Chapter 354: Exploring the Mist Forest

Under Ling Yin's guidance, Ao Li and Lín Jìn ventured deep into the mysterious forest. As she walked, Ling Yin briefed them on the forest: "This forest is called Mist Forest; it is perpetually shrouded in fog and hides many dangers. It is said that the Second Key Fragment lies within an ancient temple at the forest's center, but the path to the temple is littered with enemy‑set traps and various Guardian Beasts."

Ao Li gripped her longsword, eyes steady: "No matter how many hardships we face, we will find the key fragment." Lín Jìn nodded, resolve evident in their gaze, a calm aura radiating, ever ready for sudden situations.

The three pressed on as the surrounding fog grew denser, visibility dropping to almost nothing. Suddenly, Ling Yin halted and whispered, "Careful, there's a trap ahead." Ao Li and Lín Jìn instantly became alert, scanning the area. On the ground were faint marks that would be hard to notice without close inspection. Ling Yin pointed at the ground and said, "This is a trigger‑type trap; step on it and spikes will erupt from the earth."

Lín Jìn crouched, studying the trap's Trigger Mechanism. After a moment, they said, "I can use energy to temporarily disrupt the trap's mechanism; we can rush through." With that, both hands gathered a soft blue energy, gently coating the trap area. As the light flickered, the trap mechanism seemed interfered with and halted its operation.

"Move quickly!" Lín Jìn shouted. The three hurried across the trap zone. Yet, barely a short distance away, a pack of fox‑shaped monsters burst from the fog. Their bodies emitted a pale violet glow, eyes flashing oddly, and their mouths emitted sharp cries.

"These are Illusion Foxes, adept at creating hallucinations; be careful not to be deceived," Ling Yin warned. An Illusion Fox leapt first, lunging at Ao Li while its eyes flared. Ao Li felt a sudden daze, a vision of the Dragon Clan's massacre flashing before her eyes. Yet her resolve held firm, she snapped back to clarity and thrust a sword at the Illusion Fox. The fox dodged nimbly, and the remaining Illusion Foxes launched attacks, trying to plunge the three into hallucinations.

Lín Jìn focused, releasing a powerful mental wave that disrupted the Illusion Foxes' hallucination ability. "Ao Li, Ling Yin, strike their eyes now! That's the key to their illusion creation," Lín Jìn shouted. Ao Li and Ling Yin instantly understood; the three timed their strikes, each targeting an Illusion Fox's eye. Under their combined assault, the Illusion Foxes fell one by one, turning into wisps of violet smoke.

After dealing with the Illusion Foxes, they pressed on. Deeper in the forest, a wide river loomed ahead. Its water was an eerie black, emitting a low, roaring sound as it flowed, as if concealing some dreadful presence. Spanning the river was a bridge of iron chains and planks, looking precariously unstable.

"This bridge is odd; be careful," Ling Yin said. The three stepped onto it cautiously, and just as they reached the middle, the iron chains violently shook and the planks began to break. A gigantic octopus‑like monster surged from the river, its tentacles dozens of meters long, studded with sharp suckers, swinging toward the three.

Ao Li darted aside, evading the tentacle strike while slashing at it with her sword. Yet the monster's tentacles were unusually tough; the longsword left only a shallow mark. Lín Jìn gathered energy and fired several energy beams at the monster's head. The creature winced, emitting a harsh screech, and halted its assault temporarily.

Ling Yin closed her eyes, murmuring incantations. Moments later, a softly glowing orb appeared in her hand. She tossed the orb into the river; the water instantly stilled, and the monster seemed suppressed, moving sluggishly. "This is a Water‑Calming Treasure I happened upon; it can temporarily restrain the monster. Let's cross the bridge quickly!" Ling Yin shouted.

Seizing the monster's suppression, the three sprinted across the bridge. At last, they stood before the ancient temple at the forest's heart. The temple loomed majestically, its walls etched with mysterious runes and patterns. The doors were sealed, and two massive stone statues guarded the entrance—a phoenix poised to take flight and a coiling giant dragon.

"Looks like we've found the right place," Ao Li said. Yet as they approached the temple, the doors slowly swung open, and a powerful suction surged from within, trying to pull them in. Lín Jìn quickly used energy to steady themselves, shouting, "Hold on, this pull is no ordinary force!"

Ao Li and Ling Yin also fought with all their might; just as they were about to give way, Ao Li suddenly noticed the runes beside the doors flashing in a regular pattern. She focused, matching the rhythm of the flashes, attempting to resonate with them using Inheritance Power. Miraculously, the suction gradually weakened. "Lín Jìn, Ling Yin, follow my rhythm and release power!" Ao Li shouted. United, the three finally repelled the pull and entered the temple.

Inside, the temple was dimly lit, surrounded by various ancient statues and artifacts. At its center stood a massive stone platform bearing a faintly glowing box. Ao Li and Lín Jìn exchanged a glance, excitement swelling within them. They hurried to the platform, opened the box, and found the Second Key Fragment they had been searching for.

The moment they seized the key fragment, the temple began to quake violently. From all directions a swarm of Black‑robed People surged forth, encircling them. Their leader, a Black‑robed Person, coldly said, "Hmph, you thought you could obtain the key fragment so easily? Today is your doom!" Ao Li, Lín Jìn, and Ling Yin stood back‑to‑back, eyes resolute, showing no fear. An intense battle was about to erupt; could they once again rely on wit and courage to break through and continue toward the truth? Ao Li fused Inheritance Power with awakened strength, her body radiating golden light, sword pointed forward; Lín Jìn gathered massive energy, expression steady; Ling Yin produced the Jade Flute again, playing a mysterious melody. The three formed a tight formation, ready for the impending fierce fight, vowing to protect the hard‑won key fragment.