The game starts with escaping from the famine and flipping the table

It is important for people to know themselves.

This applies to everything.

Knowing he was no match for Su Xiaoya, Black Panther swiftly retreated into the shadows.

That agile yet ferocious figure, like ink blending into the night, silently lurked beneath the eaves of the main hall, with only a pair of scarlet eyes shining terrifyingly in the deep twilight.

The wind swept through the courtyard, carrying withered leaves and a putrid stench. A deeper tremor then emanated from the depths of the main hall, as if the entire ancient temple was groaning in pain under the tearing force of some power.

The beams and pillars creaked, tiles fell in a rustling sound, and thick, impenetrable black mist seeped from the tightly closed gaps in the palace doors, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake ready to devour its prey.

Su Xiaoya's heart clenched suddenly.

Almost instinctively, she bent down, scooped the trembling little white dog at her feet into her arms with one hand, and with the other hand, she swiftly grabbed the iron chain wrapped around the dog's leg.

The iron chain was icy cold and heavy in the hand; the runes engraved on the chain caused a fine, painful sensation in the palm.

Without time to think, she staggered backward, clutching the iron chain, until her back hit the rough trunk of the ancient locust tree in the center of the courtyard, finally bringing her to a stop.

This locust tree is exceptionally thick, requiring five people to encircle it. Its gnarled branches, like the claws of a dragon, stretch towards the gray sky.

The tree bark is cracked and crisscrossed with grooves, as if it were etched with the scars of time. It is the only barrier that can provide some cover in this desolate courtyard.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Su Xiaoya looked down at the little one in her arms, who was trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind, and gently comforted him, her voice as beautiful as heavenly music.

Before she finished speaking, pale blue lightning crackled around her, and the crackling currents danced like silver snakes, weaving a tight, airtight protective shield that enveloped her and the little white dog.

The lightning illuminated her delicate yet taut face, and also the puppy's eyes, which were like black gemstones.

Those eyes were full of dependence and trust, as if they had found a guiding light in the darkness. They trembled, but still managed to lift their wet noses and gently lick Su Xiaoya's hand.

The warm touch on her palm softened Su Xiaoya's heart. She looked down to check the puppy's injuries, but her brows furrowed instantly.

The little guy's hind leg was ripped open by the iron chain, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone. The flesh was turned inside out, like a blooming blood-red flower. The dark iron chain was deeply embedded in the flesh, and the dried blood had congealed into a dark brown scab, blending with the runes on the chain, giving off an indescribable eeriness.

What terrified her even more was that the runes were emitting a faint, eerie green light, like will-o'-the-wisps, flickering on and off as if greedily devouring something.

"This is a suppression rune..."

Su Xiaoya's voice trembled with disbelief, as if she had witnessed the most terrifying sight in the world.

She had seen rubbings of this rune in her family's ancient books. It was a secret technique used in ancient times to seal ferocious beasts. The rune used the evil energy of heaven and earth as a lock and the essence of living beings as bait. Once entangled, it was like a bone-deep carbuncle, never to be stopped until death.

But the puppy in front of them was only the size of a palm, pure white, with eyes as clear as spring water. It didn't look like that ferocious beast at all.

Suddenly, a roar even more mournful, piercing, and ear-piercing than before rang out, piercing the silent space like a sharp sword and abruptly interrupting her thoughts.

Like a ghost, the black panther suddenly leaped out of the deep, dark shadows once more.

Compared to its last appearance, its body now appears to have swelled up a bit, as if it has become even stronger and more powerful;

Its fur, which was already as smooth and shiny as silk, was now so dark and deep that it resembled the most dazzling star in the night sky.

Its explosive and powerful limbs seemed to be propelled by an invisible force, stomping heavily on the hard ground and instantly leaving deep, bottomless craters in the earth.

At the same time, its eyes burned with raging red flames, the intense light almost solidifying into a real, tangible substance.

Without a doubt, the ferocious beast's objective in this operation was exceptionally clear and terrifying.

Black Panther didn't look at Su Xiaoya, who was shrouded in dazzling lightning and possessed great strength. Instead, he stared directly at the little white dog that was curled up in Su Xiaoya's arms, its body trembling with extreme fear.

