The Legend of Cinderella's Counterattack

"Yuxuan, this crystal ball..." Before I could finish my words, I was interrupted by an old and majestic voice.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the forbidden area!"

I jumped with a start, nearly dropping the crystal ball. Following the sound, I saw an old man in a gray robe appear beside the altar. His hair and beard were white, yet he looked energetic and exuded an air of unspoken authority, like an immortal straight out of a history book.

I subconsciously grabbed Lawrence Lu’s arm and asked nervously, “Who are you?”

The old man's sharp eyes swept over us, finally landing on the diary in my hand. "I am the guardian of this place, Chenxi. Where did the diary in your hand come from?"

"This is mine." I held the diary tightly in my arms and looked at him warily. "Who are you? Why are you guarding this place?"

"This has nothing to do with you." Chen Xi said in a cold tone, "Put down the diary and leave here, and I can spare your lives."

"Impossible!" I refused without hesitation, "This diary is mine, no one can take it away! Besides, I have to figure out what's going on! My life experience, this power, and Lawrence Lu's family, all of this must be related to this place!"

I stared at him, my tone firm, my heart filled with a desire for the truth. Chenxi looked at me with a complex, indecipherable gaze, as if contemplating something. For a moment, the cave fell into an eerie silence.

Lawrence Lu and I exchanged glances, and both saw solemnity in each other's eyes. We both knew that this matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed.

Finally, Chenxi sighed, as if he had made a decision. "Come with me, I will tell you everything I know."

We followed Chen Xi out of the Holy Land and returned to the Lu family's nearby base. Along the way, I silently recalled everything that had happened in the Holy Land, my heart filled with confusion and uneasiness.

After returning to the base, we told Chenxi and the butler about our discovery in the holy land. After hearing our description, the butler's face suddenly became very serious, and Chenxi, who had always been calm and composed, couldn't help but frown.

"It seems that our previous speculation was correct." Chen Xi said in a deep voice, "There is an unknown force that has been operating in secret. Their target this time is probably not only the Holy Land, but also..."

He didn't finish his words, but we all understood what he meant. If this unknown force is truly powerful enough to control the Holy Land, then their next target could very well be us.

"We must find out the details of this force as soon as possible and not let them continue to do whatever they want." Lu Yuxuan said decisively.

Chenxi nodded, "I have already informed the family, and they will send an elite team to investigate this matter."

Knowing that the ancient family would personally take action, I felt a little relieved. But at the same time, I also felt an invisible pressure.

Who exactly is this unknown force? Why would they target the Holy Land? All of this, like a fog, shrouded my heart, leaving me feeling extremely uneasy.

While waiting for the family to send someone over, Lu Yuxuan and I were not idle. We began to investigate clues about that unknown force, hoping to find some clues.

After several days of investigation, we finally discovered some clues. According to ancient documents, this unknown force seems to come from a distant planet. They possess a technology far superior to Earth's civilization and have always coveted Earth's resources.

"It seems that the trouble we encountered this time is more difficult than we imagined." Lu Yuxuan looked at the information in his hand with a frown.

My heart sank. If this force truly came from another planet, could Earth truly withstand their invasion? The steward and Chenxi's expressions were both grave. I knew the gravity of the situation was far greater than I'd imagined. Had I truly been caught up in an interstellar conspiracy? I struggled to digest everything the steward and Chenxi had told us: the legend of that distant planet, their ambition to seize Earth's resources. It all felt like something out of a science fiction movie, yet it was actually happening in my life.

"We must take the lead and find out their purpose." Lawrence Lu's tone was firm, and his eyes flashed with the confident light that I was familiar with.

I know what he's thinking. He won't just sit there and wait for death. Lu Yuxuan contacted the family and used the family's power to obtain more information about the planet. At the same time, we also began to prepare for the next action.

The ancient family indeed had a profound heritage. The butler led us deep into the base, where a vast metal room unfolded before us. Various instruments I couldn't understand flashed strange lights. "What is this..." I asked in surprise.

"This is an interstellar portal," the butler explained. "Using it, we can travel to any known planet."

My heart raced. An interstellar portal? That sounded incredible! "Are we going to use it to get to that planet?" I couldn't help but ask.

Lawrence Lu nodded, “Only in this way can we find out their true purpose and prepare to deal with it in advance.”

