In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

Su Han took a deep breath, walked to Bi Yao's bedside, and took out the mysterious tortoise shell he had been nurturing from the East Sea—the token Shi Yi had mentioned that might be related to "Gui Xu." He gently placed the tortoise shell in Bi Yao's hand.

"Yao'er, take this. Senior Shi said that this item may have protective power. In any case, I will never let anything harm you."

Biyao grasped the tortoise shell, which still retained Su Han's body heat, feeling the faint coolness and ancient aura emanating from it. Feeling somewhat reassured, she nodded firmly: "You must be careful too."

Su Han turned around and stood side by side with Lu Xueqi, facing the entrance of the main hall, her gaze firm.

Elder Mu looked at the two young people who were on high alert, and then at Biyao on the bed, who was clutching the tortoise shell tightly but showed no fear despite her weakness. A trace of emotion flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a sharp look.

"Good! It's been a long time since I've stretched my muscles!" Elder Mu flicked his sleeves, and a powerful surge of vitality spread out. Countless ancient and obscure runes lit up one after another on the floor, walls, and dome of the hall, exuding an aura as heavy as mountains.

Zhenyue Pagoda, this ancient relic that has been silent for countless years, has quietly awakened at this moment and entered a state of combat readiness.

Outside the tower, in the void, that cold, evil sensation receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace.

But all four people inside the hall knew that this was only the calm before the storm.

They will definitely come again.

Moreover, the next one could very well be a real invasion.

Night fell slowly in an increasingly tense and solemn atmosphere (although there is no day or night inside the tower, time flows in sync with the outside world, so it should be late at night outside).

Su Han and Lu Xueqi took turns guarding the entrance to the main hall, meditating and remaining vigilant at all times.

Elder Mu sat in the center of the main hall, controlling some of the restrictions inside the tower, and extending his spiritual senses to the maximum extent to sense any movement in the void outside the tower.

Under the influence of the medicine, Biyao fell into a deep sleep again, but her brows were slightly furrowed, and she was not sleeping soundly. She was tightly clutching the ancient tortoise shell in her hand.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The tower was silent, with only the soft light of the spirit lamps illuminating the solemn faces of the crowd.

suddenly--

"Buzz!"

Zhenyue Pagoda shook again!
This tremor was several times stronger than the previous one! The entire tower emitted a deep rumble, as if it were being struck hard by an invisible giant hammer!
The runes inside the main hall flickered violently, their light fading intermittently!
"They've arrived!" Elder Mu suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and piercing. He quickly formed hand seals, and beams of emerald light shot into the surrounding walls, stabilizing the shaking tower and the restrictions.

Su Han and Lu Xueqi instantly stood up, weapons in hand, spiritual energy surging, staring intently at the direction of the main hall entrance.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!" A piercing scraping sound came from outside the tower, as if countless sharp claws were frantically scratching and tearing at the tower's barrier!
At the same time, the thick, impenetrable black mist, carrying a nauseating sea smell and a putrid, deathly aura, seeped in from all directions of the void outside the tower, like a living thing. Although most of it was blocked and purified by the tower's own light and restrictions, some wisps, like venomous snakes, still meandered and eroded into the interior of the hall!

Where the black mist passed, the light of the spirit lamp dimmed, and a chilling malice filled the air.

"Be careful! This black energy can corrode spiritual power, defile magical artifacts, and even disturb people's minds!" Elder Mu shouted a warning, while simultaneously activating more restrictions. The clear light shone brightly, fiercely resisting the invading black energy and emitting a "sizzling" sound of dissolving.

Su Han let out a low shout, and his Primordial Spiritual Power burst forth, forming a pale golden light shield around him, blocking the approaching black energy. Lu Xueqi swung her Tianya Sword, and the azure sword light swept across the sky like autumn water, annihilating several streams of black energy that were attacking Biyao's bed.

"What kind of monster are you, hiding your head and tail? Get out here for me!" Elder Mu shouted sharply, his hair and beard bristling. His voice was powerful and contained the pure life force of wood spirit, causing the black energy to churn.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

A sharp, piercing laugh, neither male nor female, like countless voices overlapping, came from all directions and echoed throughout the tower.

"The ancient Zhenyue Pagoda... truly lives up to its name... It's a pity that the pagoda spirit is asleep, and the guardians... are nothing more than a wisp of a soul, two little children, and a half-dead little girl..."

Black energy churned and condensed, slowly forming a blurry, distorted humanoid silhouette at the entrance of the main hall. The face was obscured, with only two crimson lights flickering at the head, filled with malice and greed.

Its gaze first fell on Biyao, who was being protected by Su Han and Lu Xueqi, or more precisely, on the Soul-Stabilizing Bead between Biyao's eyebrows and the ancient tortoise shell in her hand.

"The Soul-Stabilizing Pearl... and... the aura of the Void?!"

The blurry figure's voice suddenly became sharp and excited, filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

"This is truly a stroke of luck! Handing over the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl and the tortoise shell might... grant you a quick death!"

Before the words were finished, the blurry figure suddenly opened its arms—if those could be called arms—and an even more powerful and surging black aura, like a black torrent bursting its banks, rushed toward the four people in the hall with a fierce howl like ghosts and wolves!

The attack has begun!

Inside the main hall, black mist surged like a tide, accompanied by a piercing howl. The blurry figure spread its arms, unleashing a torrent of black energy that not only contained a malevolent power that corroded spiritual energy, but also seemed to be mixed with countless vengeful spirits, baring their fangs and claws, as if trying to devour all life within the tower.

"Form ranks, guard your hearts!"

Elder Mu's hair and beard bristled, and his hand seals moved even faster. The emerald green spiritual energy was no longer gentle, but transformed into sharp whips that lashed out at the surging black tide. Each strike dispersed large swaths of black energy, producing a hissing, burning sound.

At the same time, the ancient runes on the floor and walls of the main hall seemed to come alive, their light flowing and intertwining to form a thick, semi-transparent, pale golden light shield, firmly protecting the area where Biyao was lying on the bed and temporarily isolating it from the direct impact of the black energy. (End of this chapter)