SWDnovel Chapter 214 Strange White Mist
Chapter 214 Strange White Mist
These chains are not physical entities; they are composed entirely of condensed spatial power and some ancient restrictive runes, exhibiting a chaotic grayish-white hue.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several streaks of light that were struggling to rise were caught off guard and crashed into this net of chains.
Several Nascent Soul stage cultivators, along with their protective magic treasures, were like ice and snow thrown into a furnace.
The moment it came into contact with the phantom of the chains, it vanished without a sound.
Before it could even utter a scream, it vanished into nothingness.
"Could this be... the Annihilation Chains!?"
"Damn it! Wasn't this restriction abolished a long time ago?"
The Ning family patriarch roared in shock, his voice distorted with extreme astonishment.
His deep blue brocade robe fluttered without wind as he stared intently at the crisscrossing, gray-white chain phantoms above him, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Annihilation Chains?!" Old Monster Beihe and Huoyunzi stopped at the same time, their killing intent instantly replaced by horror.
The two retreated swiftly, moving away from the terrifying net of chains.
The scene of those early Nascent Soul cultivators being instantly annihilated was too shocking.
Even these seasoned demons felt a chill rise from their spines.
"Not bad!" The Ning family patriarch's face was gloomy, and his voice carried a hint of lingering fear and solemnity.
"Ancient texts record that the final hundred steps of the Xuanqiong Heavenly Staircase were protected by annihilation chains; touching them meant certain death, annihilation of both body and soul—a deadly array laid down by an ancient powerful being!"
"But it's rumored that the core of this formation was destroyed in a great war ten thousand years ago... How could it suddenly reappear?!"
All the cultivators, whether they were Nascent Soul cultivators or those still in the Core Formation stage, stopped in their tracks. Their faces no longer showed any desire to fight; instead, they were filled with deep fear of the invisible killing intent.
The chaotic, grayish-white phantom of the chains flowed silently, each subtle fluctuation tugging at everyone's heartstrings, as if the Grim Reaper's scythe were hanging overhead.
"Old Monster Ning, do you know how to break this?!" a white-haired, mid-Nascent Soul cultivator with a whisk in his hand asked in a deep voice.
The Ning family patriarch remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Break it? Easier said than done!"
"This is a combination of the power of spatial annihilation and an ancient restriction, which cannot be broken by brute force. Forcing an attack will only be like a moth drawn to a flame."
His deep voice echoed on the Heavenly Staircase platform, each word striking heavily into everyone's hearts.
"Is...is this all we can do?"
An old rogue cultivator in the early Nascent Soul stage spoke unwillingly, his eyes bloodshot.
The Xuanqiong Jade Marrow is an unparalleled treasure that can cleanse one's foundation, improve the quality of one's Nascent Soul, and even allow one to touch the threshold of the Divine Transformation realm!
Watching it stand so high on the heavenly steps, yet blocked by these terrifying annihilation chains, was a feeling more agonizing than being slowly sliced to death.
"Fellow Daoist Ning, are there any records in ancient texts of any shortcuts or tricks? Even the slightest possibility?"
The old Taoist priest, who was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and held a whisk, and whose Taoist name was "Yunmiao Zhenren," pressed on relentlessly.
The Ning family patriarch's face remained gloomy as he slowly shook his head: "The records are vague, mentioning it only in fragments."
"The Annihilation Chains cannot be broken by brute force; a matching key is required to temporarily open a passage."
"But what is the key to harmony? It has long been lost to history, and no one knows it. Forcing it will only lead to this outcome!"
He raised his finger and pointed to the faint energy ripples left behind by the annihilation of the Nascent Soul cultivators near the illusory chain image above.
"Lost..." Master Yunmiao, holding a whisk, murmured to himself, which eventually turned into a heavy sigh.
The faces of the other Nascent Soul cultivators, whether they were powerful figures of the demonic path or righteous masters, shifted between anger and fear, as greed and fear clashed fiercely.
The Northern River Old Monster and Huo Yunzi had long since stopped fighting, and their wary gazes now held only deep apprehension towards the invisible killing formation.
Chen Xu leaned against the cold mountain wall, mingling among the panicked crowd, his aura concealed to the extreme.
He also felt the dread emanating from the depths of his soul brought about by the annihilating chains.
But his mind wasn't completely consumed by fear; a thought flashed through his mind like lightning:
The Key to Harmony? Lost?
"Could it be... my Ghost Key that was enhanced with [Dual Purpose]?"
But Chen Xu immediately suppressed the urge to try it.
At this moment, he is the most inconspicuous person outside the spotlight, but once he takes out the key, he will instantly become the target of all the Nascent Soul stage monsters.
Although Qingling is strong, the risks are too great with so many old monsters surrounding her, especially with the deep-seated hatred of the Ning family patriarch by her side.
"The timing... we must wait for a moment that will divert all attention!"
