From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 84 A Desperate Counterattack

"Where...am I...?" I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying in a narrow passage. The stone walls on both sides of the passage were rough and damp, emitting a faint musty smell. I struggled to sit up, feeling dizzy. I tried to recall what happened before I lost consciousness: I was sucked into a stone door, and then...I knew nothing more.

I stood up, leaning against the wall. The passageway was dimly lit, with only a sliver of light filtering in from the entrance. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Mu Feng and the others would catch up soon; I had to get out of here as quickly as possible.

The passage was narrower than I had imagined, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. I couldn't help but feel fortunate; this was exactly what I needed. The narrower the space, the easier it is to set a trap. I took out some materials I had prepared beforehand from my storage bag: sharp stone blades, thin threads wrapped with spiritual energy, and several kinds of medicinal powders emitting a strange fragrance. I had prepared these specifically for this trial, and I never expected them to come in handy now.

As I walked along the passage, I carefully set up traps. I used my spiritual power to fix stone blades to the stone walls on both sides of the passage; anyone who passed by would trigger the mechanism and unleash a deadly attack. Thin threads of spiritual power wove together almost invisible nets; anyone who touched them would be firmly bound. As for the powders, I scattered them in various corners of the passage; some could induce hallucinations, some could paralyze the nerves, and some could even temporarily incapacitate the victim.

I set up the traps with great care, each one meticulously calculated to maximize their effectiveness. I knew Mu Feng was no ordinary person; he might be able to see through some simple traps, so I deliberately designed them to be more complex and more concealed.

"Xiao Yao! Come out here!" Mu Feng's angry roar came from the entrance of the passage. I knew they had caught up.

I sneered and sped up the process of setting up the trap.

Soon, Mu Feng and his group rushed into the passage. Although they were much more cautious than before, the passage was narrow and the traps were well hidden, so they kept triggering them.

"Ah!" A scream rang out as the disciple at the front of the group was slashed on the arm by a stone blade.

"Watch out!" Mu Feng shouted, reminding everyone to watch their step.

Even so, they still fell victim to the trick one after another. Some were entangled by spiritual energy threads and unable to move; some inhaled the powder and fell into a hallucination; and others had their nerves paralyzed and collapsed to the ground.

Although Mu Feng was powerful, he couldn't completely avoid all the traps. His face grew increasingly grim, and his eyes were filled with rage.

I continued forward, and at the corner of the passage, I discovered a hidden chamber. The entrance to the chamber was concealed by a powerful protective barrier, shimmering with a faint golden light.

I stopped and carefully examined the patterns on the restriction. This restriction was extraordinary, containing immense power.

"Interesting..." I muttered to myself, my fingertips lightly touching the barrier. A powerful force instantly rebounded... A sharp pain shot through my fingertips, and I quickly withdrew my hand, staring intently at the golden light barrier. This barrier was more complex than I had imagined, and the energy fluctuations it contained were far stronger. Ordinary methods of breaking it wouldn't work at all; I needed to find another way.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly channeled my spiritual energy into my fingertips, touching the seal once more. This time, I didn't try to force it open; instead, I focused on sensing the energy flow within the seal, attempting to find its patterns. Golden light danced at my fingertips, as if alive, sometimes gentle, sometimes violent.

I sensed an ancient and mysterious power within the barrier, like a whisper from antiquity. I focused my mind, merging my consciousness into this power, feeling its pulse, its breath.

Gradually, I seemed to touch the core of the restriction, sensing a peculiar rhythm. This rhythm was like an ancient ballad, melodious and mysterious. I tried to simulate this rhythm with my spiritual power, outlining complex runes on my fingertips.

"Xiao Yao! Don't even think about running!" Mu Feng's roar came from the depths of the passage, interrupting my thoughts. I opened my eyes abruptly and saw that they were getting closer and closer.

Damn it! I have to speed things up! I gritted my teeth and focused all my attention on the restriction. The runes on my fingertips became increasingly complex and intricate, gradually resonating with the energy fluctuations of the restriction.

I felt the power of the restriction begin to loosen, and the golden light became flickering, as if it would dissipate at any moment.

"Senior Brother Mu Feng, it seems she's breaking the restriction!" a disciple exclaimed.

"Stop her!" Mu Feng's face darkened, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. They charged towards me recklessly, the traps along the way no longer posing a threat to them.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, and my heart pounded faster and faster. I knew I didn't have much time left. I had to break the seal and enter the secret chamber before they caught up with me.

The runes on my fingertips were finally complete, radiating a dazzling light. I poured the last wisp of spiritual power into them, then slammed the runes onto the seal.

With a loud "boom," the golden light screen trembled violently before slowly dissipating.

A black slit appeared before my eyes; it was the entrance to the secret chamber.

"Don't even think about it!" Mu Feng had already rushed in front of me, his long sword carrying a sharp sword aura, aiming straight for my chest.

I dodged his attack by sidestepping, and then jumped into the secret room without hesitation.

The moment I entered the secret chamber, the barrier at the entrance activated again, and a golden light curtain blocked Mu Feng and the others from entering.

I leaned against the cold stone wall, listening to Mu Feng's angry roar outside, a cold smile appearing on my lips.

Suddenly, I felt an unusual tremor beneath my feet, and then the entire secret chamber began to slowly sink... "What's going on?" I whispered.

The chamber sank rapidly, and I stumbled a few steps, barely managing to grab onto the cold stone wall. The stone slabs above my head quickly closed, swallowing the last glimmer of light, plunging me into darkness. Mu Feng's furious roar came from above, mixed with the deafening clang of metal clashing against metal, making my eardrums ring. It seems the entrance's defenses are even more formidable than I imagined.

