Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

A new illness has come quietly, and I feel uneasy

"Here it comes." As soon as the words left my mouth, the air around me seemed to freeze, and a suffocating feeling of oppression descended. I glanced around warily, trying to locate the source of that aura, but found it elusive, lurking in the shadows like a ghost. Hao Yang's arms tightened, protecting me more tightly. I could feel the tension in his body and the faint sense of unease emanating from him.

Wei Xue's face also turned pale. She rubbed her hands nervously, her eyes filled with anxiety. "I... I can't feel anything," she bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Yao'er, am I really useless?"

I gently patted her shoulder and forced a reassuring smile. "Don't say that, Wei Xue. This power is extraordinary. It's normal that you can't feel it." Even as I said this, I knew in my heart that this new power far exceeded our previous expectations. Even my system began to emit rapid alarms, and a red warning icon flashed on the screen.

A few piercing laughs of contempt echoed from the distance, their sharp, piercing sound striking the still air. "Look! Isn't that our hero, Wei Yao? What? Are you scared?" A tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows, emitting a chilling aura. Behind him followed several men in black, their faces expressionless and as silent as ghosts.

I recognized him as Hao Feng's right-hand man, a ruthless character. His appearance undoubtedly confirmed my suspicions - Hao Feng, he hasn't given up yet.

"It seems that we underestimated him." Hao Yang's voice was low and powerful, his eyes were fixed on the person who came, and his hand was already on the sword at his waist.

I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. My internal system had already loaded its new abilities. A faint blue light emanated from my fingertips, rapidly spreading outwards, forming a translucent barrier. I felt the energy fluctuations around me become clearer, and that latent aura gradually emerged... My lips curled up, a hint of a sneer flashing across my face. "This is just the beginning," I whispered, flicking my fingertips lightly, and the barrier instantly contracted, enveloping the three of us. "Let's go, let's go meet him." The blue barrier rose and fell gently, like breathing, enveloping Hao Yang, Wei Xue, and me. The system's new abilities were easier to master than I'd imagined. The energy flowed smoothly and naturally, as if it were an innate part of me. I could even feel the subtle energy fluctuations in the air around me, like a silent symphony, softly playing in my ears. A smug feeling welled up in my heart. It seemed this upgrade had yielded a lot of rewards.

"This barrier... is so strong." Wei Xue's voice was filled with a hint of awe. She reached out and gently touched the barrier wall, and a warm energy wave came from her fingertips. "Yao'er, you are so amazing!"

I smiled, about to offer a humble remark, when suddenly the barrier trembled and an alarm blared. My smile froze, and a chill shot up from my feet to my head.

A dark shadow, like a ghost, flashed past the edge of the barrier, so fast that it was almost impossible to catch. It was like a black lightning, tearing through the originally calm air and leaving behind a heart-pounding feeling of oppression.

"What is that?!" Wei Xue exclaimed, her face turning pale in an instant.

Hao Yang pulled me behind him, his eyes fixed on the direction the shadow had disappeared. "Be careful, this thing is not simple." He said in a serious tone, his hand already on the hilt of the sword, his knuckles white.

I held my breath, mobilizing all my senses, trying to capture that lingering scent. On the system screen, a red warning sign flashed wildly, and the danger level soared, even exceeding the peak level I had experienced when facing Hao Feng.

"So fast... so strong..." I muttered to myself, a sense of crisis rising within me that I had never experienced before. This force far surpassed any of our previous opponents, and even... it made me feel a tinge of despair.

"It's coming again!" Hao Yang's voice suddenly rose, full of tension.

I looked up suddenly, only to see a dark shadow reappear. This time, it didn't disappear, but stayed a short distance away, like a cheetah, waiting for its chance to strike. Its scarlet eyes, gleaming with bloodthirstiness in the darkness, were like a messenger from hell, a chilling sight.

"Get ready..." I whispered, a dazzling blue light condensing at my fingertips...

"Break!" I shouted softly, and the blue light gathered at my fingertips instantly transformed into a sharp energy wave, shooting straight in the direction where the shadow had disappeared. The energy wave sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound, leaving a dazzling blue trail wherever it passed.

However, the shadow's speed was astonishing. It evaded my attack with a simple flick of its arm. The next second, it appeared before Hao Yang, swiping out with one claw, stirring up a gust of fishy wind.

"Hao Yang!" I exclaimed, but it was too late to stop him.

Hao Yang reacted with remarkable speed. He whipped out his sword and held it across his body, taking the shadow's attack head-on. With a resounding clang, Hao Yang was thrown back several steps. The sword in his hand hummed, and blood oozed from his knuckles. The surrounding trees shook violently, and leaves fell like a golden rain.

"Hao Yang!" I was anxious and ran to him, grabbing his arm. "How are you? Are you hurt?" My voice trembled and my eyes were full of worry.

Hao Yang forced a smile and shook his head, "I'm fine, just a minor injury." He held my hand in return, and the warmth in his palm made me feel a little relieved.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I carefully observed the shadow's attack patterns. It was incredibly fast and powerful, and it seemed to anticipate our attacks, effortlessly dodging them each time. Its attacks were simple and direct, yet filled with murderous intent, each one deadly. More importantly, it exuded a strange aura that made me feel deeply uneasy.

"Its attacks are very regular, fast, and powerful, but they seem to lack variety," I analyzed quickly. "We must find its weakness before we can defeat it."

Hao Yang nodded, his eyes firm, "We can do it together."

Just as we were about to attack the shadow again, it suddenly vanished, leaving only a sickening stench in the air. On the ground, a black, flame-like mark burned silently... "What is this..." "Disappeared?" Hao Yang glanced around warily, his sword still tightly gripped. The stench still lingered, like an invisible hand strangling my throat. I covered my mouth and nose, my stomach churning.

"What is this..." I pointed at the burning black mark on the ground. It was like a strange black lotus, quietly blooming among the fallen leaves. It had no temperature at all, but emitted a heart-pounding chill.

Wei Xue approached cautiously, observing carefully. "It looks like some kind of mark..." Her voice trembled, and her face turned pale. Ever since I saved her last time, she has been grateful to me and now fights alongside us.

I squatted down and tried to touch the black flame with my fingertips, but was pulled back by Hao Yang.

"Be careful!" His low voice was filled with worry, "This thing is very evil, don't touch it rashly."

I pulled my hand back and nodded. He was right. My instinct told me this mark was no good. The way it burned, the scent it exuded, was unlike anything I'd ever encountered.

"This thing... I seem to have seen it somewhere..." Wei Xue suddenly spoke, her tone somewhat hesitant. She frowned, as if trying to recall something.

"Where?" I asked.

Wei Xue bit her lip and tried to recall, "I... I don't remember, but it feels very familiar..." She held her head in pain, "It seems... it was a long time ago..."

I was about to ask more questions when I suddenly felt a chilly breeze. The black mark on the ground flickered, then... vanished. Just as it had appeared, silently and without a trace. I reached out to touch it, but only cold earth and dead leaves remained. I looked up and saw Wei Xue, her face pale, pointing behind me, her lips trembling, unable to speak. I slowly turned...