"Formation... activate!"
Ji Yuan's voice was low as he formed several hand seals.
In the next moment, dozens of talismans surged from his sleeve. Within mere breaths, they were suspended in the air around him.
As the spiritual energy in the talisman cores ignited, the thirty-six talismans shimmered with a watery light, condensing into surging streams of water out of thin air.
Hissing—!
Amidst the roar of the torrent, dozens of streams of water cascaded down, entwining the limbs of Ji Wenwen and the other Lost Ones like chains.
They were horrified to discover that their prideful, robust physiques and the unparalleled strength they granted were rendered useless. They could barely muster two or three tenths of their full strength.
Boom!!!
Behind Ji Yuan, two explosions suddenly rang out. The two individuals previously restrained by his spiritual energy had forcefully broken free with their own powerful spiritual energy!
Just as they were about to advance, intending to crush the youth before them with their fists!
"Thunder Prison!"
However, at that moment, Lin Yubai's voice suddenly rang out.
With a thunderous shout, heavy lightning descended from the heavens, instantly forming a cage-like structure that enveloped the two individuals.
As the thunder roared, a silver bead radiating wild lightning appeared silently above the thunderous cage.
A wisp of dark energy flowed, and then several bolts of lightning struck. Each one contained a trace of heavenly punishment!
Ji Changlin and the elder beside him were immediately shaken. They hastily did their utmost to suppress their deathly aura, while simultaneously unleashing their spiritual energy to erect a thick barrier.
On the other side, Ji Yuan seemed oblivious to the commotion behind him. His sleeve rustled, and several more talismans slipped out, which he clutched in his palm.
With a wave of his hand, several talismans were shot out, transforming into streaks of emerald light that burrowed into the earth.
Two or three breaths later, vines erupted from the ground beneath Ji Wenwen and the other Lost Ones, spreading along their bodies.
Nourished by the water, these vines became even more verdant, each radiating vibrant life.
This made the vines even tougher. Even with their sturdy, artifact-like physiques and terrifying strength, Ji Wenwen and the others would not be able to break free anytime soon.
Yet, Ji Yuan seemed to think it was not enough. He took out another five or six talismans, tossed them into the air, and ignited their cores.
In the next moment, earth-yellow light descended, sinking into the ground.
Immediately, the ground beneath Ji Wenwen and the others softened and, after being infused with some of the water, transformed into a quagmire.
The group of Lost Ones were trapped in the mud. No matter how they struggled, they only sank deeper.
If they used their spiritual energy, which lacked versatility, it would cause the mud to explode, directly swallowing them up to their waists!
"That's about it! Old Lin!"
Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow and called out to the side.
Hearing this, Lin Yubai twitched his lips, seemingly a bit displeased with the address, but it was not the time to dwell on such matters.
He swallowed his nascent thunder bead, flickered, and appeared before Ji Yuan. He then grabbed Ji Yuan's shoulder. As lightning surged, the two of them vanished from the spot in a few blinks.
They would reappear every ten or so Zhang, and soon they were dozens of Zhang away. In another blink, they had completely disappeared from sight.
About half an hour later, Ji Changlin and the others finally broke free from the Thunder Prison's confinement. It took them some effort to pull Ji Wenwen and the others out of the mud.
No one had expected that a few unremarkable talismans would put them in such a sorry state. Despite their sturdy, artifact-like physiques and terrifying strength, they only sank deeper, unable to exert more than two or three tenths of their power.
The group's faces were grim, and they looked incredibly disheveled, marked by either the scorch marks of lightning or covered in mud.
"Do we pursue?"
After a long silence, someone asked softly.
Gazing in the direction the two had left, Ji Changlin slowly shook his head. They were not far from the city walls now, and at the opponents' speed, they would reach it soon.
If they pursued now, at best, they would only see the backs of the two as they left.
As for whether they could successfully leave the range of Xuanhuang City, he had no doubts. Even without the sage artifact they possessed, their cultivation alone would make it only a bit more troublesome.
On the other side, under their rapid sprint, Ji Yuan and Lin Yubai soon reached the city walls and were now gazing at a dense white mist before them.
"They probably didn't pursue."
Glancing back, Lin Yubai said softly.
Beside him, Ji Yuan slowly nodded, a thoughtful expression on his brow.
Even after shaking off Ji Changlin and the others, he was still recalling the previous exchange, using the vivid memory to summarize his experiences.
This was also why the two had not fled at full speed from the beginning but had waited to fight them.
Ji Yuan did not know if the higher-ups of the Nine Xuan Sect had experience dealing with these Lost Ones, but it did not prevent him from preparing.
Broadly speaking, even a little experience could reduce some trouble for the Nine Xuan Sect. On a smaller scale, he and Zhao Yuansong and the others might re-enter Xuanhuang City in the future.
At that time, this experience could avoid many dangers, and having targeted means would provide considerable convenience.
"Now we have to see if this item is as I suspect."
Ji Yuan collected his thoughts and then looked at the unsheathed small knife he held, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and stepped into the dense mist before him. Lin Yubai followed closely, no more than two or three steps behind.
As they entered the white mist, the spiritual energy barriers they erected immediately let out a 'sizzling' sound, as if being corroded by some unknown force.
