Tomb Raider: Evolution of the Red Dragon, Starting from the Ancient City of Jingjue

At the end of this road is a large hall.

The walls of the hall were pitch black, but a spot in the center of the hall emitted a dazzling white light, illuminating the entire hall brightly. Moreover, a luminous pearl was embedded in the center of the hall, making the entire hall as bright as day.

Jiang Hua and the others were shocked when they saw the luminous pearl. They never expected that there would be such a large luminous pearl in such a desolate place. The pearl was about the size of an egg and its luster was very bright and beautiful. It was particularly dazzling in the dim light.

"Where did this luminous pearl come from? It's so beautiful!" Qin Feng exclaimed in amazement.

Jiang Hua shook his head. "I don't know, but it should be a treasure. Such a large luminous pearl is probably hard for us to find. I wonder who left this luminous pearl behind?"

"No matter who left it behind, we can't waste such a treasure," Chen Le said quickly.

Jiang Hua nodded in agreement. Although this luminous pearl wasn't particularly valuable, it was still a luminous pearl, and its exquisite beauty was truly pleasing to the eye.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go see what's going on over there," Jiang Hua suggested.

"Okay, let's go." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Jiang Hua and the others walked quickly toward the center of the hall. After entering the hall, they saw a table in the middle of the hall with a stone tablet on it. The stone tablet had several large characters written on it: "The Mandate of Heaven Tablet".

"What? The Mandate of Heaven Monument?"

Everyone was stunned, staring at the large characters on the stone tablet, momentarily speechless. What did the Destiny Tablet mean? Was it something mysterious and unfathomable? Or some kind of magical entity?
After carefully examining the stone tablet, Jiang Hua and the others found nothing special. Apart from a few lines of small characters indicating that it was an ancient script and an inscription, there was nothing else there, not even a needle. This situation left everyone somewhat disappointed.

"This is the Destiny Stele? Why doesn't it have any distinguishing features?" Zhao Yu couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, is it just an ordinary stone tablet?" Qin Feng was also very puzzled.

"Let's take a look at the contents of the stone tablet." Jiang Hua shook his head, also feeling it was unlikely. Since the words "destiny" were written on the stone tablet, it must have some special meaning, but they just didn't know it yet.

So everyone stood around the stone tablet and began to carefully examine the inscriptions on it.

Each line of small characters on the stone tablet was written with a brush, and each character was a separate piece. The different styles of calligraphy combined together made it look very complicated.

As they gazed at the lines of small characters, everyone fell into deep thought, including Jiang Hua. He carefully examined each line of characters, hoping to discover some special clues within them.

"I know, there must be some hidden information here." Suddenly, Jiang Hua remembered a guess he had made.

"What? What information? Are you sure?" Everyone asked in surprise, their faces full of disbelief.

“Yes.” Jiang Hua nodded affirmatively. “This stone tablet must be a very special one. It does not belong to any scientist, but it possesses a mysterious quality that has nothing to do with science.”

"What's so mysterious about it?" everyone asked, full of curiosity.

“I once read a record in an ancient book that said there is a mysterious life form that can change a person’s personality, body shape, age, and even lifespan,” Jiang Hua explained.

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in surprise. "My God, you're not kidding us, are you?" Zhao Yu exclaimed.

Jiang Hua smiled slightly, "You can take a look at this stone tablet, and you'll know whether what I said is true or false."

Jiang Hua took out an ancient book and handed it to everyone. After taking it, everyone read it carefully. The more they read, the more surprised they became, because they found that what was recorded in the ancient book was exactly the same as what was described on the stone tablet in their hands.

"This stone tablet is indeed a mysterious thing."

Qin Feng exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the inscription on the stone tablet.

"That's right, this is a mysterious stone tablet, a stone tablet that does not belong to this world."

"I think so too. This is definitely a mysterious stone tablet with an extraordinary origin."

Everyone got a little excited.

Jiang Hua led the two forward, when suddenly a sound of flapping wings came out. Countless red eyes lit up in the darkness not far away, staring at the three men as if they wanted to devour them whole.

Jiang Hua frowned. "What are these things? What the hell are these red-eyed creatures?"

“They should be blood bats,” Chen Le said after taking a look.

"Blood bats? Those kinds of monsters?"

"That's right, they are a very powerful magical beast. They can absorb human blood, taking all the blood from the human body and turning it into their own nutrients. That's why they are called blood bats. They are a very powerful magical beast, and their strength is extremely strong."

The three men's expressions turned grim again. Countless blood bats flew towards them, densely packed, numbering over a hundred. A swarm of bats hovered in the air, flapping their wings incessantly. Their pairs of red eyes, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, stared intently at Jiang Hua and the others, as if they wanted to devour them. They were extremely ferocious and terrifying.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Hua and the other two felt a chill run down their spines.

"Brother Jiang, what should we do now?"

Qin Feng became somewhat nervous. After all, these bats were extremely powerful magical beasts, and there were a great many of them. At a glance, there were at least a hundred of them. If Jiang Hua were surrounded by so many blood bats, he wouldn't be confident of surviving.

"Everyone prepare to meet the enemy. I'll cover the rear," Jiang Hua declared decisively.

"What? You want to take on so many blood bats all by yourself? How is that possible?" Qin Feng and Chen Le exclaimed in shock upon hearing Jiang Hua's words, their faces showing utter astonishment. They hadn't expected Jiang Hua to make such a decision; it was practically suicidal.

“That’s right, it’s one person fighting against so many blood bats. And our strength isn’t high. If we encounter a powerful magical beast, we might perish here. So, I have to charge ahead alone to attract some of the blood bats and create an opportunity for you to escape. Only in this way can we ensure your safety.”

Jiang Hua spoke firmly, his eyes radiating an unwavering determination. (End of Chapter)