Legend of the Embroiderer

Chapter 305 Dark Counterattack

Li Zhao was blown away by the surging dark force and hit the stone wall of the valley heavily. A mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth, splashing on the cold stone wall, leaving a shocking crimson.

His body slowly slid down the stone wall and collapsed to the ground. His limbs seemed to be falling apart, and every inch of his muscle was protesting the severe pain.

But his eyes were fixed on the increasingly dense darkness that seemed to be tangible, his heart filled with resentment and doubt.

"Why? Why would opening the stone gate release such terrifying power?"

Li Zhao muttered to himself, his voice so weak that it was almost inaudible, but in this valley shrouded in darkness, his voice revealed a stubborn persistence.

The familiar figure became clearer in the darkness. It slowly raised its head and let out a deafening roar. The entire valley trembled as if in fear of its majesty.

Li Zhao's heart trembled. He was sure that this figure was inextricably linked to the evil figure that had been defeated before, but why did it appear here and was so powerful?

At this critical moment, Li Zhao subconsciously clenched the purification crystal in his hand.

Although the crystal has dimmed now, Li Zhao still hopes that it can shine again and give him a little strength.

The crystal showed no reaction, as if it was also frightened by this dark force.

Just when Li Zhao felt desperate, an old but firm voice came from the darkness: "Young man, don't give up!"

Li Zhao looked closely and saw that the hunchbacked old man had come to his side without him noticing.

The old man's eyes showed an unprecedented solemnity. He stretched out his skinny hand and helped Li Zhao up.

"What is going on? I clearly collected all the keys, why did it turn out like this?" Li Zhao asked anxiously, his eyes full of pain and confusion.

The old man sighed deeply and said, "My child, this dark force is far more cunning than we imagined. It has lain dormant within the seal for years, having long since mastered the ritual for opening the stone gate. Perhaps it deliberately made us believe that gathering the keys would seal it, but in reality, it was waiting for an opportunity to completely free itself. And we have fallen into its trap."

Li Zhao's heart sank as he realized that the efforts of himself and his companions might be pushing the world into a deeper abyss step by step.

"Is there no way we can stop it?"

His voice trembled slightly, which was due to the fear of the unknown and the unwillingness to see his companions sacrificed.

The old man pondered for a moment and said, "There is a way, but it would come at a great cost. The core of this dark power is hidden deep within its consciousness. To destroy it, someone must be able to penetrate its consciousness, find the core, and purify it. However, in the process, the soul will face endless torture, and if one is not careful, their soul will be shattered."

Li Zhao gritted his teeth, a flicker of determination in his eyes: "I'll go! For my companions, for this world, I can't retreat."

The old man looked at Li Zhao's determined eyes and nodded slightly. "Okay, child. I will do my best to buy you time. When you enter its consciousness, I will use my power to restrain it from the outside world so that it has no time to care about you. But time is running out, you must act quickly."

After saying this, the old man waved his hands and muttered something.

A faint golden light emanated from his body, which gradually spread, trying to fight against the dark force.

The dark power seemed to have sensed the old man's intention and became even more violent, constantly attacking the golden light, trying to devour it.

Li Zhao concentrated his mind and slowly closed his eyes.

He pulled his consciousness out of his body and probed deep into the dark figure's consciousness.

As soon as he entered, a strong sense of oppression came over him, as if countless invisible hands were trying to crush his consciousness.

Li Zhaoqiang endured the pain and moved forward with difficulty relying on his tenacious will.

In the depths of the darkness, Li Zhao saw countless twisted souls struggling and wailing in pain, as if they had been imprisoned by this dark force for a long time.

Li Zhao felt a sharp pain in his heart. He knew that these souls were harmed by the power of darkness.

He became more determined to find the core of the dark power and rescue these souls.

As he went deeper, Li Zhao finally saw a sphere emitting a dark light, which was the core of the dark power.

He rushed over without hesitation, trying to purify it with the power of the purification crystal.

As he approached the sphere, a powerful repulsive force bounced him back.

The sphere is surrounded by a layer of black energy shield that cannot be broken through by ordinary force.

Li Zhao was in trouble. He knew that time was running out. If he couldn't break through the shield as soon as possible, not only would he be trapped here forever, but the old man from the outside world would also be unable to withstand the attack of the dark force.

Just when he was extremely anxious, he suddenly felt a weak power surging in his body.

He sensed carefully and found that this power actually came from the phantoms of his companions.

It turned out that the moment Li Zhao entered the dark consciousness, the phantoms of his companions sensed his danger.

