The contestant is too old, sister Zhou is crazy

Chapter 636 Light
Zhao Ming slowly stepped forward and reached out to touch the light. A warm and powerful force surged into his body, and his body seemed to be surrounded by a golden halo. The moment he opened his eyes, pieces of ancient memories and knowledge emerged in his mind. They were the gift of the Heart of Light and the proof that he was the successor of the Heart of Light.

"I understand. This is the answer we have been looking for." Zhao Ming's voice trembled with excitement. He turned and said to his companions, "The Heart of Light not only contains power, but more importantly, it tells us how to use this power to protect our homeland from darkness."

Just as they were immersed in the joy of discovering the Heart of Light, the earth suddenly shook, and a dull voice echoed in the ruins: "You finally found it, but all of this will belong to darkness..."

The leader of the Night Apostles, accompanied by a group of elite members of the Night Cult, emerged from the shadows, their eyes filled with the flames of greed and revenge.

"Zhao Ming, your journey ends here. The Heart of Light will be ours." The tone of the leader of the Dark Night Apostles was filled with unquestionable arrogance.

"Dream on!" Zhao Ming clenched his fists, and the power of light surrounded his body. "Today is the day to put an end to the Dark Night Cult."

The battle was about to break out, the forces of light and darkness collided in the Land of Starlight, stirring up storms of elements. At this critical moment, an unexpected reinforcement descended from the sky. It was the wandering warlock Liuyun who had met them by chance. His arrival brought even more powerful magical support.

"I said, the news will always be delivered to those who need it. We will not let darkness swallow up the light." The staff in Liuyun's hand shone brightly, and he fought side by side with Zhao Ming and his party.

In the fierce battle, the encouragement from passers-by and villagers, and even the words of the traveler Passer-by A, flashed in Zhao Ming's mind one by one, becoming the source of his strength. Every ordinary person's yearning for light converged into an irresistible force at this moment, pushing them forward.

Just as the two sides were fighting fiercely, an unprecedented determination surged in Zhao Ming's heart. He raised his heart of light, and the power of light burst out from him like a tide, illuminating the entire Starry Land. The Dark Night Apostles and their followers retreated one after another under the strong light, and their figures gradually blurred in the light.

"Light lasts forever, and darkness will surely retreat!" Zhao Ming's declaration resounded throughout the Starry Land. At that moment, everyone firmly believed that no matter how many unknowns and challenges there were in the future, as long as they had light in their hearts, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome.

"You... who are you?" For the first time, panic appeared in the tone of the leader of the Dark Night Apostles. He had never expected that a mere mortal could burst out with such amazing power.

"I am Zhao Ming, a warrior who protects the light and the embodiment of the eternal hope in the hearts of every ordinary person." Zhao Ming's answer was firm and powerful. The radiance of the Heart of Light made his outline look like a legendary hero.

The battles around them gradually subsided. The members of the Dark Night Cult were defeated by the power of light. Their figures gradually disappeared in the torrent of light, leaving only an unwilling whisper: "This game is far from over..."

After the battle, the air in the Starry Land seemed to become much fresher. The Heart of Light calmed down in Zhao Ming's hands. The light was soft and warm. It seemed to be conveying some message, clues about the future and the inheritance of mission.

"This... what is this?" Li Zixue pointed at the ground. Everyone looked and saw several lines of glowing runes appearing on the originally empty ground, as if it was the response of the Starry Land to them.

Salman bent down to observe carefully, a hint of surprise on his old face: "An ancient prophecy...The Heart of Light has recognized you. This is the clue to guide our next move."

Xu Mo read out the contents of the rune softly: "'Cross mountains and rivers, and search for lost ruins. The secrets there will give wings to light and fly to every corner of the world.' It seems that our journey is far from over."

Lily looked at her companions, her eyes full of confidence and expectation: "No matter what is waiting for us ahead, as long as we are together, there will be no difficulties that we cannot overcome."

