The Portal of Wonderland

Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound was heard.

Then, a shadow flashed. It was a black light that had been projected from the nearby woods. It was as swift as a startling thunderclap in the night sky. It flashed and sank into the chest of one of the barbarians.

The tall barbarian’s body turned upside down, and shot backwards forcefully – as if he had been struck by a monstrous creature. He got knocked against the trunk of a huge tree; this rendered a powerful jolt to the tree. The tree trembled violently; several leaves fell off its branches.

The lifeless body of the barbarian hung in midair – with a long black arrow sticking out of his chest. The sharp end of the arrow had sunk deep into the tree’s bough; the plume feathers at the arrow’s end were still quivering.

The barbarian’s mouth was wide open. There was a trace of alarmed expression on his face. He had been struck so hard that he couldn’t even let out a pitiful scream. The glow of his eyes gradually subsided. His powerless feet twitched a couple of times. Then, his body became motionless.

The remaining barbarians and the girl clad in the leopard jacket girl were startled as they saw this. ‘Whiz! Whiz!’ Two black lights darted out before they could even turn their heads. The two lights had been shot at an extremely fast speed; so much so that the naked eye couldn’t even capture the exact trajectory of those lights.

“Ah! Ah!”

Two blood-curdling screeches resounded at the same time. Two of the barbarians had been shot in their chests by the long arrows. They were thrown backwards upside down. They soon met with a violent death.

A shadow flashed once again. Another arrow appeared at an alarming speed.

A miraculous gleam flashed across the fiery-red eyes of one of the barbarians. His eyes looked like a pair of snake’s eyes. He brandished his long blade; it streaked an arc in midair in an attempt to cut down the black arrow. However, his expectations had gone wrong.

There was a powerful collision between the blade and the arrow. It transmitted a powerful shock to his body. He couldn’t help but drew a step backwards. A hint of amazement flashed across his eyes.

The arrow wasn’t only as quick as the electric current, but its implication was also quite alarming.

“What are you guys looking at? Do you want to die? Let’s activate the Binding Blade Spell. Only then… we’ll be able to block these arrows,” the red-eyed barbarian shouted loudly.

Other barbarians were jolted out of their state of stupefaction. They left the side of the girl, and rushed to form an encirclement. They stood in a circle with their backs against each other. Their movement looked extremely harmonious and coordinated. Their swift movements exhibited a splendid portrayal of mutual understanding.

Four barbarian men stood at the four corners. They started to brandish their steel blades. The continual movement of blades gave rise to a green whirlwind. The whirlwind proliferated and formed a defensive shield around them; it seemed to be impenetrable in nature.

‘Whiz!’

A black arrow was ejected like an electric current. Its speed was as fast as a bolt of lightning.

The black light knocked against the green whirlwind; it seemed as if the arrow had knocked against a soft wall. However, the arrow had been blocked.

The blade light flashed, and chopped the long arrow in several pieces. The broken fragments of the arrow then dispersed on the ground.

The red-eyed barbarian heaved a sigh of relief as he saw this. A malicious glint crept across his eyes. Then, he fumbled out a scorpion from a small bag hung from his waist with an almost indiscernible movement of his right hand; it was as big as a human fist. After that, he tossed the scorpion in the direction where Shi Mu was hidden.

The scorpion had been thrown with such speed that it left a black trail of afterimages behind it.

The girl in the leopard jacket finally felt a little relieved. She staggered a few steps backwards, and opened her mouth to gasp for breath.

She then shot a sidelong glance at the small scorpion that had been thrown by the red-eyed barbarian. Her charming face turned unsightly. She was about to call out and warn the archer.

Right then, a muffled sound was heard from the nearby woods. Then, a red light flashed. The small black scorpion flew back upside down. It had been torn into two pieces. It fell to the ground. It made some futile struggles. Then, it stopped moving.

The red-eyed barbarian’s complexion changed. His eyes revealed a frightened and a furious look at the same time. The girl in the leather jacket was also shocked.

Suddenly, a green arrow was shot like an electric current. The arrow had been aimed at the red-eyed barbarian.

The red-eyed barbarian noticed that the color of this arrow was different than the previous ones. But, he didn’t panic as he had extreme confidence in his Binding Blade Spell. Instead, he gently fumbled in his waist-bag; it seemed as if he was about to make another move.