Under these circumstances, their spiritual energy was rapidly depleting, and as time passed, the loss of spiritual energy accelerated.
After sensing for a moment, Ji Yuan slowly raised his hand and began to channel his spiritual energy into the unsheathed small knife in his hand.
In an instant, a sage's aura swept out, and a righteous energy instantly enveloped a radius of ten to twelve feet, dispelling the mist within that area.
The light in his eyes flickered, and he slowly raised the unsheathed small knife in his hand, then gently slashed forward.
There was no dazzling radiance, nor any earth-shattering aura. Silently, the mist before them was split in two, revealing a passage about thirty feet long and a few feet wide.
"As expected!"
Ji Yuan looked at the unsheathed small knife in his hand, his conjecture proven true.
He had been curious why Ji Changlin and the others were so insistent on obtaining this item. If it was merely to purge the deathly aura within them, they wouldn't have been so timid, fearing that they would destroy it.
But if they intended to use it to sever the heavenly punishment within their bodies, the Lost Ones, with their weakened cultivation and realm, were clearly insufficient.
To activate a sage artifact, it required not only the corresponding power but also sufficient realm support.
Furthermore, with the Lost Ones' limited spiritual energy, it would be difficult to unleash even a fraction of this artifact's power.
Then why were they so determined to obtain this sage artifact?
With little effort, Ji Yuan deduced a possibility: the Lost Ones actually didn't care about their current situation. Their intention in obtaining the artifact was merely to leave Xuanhuang City, where they had been trapped for thousands of years!
Seeing the scene before him, his suspicion was thoroughly confirmed.
The passage opened by the sage artifact was no longer affected by the surrounding mist. Not only was it not corroded, but their senses, which had been obscured by the mist, were restored.
As long as they kept opening the path with the sage artifact, they would not get lost in the dense fog, nor would they be corroded into nothingness, nor would they return to Xuanhuang City with all their senses lost.
After about dozens of breaths, in a void of emptiness, a space was suddenly split in two by some power, and two figures, one large and one small, emerged.
"We… got out?"
Looking at the empty plain before him, Lin Yubai felt a sense of unaccustomedness.
He instinctively looked back, but instead of a dense mist, he saw the city, which had long since turned into endless ruins, not far away.
"Perhaps it's only when we enter Xuanhuang City's range that we can see the mist again when looking back."
Ji Yuan said thoughtfully.
Regardless, they had managed to get out. With the sage artifact in hand, they had not been lost in the mist.
"It seems those fellows truly intended to use this item to leave the place they've been trapped in for thousands of years."
Lin Yubai glanced at the unsheathed small knife, also looking thoughtful.
Perhaps for Ji Changlin and the other Lost Ones, the true confinement was the city itself, not their physical bodies.
Although they had lost their cultivation and realm, and their souls were trapped within their bodies, they had gained a form of eternal life. Their physiques were as sturdy as artifacts and treasures, and they had not lost all their power.
In this situation, what truly drove them mad and made life worse than death was being forever trapped in one place.
This was why Ji Changlin and the others were so determined to obtain the unsheathed small knife. What they wanted was not to change their circumstances, but to use this item to reach the outside world and enjoy the benefits of eternal life.
"But I didn't expect them to let us go instead of pursuing us with all their might."
Lin Yubai remarked with some emotion. If it were him, even if he knew the hope was slim, he would still try his best to hunt them down.
After all, this was likely their only way to leave Xuanhuang City.
"They were probably certain that we would eventually return here."
Ji Yuan said in a deep voice.
As long as one had some understanding, they would know that Xuanhuang City not only buried a long stretch of time but also countless heavenly treasures and various precious spiritual items.
For instance, on this trip, the two had obtained many good things: artifacts, treasures, precious spiritual materials, and even ancient cultivation techniques and insights.
Not to mention, as the ruins were continuously explored, someone would eventually uncover information about Daoist Chixin, making it difficult for anyone not to be tempted.
As time passed, more and more cultivators would enter Xuanhuang City. It was possible that someone would possess some special means to ignore the power of the mist.
And those who had already gained some benefits would likely enter again.
Thus, although the sage artifact was a must-have, Ji Changlin and the others would not be too anxious. As long as the artifact was not destroyed, it could still be brought back into the city.
"Let's go. We'll meet up with the elders of the sect first, and then see if there's a chance to come back."
Ji Yuan said.
After casting a deep glance at the endless ruins in the distance, he turned and left.
Lin Yubai shrugged and followed him in a few steps. Now that they had escaped danger, he could not help but feel curious and wanted to learn more about the young man beside him.
For example, how did he, from a remote small town and a declining legacy, gradually attain his current cultivation and skills?
And how could he, at such a young age, appear so experienced?
However, just as he had sorted out his questions and was about to ask, the surrounding scene suddenly changed.
Everything within sight became blurred, and countless formation patterns appeared, sealing off an area of more than twenty Zhang.
"It's that old hag!"
Lin Yubai then remembered that before entering Xuanhuang City, a third-realm demonic cultivator had been pursuing them.
However, he had not expected that after several hours, this old demon would still be lurking here and had not left!