Time Travel: Ancient Martial Arts Chronicles

They walked along the bright, warm passage, as if they had finally found the way to heaven after groping in the darkness for a long time. The walls of the passage shimmered with a soft light, as if inlaid with countless tiny gems, illuminating the surroundings with a dreamlike atmosphere.

"Hey, this place looks quite pleasant, not as spooky as before. Don't let anything go wrong." Ye Wuhen stretched, still holding the sword tightly. The grip on the hilt was a little white from the force. He turned his head to look at Lin Xiaoxiao and Bai Zhi, "Don't let your guard down either. This place is very spooky. You never know when a monster will appear again."

Ye Wuhen said this, but inwardly he hoped this rare moment of happiness could last a little longer. The adventures of this period had exhausted him, both physically and mentally, but as the one relied upon by the team, he couldn't afford to slack off. Watching Lin Xiaoxiao carefreely teasing the little fox, he felt both envy and a touch of irritation. He envied her for maintaining her innocence in such a dangerous environment, but he was irritated by the fact that this naiveté could potentially lead everyone into a desperate situation.

Lin Xiaoxiao was happily teasing the little fox, but when she heard Ye Wuhen's words, she suddenly felt a surge of anger. She stopped, hugged the little fox, and said angrily, "Brother Ye, can't you just leave me alone for a while? Ever since we entered this damn place, you've been nagging like an old woman. I'm not a child, don't I know I have to be careful?"

Ye Wuhen didn't expect Lin Xiaoxiao to say that. He was stunned for a moment, then a surge of anger erupted. He secretly complained in his heart: "I've been worried about everyone along the way, always alert to danger, and you, on the other hand, just play around and think I'm nagging?" But looking at Lin Xiaoxiao's red eyes, he felt a little regretful for speaking too harshly, but he still insisted: "I'm like an old woman? Lin Xiaoxiao, if I hadn't been watching me, you don't know how many times you would have died! Every time you are so impulsive, because of your recklessness, we almost got wiped out. Why don't you learn your lesson?"

Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes suddenly turned red, tears welling up in them, "You just know how to criticize me! I have also contributed a lot to everyone, and I try my best in every battle. Am I so useless in your eyes?" The little fox seemed to feel the grievance of its master, and whimpered at Ye Wuhen.

Ye Wuhen felt a pang of pain as he watched Lin Xiaoxiao cry. He knew how hard she'd worked, but every time danger struck, his worry turned to anger. He mentally blamed himself, "Why can't I control my emotions and say such harsh words? But I'm really just worried she'll get hurt."

Bai Zhi hurried forward, pulling Lin Xiaoxiao along while saying to Ye Wuhen, "Brother Ye, don't say that. Xiaoxiao just wanted to ease the tension. Besides, Xiaoxiao has also made a great contribution to our success."

Ye Wuhen snorted, "Credit? It's good enough that she doesn't cause more trouble." But he regretted it as soon as he said it. He knew that his words were too hurtful, but his stubborn temper made it impossible for him to bring himself to apologize. He could only regret it silently in his heart.

When Lin Xiaoxiao heard this, tears couldn't stop flowing down her face. "Okay, since you think of me this way, I'll leave! You guys go by yourselves!" After saying that, she turned around and prepared to go back.

Ye Wuhen looked at Lin Xiaoxiao's resolute back, his heart suddenly tugged. He wanted to reach out and hold her back, but he felt it would be too embarrassing to apologize now. He was struggling internally: "Let her go? No, it's too dangerous here. Go and apologize? But how can I take back what I said so quickly?"

Bai Zhi quickly grabbed her and said, "Xiaoxiao, don't be impulsive! Now is not the time to be angry. We have to go out together."

They continued walking in silence, the atmosphere growing extremely heavy, as if a heavy stone weighed down everyone's heart. Bai Zhi carefully observed the wall as they walked. "Look, these lights seem to have a pattern. Perhaps there's some hidden message." She reached out and gently touched the wall, feeling the rhythm of the light, trying to ease the awkward and tense atmosphere, but the other two didn't respond.

Lin Xiaoxiao lowered her head, tears streaming silently, feeling both aggrieved and angry. She felt Ye Wuhen had gone too far and didn't understand her at all. Ye Wuhen frowned beside her. He knew his words had hurt Lin Xiaoxiao, but he didn't know how to make amends. He felt guilty: "I'm such a jerk! How could I make Xiaoxiao cry? But how can I reconcile with her?"

At this moment, a melodious music sounded from the corridor. The sound was ethereal and graceful, as if it came from another world, making people's hearts tremble.

"This music... is amazing, like magic." Lin Xiaoxiao paused, her face intoxicated, her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were immersed in the music. She held the little fox and swayed gently, as if dancing to the music, temporarily forgetting the unpleasantness of the moment.

"Don't be fooled. This place is full of strange things. Stay alert." Ye Wuhen frowned, but the music did make him a little uneasy. He walked over to Lin Xiaoxiao and said, "Xiaoxiao, don't be affected by this music. We need to stay awake."

Lin Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at Ye Wuhen and said in a cold tone, "Don't worry about it. Don't you think I'll just cause trouble? I can take care of myself."

