From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 29 The Call of Duty

"I heard..." The man with the pointed snout and monkey-like face glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before continuing, "that ancient artifact seems to possess the power to control all things in the world, even to control life and death, and to reverse the course of fate..."

"That's amazing? Wouldn't that make you invincible?" The people around them listened with shining eyes, filled with curiosity and longing.

The man with the pointed snout and monkey-like face nodded knowingly. "That's right! It's said that whoever obtains it can become the ruler of the Three Realms, commanding the world and being omnipotent!"

"So where is the artifact now? Who got it?" Li Yan couldn't help but interject.

The man shook his head. "I don't know about that, but..." He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I've heard that a mysterious evil force is searching everywhere for this artifact. They're ruthless and will kill innocent people indiscriminately to obtain it..."

My heart sank, and a chill ran from my feet to the top of my head. Could it be that the evil force the mysterious man spoke of was them? And what they were looking for was this magical artifact in my hand?

I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and asked casually, "What is the origin of this evil force? Why are they looking for this artifact?"

The man shook his head. "I don't know about that. All I know is that they act mysteriously and are ruthless. Anyone who gets involved with them never has a good ending..."

A chill ran through me, and I unconsciously tightened my grip on Li Yan's hand. It seemed we were truly in deep trouble this time.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd. A figure dressed in a black cloak, whose face was obscured, hurried past and headed straight out of the city.

"It's Windranger!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

A thought struck me, and I instinctively pulled Li Yan along, following after her. "Windrunner! Wait for us!" Li Yan shouted at the black figure, not caring whether the other person could hear her or not.

We chased after him and finally caught up with Windrunner in a dense forest outside the city. He seemed to have expected us to follow, and turned around to wait for us quietly.

“Windrunner,” I asked breathlessly, “are you also here for that ancient artifact?”

Windrunner paused for a moment, then a deep voice came from beneath his cloak: "I am here to investigate an evil force with whom I have a blood feud."

"A blood feud?" Li Yan exclaimed, "Could it be..."

Windrunner nodded, his tone chilling: "They slaughtered my entire family, simply because my family had guarded a fragment of a map about an ancient artifact for generations."

My heart sank. It seemed everything the mysterious man had said was true. This evil force had become utterly depraved in its desire for the ancient artifact.

“Windwalker,” I said firmly, gripping the hilt of my sword, “Li Yan and I have also decided to fight alongside you to stop their conspiracy and protect the peace of the cultivation world.”

Windranger gave us a deep look, said nothing, but his eyes held a hint of admiration.

"Do you know where their lair is?" Li Yan asked impatiently.

Windrunner shook his head: "Their whereabouts are elusive and hard to fathom. However..." He paused, then continued, "I've received information that they will be holding a secret meeting in Sunset Canyon soon to discuss how to seize the artifact."

"Sunset Canyon?" I frowned. That was a notoriously dangerous place in the cultivation world, full of ferocious monsters and deadly traps.

"We must find the artifact before they do!" Li Yan said solemnly, "otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."

“That’s right.” I nodded in agreement. “Windrunner, what are your plans?”

Windrunner pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Sunset Canyon has a complex terrain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. We must devise a meticulous plan..."

Over the next few days, the three of us began preparing for the upcoming operation in a secluded cave outside the city. We studied the map of Sunset Canyon, analyzed the enemy's strength, and formulated a detailed battle plan.

“Remember,” Windrunner solemnly instructed, “this operation is extremely dangerous. We must be very careful and proceed with extreme caution.”

"Don't worry, Windrunner," I smiled confidently, "we will definitely succeed."

As night fell, the three of us quietly slipped into Sunset Canyon...

“Wait,” the mysterious figure who had been silent suddenly spoke up, “You’re missing something.” “What are you missing?” I looked at the mysterious figure in confusion, and Li Yan and Windrunner also cast curious glances at me.

“A magical artifact that can conceal your presence,” the mysterious man paused, then took out a pair of crystal-clear jade bracelets from his sleeve. “These are ‘Concealment Bracelets.’ As long as you wear them, your whereabouts will not be detected.”

I took the jade bracelet; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, radiating a faint spiritual energy. Li Yan couldn't wait to put one on, exclaiming joyfully, "Wow, you really can't feel my presence anymore!"

Windrunner nodded in approval: "With these Concealment Bracelets, our plan to infiltrate the lair of evil forces is much more certain."

Over the next few days, with the help of Windrunner and Mystic, we meticulously planned an operation. We studied the terrain of the evil forces' lair, analyzed their defenses, and devised a detailed plan of action.

“Remember,” Windrunner solemnly instructed on the eve of the operation, “the leader of the evil forces is incredibly powerful. We should try to avoid direct confrontation with him. Our goal is to retrieve the artifact and then leave quickly.”

I took a deep breath and nodded solemnly: "Understood."

On a dark and windy night, it was the perfect time to act. Li Yan and I put on our concealment bracelets and, under the cover of darkness, silently infiltrated the lair of the evil forces.

Along the way, relying on the power of our magical artifacts and our own strength, we evaded patrol after patrol of guards. I was secretly alarmed; this lair was heavily guarded, and if it weren't for the Concealment Bracelet, we probably wouldn't have been able to move an inch.

As planned, Li Yan and I split up to search for the artifact. I wandered through the maze-like corridors, and eerie, terrifying sounds echoed in my ears, sending chills down my spine.

Finally, before a heavy stone door, I sensed a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy. My heart leaped with joy; the divine artifact must be here!

I took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the stone door...

Behind the stone door was a spacious, secret chamber, filled with a suffocating sense of oppression. In the center of the chamber, a huge altar emitted a faint blue light, and a crystal-clear pearl floated above the altar, radiating a powerful spiritual energy that sent chills down one's spine.

"It's it! We've finally found it!" I whispered excitedly to Li Yan, who was hiding in the shadows.

"Shh! Keep your voice down, don't alert the enemy!" Li Yan made a shushing gesture, her expression grave. "This altar is surrounded by restrictions, we have to be careful."

I nodded and cautiously approached the altar, carefully observing the surrounding restrictions. These restrictions were complex and mysterious; the slightest carelessness would trigger an alarm and attract an enemy attack.

"Let me give it a try." Li Yan took out a set of array flags from her bosom, muttered incantations, and skillfully inserted the array flags into several positions around the altar.

As the array flags fell, the surrounding spiritual energy began to fluctuate violently, and the light of the restriction flickered, as if it could be broken at any moment.

However, at that moment, a chilling laugh suddenly echoed in the secret chamber: "Hehe, it's like finding a needle in a haystack! You ants, how dare you trespass on my forbidden ground, you're really tired of living!"

I was startled and turned around abruptly. I saw an old man dressed in a black robe with a withered face who had appeared at the entrance of the secret chamber at some point. He held a long sword as black as ink in his hand, the tip of which was pointed directly at us. His whole body exuded a chilling murderous aura.

"Oh no! It's the leader of the evil forces!" Li Yan's expression changed, and she exclaimed in a low voice.

I took a deep breath, gripped my spirit sword tightly, and said in a deep voice, "Li Yan, prepare for battle!"

Before he could finish speaking, the old man in black robes had already transformed into a streak of black lightning, rushing towards us. The long sword in his hand sliced ​​through the air, emitting a series of ear-piercing shrieks, as if it wanted to tear us to shreds.

"If you want to hurt Yao'er, you'll have to get past me first!"