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墨書 Inktalez
Yuan kicked the last black-clad figure away, sending the opponent flying like a broken kite, crashing heavily against the stone wall. He turned to his teammates, a victorious smile on his face.
"Damn it, we finally took care of them," Zhou Haoran wiped the sweat from his forehead and stowed away his high-tech equipment. "These guys just won't quit."
Su Jiu'er tucked the Ancient Compass into her arms, her eyes still vigilant. "Lu Min escaped; she won't let this go easily."
"Who cares? Let's find the Entrance to the Dragon Vein Ruins first," Lin Yuan stretched his shoulders. The previous battle had been thrilling, but it also made him more adept at using his Time Manipulator abilities.
Li Wei pulled out a map from his backpack. "According to the intel, the Core Area should be just ahead."
Zhang Qiang looked around cautiously. "I have a bad feeling about this place; those black-clad guys' Spiritual Energy Fluctuation was strange."
Lin Yuan didn't respond but closed his eyes, activating his Guan Qi Abilities. The surrounding Lingqi appeared vividly in his perception, revealing a faintly visible Spiritual Energy Vein extending toward the stone wall ahead.
"I found it." Lin Yuan opened his eyes and approached what seemed to be an ordinary stone wall, gently placing his palm against it. The Lingqi flowed into the wall along the Meridian.
With a "crack," the stone wall slowly shifted, revealing a deep passageway.
"Wow, this is too surreal!" Zhou Haoran's eyes widened in astonishment. "Just like something out of a movie."
"Be careful; ancient ruins usually have protective mechanisms," Su Jiu'er took out her compass and led the way. "The compass is reacting; there may be danger ahead."
The five of them cautiously entered the passageway. Lin Yuan turned on his flashlight to illuminate the path ahead. The walls on either side were covered in ancient runes and murals, depicting some mysterious ritual.
"These runes..." Su Jiu'er leaned closer to the wall, excitement gleaming in her eyes. "They're from the ancient Dragon Vein Ritual Text, detailing how to harness the power of dragon veins."
"Is it useful?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Of course it's useful; this is—"
Before Su Jiu'er could finish her sentence, a sudden mechanical whirring sound echoed from all directions. The ground began to tremble, and the runes on the walls glowed with an eerie red light.
"The mechanism has been activated! Retreat!" Lin Yuan shouted, but it was already too late.
At the end of the passage, a dozen Metal Puppets rose from the ground, brandishing long spears, their eyes glowing red as they charged toward them.
"What the hell are those things?" Zhou Haoran exclaimed, hurriedly activating the protective barrier.
Lin Yuan instantly entered combat mode, his Lingqi surging within him as the Time Manipulator activated under his intention. Time seemed to slow around him, and the movements of the Metal Puppets became sluggish.
"These Puppets are ancient mechanisms that guard the dragon vein; we've triggered them!" Su Jiu'er explained while dodging. "They have Spirit Cores inside them, and they're extremely dangerous!"
One Metal Puppet broke through Zhou Haoran's defenses, its spear lunging directly at Lin Yuan's chest. Lin Yuan sidestepped, his right hand clawing out as Lingqi coalesced at his fingertips, aiming for the Puppet's chest's Red Light Spot.
Boom! The Metal Puppet's chest exploded, the red light extinguished as it crashed to the ground.
"Attack the red spot on their chests! That's their Energy Core!" Lin Yuan shouted.
Zhang Qiang and Li Wei immediately understood, coordinating seamlessly to strike at the Puppets' weak points. Zhou Haoran focused on defense, using high-tech equipment to create protective barriers and buy time for his teammates to attack.
Su Jiu'er held a compass, her brow furrowed in concern. "Something's off; these Puppets' energy sources aren't just Lingqi; there's some ancient energy involved that the compass can't fully pinpoint!"
Just as she finished speaking, five more Metal Puppets emerged from the ground. This time they wielded ancient crossbows instead of spears, aiming at Lin Yuan and the others.
"Oh no, it's about to get worse!" Zhou Haoran's face paled. "The barrier won't hold against so many attacks!"
Lin Yuan gritted his teeth and activated the Time Manipulator again; time around him came to a complete standstill. Seizing the opportunity, he dashed toward the nearest Puppet and delivered a powerful punch to its chest, shattering its Energy Core. However, Time Stopped only lasted a second, and the remaining Puppets had already aimed their crossbows at him.
"Lin Yuan!" Su Jiu'er cried out, suddenly raising her compass high. The compass emitted a dazzling golden light, forming a barrier that blocked the incoming arrows.
