I walk sideways in the game world

Outside the cave, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a blood-red, as if foreshadowing the coming bloody storm. Inside the cave, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin sat cross-legged, a faint golden light surrounding them, a sign that their cultivation of the secret manual was about to succeed.

Ren Xiaoyao only felt a pure energy flowing through his body, constantly washing his meridians. Every impact made him extremely painful, but at the same time, he also felt that his strength was constantly increasing.

"Xiaoyao, hold on!" Xia Lin's voice rang in his ears, gentle but firm, "We will definitely succeed!"

"I...I know..." Ren Xiaoyao clenched his teeth, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the pure energy completely merged into his body. Ren Xiaoyao felt as if he had been reborn, filled with strength. He slowly opened his eyes, a gleam of light in them.

"Success!" Charlene excitedly held his hand, her face full of joy.

"Yeah." Ren Xiaoyao nodded, stood up, stretched his muscles, and felt full of strength, as if he could smash a mountain with one punch.

At this moment, an old voice sounded in the cave: "Congratulations, children, you succeeded."

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man wearing coarse linen clothes and with white hair and beard appear at the entrance of the cave at some point.

"Old senior..." Ren Xiaoyao was shocked. He didn't even notice the old man's arrival, which showed that the other party's strength was unfathomable.

"Don't be surprised. I'm just a traveler passing through." The old man waved his hand, looking at them kindly. "I see that you two have excellent roots and kind hearts. Today, I will give you a message."

"Please speak, senior." Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin said respectfully.

"True power does not come from martial arts manuals, but from your heart," the old man said slowly. "Only when your heart is filled with justice and courage can you unleash true power."

"We'll remember that." Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked at each other and nodded solemnly.

The old man smiled slightly, turned around and left, leaving only one sentence echoing in the cave: "Go, children, go and complete your mission."

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin watched the old man leave, their hearts filled with gratitude and admiration. They knew that it was the old man's guidance that made them understand the true power.

"Let's go, Lin'er, it's time for us to set off." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, and a determined light flashed in his eyes.

"Yeah." Xia Lin nodded, held his hand tightly, and walked out of the cave with him.

Outside the cave, the sun had set and night had fallen, but there was no fear in Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin's eyes, only burning fighting spirit.

They know that their enemies are powerful, but they believe even more that justice will prevail over evil!

"Greedy businessman, here we come!" Ren Xiaoyao looked into the distance and said word by word, his tone cold, as if it came from the Nine Nether Hell.

Night fell over the land, and moonlight streamed down like water, adding a touch of mystery to the tranquil forest. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin weaved through the trees, their light steps like night elves, making no sound at all.

"It's just ahead," Ren Xiaoyao said in a low voice to Xia Lin beside him. His eyes, sharp as a hawk, were fixed on a clearing not far ahead. There, flickering firelight illuminated a few simple tents. This was where the greedy merchant and his men had set up camp.

"Xiaoyao, be careful." Xia Lin warned softly, with a hint of worry in her tone.

Ren Xiaoyao nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. Under the cover of night, the two of them quietly sneaked into the camp.

The greedy merchant was sitting in the largest tent at this time. The table in front of him was filled with delicacies, but he seemed to have no appetite. He only picked up the wine glass occasionally and took a sip.

"Haven't you found those two guys yet?" He put the wine glass heavily on the table, a hint of impatience in his tone.

"Reporting to the lord, we haven't found any trace of them yet." A subordinate knelt on the ground and answered tremblingly.

"Useless! They're all just a bunch of useless!" the greedy businessman roared, sweeping everything on the table to the ground. "They're just two young boys, and they can't even find anything!"

"Sir, please calm down. They must have hidden themselves. If we search carefully again, we will definitely find them!" the subordinate said hurriedly.

"Hmph! That's even better!" The greedy businessman snorted coldly, a sinister glint in his eyes. "When I catch them, I'll tear them into pieces!"

He had barely finished speaking when he heard a commotion outside the tent.

"What's going on?" the greedy businessman frowned and asked sternly.

"Sir, look!" a subordinate exclaimed, pointing outside the tent.

The greedy businessman followed his gaze and his pupils shrank. He saw two figures suddenly appear in the center of the camp. They were none other than Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin, the people he had been dreaming of capturing day and night.

"How dare you come to my door!" The greedy businessman laughed in anger. He stood up, his eyes flashing with greed and cruelty. "Since you are looking for death, don't blame me for being rude!"

"Stop talking nonsense and hand over the things!" Ren Xiaoyao looked at him coldly, his tone as cold as a knife.

"Things?" The greedy businessman pretended to be confused. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Stop pretending!" Xia Lin shouted angrily, "Hand over the treasure we worked so hard to find!"

"A treasure?" The greedy merchant laughed heartily, as if he had just heard some ridiculous joke. "That's mine to begin with. When did it become your turn to dictate my fate?"