The green arrow arrived in front of him in a fraction of second. The whirlwind of the blades was annihilated – like a piece of paper – with a light sound. The four sturdy barbarians were shaken by the impact. They retreated by several steps. They couldn’t even hold onto their blades.

The red-eyed barbarian was flabbergasted since he had been caught off-guard. He became desperate, and quickly swung his blade. Over a dozen of blade-shadows appeared in front of his body in the form of a shield.

‘Bang!’ A loud rumble was heard.

The blade shadows couldn’t withstand the formidable attack of the green arrow. They were routed and dispersed in a flash. The red-eyed barbarian revealed an unbelievable look on his face. The arrow then pierced his chest with a terrifying speed before he could understand anything.

“Chasing… Chasing Wind…”

He wanted to speak something, but he couldn’t finish his sentence. Suddenly, his body was lifted and thrown into the air by a gigantic force. He was sent flying upside down almost ten feet backwards. Then, he collapsed to the ground. He rolled on the ground a few times. After that, he stopped breathing.

The other four barbarian men felt as if their hearts had been deeply penetrated. They immediately broke the formation, turned around, and fled towards a distant place without uttering a single word.

‘Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!’

Several green lights darted towards them one after another. Even the fastest one of them could only escape for a distance of twenty feet before he was nailed to the ground in a firm manner.

Now, the open area had attained its tranquility once again.

“Magic arrows?”

The girl’s vision flashed. She murmured as she gazed at the abstruse magic patterns drawn on the surface of the green arrows.

Shi Mu’s silhouette emerged from the woods after a short while. There was a long slit with a big hole on his clothing. Apparently, he had been attacked by the small black scorpion.

Shi Mu gently stroked his chest; his eyes flashed with a hint of lingering fear.

That small black scorpion possessed the strength of a Hou Tian primary stage warrior. However, its speed was so startling that it had far surpassed his range. He would’ve been dead by now if not for his extraordinary eyesight.

Shi Mu could tell at a glance that the scorpion’s shiny black tail contained some kind of a vicious venom. It was impossible to imagine what would’ve happened if its tail had made the tiniest scratch on his skin.

“You’re… a human?” The girl sized Shi Mu up from top to bottom. Then, she asked in an unassertive tone.

“That’s right. I’m Shi Mu – a disciple of the Black Demon Sect. May I know Your Excellency’s identity?” Shi Mu looked at the girl and asked.

The girl hesitated for a moment. Then, she asked another question instead of giving him a reply, “Do you have anything that can prove your identity?”

Shi Mu was left dumbstruck. His brows slightly creased. However, he fished out a black token from his pocket, and shook it gently before the girl’s eyes. It was the identity card used by the disciples of the Black Demon Sect.

The girl’s complexion changed as she saw the identity card.

“So, you’re indeed Brother Shi. I’m Tian Huo Wu of the Tian Yin Sect. Thank you so much for rescuing me. I must apologize for my impoliteness,” the girl cupped her hands across her chest in obeisance as she spoke-up.

“I never expected that I’d bump into a disciple of one of the seven big Sects here in the barbarian’s wasteland. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Shi Mu said.

Tian Huo Wu smiled. She was about to say something when her complexion became pale. She then spouted a mouthful of blood. Her body quivered in exertion, and she tumbled backwards.

Shi Mu hurriedly leapt forward and supported her shoulder. He then propped her back against a big tree, and made her sit in a comfortable position.

“Thank you so much.” Tian Huo Wu managed to smile. She then took out a delicate jade bottle from her bosom. She tilted the bottle; a red pill rolled down on her cloth.

Suddenly, her facial expression changed and her body stiffened.

“Sister Tian, what’s the matter…” Shi Mu asked in a surprised tone.

Tian Huo Wu moved her wrist before Shi Mu could complete his sentence. Then, the white sword in her hand transformed into a white light as she thrust it towards Shi Mu’s chest like a bolt of lightning.

Shi Mu was startled. He stomped his foot on the ground, and shot backwards.

‘Swish!’

The attack had been made from an extremely short distance. So, Shi Mu couldn’t dodge it even though his response had been prompt. His shirt had been slashed by the sword. A big hole appeared on his shirt; the flesh on his chest became exposed. In fact, he had only been a hairsbreadth away from being lacerated.

Shi Mu’s complexion darkened. He was enraged. He was about to shout out in anger.

