Chapter 18: Fierce Battle with the Black-Robed One, Turning the Tide of the Spiritual Calamity

Li Hongjun and his companions shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, charging straight at the man in black robes. As he sprinted, Iron Tiger shouted, “Hey, you black-robed freak! You sure talk big—do you even know who we are? Today you’ll learn the reason flowers are so red!”

The black-robed man sneered coldly. “A pack of fools courting death. You think you’re fit to stop me?” With that, his hands flashed through a flurry of seals, and a surge of black light erupted as countless obsidian bone spikes burst from the ground, stabbing toward the group with deadly speed.

Li Hongjun summoned the power of the stars, activating the “Heaven and Earth Star Art: Stellar Bastion.” Starry light formed a sturdy bulwark, shielding them. Bone spikes clattered against the barrier with crisp, metallic rings, sparks flying, but the shield held as steady as a mountain.

“This black-robed guy’s got some tricks!” cried Spirit Monkey, dodging the few bone spikes that slipped through the barrier.

Lin Yu brandished his sword, unleashing the “Wind Phantom Swordplay: Gale Sweeps the Clouds.” Blades of green wind shredded the oncoming bone spikes. “Who cares about his tricks? Let’s just take him down!”

Grizzly let out a bellow and used “Bear Shatters the Mountains: Earth-Crushing Drop.” His massive form leaped high and slammed into the ground, cracking it open and sending a shockwave at the black-robed man. The foe’s brows knit together, but he dodged nimbly aside.

The mysterious woman conjured a “Darkstorm: Bone-Eroding Vortex”—a swirling tempest of shadow swept toward the black-robed man. With a dismissive snort, he waved his hands and conjured a black barrier, fending off the storm’s assault.

The white-haired elder joined in, summoning the “Heaven and Earth Seal: Cosmic Suppression.” A colossal, ancient seal crashed down at the black-robed man, emitting a timeworn aura. Feeling the immense pressure, the black-robed man unleashed his full power, a fiercer black radiance exploding from him to resist the descending seal.

As the battle raged, the black mist of the sealed ground began to churn and boil—the ancient demon beast within was clearly being roused by the black-robed man’s power, its signs of awakening growing more pronounced.

“This is bad! We can’t let him keep interfering with the seal—we have to end this quickly!” Li Hongjun called out.

Spirit Monkey’s eyes flashed mischievously. “Watch me, Brother Li!” Like a phantom, he darted across the battlefield, circling behind the black-robed man as the latter struggled to fend off the group’s attacks. Spirit Monkey gripped a dagger forged of spiritual energy and lunged for the man’s back.

Sensing danger behind him, the black-robed man twisted aside, evading the killing blow, but the dagger still cut his arm. “Little beast! You dare ambush me?” he roared in rage.

Iron Tiger burst out laughing. “Ha! Even you have your setbacks, black-robed freak! Take this—Tiger’s Sky-Splitting Slash!” With both hands gripping his massive blade, he unleashed a roaring arc of energy shaped like a tiger, slashing at the enemy.

Ignoring his wounded arm, the black-robed man hastily conjured an “Enhanced Dark Shield.” The black shield materialized just in time, blocking the strike. The blade’s force struck with a deafening crash, causing the shield to tremble violently, but it did not shatter.

“Tough shield!” Iron Tiger muttered, frowning.

Just then, Li Hongjun gathered his star power to the limit, preparing the “Heaven and Earth Star Art: Stellar Annihilation.” Above, the stars flickered as the illusion of a massive celestial body formed, descending with world-shattering force toward the black-robed man.

Alarmed by the overwhelming might of this attack, the black-robed man dared not hold back. He frantically formed seals, chanting incantations, and from his body surged a formidable darkness that coalesced into a towering demon god wielding a black greatsword. The demon god met the falling star head-on.

Star and demon clashed with a blinding flash, the shockwave pulverizing the earth and uprooting trees. Li Hongjun and his allies hastily channeled spiritual energy to shield themselves from the blast.

“This guy’s tough as nails!” Grizzly roared.

As the stalemate dragged on, the white-robed woman’s eyes lit up with inspiration. She dashed back to her quarters, retrieving an ancient zither that glowed with a gentle light. Setting it before her at the edge of the battlefield, her jade-like fingers plucked the strings, weaving a mysterious melody.

The music flowed over the field like a clear spring, dispelling the darkness that had shrouded the land. The black-robed man and his demon avatar slowed, their movements sluggish under the melody’s influence.

“Listen! The music can suppress his power—strike now, everyone!” Li Hongjun urged.

Energized, the group unleashed their might. Lin Yu performed the ultimate move of the Wind Phantom Swordplay—countless green sword shadows streaked toward the black-robed man and his demon. The mysterious woman summoned “Darkstorm: Devouring Darkness,” her storm growing ever wilder. The white-haired elder invoked “Heaven and Earth Seal: Reversal of Fate,” the seal blazing with a power to overturn reality. Iron Tiger’s “Tiger’s Sky-Breaking Roar” sent an even mightier blade arc howling forth, while Grizzly’s “Bear’s Earth-Splitting Fist: Destructive Blow” hammered down with irresistible force. Spirit Monkey’s “Star-Shattering Chain Strike” sent a barrage of spirit-charged finger strikes like a meteor shower.

With their combined assault and the zither’s interference, the black-robed man’s shield finally shattered, and the demon god let out an anguished roar before dissolving into black smoke. The black-robed man spat blood, barely able to stand.

“You… you wretches! You’ve ruined everything—I’ll never forgive you!” he spat, his eyes filled with malice and unwillingness.