"What did you say?!" Xia Lin was immediately furious when she heard this.

"Lin'er, calm down!" Ren Xiaoyao held Xia Lin, his eyes fixed on the greedy businessman, and said word by word, "It seems that you are not willing to accept my toast and will have to drink the penalty!"

The greedy businessman's smile gradually faded. He looked at the two men in front of him, a trace of contempt in his eyes: "Just you? You think you can steal things from me? That's just wishful thinking!"

As the night wind blew, shadows of the trees danced, but Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin's eyes remained as resolute as the cold stars. The merchant's contempt did not waver in their resolve. They knew that this was a decisive battle between justice and greed, and only by fighting tooth and nail could they protect their beliefs.

"Lin'er, you and I will stand back to back. You use illusions to confuse the enemy, and I will take the lead in the attack. Remember to fight quickly and decisively." Ren Xiaoyao said in a low voice, his tone calm and decisive, as if he had a plan in mind.

Xia Lin nodded slightly, waved her slender hand, and a faint blue light appeared around her body, like a dream. This was an illusion she had practiced for many years, which could confuse the mind and disrupt perception.

The greedy businessman looked at the two people in front of him, and suddenly an inexplicable uneasiness surged in his heart. He subconsciously touched the treasure in his arms, but found that the originally jade-like touch became abnormally cold, and the powerful power seemed to be gradually dissipating.

"What's going on? Could it be..." The merchant was startled, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He feigned composure and shouted in a timid voice, "You two little thieves, stop playing tricks on me. Today, I'll show you how powerful I am!"

After saying this, he brandished the long sword in his hand and rushed towards Ren Xiaoyao. The sword flashed fiercely and fiercely, but Ren Xiaoyao was not afraid at all. He dodged the attack nimbly and stabbed out with the long sword in his hand like a venomous snake, directly hitting the vital part.

The merchant was forced to retreat again and again by Ren Xiaoyao's fierce attack, and he became more and more panicked. He wanted to activate the power of the treasure, but found that there was no response, which made him even more terrified.

"How could this happen? My strength..." The businessman was horrified to find that the strength he was proud of was gradually disappearing, and the two young men in front of him were like two insurmountable mountains, making him feel desperate.

At this moment, Xia Lin seized the opportunity, formed seals with her hands, and muttered something. The surrounding trees seemed to come alive and turned into ferocious tree monsters, launching a fierce attack on the merchant.

"Ah!" The businessman was caught off guard by the sudden attack. He tried to resist in a hurry, but found that he had fallen into a passive position and could only cope with it.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin worked in perfect harmony, their offensive unleashing a torrential downpour. The merchant was steadily losing ground, and on the verge of collapse...

"Who is it? Who is behind this?!" the businessman roared, his eyes filled with anger and fear. He swept his gaze around, trying to find the person who was secretly controlling everything.

At this moment, an old voice came from not far away, "Greed will blind your eyes and make you unable to see the true enemy..."

The greedy businessman looked around in horror, trying to find the source of the sound, which undoubtedly gave Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin an opportunity.

"Now!" Ren Xiaoyao seized the moment the merchant was distracted, shouted, and shot out like an arrow. The long sword in his hand drew a sharp arc of light, heading straight for the merchant's throat.

Xia Lin understood, her hands flying, and the power of illusion surged once more. The previously peaceful forest seemed to come alive in an instant, and vines wrapped around the merchant's limbs like serpents, binding him firmly in place.

"Ah!" The merchant roared, trying to break free, but found himself unable to move. He stared at the sword so close at hand in horror, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.

"It's over." Ren Xiaoyao looked coldly at the enemy in front of him, and stabbed out with the sword in his hand without any hesitation.

"Stop!" At this critical moment, an old figure suddenly appeared in front of the merchant and took Ren Xiaoyao's fatal sword.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin were both startled and quickly took a few steps back before they could see who was coming.

He was an old man in a grey robe, with a hunched body and his face was covered with traces of time, but his eyes were bright and seemed to be able to see through everything.

"Who are you?" Ren Xiaoyao asked vigilantly, but his hand holding the hilt of the sword did not relax.

The old man didn't answer Ren Xiaoyao's question. Instead, he turned to look at the merchant bound by vines, his tone filled with disappointment. "I gave you this treasure back then, hoping you would use it to protect the martial arts world. I never thought you would be blinded by greed and do such a heinous thing!"

When the businessman heard this, a look of shame appeared on his face, but he was unable to refute.

The old man waved his hand gently, and the vines bound to the merchant turned into dots of green light and dissipated. He turned around, looked at Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin, and said slowly: "You two little kids, come with me."

After saying that, the old man turned and walked into the depths of the woods. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and followed him.

They didn't know the old man's identity, nor did they know what he wanted to do, but they had a hunch that this meeting would change their destiny... The old man stopped in front of a towering tree, he reached out his hand and gently stroked the trunk, as if he was talking to an old friend.