readytorunbook Chapter 239 The Spirit Realm Returns: A Trap
Chapter 239 The Spirit Realm Returns: A Trap
Night fell over the spirit realm, and a strange spiritual energy fluctuation permeated the air, like a ferocious beast lurking in the shadows, sending chills down one's spine.
Zhuang Yu walked along the rugged mountain path, taking each step with extreme caution.
He keenly sensed the changes in the spiritual energy around him. Compared to before, the spiritual energy fluctuations here were unusually active, yet there was a vaguely unsettling restlessness.
The wind howled through the woods, sounding like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, adding to the eeriness of the place.
He slowed his pace, his hawk-like eyes scanning his surroundings.
A faint smell of blood permeated the air, mixed with a peculiar herbal aroma that Zhuang Yu had never smelled before, making him even more wary.
He reached out and touched the roadside rock. His fingertips felt a cool sensation. The rock's surface was smooth as jade, yet it seemed to possess a strange, visibly pulling force.
A seemingly safe passage appeared ahead, flanked by towering cliffs. The entrance was hidden by dense vines, making it easy to miss if one did not look carefully.
However, Zhuang Yu did not rush to enter the passage.
He knew all too well that in the spirit world, a place fraught with danger, the more seemingly safe a place was, the more likely it was to hide a deadly trap.
He stopped and carefully observed his surroundings.
He noticed that some strange plants were growing on the cliffs on both sides of the passage. These plants were completely black and emitted a faint glow, making them look particularly eerie.
Scattered on the ground were small bone fragments, which gleamed with a cold light in the dim light.
Zhuang Yu closed his eyes, released his divine sense, and carefully examined the surrounding situation.
Wherever divine sense reaches, every detail is clearly visible.
He discovered that at the entrance of the passage, there was a thin layer of spiritual energy barrier. This barrier was invisible to the naked eye, but it could block the detection of divine sense.
This further confirmed his suspicion that the seemingly safe passage was actually an elaborate trap.
“Interesting…” Zhuang Yu’s lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.
"It seems someone is eager to see my strength." He didn't rush to break the trap, but instead sat cross-legged and began to regulate his breathing, preparing to meet the upcoming challenge in the best possible condition.
"I hope... you won't let me down..." Zhuang Yu murmured to himself.
Just as Zhuang Yu finished adjusting his breathing, two figures slowly emerged from the depths of the passage, carrying a chilling murderous aura.
The newcomers were none other than Li Kuang's capable subordinates—Xiao Jia and Xiao Yi.
Xiao Jia was a burly man with bulging muscles. He held a huge battle axe in his hand, which emitted a chilling light.
Xiao Yi, dressed as a scholar, waved a folding fan and wore a sinister smile.
"Zhuang Yu, you really are here." Xiao Jia said in a deep voice, with a hint of contempt in his tone, "Our boss has been waiting for you for a long time."
"Oh? Li Kuang sent you here to die?" Zhuang Yu slowly stood up, a cold smile playing on his lips, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
"Enough with the nonsense!" Xiao Jia roared, raising his battle axe to strike Zhuang Yu. "Prepare to die!"
The battle axe, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, emitted a piercing whistling sound, as if it were about to cleave Zhuang Yu in two.
Zhuang Yu dodged the attack with a swift movement.
The battle axe slammed heavily onto the ground with a deafening roar, causing the ground to tremble violently and sending debris flying.
"Is that all you've got?" Zhuang Yu sneered. "It seems Li Kuang overestimated you."
Xiao Yi, fanning himself with a folding fan, said with a glint in his eyes, "Zhuang Yu, don't be too arrogant. Our boss has already laid a trap; you won't be able to escape!"
"A net that can trap you from heaven and earth?" Zhuang Yu laughed heartily. "Then let me see it!"
Xiao Jia brandished his battle axe again, attacking Zhuang Yu frantically.
Xiao Yi then used magic to interfere with Zhuang Yu's actions.
The two worked together seamlessly, launching a relentless barrage of attacks.
Despite being attacked from both sides, Zhuang Yu seemed to be handling the situation with ease.
His movements were elusive, like a ghost, and he always managed to dodge attacks just before the arrows could be released.
"You think you can trap me?" Zhuang Yu sneered. With a thought, the power of the mysterious space surged forth.
A clone that looked exactly like him appeared out of thin air and rushed towards Xiao Jia and Xiao Yi.
"What?!" Xiao Jia and Xiao Yi were both stunned when they saw this.
"Two Zhuang Yus?" Xiao Jia stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
The clone moved extremely fast, arriving in front of Xiao Jia and Xiao Yi in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Jia roared and swung his battle axe at the clone.
"go to hell!"
"boom!"
With a loud bang, the battle axe struck the clone, but it was as if it had struck thin air, without any resistance.
"What happened?!" Xiao Jia exclaimed, his face full of shock.
"Oh no! It's fake!" Xiao Yi's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise.
However, it's too late...
Zhuang Yu's voice came from behind them: "Isn't it too late to realize this now?"
