frightfiction Chapter 332 Fate Guidance
Chapter 332 Fate Guidance
Li Zhao and the old man followed the direction indicated by the ancient book and stepped into a wasteland shrouded in twilight.
The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the earth dark red. The mountains in the distance were looming in the blood, like sleeping beasts.
Their footsteps were heavy and firm, and each step crushed the gravel on the ground, startling flocks of black crows, which circled and wailed in the blood-red sky.
"The atmosphere of this place..."
The old man suddenly stopped, his brow furrowed. "This is completely different from the dark forces we've encountered before. It's older and more violent."
Li Zhao held the purification crystal tightly, feeling the faint vibration coming from it, as if responding to some ancient call.
He looked up at the sky and found that the originally clear sky was covered by a layer of gray fog. Dark red lightning was faintly visible in the fog, like twisted blood vessels.
A gust of cold wind suddenly arose, making the two men's robes rustle.
There was a faint whisper in the wind, and the sound seemed to come from the abyss of Hell, bringing with it a creepy chill.
Li Zhao suddenly felt dizzy, and blurry images flashed through his mind: countless figures in black robes were dancing wildly under the blood moon, and a black bead was suspended in the center, emitting a breathtaking light.
He shook his head violently, trying to dispel the illusions, but found that the light of the purification crystal had become extremely dazzling, almost impossible to look directly at.
"Child, be careful!"
The old man's exclamation brought Li Zhao back to reality.
He looked up and saw that countless black vines had appeared on the wasteland at some point. These vines were wriggling like living things, their surface covered with dark purple scales, and their tips flashed with the cold light of venom.
Vines surged toward them at alarming speed, instantly encircling them. Li Zhao swung the Sword of Purification. Wherever the golden sword energy passed, the vines snapped, emitting a teeth-grinding hiss. However, black juice quickly seeped out from the broken vines, and as the juice fell to the ground, new vines sprouted, seemingly endlessly.
The old man waved his broken cane, releasing rays of light in an attempt to stop the vines' attack, but with little success.
His face grew paler and paler, and his breathing became more rapid. "These vines are blessed by dark magic. Ordinary attacks can't completely destroy them!"
Li Zhao injected all the power of the purification crystal, light gem, crystal ball, jade pendant and fragments into the sword. The sword body instantly burst out with brilliant golden light, forming a light shield with a diameter of several feet.
Wherever the light shield reached, the vines melted quickly like ice and snow encountering the scorching sun, and bursts of black mist rose up.
Just when the two thought the crisis was over, a deafening roar suddenly came from the black fog.
A huge dark monster rushed out from the fog. Its body was covered with black shell, its wingspan was more than ten feet wide, and its six compound eyes flashed with bloodthirsty red light.
The monster opened its huge mouth and spewed out a black flame. Wherever the flame passed, the ground was instantly corroded into bottomless ravines.
Li Zhao quickly expanded the light shield, barely resisting the impact of the flames, but he felt his arms go numb and could hardly hold the hilt of the sword.
"This is the ancient dark monster 'Bone-Eroding Dragon Lizard'!"
The old man exclaimed, "Its flames can corrode all energy shields. We must fight quickly!"
Li Zhao nodded, raised the Sword of Purification high, and prepared to launch a fatal blow.
An unfamiliar force suddenly surged in his body, like a turbulent undercurrent, impacting his meridians uncontrollably.
He felt a black screen before his eyes, and the sword in his hand pointed uncontrollably at the old man.
"Li Zhao!" The old man was shocked and angry, but when he saw the dark red light flashing in Li Zhao's eyes, he instantly understood something.
He gritted his teeth and concentrated all his strength on the broken crutch. A dazzling light shot up into the sky, enveloping Li Zhao.
Li Zhao felt a sharp pain, as if countless fine needles were piercing his brain. The dark red light dissipated in an instant. He suddenly woke up and found that his sword was resting on the old man's neck. Cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
"senior……"
Li Zhao's voice trembled, his eyes full of fear and self-blame.
The old man forced a smile and said, "Child, it seems that the power of this bead is affecting you... We must find the place of inheritance as soon as possible and break the seal in your body."
The Bone-Eroding Dragon Lizard attacked again, and black flames fell like raindrops.
Li Zhaoqiang endured the headache and inserted the Sword of Purification into the ground. Five rays of light shot up into the sky, forming a huge pentagram array on the wasteland.
Runes from ancient books emerged in the formation, echoing with the power of the beads, forming a golden barrier that bounced back all of the dragon lizard's flames.
The dragon lizard let out a painful roar, and its body began to shrink rapidly, eventually turning into a ball of black mist and dissipating.
Li Zhao slumped on the ground, gasping for breath, the power in his body still surging.
The old man walked up to him and handed him a healing pill: "My child, I'm afraid the journey will become increasingly difficult."
Li Zhao took the pill and felt his strength slightly restored. He looked towards the mountains in the distance, his eyes becoming firm again:
“No matter what’s ahead, I’m going to keep going.”
The two continued to move forward, and after an unknown amount of time, they finally came to a canyon surrounded by huge black rocks.
At the entrance of the valley stood a dilapidated stone archway, covered with runes similar to those in ancient books, emitting a faint green light under the moonlight.
As soon as Li Zhao stepped into the archway, he felt dizzy. When he came to his senses, he found himself standing in front of a huge altar.
A huge black bead was suspended in the center of the altar, with colorful light flowing on the surface of the bead, which was completely different from the beads they had encountered before.
"This is..." The old man was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Li Zhao felt dizzy, and the power in his body surged again. He was horrified to find that his right hand stretched out towards the bead uncontrollably.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the beads, countless transparent figures suddenly appeared around the altar. These figures were all wise men in white robes, chanting ancient spells in unison.
Li Zhao felt a strong suction coming from the beads, his consciousness began to blur, and he vaguely heard the old man's anxious call.
When Li Zhao woke up again, he found himself lying on the altar with the old man guarding him.
The bead in the center of the altar had disappeared, replaced by a rune emitting a soft glow.
Li Zhao felt that the power in his body became unusually calm, as if something was awakened.
The old man said worriedly, "Child, you were just devoured by the power of the bead. It was the shadowy figures of the wise men who saved you. They said... you are the 'Child of Destiny,' and only you can unlock the bead's ultimate seal."
Li Zhao stood up and looked at the sky outside the altar. He found that the originally blood-red sky had returned to clearness, and the stars were twinkling in the night sky.
He clenched the purification crystal in his hand, feeling the warm power coming from it, as if guiding him in the next direction.
A bolt of black lightning suddenly struck, splitting the altar in two.
Li Zhao was horrified to find that his shadow had turned as black as ink, separated from his body, and floated towards the dark mountains in the distance.
"Li Zhao!" The old man's cry was filled with fear.
Li Zhao looked at his right hand which was gradually being swallowed by darkness, and finally understood the true meaning of the words in the ancient book:
"When light and darkness blend in the blood, the Child of Destiny will face the final choice."
A glint of determination flashed in his eyes as he walked towards the dark mountains.
The old man wanted to stop him, but was pushed away by an invisible force.
Li Zhao's figure gradually blurred in the darkness, leaving only a string of blood-red footprints, like the mark of fate, extending into the unknown abyss.