Chapter 243: The Mysterious Mist, the Strange Dark World

The atmosphere between the two opponents turned tense at that moment. As Liu Yi spoke those words, a hint of hesitation flashed in Yan Jun’s eyes—though it was only brief and soon disappeared. Meanwhile, both sides unleashed their full strength, preparing for the battle ahead. Yan Jun’s broken sword might have appeared old, but under the flow of heat, it emitted a yellow glow, proving it was by no means an ordinary blade; otherwise, it would have melted long ago under such heat.

Liu Yi, on the other hand, simplified the power of the Divine Dragon and infused the power of the Ice Dragon into his sword as soon as it was summoned. He knew summoning other dragons would only cause trouble, so using the Ice Dragon against Yan Jun was the best approach. Thus, he focused all his strength, including that of the Ice Dragon, into his sword.

Liu Yi was aware that the three monarchs behind Yan Jun were not easy opponents either. Even if Lei Jun did not intervene, those three combined could pose a serious threat. To seize the gem, the only option was to deal a decisive blow to Yan Jun during the fight.

Yan Jun hesitated for a moment, but the temptation of the gem quickly restored his arrogance. It was a legendary artifact—its exact use unknown, but undoubtedly a treasure among treasures. Once obtained, its purpose could be figured out later. As the saying goes, “A cooked duck has no reason to fly.” Yan Jun smiled coldly, nodded, and said, “Well said. Men die for wealth, birds fight for food. Since you’re determined to compete, first prove yourself by surviving my sword.”

With that, Yan Jun moved. His broken sword swung down with devastating force, sending a wave of heat mixed with yellow light toward Liu Yi. Liu Yi was prepared. Competition required a price, and to succeed in obtaining those two stones, he had to eliminate the man before him.

As the yellow light approached, Liu Yi flipped his long sword. As the sword’s shadow condensed into a whirl of light, a blue-white beam, like a soaring dragon, struck the yellow light with a resonant clang. The yellow light vanished, and the blue-white sword light continued moving in a perfect arc before disappearing.

Though it was their first encounter, it was unclear whether Yan Jun had gone all out. To intimidate him, Liu Yi didn’t use his full strength but still exerted 80% of his skills. As the blue-white light vanished, a white ice crystal appeared in the air. Once it landed, a freezing cold spread rapidly. Within three zhang around it, everything froze instantly. Even the air seemed to freeze, forcing everyone to retreat far back—or risk turning into ice blocks.

This was something Liu Yi hadn’t expected. He had only thought that the Ice Dragon might have a complementary or counteracting effect on the Flame Lord, making it more effective against him. But Liu Yi never imagined the Ice Dragon’s power to be so great. Even now, he didn’t understand why this Ice Dragon was stronger than the other four dragons. But there was no time to overthink things at the moment. That single sword strike gave Liu Yi immense confidence. His powerful vital energy, combined with the Ice Dragon’s special abilities imparted to the sword, meant that as long as he accelerated, he could surely defeat the Flame Lord within ten sword strikes.

The moment the Flame Lord engaged in combat, he already sensed the immense power of the Ice Dragon and Liu Yi’s vital energy. Moreover, Liu Yi had already overwhelmed him in terms of momentum. Now, the Flame Lord’s eyes darted around, and the scorching heat around his body diminished significantly as ice crystals formed. In a battle between masters, victory or defeat hinges in an instant—especially after that sword strike, which had completely left the Flame Lord unable to overcome his opponent.

Everything happened so miraculously. In their eyes, Liu Yi seemed like an unparalleled master. Yet Liu Yi knew in his heart that his cultivation level was nothing special. So, even though he had gained the upper hand with the first strike, he became even more focused. A red glow flashed in his eyes as his long sword spun rapidly in front of him, then with utmost speed, it drew a blue-white light.

