I walk sideways in the game world

Ren Xiaoyao's figure disappeared behind the stone wall. Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, but no one dared to follow him. This stone wall looked ordinary, but in fact it contained a powerful restriction. The slightest mistake would trigger the mechanism and lead to eternal damnation. Elder Feng had said that only those holding a token could enter, and that token was now in Ren Xiaoyao's hands.

"Let's go too." Charlene took a deep breath, suppressed her worries, and turned to direct everyone to set up camp. With the Guardian gone, they had to be even more alert to prepare for any crisis that might arise.

Inside the ruins, there was a hidden world. Ren Xiaoyao's eyes suddenly lit up. Towering stone pillars rose from the ground, and ancient runes shimmered, as if telling ancient secrets.

"Be careful!" Elder Feng whispered, pointing to a seemingly ordinary stone slab on the ground ahead. "This is a mechanism, don't step on it!"

Ren Xiaoyao stopped immediately. He saw intricate patterns carved around the stone slab, which gave off a faintly dangerous aura. "Elder Feng, do you have a way to crack it?"

Elder Feng carefully observed the pattern, his brow furrowed. After a long pause, he slowly said, "This should be a formation from ancient times, called the 'Nine Palaces and Eight Diagrams Formation'. To pass through, you must step on the stone slabs in a specific order, otherwise..."

Before he finished speaking, a young disciple in the team took a step forward impatiently, "What a bullshit formation, let me see..."

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the ground shook violently, and countless sharp arrows shot out from the stone wall. The disciple was unable to dodge and was instantly shot into a hedgehog.

When everyone saw this, they all gasped and looked at Elder Feng with awe.

"Everyone be careful and follow me closely!" Elder Feng's face was solemn. According to the memories passed down in his mind, he stepped carefully on the stone slabs and led everyone forward slowly.

Meanwhile, while exploring the ruins' perimeter, Charlene stumbled upon a peculiar plant. It was emerald green and exuded a faint fragrance. Curious, she plucked a leaf and chewed it. Suddenly, she felt a refreshing breeze course through her body, sweeping away all her fatigue.

"This... could this be the legendary 'Rejuvenation Grass'?" Xia Lin was extremely surprised. If she could bring this plant back and refine it into a pill, it would definitely greatly enhance the soldiers' physical strength and endurance!

The scene returns to the interior of the ruins. After a thrilling cracking, Ren Xiaoyao and the others finally emerge from the "Nine Palaces and Eight Diagrams Formation" and arrive at a spacious stone chamber. However, before they can breathe a sigh of relief, a dark shadow at the end of the chamber instantly raises their guard...

"Who!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, unsheathing his sword and pointing it directly at the shadow. The shadow swayed, gradually revealing a human form, but no movement was made. Ren Xiaoyao didn't dare to let his guard down, gripping the hilt tightly and asking in a deep voice, "Who are you, and why are you hiding here?"

"Haha, you are worthy of being Young Master Ren, you are so alert." A hearty voice came from the shadows, and then a figure dressed in green tights and a conical hat walked out leisurely. It was Lord Ma, who was known as "Thousand Mile Chasing the Wind" in the martial arts world.

"Lord Horse?" Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly. This man had outstanding lightness skills and was rumored to be both good and evil. He appeared here today, and it was unknown whether he was a friend or an enemy.

Lord Ma walked closer, bowed and said with a smile: "I have heard of the name of Young Master Ren for a long time. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed a young hero. These ruins are full of traps. If it weren't for my excellent martial arts skills, I would have suffered a lot." After saying that, he patted his sleeves lightly, and several hidden weapons flashing with cold light fell out of his sleeves. They were obviously left behind when he was avoiding the traps just now.

"So Lord Ma is also interested in this treasure trove of relics?" Princess Xu snorted coldly, with a hint of disdain in her tone.

Prince Ma laughed heartily, unconcerned. "My princess, you must be joking. I am but a wandering wanderer, how dare I compete with the royal family for treasures? I simply heard that these ruins contain ancient treasures, so I came here to investigate."

