SpaceMage

In less than twenty minutes, Ximen Wei had already encountered something that made him fear for his life. As he trudged through the murky waters of the swamp, he saw a boat pass by. Atop the boat was a young girl, her face buried in her arms as she wept inconsolably. Ximen Wei couldn't make out her features, but he could feel the intensity of her sorrow.

As the boat drew closer, the girl suddenly stopped crying, and the atmosphere around Ximen Wei turned icy cold. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he felt a wave of terror wash over him. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Ximen Wei forced himself to keep moving, to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread that had taken hold of him. He pretended as if he hadn't seen anything, as if everything was normal, but deep down, he knew that nothing was as it seemed in the swamp.

The corners of Ximen Wei's eyes twitched as he sensed the young girl's gaze upon him. He dared not look directly at her, but he could feel her cold, unwavering eyes piercing through his back as he moved further away.

Ximen Wei's heart raced with fear as he realized that he was being watched, stalked, by something beyond his understanding. He knew that any wrong move could mean certain death, and so he kept his eyes forward, his steps quickened, and his heart pounding against his chest.

Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to turn around and face whatever it was that was stalking him. But something inside of him knew that doing so could mean the end of his life. He swallowed his fear and pressed on.

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As Ximen Wei waded through the swamp, he felt a sense of relief as the other end came into view. His waist-deep immersion in the gore was almost over, and he could finally escape this living nightmare. But fate had other plans in store for him.

As he took a step forward, a skeletal hand emerged from the swamp, grabbing ahold of his leg with a vice-like grip. Ximen Wei's heart leaped into his throat, and his breath became ragged as he realized that he was in the clutches of a being far more powerful than he could ever imagine.

But Ximen Wei was not one to give up without a fight. His hands moved in a flurry of incantation gestures, calling forth his Qi Techniques to battle the enemy that lay before him. He invoked the power of the "Iron Body" technique, which encased his body in a protective shell of hardened Qi. Then, he called upon the "Strengthen" technique, which heightened his physical strength and agility, allowing him to move faster and hit harder.

Finally, he unleashed the full force of his power with the "Iron Fist" technique, slamming his fist into the skeletal hand with a force that shook the swamp.

As the blood waters of the swamp rained down upon him, Ximen Wei struggled to break free from the grip of the skeletal hand. Despite his best efforts, the hand only grew stronger, its bony fingers digging deeper into his flesh, threatening to pull him under.

Ximen Wei's eyes blazed with fury and desperation as he howled in defiance. His hands flashed in a flurry of incantation gestures, calling forth his most powerful Qi Techniques. He unleashed the "Enfeeble" technique. He followed up with the "Bedevilment" technique.

But no matter how hard he tried, Ximen Wei could not break free. The skeletal hand remained immovable, its grip unyielding. Ximen Wei wailed in despair as he struggled with all his might, but it seemed as though he was fighting a losing battle.

In that moment, Ximen Wei realized that he was facing a foe far beyond his own abilities.

A look of cold determination crossed Ximen Wei's face as he pulled out his dagger, preparing to take drastic measures to escape the grip of the skeletal hand. He chanted the "Sharpen" Qi technique, infusing the blade with deadly energy that glittered in the dim light of the swamp.

With a fierce cry, Ximen Wei launched the dagger at his own leg, hoping to sever it from his body and escape the clutches of the hand. But just as the dagger was about to strike, another skeletal hand appeared out of nowhere, snatching the blade out of mid-air and crushing it to dust with a single twist.

Ximen Wei's eyes widened in shock and horror. He had never seen anything like this before - not even in his worst nightmares. His heart raced with fear and adrenaline as he struggled to come up with a new plan.

He knew that he was in deep trouble now. The hands were closing in on him, their skeletal forms casting eerie shadows in the murky waters of the swamp. Ximen Wei gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way out of this nightmare.

Ximen Wei's heart sank as he watched in horror as the skeletal hand effortlessly crushed his only means of escape. His mind raced, trying to come up with another plan, but it seemed as though fate was working against him.

Despair gripped his heart as he realized that he was not strong enough to fight back against the hands of death. He had always prided himself on his strength and power, but now, in the face of true danger, he found himself weak and powerless.

His vision began to swim as he felt himself being dragged down into the bloody waters of the meat swamp. The stench of decay filled his nostrils as he disappeared beneath the surface, swallowed up by the depths of the Devil's Den.

The young master of the Song Family slowly opened his eyes, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Dongfang, his loyal servant, was quick to offer a healing potion, which the young master gratefully accepted.

As he drank the potion, he pondered what had just happened. His tracking magic had been forcefully cut off, which could only mean one thing: outside interference.

"Did he... did he die?" Dongfang asked tentatively.