Although they have turned into souls, they still pass on their last bit of strength to Li Zhao because of their trust in him and their persistence in justice.

Li Zhao felt this power and a warm feeling surged in his heart. He knew that although his companions had left, their spirits would always be with him.

Li Zhao concentrated all his strength and merged the power transmitted by his companions with the power of the purifying crystal, forming a powerful purifying light.

He rushed towards the dark core again, and the purifying light collided with the black energy shield, emitting a dazzling light.

In the light, Li Zhao heard the roar of the dark power, which was the sound of its fear.

After a fierce confrontation, cracks finally appeared in the black energy shield.

Li Zhao took the opportunity to increase his strength, and the purifying light was like a sharp sword, penetrating the shield and hitting the core of darkness.

The dark core began to tremble violently, and the surrounding dark power also fluctuated.

Li Zhao was delighted, he knew that his efforts had finally paid off.

Just when the dark core was about to be purified, an even more powerful dark force surged out from the core and knocked Li Zhao away again.

Li Zhao looked at the dark core that had become powerful again in horror, his heart full of doubts.

Where does this power come from? Why does the Dark Core suddenly become so powerful when it is about to be purified?

In the outside world, the old man has reached the end of his strength.

His golden light became weaker and weaker, and was almost dissipated under the impact of the dark power.

The dark figure roared in triumph, ready to completely destroy the old man's power, and then go find Li Zhao and destroy him as well.

Li Zhao struggled to stand up in his dark consciousness, looking at the increasingly powerful dark core, a surge of despair in his heart.

Is it really impossible for me to stop this dark force?

Was the sacrifice of his companions in vain? Just when he was about to give up, he suddenly discovered that deep in the core of darkness, there was a faint light flickering.

Although the light was faint, it revealed a powerful force, as if it was the dawn of hope.

Li Zhao's heart moved, and he rushed towards the light regardless of everything.

This might be his last chance, and no matter what the result is, he will try his best.

When he approached the light, he felt a familiar breath, which was the power of his companions and the power of justice.

Li Zhao gathered all his strength in his hands and struck with all his strength at the location of the ray of light in the core of darkness.

This strike condensed all of Li Zhao's faith and strength, as well as the expectations of his companions.

A flash of light passed, and the dark core emitted a deafening roar, and then began to dissipate rapidly.

The dark forces around them gradually receded like melting ice and snow.

Li Zhao felt a powerful force pushing him out of the dark consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes and found that he had returned to the real world.

The darkness in the valley has dissipated, and the sun shines through the clouds, onto the land that was once shrouded in darkness.

Li Zhao saw the old man lying not far away, breathing weakly. He hurried over and helped the old man up.

"Kid, you succeeded..."

The old man's voice was like a candle in the wind, so weak that it was almost inaudible, but it contained a hint of comfort and relief.

Li Zhao stared at the old man, his eyes revealing a complex emotion, both gratitude towards the old man and grief for his impending death.

Li Zhao couldn't help but ask, "Senior, why are you fighting so hard?"

His voice trembled slightly, as if he was trying hard to suppress the waves in his heart.

The old man smiled slightly, and that smile revealed a calmness and composure that came from having experienced many vicissitudes of life.

He said slowly: "For this land, for countless lives, and to protect the wishes of our ancestors..."

His gaze looked into the distance, as if he could penetrate the mist of time and see the past splendor and glory.

"Although I am just an ordinary person guarding the ruins, I also have my own responsibilities..."

The old man's voice gradually became lower, as if he had exhausted his last bit of strength.

His words were like a heavy hammer, striking Li Zhao's heart deeply.

Li Zhao was silent. He finally understood why the old man was so determined.

This land, these lives, and the wishes of our ancestors all carry too much weight and meaning.

The old man used his life to interpret the depth and greatness of this responsibility.

Li Zhao held the old man's hand tightly, tears welling up in his eyes.

In this battle, another hero sacrificed his life for justice.

He looked up at the sky and silently vowed in his heart that he must make the world always remember those who fought for peace.

Just as Li Zhao was immersed in grief, he suddenly discovered that the purification crystal was shining again.

This light was different from the previous one. It was purer and brighter, as if it contained endless power.

Li Zhao's heart moved. He observed the crystal carefully and found that some new runes seemed to appear in the crystal.

These runes sparkle with mysterious light, as if telling an unknown secret.

When Li Zhao was about to study these runes carefully, he suddenly felt a powerful breath coming from afar.

He looked up and saw a huge crack in the sky, and a huge claw stretched out from the crack.

The claws emanated powerful dark energy, which made Li Zhao feel a palpitation.