The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 185 Black Robe Wang Yang

The gray-robed old man's words immediately shocked Lin Xiao. He stared at the old man in front of him warily, feeling a little uneasy. "What do you mean by 'beginning'? Is this just the first step of the trial?"

The gray-robed elder nodded slightly, an unfathomable glint in his eyes. "Yes, this trial is not as simple as you think. Every participant, regardless of their talent or strength, has been given a 'mission,' and the core of these missions is not just a test of your strength and wisdom."

Lin Xiao raised his eyebrows: "Mission? What exactly is the mission?"

"You don't need to know about this mission in advance," the old man said calmly. "As long as you survive the trial, you will gradually be exposed to the true content of the trial. Tonight, your task is to overcome the dangers in the plains. Afterwards, you will face a more complex situation."

Lin Xiao's heart trembled, vaguely sensing that the situation before him wasn't as simple as he had initially thought. This "trial" clearly concealed a deeper secret. Furthermore, the old man's words evoked an elusive aura, making him even more alert.

At this moment, the sky suddenly shook violently, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly. Lin Xiao immediately became alert and looked into the distance. He found that a black fog had appeared on the distant plain. The black fog swirled in the air, like the shadow of a huge monster.

"This is..." Murong Rui whispered in fear, "Is this the next test?"

The gray-robed old man's expression became solemn, and he sighed slightly: "It seems that it is time to reveal the true trial."

Lin Xiao felt an ominous premonition. He gripped his sword tightly and glanced around vigilantly. Although the previous battle had already consumed a lot of his energy, the current situation was clearly not to be ignored.

The black fog grew thicker, as if engulfing everything around it, and vision began to blur. At this moment, a figure suddenly emerged from the black fog. The person was wearing a black robe, and an extremely cold aura emanated from him, which made people shudder.

"That is..." Xiang Shouyi frowned and stared at the black shadow, his face became extremely solemn.

"He is..." The gray-robed old man's face turned even paler, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. It was obvious that he was not unfamiliar with that person.

Wang Yang said nothing, simply walking slowly towards the group, his eyes piercing through everything. Lin Xiao sensed the other person's aura, and his heart trembled. This person clearly far surpassed their current cultivation level. Furthermore, he felt a sense of familiarity—as if he had seen this person before.

"Who are you?" Lin Xiao asked in a deep voice.

Wang Yang spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse: "I am the guide of your destiny, or rather, I am the judge of your trial."

"Judge?" Lin Xiao's heart moved, and he vaguely thought of some possibilities.

Wang Yang nodded, stretched out his hand, and gently waved it. The black mist dissipated, revealing the scene behind him. The familiar plains had been completely transformed. The surrounding environment had become dark and eerie. There was no starlight in the sky, only a dark red moon hanging high.

"This is the final stage of the trial," Wang Yang continued. "Your mission is to stand to the end. Every participant will face countless enemies. Those who survive in the end will be the true winner."

"Enemy?" Murong Rui asked in a low voice, feeling uneasy.

"Yes," Wang Yang replied, "Here, anything can become an enemy. You can either cooperate or betray. The choice is yours. However, no matter what, only the last survivor can receive the ultimate reward of this trial."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground suddenly shook violently, and black cracks instantly expanded from all directions. Bursts of low sounds came from the cracks, as if some ancient creature was wriggling.

"Come on, get ready for the challenge." Wang Yang said calmly, and then his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.

Lin Xiao felt a strong sense of oppression, and his heart instantly became alert. He whispered, "I'm ready. No matter the enemy or the test, I will not retreat."

Murong Rui and Xiang Shouyi also prepared their weapons and were ready to go at any time.

Suddenly, a group of strange beasts emerged from the black cracks. Covered in black fur, their eyes glowed red, and their bodies were enormous, they pounced upon the crowd like ferocious beasts. Lin Xiao calmly controlled his clones and swiftly unleashed the "Sword Qi Horizontal Technique." Blades of sword light swept through like a violent storm, instantly slaying several of the strange beasts.

But this was just the beginning. As strange beasts continued to pour out of the cracks, Lin Xiao's sense of crisis grew stronger.

"We must find the source of control over these strange beasts, otherwise we will be trapped in endless battles!" Lin Xiao said in a low voice, secretly calculating in his heart.

At this moment, Wang Yang's voice came again: "You are able to survive far more than just these strange beasts. The final challenge of the trial has just begun."

Lin Xiao's eyes became sharp, and then he, Murong Rui and Xiang Shouyi began to retreat quickly, looking for a more advantageous fighting position.

But just as they turned around, more shadows of Wang Yang suddenly emerged from all directions. Each shadow carried an extremely terrifying aura, as if the god of death had descended.

As Lin Xiao swung his sword, his gaze fixed on his surroundings. At that moment, he sensed countless black-robed figures emerging from different corners, each emitting a powerful murderous aura, advancing towards him like a tidal wave. The cold aura of those Wang Yang figures, their outlines seemingly looming in the black mist, made Lin Xiao wary.

