Time Travel: Ancient Martial Arts Chronicles

A rumbling sound like muffled thunder rolled in from the depths of the cave, each vibration transmitting through the ground to the soles of everyone's feet, then shooting up along their spines, making their hearts instantly hang in the balance. The sound was like a roar from hell, foreshadowing the approach of unknown terror. In this dark and deep cave, it was like the death knell.

Ye Wuhen's brow furrowed, his eyes fixed on the direction of the sound. He instinctively tightened his grip on the Soul-Breaking Sword. He could feel the sweat from his palms soaking through the cloth wrapped around the hilt, but he dared not relax even a bit. "Everyone, be careful! Prepare to meet the enemy!" His voice was low and firm, an attempt to calm everyone's nerves. But in reality, his own heart was swirling like the surging sea. He knew that this operation hinged on the future of his family, and there was no room for error. Every decision, every swing of the sword, could mean the difference between life and death. Deep within him lay a fear of the unknown enemy, but even stronger was his determination to avenge his family and search for the "Tears of the Stars." It was a deep-seated conviction, like a flame burning in the darkness, sustaining him. "No matter what lies ahead, I cannot retreat. I am the last hope of my family. I must protect you all," he said silently to himself, the resolve in his eyes growing ever stronger.

Lin Yu stood before Bai Zhi and Lin Xiaoxiao, his broad shoulders leaning slightly forward, like a sturdy fortress, shielding him from danger. The weapon in his hand gleamed with a cold light, illuminating his stern, slightly tense expression. His heartbeat raced, like a drum, rumbling dully in his chest. A thousand troops raced through his mind, a crisscross of thoughts. "I must protect them. No harm must come to them." The thought echoed in his mind like a mantra. He watched the massive figure gradually emerge from the darkness, a chill welling up in his heart, as if gripped by an invisible hand. But he gritted his teeth, forcing down his fear, his eyes sharper than the cold stars twinkling in the night sky. "I can't be afraid. I'm their support. If I retreat, we'll all die." He mentally steeled himself, tensing his muscles, ready for battle.

Bai Zhi's face was slightly pale, with beads of sweat already oozing from her forehead. Her spiritual power had not yet fully recovered, and she felt a little weak at the moment, but she knew that now was not the time to show weakness. Her slightly trembling hands quickly formed seals, pouring all her strength into every movement. "I can't be a burden to everyone." She thought to herself, with a hint of determination in her eyes. Although her heart was filled with fear, that fear was like an icy snake, coiling around her heart, but she tried hard not to let this emotion show. She knew very well that every spell she cast now could be related to everyone's life and death, and she had to cheer up. "The family needs us, I will fight for the family, and fight for everyone." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the rapid breathing betrayed her inner tension.

Lin Xiaoxiao clutched the corner of Bai Zhi's clothes tightly, and her body unconsciously shrank behind Bai Zhi, as if she could find a sense of security in this way. Her eyes were full of fear, and her lips trembled slightly. She wanted to say something, but her throat was choked by fear. "What kind of monster is this? Can we survive?" This thought kept circling in her mind, like an inescapable nightmare. She felt her legs were weak, and every nerve was screaming danger. Her tears were rolling in her eyes, and she tried hard to hold them back, not wanting everyone to see her vulnerability. "I can't cry, I have to be brave, everyone is fighting, I can't fall behind." She told herself over and over in her heart, but the fear that followed her like a shadow made her body tremble slightly uncontrollably.

Amidst the roar, a fierce wind howled, like a sharp blade, scraping across everyone's faces and bodies, bringing a stinging pain. The wind grew stronger, nearly blinding everyone, as if plunging them into endless darkness. When the wind subsided, a massive figure slowly emerged from the darkness. It was a behemoth resembling a unicorn, its body as massive as a mountain, its scales as hard as steel, each gleaming with mysterious runes. These runes, like ancient spells, exuded a mysterious and dangerous aura. The beast's eyes burned like two balls of dark blue flame, deep and cold, as if piercing everyone's souls and wiping out their deepest fears.

"What kind of monster is this?" Lin Xiaoxiao's voice trembled and tinged with tears. It sounded particularly weak and helpless in the empty cave. She felt her heart was about to jump out of her throat. Her legs were shaking so much that she could barely support herself.

"Whatever it is, we must fight," Bai Zhi said through gritted teeth, a look of determination in her eyes. Though she was filled with fear, she knew she couldn't show it now. She struggled to steady herself and continued forming hand seals, ready to cast supporting spells at any moment. She stared intently at the beast, trying to find some flaw in its movements, but the oppressive aura it emanated clouded her thoughts. "Stay calm, I can do this," she mentally encouraged herself.