Time passed slowly in the heavy silence, each breath feeling like a boulder pressing on everyone's chest.
The allure of the Xuanqiong Jade Marrow was like a demonic chant, tantalizing the nerves of every cultivator, yet it was firmly suppressed by the deathly shadow of the Annihilation Chains.
Finally, an old rogue cultivator at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm could no longer withstand the immense psychological torment.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly unleashed an ancient shield shaped like a tortoise shell.
Runes flowed across the shield, radiating a thick, earthy-yellow aura.
"My lifespan is nearing its end. Rather than sit idly waiting for death, I'd rather fight for a chance to live!"
"Fellow Daoists, if I unfortunately perish, I beg you to spare no effort for my disciples, out of our shared Daoist bond!"
Before he finished speaking, he unleashed all his magical power, pushing the tortoise shell shield to its limit.
It transformed into a thick beam of yellow light, protecting its entire body, and then charged fiercely towards the net of chains above.
He chose a corner where the chains were relatively sparse and tried to squeeze through the gap.
"No!" Master Yunmiao exclaimed in shock, but it was too late to stop him.
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
hum...
Just as the old rogue cultivator was about to touch the illusory chain,
In that seemingly sparse corner, several gray-white chains, like venomous snakes awakened, suddenly shone with a blinding light.
puff!
The old man, along with his tortoise-shell shield radiating powerful spiritual pressure, silently dissolved the moment it came into contact with the gray-white light.
Finally, it turned into a wisp of smoke and returned to nothingness.
"hiss……"
A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the platform.
Even with a high-grade defensive magic weapon at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, it couldn't even cause a ripple before being completely annihilated.
The terror of the annihilation chains is once again etched into everyone's hearts in the most direct and cruel way.
Even fierce and ruthless individuals like the Northern River Old Monster and Huo Yunzi were now silent with fear.
The scene of the old rogue cultivator turning into wisps of green smoke and disappearing completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts.
No matter how tempting the Xuanqiong Jade Marrow may be, it cannot compare to the terror of annihilation of both body and soul.
Just as everyone was sinking into despair, a sinister voice broke the silence:
"Hehehe... Old Ghost Ning, you say the key is lost, but why do I feel like you know something about it?"
The old monster from the Northern River stared at the patriarch of the Ning family with his green eyes like a venomous snake, a sinister smile on his face.
"Your understanding of this Mysterious Vault Realm is probably far deeper than that of us rogue cultivators, isn't it?"
"You blurted out the name of the Annihilation Chains just now!"
Upon hearing this, all the Nascent Soul cultivators, including True Person Yunmiao, Huoyunzi, and several others, focused their gazes on the Ning family patriarch.
Yes! This old monster Ning not only recognized the Annihilation Chains, but also knew their origin.
Maybe he really has clues about the "key", or even... the key itself is on him?
He deliberately kept quiet, hoping to wait until everyone was in despair before keeping the jade marrow for himself.
The Ning family patriarch's face instantly turned extremely ugly, and he shouted angrily, "Beihe! Don't you dare make false accusations!"
"I've merely read a few more ancient books! The key has long been lost. What are your intentions in sowing discord here?!"
"Sowing discord?" Huo Yunzi, for the moment, even temporarily set aside his grudge against Beihe Old Monster, and sneered as he replied:
"Who knows if you deliberately spread false information to monopolize it?"
"Old ghost Ning, tell us everything you know! Otherwise, don't blame us for not showing any brotherhood!"
"Yes! Fellow Daoist Ning, this matter is of great importance, please tell me frankly!" True Person Yunmiao echoed in a deep voice, his whisk fluttering slightly, his aura subtly locking onto the Ning family patriarch.
Other Nascent Soul cultivators also stepped forward, forming a pincer movement.
The two Nascent Soul stage cultivators beside the Ning family patriarch immediately tensed up, protecting him as if facing a formidable enemy.
The Ning family patriarch trembled with rage, his left arm stiff, making his movements somewhat unnatural: "Are you trying to force me into this?"
"Very well! I swear by my inner demons, I have no idea where the key is!"
"If even half a word of this is false, may I be struck down by heaven and earth, and never be reincarnated!"
The oath of inner demons also has a very strong binding force on Nascent Soul cultivators.
Huo Yunzi's angry expression softened slightly, and the surging flames around him subsided a bit.
He glanced at the silent, flowing phantom of the annihilation chains above, then looked at the Ning family patriarch, and finally let out a cold snort, saying nothing more.
Master Yunmiao sighed softly, and with a slight wave of his whisk, the locking aura dissipated.
Seeing this, the tense atmosphere eased slightly among the other Nascent Soul cultivators, but the suspicion and greed that permeated the air did not disappear.
The Ning family patriarch's face turned ashen; the oath of inner demons had temporarily silenced Youyou's words.
But the undisguised suspicion in the eyes of Old Monster Beihe and Huoyunzi, as well as the flickering gazes of the other Nascent Soul cultivators, set off alarm bells in his heart.
