Chapter 319: A Reasonable Breakthrough! The Best Moment for a Counterattack

The Mysterious Person's laughter gradually dissipated into the darkness, but an unsettling aura still permeated the air. The sounds of vines growing wildly rose one after another, as if the entire forest had come alive. A scent of decay surged in from all directions, making one feel suffocated.

Xiao Qing stood where she was, her eyes glowing with a faint blue light. This was a unique Pupil Technique of her clan, capable of seeing through the essence of all things. At this moment, her gaze pierced through layers of obstacles, seeing the strange energy flowing inside those vines.

Deep within, she felt a wave of fear. From childhood to now, she had seen countless types of plants, but she had never seen such a terrifying sight. Black energy flowed through the meridians of the plants like blood, staining the originally vibrant green plants a dull, dark color. Even more terrifying was that these energies did not exist independently; they were connected to one another, forming a massive network.

"These plants... have a big problem." Xiao Qing's voice trembled slightly. She forced herself to continue observing, even though the flow of those dark energies made her feel waves of dizziness.

"What exactly is going on?" Lin Xuan noticed Xiao Qing's abnormality and furrowed his brows. He had known Xiao Qing for many years and knew well that she was not someone easily flustered. For her to be so composed-lost, the situation before them must be extraordinary.

Xiao Qing took a deep breath, struggling to calm her mood: "These plants have all been eroded by some kind of dark energy, and they have formed a huge life network among themselves. It's as if... as if someone is controlling the entire forest. Moreover, this energy gives me a very familiar feeling; it seems I have seen it somewhere before."

Wang Zhenqiu's eyes lit up. As the tactical master of the team, he immediately thought of an idea: "Since that's the case, why don't we search separately? That way, we can find the source of the energy faster. I'll take the east side, Lin Xuan you go to the west, and Xiao Qing will..."

"No!" Lin Xuan immediately vetoed this proposal, his tone resolute. "The current situation is too dangerous; we must attack together. Besides..." He looked at the vines constantly writhing all around, "these plants are clearly not right; they might just be waiting for us to split up."

Wang Zhenqiu was somewhat unconvinced: "But how much time will be wasted if we keep searching like this? The enemy might have already..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden change occurred!

"Boom—!" The earth shook, and countless vines suddenly surged, intertwining and tangling together. In the blink of an eye, they formed a massive plant nest in front of the three of them. The surface of the vines glowed with an eerie black light, and from time to time, black liquid dripped down, turning into a cluster of corrosive black mist upon hitting the ground.

"Damn it!" Wang Zhenqiu cursed in annoyance. If they had split up just now, wouldn't they have fallen right into the enemy's trap? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but cast a look of gratitude toward Lin Xuan.

Just as they were about to strike, they heard that familiar voice ring out once again.

"Hehehe... you... you hurry up... damn it!"

This time, the voice was clearly different from before; it was no longer so composed, but instead carried a hint of anxiety and panic. Behind it, a strange buzzing sound seemed to faintly emerge, as if something was interfering with him.

Lin Xuan's gaze sharpened, and a bold idea suddenly rose in his heart: "Wait, have you noticed that this guy's tone is off? A person who was so arrogant before, how did he suddenly become so flustered?"

"It is indeed very strange..." Xiao Qing said while continuing to observe the surroundings with her Pupil Technique. Suddenly, she exclaimed: "I understand! These dark energies are not only eroding the plants, they seem to be affecting that person as well!"

Wang Zhenqiu's eyes brightened: "Are you saying he might also be affected by these energies? No wonder he is acting so abnormally."

"The opportunity is here!" A sharp glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. Years of combat experience told him this was the best time to counterattack. "Since the opponent has revealed a flaw, then don't be polite. Xiao Qing, Wang Zhenqiu, let's combine our strength and force a breakthrough!"

As he spoke, the Nine-Pattern Inner Core within Lin Xuan suddenly began to circulate, and a burst of scorching Qi Luck Power erupted. The golden light was as dazzling as the scorching sun, dispelling the surrounding darkness by quite a bit. Every strand of light contained powerful strength, causing those eroded vines to retreat involuntarily.

Seeing this, Xiao Qing no longer hesitated. She lightly raised her slender hands, and the spiritual power within her surged wildly. In an instant, the water molecules in the air vibrated violently, condensing into a massive Water Dragon. The Water Dragon was crystalline throughout, emitting a pure light that formed a sharp contrast with those filthy dark energies.

"Go!" Xiao Qing shouted delicately, and the Water Dragon roared as it charged toward the vines. Wherever it passed, those eroded plants trembled, as if in fear of this pure power.

Wang Zhenqiu was not to be outdone. As the one with the greatest strength among the three, he stomped his feet heavily on the ground, and a massive Earth Power surged out. "Open for me!" He let out an angry roar, his voice filled with fighting spirit. The Earth Power transformed into countless sharp Rock Spikes, fiercely piercing into the vines.

The three people's powers coordinated perfectly, finally tearing a gap in the plant nest. Although the gap was not large, it was enough for them to pass through.

"Now!" Lin Xuan took the lead, bringing the two of them as they charged into the gap. After passing through a pitch-black tunnel, the view before them suddenly opened up.

This was a massive underground space, and the air was filled with a damp scent. But what was most eye-catching were the densely packed Runes carved onto the walls. These Runes emitted a faint glow, seemingly absorbing the Life Energy from the surroundings.

Xiao Qing carefully examined those Runes, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes: "These Runes... they seem to be characters from the ancient era; I have seen similar records in my clan's classics. This is some kind of ancient Array, specifically used to drain Life Energy."

Wang Zhenqiu, meanwhile, vigilantly looked around. Having spent years fighting on the battlefield, his intuition was particularly sharp: "Be careful, this place is not simple. The energy fluctuations in the air are very strange; there might be danger at any moment."

Lin Xuan, however, stood where he was, motionless. He felt the Qi Luck Power within his body suddenly become restless. This feeling was very peculiar, as if he had encountered something that resonated with him. Upon careful sensing, he discovered that these Runes had developed some kind of subtle connection with the power inside his own body!

"What on earth is going on?" Lin Xuan muttered to himself, his eyes filled with confusion. He attempted to analyze these Runes, only to find that each Rune was extremely complex, as if containing infinite mysteries. Moreover, as he stared at them, those Runes seemed to become increasingly bright.

Xiao Qing noticed Lin Xuan's abnormality and hurriedly asked: "What's wrong with you? Did you discover something?"

Lin Xuan was just about to answer when the Mysterious Person's voice rang out again, this time carrying a hint of strange distortion: "Found... found it? Hurry... hurry up... the damn Runes... ah!"