Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing stood back, watching in awe as the tendrils slowly unraveled themselves and a very foul odor accompanied it. The dark circles in the sky seemed to have gained sentience, and they were now closing in on the ruins and forming a boundary with them.

"This is not good," Zuo Feng muttered, as he sheathed his sword and took a bunch of crumpled-up notes from within his dark-colored robes.

"Ancient Parasites have taken over these things. They have the ability to manipulate corpses and make them move like puppets." Zuo Feng was now sure of this and walked onward to the nearest crack in the ground.

He quickly assessed the cracks, his eyes scanning the area for any potential danger similar to this.

As they walked further into the ruins, the tendrils of dark energy became thicker and more numerous. The ground beneath their feet began to quiver, and the air grew thick with the stench of rotting flesh.

"What the hell is this? Why are we going onward? We should escape from here!" Huang Wanjing exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.

"Ancient Parasites," Zuo Feng replied, his voice cold and emotionless. He quickly showed the man the note he wrote on them.

[ The Ancient Parasites were creatures of legend, said to have caused the death of countless cultivators. They were said to be almost impossible to kill, as they could possess the corpses of ancient cultivators and use their powers to continue their existence. They were said to be able to control the elements, summon powerful spirits, and even bring the dead back to life. They were feared by all cultivators, as they were seen as the most difficult things to fight. They were also said to be attracted to powerful energy sources, such as tombs of ancient cultivators, where they would gather to feed and grow stronger. ]

Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing walked cautiously toward the source of the dark energy. They could see the tendrils of darkness growing thicker, twisting and writhing as they reached up into the sky.

"Do you see that?" Huang Wanjing whispered, his voice barely audible.

As they approached the source of the dark energy, they could see that the tendrils were attached to the corpses of ancient cultivators. The bodies were twisted and contorted, their skin gray and mottled. Their eyes were empty and soulless, the life force that once animated them now consumed by the Ancient Parasites.

Huang Wanjing retched, turning away from the sight. "This is horrible," he whispered.

Zuo Feng's expression was grim. "These cultivators were once powerful warriors, but now they have been reduced to nothing more than vessels for the Ancient Parasites. We must be careful, or we will meet the same fate."

They continued forward, their movements slow and cautious. The tendrils of darkness seemed to be reaching out to them as if beckoning them closer. Zuo Feng raised his sword, ready for an attack, but the tendrils retreated, withdrawing back into the ground.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The corpses of the ancient cultivators began to stir, their bodies contorting and twisting as the Ancient Parasites took control. Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing stood back-to-back, their swords at the ready.

"They're coming!" Huang Wanjing shouted, his voice filled with fear.

Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing cautiously approached the tendrils, their eyes wide with apprehension. The closer they got, the more they could make out the writhing figures that seemed to be attached to the tendrils. They were once human but now they were grotesque monstrosities, their bodies mutated and twisted by the parasitic beings that had taken control.

Zuo Feng replied, his voice low and serious. "They feed on cultivators' bodies and can only be found in the tombs of powerful cultivators. But they should not be here."

Huang Wanjing looked at Zuo Feng in confusion. "What do you mean? How did they get here?"

Zuo Feng's face was grim as he replied, "Someone must have disturbed the tombs and released them. And now they're roaming the ruins, feeding on whoever they can find."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

As they approached, the tendrils began to writhe more violently, the parasitic beings clearly agitated. They let out a blood-curdling screech, their voices merging into a chorus of terror.

Zuo Feng pulled out his sword, the blade glowing with a bright light. However, much to the surprise of Huang Wanjing , he did not attack the monstrous creatures.

Instead, Zuo Feng grabbed him by the collar and began running away from the area, speeding across the ruins. As they made their way through the ruins, Huang Wanjing could sense the immense power hidden within Zuo Feng's body. When he turned around, he saw that dark energy tendrils were closing in on them, and the ancient cultivators' corpses were beginning to stir.

As Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing ran away from the tendrils of dark energy, they were suddenly stopped by a strange, dark figure that seemed to be blocking their path. The figure was tall and thin, with black robes that billowed in the wind. Its face was hidden in the shadows, and its eyes glowed with a strange, yellow light.

"Who are you?" Zuo Feng asked, his voice filled with unease.

The figure didn't answer. Instead, it simply stood there, blocking their path.

"We need to get out of here," Huang Wanjing said, his voice shaking. "Let's go around it."

But as they tried to move around the figure, it suddenly moved to block their way. They were trapped.

"What do you want from us?" Zuo Feng asked, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword.

The figure finally spoke, its voice a deep, rumbling growl. "I am the keeper of the tomb," it said. "You have disturbed the sleep of the ancient cultivators. You must leave this place at once, or face the consequences."

"We didn't mean to disturb anything," Huang Wanjing said, his voice filled with fear. "We'll leave right away."

But as they turned to go, the tendrils of dark energy suddenly rose up behind them, blocking their escape. The figure let out a harsh laugh, and the tendrils began to move closer.

Zuo Feng and Huang Wanjing dodged the tendrils well aware that these sinister beings were still in a period of awakening and were nowhere as powerful as they should be. They were running out of time!

The figure laughed again, and the tendrils began to move in for the attack. Zuo Feng raised his sword and prepared for the fight of his life.

"We have to get out of here now!" Zuo Feng yelled, his voice filled with urgency. He closed his eyes and focused his energy, channeling it into his body. He felt his muscles tense up and then release as he activated his cultivation technique.

"What are you doing?" Huang Wanjing asked, looking at Zuo Feng with confusion.

"I'm using my cultivation technique to escape," Zuo Feng replied, his eyes still closed. He could feel the power of his technique building inside him, ready to be unleashed.

With a roar, Zuo Feng opened his eyes and released his energy. A bright light burst forth from his body, enveloping the area. The tendrils of dark energy recoiled in fear, unable to withstand the power of Zuo Feng's technique.

Zuo Feng grabbed Huang Wanjing and pulled him close, using his other hand to protect him from the dark energy. He felt his body being lifted into the air, carried away by the power of his cultivation technique.

They flew over the tendrils, which were recoiling in fear. Zuo Feng could feel Huang Wanjing clinging to him tightly, fear evident in his eyes. But he did not falter, he kept his focus on getting them both to safety.

Finally, they emerged from the dark clouds and landed on the ground. Zuo Feng breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be away from the clutches of the Ancient Parasites.

"That was close," Huang Wanjing said, still clinging to Zuo Feng.

"Yes, it was," Zuo Feng replied, still catching his breath. He looked back at the tendrils, which had now receded back into the ground. "We need to find a safe place to hide."

"What was that back there?" Huang Wanjing asked, his voice filled with wonder. "Was that a special technique?"

"You could call that a cultivation technique," Zuo Feng explained, panting heavily.

"I've heard of the cultivation realms before," Huang Wanjing said, "but I never really understood what they were all about."

"There are nine cultivation realms, each with its own unique abilities and strengths," Zuo Feng said.

“The first realm is the "Spiritual Foundation”, it is for setting a strong foundation in their spiritual practice. The realm's main goal is to refine Qi and create a spiritual platform in their body.

The second realm is the “Astral Connection”, it involves connecting to the astral world and acquiring the ability to unlock the full potential of your spiritual platform.

The third realm is the “Soul Genesis” and the fourth realm is the “Ethereal Harmony”. There are still higher realms but you don’t have to know about them.”

"I am currently in the astral connection realm," he stated as he sat down on the ground. "I still have a long way to go."