625: Lu Xueqi and Biyao (8)

Su Han also took a deep breath and walked to Bi Yao's bedside. From his robe, he took out the mysterious tortoise shell he had been nurturing, which he had obtained from the East Sea—this was the token Shi Yi had mentioned that might be related to the "Return to Ruins." He gently placed the tortoise shell in Bi Yao's hand.

"Yao'er, take this. Senior Shi said this item might have protective powers. No matter what, I will never let anything hurt you."

Bi Yao gripped the tortoise shell, which still carried Su Han's body heat. Feeling the faint warmth and ancient aura emanating from it, her heart settled slightly, and she nodded forcefully. "You must be careful too."

Su Han turned and stood side-by-side with Lu Xueqi, facing the entrance of the main hall with a steady gaze.

Elder Mu looked at the two young people standing ready, then at Bi Yao on the bed, who was clutching the tortoise shell and showing no fear despite her weakness. A flash of emotion crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by a sharp intensity.

"Good! This old man hasn't stretched his limbs in a long time!" Elder Mu flicked his sleeves, and a majestic surge of life-force Qi spread out. On the floor, walls, and ceiling of the hall, countless ancient and obscure runes lit up one after another, emitting an aura as heavy as a mountain.

Town Yue Tower, this ancient ruin that had been silent for untold ages, quietly awakened at this moment and entered a state of battle readiness.

Outside the tower, within the Void Realm, that cold and evil presence receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace.

But the four people inside the hall knew that this was only the brief silence before the storm.

The opponent would definitely come again.

And next time, it would likely be a true invasion.

Nightfall (though there was no day or night inside the tower, the flow of time was synchronized with the outside world, where it should be late at night) slowly descended amidst an increasingly heavy and tense atmosphere.

Su Han and Lu Xueqi took turns standing guard near the hall entrance to meditate and adjust their breathing, remaining vigilant at all times.

Elder Mu sat in the center of the hall, controlling some of the tower's Restrictions. He spread his spiritual sense to its maximum limit, sensing any movement in the Void Realm outside the tower.

Under the influence of the medicine, Bi Yao fell into a deep sleep again. However, her brow was slightly furrowed, and her sleep was restless as she tightly clutched the ancient tortoise shell in her hand.

Time passed minute by minute.

The inside of the tower was silent, with only the soft glow of the spiritual lamps illuminating everyone's solemn faces.

Suddenly—

"Buzz!"

Town Yue Tower vibrated once more!

This vibration was several times stronger than the previous one! The entire tower body emitted a low roar, as if it were being struck fiercely by an invisible giant hammer!

The runes lit up within the hall flickered violently, oscillating between brightness and darkness!

"It's here!" Elder Mu snapped his eyes open, his gaze piercing. His hands quickly formed seals, sending streaks of emerald light into the surrounding walls to stabilize the vibrating tower and its Restrictions.

Su Han and Lu Xueqi stood up instantly, weapons in hand and Qi surging, staring fixedly toward the hall entrance.

"Screeech—!"

An ear-piercing grinding sound came from outside the tower, as if countless sharp claws were frantically scratching and tearing at the barrier of the tower's boundary!

Simultaneously, a thick black mist that could not be dispersed, carrying a nauseating scent of sea brine and decaying silence, seeped in from all directions of the Void Realm like a living thing. Although most of it was blocked and purified by the tower's own clear light and Restrictions, wisps of it still snaked in like venomous serpents, winding their way into the interior of the hall!

Wherever the black mist passed, the light of the spiritual lamps dimmed, and a cold malice filled the air.

"Careful! This black mist can corrode Qi, filth Magic Treasures, and even cloud the mind!" Elder Mu shouted a warning while activating more Restrictions. The clear light flourished, clashing violently with the encroaching black mist and producing a "sizzling" sound of dissolution.

Su Han gave a low shout, and his Primordial Qi surged out, forming a pale gold light shield around him to block the approaching black mist. Lu Xueqi swung her tianya sword, and a sky-blue sword light flashed like autumn water across the sky, slashing apart several streaks of black mist heading toward Bi Yao's bed.

"What Prodigy dares to hide its head and show its tail? Get out here!" Elder Mu's hair and beard flared as he shouted sternly. His voice rolled like thunder, containing pure wood-element life-force that caused the black mist to churn.

"Jie jie jie..."

A sharp, ear-piercing cackle—neither male nor female, sounding like countless voices layered together—echoed from all directions within the tower space.

"The ancient Town Yue Tower... truly lives up to its reputation... Unfortunately, the tower spirit sleeps, and the guardian... is but a wisp of a remnant soul, two little brats, and a half-dead girl..."

The black mist churned and condensed at the hall entrance, slowly forming a blurred and distorted humanoid silhouette. Its face was indistinguishable, with only two points of crimson light flickering where the eyes should be, filled with malice and greed.

Its gaze first fell upon Bi Yao, who was protected behind Su Han and Lu Xueqi—more accurately, it fell upon the soul-stabilizing pearl before her brow and the ancient tortoise shell in her hand.

"The Soul-Stabilizing Divine Pearl... and... the aura of the Return to Ruins?!"

The blurred figure's voice suddenly became sharp and excited, filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

"Heaven truly helps me! Hand over the soul-stabilizing pearl and that tortoise shell, and perhaps... I can give you a quick death!"

Before its voice finished, the blurred figure threw open its arms—if they could be called arms—and an even more majestic and surging black mist, like a bursting black flood, came rushing toward the four people in the hall with a ghostly wail!

The attack had begun!

Inside the hall, the black mist was like a tide, and the wails were ear-piercing. The black flood triggered by the blurred figure's open arms not only contained evil power that corroded Qi but also seemed to be mixed with countless vengeful souls, clawing and tearing, intending to devour all life within the tower.

"Form the array, guard your hearts!"

Elder Mu's hair and beard flared as his hands formed seals even faster. His emerald-green Qi was no longer gentle, but transformed into sharp whips that lashed at the surging black tide. Each strike dissipated large swaths of black mist with a "sizzling" burning sound.

At the same time, the ancient runes on the floor and walls of the hall seemed to come alive. Light flowed and connected with one another, forming a thick, semi-transparent pale gold light shield that firmly protected the bed area where Bi Yao lay, temporarily isolating it from the direct impact of the black mist. (End of Chapter)