At this moment, there was a sudden noise at the entrance of the ruins. A young man in strange clothes, panting, rushed in, holding a piece of torn parchment tightly in his hand: "You...you are Zhao Ming and his friends, right? I, I am a messenger from a small border town. This urgent message is for you."

Zhao Ming took the parchment, and the words on it made him look solemn: "The Apostles of Darkness are creating chaos everywhere, trying to attract our attention, but their real goal may be..."

"Where could it be?" Eun Jung asked anxiously.

Zhao Ming took a deep breath. "It's the center of the world, the Temple of Light. They want to destroy it and cut off the last link between light and the world."

"What are we waiting for? Let's set off immediately!" Li Zixue was eager to try, and others responded one after another. The atmosphere became tense and full of fighting spirit again.

Just as they were about to leave, the young messenger grabbed Zhao Ming's clothes, his eyes sparkling with respect: "Please succeed. We ordinary people are also fighting against darkness in our own way, and we look forward to the light you will bring."

Zhao Ming responded with a gentle smile: "Don't worry, we won't let anyone down. Because we are not just fighting for ourselves, but for everyone in this world."

"Then let us set out on the journey again. This time, it is not only to find the lost ruins, but also to protect our common home." Zhao Ming's words were like a horn, stirring everyone's heart. Their figures gradually faded away in the afterglow of the setting sun, leaving endless imagination and admiration for the passers-by watching outside the ruins.

"Look, that's Zhao Ming and his team! The legendary warriors of light!" A passing merchant pointed at the departing team excitedly and said to his friend next to him, "I heard that they just returned from the Land of Starlight and have a power that even the dark night cannot erode."

"I really hope I can become a part of the legend like them." A young adventurer's eyes were full of longing, and he tightly grasped his dagger, as if to cheer himself up.

"They are the hope of all of us." A kind old woman was filled with emotion. She gently stroked the head of the child beside her and said, "My child, you must remember that no matter how bumpy the road ahead is, there will always be someone lighting a beacon for us to move forward."

As the figures of Zhao Ming and his companions gradually disappeared on the horizon, the discussions in the crowd did not stop. Their stories were like the wind, quietly blowing to every corner, inspiring more people to embrace hope and bravely face the darkness and challenges in life.

At the same time, Zhao Ming and his team encountered more challenges and adventures during their journey. They crossed mountains and ridges, passed through dark forests, and fought fiercely with ancient guardian beasts; they crossed turbulent rivers, rescued villages besieged by floods, and won endless gratitude and blessings from the villagers.

"Lord Zhao Ming, thank you for your help. May the God of Light bless you on your journey!" The village chief's trembling voice was full of sincerity. The villagers knelt down and saluted, expressing their deepest respect.

"Get up! It is our common responsibility to protect every life on this land." Zhao Ming gently helped the village chief up, his eyes showing a firm determination for the future. "Please tell everyone that light will never give up any corner."

During the journey, Zhao Ming's relationship with his companions became closer, and the friendship and trust between them became stronger in the test of life and death. During a camping night, Eunjeong looked at the dancing flames and said seriously, "Sometimes I think that maybe everything we do is not just to find those lost relics, but also to prove that even the most ordinary people like us can shine in the darkness."

Xu Mo tapped her helmet and smiled, "Well said, Eunjeong. Our story is the best proof."

Lily smiled and joined in: "Besides, the encouragement and help from every stranger we met along the way is another manifestation of light, isn't it?"

Li Zixue looked up at the starry sky, her tone full of anticipation: "No matter what the road ahead holds, as long as we keep moving forward, the light will be closer and closer."

As they approached the place that was said to give wings to light, various unknown threats came one after another. However, the hope and strength given by Zhao Ming and his companions, as well as those strangers along the way, allowed them to move forward fearlessly.

On a stormy evening, they finally arrived at the entrance of the mysterious ruins. The ancient stone door was carved with complex patterns, as if telling stories of thousands of years ago. Just as Zhao Ming was about to push open the door, a voice came from the end of the team, with some hesitation:

"What if...what if we fail this time?"

