Cultivating immortality relies on spatial abilities; defying fate to become the protagonist.

Chapter 224

Gu Shihan and the others breathed a sigh of relief and continued their journey toward the source of the underground river, knowing that even greater challenges awaited them ahead.

"So tired!" Wenxin wiped away her sweat, took out her wine gourd and drank several large gulps before she felt a little better.

"Are you all feeling very tired?" Gu Shihan asked.

"Yeah! My head is spinning, and I feel inexplicably tired all over! Something's wrong with me! This is bad!" Situ Tinglang patted his head and exclaimed.

“Something is definitely not right!” Gu Shihan took out a gourd of wine, added a drop of Holy Spirit Water to it, took a few sips, and then said, “You should also put a drop of Holy Spirit Water into your wine, drink a few more sips, replenish your immortal spiritual power, and also clear away the dark energy that has entered your body.”

"I feel much better now, my head isn't dizzy anymore!" Wenxin took a sip of the spiked wine, and her complexion improved considerably.

"Yes, we were careless. Luckily, we discovered it in time. If this had happened during a battle, it would have been disastrous!" Shi Qinghan said, still shaken.

The group continued their journey, and soon they heard the sound of flowing water. Following the sound, they indeed found the source of the underground river. The water was black and murky, emitting a pungent odor, and the stones along the riverbank were eroded and uneven.

Just as Gu Shihan was about to take out the holy spring water, a huge black shadow suddenly surged up from the river. The shadow gradually condensed into a humanoid monster, its entire body covered in black scales, and its eyes glowing red. "How dare you ruin my plans!" the monster roared.

Everyone stood ready for battle. Gu Shihan shouted, "You evil creature, today is your death day!" With that, she poured a large amount of holy spring water into the river. The monster charged angrily, and everyone worked together to hold it off.

The holy spring water collided with the dark power, producing a violent reaction. With everyone's valiant resistance, the monster's power gradually weakened. Gu Shihan seized the opportunity to unleash all the holy spring water; the monster let out a miserable scream and finally vanished.

Gu Shihan poured thirty-three drops of holy spring water into the dark river, and in an instant, the dark power receded like a tide.

After the underground river regained its clarity, the surrounding scenery began to change. The withered grass and trees quickly turned green, and the land eroded by darkness regained its vitality.

Just as Gu Shihan and the others were feeling relieved, a strange light suddenly appeared on the horizon.

Everyone became alert, and saw that the light was getting closer and closer. It turned out to be a bead emitting an auspicious light flying over.

The bead flew to Gu Shihan and hovered there. A gentle voice entered everyone's ears: "You have done a good job in purifying the darkness. This bead is called the Purification Bead and can help you continue to purify evil in the future."

Gu Shihan reached out and took the bead, feeling the powerful force contained within it.

Just then, a melodious bell rang out from a distant mountain peak. Everyone looked on curiously, and Xingbai exclaimed with delight, "That's the ancient Auspicious Bell! Legend has it that wherever the bell rings, peace will last forever. It seems that Sunset Mountain Range will no longer be plagued by darkness."

Overjoyed, the group decided to head to a nearby town for a rest.

In the town, they heard many stories about other places being threatened by darkness.

Gu Shihan gripped the Purifying Pearl tightly, her eyes resolute, and said, "Our journey is not over yet; we will go to many more places."

After a brief rest, the group set off for the new disaster-stricken area. Along the way, they passed a small village, where dark clouds hung heavy, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

Upon entering the village, they found that the villagers all looked dazed, like walking corpses.

Gu Shihan tried to shine the light emitted by the Purifying Pearl on the villagers, and some of them reacted slightly. Just as they were about to take further action, a mysterious person dressed in black appeared. "Don't waste your energy. These villagers have been cursed by me. Only my antidote can save them."

Gu Shihan angrily asked, "Why do you do such evil?" The mysterious man sneered, "In this world, the strong prey on the weak. I am merely pursuing power." With that, he summoned a group of evil creatures to attack the crowd.

The group remained calm and dealt with the situation. Gu Shihan, holding the Purifying Pearl, worked with Duan Siqi to release powerful purifying energy, temporarily suppressing the evil entity.

Mo Yu seized the opportunity, ambushed the mysterious man, and beheaded him with a single sword strike, taking the antidote.

Gu Shihang took the antidote and quickly fed it to the villagers. As the antidote took effect, the villagers' dazed expressions gradually disappeared, and they regained their senses. Upon learning that Gu Shihang and the others had rescued them, the villagers were extremely grateful.

After leaving the village, they continued their journey. When they reached a desert, a sandstorm suddenly arose, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Everyone became alert and noticed pairs of red eyes flashing within the sandstorm. "It's a sand demon!" Xingbai exclaimed.

The sand demons swarmed in, and the group formed a circle to defend themselves. Gu Shihan raised the Purifying Pearl high, and the pearl emitted a dazzling light, causing the sand demons to retreat as they approached.

However, the number of sand demons was too large, and the power of the Purifying Pearl was being consumed too quickly.

In a moment of quick thinking, Duan Siqi used an earth-based spell to create earthen walls to block the sand demons. Mo Yu and the others seized the opportunity to launch an attack and eliminate the approaching sand demons.

With everyone working together, the sand demons' offensive momentum was gradually curbed. But the sand demons seemed tireless, surging in wave after wave.

At this moment, Gu Jiahui suddenly remembered that he had read about sand monsters in ancient books, and he shouted, "Sand monsters are afraid of fire, let's use fire to attack them!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately changed their strategy. Gu Shihan put away the Purifying Pearl to conserve her power, while Mo Yu, Situ Tinglang, and other cultivators skilled in fire magic unleashed their power simultaneously.

A raging fire swept across the desert, and the sand monsters struggled painfully in the flames, emitting piercing cries. As the fire spread, the number of sand monsters dwindled dramatically.

However, just as the sand monsters were about to be completely wiped out, a powerful suction force suddenly rose from the center of the desert, instantly pulling the remaining sand monsters away.

Then, a magnificent palace slowly rose from the sand, exuding a mysterious and ancient aura. The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what the palace's appearance meant.

After a moment's hesitation, Gu Shihan led the way towards the palace. As they stepped through the palace gates, a soft light enveloped them, and an ethereal voice rang in their ears: "Those who are destined, you have passed the test. Here is a treasure to be given to you, which will help you fight against the darkness."

"Have we become saviors?" Wenxin muttered.

"Perhaps so. Because of our arrival, the Immortal Realm might be able to return to peace, haha!" Situ Tinglang said with a smile.

Filled with anticipation, the group continued their journey into the palace. The palace was dimly lit, and the walls were covered with ancient runes that shimmered faintly. As they walked, they came to the center of a large hall, where a stone platform stood, upon which rested an exquisite box.

As Gu Shihan approached the stone platform, several phantoms suddenly appeared around them, transforming into various dark creatures that attacked them.

(End of this chapter)