Dapeng's Time Travel Life

Chapter 311 A Thick Fog and Escalating Crisis

Inside Lingxiao Pavilion, the atmosphere was as heavy as the calm before a storm. The dark artifacts discovered in the missing elder's room were like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through everyone's hearts. Sect Leader Xuanfeng's brows were furrowed, his eyes filled with worry and doubt. He paced back and forth, his footsteps heavy in the empty hall.

"What exactly is going on? How could a core elder be involved with the dark forces?" Xuan Feng's voice was deep, carrying a hint of barely concealed anger.

Zhang Peng stood to the side, his expression equally grim. He carefully examined the items, which exuded a strong dark aura, trying to find a clue. These items included a black token engraved with strange runes, and a book that reeked of decay; the text on its pages was twisted and obscure, radiating a mysterious and evil power.

“Sect Leader, there must be something fishy about this,” Zhang Peng said. “This elder is usually an upright person who is always thinking of the Lingxiao Pavilion. I really can’t believe that he would betray us.”

Murong Yu nodded in agreement: "Brother Zhang Peng is absolutely right. Could it be that someone is deliberately framing us? Their aim is to distract us and disrupt the upcoming Immortal Cultivation Conference."

Liu Ruoli frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Regardless of the truth, the most urgent task is to find the elder's whereabouts. Perhaps he knows some key information, which is crucial for our fight against the dark forces."

Xuanfeng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down: "You're right. Immediately mobilize all disciples to conduct a thorough search inside and outside Lingxiao Pavilion, and make sure to find the elder's whereabouts."

In an instant, everyone in Lingxiao Pavilion was mobilized. The disciples divided into several groups, carefully searching every corner and leaving no suspicious place unchecked. Zhang Peng, Murong Yu, and Liu Ruoli volunteered to search the most hidden forbidden areas of Lingxiao Pavilion.

A thin layer of purple mist permeated the forbidden area. This mist was a restriction set up by the successive leaders of the Lingxiao Pavilion, which could not only prevent outsiders from entering, but also trap those with ill intentions. The three of them carefully stepped into the forbidden area. Zhang Peng circulated his chaotic power to form a shield in front of him to resist any dangers that might exist in the mist.

"Everyone be careful, the fog here seems to contain a powerful hallucinogenic force," Zhang Peng warned.

Murong Yu and Liu Ruoli nodded, each casting spells to enhance their senses. They moved slowly through the forbidden area, taking each step with extreme caution. Suddenly, Liu Ruoli stopped, her expression changing slightly: "I think I heard something."

The three stopped immediately and listened intently. In the silent forbidden area, a faint, painful groan could be heard, the sound so faint it seemed to come from a distant place.

"Follow me," Zhang Peng said in a low voice, and walked in the direction of the voice.

They passed through a dense bamboo forest and came to a view of an ancient stone house. The door of the stone house was tightly closed, and a layer of black mist surrounded it, which was completely out of place with the purple mist in the forbidden area.

"Why does this stone house have such a strange aura?" Murong Yu gripped his long sword tightly with vigilance.

Zhang Peng did not answer. He slowly approached the stone house, the Chaos Demon-Suppressing Bell in his hand trembling slightly, as if sensing something. When he reached the door of the stone house, the runes on the bell suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling light that dispelled the surrounding black mist.

“It seems this stone house is related to the forces of darkness,” Zhang Peng said, reaching out to push open the door of the stone house.

The door slowly opened, and a pungent smell of blood wafted out. Inside, an elderly man with white hair was bound to a stone pillar, his body covered in wounds and his breath faint; he was the missing elder.

"Elder!" The three rushed in and untied the ropes binding the elder.

The elder slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing Zhang Peng and the others, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "You've finally arrived... Quick, there's a spy..."

Before he could finish speaking, the elder fainted. Zhang Peng immediately took out a precious pill, fed it to the elder, and at the same time circulated his spiritual energy to heal him.

After a while, the elder's breathing gradually stabilized, and he slowly woke up.

"Elder, what exactly happened? Who locked you up here?" Zhang Peng asked anxiously.

