Sky Star

Chapter Fourteen: Layers of Mist

In the following days, the camp seemed to be shrouded in an invisible haze. The atmosphere was stifling, like a sweltering afternoon before a storm, heavy with an impending sense of crisis that weighed on everyone’s hearts. Xiao Chen and Ling Xue, like generals preparing for battle, doubled the number of hidden sentries. These guards concealed themselves within the dense forest surrounding the camp, lurking like leopards in the shadows, eyes sharp as they patiently waited for their prey to reveal a flaw.

Yet, the force spying on them seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared in the first place. The eerie calm left everyone on edge, trapped in a state of unease. Ling Xue kept watch over the spiritual detection array day and night, her beautiful eyes fixed on its faint, flickering light, as if afraid it might extinguish at any moment. Her brows furrowed with worry, like a mother bird fretting over her fragile chicks, anxiously yet cautiously searching for any subtle changes in the glow that might reveal the enemy’s presence. But the array remained as still as a stagnant pool of water, never once lighting up again, crushing her hopes time and time again.

Xiao Chen was equally puzzled. Countless questions buzzed in his mind like a swarm of relentless mosquitoes, refusing to be swatted away. He pondered repeatedly—where did this force come from? How did they know the camp’s layout so well? Why were they so patient and calculated in their actions? Were they a faction of the dark forces, looking to strike at the right moment, or was it a mysterious organization with a hidden agenda? Each question weighed on him like a block of lead pressing down on his heart.

That afternoon, the thick clouds obscured the sunlight entirely, draping the world in a vast curtain of gray. Inside the command tent, Xiao Chen paced back and forth like a caged beast, searching for a strategy to counter the unknown threat. Suddenly, a hidden sentry rushed in, his face pale with urgency. “Master Xiao! An unusually dense mist has appeared in the valley to the west of the camp. It’s spreading rapidly toward us—it’s highly unnatural!”

Hearing this, Xiao Chen’s eyes turned cold, gleaming with sharp vigilance. Without hesitation, he ordered the entire camp into high alert and immediately set off for the western valley with Ling Xue by his side.

When they arrived, they saw a thick white mist rolling in like an overwhelming tidal wave, engulfing everything in its path. Flowers, trees, and the very earth beneath them lost their color, as if swallowed by an abyss of chaos. Xiao Chen attempted to disperse the fog using his power of the stars, but the mist behaved as though it had a will of its own. Each time it was pushed back, it quickly reformed, like wild grass that refused to die even after a raging fire—always returning with the breeze of spring.

Seeing this, Ling Xue quickly formed a hand seal, channeling an immortal technique to trace the mist’s origin. However, her spiritual energy disappeared into the void without a response, as if she had punched into a cloud of cotton. Her delicate brows knitted together. “This mist isn’t ordinary—it’s controlled by a powerful force. We must tread carefully.”

Xiao Chen nodded slightly, his gaze sharp with caution, like a traveler navigating the edge of a cliff. Step by step, he ventured into the fog, Ling Xue following closely behind. The rest of the team gripped their weapons tightly and filed in after them, resembling warriors knowingly walking into the den of a tiger.

The moment they stepped into the mist, their vision became severely restricted—they could barely see a few feet ahead. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the sound of their own footsteps and heavy breathing, which echoed eerily through the fog. It was as if an unsettling symphony was playing in this chaotic realm.

Suddenly, a chilling laugh slithered through the air like a whisper from the depths of hell, sending shivers down their spines. The sound fluctuated between near and far, elusive like a ghostly whisper, making their backs damp with cold sweat.

“Welcome to the world of mist. Your time has come…” A voice, hoarse and fractured like shattered glass scraping against a chalkboard, drifted through the fog, sinister and piercing. Xiao Chen let out an enraged shout, “Cowardly vermin! If you dare, show yourself and fight!” But only laughter answered him—mocking, endless, echoing through the mist like a devil’s taunt, making them feel increasingly isolated and vulnerable.

As their nerves stretched taut, shadowy figures began to emerge within the mist. They moved like wraiths crawling out of the abyss, shifting unpredictably as they lunged toward the team. Xiao Chen and Ling Xue reacted swiftly, standing back-to-back as they faced the assault. Starlight and immortal energy intertwined, flashing brightly within the fog like fireworks in the night sky—brief yet brilliant, the only source of illumination in the oppressive mist. The other warriors fought valiantly, but their weapons seemed to pass right through the shadowy figures, dispersing them like smoke, only for them to reassemble moments later. Like phantoms, they were immune to direct attacks, forcing the team into a grueling and exhausting battle.

The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity. Though none of them were injured, their strength was draining rapidly, and the situation was becoming increasingly dire. Sweat dripped down Xiao Chen’s forehead, falling like pearls onto the ground. He knew that if they couldn’t find a way to break through the fog soon, they would all perish here.

Suddenly, inspiration struck him—a flash of lightning in the darkness. He recalled an ancient text describing a technique that used the power of spiritual resonance to break illusionary formations. He exchanged a glance with Ling Xue, and without words, they understood each other. With perfect synchronization, they channeled their spiritual energies together, their hands clasped tightly as they attempted to forge a connection through their profound bond.

In that instant, a gentle yet radiant light blossomed from their joined palms, spreading outward like the first light of dawn. Wherever the light touched, the mist dissipated, melting away like snow beneath the sun. The shadowy figures dissolved alongside it, as if they had never existed, and clarity returned to the world.

As the last of the fog cleared, the team found themselves in a barren valley, surrounded by jagged rocks resembling the gaping maws of ancient beasts, standing guard over this enigmatic land. On the ground, intricate and mysterious runes glowed faintly, marking the source of the strange mist.

Xiao Chen crouched down, carefully studying the symbols. His mind raced with speculation—what secret lay hidden within these runes? Who had set up such an elaborate illusion, and for what purpose? One thing was certain—this confrontation with the mysterious forces had only just begun…