“Despicable barbarian, how dare you pretend to be a human? You’ve invited your death,” Tian Huo Wu jumped and shouted at him. Then, she braced herself to pounce on him.

The sword in her hand flickered like a white lightning. She then pointed it at Shi Mu, and started to stab at several parts of his body. She didn’t show the slightest sign of mercy.

Shi Mu swayed his body from side-to-side in an attempt to dodge her strikes. Meanwhile, a golden light glittered in his eyes. He thrust his sword extremely fast, and hit Tian Huo Wu on her wrist.

The girl issued a muffled groan. Her shinning white sword slipped from her hand, and fell to the ground.

Shi Mu lifted the sword with the tip of his toe, and wielded it in his hand. After that, his figure flashed, and leapt several feet backwards. He then stood in a firm manner.

Tian Huo Wu’s complexion turned deathly pale. She spouted a little blood once again. She staggered a step backwards, and propped herself against a big tree. Otherwise, she would’ve toppled over.

The luster of her beautiful face had faded away. Her pale face looked transparent. Her body was quivering in a continuous manner. She knelt down on the ground while leaning against the trunk of the big tree.

She had luckily escaped the attacks of the Earth Grade barbarian. But, her body had received several internal injuries while fighting with him. Then, she had got trapped in a fierce battle with several other barbarians. This had flared-up her wounds and internal injuries. She had used a secret technique to suppress her wounds in an effective manner. However, it had backfired, and her wounds had been fully exposed.

Tian Huo Wu turned her head and looked at the white pill that had been dropped on the ground. She wanted to consume it. But unfortunately, she had dropped it.

She stretched out her hand to pick it up. But, her hand was trembling – like a shriveled old man’s. Therefore, the pill continued to slip through her fingers multiple times.

Suddenly, two slender fingers picked-up the white pill, and brought it close to her mouth.

Tian Huo Wu looked up to see Shi Mu, who had come to her side. He was squatting beside her, and was watching her with gentle and calm eyes.

She gazed into Shi Mu’s eyes for a while. Then, she opened her mouth and swallowed the pill.

Shi Mu had noticed her hesitation. Therefore, he stood-up and moved a few steps backwards.

Tian Huo Wu revealed a puzzled expression on her face as she saw this. She then sat down with her legs crossed.

A layer of faint-white light bubbled-up on the surface of her body after a moment. Then, the white light began to wrap around her. It was exuding a burst of cold Qi.

The ground around her covered with hoar frost with the passage of time.

A trace of astonishment flashed across Shi Mu’s eyes. He could tell that she was at the Hou Tian later stage based on the strength of her Real Qi. But, it was still impossible for her to achieve this. She must’ve achieved this feat owing to the pill she had just consumed.

She finally opened her eyes after a long time. Her complexion had almost returned to its normal state. She stood-up while looking at Shi Mu with a perplexed expression in her eyes.

“Sister Tian, you’ve misunderstood me. Can it be due to this totem?” Shi Mu smiled bitterly.

Shi Mu pulled open his robe and revealed his robust muscles. A Red Python’s totem could seen on his chest.

The tattoo looked even brighter than before; it looked even more vivid.

“Humph! You bear the barbarians’ totem on your chest. This proves that you’re a barbarian. But, you pretend to be a disciple of the Black Demon Sect. May I know what you wish to accomplish with this fake identity?” Tian Huo Wu’s cheeks turned red as she glanced at the python’s totem inflicted on Shi Mu’s chest. She then retracted her vision and asked.

“Do you believe that your hypocritical help would make me believe in you and your fictional story?” she added.

“Hehe… this thing on my chest isn’t a barbarian totem. It’s a totem curse…” Shi Mu let out a soft sigh. Then, he recounted the entire story right from the beginning – the time when his stronghold Rat’s Nest had been invaded… to that unpropitious time when he had got inflicted with this so-called curse – the Eternally Doomed Soul Spell.

“… After this incident… I probed around and finally collected the required information. An Earth Grade powerhouse or even higher-ranking elder would be needed to seal this curse. Otherwise, I’ll have to learn this secret totem technique of the Fierce Snake Tribe. I’ll have to seal an even fiercer beast’s soul than the one which is already sealed inside me. I’m not capable enough to ask an Earth Grade Elder to help me. So, I didn’t have any choice but to sneak into the wasteland. I’ve come here to try my luck,” Shi Mu explained in an unperturbed voice.