"Jiu'er, are you okay?" Lin Yuan asked with concern as he noticed Su Jiu'er's pale face; she was clearly exhausted.
"I'm fine; the compass can temporarily disrupt these Puppets' energy operations," Su Jiu'er panted. "But it won't last long."
Lin Yuan scanned their surroundings and spotted a stone door at the end of the passage, intricately carved with complex runes.
"There! We need to reach that door!" Lin Yuan pointed toward it. "Hao Ran, cover us!"
Zhou Haoran nodded and channeled all his Lingqi into the device, expanding the protective barrier to its limit. Lin Yuan led the charge, followed closely by Zhang Qiang and Li Wei, while Su Jiu'er brought up the rear, continuously using her compass to disrupt the Puppets' attacks.
After a fierce battle, Lin Yuan and his companions finally reached the stone door. However, it remained immovable, its runes flickering with an eerie light.
"Damn it, the door won't open!" Lin Yuan pushed against it with all his strength, but there was no response.
"Let me take a look," Su Jiu'er stepped forward to examine the runes on the door closely. "This is an Ancient Cipher Lock; it requires activating the runes in a specific order to unlock."
"Can you crack it?" Lin Yuan asked anxiously as more Metal Puppets closed in behind them, and Zhou Haoran's protective barrier began to show cracks.
"Give me some time," Su Jiu'er took a deep breath, pressed her compass against the stone door, and closed her eyes as if sensing something.
Lin Yuan turned around and stood guard in front of Su Jiu'er alongside Zhang Qiang and Li Wei, fending off the Puppets' attacks. Zhou Haoran's protective barrier finally could not hold any longer and shattered.
"Hao Ran!" Lin Yuan shouted as he saw his friend get grazed by an arrow on his arm.
"I'm fine, just a scratch!" Zhou Haoran gritted his teeth and quickly took out a medical spray from his backpack to tend to his wound.
Lin Yuan's anger surged, and Lingqi surged within him. He formed hand seals, creating a Spiritual Barrier in front of him that blocked the incoming arrows. However, more Puppets were closing in, and the situation was dire.
"Jiu'er, hurry up!" Lin Yuan shouted.
"Give me ten more seconds!" Sweat beaded on Su Jiu'er's forehead as the compass in her hand trembled violently, emitting a piercing hum.
Lin Yuan gritted his teeth and activated the Time Manipulator once more. This time he expanded the range of Time Stopped to its maximum, covering all the Puppets. Seizing this opportunity, he dashed into the crowd of Puppets and shattered three Energy Cores in quick succession.
As time resumed its flow, Lin Yuan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him; the side effects of the Time Manipulator began to manifest. A Puppet took advantage of this moment and lunged at him with a spear aimed directly at his back.
"Watch out!" Zhang Qiang shouted as he leaped in front of Lin Yuan, taking the spear through his shoulder.
"Zhang Qiang!" Lin Yuan exclaimed as he caught his falling teammate.
"I'm fine... keep... going... with the mission..." Zhang Qiang gritted his teeth, his face pale.
Lin Yuan was filled with rage, and a surge of Lingqi erupted within him once more. This time, he felt something inside him activate, an unprecedented power flooding through his limbs.
"Break through!" Lin Yuan shouted, his fists striking out as Lingqi surged forth like a tidal wave, forming a shockwave that sent all the nearby Puppets flying.
"Lin Yuan, your Lingqi... it has changed," Zhou Haoran said in astonishment as he looked at Lin Yuan. "It seems even purer now."
Lin Yuan also sensed the change in his Lingqi, as if it resonated with the surrounding environment. Just as he was about to speak, Su Jiu'er’s voice rang out:
"I found it!" Su Jiu'er exclaimed excitedly, her fingers quickly tapping the runes on the stone door. The runes lit up one by one until they formed a complete pattern.
The stone door emitted a deep rumbling sound and slowly opened, revealing a staircase leading down into the underground.
"Quick, get in!" Lin Yuan called to everyone, helping Zhang Qiang up before being the last to enter through the stone door. The door closed slowly behind them, sealing the Metal Puppet outside.
The staircase wound downwards, leading to a vast underground space. In the center of this space was a circular plaza, where a massive energy sphere floated, radiating dazzling blue light.
"This is... the Dragon Vein Node?" Su Jiu'er said in surprise as she gazed at the energy sphere, her compass trembling violently in her hand.
"No, this is a trap," Lin Yuan warned cautiously. His Guan Qi Abilities allowed him to see the distorted flow of Lingqi around the energy sphere. "This energy sphere absorbs all life energy that approaches it."
"Then how do we get past? The passage is on the other side of the plaza," Li Wei pointed towards a stone door in the distance.