Everyone was silent. Zhao Ming turned around and scanned every familiar face, finally stopping at the young messenger who was speaking. He spoke slowly, his voice filled with unquestionable firmness:
"We will not fail. Because we believe that as long as there is light in our hearts, hope will always exist. More importantly, we are not fighting alone. Every heart in the world that longs for light is our strongest backing."

The door slowly opened, revealing an unknown world and the starting point of hope. Zhao Ming led his team into the depths of the ruins, leaving behind a courageous figure and a vow in the wind:

"Wait, where's Xu Mo?" Li Zixue suddenly realized that the calm and steady figure who always carried heavy books on his back was missing from the team. She looked around, but there was no trace of Xu Mo.

Zhao Ming's heart sank, and he immediately stopped and looked around. In the storm, there were only traces of five people standing, and the sixth person's position was only muddy and rain-beaten. "We should split up and search, but be careful, there may be dangers hidden here." Zhao Ming made a quick decision, and his brows could not hide his worry.

Everyone nodded and immediately dispersed, each entering the wind and rain, calling Xu Mo's name. Li Zixue ran to the dense forest not far away, Salman explored the other side of the ruins, and Lily and Eunjing searched the nearby rock crevices on the left and right. The young messenger followed closely behind Zhao Ming, and the two carefully checked the path leading to the interior of the ruins.

"Xu Mo! Where are you?" Zhao Ming's shout penetrated the rain and echoed among the ancient stone walls, but it only received a hollow echo.

At this moment, a faint cry for help seemed to come from the wind, as thin as a gossamer, but it fell clearly into Zhao Ming's ears. "Listen! It's Xu Mo's voice!" Zhao Ming's frown relaxed slightly, and he immediately followed the sound.

The voice led them to the entrance of a hidden cave. It was dark inside, and they could only vaguely see a figure sitting on the ground, with the dim light of a flashlight flickering on the slippery stone wall. "Xu Mo!" The young messenger took the lead and ran into the cave.

Xu Mo raised his head weakly, his glasses were covered with water droplets, and a forced smile hung on the corners of his mouth: "I was almost trapped by this damn mechanism, luckily you guys came."

Zhao Ming squatted down and checked the vine-like trap wrapped around Xu Mo's ankle. This trap cleverly used the natural environment of the ruins. Without a deep understanding of ancient ruins, it would be extremely difficult to escape. "These mechanisms don't look simple. How did you trigger them?" Zhao Ming asked.

Xu Mo smiled bitterly: "I was studying a seemingly harmless relief, but I didn't expect to trigger the trap. Fortunately, the small tool in my schoolbag came in handy, allowing me to temporarily stop the trap from shrinking further."

Everyone worked together to rescue Xu Mo and reunited. The wind and rain seemed to have subsided, but everyone was more alert. Back at the entrance of the ruins, Zhao Ming looked at each of his partners and said, "We are a team and we must not fall behind at any time. Next, we must be more careful."

Eun Jung patted Heo Mo's shoulder and said, "You really scared us just now. Don't be so reckless in the future, Mr. Scholar."

Xu Mo nodded, his eyes flickering with unyielding spirit: "I will pay attention, but thanks to these mechanisms, I discovered that this relic may hide deeper secrets than we expected."

"Secret?" Li Zixue asked curiously.

"That's right. Based on the complexity of these mechanisms and the ancient symbols I just found in the cave, this place may not only contain the secret to making light fly, but also key information about the ancient war of light." Xu Mo's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.

Lily said excitedly: "That means our mission has become even more important."

Zhao Ming raised his arm and made a gathering gesture: "In this case, we must not relax at all. Let us work together to uncover the truth of this relic and pave the way for the spread of light."

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes burning with a common belief. At this moment, a strange light shone from the inside of the ruins, shining on everyone's face. The light seemed to carry some kind of call, warm and mysterious.

(End of this chapter)