Multiple Personalities

The Crane Immortal stood up, slowly walked to the door, gently grasped the door handle, his fingertips turning white from the force.

Just as he was about to exert force to open the door, a shadow flickered past the window, as swift as a phantom. The Crane Immortal's heart tightened, his pupils shrank sharply, and his back instantly straightened. Without time to think, he immediately turned around, stamping his feet hard on the ground, and chased out like an arrow from a bow.

Executing Qinggong, the Crane Immortal's figure swiftly darted through the woods of Spirit Mountain. Branches whistled by him, leaves were swept up by the wind and fell back down. He focused his gaze on the barely visible shadow ahead, vigilant and eager in his eyes, trying to catch up to the mysterious shadow. But the shadow moved incredibly fast, like a black whirlwind, constantly keeping a certain distance, seemingly teasing him deliberately.

"Stop! Who exactly are you? Why intrude on Spirit Mountain at night?" The Crane Immortal shouted loudly while pursuing, his voice echoing through the silent mountain forest. However, the shadow seemed not to hear his shout, still running ahead, steps so light they made no sound.

When the Crane Immortal chased to the edge of a cliff on Spirit Mountain, the shadow finally stopped. It stood quietly at the cliff's edge, back to the Crane Immortal, its form thin and frail in the night wind, yet exuding an indescribable eeriness.

"Who are you? What is your purpose?" The Crane Immortal asked cautiously, his hands clenched into fists, joints cracking from the grip. His eyes fixed intensely on the shadow's back as if to see through it.

The shadow slowly turned around, its face covered with a black veil, exposing only a pair of sinister eyes. Those eyes were like a bottomless cold pool, emanating bone-chilling cold and endless malice. It let out a cold laugh, the sound seeming to come from the depths of Hell, causing chills: "Crane Immortal, do you think you can really find the Divine Artifact? Stop dreaming! Every step of yours is under our control."

The Crane Immortal was shocked, as if struck by lightning. He hadn't expected this shadow to know about their investigation of the Divine Artifact; could it be that their every move had long been exposed? He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Who exactly are you people? Why are you trying to stop us from finding the Divine Artifact?" Though his voice was steady, the slightly trembling last note betrayed his inner tension.

The shadow did not answer his question, but suddenly pulled out a black pearl from inside its cloak, emanating a cold light as if containing endless evil. It threw it towards the Crane Immortal; the pearl traced a black arc in the air, emitting a bizarre aura like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

The Crane Immortal quickly sidestepped to dodge, his body moving nimbly as a lively monkey. The pearl grazed his clothes, flew past, and landed on the ground. With a loud "boom," the pearl exploded, swiftly spreading a black mist as if a giant black curtain were enveloping everything around.

The Crane Immortal felt a darkness before his eyes, a pungent odor hitting his face, that scent like a mix of rotten corpses and poisonous herbs, making one nauseous. He quickly held his breath, covered his mouth and nose with his hands, and retreated. His steps were somewhat shaky, eyes stung by the mist, tears involuntarily flowing down.

When the mist gradually cleared, the shadow had already disappeared without a trace, as if it had never appeared.

Returning to his residence, the Crane Immortal told Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue about the incident. Lin Yue listened, her eyes as wide as bells, mouth agape, face full of shock: "What do we do now? They definitely won't let us off easily. Have we already been targeted by them, with danger at any moment?"

The Crane Immortal patted her shoulder, his hand broad and warm, as if conveying endless strength: "We'll counter soldiers with arms, water with earth. We must be more cautious and accelerate the search for the Divine Artifact. The more they obstruct, the closer we must be to the Divine Artifact." His gaze was firm and persistent, as if a never-extinguishing flame was burning.

Shen Jingqi also nodded, eyes showing a stubborn defiance: "Exactly, we mustn't be intimidated by them. As long as we unite as one, we will surely defeat them. Maybe we can trace the clues back to their mastermind and capture their plot all at once." His fists clenched, he waved them in the air, as if cheering himself and his companions on.

The next day, the Crane Immortal, Shen Jingqi, and Lin Yue set out with simple luggage on their journey to the ancient relic.

Along the way, they weathered the hardships of eating in the open air. As they crossed through dense forests, trees stood tall and thick, their branches interwoven, almost covering the sky. Fallen leaves piled like mountains underfoot, each step eliciting a "rustle" sound, as if the forest were issuing a warning. They proceeded cautiously, vigilant of potential dangers lurking around.

Suddenly, a huge wild boar rushed out from the thicket, eyes blood-red, tusks as sharp as knives, charging towards them while roaring.

The Crane Immortal swiftly drew the longsword from his waist, the blade glinting coldly. He took a swift stride forward and engaged in battle with the wild boar. His movements were swift and fierce, his swordsmanship like flowing clouds and water, each swing precisely striking the wild boar's vital points. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue didn't stand idly by, they sought opportunities on the side to attack the wild boar with stones and branches, creating opportunities for the Crane Immortal. After a fierce battle, they finally managed to drive the wild boar away.

Every place they reached, they meticulously searched for clues about the Divine Artifact. They turned over every stone, examined every ruin, not missing a single tiny trace. Yet, as days went by, they still found nothing. Fatigue and disappointment gradually showed in their eyes, and the hope in their hearts seemed to be slowly extinguishing.

"Could we really not find the Divine Artifact? Is all our effort going to be in vain?" Lin Yue said dejectedly, her head downcast, eyes dim.

The Crane Immortal patted her shoulder and consoled: "Don't lose heart, finding the Divine Artifact is not an easy task. Perhaps the clue awaits us at the next place; we can't give up lightly."

Shen Jingqi also encouraged: "Indeed, we've traveled so far and overcome so many difficulties; it's too regretful to give up now. Perhaps at any moment, we'll discover an important clue."

However, as they felt somewhat despairing, one evening, they arrived at an abandoned village. The village was shrouded in a ghastly aura, as if veiled by an invisible shadow. The ruined houses swayed in the wind, doors and windows shattered, creaking ominously, about to collapse at any moment.