This sword strike had no arc whatsoever. The sword energy twisted and coiled, with blue and white lights intermingling. From another angle, that blue-white light resembled a long dragon. The moment it left Liu Yi’s sword, it flashed and reached the Flame Lord in an instant.

The Flame Lord could have dodged this strike, but it was already too late. By the time he reacted, the sword was already in front of him. With no time to dodge, he could only use the knife in his hand to block it. With another clashing sound, the blue-white dragon-like sword struck the broken knife. As the Flame Lord felt the immense force, the shadow of the Ice Dragon vanished quickly. His body recoiled three zhangs backward involuntarily, kicking up dust from the ground.

Yet something strange happened. As the dust fell, it quickly turned into ice crystals upon contact with the ground. Although Liu Yi’s sword light disappeared, it seemed that the special ability exerted by that force still remained. Looking at the Flame Lord, indeed, after just two exchanges in the weapon duel, the Flame Lord’s arrogance had been overshadowed by the Ice Dragon’s aura, and his body seemed to tremble slightly.

Liu Yi watched the scene before him, filled with indescribable emotions. Why was this? Could speed and strength truly determine everything? During his battle with Su Shao, the power of the Ice Dragon couldn’t be fully utilized, but now it was unleashed to its fullest potential. What exactly was the difference?

At that moment, everything around everyone went dark. Looking up, they saw that while there had only been a few clouds in the sky moments ago, it was now covered by dense, tangible mist that seemed to be right above their heads. Despite the battle with the Flame Lord, Liu Yi was also drawn to this sudden strange phenomenon. The clouds in the sky were peculiar—seemingly floating objects in the middle of the Sixth Peak, with no sunlight able to penetrate them.

Soon, the clouds flickered at varying speeds, covering the sky once again. Yu Chenxing turned to ask the Thunder Lord, “What is that?” Though he had seen clouds before, he had never encountered such strange ones—constantly flickering at high speed, and in the blink of an eye, the sky was completely obscured.

The Thunder Lord shook his head while watching the sky and said, “I don’t know, but something is definitely odd.”

Yu Chenxing nodded, then his gaze inadvertently fell on the Flame Lord. The Flame Lord wasn’t looking at the clouds that had suddenly appeared above him; instead, he flipped his sword and aimed it straight at Liu Yi. Seeing this, Yu Chenxing instinctively turned to look at Liu Yi, only to find that Liu Yi was staring at the clouds in the sky. With no time to speak to Yu Chenxing, the moment the sword was swung, Yu Chenxing leaped up, pushing his movement skills to their limit as he rushed toward Liu Yi.

Everyone seemed distracted by the clouds above, but when a sword and a person rushed at Liu Yi at the same time, they quickly turned their attention back. Normally, Yu Chenxing’s speed could never compare to that of the sword, but this time, he managed to get ahead of it and lunged at Liu Yi’s body.

Yu Chenxing was the first to notice the Flame Lord’s move and then got up. Since she was much closer to Liu Yi than the Flame Lord, it seemed inevitable that Liu Yi would be hit by Yu Chenxing first before being struck by the sword. But if that happened, although Liu Yi would be unharmed, Yu Chenxing would be struck by the sword.

The scorching heat, like demons from hell, shot toward Yu Chenxing in front of Liu Yi as soon as it left the Flame Lord’s hand. At that moment, Yu Chenxing’s body also blocked in front of Liu Yi. Liu Yi, who had just reacted, tried to do something, but it was too late—the sword was already three inches behind Yu Chenxing…

Just then, something even more strange happened. White mist suddenly rose from the ground. It appeared out of nowhere, seemingly without any time gap, as if it had materialized directly. Liu Yi’s surroundings turned completely white; nothing could be seen, not even Yu Chenxing in front of him or the sword behind him. Liu Yi realized he couldn’t see anything, as if he had instantly been transported to another world.