I groped along the wall, trying to find a light source. My fingertips touched a slightly protruding stone, and with a gentle press, a soft click sounded, and fist-sized luminous pearls lit up on the wall, their soft light instantly illuminating the entire secret room.

The secret chamber was much larger than I had imagined, its walls carved with intricate runes, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura. The floor was covered with unknown animal hides, soft and springy to the touch. In the very center stood a white jade altar, upon which rested a jade slip emitting a faint golden light and a jet-black dagger.

Could this be the ultimate goal of this trial? My heart leaped with joy, and I quickly walked to the altar, carefully picking up the jade slip. The jade slip felt warm to the touch, and a strange energy flowed into my body through my fingertips. I felt a jolt throughout my body, and a flood of information suddenly rushed into my mind.

The jade slip contained a long-lost cultivation technique—the *Star River Sword Manual*! This technique draws upon the power of the stars, possessing boundless might. It is said that upon reaching its peak, one can cleave through the void and ascend to the immortal realm. Suppressing my excitement, I carefully read the contents of the jade slip, growing increasingly astonished with each reading. This technique is profound and far surpasses any I have ever learned before. If I could successfully cultivate it, my strength would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds.

Setting down the jade slip, I picked up the jet-black dagger again. The dagger felt icy cold to the touch, its sharp edge gleaming with a chilling light. I tried infusing it with a wisp of spiritual energy; the dagger hummed, and a powerful force surged from it, sending a shiver down my spine. This dagger was no ordinary weapon; it was likely a rare treasure.

"Senior Brother Mu Feng, this restriction is too strong, we can't break through it at all!" came a disciple's anxious voice from outside.

"Damn it!" Mu Feng roared again, "Keep attacking! I refuse to believe we can't break this lousy restriction!"

Immediately following, another fierce attack erupted, causing the secret chamber to shake violently. It seemed Mu Feng and his group hadn't given up and were still attempting to force their way in. However, with the chamber's defenses so formidable, entering wouldn't be easy for them.

I sheathed my dagger, sat cross-legged before the altar, and began studying the *Star River Sword Manual*. This technique, though powerful, was extremely difficult to master, requiring a tremendous amount of time and effort. I had to hurry and master it as quickly as possible to gain an advantage in the upcoming trials.

Time ticked by, and I remained immersed in my cultivation, oblivious to everything around me. Suddenly, I felt the jade slip on the altar vibrate slightly, emitting a dazzling light. Immediately afterward, the entire secret chamber began to tremble violently, as if something was about to burst forth from the ground… I abruptly opened my eyes and looked at the altar. The light from the jade slip grew ever brighter, and a powerful pressure emanated from the altar, making me feel suffocated.

"What...what is this?" I murmured to myself, a strange unease welling up inside me. A deep voice suddenly echoed in the secret chamber, carrying an ancient and mysterious aura, "After slumbering for ten thousand years, someone has finally awakened me..."

The voice seemed to come from ancient times, carrying an unchanging, ancient vicissitude, which sent a chill down my spine. The light on the altar grew even brighter, and the jade slip and dagger began to tremble slightly, as if trying to break free from some kind of restraint. Alarm bells rang in my mind, and I instinctively sensed that danger was approaching.

Could this jade slip and dagger not be rewards for the trial, but some kind of trap? I suppressed my fear and tried to remain calm. At this point, fear was useless; I could only take it one step at a time.

I examined the text on the jade slip more closely, trying to find some clues. Before, I was only focused on my joy and hadn't carefully studied every detail of the jade slip. Now it seems that the text on this jade slip is not simply a record of cultivation techniques; it also hides some special symbols, like some kind of ancient incantation.

I tried channeling my spiritual energy into the jade slip, and the symbols immediately lit up, emitting a faint golden light. Then, I felt a powerful force surge from the jade slip, rapidly flowing throughout my body. Suddenly, an image appeared in my mind: an ancient altar surrounded by countless shimmering stars, a man dressed in white standing in the center of the altar, holding a jet-black dagger, chanting incantations…

The image flashed by, and I snapped back to reality, my mind filled with questions. What did this image mean? Could there be some connection between the jade slip and the dagger?

I picked up the dagger again and examined it closely. The dagger was entirely black, without any decoration, only its sharp edge gleaming coldly. I tried channeling my spiritual energy into the dagger, and it began to hum again, a powerful force surging from it, even stronger than before.

A thought struck me, and I brought the dagger close to the jade slip. The instant the dagger touched the jade slip, the symbols on it suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light, illuminating the entire secret chamber as if it were daytime.

At the same time, strange runes began to appear on the walls of the secret chamber. These runes flickered with a red light and emitted a chilling aura. I realized something was wrong and tried to retreat, but found my body bound by an invisible force, unable to move.

The red runes grew brighter and brighter, eventually merging together to form a massive magic circle. At the center of this circle was the location of the altar. I felt a powerful suction force emanating from the circle, as if trying to pull me in.

"What...what is this?" I was terrified and struggled desperately, but I still couldn't break free from the restraints.

Just then, that deep voice rang out again, with a hint of mockery: "Welcome to my world, little guy..."

I looked up and saw the space above the altar begin to distort and deform, slowly revealing a gigantic black hole. A powerful suction force emanated from the black hole, drawing me in...

"No..." I tried to scream, but no sound came out. My body grew lighter and lighter, as if I were about to float away. I watched helplessly as I was sucked into the black hole, everything before my eyes blurring...

"It seems this trial is more interesting than I imagined..." A cold voice rang in my ear.