Chapter 565
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan stood side by side, with a vast mist in front of them. They had just passed through the barrier that seemed to lead to Penglai Island, and they should have been full of expectations, but at this moment, the scene before them made them feel depressed.
The mist gradually dissipated, and what came into view was not the legendary fairy mountain and palace, but an old and dilapidated village. The bluestone-paved path was winding, and on both sides were low adobe houses, with thick thatched roofs and occasional holes, revealing the gray sky. At the end of the village, an old stone bridge spanned a quietly flowing river. The river water was clear and transparent, but it exuded an indescribable chill.
"This...is not Penglai Island." Fu Shaoping whispered, frowning. He tried to circulate the mana in his body, but found that his dantian was empty, as if he had never practiced before. He was startled and turned to look at Nangong Wan, and found that her face was equally solemn.
"My magic power... is gone." Nangong Wan's voice was trembling. She raised her hand to cast a spell, but she only felt a sense of weakness coming from her fingertips. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Shaoping, we seem to be trapped here."
Fu Shaoping nodded and looked around, trying to find an exit. However, the barrier they came from had disappeared, replaced by a dense forest. Deep in the forest came bursts of low animal roars, which made people shudder.
"Let's go to the village first, maybe we can find some clues." Fu Shaoping said in a deep voice, with a hint of determination in his tone. Nangong Wan nodded and followed him, and the two walked along the bluestone road into the depths of the village.
The village was quiet, as if there was no life. Occasionally, a few crows flew overhead, making shrill cries, breaking the dead silence. Fu Shaoping pushed open a half-closed wooden door. The house was simply furnished with a wooden table, a few chairs, and a yellowed scroll hanging on the wall. In the painting was an old man with a fairy-like appearance, holding a whisk and looking deep.
"It seems that no one has lived here for a long time." Nangong Wan said softly, her fingers gently brushing across the table, and a thick layer of dust stained her fingertips. She looked up at Fu Shaoping, a trace of uneasiness flashed in her eyes, "Shaoping, what should we do?"
Fu Shaoping did not answer immediately. His eyes stayed on the scroll, and he felt that the scroll seemed to hide some secrets. He walked closer to the scroll and looked at it carefully. He found a line of small words in the lower right corner of the scroll: "Penglai Illusion, Mortals Can't Cross."
"Penglai Illusion?" Fu Shaoping whispered, his mind moved, "Could it be that this is not the real world, but an illusion?"
Nangong Wan heard this, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, "If this is an illusion, then we may still have a chance to find an exit."
Fu Shaoping nodded, but he was not optimistic in his heart. He knew that illusions were often more dangerous than the real world, especially when they lost their magic power and became mortals, any negligence could lead to eternal damnation.
"Let's rest here first, and then think of a solution." Fu Shaoping said, with a hint of fatigue in his tone. Nangong Wan nodded, and the two sat down in the house, silently thinking about the next plan.
As night fell, the village was shrouded in darkness. Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan lit an oil lamp, and the dim light flickered in the house, reflecting their tired faces. Nangong Wan leaned on Fu Shaoping's shoulder and whispered, "Shaoping, will we be trapped here forever?"
Fu Shaoping was silent for a moment, then reached out and gently held her hand, whispering, "No, we will definitely find a way out."
However, his heart was not as firm as it appeared. He knew that the predicament before them was far more complicated than they had imagined. Without their magical powers, they were no different from ordinary people, and in this unfamiliar environment, any disturbance could bring fatal threats.
In the dead of night, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the house. Fu Shaoping suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the door vigilantly. Nangong Wan also noticed something was wrong and nervously held Fu Shaoping's hand.
"Someone is coming." Fu Shaoping whispered, slowly standing up, holding a wooden stick in his hand, which was the only weapon he could find. Nangong Wan followed behind him, and the two held their breath and waited quietly.
The door was gently pushed open, and a thin figure appeared at the door. It was a boy about ten years old, ragged, with a timid look on his face. When he saw Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he whispered, "Are you... new here?"
Fu Shaoping breathed a sigh of relief, put down the stick in his hand, and nodded, "Yes, we just got here."