Princess Xu wanted to say something more, but Ren Xiaoyao interrupted her with a wave of his hand. He glanced at Lord Ma and said in a deep voice, "Since Lord Ma is here, why don't we go in together and take a look? One more person means more strength."

A gleam of light flashed in Lord Ma's eyes, and he clasped his fists and said, "Then I will respectfully obey your command."

As they continued to go deeper into the stone chamber, the atmosphere became more tense due to the arrival of Lord Horse. Ren Xiaoyao observed his surroundings vigilantly while secretly pondering Lord Horse's intentions.

"Huh?" Princess Xu suddenly exclaimed, pointing to a stone platform in the corner of the stone chamber, on which was placed an old book.

"This is..." Princess Xu carefully picked up the book and gently blew away the dust on it. The four big words "Tiangang War Strategy" were written on the cover.

"Military book?" Ren Xiaoyao and Elder Feng looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

"It seems that the owner of this relic is no ordinary person." Elder Feng muttered to himself.

Princess Xu eagerly opened the military manual and began to peruse it. After a moment, a look of mixed joy and delight crossed her face, and she excitedly declared, "This 'Tian Gang Battle Strategy' contains an extremely sophisticated formation. If properly utilized, it will surely greatly enhance our army's combat effectiveness!"

Ren Xiaoyao was delighted. This trip to the ruins had yielded a lot of rewards. However, before they could be happy for long, a deep, creepy roar suddenly emanated from the depths of the stone chamber.

"Oh no! We've disturbed the guardian beast!" Elder Feng's expression suddenly changed. "Quick, prepare for battle!"

Before everyone could react, a black shadow jumped out from the depths of the stone chamber like lightning, opened its bloody mouth, and bit the Horse King who was closest to it!

"Be careful!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, and the long sword in his hand turned into a stream of light, piercing the black shadow...

The black shadow was moving at an astonishing speed. Ren Xiaoyao only had time to push Lord Ma away before the monster's sharp claws had already scraped across his arm, leaving a deep blood mark.

"Roar—" The guardian beast roared deafeningly, its foul breath spraying all over Ren Xiaoyao's face. It was a winged beast resembling a tiger, its body covered in black scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen.

"Xiaoyao!" Xia Lin exclaimed, and hurriedly took out a bottle of medicine from her arms and threw it to Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao didn't bother to treat his wounds. He shook his sword and moved like a ghost, circling behind the guardian beast, with the blade pointed directly at the back of its neck. However, the guardian beast's reaction was also extremely agile. With a flap of its wings, its huge body actually soared into the air, avoiding Ren Xiaoyao's attack.

"This beast can actually fly!" Princess Xu's face turned pale, and she was obviously frightened by this sudden change.

Elder Feng said in a deep voice: "Xiaoyao, this guardian beast is invulnerable to swords and spears. The only way to break its defense is to attack its eyes!"

Upon hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao locked his gaze with the guardian beast's eyes. Those were a pair of bloodthirsty red pupils, emitting an icy light. He took a deep breath, channeling his inner Qi to its full potential, and transformed himself into a stream of light, stabbing at the guardian beast's eyes.

The guardian beast seemed to sense danger and roared, flapping its wings violently, stirring up a gust of wind, trying to force Ren Xiaoyao back. However, Ren Xiaoyao was faster, and the tip of his sword drew a perfect arc in the air, accurately piercing the guardian beast's left eye!

"Ah--" The guardian beast let out a shrill scream, and its huge body fell to the ground with a bang. It struggled to get up, but was unable to succeed.

Ren Xiaoyao didn't hesitate at all. He took advantage of the beast's illness to kill it. He swung the sword again and blinded the other eye of the guardian beast.

The guardian beast completely lost its ability to resist, and let out an unwilling wail. Its huge body gradually turned into starlight and eventually disappeared.

With the disappearance of the guardian beast, the once eerie stone chamber suddenly filled with a gentle light. In the center of the stone chamber, a crystal platform slowly rose, upon which rested a bead emitting a rainbow of light.

