Myth Beyond Heaven

2235  Trap (1)

No one stopped Long Jingxia as she walked into the cabin.

Gu Bingning hesitated. Long Jingxia was obviously no match for Venerable Darkness. It was like walking into a death trap.

"What a fool," Huang Ba sneered, curling his lip with disdain.

Yun Lintian frowned but remained silent.

Gu Bingning took a deep breath and quickly followed Long Jingxia. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Surprised, Huang Ba remarked, "No way. Has she been infected by Long Jingxia's foolishness?"

"I have a bad feeling," Yun Lintian sighed. "I think we're going to be dragged into this."

"How could that be?" Huang Ba shook his head.

Yun Lintian didn't elaborate, but his experience told him that Venerable Darkness and his followers wouldn't hesitate to target him and Huang Ba as well.

"However, they should be fine. Venerable Darkness wouldn't dare harm them, or he'll face the wrath of the Heavenly Dragon Sword God and the Silverfrost Sword God," Huang Ba said casually.

Yun Lintian glanced at him. "You said this isn't the usual route, right?"

"Yes," Huang Ba nodded, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"Did your master give you any protection?" Yun Lintian asked.

"He always tells me to go alone, but he's secretly worried I'll die somewhere. So, yeah, there's his God Mark in my body," Huang Ba replied. "What's wrong, Brother Yun?"

"Can you contact your master right now?" Yun Lintian inquired.

Huang Ba frowned and tried, but his expression changed drastically. "I can't," he uttered in a deep voice. He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

"We've fallen into a trap," Yun Lintian declared, then began investigating the surroundings with the Eyes of Heaven.

He soon discovered various energy nodes around the profound ark. It was clear they were floating within a formation.

"This formation..." Yun Lintian furrowed his brow, studying it.

Similar to the God Mark inside Qing Shui's body, it was complex and unfamiliar to him. He could grasp the basics and mechanism, but cracking it would take time.

"What should we do, Brother Yun?" Huang Ba asked, eyes gleaming with fighting spirit.

"I'll try to crack the formation first," Yun Lintian decided. "We're at a disadvantage if a battle starts here."

Huang Ba was surprised. He hadn't realized Yun Lintian was also skilled in formations.

Gu Bingning followed close behind. While she was as concerned about the recent disappearances, she knew that rushing in without a plan would only lead to their capture. Yet, she couldn't bear to leave Long Jingxia alone in such a dangerous situation.

As Long Jingxia approached the basement, a foreboding energy pulsed from within, causing her to pause. She turned to Gu Bingning, her voice barely a whisper. "This feels… wrong. It's like a trap."

Gu Bingning's silvery eyes narrowed, her focus sharpening as she assessed the situation. "Something is amiss. This aura… it's not just Nine Hells Gate. It's far more sinister."

"What should we do?" Long Jingxia asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Before Gu Bingning could answer, a deafening roar erupted from the cabin, shattering the tranquility of the night. The ground beneath them trembled, and the air crackled with a dark energy that sent chills down their spines.

The doors of the cabin burst open, revealing a grotesque figure bathed in a crimson light. It was a monstrous amalgamation of flesh and metal, its body riddled with scars and glowing runes. Its eyes, burning with a malevolent fire, locked onto Long Jingxia and Gu Bingning.

"Prey!" the creature roared, its voice a guttural growl that sent shivers down their spines.

Long Jingxia and Gu Bingning exchanged a look of grim determination. They unsheathed their swords, the blades shimmering in the moonlight. They knew this was a battle they couldn't avoid.

The monstrous puppet lunged, its massive claws tearing through the air. Long Jingxia and Gu Bingning dodged and weaved, their movements a blur as they evaded the creature's relentless attacks.

Long Jingxia's sword danced with graceful precision, her strikes targeting the puppet's weak points. Gu Bingning's attacks were swift and ruthless, each blow imbued with a chilling frost energy that slowed the creature's movements.

Despite their combined efforts, the puppet proved to be a formidable opponent. Its regenerative abilities were astonishing, its wounds closing almost as quickly as they were inflicted.

"We need to break its core!" Long Jingxia shouted, her voice barely audible over the din of battle. She parried a vicious claw strike, the impact sending shockwaves through her arm.

Gu Bingning nodded, her eyes fixed on a glowing orb embedded in the puppet's chest. "Focus your attacks!"

With renewed determination, the two swordswomen launched a coordinated assault, their blades flashing like lightning as they weaved through the puppet's defenses. Long Jingxia's sword, imbued with the fiery essence of the fire dragon, left trails of scorching heat in its wake, while Gu Bingning's blade, infused with the icy power, frosted the air with each strike.

"Roar!" The puppet roared in defiance, its body convulsing as it tried to shake off its attackers. But Long Jingxia and Gu Bingning were relentless, their movements synchronized as they drove their swords deeper and deeper into the creature's core.

"ROARRRR—"

With a final, desperate cry, the puppet exploded, its body disintegrating into a shower of twisted metal and charred flesh.

The shockwave from the explosion sent Long Jingxia and Gu Bingning flying backward, but they managed to land on their feet, their swords still clutched tightly in their hands.

As the dust settled, they surveyed the scene, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. "There are more," Gu Bingning said, her voice grim. "I can sense their presence."

Long Jingxia nodded, her eyes scanning the shadows. "They're coming."

The two swordswomen stood back-to-back, their swords raised in anticipation. The air crackled with tension as the darkness around them seemed to writhe and twist.

Suddenly, the shadows erupted, revealing a horde of grotesque puppets, each one more monstrous than the last. They surged forward, their eyes glowing with a sinister light.

Long Jingxia and Gu Bingning braced themselves, their hearts pounding in their chests. They knew they were outnumbered and outmatched. But they would not surrender.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the surroundings, shrouding Gu Bingning and Long Jingxia in a chilling gloom. The expressions of both women changed drastically because they couldn't perceive the oncoming puppets.

Their senses, once honed to detect the slightest tremor or whisper of energy, now felt like muted echoes in a void.

A cold dread settled over them as the familiar hum of their swords, a comforting source of strength, faded into a hollow silence…