Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Explore the mystery and solve the crisis

The shadowy figure's appearance heightened the already tense atmosphere. Hao Yang squeezed my hand, the warmth from his palm comforting me. "I'll go after them!" he said, about to let go of my hand.

I pulled him and said, "Wait, it's too dangerous, let's go together." Wei Xue also nodded in agreement.

The three of us cautiously followed the direction the shadow had disappeared in, passing through winding alleys until we arrived at an abandoned old house on the outskirts of the city. The vermilion lacquer gate was peeling, revealing the rotting wood. The air was filled with a cold, damp smell.

"Something... feels wrong here." Wei Xue's voice trembled a little. She grabbed my sleeve tightly, as if this could give her some sense of security.

I nodded, my uneasiness growing stronger. The system sounded the alarm again: "Warning! Warning! High-intensity energy fluctuations detected!"

"It seems that we have found the right place." I took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy door of the ancient house.

"Squeak--" The harsh sound seemed particularly abrupt in the silent night, as if it was a sigh from hell.

The old house was pitch black, pitch dark, with only a hint of moonlight filtering through the damaged roof, casting mottled shadows on the ground. I felt an invisible pressure, as if the air had become thick and viscous, making breathing difficult.

My head started to hurt, as if something was constantly hitting my brain. Waves of dizziness came over me, making me almost unable to stand. I stumbled, and Hao Yang quickly supported me. "Yao'er, what's wrong with you?" His voice was full of worry.

I shook my head, trying to stay awake. "I'm fine. It might be because the yin energy here is too strong."

Wei Xue raised the tinder in her hand, and the faint light dispelled the small patch of darkness around her. "This place... seems like no one has been here for a long time." She looked around, a hint of fear in her tone. Thick dust covered everything, cobwebs were everywhere, and the air was filled with the smell of decay.

Suddenly, I felt a chill from behind, and I turned around abruptly, but saw nothing. "What's wrong?" Hao Yang noticed my strangeness and asked nervously.

I shook my head and said, "It's nothing. Maybe I'm just too nervous." But the uneasiness in my heart became stronger and stronger, as if something was lurking in the darkness, watching us.

At this moment, Wei Xue suddenly exclaimed, "What is this?" She squatted down and picked up a tattered diary from the ground.

"Yao'er, look..." She handed me the diary, her voice trembling. I took it and opened the first page. There were a few crooked words written on it: "The sacrifice... is about to... begin..."

Hao Yang held my hand tightly, and his strength was transferred to me, making me feel better. "Yao'er..." His tone was solemn, and he seemed to want to say something, but suddenly stopped. His eyes were fixed on a certain place behind me, and his face suddenly changed... Hao Yang's hand was tightly holding mine, and his strength was like a warm current, dispelling the fear in my heart. Wei Xue read out the contents of the diary in a trembling voice: "The sacrifice requires... five sacred objects... which are hidden in... dangerous places..." My heart sank suddenly, this is not good news.

The diary continued to record the locations of the five relics and the powers that guard them. "The first, hidden in... Nether Cave... Guardian... A poisonous centipede..." Wei Xue's voice trailed off, almost inaudible. A poisonous centipede? The image of a gigantic, foul-smelling centipede surfaced in my mind, and I shuddered.

"Looks like we have to go to the Nether Cave." I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. Now that things have come to this, fear is useless. I can only face it bravely.

"Yao'er, I'm worried about you..." Hao Yang's eyes were full of worry, and his hands tightened unconsciously, as if he wanted to hold me in his arms.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." I held his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. I knew he was worried about me, but I couldn't back down. I had to stop this mysterious ritual.

Wei Xue also nodded. Although her face was still pale, there was a hint of determination in her eyes. "I will go with you."

The diary states that the Nether Cave is located on a barren mountain outside the city. Following the instructions in the diary, the three of us arrived at the entrance to the Nether Cave. The entrance was eerie and terrifying, and a chilling air rushed towards us, making us shiver.

