Chapter 313

After saying this, he once again focused his energy, mobilized the power within his body, and stared intently at the barrier, trying to find its flaw.

After a careful observation, Li An discovered that the upper-right corner of the barrier had a spot where the energy fluctuation was relatively weak.

"There!" he shouted in a low voice, his figure leaping up in an instant, the longsword in his hand gathering tremendous power as he thrust with all his might toward the upper-right corner of the barrier.

At the same time, Teacher Hirasawa Shizuka and Yukinoshita Haruno also attacked in tacit synchronization, channeling their own power onto Li An's sword.

Under the combined assault of the three, a crack finally appeared in the barrier, and then with a "bang," it shattered completely and dissipated.

An ancient and mysterious aura rushed out from within the cave.

"Let's go, in to take a look." Li An stepped into the cave first, and the others followed closely behind.

The inside of the cave was dark and damp, with faint fluorescent stones glimmering on the walls, illuminating the path forward.

As they walked, several forks in the road suddenly appeared ahead.

"Which path should we take?" Yuigahama Yui asked with some worry.

Li An looked around, and relying on his keen intuition, pointed at the path in the middle: "This way."

The group advanced along the path Li An had indicated, and before long they heard the sound of gurgling flowing water.

Continuing forward, they discovered an underground river; the water was clear to the bottom, yet it emanated wisps of cold air.

"This river water is bone-chillingly cold, how do we get across?" Teacher Hirasawa Shizuka said with a frown.

Li An's gaze swept over the surroundings, and he noticed some enormous boulders by the riverbank; an idea struck him: "We can use these boulders to bridge across the river."

After saying this, his figure flashed, and he arrived beside the boulders, wrapped both arms around a massive boulder, and easily moved it onto the surface of the river.

Under Li An's lead, the group worked together with one mind, and soon they had built a simple stone bridge, crossing the underground river smoothly.

After crossing the underground river, the space inside the cave gradually grew more open, and a massive stone gate appeared ahead.

The stone gate was covered in all manner of mysterious runes and patterns, emanating a powerful oppressive aura.

"Behind this stone gate, it must be the core area of the cave," Yukinoshita Haruno said softly.

Li An stepped forward and carefully studied the runes on the stone gate.

A moment later, he formed hand seals, and a ray of light shot out from his hands, merging into the runes of the stone gate.

As the light flickered, the stone gate slowly opened, and an even denser mysterious aura rushed out to meet them.

Behind the stone gate was a massive hall; at the center of the hall sat a huge treasure chest, with various lights flickering around it—clearly sealed by a powerful enchantment.

"What's inside this treasure chest?" Yuigahama Yui asked curiously.

A hint of excitement flashed in Li An's eyes: "Whatever's inside, it's surely no ordinary item."

So he walked toward the treasure chest. However, the instant he approached the chest, a group of guardian spirits suddenly appeared around them; these guardian spirits were of varied forms, emanating powerful auras, and surrounded them completely.

"Hmph, you want to stop me?" Li An snorted coldly, the aura around his body surging explosively, the longsword in his hand humming.

The guardian spirits seemed to sense Li An's power and launched their attack without hesitation.

They spewed various elemental forces from their mouths, sweeping toward Li An and the others.

Li An's figure flashed as he dodged the attack, and at the same time his longsword swept out, a powerful sword qi slashing toward the group of guardian spirits.

Wherever the sword qi passed, several guardian spirits were instantly cleaved in two, dissolving into light.

"Everyone be careful, these guardian spirits are no easy opponents!" Teacher Hirasawa Shizuka reminded loudly, brandishing her weapon at the same time as she engaged the guardian spirits in fierce combat.

Yukinoshita Haruno also cast her own magic, helping everyone resist the guardian spirits' attacks.

Although Yuigahama Yui's strength was relatively weak, she still cheered everyone on from the side, while searching for the guardian spirits' weak points, occasionally using her weapon to launch a sneak attack.

Li An moved through the group of guardian spirits as if passing through empty air; his swordsmanship was exquisitely brilliant, every strike precisely hitting the guardian spirits' vital points.

Under his lead, the group gradually gained the upper hand, and the number of guardian spirits grew fewer and fewer.

"Only the last few left, everyone give it your all!" Li An shouted loudly, the longsword in his hand blazing with light as he unleashed his ultimate technique.

A brilliant sword shadow flashed past, and the last few guardian spirits were utterly destroyed as well.

After dealing with the guardian spirits, Li An came before the treasure chest and once again studied the seal upon it.

This time the seal was even more complex, but Li An did not retreat. Relying on his own wisdom and powerful strength, after much effort he finally broke the seal.

The treasure chest slowly opened, and a dazzling ray of light shot out from within, illuminating the entire hall.

The group looked closely and saw that inside the chest lay a treasured sword emanating a mysterious aura, a secret manual recording a world-shaking cultivation method, and several gems radiating powerful energy.

"These treasures are simply too astonishing!" Yuigahama Yui exclaimed in awe.

Li An picked up the treasured sword and gave it a light swing; the sword let out a clear, ringing cry, as if cheering at the arrival of its master.

"This treasured sword is fated to be mine, so I'll take it," he said with a smile.

Afterward, he handed the secret manual and gems to Yukinoshita Haruno and Teacher Hirasawa Shizuka: "Take these; they should be of great help to your cultivation."

Yukinoshita Haruno took the secret manual, a delighted smile appearing on her face: "Thank you very much, my lord Li An."

Teacher Hirasawa Shizuka also took the gems and said gratefully: "Li An, this time it's all thanks to you—otherwise we never could have obtained these treasures."

Li An smiled and shook his head: "We're a team; these are everyone's shared harvest."

Carrying the treasures, the group left the cave and continued exploring and advancing within this starry sacred land.