While Liu Yi was confused, a weight appeared in front of him, and arms wrapped around him. Then, his body rose as if floating. His head felt dizzy, as if he were riding on clouds. He didn’t know how long this blurred sensation lasted, but as the mist disappeared rapidly, everything went dark around Liu Yi, and he could see nothing anymore.

Liu Yi was startled and thought to himself, “Where is this?” He could clearly feel that he had been moving rapidly before arriving here. Though he wasn’t sure what had happened, he guessed it wasn’t that valley anymore. Just as he started moving, he suddenly realized he was still being held.

Liu Yi looked down. After gradually adapting to the darkness, with the help of his spiritual energy, he finally saw that the person holding him was Yu Chenxing. It seemed Liu Yi immediately realized something and quickly used his strength to pry Yu Chenxing’s hands apart, then looked behind her. Finally, his worries dissipated—Yu Chenxing hadn’t been hit by that broken sword. It seemed he owed his life to this sudden odd event.

Gradually, Yu Chenxing’s steady breathing reached Liu Yi’s ears. Curious, Liu Yi asked, “What’s wrong? Is she hurt?” Sure enough, in Liu Yi’s eyes, Yu Chenxing was lying on the ground like a child, asleep.

Liu Yi shook his head, recalling what had just happened. He wanted to know what exactly had taken place and why they had suddenly ended up in this dark place. But after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t figure anything out. All he remembered was a sense of floating through clouds, after which everything became blurry. Looking at Yu Chenxing sleeping before him, it seemed a long time had passed. Liu Yi brought his focus back, staring into the darkness. There was nothing here—just desolation all around. The sky was pitch black, with no stars visible. Occasionally, a breeze blew, but Liu Yi quickly realized he was in a huge cave. The great distance between the ceiling and the ground made him think they were outside.

Liu Yi forced himself to calm down, wondering if what had happened was just a dream. If he had been taken to this strange place, then others must have been taken as well. But there was no sign of anyone else here. Could it be… that they had been taken elsewhere?

At that moment, Liu Yi suddenly remembered something—Lei Jun had said there was a mirror inside the Rotation Peak, a mirror that already had a life of its own, and that the King of the Underworld was trapped inside it. Given how strange this situation was, could it be related to that living mirror? Liu Yi looked around the vast cave, thinking about that strange story.

Just then, Yu Chenxing’s body moved. Perhaps there were stones on the ground, making her uncomfortable to sleep on. As her body shifted slightly, she woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she let out a scream. Hearing this, Liu Yi quickly said, “Why are you screaming? You scared me to death.” Hearing Liu Yi’s voice, Yu Chenxing calmed down immediately and said, “It’s so dark here. You suddenly appeared in front of me—you scared me to death.”

Liu Yi shook his head helplessly. He hadn’t expected both of them to be startled by each other. Soon, Yu Chenxing sat up and asked, “Where is this place? Why is it so dark… Strange. I clearly blocked that sword for you just now. Why isn’t there any wound on me?” At that moment, Yu Chenxing acted like a child, reaching back at herself.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yi felt puzzled and asked, “I don’t know either. We just left as soon as that white mist appeared. Maybe that knife didn’t catch up to us? But… are you crazy? Do you realize that if that white mist hadn’t appeared suddenly, you might already be dead?” Then he looked at Yu Chenxing.

Yu Chenxing nodded and said, “I know. But I didn’t think much about it at the time. I just hoped the knife would hit me instead of you. You’re so strange. I was helping you, yet you still scold me.” Without caring whether Liu Yi could see, she made a pouty face.

Hearing this, Liu Yi grew even more annoyed and said coldly, “I don’t need you to protect me. My life or death has nothing to do with you. I also don’t want to owe anyone anything. It’s best if you don’t do such foolish things again.”

Yu Chenxing nodded and suddenly laughed, saying, “Whether I block that knife or not is my business. Do you need to worry about it? Besides, I didn’t ask for any reward. You don’t owe me anything either. Why are you so dull? If there’s anyone who owes something, I think you owe July even more, and Ye Luobaihua too. But that was all voluntary—nothing to do with debt.” With that, she stood up and brushed dust off her pants.