"Are you tired of living?!" Upon seeing this, Su Xiaoya was instantly enraged and shouted angrily.

She held the puppy tightly in her arms with her left hand, as if afraid that she might accidentally hurt it; while her right hand quickly clenched into a fist, gathering all the lightning power in her body.

In the blink of an eye, a faint blue lightning bolt rose rapidly in her palm, then expanded at an astonishing speed, eventually transforming into a soft yet extremely lethal slender whip shape.

With a sharp, piercing whistling sound, the long whip, formed from lightning, lashed out fiercely at the black panther's hideous face like a shooting star streaking across the sky.

With a crisp, loud impact that echoed throughout the space, the lightning whip and the black panther's sharp claws collided violently, instantly scattering countless dazzling sparks, as if a magnificent fireworks display was unfolding here.

The black panther clearly hadn't expected this seemingly frail human woman to possess such formidable strength. In pain, it nimbly dodged to the side, its massive body tracing a graceful arc through the air before landing with its four paws carving deep furrows into the bluestone slab.

It bared its teeth, its sharp fangs gleaming coldly, and let out a low growl from its throat, but it no longer attacked rashly. Instead, it circled the ancient locust tree, its scarlet eyes fixed on the prey in Su Xiaoya's arms, like the most patient hunter.

Su Xiaoya took the opportunity to catch her breath, her gaze quickly sweeping over the eerie ancient temple.

This ancient temple was unlike any other temple she had ever seen; its layout exuded an indescribable eeriness.

Logically speaking, the Mahavira Hall, as the core building of a temple, should be a place specifically used to enshrine Buddha statues and hold important religious ceremonies. Usually, a large number of worshippers come to worship and pray for blessings, making the entire hall full of a strong religious atmosphere, with thriving incense offerings and a lively atmosphere.

Moreover, the main hall is usually kept open to show welcome and acceptance of believers.

However, the Mahavira Hall that appeared before everyone at this moment was a completely different scene: not only were the doors and windows tightly closed, but even the door panel that was nailed shut was covered with dense, spiderweb-like cracks, as if it would break at any moment.

From the outside, the entire palace appears unusually dark, damp, and lifeless, like a gloomy cage isolated from the world and exuding a chilling aura, making people's hair stand on end!

What's even stranger is that in the huge courtyard, there was only one ancient locust tree, half-dead and all alone.

Apart from that, there was no other flower, grass, or tree in sight, not even the most inconspicuous weeds.

Looking around, the ground is covered with smooth, blue flagstones, and a thick layer of dust has accumulated in the gaps between the flagstones. As soon as someone steps on them, a series of clear footprints will be left.

It's obvious that this place has been deserted for a long time!

She seemed to remember that she had come to this desolate mountain in search of the long-lost Lei Xinyu.

Ancient records state that Lei Xinyu was formed from the essence of thunder from heaven and earth and was hidden in an unnamed ancient temple. However, everything before her eyes did not match any of the information she knew.

Just then, the little white dog in my arms suddenly started to struggle restlessly, letting out a series of urgent low whimpers.

Its little paws struggled to break free from Su Xiaoya's embrace, pointing towards the direction of the main hall, and then eagerly turning towards the northwest corner of the courtyard.

Su Xiaoya looked in the direction the dog pointed and saw a long-abandoned ancient well standing alone not far ahead, as if silently telling the story of the vicissitudes of time.

The dry well looked quite old and dilapidated, with a huge blue stone slab lying across the well opening, completely covering the well opening and making it impenetrable.

The bluestone slab was also covered with dense, mysterious runes. These runes twisted and intertwined like tadpoles, and their shape and style were exactly the same as the runes engraved on the iron chain earlier!

Could it be... that you're trying to convey some kind of message to me?

Su Xiaoya frowned and murmured softly.

To the little dog, it sounded like Su Xiaoya softly asking the cute puppy in front of her a question.

As if understanding Su Xiaoya's words, the puppy began to nod frantically, while simultaneously emitting a series of low and rapid whimpers, sounding as if it were desperately pleading for something.

