“Steady your mind! Attack them!” Margaret shouted sharply.
The short sword in her hand gleamed with a cold light, and a sword aura slashed toward one of the approaching gray shadows.
The sword aura passed through it—the gray figure twisted and rippled, thinning slightly and letting out an even sharper shriek, but it did not dissipate completely. Instead, it lunged forward even more ferociously.
The other guards’ attacks had similar results. Their blade auras and sword Qi had limited effect against these misty wraiths—each took several blows to barely destroy.
The wraiths’ attacks, however, were disturbingly strange. They could easily penetrate ordinary protective Qi barriers and directly touch the body. Once entangled, a wave of freezing cold would surge through the victim, and their vital energy would drain away like floodwaters through a broken dam.
One guard, caught off guard, was struck on the arm by a wraith. His arm instantly turned gray and shriveled, as though all moisture and life had been sucked out. He let out a muffled cry of pain and staggered back, face deathly pale.
“This won’t do! Our attacks barely affect them!” the captain shouted anxiously.
In just moments, two more guards were injured by the wraiths and lost their ability to fight.
Seeing this, Dustin knew he could no longer stand idle.
These mist wraiths had strong resistance to both physical and energy attacks—but against higher forms of power, especially those of pure yang or purifying nature, they had an innate fear.
Dustin raised his hand, his fingers forming a sword seal. A brilliant golden light flared at his fingertip—not scorching, but filled with an overwhelming aura of righteous, pure yang energy that swept away all evil.
“Pure Yang Finger.”
Dustin thrust his finger forward. The golden light shot forth like an arrow into the densest cluster of wraiths.
Hiss—!
Like boiling water poured over snow, the gray shadows screamed in agony, dissolving and evaporating instantly like frost under sunlight—leaving not even a trace behind.
The oppressive chill of the surrounding mist seemed to lift slightly, thinning as if driven away by that one strike.
The remaining wraiths let out fearful shrieks, retreating deep into the fog and not daring to approach again.
Everyone stared at Dustin’s effortless yet devastating strike, their hearts filled with awe. Mr. Dustin’s power was truly unfathomable.
“Mr. Dustin, thank you for saving our lives,” they all said in gratitude.
Without him, they might have perished completely in that sinister mist.
Dustin merely waved a hand, his expression still grave. “These were just minor entities disturbed by our presence. The true source of the mist—and something far stronger—has yet to appear. We can’t linger here. We must find a way out, quickly.”
He looked up toward the deeper fog, where the energy fluctuations grew more chaotic and powerful.
Faintly, he sensed a different force—a purer, more majestic essence of water Qi calling to him from the far end of the mist.
“Follow me. I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Dustin said, striding ahead toward the source of that water Qi.
The group dared not delay. They suppressed their fear and fatigue, following close behind.
Passing through that spirit-draining fog felt like crossing an invisible boundary.
Suddenly, their vision cleared—the scene before them opened up wide. Gone were the gloom and lifelessness of the ancient battlefield or the eerie fog. For a moment, they almost believed they had stepped into a celestial paradise.
Before them lay a valley nestled between mountains and water. Verdant peaks rose in the distance; waterfalls cascaded like silver ribbons, their clear sound ringing melodiously through the air.
Nearby, rare flowers and strange herbs bloomed in dazzling colors, filling the air with refreshing fragrance. Each breath drew in gentle, abundant spiritual energy that soothed the body and slowly restored the strength they had lost in the fog.
But what drew everyone’s eyes most was the elegant cluster of pavilions and towers at the valley’s heart.
They weren’t gilded or ostentatious, but built from white jade, green jade, and faintly glowing spirit wood. Their flying eaves and carved beams harmonized perfectly with the mountains and streams, forming a scene of natural beauty.
Mist drifted between the buildings; faint silhouettes of cranes and spirit deer could be seen wandering gracefully.
From somewhere unseen came the sound of ethereal music—soft and haunting, cleansing the fatigue deep within the soul.
“This… this is the Hanging Garden? A true immortal realm?”
Qingzhu’s eyes widened in wonder, joy lighting her face as all fear and exhaustion seemed to melt away.
Even the hardened guards relaxed their tense expressions, their gazes filled with awe and longing.
In such a paradise, perhaps there truly existed an elixir that could revive the dead.
Margaret’s heart surged with emotion. Her beautiful eyes stayed fixed on the pavilions, her breathing quickening.
She seemed to see it already—in the central jade hall, a pearl-sized pill radiating seven-colored light, floating serenely in midair, awaiting her arrival.
Her father, cured by the elixir, rising from his sickbed, their warm reunion—it all felt within reach.
“We’ve finally found it…” she murmured, stepping forward unconsciously.
“Wait.”
A cool, steady voice fell like drops of icy spring water, instantly extinguishing the fire of impatience in her heart.
Dustin’s hand gently touched her shoulder, a wave of calm energy flowing into her. Her restless emotions quickly stilled. - Marinien
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