"Hmph, a vow made by inner demons? Old ghost Ning, you'd better pray you're telling the truth."
The old monster from the North River withdrew his gaze with a sinister look, clearly not having completely let go of his suspicions, but unable to find a new pretext to attack him.
As time passed, a thin white mist suddenly appeared around them, beginning to erode the minds of some cultivators.
At first, the white mist was like the morning haze in the mountains, ethereal and harmless, only slightly blurring the vision.
But soon, its strangeness became apparent.
Some Core Formation cultivators with slightly weaker cultivation levels were the first to have their eyes become glazed and agitated.
"Kill! Kill them! The treasure is mine!"
A rogue cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation suddenly turned bloodshot and became like a madman.
He summoned his flying sword and slashed at the nearest cultivator, completely disregarding who the other person was.
"Are you crazy?!" The cultivator was caught off guard and hastily defended himself.
"Are you crazy?!" The cultivator was caught off guard and hastily defended himself.
However, this sudden and frenzied attack threw them into disarray, and the two instantly grappled with each other. The magical light exploded under the immense pressure, affecting those around them as well.
As if a fuse had been lit, chaos spread rapidly through the white fog like a plague.
"Get out of my way! Anyone who blocks my path shall die!" another cultivator roared, brandishing his magical weapon and attacking everything around him indiscriminately, friend or foe.
"This fog is strange! It can bewilder and disturb the mind!"
Master Yunmiao's expression changed. He waved his whisk, and a clear light protected his body, trying to dispel the approaching white mist, but the effect was minimal.
The white mist seemed to have a life of its own, attempting to seep into the protective aura in wisps and strands.
"Hehehe! It's all in chaos, it's good that everything's in chaos!" The Old Monster of the Northern River was not afraid at all, but instead laughed strangely.
His body was filled with surging demonic energy, which seemed to have some resistance to the white mist, and he even actively absorbed a trace of it.
The old monster of the Northern River had a green glint in his eyes. He suddenly summoned the white bone shield and smashed it hard at Huo Yunzi!
"Beihe! You're asking for death!" Huoyunzi was already short-tempered, and now, provoked by the white mist, he was even more furious.
The Nine Yang Fireball reappeared, blasting towards the Northern River Monster with its raging fury.
"Well done! I'll refine your fire spirit root today!" Old Monster Beihe grinned, his poisonous miasma transforming into a dragon, and vengeful spirits howling, as he once again engaged Huo Yunzi in battle.
This time, the battle between the two was even more ferocious, completely disregarding their surroundings. The aftershocks of their spells instantly tore apart the cultivators nearby who were being corrupted by the white mist.
The Ning family patriarch's face was ashen; his left arm was injured, which greatly reduced his strength.
At this moment, they must both resist the erosion of the all-pervasive white mist and guard against the surrounding cultivators who have gone mad.
They also need to be wary of the aftermath of the battle between Beihe and Huoyunzi, as well as the ill-intentioned gazes of other Nascent Soul cultivators.
His two Nascent Soul friends were under immense pressure and struggling to cope.
"Old Ghost Ning, it seems your injury is more serious than I thought!" Even amidst the fierce battle, the Northern River Old Monster couldn't resist making sarcastic remarks. His voice, carrying a strong sense of malice, came through the roar of magic and the white mist.
He seized the moment when the three members of the Ning family were momentarily stunned by a violent shockwave of fire, and suddenly spun the white bone shield in his hand.
Several vengeful spirits shrieked as they broke free from the shield, transforming into wisps of pale green light that almost blended into the white mist. They silently and swiftly lunged at the back of the Ning family patriarch.
This attack was insidious and cunning, and the timing was impeccable.
"Brother Ning, be careful!" one of the Nascent Soul cultivators' friends, the patriarch of the Ning family, warned.
The Ning family patriarch also sensed the chilling killing intent, and a warning bell rang in his heart.
He forcefully activated his magic power, and the deep blue water-like spiritual light instantly condensed behind him into a thick ice crystal shield.
At the same time, the body leans forward as much as possible in an attempt to dissipate the force.
However, the injury to his left arm severely hampered his reaction time and power generation.
"Pfft! Snap!"
The eerie green light slammed into the hastily formed ice shield, shattering it instantly.
Although the ghostly light was weakened by more than half, the remaining power still slammed into the protective aura on the back of the Ning family patriarch.
He groaned, staggered forward, his face turned ashen, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his breath visibly weakened, clearly indicating that his internal organs had been severely damaged.
If it weren't for the ice shield and protective aura that negated most of the power, this attack would have taken half his life!
"Fellow Daoist Ning!"
"That scoundrel from Beihe! Despicable!"
The two friends of the Ning family patriarch were furious, roaring as they forced the entangled giant venomous python away and turned back to rescue him, attacking in anger at the same time.