"Quick, separate and act separately! Don't get trapped!" Lin Xiao whispered instructions to Murong Rui and Xiang Shouyi. He had already made up his mind that he must find a flaw in the chaos.

The three of them quickly dispersed, cleverly avoiding Wang Yang's group's encirclement. But as they moved, Wang Yang became more nervous, as if he had planned something.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, circulated his internal energy, and quickly performed the "Illusionary Body Skill·Imitation Move Phantom", creating two clones out of thin air. At the same time, he activated the "Sword Dance", which turned into a spinning sword light and fiercely slashed towards the besieged Wang Yang.

"Bang!" With a loud bang, the sword light collided with Wang Yang's attack, stirring up a gust of wind. The Wang Yangs around him retreated one after another, obviously forced back for a moment by Lin Xiao's move.

However, Lin Xiao knew clearly that this was only temporary. As time went on, the number of enemies continued to increase, and the pressure of the siege gradually increased.

"You are not my true enemies," Lin Xiao whispered, his mind already beginning to calmly reflect. He knew this trial wasn't just a test of strength, but also a battle of minds. While Wang Yang was powerful, the true test lay in how to exploit the environment, grasp the timing, and even make the right decisions in the most critical moments.

Just as he was about to find a breakthrough, Wang Yang suddenly stopped. All the figures disappeared into the black fog, and the oppressive atmosphere was instantly broken, and the surroundings returned to calm.

"What... is going on?" Xiang Shouyi walked over from a distance with a serious expression, obviously not expecting the changes before him.

"Don't let your guard down!" Lin Xiao reminded immediately, scanning the surroundings, alertly sensing any sign of something wrong.

At this moment, a huge black crack suddenly appeared in the distant sky, as if the sky had been torn apart. A dark aura permeated from the crack, instantly engulfing the entire plain. Lin Xiao stared at the movement in the crack, feeling a sense of oppression from the abyss.

"Could it be..." Lin Xiao frowned slightly, and suddenly thought of something. At this moment, he finally realized the true nature of this trial.

"Wang Yang is the judge of the trial, and the ultimate goal of this trial..." Lin Xiao's eyes became sharp, "is to test how you can survive in this ruthless environment!"

As soon as the words fell, the black aura in the crack rapidly expanded, spreading in all directions. Lin Xiao could feel the spiritual energy around him rapidly disappearing, the air becoming thinner, even the surrounding trees began to wither, and the ground began to crack.

"This is..." Murong Rui's face turned pale. "These auras are not from living things, but some kind of death energy!"

"Yes," Lin Xiao frowned, "This black mist is death energy, or some kind of terrifying forbidden power. This power will suck away all life and destroy the entire ecosystem. The purpose of the trial is to allow us to survive in this land filled with death energy!"

Just as he was on guard, the black mist in the crack gradually condensed into a figure. It was Wang Yangying from before. However, this time, the aura emanating from him was even colder, and his eyes turned pure black, as if they could devour everything.

"Your trial has just begun," Wang Yang said coldly, his voice carrying an inexplicable sense of pressure. "This land will become your grave. Whether you can survive depends solely on yourselves."

Then, Wang Yang waved his hand and pointed, and the black mist in the cracks spread again, instantly rushing towards Lin Xiao and the others. The death energy swept across the entire area like a huge wave.

"Retreat!" Lin Xiao turned without hesitation, quickly leading Murong Rui and Xiang Shouyi to retreat. They knew the black mist before them was no ordinary attack, but rather a destructive force. At this moment, the most important thing was to save their lives, not to fight head-on.

However, when they turned around, deafening roars suddenly came from all directions, and a group of even more terrifying beasts broke out of the ground. They were huge, with blood-red eyes, and spewed hot breath from their mouths, and pounced towards them.

These strange beasts are not simply transformed from black fog. Their strength and vitality are completely different from those of ordinary strange beasts. It seems that they are nourished by death and have powerful regenerative abilities.

"Damn it!" Xiang Shouyi cursed and stabbed out with the spear in his hand, but his attack could not cause any substantial damage to these strange beasts.

"Separate and find their weaknesses!" Lin Xiao made a quick decision and evacuated with Murong Rui first.

At this moment, a familiar breath suddenly approached——

"Qi Yebai!" Lin Xiao exclaimed, looking back. He saw Qi Yebai galloping towards him from a distance, his body burning with flames, and he looked very aggressive.

"Your enemies are more than just these!" Qi Yebai sneered, his eyes revealing a coldness that could not be ignored.

With his arrival, the situation seemed to change again. The spread of the black fog began to slow slightly, and the attacks of the strange beasts were also repelled by Qi Yebai's flames.

"It seems that you are not fighting alone." Lin Xiao smiled slightly, and the pressure in his heart eased a little.

Qi Yebai's arrival was like a reassurance, but the threat that followed also made Lin Xiao feel even more depressed. He did not completely let down his guard, but quickly analyzed the surrounding situation.