But before anyone could catch their breath, the ancient demon beast within the seal let out a furious roar. The black mist boiled like a cauldron, the beast’s monstrous form looming behind the veil, threatening to break free at any moment.

“It’s coming—the beast is about to break loose!” the white-robed woman cried, her face pale.

The black-robed man laughed maniacally. “So what if you defeat me? Once the ancient beast awakens, none of you will survive! The entire Spirit Mirage Realm and the outside world will be plunged into endless darkness!”

Li Hongjun gritted his teeth. “We can’t let the beast awaken! Everyone, reinforce the seal with me!”

They rushed toward the sealed ground, where the runes on the stone pillars flickered precariously, on the verge of going dark. Drawing special talismans, each channeled their spiritual power into the pillars, hoping to stabilize the seal.

Noting their actions, the black-robed man’s gaze turned cruel. Ignoring his wounds, he hurled a blast of black energy at the pillars, trying to disrupt their efforts.

“Not so fast!” Spirit Monkey flashed between the attack and the pillars, activating the “Golden Body: Total Defense.” His body shone with a golden light, forming a barrier that blocked the black-robed man’s strike.

“Out of my way, brat!” the black-robed man growled, pouring more force into his assault.

Teeth gritted, Spirit Monkey maintained the shield. “You’ll have to step over my dead body first!”

As Spirit Monkey began to falter, Iron Tiger leaped to his side, fusing his own defenses with “Iron Wall Guard: Fusion.” “I’m here to help! Black-robed freak, you’re not taking another step!”

Meanwhile, at the stone pillars, Li Hongjun and the others focused all their power. Li Hongjun’s star energy merged with the mysterious woman’s darkness, the elder’s cosmic force, Lin Yu’s wind power, and Grizzly’s bear strength, all pouring into their talismans. The talismans blazed, linking with the runes on the pillars in a desperate attempt to stabilize the seal.

But the beast’s power was overwhelming, pounding at the barrier, the runes still flickering, the seal trembling on the brink.

“It’s no use! The seal won’t hold much longer!” Grizzly called, anxious.

Frowning, Li Hongjun suddenly remembered the Five-Colored Spirit Source Pearl possessed by the white-robed woman. He quickly retrieved it, channeling his star power to activate it. The pearl radiated multicolored light, its energy vast and potent. Li Hongjun directed that power into the seal.

The pearl’s light merged with theirs, the runes on the pillars flaring bright. The trembling seal gradually stabilized. Sensing the renewed strength, the ancient beast roared in fury, but could not break free.

Seeing his plans thwarted, the black-robed man’s eyes filled with despair and hate. “You haven’t seen the last of me!” With that, he dissolved into black smoke and fled.

“Whew, he’s finally gone, and the seal’s safe again,” sighed Spirit Monkey, collapsing onto the ground.

The group gazed at the steady seal, their hearts filled with relief.

“Without everyone’s efforts—and the Five-Colored Spirit Source Pearl—we might not have stopped the ancient beast,” said Li Hongjun.

The white-robed woman looked at them gratefully. “Thank you all. Without you, the Spirit Mirage Realm would have been doomed.”

Iron Tiger scratched his head, grinning. “No need to thank us—we couldn’t just stand by and let a monster run wild, could we?”

Yet Li Hongjun knew that the black-robed man’s appearance signaled a greater threat. Though they had protected the realm for now, there might be an even stronger power behind their foe. Their actions here could also stir up other unknown dangers.

“Don’t let your guard down, everyone. The black-robed man won’t give up so easily. The Spirit Mirage Realm holds many mysteries. From now on, we need to be even more cautious,” Li Hongjun warned.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“So what’s our next move, Brother Li?” Lin Yu asked.

Li Hongjun considered for a moment. “Let’s train here and grow stronger. The spiritual energy is rich, and there are many opportunities—we should make the most of our time here. At the same time, we need to investigate the black-robed man and the forces behind him.”

“Right, we’ll follow your lead!” they replied in unison.

With the white-robed woman’s help, they searched the realm for places to cultivate. They uncovered many mysterious ruins and rare spiritual treasures.

In one ancient ruin, Lin Yu stumbled upon a long-lost sword manual, and his swordsmanship soared after training with it. On a sacred mountain, Iron Tiger found a strange ore, forging it into his blade and greatly enhancing its power. Grizzly, in a hidden cavern, discovered new techniques to harness his strength. Spirit Monkey, in a mystical bamboo grove, found a fruit that made his movements even more agile. The mysterious woman unearthed a dark artifact that suited her powers, while the elder, poring over ancient texts, gained new insights into his cosmic arts.

Guided by the white-robed woman, Li Hongjun reached the heart of the realm—the Spirit Source Pool. Its energy was so dense that training within it could bring about a breakthrough in cultivation. He plunged into the pool, channeling his star power and absorbing its energy. Nourished by the pool, his star energy grew purer, his cultivation edging ever higher.

However, as they strove to grow stronger, strange events occurred at the realm’s borders. Once-peaceful villages began to suffer mysterious disappearances—villagers vanished overnight, leaving behind only odd black marks.

These incidents soon caught Li Hongjun’s attention. The black-robed man might have left, but the crisis was far from over. The disappearances might be linked to him, or to the forces behind him.

Determined, Li Hongjun and his companions ceased their training to investigate the afflicted villages. Could they uncover the truth behind these mysteries? Would they be able to confront this new crisis? In the enigmatic world of the Spirit Mirage Realm, how many unknown challenges still awaited them? The answers lay ahead… To be continued.