The Valley of Evil Spirits

Under the guidance of Daoist Feng Ming, Wang Quan and the other cultivators swiftly flew toward the valley near Cloudy Mountain. As they approached, the air gradually filled with a chilling aura. The sky darkened, and ominous clouds loomed over the distant mountains, as if foretelling an impending danger.

From within the valley, deep, low growls echoed intermittently, carrying an unsettling resonance that tugged at the nerves of those who heard them. Wang Quan's heart tightened slightly, recognizing the unmistakable presence of evil spirits. The entire area had been tainted by their spiritual energy, creating an eerie and sinister atmosphere.

"This is the place," Feng Ming said, raising his hand to signal the group to land. His sharp gaze scanned their surroundings before he spoke in a low voice. "Be cautious. Many evil spirits lurk in this valley. Stay vigilant, as their soul power is immense. If your mind is invaded by their spiritual force, the consequences could be dire."

Wang Quan nodded in agreement, already circulating his spiritual energy in preparation. This was his first time actively hunting evil spirits. Despite his prowess at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he remained cautious of the unpredictable and insidious nature of evil spirits, knowing full well the dangers they posed.

The group proceeded deeper into the valley, where the temperature noticeably dropped. A faint aura of death permeated the air, casting a cold pall over everything around them. The deeper they ventured, the heavier the oppressive spiritual energy became. Every so often, tendrils of gray-black mist would rise from the earth, remnants of the evil spirits that had passed through the area.

Feng Ming walked at the front, his cyan sword emitting a faint hum as it vibrated in his hand. With a light wave of his sword, he released a soft glow of wind energy that pushed back the deathly aura surrounding them.

"These are merely remnants of low-level evil spirits," Feng Ming said calmly, though his eyes betrayed his constant vigilance.

"Whoosh..."

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew in from the side, causing Wang Quan's robes to flutter lightly. The wind carried a strange, eerie whisper, like invisible fingers brushing against their ears, sending a shiver down each person's spine.

Wang Quan immediately halted, narrowing his eyes as he sensed something approaching from nearby.

"Something's coming," Lei Feng muttered, his hands already crackling with lightning energy. Sparks flickered between his fingers, and the air took on a faint scent of burning ozone.

Sure enough, in the distance, a patch of gray-black mist began to coalesce, and shadowy figures slowly emerged from the fog. Low, guttural growls echoed as the figures became clearer.

"Low-level evil spirits!" Feng Ming's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, he drew his sword. The cyan blade shimmered with a breeze of wind energy as he sliced through the chilling mist.

The sword's glow swept forward like a gentle breeze, cutting cleanly through several of the shadowy figures. Their forms let out shrill cries as they were cleaved apart, dissipating into smoke. Yet, more shadows continued to materialize from the mist, seemingly endless.

Sensing the mounting pressure, Wang Quan unsheathed his own sword without delay, activating his Five Elements Secret Art. He channeled his gold and fire spiritual energies, causing a golden flame to ignite along the blade, burning the very air around it.

"Golden Flame Sword Technique—Blazing Slash!"

With a swift motion, Wang Quan slashed his sword forward, releasing a streak of sword energy intertwined with golden fire. The flaming arc sped toward the advancing spirits, cleaving several of them in half with its fiery power.

The gray mist surrounding the spirits was consumed by the flames, and their piercing wails filled the air before they quickly dissipated into nothingness.

"Keep attacking! Don't let them get close!" Feng Ming commanded in a deep voice, his cyan sword flashing through the air once more, sending waves of wind energy to push back the encroaching spirits.

Not to be outdone, Lei Feng clapped his hands together, forming a crackling ball of lightning between his palms. He hurled the thunderball at the cluster of spirits.

"Thunderburst!"

The orb of lightning whizzed through the air before detonating with a deafening boom, shattering the surrounding mist. Several evil spirits caught in the blast were incinerated instantly by the raw power of the lightning.

Wang Quan observed that under the relentless assaults of wind and lightning, the low-level evil spirits were clearly being overwhelmed. However, they appeared to be endless, emerging from the mist in greater numbers.

"There are more of them than I expected..." Wang Quan thought, narrowing his eyes. His sword, once again alight with golden flames, slashed through the fog, cutting down more spirits attempting to surround them.

But just then, a tremor rippled through the mist ahead. From within the fog emerged a much larger evil spirit, its form towering over the others. Its shadowy body seemed almost solid, and its eyes glowed with a cold, malevolent light.

"A mid-level evil spirit!" Feng Ming's expression darkened as he recognized the spirit's strength.

This mid-level spirit was far more powerful than the others. Its form was more substantial, and a thick aura of death clung to it like a shroud, devouring the spiritual energy around it. The spirit opened its mouth and let out a bone-chilling roar before lunging at the group with its long, shadowy claws.

"I'll handle this!" Lei Feng shouted, his hands quickly forming a series of seals. Bolts of lightning surged around him before he released a massive streak of lightning from his palms, striking the mid-level spirit.

"Thundering Wrath!"

The lightning bolt struck the spirit with the force of a heavenly thunderclap. However, this spirit was much stronger than the low-level ones. Although the lightning scorched its body, it did not immediately dissipate. Instead, it roared in fury and continued its advance.

"Its spirit body is extremely strong..." Wang Quan thought grimly. Mid-level evil spirits not only had greater soul power, but their resilience made them much harder to destroy. This one also seemed to possess a higher level of intelligence.

Without hesitation, Wang Quan drew upon his gold and fire energies again, condensing an even fiercer flame on his sword before striking.

"Blazing Sky Slash!"

The sword energy erupted like a golden fire dragon, hurtling toward the evil spirit. The intense heat enveloped the left side of the spirit's body, and the flames began to rapidly corrode its essence.

The spirit shrieked in agony as gray-black smoke billowed from its body, its form flickering as the flames consumed it.

"Well done! Keep pressing the attack!" Feng Ming called out, his sword slicing through the air once more. A razor-sharp wind blade severed the other half of the spirit's body.

Lei Feng, too, unleashed another burst of lightning. With their combined efforts, the mid-level spirit was finally overwhelmed and torn apart in a final blast.

With a deafening explosion, the spirit's body disintegrated into countless wisps of gray-black smoke, which quickly dissipated into the air. The deathly aura in the valley began to fade, and a temporary calm returned.

"Phew..."

The group collectively breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the threat had been neutralized.

"That was only a mid-level evil spirit," Feng Ming said gravely. "We may face even stronger spirits ahead, so remain on high alert."