Not only that, the little guy kept rubbing his round little head back and forth in Su Xiaoya's palm, as if hoping to get more of her attention.

At this moment, Su Xiaoya's entire mind was completely captivated by that strange and unpredictable dry well. Her eyes were fixed on the bluestone slab, and she tried her best to decipher the profound meaning hidden in those obscure and incomprehensible ancient runes...

In that split second she was distracted, the black panther lurking in the shadows finally seized the opportunity!

It struck like a black lightning bolt, moving with astonishing speed, and the strong wind it generated made Su Xiaoya's cheeks sting.

"not good!"

Alarm bells rang in Su Xiaoya's mind, and she hastily activated her lightning power, causing the protective shield to suddenly expand.

But the black panther's claws were too sharp. With a "ripping" sound, the lightning shield was torn open, and the sharp claws grazed Su Xiaoya's left shoulder, causing a burning pain. Blood instantly seeped out, staining her clothes on her shoulder red.

"Damn it!"

Su Xiaoya shuddered in pain and involuntarily gasped, but she gritted her teeth and endured the excruciating pain, daring not to back down in the slightest.

She clenched her fists, continuously gathering the lightning power within her body and injecting it all into her fists.

In an instant, her whole body flashed with dazzling lightning, as bright and dazzling as a small lightning sun.

Immediately afterwards, Su Xiaoya suddenly spun around and used all her strength to strike the black panther hard in the side abdomen.

With a muffled thud, the black panther, completely unprepared for Su Xiaoya's sudden attack, was struck squarely and let out a painful and miserable howl.

Its enormous body lost its balance due to the heavy blow, and rolled forward in a sorry state, finally crashing heavily into an ancient locust tree.

With a deafening roar, the ancient locust tree began to tremble violently, and countless withered yellow leaves fell like a torrential downpour.

However, at that moment, a chilling scene unfolded:

The withered yellow locust leaves that should have slowly drifted to the ground burned up rapidly in mid-air, turning into a pile of ethereal ashes in the blink of an eye, without even leaving a trace.

It was as if these locust leaves did not wither and fall naturally, but were eroded and destroyed by some mysterious force, which is why they disappeared so strangely and mysteriously.

Seeing this unbelievable scene before her, Su Xiaoya stared in astonishment, her forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat.

She gasped for breath, trying to calm her nervous and excited heart, and, using the light from the surrounding lightning, looked down at the falling leaves.

When she saw the scene presented by the leaves, a deep fear and chill welled up in her heart, as if a cold hand was slowly climbing up from under her feet, reaching all the way to the top of her head...

The little white dog became increasingly agitated, struggling desperately in her arms, whimpering and crying, determined to get down.

Su Xiaoya hesitated for a moment, her gaze fixed on the little animal in front of her. Especially when she saw the pleading look in its eyes, the softest part of her heart was touched.

Finally, Su Xiaoya decided to stop hesitating.

She gently and carefully crouched down and carefully placed the puppy on the ground.

At the same time, she clenched her fists tightly, activated the Great Dao of Thunder, and emitted a faint lightning light from her whole body, remaining vigilant in case the black panther suddenly launched a second attack.

The moment the puppy touched the ground, its body swayed noticeably, clearly indicating that the injury to its hind leg was causing it excruciating pain.

Surprisingly, despite the hardships, this brave and fearless little white dog never showed any sign of backing down.

It gritted its teeth and used all its strength to drag the heavy iron chain, slowly, bit by bit, toward the dry well.

As the puppy moved slowly forward, with each small step it took, the chain scraped against the hard bluestone slab with a sharp, piercing sound.

Worse still, the chain kept rubbing against the wound on the hind leg, causing the already severely injured area to bleed again. The blood flowed down the puppy's paws, leaving a series of gruesome bloodstains on the ground.

Witnessing this scene, Su Xiaoya felt heartbroken and quickly followed the puppy.

At this moment, the fierce and brutal black panther seemed to have sensed something unusual, and stood there motionless, occasionally letting out a few low, suppressed whimpers.

For the first time, a deep fear flashed in its pair of wild and fierce red eyes—clearly, even a powerful beast like the black panther was afraid of the unknown dangers it might face!