Ye Wuhen looked at Lin Xiaoxiao helplessly, "I was too aggressive just now, I'm sorry. But now is really not the time to be angry. This music might be a trap." He was secretly anxious in his heart, "Why can't Xiaoxiao understand my painstaking efforts? I really don't want her to be in danger again."

Lin Xiaoxiao ignored Ye Wuhen and continued to immerse herself in the music. Ye Wuhen was a little anxious. He reached out to pull Lin Xiaoxiao's arm and said, "Xiaoxiao, listen to me. We can't go on like this. We have to unite."

Lin Xiaoxiao shook off Ye Wuhen's hand, "Unity? That's not what you said just now."

Just as the two were at a stalemate, Bai Zhi came over and said, "Stop arguing. Now is not the time to argue. This music is really strange. We need to figure out what's going on first."

As the music grew closer, they saw a vast circular hall appear before them. Its ceiling resembled a dazzling starry sky, with countless points of light flickering and shifting, forming beautiful patterns. In the center of the hall stood a fountain, which gushed out not water but multicolored rays of light, which intertwined to form a brilliant curtain of light.

"Wow, this is so beautiful!" Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes widened as she unconsciously walked towards the center of the hall, exclaiming in amazement. "Look, that fountain is like something out of a fairy tale. I've never seen anything so beautiful."

"Xiaoxiao, stop running!" Bai Zhi shouted, but Lin Xiaoxiao walked straight towards the light curtain as if possessed. Bai Zhi looked at Ye Wuhen helplessly, "Brother Ye, we have to stop her quickly. This light curtain doesn't look simple."

Ye Wuhen rushed over and grabbed Lin Xiaoxiao's arm. "Are you stupid? This place is so strange, be careful, there might be a trap." He pulled Lin Xiaoxiao behind him and looked at her seriously. "Why are you always so reckless? What if something goes wrong?" He felt a wave of fear in his heart. "Why is this girl so troublesome? She is always so impulsive. What if something really goes wrong?"

Lin Xiaoxiao felt wronged and angry. "I just want to take a look. Why do you always have to stop me? Do you hate me that much?"

Ye Wuhen looked at Lin Xiaoxiao with mixed feelings in his heart, "I don't hate you, I'm just worried about you. I know what I said before hurt you, but I really don't want anything to happen to you." He silently swore in his heart that he would protect her well in the future and never let her get hurt again. At the same time, he also hoped that she could understand his painstaking efforts.

At this moment, a figure appeared in the light curtain. It was a woman in a gorgeous robe. She had a beautiful face and elegant temperament, as if she was a fairy walking out of a scroll.

"Welcome, brave intruders." The woman's voice was as ethereal and beautiful as the music.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Ye Wuhen asked vigilantly, pointing the sword in his hand at the woman.

The woman smiled faintly, not paying any attention to the sword pointed at her. "I am the guardian of this ruin, and I have been waiting for the destined one for a long time. The fact that you have made it this far proves that you have enough ability and luck."

"Guardian of the ruins? What do you want?" Bai Zhi stepped forward, her eyes filled with suspicion. She quietly tugged at the corner of Ye Wuhen's clothes and whispered, "Brother Ye, don't trust her easily. Let's see the situation first."

Ye Wuhen nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on the woman.

"I have no ill intentions. I just want to test you one last time. If you pass the test, you will receive an incomparable gift." The woman said slowly.

"What test? Don't play tricks." Ye Wuhen said.

"It's very simple. You need to pass through this light curtain. On the other side of the light curtain, there is a puzzle waiting for you to solve. Once you solve the puzzle, you can leave here and take away your reward." The woman explained.

"Is it that simple?" Lin Xiaoxiao looked at the light curtain with some suspicion. "This light curtain looks very mysterious. Is there any danger?"

"This light curtain is not so easy to pass through. It will test your courage, wisdom and inner strength. If you force your way in, you may be trapped inside forever." The woman reminded with a smile.

Ye Wuhen, Lin Xiaoxiao, and Bai Zhi exchanged glances, their eyes filled with determination, yet the emotional conflict between them remained, adding a touch of complexity. Lin Xiaoxiao still harbored resentment towards Ye Wuhen, feeling he never understood her; Ye Wuhen worried Lin Xiaoxiao would act impulsively again. Bai Zhi, caught between the two, hoped they could resolve their conflict and face the test together.

"Then let's give it a try!" Ye Wuhen said, and he took the lead in walking towards the light curtain, ready to face this final test. He said to himself in his heart: "No matter what, I must protect them. This test must succeed. I can't let our relationship get any worse."

"Brother Ye, wait for us!" Lin Xiaoxiao and Bai Zhi shouted at the same time, and then hurriedly caught up with Ye Wuhen.

"We can definitely do it if we work together!" Lin Xiaoxiao clenched her fists and encouraged herself, but she still felt a little uncomfortable.

"That's right. We have encountered all kinds of difficulties along the way, and we will definitely be able to make it this time." Bai Zhi said with a firm expression. She looked at Ye Wuhen and Lin Xiaoxiao, hoping that this test would become an opportunity for them to resolve their conflicts.

They don't know what's waiting for them behind the light curtain, but they believe that with their ancient martial arts power and unity, they will be able to get through this level. However, the emotional twists and turns make their way forward full of bumps.

(End of this chapter)

[Note: This story is purely fictional. Any similarity is purely coincidental.]