I know it's dangerous, but I know even more clearly that we have no way out. Lu Yuxuan and I, under the guidance of the housekeeper, learned how to use the interstellar portal and some basic skills for survival on a strange planet.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, we were ready to depart. Just as we were about to step into the interstellar portal, a shrill alarm rang out throughout the base, and red lights flashed wildly. The butler's face changed drastically, and he rushed to the control console, anxiously operating it.

"What's wrong?" I asked nervously.

"We received an emergency signal from..." the butler's voice trembled, "from the planet we are heading to!"

I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. Had we been discovered? What did that emergency signal mean? My heart was filled with uneasiness and doubt, and an ominous premonition washed over me.

The butler's voice seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he uttered the last few words with difficulty: "...from the planet we are heading to!"

For a moment, my blood froze. A chill shot from my feet to my head, and my body began to tremble uncontrollably. We... were discovered?

Lawrence Lu grabbed my hand, his palms covered in cold sweat, but he still tried to remain calm and asked in a deep voice, "What is the content of the signal?"

The butler took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and quickly operated the console to project the signal content onto the huge metal screen.

On the screen, there was a message made up of complex symbols and codes, none of which I could understand. But the words translated by the butler below gave me chills:

"Warning: Stop your foolish behavior! This is... (unintelligible)... galaxy, and you have crossed our line. We possess power beyond your imagination. If you dare to step into our territory, you will face a devastating blow! Do not doubt our resolve, this is your final warning!"

The air in the room seemed to freeze. Lu Yuxuan, Chen Xi and I looked at each other, and everyone's face was filled with shock and fear.

"I can't identify the source of the signal..." the butler muttered to himself, "But what is certain is that they possess a technological level far beyond our imagination..."

"What the hell is going on?" Chenxi's voice trembled. "What kind of horrific plan? What kind of devastating attack? We haven't even done anything yet!"

I held Lawrence Lu's hand tightly, trying to draw some strength from him. He held my hand tightly with his backhand, staring at the screen with a determined look, as if he wanted to see through the cold words.

“It seems that we have accidentally touched a very dangerous secret.” Lawrence Lu’s voice was low, but full of power, “They seem to know us very well, and even know our plans.”

My heart sank. Had we fallen into their trap from the very beginning? Was this operation destined to be a one-way adventure?

"Master, what should we do now?" the butler asked worriedly. "This warning is by no means alarmist. We cannot risk the fate of our family!"

Lawrence Lu was silent for a moment, his deep gaze swept over each of us and finally landed on my face.

"Lolo, are you scared?"

I met his gaze, and the fear in my heart was gradually replaced by an inexplicable determination.

"I'm afraid, but I want to know the truth more." I took a deep breath and said firmly, "If we retreat now, we will never know who they are, what their purpose is, and... what fate we will face."

Lawrence Lu's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of appreciation. He turned to look at the housekeeper and said firmly, "Get ready to go. Let's go meet these mysterious friends."

I felt Lawrence Lu tighten his grip on my hand. His eyes seemed to be asking me, but also asking himself. Silence spread in the air, oppressing my heart. Finally, I took a deep breath and said firmly, "I believe you. Let's go together."

A relieved smile appeared on Lawrence Lu’s face. He turned his head and said decisively: “Butler, start the starship, target - unknown galaxy!”

Although the butler looked troubled, he carried out the order without hesitation. Under the butler's control, the massive starship slowly started up, leaving the familiar interstellar route and heading towards the dark realm filled with unknown and dangerous conditions.

Interstellar travel isn't as romantic as imagined. The long journey is filled with boredom and anxiety. Outside the window lies endless darkness, with the occasional streaking star a reminder of our location. Lu Yuxuan and I studied the mysterious warning message, trying to find clues to decipher it, but the complex symbols and codes, like text from another world, left us clueless.

"Could it be some kind of encrypted message?" I asked, pointing to a string of code on the screen.

Lawrence Lu shook his head, “I have tried all known decryption methods, but nothing happened.”

At this moment, the alarm suddenly sounded and the entire starship shook violently.

"What's going on?" I exclaimed.

"Report! We've encountered a sudden space storm!" The butler's voice came from the communicator, a little panicked. "The energy shield is under tremendous pressure!"

I gripped the armrests tightly, feeling my entire body shaking uncontrollably. Outside the window, the once tranquil starry sky became violent, with countless meteorites and turbulent energy pounding the starship's shield with a harsh, grinding sound.

“Hold on!” Lawrence Lu shouted, “Butler, start the emergency avoidance procedure!”

