C93 The Twin Phantoms Scared the Junior Brother.

Murong Qi and Xi Junrong had been deep in conversation. Murong Qi was confident that Lee Shiyan was within their sight, and with his Fire Spiritual Root, he was unlikely to come to any harm. However, Shiyan's odd behavior had already put Murong Qi on high alert. He exchanged a knowing glance with Jiang Su.

"Lee Shiyan, what on earth are you up to? Why aren't you coming over here quickly?" Murong Qi called out.

At Murong Qi's words, a look of sheer terror crossed Lee Shiyan's face, but oddly, a slight smile played on his lips, giving him a rather ludicrous appearance. Then, as though he had finally come to a decision, he sprinted over to them, more precisely, to Jiang Su's side.

"He might be under some kind of spell," Xi Junrong remarked coolly.

Recalling the eerie experience, Lee Shiyan spoke with his voice still trembling, "Jiang, I saw a ghost! There was a group of people who looked just like us. It scared me to death."

He quickly recounted what had happened.

No sooner had Lee Shiyan finished his tale than leaves began to drift down from the uncanny forest. Several green leaves landed on the shoulders of the group, shriveling up almost immediately.

The dark green sap on the trees started to shine, as if awakening to life, moving incessantly as a slimy, nauseating noise filled the air.

Life stirred once more in the Hidden Space, breaking the stillness.

The sound alone was enough to fill Lee Shiyan with dread. Every noise in the Hidden Space heralded the arrival of some perilous creature. Last time, it had been the Bloodthirsty Devil Wolf. What could it be this time?

All four braced themselves for what was to come.

Jiang Su noticed the growing pile of leaves on his shoulder and with a grave look, he commanded, "Spread out! Now!"

They didn't hesitate, immediately vacating their previous spot. Suddenly, a figure plummeted from above, striking the exact place they had just been standing.

The figure was bound in heavy iron chains at the hands and feet, presenting a ghastly sight. Had they been hit, the injuries would have been severe.

Fortunately, the man missed them, crashing to the ground instead. He was left half-kneeling, his legs clearly broken. Given the height he had fallen from, broken legs seemed almost inevitable.

He seemed utterly impervious to pain, wrenching his leg off right before their eyes. Then he lifted his head, revealing Lee Shiyan's face!

His smile was unnaturally stiff and eerie, his gaze locked onto the people before him.

The genuine Lee Shiyan nearly passed out from fright, his complexion ashen.

He had only encountered the impostors of Xi Junrong and Murong Qi earlier, and he lamented the monster's lack of attention to detail. The counterfeit Lee Shiyan had been right above them all along.

Murong Qi and Xi Junrong, sensing the oddity, quickly ushered the terrified Lee Shiyan to safety.

Jiang Su eyed the doppelganger with a furrowed brow.

He lunged forward, his sword piercing the grotesque Twin Phantoms as sword energy spiraled around him.

The Twin Phantoms shrieked in agony, then conjured a ferocious gale that surged towards Jiang Su.

Jiang Su withdrew the Life Sword from the creature, and a robust spirit breath shielded him from the gale's assault.

The gale dissipated, leaving behind immense force that cleaved a vast gash in a towering tree.

Lee Shiyan's rage flared as he regained his composure. Clenching his teeth, he declared, "How dare you challenge me? I'll show you my true strength."

Murong Qi gave him a dismissive glance, suspecting that Lee Shiyan's newfound bravado was inspired by watching Eldest Senior Brother nearly vanquish the beast.

Flames danced in Lee Shiyan's palm, which he hurled at the Twin Phantoms, eliciting another agonized howl.

Sap oozed continuously from the freshly split tree.

With a subtle gesture from Jiang Su, the flames consuming the Twin Phantoms intensified exponentially, reducing them to mere bones in moments.

"Having battled in this Hidden Space, I've grown incredibly strong!" Lee Shiyan mused, admiring his soft, unblemished hands and nodding in approval.

Xi Junrong, standing at the center, observed Jiang Su's hands, his silence unbroken.

Lee Shiyan slapped Xi Junrong's shoulder, boasting of his prowess with a hint of swagger.

He declared, "Xi Junrong, I assure you, I'll keep you safe!"

With that, he tilted his head back with a confident flourish, casually tossing his hair.

Xi Junrong was left speechless by the display, and even Jiang Su and Murong Qi watched Lee Shiyan with puzzled expressions.

At that moment, from the spot where Lee Shiyan had encountered the Twin Phantoms, two figures emerged, identical to Xi Junrong and Murong Qi.

Jiang Su was notably absent; it seemed the Hidden Space had been designed to accommodate only Lee Shiyan and the other two from the start.

"Move back," Jiang Su instructed calmly.

Despite his brimming confidence, Lee Shiyan heeded Jiang's command.

He began to retreat, shielding Xi Junrong and Murong Qi as they moved.

Jiang Su engaged the Twin Phantoms in combat, his strikes so vicious that the Mid Golden Core Stage adversaries were beaten into a hasty retreat.

He was well aware of his true cultivation level at the Golden Core Stage, which made the Twin Phantoms manageable. The Fierce Wind Bird, on the other hand, was a different story.

Before long, Jiang Su had dispatched the Twin Phantoms and withdrew the Life Sword from their bodies.

Having effortlessly dispatched the Twin Phantoms, he felt indifferent, only noting that his sword now seemed sullied.

Shangguan Yue voiced her disgust, "Disciple, as a sword spirit, I'm repulsed by this stench. It's enough to make me sick. Why does the Hidden Space contain such things?"

Silently holding the sword, Jiang Su rummaged through the storage space for something to clean it with.

He found a cloth and was about to use it when Shangguan Yue urgently interjected, "Disciple, that's no ordinary cloth. That's Cloud Cloth. It's used for crafting garments that can withstand sword and blade attacks."

Jiang Su paused, recognizing the item from the bag Murong Yun had given him.

The Cloud Cloth was akin to a bulletproof vest—a valuable item indeed, too precious for mere sword cleaning.

Sword in hand, he rejoined the trio.

"Jiang, this stench is unbearable. Here, take my handkerchief to clean your sword," Lee Shiyan said as he pulled a pink handkerchief from his waist.

Murong Qi, caught off guard by the sight, couldn't resist a jab: "I never pegged you for a pink kind of guy."

Jiang Su was unfazed; his only concern was getting his Life Sword spotless.