Chapter 270: Attack Missed

Fire Elves surged like a tide, scorching flames licking everyone's defenses.

Xingji Xiake swung his long sword, the sword light like a silver dragon, slashing the charging Fire Elves in two.

The mysterious Elf moved nimbly, like a phantom weaving among the Fire Elves, sharp daggers leaving streaks of wounds on them.

The two coordinated seamlessly, gradually eliminating a portion of the Fire Elves, but against the massive army it was merely a drop in the bucket.

"Xingling, are you alright?" Guangming Shizhe asked anxiously.

Xingling had already expended a great deal of energy in the earlier battle; now, to resist the Flame Witch's attack, her body flickered even more violently, as if she might vanish at any moment.

"I... I can still hold on..." Xingling's voice was weak, but her tone firm.

Everyone understood that Xingling's perseverance was just a forced endurance; she could collapse at any time.

"Damn, this witch is so hard to deal with!" Blue Star Guardian smashed a Fire Elf with a single punch, yet more Fire Elves surged forward relentlessly.

"We must find a way to break the encirclement!" Zhang Cheng deflected the Fire Elves' assaults while anxiously searching for a breach.

Kelinda's special ability was suppressed by the flames and could barely protect herself.

The Flame Witch looked at the group's disheveled state and laughed brazenly: "You think you can stand against me? That's pure delusion!" The gaunt man behind her shrieked in agreement: "Exactly! A bunch of trash dares to challenge our great Flame Witch!" The other pirates jeered arrogantly, as if victory were within easy reach.

At that moment, a melodious flute tone grew nearer, casting a shadow over everyone's hearts.

A figure drifted slowly from deep within the maze, clad in a gray robe, his long gray‑white hair fluttering in the wind, holding an oddly shaped flute—none other than the Wind Whisperer.

He ignored the crowd, placed the flute to his lips, and began to play gently.

The flute sound was fine as silk yet carried a strange magic that unsettled the mind.

"Careful! That flute tone is odd!" Xingyun Zhizhe shouted, feeling a powerful force approaching that made him uneasy.

The Wind Whisperer's flute grew increasingly frantic, the surrounding wind turning violent, forming small tornadoes that swept toward the group… The Gray‑bearded Elder sighed, shook his head.

The Shadow Assassin snorted coldly, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

The Wind Whisperer's flute became sharper, the mini tornadoes raged, the group struggled to cope, danger mounting.

Xingji Xiake's long sword was caught by the wind, nearly slipping from his grasp; Blue Star Guardian was lifted halfway into the air by a tornado and crashed heavily to the ground.

"We can't keep going like this!" Xingyun Zhizhe furrowed his brows, scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on crystals embedded in the maze wall that glimmered faintly, and his mind stirred.

"These crystals... could they be?!"

He examined the crystals' color and pattern, gradually finding an answer.

"Water attribute! These crystals contain abundant water element! The Flame Witch's fire is exactly restrained by water!" he shouted excitedly, "Everyone, attack these crystals and release the water element!"

Upon hearing him, the group instantly understood Xingyun Zhizhe's intent.

Xingji Xiake's sword struck the crystals, shattering them; a gush of cool water burst forth, colliding with the flames and producing a sizzle.

Fire Elves meeting the water stream melted rapidly, like ice under scorching sun.

Blue Star Guardian reacted, swinging his massive fist to smash the crystals, releasing more water that formed a curtain protecting everyone inside.

The Flame Witch's assault visibly weakened; she roared in fury, "What is happening? My fire is being suppressed!" The gaunt man and the other pirates panicked, their earlier swagger vanished.

"Now it's my turn!" Kelinda inhaled deeply, clasped her hands, a flash of brilliance crossing her eyes.

The air around her began to warp; a powerful suction appeared out of nowhere, rapidly draining the air around the Flame Witch, creating a vacuum zone.

Deprived of fuel, the Flame Witch's fire extinguished instantly; she collapsed helplessly, temporarily losing combat ability.

"We succeeded!" the group cheered, the joy of surviving the calamity shining on every face.

Xingling's body also ceased flickering; she weakly smiled, "That's great..."

The Gray‑bearded Elder brushed his beard, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

The Shadow Assassin snorted coldly, turned and vanished into the depths of the maze.

The Wind Whisperer stopped playing, gave the group a deep look, his figure gradually faded, and finally disappeared.

Zhang Cheng watched the cheering crowd, his heart filled with emotion.

He walked to Xingji Xiake, gave his shoulder a heavy pat, then went to Blue Star Guardian and gave him a hug...