The elder coughed a few times and said with difficulty, "It's...it's someone from inside our Lingxiao Pavilion. He colluded with the dark forces to steal the pavilion's most treasured artifact in order to strengthen the dark forces. I discovered his plot and tried to stop him, but he ambushed me and imprisoned me here."

"The treasure of the pavilion? What is that?" Murong Yu asked curiously.

The elder shook his head slightly: "This is the top secret of Lingxiao Pavilion, known only to the successive sect leaders. But I can sense that this treasure is of great importance to the dark forces, and they will do anything to obtain it."

Zhang Peng pondered for a moment and said, "Elder, do you know who that spy is?"

A hint of hesitation flashed in the elder's eyes, but he ultimately shook his head: "I only saw his back, not his face. But he exuded a dark aura, and I'm certain he's connected to the forces of darkness."

Just then, a series of noisy footsteps suddenly came from outside the stone house. Zhang Peng and the others' expressions changed drastically, and they quickly stood up, preparing for battle.

"Oh no, we're surrounded." Liu Ruoli looked warily at the doorway.

Zhang Peng gripped the Chaos Demon-Suppressing Bell tightly, a resolute glint in his eyes: "No matter who it is, since they've come, they won't leave easily."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of men in black robes rushed into the stone house. The leader was a tall man whose face was obscured by a black mask.

"Hand over the elder, or you will all die!" The man's voice was deep and cold.

Zhang Peng snorted coldly: "If you want to become an elder, you'll have to get past me first."

Having said that, he unleashed the power of chaos and the power of light, perfectly fusing the two forces, and charged towards the black-robed man. Murong Yu and Liu Ruoli were not to be outdone, each using their magical treasures and spells to engage in a fierce battle with the black-robed man.

A golden-winged roc circled above the stone house, occasionally spewing golden flames to attack the black-robed figures. Inside the stone house, magical light flickered, and shouts of battle shook the heavens. Zhang Peng discovered that these black-robed figures were all quite powerful, and their magic was strange, seemingly specifically designed to counter the Lingxiao Pavilion's techniques.

"These men in black robes are definitely not ordinary members of dark forces; they must have a master guiding them," Zhang Peng thought to himself, growing increasingly wary.

While fending off the attacks of the black-robed men, he observed their weaknesses. Suddenly, he noticed that the black-robed men would pause briefly when casting spells. Although this pause was very short, it gave him an opportunity to strike.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Peng unleashed the power of the Chaos Demon-Suppressing Bell. The bell shone brightly, and a powerful energy wave swept towards the black-robed figures. Impacted by this force, the black-robed men retreated, their faces showing expressions of terror.

"What kind of power is this?" the leading man exclaimed.

Zhang Peng ignored him and continued attacking the man in black. Faced with his overwhelming power, the man in black gradually became unable to resist and began to suffer casualties.

Just as Zhang Peng and his group were about to achieve victory, the leading man suddenly pulled a black sphere from his pocket. He threw the sphere forcefully, and it exploded in mid-air, releasing a powerful dark force.

Dark forces surged in like a tide, engulfing Zhang Peng and the others. They felt everything go black, as if their bodies were bound by an invisible force, rendering them unable to move.

"Hmph, you're still too green to fight me." The leader sneered as he slowly walked towards Zhang Peng and the others.

Just as the man was about to reach Zhang Peng, a golden light suddenly shot out from Zhang Peng's body, instantly dispelling the dark power. Zhang Peng and the others felt their bodies loosen, and the power binding them disappeared.

“This is…” Zhang Peng looked at his palm in surprise. He discovered that there seemed to be a mysterious power in his body. This power was strong and pure, and it was the power that had saved them at the critical moment.

The leader's expression changed drastically; he hadn't expected Zhang Peng to have such a powerful trump card. He dared not linger any longer and immediately led the remaining men in black robes away from the stone house.

Zhang Peng and the others didn't give chase; they were utterly exhausted. After this battle, Zhang Peng knew that the crisis facing Lingxiao Pavilion was far more serious than they had imagined, and the mysterious spy remained hidden in the shadows, ready to strike again at any moment…