Chapter 212: The Path of Chasing Light

"Let's go take a look." Ji Chen pulled Ceng Yue's hand, his tone firm, his eyes flickering with curiosity about the unknown and a hint of excitement.

He did not offer much explanation, and as always, Ceng Yue did not ask, simply nodding slightly and gripping his hand back.

The two turned and walked in the direction of that fleeting flash of light, leaving behind the cheering crowd and countless gazes filled with awe and confusion.

They did not fly through the air, choosing instead to walk.

In this city that had been baptized by a great battle, the scene was one of devastation, with broken walls and ruined pillars telling the tale of the fierce combat that had just occurred.

The figures of Ji Chen and Ceng Yue wove through the ruins like two sharp swords cutting through the darkness, firm and swift.

The surrounding Ability Users watched them depart.

Gradually, the clamor was left behind, replaced by an eerie silence.

The air was permeated with a faint scent of decay, making one feel quite uncomfortable.

The surrounding vegetation had also become sparse and twisted, as if it had been eroded by some kind of force.

"Be careful, something doesn't feel right here." Ceng Yue whispered a warning; she had keenly sensed the changes in the surrounding environment, and a rare look of gravity appeared on her cool, indifferent face.

Ji Chen also heightened his vigilance, slowing his pace to carefully observe everything around him.

Suddenly, his foot went soft, and his body involuntarily began to sink!

"A swamp!" Ji Chen was startled, hurriedly circulating his Supernatural Ability in an attempt to steady himself.

However, this swamp seemed to possess a strange suction; his legs sank deeper and deeper, and a cold energy spread upward along his ankles, as if it wanted to Devour him.

"Ji Chen!" Ceng Yue exclaimed, reaching out to grab him.

However, the edge of the swamp was exceptionally slippery, and losing her balance, she was nearly dragged in as well.

At the critical moment, she pulled her hand back sharply, barely managing to steady herself.

"Don't come over!" Ji Chen shouted, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead.

He felt his body being devoured bit by bit, a sensation that filled him with immense fear.

Ceng Yue's face was pale; she bit her lip tightly, her gaze searching the surroundings anxiously, hoping to find something that could help Ji Chen.

Yet, there was nothing around but barren land and the eerie swamp...

Ji Chen felt his consciousness beginning to blur; he closed his eyes in despair, a bitter smile flashing in his heart: was this how it was all going to end for him?

Wait...

What was that feeling?

"I..." Ji Chen felt his consciousness blurring, but in the depths of his despair, a warm current surged from deep within his body.

This warm current flowed rapidly throughout his entire body, and the swamp energy, which had been icy and bone-chilling, now acted like a tame sheep, obediently allowing him to absorb and transform it.

Ji Chen was ecstatic: this Golden Finger was still reliable at a critical moment!

He snapped his eyes open, his gaze shining brightly; where was there any trace of his previous dejection?

"Holy crap! What's going on?" The strange creature at the edge of the swamp, which looked like a giant eyeball, was staring fixedly at Ji Chen with its only "eye," its tone filled with shock.

As Ji Chen continued to absorb the swamp energy, his sinking body actually began to rise slowly.

The surrounding vegetation, which had been lifeless, also began to show new vitality, even faintly emitting a green fluorescence.

The oppressive atmosphere gradually dissipated, replaced by a strange Energy Wave.

However, the good times did not last.

The depths of the swamp suddenly surged, and several black shadows broke through the water, attacking Ji Chen and Ceng Yue like lightning.

"Damn, what the hell is that?" Ji Chen muttered, and upon closer inspection, he saw they were puppets condensed from energy.

These puppets were agile and their attacks were fierce; one look told him they were not to be trifled with.

"Watch out!" Ji Chen pulled Ceng Yue behind him while simultaneously releasing his Supernatural Ability to form a Barrier, blocking the puppets' attack.

"Bang!" The moment the energies collided, a loud noise erupted, and the surrounding air shook violently.

"Interesting." The corners of Ji Chen's mouth lifted slightly, his eyes flashing with excitement.

It had been a long time since he felt this fired up!

Ceng Yue remained expressionless, simply standing silently behind Ji Chen, energy gathering in her hands, ready to provide support at any moment.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out, energy fluctuations rose and fell, and the surrounding trees were shaken until they trembled.

That giant eyeball creature, like a spectator, watched with great interest from the side, occasionally exclaiming: "666! That's a slick move!"

"These puppets seem endless..." Ji Chen complained while fending off attacks, "How long is this going to go on?"

Suddenly, one puppet bypassed Ji Chen's Defense and headed straight for Ceng Yue.

"Yueyue, watch out!" Ji Chen's expression changed...

Ji Chen's expression turned instantly grim, and he let out a roar, the energy around his body erupting like a volcano, forcibly pushing back the several energy puppets surrounding him by several steps.

"Yueyue, get back, leave this to me!" He roared while pouncing like a leopard toward the puppet that had ambushed Ceng Yue.

Ceng Yue had wanted to join the fight, but seeing Ji Chen's resolute back, her heart stirred, and she silently stepped aside, her beautiful eyes fixed tightly on Ji Chen.

At this moment, Ji Chen's figure seemed like an insurmountable mountain, firmly blocking the path in front of her and bringing her an unprecedented sense of security.

A rare touch of tenderness appeared on her cool, indifferent face, with love and admiration intertwined in her eyes.

Ji Chen's speed was extreme; he was like a bolt of lightning, appearing instantly before the puppet and smashing a heavy punch, wrapped in powerful energy, hard into the puppet's chest.

With a "Crack!", the puppet was smashed into fragments, dissipating into the air as clusters of energy.

"Is that it?" Ji Chen smiled contemptuously, channeling the newly born energy within his body and condensing it onto his fists.

His fists, which had previously only glowed with a faint fluorescence, now seemed plated with a layer of golden radiance, as dazzling as two small suns.

He swung his fists, and every strike was accompanied by a thunderous cracking sound; those puppets that rushed up were like fragile glass, smashed to pieces by him one by one.

"Beautiful!" The giant eyeball creature on the side couldn't help but clap, making "clap-clap-clap" sounds, its only "eye" filled with an excited glow, as if watching a spectacular performance.

As more and more puppets were smashed, the surrounding energy fluctuations gradually subsided, and the swamp returned to calm.

Ji Chen let out a long breath, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly to reveal a confident smile.

He clapped his hands and looked around like a king, declaring his victory.

He turned around, walked to Ceng Yue's side, took her hand, and the two walked side by side out of this eerie swamp.

The sensation of mud under their feet slowly disappeared, replaced by hard, rocky ground.

However, when they finally walked out of this swamp, the scene before them left them both stunned.

They saw that before them, a massive energy Barrier rose from the ground, emitting a blinding light and completely blocking the mysterious glow in the distance, as if it were an impassable wall.

Ji Chen frowned, stared sharply at the energy Barrier before him, turned his head to look at Ceng Yue thoughtfully, and said slowly, "This..."