Zhang Cheng watched the cheering crowd, his eyes slightly moist.

He approached Xingji Xiake, gave his shoulder a firm pat; Xingji Xiake grinned, flashing white teeth: "Captain, we won!" Zhang Cheng nodded, his gaze full of gratitude and trust.

He then went to Blue Star Guardian, gave him a hug; Blue Star Guardian clumsily returned the embrace, saying in a muffled voice, "Captain, I'm fine." Zhang Cheng went to each companion, expressing thanks and encouragement; the companions felt his sincere feeling, their fighting spirit soaring.

Suddenly, a melodious flute tone rang through the air, chilling everyone; it was the Wind Whisperer whose music had almost led them to total defeat earlier!

A wavering figure slowly appeared at the maze's corner, it was the Wind Whisperer.

He wore a gray robe, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood, holding a bone flute.

"You have disrupted the maze's balance," the Wind Whisperer said in a low voice, tinged with anger, "The Flame Witch is the maze's guardian; you should not have defeated her."

"Guardian? She almost killed us!" Xingji Xiake shouted angrily, drawing his long sword, pointing at the Wind Whisperer, "Are you also here to die?"

The Wind Whisperer sneered, "Ignorant! The Flame Witch exists to maintain the maze's energy balance; by defeating her, the maze's energy will go out of control!" He raised the bone flute to his lips, gave a gentle blow, and a gale roared out, charging the group.

"Everyone, watch out!" Zhang Cheng shouted, and Xingyun Zhizhe immediately projected an energy barrier, blocking the gale's impact.

Kelinda clasped her hands, ready to unleash suction again, but found the Wind Whisperer's wind erratic, impossible to lock onto.

"His wind is different from before!" Kelinda's face grew solemn.

Blue Star Guardian roared, charged at the Wind Whisperer, his massive fist striking with a whoosh, but the Wind Whisperer flickered like a phantom, disappearing from the spot and reappearing behind Blue Star Guardian.

"Too slow." The Wind Whisperer smiled contemptuously, swung his bone flute, a wind blade slashed across Blue Star Guardian's back, leaving a deep wound.

Blue Star Guardian let out a muted grunt, dropping to one knee.

"I'll go!" Xingji Xiake moved like lightning, sprinting toward the Wind Whisperer, his long sword turning into a silver flash, thrusting at the Whisperer's throat.

Surprise flickered in the Wind Whisperer's eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Xingji Xiake's speed to be so great...

Xingji Xiake's sword danced like a silver snake, its light flashing, closing in on the Whisperer's vital point.

Yet the Wind Whisperer drifted, as if merged with the wind, each attack missing its mark.

The Wind Speaker waved his bone flute, and wind blades as sharp as knife edges cut through the air, producing a mournful howl that forced the Xingji Xiake to retreat repeatedly.

"The speed's decent, but the strength is too weak," the Wind Speaker mocked, his voice like the wind—fleeting and hard to grasp.

The Xingji Xiake clenched his teeth, knowing he must find the Wind Speaker's weakness.

He stopped blindly attacking and began observing the Wind Speaker's movements, seeking the pattern of its attacks.

The Wind Speaker's attacks, though swift, seemed to follow a rhythm; each wind blade appeared accompanied by a specific note from the bone flute.

The Xingji Xiake's gaze grew sharper; he began to anticipate the wind blades' trajectories and used his agile body to dodge.

The wind blades brushed past him time after time, yet never managed to touch his body.

"Interesting," the Wind Speaker seemed to notice the Xingji Xiake's change; his attacks grew harsher, and the wind blades' speed and number surged dramatically.

Inside the maze's corridor, gale howls and shards of stone spray, and the Xingji Xiake darts through the wind blades like a lone boat amid raging waves.

At that moment, the Wind Speaker suddenly halted his attack. He let the bone flute in his hand dangle, his gaze turning toward the maze's depths, a strange hue flashing in his eyes.

"It's coming..." the Wind Speaker whispered, a trace of awe in his voice.

A chill rose in everyone's hearts as they all looked toward the maze's depths. A powerful pressure emanated from the darkness, as if a terrifying presence were awakening.

"What's happening?" Zhang Cheng whispered, his hand gripping his weapon tightly, his heart filled with unease.

Xingyun Zhizhe furrowed his brows, feeling a massive energy surge approaching, far surpassing any foe they had previously faced.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness, each step seeming to tread upon everyone's hearts.

The ground trembled slightly, and a suffocating pressure spread through the air.

The Wind Speaker slowly retreated, revealing a bizarre smile.

"Welcome... master..."