Su Jiu'er studied the compass carefully and suddenly her eyes lit up. "I understand! This isn’t a trap; it’s a test! The energy of the dragon vein resonates with the compass. We can use this resonance to pass through safely."
She aimed the compass at the energy sphere and softly recited an ancient incantation. The compass emitted golden light, creating a bridge of light between it and the energy sphere.
"Walk along the bridge of light and don’t stray," Su Jiu'er instructed as she stepped onto the bridge first.
Lin Yuan supported Zhang Qiang and cautiously followed behind with Zhou Haoran and Li Wei. The bridge appeared ethereal yet was remarkably solid, able to bear their weight.
As they reached the center of the plaza, Lin Yuan suddenly felt dizzy. The energy fluctuations from the sphere intensified, seemingly responding to the changes in his Lingqi.
"Lin Yuan, what’s wrong?" Zhou Haoran asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just feeling a bit strange." Lin Yuan shook his head, forcing himself to steady his stance and continue forward.
Finally, they safely reached the other end of the square. The stone door opened automatically, revealing a narrow passageway. The walls on either side of the passage were covered in ancient inscriptions and patterns.
"Are these... the secrets of the Dragon Vein?" Su Jiu'er exclaimed, staring at the walls. "They record the formation and function of the Dragon Vein."
"Is there any important information?" Lin Yuan asked, remaining vigilant for potential dangers around them.
"It says here that the Dragon Vein is an energy channel connecting different worlds. Those who master the power of the Dragon Vein can freely traverse between worlds," Su Jiu'er explained as she walked, interpreting the inscriptions on the walls. "There's also a section about 'Time Manipulation,' which seems related to your abilities."
Lin Yuan's heart stirred; no wonder the energy orb had reacted to him earlier. Just as he was about to delve deeper into this revelation, he suddenly felt his footing give way, and he began to fall.
"Lin Yuan!" Zhou Haoran shouted, reaching out to grab him, but it was too late.
Lin Yuan plunged into a massive pit, surrounded by darkness. He felt a powerful force pulling him downward, his body growing heavier and nearly immobile.
"A gravity trap!" Lin Yuan gritted his teeth, realizing it was another mechanism. He attempted to activate his Time Manipulator but found that even his Intent was sluggish under the immense gravitational force.
"Lin Yuan! Grab this!" Su Jiu'er's voice called from above as a beam of golden light shot into the pit, forming a thin line.
With all his strength, Lin Yuan reached for the golden light. To his surprise, it had substance and was incredibly resilient. He began to climb up along the golden thread, each step feeling like he was carrying an immense burden.
"Hold on! We're pulling you up!" Zhou Haoran's voice echoed as the golden light began to rise slowly.
Lin Yuan gritted his teeth and climbed with all his might. Just then, he felt a change in his Lingqi within him, resonating with the surrounding gravitational field. A bold idea flashed through his mind.
"Let go!" Lin Yuan suddenly shouted. "I have a way!"
"Are you crazy?" Zhou Haoran exclaimed in shock.
"Trust me!" Lin Yuan said firmly as he released his grip.
He fell again, but this time he actively guided his Lingqi to resonate with the gravitational field. A miracle occurred; the effect of gravity on him began to weaken, slowing his descent until it finally stopped completely.
Lin Yuan floated in the air, a protective shield of Lingqi forming within him to counteract the effects of the gravitational field. With a thought, his body began to ascend, eventually returning to the passageway.
“Damn, how did you do that?” Zhou Haoran stared at Lin Yuan in disbelief.
“I don’t know either; it just feels like… Lingqi resonates with the energy field here,” Lin Yuan replied, panting and equally astonished.
“This might be related to the dragon vein,” Su Jiu'er said thoughtfully. “The power of the dragon vein has created some connection with your Lingqi.”
Lin Yuan nodded, saying nothing more. He helped Zhang Qiang up and continued forward. At the end of the passage, they discovered a Metal Door, intricately carved with a lifelike dragon.
“This should be the Entrance to the Core Area,” Su Jiu'er exclaimed excitedly, the compass in her hand vibrating incessantly.
Lin Yuan stepped forward and placed his palm against the Metal Door. Suddenly, the dragon on the door glowed with golden light, its eyes opening to gaze directly at Lin Yuan.
“Only those deemed worthy may enter,” an Ancient Voice echoed in their minds. “Accept the final test.”
The Metal Door slowly opened, revealing a hidden passageway. At the end of the passage, a dazzling light flickered, as if something significant awaited them.
“Let’s go; the final secret lies ahead.” Lin Yuan took a deep breath and stepped into the passage first.
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