With the Qiankun Compass in hand, Yun Yichen and his companions left the ancient ruins and hurried towards the location of the Stellar Staff's clues. Based on vague records in ancient texts and further research in the Lingyuan Sect's library, they learned that the Stellar Staff was likely hidden deep within an ancient ruin in a mysterious forest located in the northern part of the Lingyuan Realm. This forest, known as Mistwood Forest, was perpetually shrouded in thick mist, concealing various dangers, including powerful beasts and strange natural traps.
As Yun Yichen and his group reached the edge of Mistwood Forest, they were immediately enveloped by a mysterious aura. Su Yao frowned as she gazed at the dense mist, expressing her concern, "The mist is so thick; if we rush in, we might lose our way." Lin Yu nodded in agreement, gripping his sword tightly as he scanned their surroundings with caution. "And we don't know what other dangers await us inside."
Yun Yichen's gaze was resolute as he took out the Qiankun Compass and infused it with spiritual energy, attempting to use its power to find direction through the fog. The compass needle trembled slightly, pointing deeper into the forest. "Follow me; the compass will guide us," Yun Yichen said as he stepped into the mist first.
The others quickly followed suit. As Yun Yichen advanced according to the compass's guidance, he utilized Lingwen power to disperse the surrounding fog. However, it seemed that Mistwood Forest's mist had a self-repairing ability; the fog that had just been cleared quickly reassembled. Just as they struggled to move forward, a low growl suddenly echoed from ahead. A massive Mist Phantom Beast burst forth from the mist, its body enveloped in fog except for its blood-red eyes that glimmered ominously in the darkness. Its attacks were highly corrosive, causing trees to wither wherever it passed.
Yun Yichen immediately unleashed the Chaos Lingwen, forming a sturdy shield to protect everyone within. The Mist Phantom Beast relentlessly slammed against the shield, producing a dull thud with each impact. Observing its attack patterns, Yun Yichen noticed that there were brief fluctuations in the mist during its strikes. Seizing this opportunity, he launched a Lingwen attack; a beam of light pierced through the fog and struck the Mist Phantom Beast. It let out a pained cry before turning and fleeing back into the mist.
After this battle, everyone became more cautious. They continued onward until they finally arrived at the ancient ruins described in their texts. The ruins were enveloped in a mysterious glow that exuded an ancient and enigmatic aura. As Yun Yichen and his companions approached carefully, they discovered that a powerful barrier blocked their entry.
Yun Yichen examined the barrier closely and realized it was composed of an ancient form of Lingwen different from any he had encountered before. Using his Lingyuan Eye, he attempted to analyze the structure and operation of these Lingwen symbols. After some effort, he discovered that these symbols operated on a complex cyclical mechanism that required specific fluctuations of spiritual energy to break.
He shared his findings with Su Yao and Lin Yu, and together they began experimenting with different fluctuations of spiritual energy to strike at the barrier. However, their attempts repeatedly failed; each strike was repelled by the barrier's powerful rebound force, causing them to feel their blood surge uncomfortably. Just when despair began to creep in, Yun Yichen suddenly remembered the Qiankun Compass. He took it out again and infused it with spiritual energy, hoping to resonate with the barrier using its power.
A miracle occurred—the light from the Qiankun Compass responded to the Lingwen on the barrier, causing it to begin loosening up. Seeing this, Yun Yichen immediately increased his output of spiritual energy while Su Yao and Lin Yu assisted him from the side. With their combined efforts, they finally managed to break through the barrier as its glow gradually faded away.
Entering the ruins, they found themselves in a vast circular plaza dominated by a gigantic stone pillar at its center. Embedded within this pillar was a dazzling Star Gem radiating brilliant light; surrounding it was a staff exuding mysterious energy—the very Stellar Staff they had been desperately searching for. However, just as they prepared to approach it, a group of Phantom Guardians suddenly appeared on the plaza. These guardians glowed blue all over and charged towards them wielding weapons.
Yun Yichen and his companions immediately assumed battle stances in preparation for combat. He summoned forth powerful Lingwen energy using Chaos Lingwen and engaged fiercely with the Phantom Guardians. Su Yao wielded her sword skillfully; each strike infused with Lingwen power pushed back any approaching Phantom Guardian. Lin Yu utilized his mastery over wind-based spiritual energy to create fierce gusts that disrupted their movements.
During battle, Yun Yichen noticed that while these Phantom Guardians appeared formidable, their strength seemed derived from some energy source within the plaza itself. Observing closely around him, he finally pinpointed where this energy source lay—there were Energy Crystals located at each corner of the plaza, shimmering with blue light and continuously fueling the Phantom Guardians' strength.
Realizing that destroying these four Energy Crystals would weaken their foes significantly, Yun Yichen shared his plan with Su Yao and Lin Yu; they decided to split up and target each Energy Crystal individually. Yun Yichen charged towards one of them and unleashed powerful Lingwen attacks; beams of light shot towards it. Immediately, defensive mechanisms around the Energy Crystal activated and released waves of energy to counter his assault.
Constantly shifting his Lingwen techniques in search of vulnerabilities in its defenses, Yun Yichen eventually discovered that there were brief moments when it became less guarded between energy waves. Seizing this opportunity for a full-force strike, he successfully shattered one Energy Crystal. As it broke apart, nearby Phantom Guardians instantly weakened and became sluggish.
Meanwhile, Su Yao and Lin Yu were also engaged in fierce battles against their own Phantom Guardians. Su Yao utilized her exceptional swordsmanship alongside clever use of Lingwen to destroy one Energy Crystal successfully. Lin Yu leveraged his speed advantage with wind-based powers to breach through Phantom Guardian lines and obliterate a third Energy Crystal.
Just as they prepared to destroy the last Energy Crystal, a deep roar suddenly resonated throughout the ruins. A massive Guardian Beast erupted from underground; its body radiated starlight power formed from condensed celestial energy—each movement emanated tremendous force fluctuations. Upon its emergence, it immediately launched an attack against Yun Yichen and his companions by opening its enormous mouth and unleashing a beam composed of Starlight Power that melted everything in its path.
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