197: Chapter 197 The Ancient Hall Opens, Familiar Place!

Su Yuxi gave a low hum.

This time, she did not pull her hand away from Lin Yi.

The gray fog on the bridge suddenly churned more violently.

Aotian stood at the end of the bridge, his eyes cold and grim.

He seemingly had not expected this group to break free from the first round of illusions so quickly.

He raised his hand, and Dragon blood dripped from his fingertip into the Black Sea.

"You have some ability, at least."

"Then I shall let you struggle for a few more steps."

The blood fell into the water.

Dense, low roars suddenly rang out from beneath the bridge, and one Dragon-blood strange spirit after another crawled out of the black water.

Their forms were twisted, covered in shattered scales, with incomplete Dragon horns growing on their foreheads.

Black water dripped from their bodies, sizzling as it landed on the lotus platform.

Before the group could react, the first batch of strange spirits had already lunged to the side of the bridge.

Chu Wanqing plucked her fingertips, and the sound of the qin exploded, sending a dozen sound blades sweeping across.

The few strange spirits at the very front were struck by the sound blades and sent flying back into the Black Sea on the spot.

But more strange spirits climbed up right behind them.

Shen Qingyue formed hand seals, and her Origin Qi transformed into a layer of light, protecting everyone's Divine Soul.

"These things specifically gnaw on Divine Souls!"

"Everyone be careful, don't let them get close!"

Xu Chen gave a huff, picked up the ancient desolate hall, and smashed it down.

"What a coincidence."

"I don't have many virtues, but I just hate letting dirty things get close to me!"

Boom!

The ancient desolate hall smashed down.

A Dragon-blood strange spirit was flattened into the bridge surface, flesh and blood splattering everywhere.

Xu Chen was left grimacing from the recoil, but he only grew more spirited as he fought.

"Come on!"

"This young master specializes in curing all kinds of defiance today!"

"You lot, just looking at you ruins my mood."

Lin Yi held Su Yuxi with one hand and formed a sword with the fingers of his other hand.

The Grass Sword Intent swept out.

The gray fog in front of the bridge was forcefully sliced open into a passageway by him.

Every strange spirit blocking the way was torn apart by the Sword Intent.

Black water splashed up, reeking with a foul, fishy stench.

Su Yuxi followed by his side, the aura of her Innate Dao Fetus circulating.

From time to time, she would raise her hand to block the soul-piercing attacks darting from the side of the bridge for Lin Yi.

The two of them cooperated more and more smoothly.

No words were needed; a single gesture was enough to coordinate.

Aotian watched this, his expression growing even colder.

He stared at Su Yuxi, his tone carrying a touch of impatience.

"The dignified Reincarnation of a Female Emperor, actually willing to be protected by a Human Race male."

"Truly laughable!"

Su Yuxi raised her eyes to look at him, her voice as cold as ice.

"You have no right to judge me."

Lin Yi raised his sword and sliced a lunging strange spirit into two.

"Are you anxious?"

"Only know how to bark like a dog?!"

Xu Chen shouted while smashing strange spirits, "Big Brother, this bug is a classic case of breaking down."

"Can't win in an argument, can't win in a fight, so he starts being stubborn!"

Chu Wanqing's qin music did not cease, and she smiled as she added, "Xu Chen, your summary is quite spot on."

"I suggest we take a picture of him to show his true form later."

Aotian's expression darkened completely.

The Dragon patterns on his body lit up, and from beneath the bridge, three exceptionally large Dragon-blood strange spirits crawled out simultaneously.

They were several times larger than the other strange spirits, their scales were pitch black, and broken war spears were stuck in their chests.

The moment they appeared, the entire ancient bridge shook.

Wang Hong and the other Elders had also arrived at the entrance of the ancient bridge by this time.

There were still many Cultivators in the rear who had luckily survived and were following from a distance, but upon seeing the battle on the bridge, they all stopped in their tracks.

Wang Hong's expression sank, and he raised his hand to summon the Saint King Law.

"Saint, we have come to assist you!"

Lin Yi responded, "Elder Wang, guard the bridge entrance."

"Don't let those who want to pick up scraps get close!"

Elder Wang immediately accepted the order and took several Elders to seal off the rear.

The Cultivators who had been tailing them saw there was no chance to rush the bridge and began to stir restlessly in low voices.

Someone gripped a Magic Treasure, wanting to launch a sneak attack on Wang Hong and the others during the chaos.