The behemoth roared, a roar like a surging tsunami, crashing down with overwhelming force. The sound waves impacted everyone's eardrums with a tangible force, causing them to feel a sharp pain, as if being pierced by thousands of needles. Simultaneously, the immense power contained within the sound waves sent their blood surging, their chests pounding like a heavy blow, leaving them breathless.

Ye Wuhen, suppressing his physical discomfort, struck first. He unleashed the "Sacred Art of the Galaxy," and instantly, a powerful surge of spiritual energy surged from his body, flowing through his meridians to the "Soul-Breaking Sword." He charged at the beast like lightning, leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake. Fueled by spiritual energy, the "Soul-Breaking Sword" transformed into a dazzling stream of light, piercing the beast's eyes. This strike condensed all of Ye Wuhen's strength and determination, hoping to find a chance of victory by striking the beast's eyes. However, the beast remained unfazed. With a slight flick of its massive head, its powerful horn, like a peerless divine weapon, easily blocked the devastating blow. The moment sword and horn collided, a dazzling spark flew, illuminating the surrounding area like a blooming flower of death in the darkness. Ye Wuhen's heart trembled, "This giant beast is even more powerful than I thought. Such an attack hardly causes any damage to it. I must find its weakness as soon as possible." His brows were furrowed, his eyes became more focused, and his brain was working rapidly, thinking about how to deal with it.

Lin Yu seized the opportunity and charged at the beast from the side. Leaping high, he leaped like a soaring eagle, striking at his prey. His weapon, brimming with powerful spiritual energy, slashed through the air in a dazzling arc, slashing fiercely at the beast's belly. His eyes burned with rage, his mind focused on a single thought: to break through the beast's defenses and deliver a fatal blow. However, as he approached the beast, his foot touched the ground, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. The ground in front of him suddenly cracked, revealing a vast pit. The pit was riddled with sharp stone spikes. These spikes gleamed coldly in the dim light, like the gaping jaws of death, waiting for its prey to fall. Lin Yu gasped, "Oh no!" He hurriedly tried to change direction, but inertia kept him sliding towards the pit. In that crucial moment, he plunged his weapon into the ground, using the friction of the weapon to narrowly land on the edge. But his arm was still scratched by the stone spike, and blood immediately oozed out, flowing down his arm and dripping onto the ground with a soft "tick-tick" sound. A sharp pain came, and he couldn't help but gasp. "Why am I so careless? Now I'm injured and will drag everyone down." He cursed himself inwardly, a trace of self-blame flashing in his eyes.

"Brother Lin Yu!" Lin Xiaoxiao exclaimed, her eyes filled with worry and fear. She wanted to rush over to check on Lin Yu's injuries, but Bai Zhi held her back. "Don't be impulsive. It's too dangerous to go over now," Bai Zhi said, her eyes never leaving Lin Yu, and her eyes were filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Lin Yu said through gritted teeth. The pain from his wound made a cold sweat break out on his forehead, but he endured it, gripping his weapon tightly and regaining his footing. He glanced at his injured arm and vowed to himself, "I can't fall down because of this little injury. Everyone still needs me. I must cheer up and defeat this monster together with everyone." He adjusted his breathing and refocused his attention on the beast, the fighting spirit in his eyes burning again.

Seeing this, Bai Zhi quickly cast a healing spell. She quickly changed the gestures of her hands and muttered something. A soft light emanated from her hands and enveloped Lin Yu. The light was like warm sunshine, shining on Lin Yu's wound, making him feel a little relieved. Under the shining light, the wound on Lin Yu's arm began to heal slowly, and the pain gradually subsided. Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, but she also became more nervous, "There are so many traps, we must be more careful. This cave is full of dangers, and every step we take is like walking on the edge of life and death." Her eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly, not missing any corner that might be dangerous.

Ye Wuhen engaged in a fierce clash with the behemoth. Each of his strikes was packed with power, but the beast's hide was thick and its defenses were formidable. Ye Wuhen's attacks could only leave shallow marks on its scales. Every time sword clashed with scales, a crisp sound echoed through the cave, mocking Ye Wuhen's powerlessness. "This isn't a solution! We need to find its weakness," Ye Wuhen shouted, feeling a little anxious. While dodging the beast's attacks, he observed its every move, trying to find any flaws in its attack patterns and trajectory. He knew that the longer they dragged on, the more disadvantaged they would be. Not only would their physical and spiritual energy be constantly depleted, but also because there might be more unknown dangers lurking within the cave.

Just then, Lin Xiaoxiao noticed that every time the beast attacked, a scale beneath its belly would briefly flicker. Her eyes lit up, as if she had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness. "Brother Ye Wuhen, that shimmering scale beneath its belly might be its weak spot!" she shouted, her voice tinged with excitement.

