Chapter 1552: Chapter 763: Departure, Ancient Secrets?
Saying goodbye to the old fisherman, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang continued forward.
They became more vigilant, carefully observing their surroundings.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the trees grew denser, and the light turned dim.
“Qing Shuang, be careful, there might be an ambush here,” Luo Chen whispered.
Qing Shuang nodded, having already drawn the longsword from her waist, its blade glinting with a cold light in the dim atmosphere.
They cautiously navigated through a thicket when suddenly, the clang of metal broke the forest’s silence.
The two quickly rushed towards the source of the sound.
Passing through a dense grove, they encountered a strange scene.
A group of black-clad individuals was digging a huge pit, surrounded by scattered ancient steles and statues.
“Who are these people? What are they doing?” Qing Shuang asked softly.
Luo Chen observed carefully and then answered, “It looks like they are searching for something. These steles and statues seem quite ancient, possibly relics.”
Just then, one black-clad person noticed Luo Chen and Qing Shuang, shouting loudly. The others immediately dropped their tools, drew their weapons, and charged towards Luo Chen and Qing Shuang.
“Watch out, Qing Shuang!” Luo Chen shouted, as the two quickly assumed a battle stance.
The battle erupted at once, with Luo Chen and Qing Shuang using their exceptional skills and seamless coordination to engage fiercely with the black-clad group.
Sword light interwove, the fight grew intensely fierce.
After a grueling struggle, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang finally subdued all of the black-clad individuals.
They searched the black-clad individuals and found a map and some strange symbols, seemingly related to the relic they were excavating.
“It seems these black-clad individuals are members of an organization, searching for an ancient secret here,” Luo Chen pondered.
Qing Shuang nodded, looking at the map in her hand and said, “We need to uncover what this secret is; it might be related to the safety of the whole region.”
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang decided to continue tracking this clue, aware it could lead to another adventure.
They tied up the black-clad individuals, left a warning, and continued onward.
As night fell, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang started a campfire on a clearing, preparing to rest.
Qing Shuang took out dry food from her pack and handed it to Luo Chen, “Eat something first, we need to keep up our strength.”
Luo Chen took the dry food, smiling, “Thank you, Qing Shuang, I always feel secure with you around.”
Luo Chen nodded, looking at Qing Shuang, a warm feeling rising in his heart.
As the night deepened, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang took turns keeping watch to ensure safety.
They knew tomorrow would be another challenging day.
…
Dawn came quickly.
Birds chirped noisily on the trees.
Making it somewhat annoying.
Luo Chen, unable to sleep because of the noise, slowly opened his eyes.
But then, a slight tremor from the ground.
Instantly brought him fully awake.
Luo Chen quickly sat up, scanning the surroundings, trying to identify the source of the tremor.
Qing Shuang, startled from her sleep, gripped her longsword tightly, looking around warily.
“Luo Chen, what’s happening?” Qing Shuang asked softly, a touch of tension in her voice.
“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t feel like a natural phenomenon,” Luo Chen responded, standing up to prepare for whatever might happen next.
They quickly extinguished the campfire to avoid becoming an obvious target.
In the dim morning light, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang huddled together, ready to face the impending threat.
Suddenly, the ground tremors intensified, heavy footsteps resounded in the distance.
Soon, a gigantic figure emerged slowly from the woods; it was a massive beast, its eyes glinting fiercely in the gloom.
“It’s a giant beast!” Qing Shuang exclaimed, having never seen a creature so large.
Luo Chen gripped his weapon tightly, knowing they must be cautious in dealing with it.
The giant beast let out a low roar, sending tremors through the trees around.
“We need to find a way around it or discover its weakness,” Luo Chen whispered to Qing Shuang.
Qing Shuang nodded, knowing Luo Chen’s judgments were always accurate.
They began to move slowly, trying to find a safe path to bypass the giant beast.
However, the giant beast seemed to have sensed their intentions, roaring as it charged towards them.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang had no choice but to draw their weapons and prepare for battle.
The fight was extremely tough; the beast’s skin was as tough as iron, and their attacks seemed to do little damage to it.
They could only rely on agile movement techniques and coordinated teamwork to dodge the beast’s attacks.
After a hard battle, Luo Chen finally discovered the beast’s weakness in its eyes.
He exchanged a glance with Qing Shuang, and they launched an attack together, targeting the beast’s eyes.
With precise coordination, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang successfully wounded the beast’s eyes.
The beast roared in agony, temporarily losing its sense of direction.
They seized the opportunity to quickly escape from the beast’s attack range.
When they finally stopped to catch their breath, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang felt exhausted, but they knew they had to keep moving forward.
They packed up their gear and resumed their journey towards the marketplace.
As the sun rose higher, the forest’s light brightened.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang traversed lush green meadows, occasionally spotting small animals hopping in the underbrush.
“Luo Chen, have you ever wondered what would happen if we found that ancient secret?” Qing Shuang suddenly asked, curiosity in her voice.
Luo Chen pondered for a moment, then replied, “Who knows if that secret even exists, for now, we’ll keep looking. If we can’t find it, then there’s nothing we can do…”
…
In the forest, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang searched for several days.
Unfortunately, they found nothing.
Feeling resigned, they decided to find a nearby workshop where cultivators gathered to rest for a while.
After all, camping outside all the time wasn’t ideal.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang arrived at the marketplace, bustling with activity, stalls of all kinds lined the streets, and cultivators bargained for various Spirit Grass, Magical Treasures, and Secret Manuals.
In the center of the marketplace stood a huge stele, engraved with the marketplace’s rules and history, surrounded by buildings with an ancient style that exuded a sense of long-standing history.
“Let’s find a place to rest and inquire about those black-clad individuals,” Luo Chen suggested.
Qing Shuang nodded, and they stopped in front of an inn that looked rather clean.
The inn’s sign read “Qingfeng Inn,” with a smiling middle-aged man standing at the entrance.
“Welcome, are you looking to have a meal or stay over?” the man greeted enthusiastically.
“We would like to stay over, are there any rooms available?” Luo Chen asked.
“Yes, yes, please follow me,” the man said, leading them into the inn.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang were assigned to a room on the second floor, small yet clean and tidy.
After putting down their luggage, they decided to have some food in the inn’s hall and gather information.
The hall buzzed with lively chatter, a mix of various sounds blending together.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang found a corner to sit, ordering some dishes and a pot of tea.
“The atmosphere here is really bustling,” Qing Shuang remarked softly, looking around.
“Indeed, the marketplace is always like this, with news circulating. Perhaps we can find some clues here,” Luo Chen replied.
Just then, a group of cultivators at a nearby table caught their attention.
They seemed to be discussing something important, their voices low, but Luo Chen and Qing Shuang still caught snippets of their conversation.
“Did you hear? Recently, an ancient relic has appeared near Heifeng Ridge, containing valuable treasures.”
“Really? That’s big news; I wonder how many people have already set out.”
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang exchanged a look, their interest piqued.