The fierce battle had been raging for what seemed like an eternity, the ground nearby littered with the darkened bodies of the fallen, their former essence faded. The remains of broken puppets lay strewn about like discarded toys.
"Several disciples have been captured by the ancient city," Tang Ruowei said, shaking her head as she thrust a letter into Bai Qiuran’s hands. Yue Qianren turned his head sharply, his expression shifting to one of grave concern.
Buzzing bell sounds resonated suddenly, causing some of the weaker disciples to falter. Their mental defenses shattered, they stood frozen in fear.
"Elders!" The flashes of sword light darted swiftly overhead, tracing dark lines against the sky. They intertwined to form an intricate pattern, trapping the Fire Lotus of Duantian Dock in place. Each of these sword glows radiated the aura of the Nascent Soul stage, and as they approached the crowd at Duantian Dock, they roared fiercely, directing their flying swords toward the Fire Lotus.
The disciples of Duantian Dock, exhausted and on the brink of collapse, drenched in sweat, heaved breaths as they fought. Even Elder Liu, who had reached the Separation stage, felt overwhelmed. Despite the fact that these dark monsters possessed only the lowest-level Golden Core combat strength, they still presented a formidable threat.
"Elder!" Liu shouted, watching helplessly as more of the Nascent Soul disciples succumbed to the seductive call of the bell sounds, plunging deeper into the endless darkness of the ancient city.
The disciples of Duantian Dock summoned the last of their strength, guiding their flying swords higher. In the surrounding area, those disciples at the Golden Core stage activated their skills fearlessly, commanding their expensive puppets toward the blazing inferno. Some dark creatures that attempted to push through the flames were shoved back by the puppets, yet this led to consecutive explosions that shook the entire mountain.
"We need to go!"
"I feel... a little bigger... wait!"
Not only did the darkness on these creatures provide resistance to true essence, but they had also taken down hundreds of monsters. Yet, the exhausted disciples of Duantian Dock found themselves nearing their limits. Swiftly, Liu took charge, trying to lead several Nascent Soul disciples into the air.
The clang of the bell rang out again, its urgency threatening to shatter their spirits. Elder Liu scrambled to help the weary disciples, but he was forced back again and again as dark creatures relentlessly charged at him. He could only watch as his fellow disciples fell one by one into the black void of the ancient city.
With determination, Elder Liu raised the everlasting lamp in his hand, casting it outward. The lamp shattered, bursts of light revealing cracks that erupted into darkness.
"Listen to me! We must escape!"
Later, a letter surfaced detailing a terrifying event: the mysterious ancient city of Qingzhou had appeared, and all the Nascent Soul and Golden Core disciples sent to investigate, including the powerful Yue Qianren, had mysteriously vanished. Only Elder Liu returned, his injuries grave and leaving him unconscious.
"And you—how can you still be here? Was it the Patriarch who sent you?"
Amidst the chaos, the dark monsters continued their unyielding onslaught. Elder Liu’s heart felt heavy as he realized the power of the ancient city’s master was still intact.
"We must not stay here any longer," Liu urged.
As dark figures with complex symbols emerged and surrounded the Duantian Dock, he knew they had to retreat. "Quickly, this is beyond our ability to handle alone. We must report back to the Righteous Dao Alliance!"
"We're all but done for..." one of the other disciples gasped, their breath ragged as they fought against the overwhelming odds.
The clash continued without cease, a dramatic struggle against the encroaching darkness. Each disciple opened their eyes, focusing on the greater picture, vowing to themselves to stay resolute and unyielding. The fight was far from over, but the challenges ahead loomed larger than any of them had anticipated.