Qi Yebai stood beside Lin Xiao, the surrounding flames blazing under his guidance, temporarily resisting the encroaching black fog. But as Wang Yang raised his arm again, the air pressure between heaven and earth suddenly increased, and a powerful deathly aura once again rushed towards them. This deathly aura seemed to be more than just a destructive force; it was more like a curse, invading the human body, corroding flesh and blood, and gradually destroying life.

"These Wang Yangs are no longer ordinary trial-takers." Qi Yebai said in a heavy tone, a complex light flashing in his eyes. "This death energy may be some kind of evil force from ancient times. If we don't find a way to counter it quickly, I'm afraid... even this world can't bear it."

Lin Xiao stared at Wang Yang's gradually emerging figure, and he had already made up his mind: "We must break this situation."

A sneer played on Wang Yang's lips. "Do you think you can escape the constraints of this world? This is your grave, you are doomed to fail. Today, your life or death is determined."

As soon as he finished speaking, the black mist suddenly gathered again, spreading in all directions. Lin Xiao immediately focused his energy, surging through his body, ready to fight the deathly aura as quickly as possible. However, the oppressive feeling brought by the deathly aura made it difficult for him to fully concentrate. Even though he was exerting his energy, the deathly aura in the air still made him feel uncomfortable, and even his breathing seemed a little heavy.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to attack, Qi Yebai suddenly shouted, "Prepare to fight! This death energy isn't just an ordinary curse, but some kind of ancient power that's attached to these Wang Yangs! If we want to survive, we must find the source and destroy their magic circle!"

Lin Xiao nodded, a plan emerging in his mind: "We should split up and act separately. We must find the flaw and cut off their connection!"

Murong Rui and Xiang Shouyi followed closely behind. The four of them quickly separated and began to look for countermeasures.

At that moment, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. In the center of the black fog, an ancient altar slowly rose. Its surface was engraved with ancient and mysterious runes, gleaming with a dim blue light. Wang Yang stared intently at the altar, his lips curled slightly. "Finally."

"That's..." Lin Xiao's expression changed, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He knew that this altar must be closely related to the true purpose of this trial, and it might be the source of this endless flow of death energy.

Qi Yebai also stared at the altar, his voice low and deep, "This altar is a channel connecting to the evil forces of the outside world. As long as it is not destroyed, the death energy will continue to spread, and the entire trial area will become a land of death."

"We must destroy it!" Lin Xiao's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. He immediately gathered his strength and rushed towards the altar.

However, Wang Yang's face darkened when he saw this, and he suddenly pointed his finger: "Do it!"

At his command, all the Wang Yangs rose into the air, forming a formation. The black mist once again formed a huge vortex, surrounding the altar. The deathly aura in the air suddenly became extremely thick, and Lin Xiao felt that every breath became extremely difficult.

"If you want to fight against the death energy, you should pay the price for your choice!" Wang Yang's voice echoed in the air, carrying a cold murderous aura.

"Anyone who stands in my way will die!" Lin Xiao drew out the long sword from his waist without hesitation. The sword emitted a dazzling cold light and pointed directly at Wang Yang.

"Your opponent is me!" Qi Yebai sneered and waved his hands. The flames instantly expanded, burning everything around, trying to force Wang Yang back.

Murong Rui and Xiang Shouyi, under Lin Xiao's command, launched their own attacks and rushed towards Wang Yang. Murong Rui's eyes were filled with hatred, and he slashed at Wang Yang's head with his sword, while Xiang Shouyi took out his most powerful magic weapon - a golden halberd, the halberd flashing with a dazzling light.

However, Wang Yang didn't retreat in the slightest. Not only were they not driven back by the flames, but they condensed the death energy into an even more powerful force, pressing down fiercely on Lin Xiao and the others. The death energy, like a giant wave, surrounded the four of them.

"Damn it!" Lin Xiao's eyes were filled with anger, but he knew that this was not the final point of victory or defeat. The altar was the core of all this, and only by destroying it could the situation be completely reversed.

"Qi Yebai, hold them back! I'll destroy the altar!" Lin Xiao shouted, immediately flew up and rushed towards the altar.

"You dare!" Wang Yang shouted, stretched out his finger and pointed, and the death energy instantly condensed into a sharp dark blade, slashing towards Lin Xiao fiercely.

Lin Xiao did not hesitate at all. He used the "Dragon Swimming Around the Seas" technique, his body was as agile as a dragon, he easily avoided the hidden blade and continued to approach the altar.

"If you're looking for death, come on!" Lin Xiao growled, and the strength within him instantly erupted, stirring up a powerful storm. He swung his sword towards the center of the altar.

"Break!" As Lin Xiao slashed down with his sword, the altar suddenly emitted a loud noise, and the runes around it began to flash violently, as if about to burst out with powerful force. Lin Xiao quickly retreated, concentrating his mind and preparing to face the altar's counterattack.

"You... can't break my magic circle!" Wang Yang's roar sounded again, and the death energy gathered in the air into a huge vortex, rushing towards Lin Xiao.

"Break it for me!" A cold light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and he swung the sword down again.