Hearing Yu Chenxing’s words, Liu Yi felt a stir in his heart. Yes, she was right. If there was anyone who owed something, it was July, and that debt could never be repaid in this lifetime. But… Liu Yi suddenly thought of something and asked Yu Chenxing, “What did you mean by Ye Luobaihua?”

Yu Chenxing shook her head and hurriedly said, “I didn’t say anything much. There are so many sad people in the world—adding one more like Ye Luobaihua doesn’t matter. It has nothing to do with you. Why are you so nervous? You’re really an idiot, so dull.” With a cold laugh, her innocent face turned extremely gloomy.

Liu Yi seemed to realize he had asked too many questions and shook his head. Just as he was about to speak again, Yu Chenxing continued, “Don’t forget what you said. If one day I defeat the sword in your hand, you’ll have to marry me.”

Hearing this, Liu Yi replied, “That was just said in anger. Even if you defeat me, I won’t marry you. I have a wife and someone I love.” At this moment, Liu Yi seemed even calmer in the darkness, and his thoughts seemed clearer.

Yu Chenxing shook her head and said, “I don’t care. That was what you said. Doesn’t it count? A man must be responsible for what he says. Otherwise, don’t call yourself a man. Besides, hum! Hum! If one day I defeat you, then there’s no choice. If you won’t marry me, I’ll marry you anyway. I don’t care if you have a wife. If I like someone, I’ll do it.” With that, she giggled. The Yu Chenxing speaking now was completely different from before.

Liu Yi suddenly realized that he couldn’t communicate with Yu Chenxing—this person was completely unreasonable, and even his earlier words carried a threatening tone. He helplessly shook his head and smiled, saying, “You’re still young. What you said might have been just an impulsive reaction. When you grow up, you’ll realize it was all a mistake. I’m not someone worth your affection. Give up on this idea.” After saying that, he glanced around.

Yu Chenxing suddenly smiled innocently and said, “Hehe, maybe. Even if I’m young, even if I don’t understand, even if it’s just an impulse, at least I still have this impulse now. So I’ll say it now. As for giving up this idea, I’ll think about it again when this so-called impulse disappears. But if it stays, then you’d better just wait patiently for a sword fight.” He said this with confidence.

Liu Yi shook his head, observing the surroundings, and casually said, “Talking to you is exhausting. I’ll stop. Think whatever you want. I need to figure out how to get out, which way to go, and understand why we’ve ended up on this peak again.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Chenxing suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, “This isn’t the Rotating Peak anymore. As for where we are, I don’t know either.”

Liu Yi quickly asked, “How do you know it’s not the Rotating Peak?”

Yu Chenxing replied, “I have the Dragon Beast. It stays at a distance from me. No matter where we are, it can find me by following my scent. Since I can’t sense it now, we must not be on the Rotating Peak. Otherwise, the Dragon Beast would definitely be nearby.” He nodded in satisfaction but soon exclaimed again, “Oh no! If we’re not on the Rotating Peak, then where are we?”

Hearing this, Liu Yi quickly looked at his shoulder. Sure enough, Tieshi was no longer there. Where could it be? It might have gone to look for July or Ye Luobaihua while he was fighting against Yanjun. Then Liu Yi thought, “Since we’re not on the Rotating Peak, where could we be now?” He fell silent.

Just then, a warm little hand grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. Liu Yi quickly asked, “Where to?”

Yu Chenxing kept pulling him forward while saying, “You’re so annoying! What are you thinking about? Just go and check around—won’t you know then? Such a wordy man.” Then he continued walking fast ahead.

In the dark cave, Liu Yi’s voice came through, “Let go of my hand! I can walk by myself…”

Another clear voice laughed loudly and then said, “I won’t let go. I’ll keep holding you like this forever, never letting go, haha…”