Ye Wuhen's eyes lit up, "Okay, let's try." New hope ignited in his heart, and he began to adjust his tactics. He pretended to retreat, deliberately revealing a flaw to lure the giant beast to attack. The giant beast seemed to be enraged by Ye Wuhen's actions. It opened its bloody mouth, revealing sharp fangs, and spurted out a powerful airflow from its mouth, rushing towards Ye Wuhen. Ye Wuhen saw the opportunity, and his figure flashed, like a ghost, and he came to the bottom of the giant beast's belly. At this moment, he could clearly feel the powerful aura emanating from the giant beast. The aura was like a surging wave, almost drowning him. But he did not hesitate at all, and the "Soul-Breaking Sword" stabbed at the glittering scale with all his strength.

But just as Ye Wuhen neared his target, his spiritual energy triggered another trap. Countless sharp arrows suddenly erupted from the surrounding walls, raining down upon them like locusts. These arrows were no ordinary beasts. Runes were engraved on their shafts, gleaming with an eerie light that seemed to hold some sinister power. Ye Wuhen's heart sank. "Damn it! Another trap!" But without hesitation, he pressed on. He knew this was a crucial moment, and he couldn't give up because of these unexpected events.

Lin Yu and Bai Zhi hurriedly put up a spiritual shield, protecting Lin Xiaoxiao in the middle and resisting the rain of arrows. Lin Yu's eyes were full of anxiety, "If this goes on, our spiritual power will be exhausted. We must find a way to deal with these arrows." He looked at the dense rain of arrows, and a feeling of powerlessness surged in his heart. He tried to use his weapons to block some of the arrows, but the power of those arrows was too great, and every impact made his arms numb. Bai Zhi was concentrating on maintaining the shield. Her spiritual power was rapidly depleted, and beads of sweat kept rolling down her forehead. "Hold on, you must hold on." She kept repeating this sentence in her heart, biting her lip, trying not to let the shield have any flaws.

Amidst the hail of arrows, Ye Wuhen weaved with his agility, his figure moving swiftly between the sharp arrows like a flash of lightning. He had only one goal in mind: to strike the behemoth's weak spot. The behemoth seemed to sense Ye Wuhen's intentions, twisting its body frantically, trying to shake him off. Ye Wuhen gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, pouring his spiritual power into it. "I must succeed!" he shouted in his heart, his eyes filled with determination.

"Everyone, attack together!" Ye Wuhen shouted. His voice penetrated the noise of the rain of arrows and reached everyone's ears.

Lin Yu, Bai Zhi, and Lin Xiaoxiao attacked simultaneously, channeling their remaining strength into Ye Wuhen's "Soul-Breaking Sword." Suddenly, a dazzling light erupted from the "Soul-Breaking Sword," as bright as the sun, illuminating the entire cave. With their combined strength, the beast's scale was finally shattered, and a powerful burst of energy erupted from the broken part. The beast roared one last time, its voice filled with pain and unwillingness. Its massive body collapsed, transforming into tiny specks of light that dissipated into the air, like a shooting star in the night sky, vanishing into the endless darkness. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but each one was exhausted, as if their bodies had been hollowed out.

"We did it!" Lin Xiaoxiao shouted excitedly, tears glistening in her eyes. They were tears of joy, tears of relief from the stress of enduring a life-or-death ordeal. A brilliant smile spread across her face, a smile that seemed especially dazzling in the dark cave.

However, before anyone could fully savor this fleeting victory, a deep chant echoed from the cave. It seemed to emanate from a distant past, imbued with mystery and majesty. Ancient runes on the wall shimmered, their light converging into a humanoid form. It was a warrior clad in ancient armor, its armor etched with the marks of time and exuding an aura of ancient power. The warrior's gaze was majestic, like a lofty god, surveying the world. In his hand, he held a spear radiating immense power, its shaft engraved with intricate runes. These shimmering runes seemed to tell a story of antiquity.

"You have disturbed the peace here and must be punished." The warrior's voice echoed in the cave. The voice was like a huge bell, full of unquestionable majesty.

"We mean no offense. We simply seek the 'Tears of the Stars' to save our family," Ye Wuhen explained loudly, his gaze firmly locked with the warriors. There was no trace of fear in his eyes. Though his body was utterly exhausted, his faith remained as firm as a rock. "No matter how many hardships and obstacles we face, I will not give up. The fate of our family, our mission, will not allow me to retreat," he said silently to himself, straightening his back, ready to face the new challenge.

"Humph, if you want the 'Tears of the Stars', you must defeat me first." The warrior said, swung his spear, and rushed towards the crowd. Wherever the spear passed, the air seemed to be torn apart, making a sharp whistling sound. The whistling sound was like the call of the god of death, foreshadowing that another fierce battle was about to begin.