Chapter 153: Phantom Venom Needle Assault

As they went deeper, the bronze plate on Zhang Jun's chest and the azure crystal in Lin Xue's hand produced an ever stronger resonance, the vibration almost forming a continuous low-frequency hum inside their bodies.

After walking for about an hour and a half, they passed through an area of scattered, piled-up huge rocks, and the view ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a faint path almost completely overgrown with weeds.

The path clearly showed signs of artificial excavation; the laid stone steps were badly worn, edges rounded, and covered with thick, slippery moss.

"It looks like someone indeed stayed here before, and they were quite particular, having built a path." Zhang Jun crouched down and reached out to touch the rough edge of a stone step.

Just as his finger was about to touch the stone step, a sudden change occurred!

"Hum!"

An extremely faint tremor sounded, and the surrounding air seemed to twist like a ripple.

Immediately afterwards, countless silver threads as fine as hair suddenly lit up on the ground beneath their feet and on the thick tree trunks on either side!

These silver threads appeared out of nowhere, rapidly intertwining like living things, instantly forming a huge net covering a vast area, emanating a sharp, icy aura specifically aimed at spiritual entities, and it came down over their heads!

The speed was outrageous, giving no time to react at all!

"Be careful!" Zhang Jun shouted low; his body reacted faster than his mind, and the pure Yang energy in his dantian erupted like a volcano!

A scorching hot blast of air, centered on him, surged outward violently in all directions!

"Sizzle!"

The silver threads shooting toward them collided with this violent Yang energy, instantly emitting a sound like hot oil poured on snow; the silver light quickly dimmed, and their speed noticeably slowed.

At the same time, a flash of cold light passed through Lin Xue's eyes; her hands moved so fast they were almost a blur, and she instantly formed several complex hand seals.

The Profound Yin internal energy within her, which had become warm and moist after the inheritance's baptism yet remained icy and bone‑chilling, found its outlet and transformed into several ice‑blue chains as solid as matter, whistling out and precisely wrapping around the silver threads that had broken through the Yang energy's range and slipped through the net.

"Crack!"

The ice chains suddenly tightened, exerting force to entwine!

Those silver threads, which appeared unusually tough and emitted a dangerous aura, emitted a crisp snapping sound under the ice chains' strangling, breaking apart inch by inch into scattered sparkling specks of silver light that finally dissipated completely into the air.

"It's a seal." Lin Xue looked at the faint energy traces left on the ground and tree trunks, her expression growing more solemn. "It's a very old defensive measure, meant to harm people, not a modern gadget."

Zhang Jun also saw it; the seal carried a sinister, malicious vibe, somewhat similar to the rune seal they had encountered in the stone chamber of White Pagoda Temple, but its energy attributes and operation were completely different.

"Looks like this place won't be easy to enter; right at the entrance they gave us a warm welcome." He patted his hands, as if brushing off nonexistent dust.

"There's a record in the inheritance," Lin Xue thought, the relevant information flashing through her mind, her tone steady. "This is the 'Binding Spirit Silver Net,' specifically targeting souls and energy bodies; it is highly sensitive to pure Yang and Yin energy, and can both be triggered and countered."

She looked at Zhang Jun: "Just now our cooperation was perfect, Yin and Yang working together, exactly breaking its energy balance point."

Zhang Jun nodded, feeling a greater sense of awe and excitement toward the Medicine Sect inheritance he had just obtained.

This inheritance truly encompasses everything; not only does it contain heaven‑defying medical arts for saving lives, but also myriad methods for defeating enemies, and they are quite sinister.

The two gathered their focus, became more cautious, and continued upward along the moss‑covered stone steps.

They hadn't gone far when trouble came again.

This time it wasn't a trap aimed at energy bodies, but a genuine physical attack.

"Whoo—" a low, muffled wind sound suddenly came from the steep slopes on both sides!

Immediately after, several polished, slick, barrel‑thick massive logs, without warning, came roaring down from above, crushing everything with tremendous force and huge kinetic energy!

Zhang Jun's eyes instantly sharpened; he did not retreat but advanced, letting out a low roar, stamping his feet hard on the ground, and charged straight at the logs without dodging!

He thrust both fists forward, his fists wrapped in tangible, explosive pure Yang energy, and smashed them head‑on into the logs!

"Boom! Boom!"

Like two deep thunderclaps exploding in the forest!

The incredibly hard logs, capable of easily crushing rock, were actually shattered from within by his fists imbued with terrifying force!

Wood chips mixed with the shockwave flew wildly in all directions, striking the surrounding trees with crackling sounds!

"Hey, these old‑fashioned things still pack a punch." Zhang Jun shook his slightly numb fists, grinning, though his smile held a hint of coldness.

The stretch of road ahead felt like they had stumbled into an ancient mechanism array.

At times it would lure people unknowingly into a dazing illusion maze, which Zhang Jun forcefully broke open with his pure Yang energy.

At other times, tiny poisoned flying needles flashing with a greenish light would shoot out from unexpected angles, and Lin Xue blocked them with an ice shield condensed from her exquisite Profound Yin internal energy.

There were also earth‑stone formations that could draw subterranean killing qi to cause falling rocks to smash down; these too were resolved by the pair's tacit cooperation, disturbing the earth‑qi nodes.

These traps were more vicious and cunning than the last, older and harder to deal with, interlocking with one another; obviously they had been meticulously laid by a highly skilled person to guard the secret deep within.

Relying on their recently surged strength, the inheritance's recorded counter‑methods, and their tacit cooperation of Yin‑Yang harmony and mutual understanding, Zhang Jun and Lin Xue managed to get through each trap safely, despite the danger.

In using the various powers of the Medicine Sect inheritance, they became more and more adept through these repeated real‑world solutions, growing ever more skilled and natural.

Just as they had finished dispelling a colorless, odorless fragrant trap that could plunge someone into deep sleep, and were preparing to continue forward exploration,

a strong, almost impossible‑to‑dispel stench of blood and rotten decay suddenly spread from deep within the forest ahead, accompanied by a bone‑chilling yin cold!

Zhang Jun's and Lin Xue's faces changed dramatically at the same time!

"That smell…" Zhang Jun's eyes suddenly turned sharp as a blade, killing intent flickering, "It's that old bastard Zhou Qian! His vengeful spirit won't dissipate!"

Before his words even finished, the trees ahead shook violently; several tall black shadows, like weightless phantoms, slid silently out from behind the trunks!

Taking a closer look, they were definitely not human!

They were several corpses wearing ancient, utterly shattered armor, their bodies wrapped in visible thick black aura, with two balls of ghostly green fire flickering in their eye sockets… ancient zombies!