"This is..." Ren Xiaoyao walked to the crystal table and felt a powerful energy wave emanating from the bead.

"This is the core of this relic, and it contains powerful strength." Elder Feng stepped forward, his eyes filled with excitement. "Xiaoyao, quickly absorb it. It will help you break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level!"

Ren Xiaoyao didn't hesitate. He sat cross-legged on the crystal table, pressed the beads with both hands, and began to absorb the energy within. As time passed, the light on the beads gradually dimmed, and finally completely merged into Ren Xiaoyao's body.

Ren Xiaoyao slowly opened his eyes, a gleam in them, and a powerful aura emanated from his body. He had successfully broken through the bottleneck, and his strength had reached a new level!

"Congratulations Xiaoyao!" Xia Lin and others came forward to congratulate him.

Ren Xiaoyao stood up and looked around, his heart filled with lofty ambitions. He knew that this was just a new starting point for his journey, and that even more powerful enemies and challenges were waiting for him in the future.

"Let's go." Ren Xiaoyao said to everyone and took the lead to walk towards the exit of the stone chamber.

However, just as they were about to leave the ruins, the wall behind Ren Xiaoyao suddenly rumbled, and a hidden passage slowly opened, seemingly hiding an even greater secret. However, just as they were about to leave the ruins, the wall behind Ren Xiaoyao suddenly rumbled, as if a sleeping giant were awakening from a dream. Ancient runes on the stone wall gradually lit up, as if activated by some force, emitting a faint green light that reflected on the astonished faces of the crowd.

"What's going on?" Princess Xu exclaimed and subconsciously tightened her grip on the sword at her waist.

"It seems that this relic still hides secrets that we don't know about." Elder Feng narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the changing runes on the stone wall, with a hint of excitement and a hint of worry in his tone.

The rumbling continued, and the stone wall slowly parted to reveal a dark, bottomless passage that seemed to lead to an unknown abyss. From the depths of the passage, a cold breath wafted towards us, mixed with the smell of dampness and decay, making us shudder.

"Brother Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin pulled Ren Xiaoyao's sleeve worriedly, her eyes full of concern.

Ren Xiaoyao patted her hand, signaling her to rest assured, then turned to the crowd and said, "It seems we have an unexpected gain. Perhaps there is an even greater opportunity hidden behind this passage. Let's go in and find out!"

"But..." Princess Xu hesitated. "This passage looks too strange. What if there's something dangerous inside..."

"Don't worry, Princess. We will protect your safety." Prince Ma patted his chest and promised, but there was a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

Ren Xiaoyao ignored their concerns and took the lead in entering the passage. He had a vague premonition that the end of this passage might hide a secret related to his journey through time.

The passage was pitch black, pitch dark. Ren Xiaoyao pulled a night-shining pearl from his bosom, and its soft light instantly illuminated a small area around him. The walls on either side of the passage were carved with all sorts of bizarre designs, from ferocious monsters to graceful fairies, all lifelike, as if silently telling stories from ancient times.

"These patterns..." Elder Feng carefully identified the patterns on the wall, his expression gradually becoming solemn. "It seems to be a prophecy passed down from ancient times..."

"Prophecy?" Ren Xiaoyao stopped and turned to look at Elder Feng. "What is the prophecy?"

Elder Feng didn't answer, but simply pointed at a pattern on the wall. It showed a figure in a black robe standing atop a tall tower, gazing up at the sky. A massive crack had appeared in the sky, and countless bizarre creatures were pouring out of it...

"What does this prophecy mean?" Princess Xu looked at the strange pattern and felt an ominous premonition in her heart.

Elder Feng took a deep breath and said slowly, "This prophecy says...the gates of heaven will open and alien worlds will invade..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire passage suddenly shook violently, and rocks above his head kept falling, as if the end of the world was coming.

"Oh no! The passage is about to collapse, let's get out quickly!" Ren Xiaoyao's face changed, and he immediately pulled Xia Lin back.

However, at this moment, a piercing scream suddenly came from the end of the passage, and then a huge black shadow rushed out from the darkness and headed straight for Ren Xiaoyao and the others...