The little boy walked into the house, closed the door, and whispered, "It's dangerous here, you'd better not run around."
"Dangerous?" Nangong Wan asked doubtfully, "Isn't this a village? Why is it dangerous?"
The little boy shook his head, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes, "This is not an ordinary village, but a cursed place. Anyone who comes here will lose their magic power and will never be able to leave."
Fu Shaoping's heart sank, and he asked, "Do you know how to leave here?"
The little boy was silent for a moment, and then whispered, "Legend has it that only by finding the 'Heart of Penglai' can the curse be broken and one can leave this place. But no one knows where the 'Heart of Penglai' is."
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan looked at each other, and a glimmer of hope rose in their hearts. Although the road ahead was unknown, at least they had a goal.
"Thank you for telling us this." Fu Shaoping said, with a hint of gratitude in his tone. The little boy nodded, turned and left the house, disappearing into the night.
The room returned to silence again. Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan sat beside the oil lamp, silently thinking about their next plan.
"Shaoping, we must find the 'Heart of Penglai'." Nangong Wan said firmly, with a determined light in her eyes. Fu Shaoping nodded and held her hand tightly, "Yes, we will definitely find it and leave here."
However, they all knew that the road ahead was full of unknown dangers. Without their magic powers, they could only rely on their own wisdom and courage to face all challenges.
The next morning, Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan got up early and prepared to start looking for the "Heart of Penglai". They walked out of the house and found that the village was still quiet, as if there was no life. The two walked along the bluestone road into the depths of the village, trying to find some clues.
After walking for a while, they came to an ancient ancestral hall. The door of the ancestral hall was closed, and there were complex runes carved on the door, revealing a mysterious atmosphere. Fu Shaoping went forward and pushed the door, but found that the door did not move at all.
"There seems to be something strange here." Nangong Wan whispered, his eyes resting on the runes. Fu Shaoping nodded, carefully examined the runes, and found that they seemed to be an ancient seal.
"Perhaps the 'Heart of Penglai' is in here." Fu Shaoping said with a hint of excitement in his tone. Nangong Wan nodded, and the two began to look for a way to open the ancestral hall. At this moment, the door of the ancestral hall suddenly made a slight noise and slowly opened. Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan looked at each other, and a hint of uneasiness rose in their hearts, but they still plucked up their courage and walked into the ancestral hall.
The light in the ancestral hall was dim, and the air was filled with a decayed smell. In the center was an ancient stone statue, whose face was blurred and in its hand was a crystal clear gem, emitting a faint light.
"Is that... the 'Heart of Penglai'?" Nangong Wan asked in a low voice, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Fu Shaoping nodded, slowly walked towards the stone statue, and reached out to take the gem.
However, just as his hand was about to touch the gem, the statue suddenly let out a low roar, and the entire ancestral hall began to shake violently. Fu Shaoping took a few steps back and looked at the statue vigilantly.
"Be careful!" Nangong Wan exclaimed, and saw the stone statue slowly open its eyes, its eyes cold and full of murderous intent. It slowly stood up, and the gem in its hand emitted a dazzling light, and the whole ancestral hall was enveloped by a powerful force.
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan were horrified. They knew that the stone statue in front of them was not an ordinary statue, but a sealed guardian. Without the magic power, they could not compete with it at all.
"Run!" Fu Shaoping shouted, pulling Nangong Wan out of the ancestral hall. However, the door of the ancestral hall was tightly closed, and they were trapped inside.
The stone statue slowly walked towards them, and every step brought a heavy sense of oppression. Fu Shaoping was anxious, he knew that they had to find a way to escape, otherwise there would be only one way to go, death.
At this moment, Nangong Wan suddenly thought of something and whispered, "Shaoping, that gem...maybe it's the 'Heart of Penglai'! We must get it!"
Fu Shaoping nodded, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. He knew that this was their only hope. He took a deep breath and rushed towards the statue, trying to snatch the gem from its hand.
The stone statue roared and swung its arms to smash towards Fu Shaoping. Fu Shaoping dodged the attack flexibly and reached out to grab the gem. However, the moment he touched the gem, a powerful force surged into his body, and his body seemed to be torn apart, with unbearable pain.
