Time Travel: Ancient Martial Arts Chronicles

After stepping through that mysterious door, a biting cold wind pierced like thousands of ice needles, the chill instantly penetrating clothes and penetrating into the bone marrow. Within the passage, an ancient and mysterious aura weighed heavily on everyone, seemingly tangible. The faint glow on the wall was like countless pairs of eyes hidden in the darkness, emitting a cold, prying gaze that chilled everyone to the bone.

"Everyone, be careful before it gets even darker here." Lin Xiaoxiao hugged the little fox tightly. The little fox trembled like a sieve, shrinking into her arms, leaving only a pair of frightened eyes exposed. Lin Xiaoxiao herself was also filled with anxiety, and her eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly.

"This passage appears peaceful, but it's frost-ridden. The hidden traps are likely connected to the secrets of ancient martial arts." Ye Wuhen's expression was as solemn as ice. He gripped the "Star Demon-Breaking Sword" tightly, slowly channeling his inner energy into it. The blade shimmered with light, seemingly resonating with the strange power of this mysterious place. His gaze was as sharp as lightning, not missing a single suspicious glimpse, like a cheetah poised for action, ready to respond to unknown dangers at any moment.

Bai Zhi walked last, her steps delicate and cautious, as if she were standing on a bottomless abyss. She kept glancing back at the closed door, the uneasiness growing stronger, like the oppressive gloom before a storm. "I hope we haven't just escaped the tiger's mouth and walked right into the wolf's den," she muttered, her silver needle ready in her hand, her internal energy coursing through it, ready to be unleashed.

Walking along the passage, the ground beneath me felt slippery, like a layer of cold, sticky liquid, like the blood and decay left on an ancient battlefield. Every step required complete concentration; a moment's distraction could lead to a slip. As I walked, strange patterns gradually emerged on the walls. These patterns were ancient and mysterious, resembling long-lost ancient scripts, each stroke imbued with unfathomable power. Like the totem of some mythical creature, they exuded a soul-shaking, eerie aura, whispering a terrifying tale of ages past.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoxiao felt her ankle gripped tightly by a pair of iron pliers, a powerful force coming from below. She looked down in panic, only to see a pair of hands emerging from the ground. They were dry as firewood, as if drained of life by years in darkness. Their nails were long and sharp, gleaming with a cold gleam, like the Grim Reaper's scythe. "Ah! Something's grabbing me!" Her scream echoed through the passage, her voice filled with terror, resonating in this gloomy space, adding a touch of terror.

Ye Wuhen reacted swiftly. With a roar, he poured his inner energy into the Star Devil-Breaking Sword like a surging river. The sword's radiance flared, transforming into a dazzling silver-white sword rainbow, slashing fiercely at the hands. The blade and the hand collided with a chilling crunch. The severed hand fell to the ground, but it didn't stop moving. Instead, it twisted frantically on the ground like a spirit snake, attempting to strike again. Then, more hands emerged from the ground, densely packed like a forest of dead trees, grasping at them frantically. The scene was like being in the abyss of hell, surrounded by demonic tentacles.

"What kind of evil creature is this?" Ye Wuhen roared as he wielded the Star Devil-Breaking Sword, his swordplay as fierce as a violent storm. Each strike, imbued with powerful internal energy, transformed into piercing sword energy, repelling each approaching hand. The sword wind whistled, stirring up gusts of air in the passage, yet the hands continued to surge forward like a tide, seemingly endless.

Bai Zhi's eyes flashed. She quickly took out the silver needles from her waist, muttered something, and performed the needle-controlling technique from ancient martial arts. She danced with her hands, her finger movements were as fast as flying, and her internal energy was continuously injected into the silver needles. The silver needles shone brightly, turning into streams of light, and shot accurately at the withered hands. Every time the silver needles hit the withered hands, a burst of internal energy burst out. The pierced hands seemed to have been severely injured. After a violent tremor, they temporarily retracted. "These hands must be controlled by some mysterious ancient martial arts power. We must find the source as soon as possible." Bai Zhi's expression was serious, and fine beads of sweat had seeped out of her forehead. The performance of ancient martial arts consumed a lot of her internal energy, but her eyes remained firm.

They quickened their pace, dashing forward, trying to escape the grasping hands. However, the withered hands multiplied, threatening to drown them. It was as if they were struggling in a vast ocean of dead hands, each step forward an immense burden, like a heavy burden weighing them down. Just as they were nearing despair, a vast curtain of light appeared before them. Blurred images flickered on it, as if telling an ancient story lost in the dust of time, or a call from another mysterious world.

As they approached the light curtain, the frantically reaching, withered hands suddenly stopped, as if blocked by its mysterious power. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, paused, and carefully examined the image on the screen. The image showed a group of people dressed in ancient clothing, vibrantly colored yet exuding a mysterious, ancient air. Embroidered with strange runes, the garments shimmered with a mystical light, seemingly endowed with magical powers. They surrounded a massive black box, chanting incantations, each syllable imbued with an ancient, mystical rhythm. This was a long-lost ancient spell, a taboo within the ancient martial arts world. As the ritual progressed, plumes of black smoke appeared around the box, swirling and swirling like the roar of a demon in the darkness. The smoke gradually condensed into terrifying shapes, some resembling savage demons, others like enormous pythons, spreading in all directions, as if to drag the entire world into a dark abyss.

"Is this the root cause of the curse on this place?" Lin Xiaoxiao widened her eyes, her eyes full of fear and confusion. She hugged the little fox tightly, her body trembling slightly with nervousness, and was deeply shocked by the horrifying scene before her.

"It seems so. We must be careful. This kind of ancient curse is often accompanied by powerful and evil ancient martial arts power. Once triggered, the consequences will be disastrous." Bai Zhi frowned, her eyes as sharp as torches, staring at the light screen, trying to find more clues from these images to crack the mystery of the curse.

Just as they were absorbed in their discussion, the image on the screen suddenly shifted, and terrifying smoke shapes swooped down upon them. Though merely images, they emanated a suffocating sense of oppression, like an invisible mountain bearing down on their hearts, making it difficult to breathe. It felt as if their souls were being gripped by an invisible hand, plunging them into endless terror.

"Oh no! There's something strange about this light curtain!" Ye Wuhen cried out, suddenly boosting his internal energy to its limit. The "Star Demon-Breaking Sword" shone brightly like the sun, its blade humming as if answering its master's call. He lunged at the light curtain with all his might. The moment the sword and the light curtain made contact, a burst of light as dazzling as an exploding sun erupted. With a loud bang, Ye Wuhen was struck by lightning, flung backward by an unimaginably powerful reaction force, and fell heavily to the ground. He felt his blood surge, his throat felt sweet, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

They were trapped before the light curtain, and the terrifying smoke figures were getting closer and closer, as if to devour them. A new crisis overwhelmed them like a surging tide, and the shadow of death hung over them like a dark cloud. In this desperate situation, they must rely on the wisdom and power of ancient warriors to find a glimmer of hope from the fog of this ancient curse.

(End of this chapter)

[Note: This story is purely fictional. Any similarity is purely coincidental.]