Xiao Jia roared and swung his battle axe at Zhuang Yu's clone like a whirlwind.
The axe blade tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound, as if it wanted to cleave everything in front of it into pieces.
However, the moment the axe blade touched the clone, it was as if it had struck nothingness, passing right through it.
The clone vanished like a phantom, leaving only faint spiritual energy fluctuations lingering in the air.
"What's going on?!" Xiao Jia was stunned. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his heavy breathing filled with anger and confusion.
"Idiot! That's fake!" Xiao Yi's face turned ashen, and his knuckles, which were shaking his folding fan, turned white. He was clearly shocked by this sudden turn of events.
"He's playing us! Quick, find his real identity!"
Xiao Jia then realized what was happening and looked around, trying to find Zhuang Yu's whereabouts.
However, apart from the dense forest and jagged rocks, there was no one around.
Just as he was anxiously searching, a powerful surge of spiritual energy came from the side, accompanied by a cold laugh: "Looking for me?"
Zhuang Yu appeared like a ghost, a dazzling golden spiritual energy gathering in his hand, like a small sun, radiating a scorching aura.
Before Xiao Jia could react, the golden ball of spiritual energy slammed into his chest.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, Xiao Jia was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face instantly turned ashen.
The surrounding spiritual energy fluctuated violently due to the intense impact, as if the entire space was trembling. Even the village chief of the novice village in the spirit realm, who was watching from afar, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Seeing that things were not going well, Xiao Yi turned around and tried to run away.
However, a golden rope flew out like a serpent, instantly wrapping around his body and binding him tightly.
He struggled, but found that the rope was as hard as steel and he could not break free at all.
His disheveled appearance filled the readers in the distance with a sense of satisfaction.
Zhuang Yu slowly walked up to Xiao Yi, looking down at him with a cold smile: "Now, we can have a proper talk..."
Zhuang Yu squatted down, the golden rope tightening around Xiao Yi, making it hard for him to breathe, his face turning as red as a pig's liver.
He sneered, a hint of mockery in his voice: "Tell me, where's the trap? How do we break it?"
Xiao Yi initially tried to be stubborn, but feeling the immense pressure from the rope and the cold glint in Zhuang Yu's eyes, he realized that if he didn't tell the truth, his life would be in danger.
He swallowed hard and haltingly explained the location of the trap and how to break it.
It turns out that a powerful illusion array was set up deep inside the passage. Once you step into it, you will lose your way and eventually be trapped inside.
The solution requires a special herb called "Illusionary Herb." Applying its juice to the body will grant immunity to the illusion array's effects.
After listening, Zhuang Yu revealed a cold smile.
The trap, though ingenious, was child's play to him.
He took out a Phantom Grass from the mysterious space, smeared its juice on his body, and then strode into the passage.
It was pitch black in the passage, and I couldn't see my fingers.
A chilling aura swept over them, sending shivers down their spines.
The sounds of ghosts wailing and howling filled my ears, as if countless vengeful spirits were howling.
Zhuang Yu remained unmoved. He circulated his spiritual power to resist the invasion of the cold aura, while simultaneously releasing his divine sense to investigate the surrounding situation.
As Xiao Yi had said, a powerful illusion array was set up inside the passage.
The surrounding scenery kept changing, sometimes turning into a dense forest, sometimes into a desolate desert, and sometimes into a turbulent sea.
A variety of illusions appeared one after another, dazzling the eyes.
If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have already lost themselves in it and been unable to extricate themselves.
However, Zhuang Yu was completely unaffected.
With his powerful divine sense, he clearly distinguished between illusion and reality, and walked step by step into the depths of the passage.
At the end of the passage, he discovered a hidden cave.
The cave is filled with spiritual energy and exudes a faint fragrance.
In the center of the cave, there grows a magical herb that emits a seven-colored light.
"Seven-Colored Illusionary Spirit Grass!" Zhuang Yu was overjoyed.
This Seven-Colored Illusion Grass is more precious than the ordinary Illusion Grass, and its medicinal effects are also more powerful.
This is such a pleasant surprise!
He carefully picked the Seven-Colored Illusion Grass and put it in his pocket.
He then turned and left the cave, continuing toward his destination.
As they continued on their journey, Zhuang Yu once again sensed a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy.
This surge of spiritual energy was stronger than anyone he had encountered before, causing him to feel a sense of vigilance.
He slowed his pace and cautiously walked towards the direction from which the spiritual energy fluctuations were coming from.
He walked through a dense forest and came to a clearing.
In the center of the flat ground stood a tall man.
The man was dressed in a long black robe, with a cold and stern face and a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Li Kuang!" Zhuang Yu recognized the person at a glance. It was Li Kuang, a native expert of the Spirit Realm who had always regarded him as a thorn in his side.
He thought to himself, "It's finally here!"
Li Kuang looked at Zhuang Yu, a cold smile appearing on his lips: "Zhuang Yu, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for so long."
Zhuang Yu, undaunted, met Li Kuang's gaze and said in a deep voice, "I've been waiting for you for a long time too."