"Shao Ping!" Nangong Wan exclaimed, his eyes full of worry. Fu Shao Ping gritted his teeth and held the gem tightly, trying to resist the force. He knew that as long as he could hold on, they would have a chance to leave here.
Finally, the light of the gem gradually faded, and the statue stopped moving. Fu Shaoping felt the power in his body gradually subside, he breathed a sigh of relief, slowly stood up, holding the crystal clear gem in his hand.
"We... succeeded." Fu Shaoping whispered, with a hint of fatigue in his tone. Nangong Wan walked forward, held his hand tightly, his eyes full of joy.
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall, holding the "Heart of Penglai" in their hands, feeling both grateful for surviving the catastrophe and worried about the unknown future. The dazzling light gradually dissipated, replaced by a deeper darkness. There was a repressive atmosphere in the air, as if something was awakening.
"Shaoping, did we... do something wrong?" Nangong Wan asked in a low voice, with a hint of uneasiness in her voice. She felt the air around her become heavy, and even breathing became difficult.
Fu Shaoping tightly grasped the "Heart of Penglai" in his hand, frowning. He felt that the power from the gem was gradually weakening, replaced by a strange, heart-pounding fluctuation. He looked up into the depths of the ancestral hall and found that the stone statue had been completely shattered. A huge crack appeared on the ground, and black mist was faintly rising from the crack.
"Not good!" Fu Shaoping's heart trembled, and he suddenly realized that they might have triggered some kind of taboo. He pulled Nangong Wan back quickly, trying to leave the ancestral hall, but a strong suction force suddenly erupted from the crack, firmly fixing the two of them in place.
"Hahaha...Finally, someone finally opened the seal!" A low and hoarse voice came from the crack, with endless ecstasy and resentment. The black mist gradually condensed into a tall figure. It was a man wearing a black cloak. His face was hidden in the shadows, revealing only a pair of scarlet eyes, emitting a breathtaking light.
"Who are you?" Fu Shaoping suppressed the fear in his heart and asked in a deep voice.
"Who am I?" The man sneered, "How dare you mortals break into my sealed place and try to seize the 'Heart of Penglai'? How ridiculous! I am the Demon King who has been sealed for a thousand years - Netherworld!"
When Nangong Wan heard the name, her face turned pale instantly. She had read about the legend of the Netherworld in ancient books. It was a demon king who once wreaked havoc on the world and had the power to destroy the heavens and the earth. Thousands of years ago, he was sealed by the immortals of Penglai Fairy Island and disappeared from sight. Unexpectedly, they accidentally unsealed him.
"We...we didn't mean it." Nangong Wan said tremblingly, his eyes full of regret.
"Whether it was intentional or unintentional, you have already opened the seal for me. This is fate!" Youming laughed wildly, his voice full of madness and violence. He slowly raised his hand, and the black mist condensed in his palm, forming a terrifying energy wave.
Fu Shaoping knew that they had no way out. He held Nangong Wan's hand tightly and whispered, "Wan'er, no matter what happens, we have to face it together."
Nangong Wan nodded, with a hint of determination in her eyes. She knew that at this moment, they could only rely on each other.
Youming's eyes fell on the "Heart of Penglai" in Fu Shaoping's hand, and a trace of greed flashed in his eyes. "Give me the 'Heart of Penglai', and I can spare your lives." He said coldly.
Fu Shaoping's heart tightened. He knew that the "Heart of Penglai" was their only hope to leave here, and it was also the key to Youming's recovery of power. He could not give the gem to Youming, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
"Don't even think about it!" Fu Shaoping said through gritted teeth, his tone firm.
Youming's face darkened instantly, "You're looking for death!" He waved his hand violently, and a black energy wave swept towards Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan. The two had no time to dodge, and could only watch the power approaching.
At the critical moment, the "Heart of Penglai" suddenly burst into a dazzling light, blocking the black energy wave. Fu Shaoping felt a warm power coming from the gem, as if protecting them. (End of this chapter)