sjar Chapter 26 The Vortex Crisis and the Moment of Choice
Chapter 26 The Vortex Crisis and the Moment of Choice
The enormous vortex spun slowly within the thick fog, resembling a colossal beast with its jaws wide open, exuding a chilling aura. The center of the vortex was bottomless, the darkness seemingly threatening to devour everything. The surrounding fog was pulled by its powerful suction, forming twisted currents of air that howled like ghosts wailing.
Huanmo stared at the vortex before him, his heart tightening. He knew this was yet another extremely difficult crisis. At this moment, he was filled with worry, needing to protect Wanru from harm while also dealing with the impending dangers. He felt like he was groping forward in the dark, constantly on the verge of falling into an abyss. He gripped his sword tightly, his gaze resolute as he looked at the crowd, and said, "Everyone be careful! This vortex has an extremely strong suction force. Don't get sucked in!"
Wanru gripped Huanmo's clothes tightly, her body trembling slightly with fear. Looking at the terrifying vortex, she couldn't help but imagine being swept into it and torn to pieces. She desperately wished it was all just a nightmare, that she could wake up back in her familiar modern world, or at least be in a safe place. But reality was cruel; danger seemed to rise one after another. She could only rely on Huanmo and the others, trying to calm herself, and whispered, "Huanmo, what should we do?"
The man in white, holding a jade flute, frowned deeply, his expression grave. He too felt the immense threat posed by the vortex, his mind racing to devise a countermeasure. Their journey had been fraught with difficulties; each time they thought they could find a way out, they were plunged into a new predicament. He knew that he must remain calm to have any chance of leading everyone out of danger, but the vortex's pull seemed to be growing stronger, putting immense pressure on him as well.
Qingwan clutched the spirit pearl tightly, its soft light dimming under the vortex's overwhelming power. Her face grew paler, her eyes filled with worry. She had lived in this area for a long time, yet she had never seen such a strange and powerful vortex. She knew that if they were caught in it, the consequences would be unimaginable, and their only hope seemed to lie in the golden box and the mysterious power emanating from the spirit pearl. But she had no idea whether this power could withstand the vortex's pull.
The white tiger growled softly to the side, its blue eyes fixed on the vortex, its white fur standing on end in tension, as if confronting the vortex itself. It tried to approach the vortex to investigate, but after only a few steps, it was violently pulled backward by the powerful suction, almost falling to the ground. It quickly steadied itself, retreated back to the group, and let out a frustrated roar.
Just as everyone was nervously watching the vortex and thinking of a way to deal with it, the vortex's suction suddenly increased several times. A powerful force, like an invisible hand, suddenly grabbed at them, and everyone felt their feet sink into the ground, their bodies involuntarily flying towards the vortex.
Huanmo reacted quickly. The moment he was being sucked away, he pushed Wanru back forcefully and shouted, "Wanru, grab the White Tiger!"
Wanru was thrown to the ground by the sudden push, but ignoring the pain, she quickly grabbed the white tiger's tail. The white tiger, in perfect unison, swung it forcefully, throwing Wanru onto its back.
The man in white struggled against the suction force. He put the jade flute to his lips and played a rapid and mysterious melody, attempting to use the flute's power to resist the vortex's pull. The melody transformed into invisible forces, forming a small protective circle around him. However, this protective circle proved so fragile in the face of the vortex's powerful suction that it was torn to shreds after only a moment.
Qingwan held the spirit pearl high, chanting incantations as she unleashed a powerful spell. The pearl shone brightly, attempting to resist the vortex's suction. However, the vortex's power was simply too great. While the pearl's light could temporarily slow their being sucked in, it couldn't completely stop it.
As Huanmo was sucked into the vortex, his sword slipped from his grasp. He watched helplessly as it disappeared into the vortex, a sharp pain shooting through his heart. That sword was his vital weapon, protecting himself and Wanru in this chaotic Warring States period. Its loss left him feeling utterly helpless. But he had no time to think further; his only thought was to return to Wanru's side and protect her from harm.
Just as everyone felt they were about to be completely swallowed by the vortex, the golden box emitted another dazzling light. This light was even brighter than before, instantly forming a massive golden barrier that enveloped everyone. The vortex's suction force, upon encountering this golden barrier, seemed to have met its nemesis, weakening considerably.
The group took the opportunity to regain their footing and breathed a sigh of relief.
Sitting on the white tiger's back, Wanru looked at Huanmo with worry and relief in her eyes. She called out, "Huanmo, are you alright?"
Huanmo shook his head and said, "I'm fine. Thanks to this golden box, otherwise we would all have been caught up in it."
The man in white wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "The power of this golden box is truly amazing, but we can't always rely on it. We still need to find a way to completely get rid of the threat of this vortex."
Qingwan nodded in agreement, looking at the golden box with growing awe for it.
However, before everyone could discuss their next move, a strange portal of light suddenly appeared at the center of the vortex. The portal shimmered with multicolored light, as if leading to another mysterious world. Inside, some blurry images could be vaguely seen, but they were not clear.
Huanmo squinted, carefully observing the portal of light, his heart filled with doubt. He didn't know whether the appearance of this portal was a blessing or a curse, nor did he know what was hidden inside. But at this moment, they seemed to be facing a choice: to stay here, to remain in this vortex and try to find another way out; or to risk entering the portal of light and explore the possible turning point inside.
He turned to Wanru, the man in white, and Qingwan, and asked, "What do you think we should do? Stay here, or enter that portal of light?"
Wanru looked at the portal of light, feeling both curious and afraid. She was curious because the portal might hold a secret that could help them escape their predicament, but she was also afraid because it might conceal an even more terrifying danger. She gritted her teeth and said, "I...I don't know either, but it seems like there's no other way to stay here. Perhaps entering the portal will offer a glimmer of hope."
The man in white also fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons. Entering the portal was certainly risky, but staying here and facing the threat of the vortex might not guarantee his safety either. He looked at Qingwan and asked, "Miss Qingwan, what are your thoughts on this?"
Qingwan frowned slightly as she looked at the portal and said slowly, "I've never seen this portal before either. However, this place is full of strangeness. Entering the portal might be an adventure, but it could also be the only way out. However, we must be prepared to face unknown dangers."
Huanmo listened to everyone's opinions and silently weighed his options. His gaze fell on Wanru, and seeing the expectation and fear in her eyes, he knew that no matter what, he had to protect her. Finally, he made up his mind and said, "Alright, then let's enter this portal of light and explore its secrets, hoping to find a way out of this predicament!"
After saying that, he took the lead and walked towards the portal.
Wanru took a deep breath and patted the white tiger's head. The white tiger understood and carried Wanru to follow.
The man in white also put away his jade flute and followed closely behind.
Qingwan took one last look at her surroundings, gripped the spirit pearl tightly, and walked toward the portal.
The moment they stepped through the portal, everything around them vanished. They were as if in a void, with only the multicolored light shimmering around them. Suddenly, a blinding light flashed, and everything went black; they lost consciousness.