A Fantasy Love Story Across the Warring States Period

Chapter 88 A Narrow Escape and New Mysteries

Under the ferocious attack of the behemoth, cracks spread rapidly across the spiritual energy cage like a spiderweb. The chilling cracking sounds were like the tolling of a death countdown, each strike striking the hearts of everyone present. Huanmo gripped his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the crumbling cage, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His heart was filled with tension and determination: "This is the only chance we have. We cannot perish here. The secret of the box awaits our unlocking, and the world still needs our protection!"

The woman in black robes was deathly pale, her palms sweating profusely, yet she gripped her sword hilt tightly, constantly encouraging herself, "Don't be afraid, there's always a way. We've overcome so many hardships, we can do it again!" The man in white was much calmer, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the giant beast and the cage, trying to find a fleeting glimmer of hope. He held the jade flute even tighter in his hand; it was the only weapon he could rely on at this moment. Ling'er bit her lip, her large eyes filled with stubbornness, the ribbon in her hand poised to be released, her small body trembling slightly with tension.

Finally, with another powerful swing of its claws, the spiritual energy cage shattered completely with a "crash." As fragments flew, everyone quickly scattered in different directions as planned. The giant beast seemed stunned, not expecting these tiny humans to dare to disperse on their own initiative. It roared, its massive body turning around, its large, bell-like eyes locking onto the black-robed woman closest to it, and it opened its blood-red maw to bite her.

The woman in black robes felt a foul stench emanating from behind, her heart leaping into her throat. Without pausing, she swiftly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast's attack. Its sharp teeth grazed the hem of her clothing, sending a chill down her spine. "That was close!" the woman thought to herself, relieved. She twirled her longsword a few times, then thrust it towards the beast's leg, attempting to immobilize it.

Seizing the opportunity, Huanmo leaped into the air, channeling her spiritual energy into her sword. The blade instantly shone brightly, and she thrust it fiercely towards the giant beast's eye. Sensing the danger, the beast tilted its head, and Huanmo's sword grazed its eyelid. Although it didn't strike a vital spot, it left a shallow mark on its hard scales. The pain caused the giant beast to roar again, furiously whipping its tail, sending dust flying around it.

The man in white stood not far away, channeling his spiritual energy into his jade flute and playing a rapid, sharp melody. The melody transformed into invisible blades that flew towards the giant beast. The blades cut into the beast's scales, making clanging sounds. Although they didn't cause much damage, they successfully attracted some of the beast's attention, causing it to momentarily lose focus.

Ling'er waved her colorful ribbons, which emitted a soft glow. The glow converged to form beams of light that enveloped the giant beast. The moment the light beams touched the beast, its movements slowed for a split second. Ling'er excitedly shouted, "Quick, everyone! It seems afraid of my light beams!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and they intensified their attacks. Huanmo leaped high into the air again, shouting, "Take this!" This time, he poured all his spiritual power into the sword, the light on it almost materializing, and thrust it towards the giant beast's throat. Sensing a deadly threat, the giant beast tried to dodge but was held back by the attacks of the woman in black robes, the man in white, and Ling'er, and had no time to evade. With a "thud," Huanmo's sword successfully pierced the giant beast's throat, black blood gushing out. The giant beast let out a shrill scream, its massive body crashing to the ground, shaking violently.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they looked at the fallen giant beast, their tense nerves finally relaxing. But before they could even recover, the surrounding environment changed again. The stone pillar that had been emitting a ghostly blue light began to shake violently, and the runes on the pillar shone even brighter, eventually converging into beams of light that shot into the air. The beams intertwined, forming a huge vortex.

Blurry images faintly appeared within the vortex, seemingly depicting a mysterious palace with its doors tightly shut, bearing the same mysterious symbols as those on the previous light screen. Huanmo stared at the images in the vortex, his mind filled with doubt: "Could this behemoth be merely a checkpoint guarding this place, and the real secret lie within the palace? But what is hidden within that palace?"

The woman in black patted the dust off her clothes and looked at the vortex, saying, "No matter what, we've come this far. We have to go in and take a look. Maybe we can completely unlock the secret of the Seven-Colored Box." The man in white nodded slightly, put away his jade flute, his eyes filled with determination: "Indeed, we can't give up halfway. But this vortex looks dangerous, everyone be careful." Ling'er looked at the vortex curiously, her big eyes full of anticipation: "Wow, there seems to be something magical in there. Ling'er wants to go in and see."

They exchanged glances and mustered their courage to walk towards the vortex. As soon as they stepped inside, they felt a powerful suction force, as if trying to pull their souls in. The surrounding light became dazzlingly multicolored, making them feel dizzy, and their bodies drifted uncontrollably with the suction.

After an unknown amount of time, the dizziness gradually subsided, and the group slowly opened their eyes to find themselves standing before a magnificent palace. The palace walls soared into the clouds, entirely constructed of a jade stone that radiated a mysterious luster. Mysterious symbols on the gates flickered with an eerie light, as if scrutinizing these uninvited guests. The area around the palace was deathly silent, without a single sound, yet an inexplicable sense of oppression permeated the air.

Huanmo stepped forward, reaching out to touch the door. Just as his fingers were about to touch it, a sinister laugh suddenly echoed around him, reverberating in front of the empty palace and sending chills down his spine. "Who is it? Come out!" Huanmo shouted, gripping his sword tightly as he warily scanned his surroundings, but he couldn't see anyone.

Everyone tensed up, huddling back to back in a defensive circle, warily watching their surroundings. However, the sinister laughter continued unabated, seemingly coming from all directions, yet its source remained elusive. Just then, the palace door slowly opened a crack, and a chilling draft, carrying wisps of mist, escaped. Something seemed to be slowly wriggling within the mist, gradually approaching them, while they remained completely unaware of the terrifying entity they were about to face…