Wang Hong sneered and struck with his palm.

"Still daring to have crooked thoughts?"

"Do you really think this old man has a good temper?"

Boom!

The palm landed, and several Cultivators who had just poked their heads out were directly struck into the sea.

The rear fell silent.

On the bridge, the three giant strange spirits had already lunged.

Chu Wanqing's qin music changed three times in succession, and the sound blades transformed into a large swarm of Phoenix feathers, crashing toward the one on the left.

Shen Qingyue used her Origin Qi to trap the one in the middle, slowing its movements by half a beat.

Xu Chen hugged the ancient desolate hall and gritted his teeth as he rushed to the right.

"I'll take one!"

"Although it's a bit big, it's not a big problem!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, that strange spirit swiped a claw at him.

Xu Chen, along with the hall, was shaken back seven or eight steps, his soles dragging two black marks on the lotus platform.

His face flushed red, and he braced himself against the ancient desolate hall.

"I take back what I just said."

"The problem is a bit big!"

Chu Wanqing was amused to the point of anger.

"Xu Chen, hold on!"

"Don't let your reputation collapse right after bragging!"

Xu Chen gritted his teeth and shouted, "Don't worry!"

"My persona is very stable!"

Lin Yi stepped forward, his figure passing the others.

The Heavenly Emperor Fist smashed thunderously toward the strange spirit in the middle.

The fist light landed, the war spear in the strange spirit's chest shattered, and its entire body was sent flying backward.

Shen Qingyue seized the opportunity to form a seal, and her Origin Qi pierced through its broken chest cavity.

Lin Yi backhanded his sword for another strike.

Puchi!

That strange spirit exploded into black mist on the spot.

Immediately after, Lin Yi turned around.

The Grass Sword Intent split into two, slicing toward the two on the left and right respectively.

Chu Wanqing's qin music followed the movement of the sword.

Xu Chen also seized the opportunity, and the ancient desolate hall smashed down fiercely.

Combining the efforts of the three parties, the remaining two giant strange spirits finally could not hold on and fell into the Black Sea one after another.

The bridge surface was temporarily cleared.

But everyone's bodies were stained with black water, and their auras were a bit chaotic.

Xu Chen leaned against the ancient desolate hall, panting heavily.

"Huhu~"

"Big Brother, I'm tired."

"This workload is ridiculously huge!"

Chu Wanqing's hair was stuck to her forehead by sweat, but she still didn't forget to tease him.

"If you talked less trash, you could save a lot of energy."

Xu Chen shook his head.

"No can do."

"If I don't talk, I'm afraid I'll hold it in and get sick."

Shen Qingyue reminded them softly, "We've reached the end of the bridge."

Everyone looked up.

At the end of the ancient bridge, the outer wall of the ancient hall was already right before their eyes.

That ancient hall was half-submerged in the black fog, its walls covered in cracks.

The hall doors were tightly shut, and many unclear, ancient Dao Patterns were carved onto them.

As soon as Su Yuxi walked near, the Jade Slip in her hand shone blindingly.

The Dao Patterns on the hall doors revived in response, spreading out silvery-white Dao light bit by bit.

Aotian stood in front of the hall doors, finally no longer watching the play from across the shore.

He stared at Lin Yi with his vertical pupils, and the Dragon patterns on his palms ignited.

"I am surprised you were able to walk this far."

"However, this is where it ends."

Lin Yi shook the black water off his sleeve, his tone indifferent.

"Did you think that too when you took that punch just now?"

Xu Chen immediately followed up, "Big Brother, don't poke at people's sore spots."

"He went to the trouble of striking a pose, your words are so hurtful to a Dragon!"

Chu Wanqing chuckled and plucked a string.

"Hurtful to a Dragon?"

"That would require it to actually be a Dragon."

"I think it looks more like a loach that has gained sentience!"

A vein pulsed on Aotian's temple, and the Dragon patterns on his chest suddenly lit up.

But just as he was preparing to make a move, the ancient hall behind him suddenly shook.

Crack!

A fissure split open in the outer wall.

An aura of dao rhyme, pure to the extreme, surged out from the fissure.

Su Yuxi froze in place.

A light trembled in her eyes.

That aura was too familiar, so familiar that it needed no explanation.

She had once cultivated in seclusion here, had once left behind a contingency plan here, and had once walked from here toward that gray stone door.