The ice monsters blocked the path ahead, but they couldn't hinder everyone's righteous hearts.
Like the corpse monsters before and the water ghosts behind, these ice monsters continuously crawled out of the mud.
Opening their large mouths, they spat out ice spikes one after another.
"Swish, swish, swish..."
The ice spikes, like a hail of arrows, continuously struck towards everyone.
Everyone quickly ran from the stone platform towards the path that appeared.
"Awooo!"
An ice monster roared, leaped onto the stone path, and immediately spat out an ice spike.
But Senior Bai Daozi, who was at the forefront, was exceptionally brave. He threw a punch, smashing the ice monster into ice shards on the spot.
"Speed up, everyone, and get out of here quickly!"
Senior Bai Daozi shouted.
Those behind could only dodge ice spikes while fighting the ice monsters, continuously pushing forward.
At this moment, I shattered an ice spike with my sword and unleashed a palm strike.
A surge of energy sent an approaching ice monster flying.
Looking left and right, countless dense ice monsters attacked with strong power.
Several fellow cultivators had already been injured or even killed.
But we couldn't stop, couldn't hesitate.
We could only push forward step by step, running forward step by step.
After a minute, ten minutes, and then half an hour, the ice monsters finally disappeared, and we had left the Xuanwu phase of the Nine Palaces formation.
The phase we were going to next was the final phase in the Nine Palaces formation, the Baihu phase.
However, after passing through only three phases, our group of forty-eight people was now less than forty.
About ten people had lost their lives in the struggle to get through.
If this rate of loss continued, at least three more fellow cultivators would perish in the last phase.
This was just the passage through the Misty Swamp; the Gathering Yin Town Stage outside was the real final battle.
"Old Qin, how much longer do you think it will be until we reach the next phase?"
Old Mo asked me.
I shook my head:
"Hard to say, maybe half an hour, maybe another hour. Let's keep moving, but be careful, just in case."
Old Mo knew I was cautious, so he didn't chat with me further.
He grunted and walked forward.
About forty minutes later, we saw a stone platform in the distance.
Seeing the stone platform again, everyone became excited:
"Great, we've found another stone platform."
"This must be the Baihu phase."
"That's right, as long as we break this phase, we can leave this cursed place."
"..."
Everyone's spirits were lifted again; traversing through the mist was truly suffocating.
Soon, we arrived on the stone platform.
The stone platform was no different from the stone platforms in the other three phases, situated in the mud.
Beyond the way we came, everything was mud and thick fog.
Visibility was only about ten meters; beyond that, nothing could be seen.
Upon ascending the stone platform, I observed my surroundings.
There was a dense aura of Yin Sha and the chilling presence of corpse energy...
I felt that although this was the last phase, it was undoubtedly the most dangerous.
The auras from the previous three phases were all present here.
This could only mean one thing: corpse monsters, malevolent spirits, and ice monsters were all here.
As soon as we broke the path, these monsters would surely appear.
Senior Bai Daozi, along with Yun Long and Yun Hu, had gone aside to find a way to break the formation.
Everyone gathered together, sitting in the center of the stone platform for a brief rest.
Eating some dry rations and the like.
We had already been traveling for five hours, and even as cultivators, after so many battles, everyone was extremely tired.
Eating a piece of chocolate, I said to Old Mo beside me:
"Old Mo, eat more. When the path is broken open later, it will surely be a fierce battle."
"I know, the chaotic energies here mean all sorts of demons are present.
But I, Son of Light, Arbiter of Fate, Urban Exorcist, Mo.
Am not named in vain."
After saying that, the kid winked at me.
I had to admit, his mindset was always good, no matter the situation.
I continued to replenish my energy and adjusted my internal breathing.
The wait to break this phase took about twenty minutes.
Finally, I heard Yun Long and Yun Hu say:
"Baihu governs killing, and the terrain is treacherous. Breaking this phase is not difficult, but the consequences are severe..."
Senior Bai Daozi sighed after hearing this:
"It has come to this. No matter how severe, we must break this phase and pass through the Misty Swamp.
We need to race against time; the sooner we break the Gathering Yin Town, the fewer losses our alliance will suffer..."
Yun Long and Yun Hu nodded.
"Alright! The simplest way to break this formation is to arrange the correct Nine Palaces numbers.
It requires four arrangements.
During this time, please, Senior Bai Daozi and everyone else, provide us with protection."
As soon as Yun Long and Yun Hu finished speaking, fellow cultivators from the surroundings replied:
"Rest assured, fellow Daoists."
"Fellow Daoists, you can rest assured, no matter what comes, we'll destroy it."
"Brother Yun Long, Yun Hu, with me here, no demon will ever get close to you."
"..."
Everyone spoke up one after another.
Senior Bai Daozi also nodded.
After speaking, Yun Long and Yun Hu went directly to the center of the stone platform.
There was a Nine Palaces compass, but it had no numbers on it.
Yun Long and Yun Hu approached it, exchanged glances, and then began to use their hands.
I, Old Mo, and the others also stood around the stone platform, protecting Yun Long and Yun Hu...
Then, Yun Long and Yun Hu opened their eyes, formed seals simultaneously, and finally cast the spell:
"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jian, Lie, Zai, Qian, Xing, Kai!"
As these words were spoken, the blank Nine Palaces disk instantly erupted with golden light.
Following that, a phantom Nine Palaces disk, as large as a millstone, appeared before the two of them.
It was like a 3D projection, with every formation pattern being very clear.
However, they were in disarray. Now Yun Long and Yun Hu only needed to arrange the disordered formation patterns correctly.
But at this very moment, a surge of Yin Sha energy suddenly emanated from the mist.
"Whoosh..."
The aura was extremely dense, accompanied by low growls from the mist.
"Wuwuwu..."
"Those evil spirits have awakened."
"Hmph, we'll kill as many as come."
"Prepare yourselves, just wait for them to come!"
"..."
Everyone's eyes widened, looking into the mist, prepared.
Yun Long and Yun Hu began to frantically rearrange the formation patterns.
But their method of arrangement was to guide it with Daoist magic.
It felt like playing a game of "read familiar," but this was much more complex.
It involved profound and esoteric formations.
Before Yun Long and Yun Hu could arrange the first row of formation patterns, I saw a group of dark figures rapidly approaching from the other side of the dense fog.
My pupils suddenly constricted, and I immediately warned:
"Malevolent spirits incoming, everyone be careful!"
As soon as I spoke, another fellow Daoist simultaneously shouted:
"Corpse monsters are crawling out of the mud, be careful!"
"Ice monsters, the ice monsters are here..."
In an instant, everyone spoke up.
The corpse monsters, ice monsters, and malevolent spirits that had appeared before attacked from all directions, determined to prevent us from breaking the Baihu phase and escaping this Misty Swamp...