The starship struggled through the raging space storm, like a lone boat in a turbulent storm. I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart filled with fear and helplessness. After an unknown amount of time, the alarms finally died down, and the starship returned to stability.

"Huh..." I let out a long sigh, feeling like I had walked through the gates of hell.

"It's okay." Lawrence Lu patted my shoulder gently and comforted me.

However, before we could breathe a sigh of relief, something even more terrible happened.

"Alarm, alarm! Unidentified creatures detected approaching!" The butler's voice rang out again, a hint of fear in his voice, "They are attacking the starship!"

I looked out the porthole and saw a group of huge black creatures frantically ramming into the starship's hull, emitting a creepy roar. These creatures were huge, hideous, with sharp claws and teeth, and exuded a disgusting stench of decay.

"What kind of monster is this?!" I asked in horror.

Lawrence Lu’s face was solemn, and he said in a deep voice: “It’s a void creature, a terrifying creature that lives in the dark side of the universe and survives by devouring energy.”

The void creatures' attacks were intensifying, and cracks were appearing in the starship's energy shield. I felt a surge of despair rising in me. Are we really going to perish here?

At this moment, Lawrence Lu suddenly stood up, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "I'll go and lead them away, you stay here!"

Before I could react, he had already rushed out of the control room.

"Lu Yuxuan! Don't!" I screamed heartbreakingly, but my voice was drowned out by the roar of the void creature.

I leaned against the porthole in despair, watching Lawrence Lu driving a small spaceship towards the group of terrible creatures, my heart filled with helplessness and fear.

At this moment, a huge shadow appeared in front of the starship, covering the sky and the sun, as if it was going to swallow up the entire world.

What was that? My heart was filled with fear and uneasiness, and an ominous premonition came over me...

The huge shadow was getting closer and closer. I could even feel the terrifying aura it exuded, like the most primitive fear from the depths of the universe, which made me tremble uncontrollably. The lights in the spacecraft began to flicker, and the alarms became intermittent, as if foreshadowing something terrible was about to happen.

"What is that?" I gripped the armrest of the seat, my voice trembling with fear.

Chenxi's face was pale. She kept operating the control panel, trying to contact Lawrence Lu, but the communication system seemed to have malfunctioned, and only harsh noises came through.

"I can't contact the young master!" Chenxi's voice was filled with tears. "The communication is being interfered with!"

My heart sank immediately. Are we just going to sit there and wait for death? No, I can't give up. I have to find Lawrence Lu and find out what's going on!

"Think of a way! There must be a way!" I forced myself to calm down and my brain worked quickly, trying to find a solution to the problem.

"Miss, look!" Chenxi suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the shadow outside the porthole.

I looked up quickly and saw that the huge shadow began to deform, gradually revealing a strange shape - it looked like an extremely large space battleship, pitch black, without any lights, only the strange patterns on the hull emitting a faint blue light, like a gaze from hell, which made people shudder.

"Ancient family..." A thought flashed through my mind. Could this be the ancient family mentioned in the warning message? But why would they attack us?

Before I had time to think about it, the black warship had already approached our spaceship, and a dazzling beam of light shot out from its bow and hit our spaceship directly!

"boom!"

A violent explosion sounded and the spacecraft shook violently. I felt like I was grabbed by an invisible big hand and then thrown out.

"Ah--" I couldn't help but scream. There was chaos in front of my eyes. Various instruments were flashing dazzling red lights, and alarms were sounding one after another, as if the end of the world was coming.

"Miss, hold on tight!" Chenxi's voice rang in my ears, but I could no longer see her figure. I could only feel a warm hand tightly grasping my arm.

I tried hard to open my eyes, but it became increasingly darker and darker, and my consciousness gradually blurred...

When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a soft bed. The room was dim, with only a faint light coming through the gaps in the curtains.

I struggled to sit up, but found my body extremely heavy, as if it was restrained by something.

"Are you awake?" A low voice came from above my head, with a barely perceptible chill.

I raised my head with difficulty, and in the dim light, I saw a tall figure standing beside my bed. He had his back to the light, so I couldn't see his face clearly, but I could feel the powerful aura emanating from him, and the coldness and scrutiny in his eyes.

"Who are you?" My voice was hoarse and weak, and my heart was filled with fear and anxiety.

"You don't need to know who I am," the man said slowly, his voice like a demonic voice from hell. "You only need to know that you have fallen into my hands."