasts were not large, they were extremely agile, nimbly dodging the attacks, and then split into several groups to surround the three of them.

The woman in black robes protected Ling'er while fighting the small beast, filled with remorse for not watching Ling'er closely enough and putting her in danger. Ling'er clung tightly to the woman in black robes, tears welling in her eyes, her heart filled with self-reproach, feeling that her recklessness had brought trouble upon everyone.

While dealing with the small beasts, the man in white observed his surroundings. He noticed a cave on one side of the valley, its entrance emanating faint fluctuations of spiritual energy, suggesting that something crucial might be there to escape these troublesome creatures. He shouted, "Go to that cave! There might be a way there!"

The three fought and retreated, moving towards the cave. The small beasts pursued relentlessly, their attacks becoming increasingly fierce. Just as they were about to reach the cave entrance, a powerful suction force suddenly surged out from inside the cave, as if trying to suck everything in.

"What's going on now?" the woman in black exclaimed, but it was too late to stop. They were swept away by the suction force and flown into the cave. The three struggled in the pull, their hearts filled with fear and confusion, unsure of what unknown dangers awaited them inside. What secrets lay hidden deep within the cave? Everything remained a mystery, waiting for them to unveil its secrets…