Possessed by my father, I was reborn and became the supreme ruler.

He tore off a piece of his shirt to bandage her arm, secretly relieved. If he hadn't instinctively protected her, her injury would likely have been more than just her arm. "I'm fine," Lin Yao shook her head, her voice weak.

She looked around, but the thick fog obscured her vision. She could only vaguely make out a few twisted trees with unknown vines wrapped around their trunks, like black venomous snakes, which was terrifying.

"Elder Nie! Gu Ling!" Ye Yunjian shouted, his voice echoing in the thick fog, but he received no response.

An uneasy feeling crept into his heart like vines, and the eerie silence made him feel suffocated.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the thick fog, and then a thick vine shot out like lightning, heading straight for Lin Yao.

Ye Yunjian reacted quickly, pulling Lin Yao away. The vines brushed against the hem of her clothes, leaving deep marks on the ground.

"Watch out!" Ye Yunjian drew his longsword, and with a flash of light, he severed the attacking vines.

However, the broken vines did not wither; instead, they regenerated rapidly, with more vines emerging from the thick fog, like a swarm of snakes dancing wildly, surrounding them completely.

Nie Hanshan's massive body staggered out of the thick fog, entangled in countless vines like a rice dumpling, his face contorted in pain.

"Help...help me..." he managed to utter a few words, his voice hoarse.

Ye Yunjian's heart sank. These vines seemed to possess some kind of strange power, capable of continuous regeneration, and with astonishing strength.

He was about to rush forward to rescue Nie Hanshan when he felt a strong gust of wind coming from behind...

"Lin Yao!" He turned around abruptly.

A vine silently wrapped around Lin Yao's ankle, pulling her backward abruptly.

Lin Yao exclaimed in surprise, as she was about to be dragged into the thick fog.

Ye Yunjian's eyes were bloodshot as he brandished his long sword, but he couldn't sever the vines wrapped around Lin Yao's ankles.

"Let her go!"

Veins bulged on Ye Yunjian's forehead, and his heart pounded violently like a drum.

On one side is Nie Hanshan, whose fate is unknown, and on the other side is Lin Yao, whose life hangs by a thread. What should he choose?

He clenched his teeth, sweat trickling down his temples and soaking his clothes.

He knew he had to make a decision quickly, or both of them would be doomed.

In a flash, Ye Yunjian made his choice.

He struck the ground with his palm, using the recoil to leap high into the air, flipping in mid-air, and his long sword slashed at the vines that were wrapped around Lin Yao's ankles like a storm.

"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing echoed through the thick fog, sparks flying everywhere.

The vines were exceptionally resilient; Ye Yunjian's full-force strike only left a shallow mark on them.

Lin Yao was dragged along by the vines, her delicate body scraping against the rough ground, leaving streaks of blood.

She bit her lip, enduring the pain, but her beautiful eyes were filled with determination.

"Yunjian, don't worry about me, go save Senior Brother Nie!"

Hearing Lin Yao's voice, Ye Yunjian became even more anxious.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind, and poured all his true energy into the longsword.

"Cut it off!"

With a roar, Ye Yunjian swung his sword again, the sword light like a rainbow, carrying a sharp sword aura, and slashed fiercely at the vines.

This time, the vine finally gave way under the strain, snapping with a crack.

Lin Yao regained her freedom, lost her balance, and fell straight backward.

At the critical moment, Ye Yunjian stretched out his arms and caught her steadily.

Lin Yao fell into Ye Yunjian's arms, her soft body pressed tightly against his chest, and a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

Lin Yao's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes held a hint of shyness and confusion.

Ye Yunjian's heart suddenly raced, and a strange feeling spread through his heart.

The surrounding thick fog, the smell of decay, and the dangerous vines all seemed to vanish in that instant, leaving only him and her, and the ambiguous atmosphere.

"Cough cough..."

A soft cough broke the brief silence.

Gu Ling's voice came from the thick fog, "Hey you two, this isn't the time for romance..."

Gu Ling emerged from the thick fog. He was short and stout, with a pale face, clearly having also gone through a fierce battle.

He held a short knife in his hand, the blade covered in a dark green liquid that emitted a pungent, fishy stench.

“These vines are really strange; you can’t cut them down, and you can’t burn them.” He said, while cautiously observing his surroundings.

At almost the same time, Elder Xuanfeng also appeared in everyone's sight.

His hair and beard were all white, and his body was hunched over, yet he still exuded a powerful aura.

He held a whisk in his hand, and with each swing, he created gusts of wind that repelled the attacking vines.

"These vines contain powerful vitality; we must find their source to completely eradicate them," Elder Xuanfeng said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping across the thick fog around him.

"I'll give it a try," Gu Ling said, quickly forming hand seals and chanting incantations.

Golden beams shot out from his hands, slashing like sharp blades at the vines that were entwining Nie Hanshan.

Elder Xuanfeng also waved his whisk, and gusts of wind shot out like sharp swords, working in conjunction with Gu Ling's attack to try to cut the vines.

However, the vines have an extremely strong regenerative ability. After being cut, they quickly grow back, clinging tightly to Nie Hanshan like maggots clinging to his bones.

Gu Ling and Elder Xuan Feng's faces turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

They realized the situation was serious; the vines were far more powerful than they had imagined.

Ye Yunjian took a deep breath; he knew he couldn't delay any longer.

He mobilized his powerful spiritual energy, rapidly forming hand seals, and uttered a low shout: "Heaven-Burning Technique!"

A crimson flame erupted from his palm, instantly transforming into a fire dragon that roared as it charged toward the vines that were entwining Nie Hanshan.

Wherever the flames passed, the vines sizzled and emitted billowing black smoke before quickly withering and turning to ashes.

Nie Hanshan also took the opportunity to break free from the vines' restraints. He staggered to Ye Yunjian's side and gave him a grateful look.

Everyone was filled with admiration upon witnessing Ye Yunjian's immense power.

They knew that if Ye Yunjian hadn't intervened, they would probably have been trapped by these vines.

Just then, a crack suddenly appeared in the space, and the crack rapidly expanded, forming a huge vortex.

Within the vortex, a gigantic phantom slowly emerged.

The phantom exuded a powerful pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, making it hard for everyone to breathe.

The crowd stared in horror at the scene before them, their hearts filled with fear and unease.

They didn't know what the phantom was, or why it was there.

"What...what is this?" Gu Ling's voice trembled.

Ye Yunjian gripped his long sword tightly, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the phantom before him.