"Are you ready?" I looked at Hao Yang and Wei Xue, and they both nodded firmly.

I took a deep breath and walked into the Nether Cave. It was pitch black, pitch dark. Only the faint glow of the tinder in our hands illuminated a small area around us. The air was filled with a nauseating smell of dampness and decay.

"Tick...tick..." The sound of water dripping on the ground echoed in the silent cave, appearing particularly clear.

Suddenly, I felt my feet slip and I lost my balance... "Be careful!" Hao Yang grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

I looked down and saw a pool of green liquid under my feet, emitting a disgusting fishy smell. "This is... centipede venom!" Wei Xue exclaimed.

My heartbeat quickened, and a chill shot up from my feet to my head. Just then, I heard a rustling sound coming from the depths of the cave, drawing closer... "It's coming!" Hao Yang shielded me behind him, his gaze warily fixed on the depths of the cave. The firelight flickered, and I saw a pair of scarlet eyes gleaming in the darkness. Then, a gigantic figure slowly emerged into view... "Yao'er, be careful!" Hao Yang's voice echoed in my ears. The scarlet eyes drew closer, and the massive centipede swung its countless legs, spewing foul-smelling venom from its mouth. Hao Yang pushed me away, "Yao'er, get behind me!" I stumbled a few steps, barely avoiding the venom. The venom sizzled as it fell to the ground, a testament to its potent toxicity.

I immediately activated the system's defense function, and a layer of light golden light enveloped me. Hao Yang had already rushed forward, the dagger in his hand flashing with cold light, nimbly dodging the centipede's attacks, waiting for an opportunity to find its weakness.

"Hao Yang, be careful!" I couldn't help but shout. He was agile, weaving around the centipede's massive body like a cheetah. The centipede's venom sprayed out again and again, each time deftly dodging him. Seeing him desperately trying to protect me, my heart felt like it was being gripped tightly, and a warm feeling welled up inside me.

I can't hide behind it anymore! I took a deep breath, mobilized the power of the system, condensed an ice-blue light blade, and shot it towards the centipede's head. "Wei Xue, have you found its weakness?" I asked while attacking.

Wei Xue was carefully observing the centipede's movements. "Its abdomen looks quite weak!"

"Okay!" I immediately changed the direction of my attack and focused my light blade on the centipede's abdomen. Hao Yang also noticed my attack and seized the opportunity to stab the centipede's abdomen with his dagger.

The centipede let out a shrill hiss, and green blood gushed out. It twisted its body wildly, and rocks from the cave fell down. I didn't dare to be careless and continued to concentrate my strength to attack. Hao Yang also matched my attacks, constantly looking for opportunities to deal the centipede a fatal blow.

Finally, the centipede fell to the ground with a thud, motionless. I breathed a sigh of relief, and the golden light shield on my body disappeared. Hao Yang walked over to me and asked with concern, "Yao'er, are you okay?" I shook my head, looked at his hand stained with green blood, and pulled it towards me with heartache, "You're injured..."

"I'm fine." He smiled, but his eyes fell on a gleaming stone next to the centipede's corpse. "Is this what we're looking for?" He walked over and picked up the stone.

The stone felt cold to the touch, emitting a strange power. I walked over and examined it carefully. Suddenly, I felt a strong suction coming from the stone... "Hao Yang, be careful!" I grabbed his hand...

The suction was so sudden and intense that I felt as if my soul was being sucked in. Hao Yang's expression changed, and the stone in his hand glowed faintly, as if responding to the force. "Yao'er, hold on to me!" Hao Yang held my hand tightly, his other hand clutching the stone tightly.

I mobilized my system's power to resist the suction, but found it was impossible to stop. "What's going on? This stone..." I gritted my teeth, feeling the power in my body rapidly draining away.

Seeing this, Wei Xue immediately came forward to support me, "Sister Yaoer, are you okay?" Her face was full of worry.

I shook my head, trying to steady myself. "I'm fine. This rock... is very strange."

The suction lasted for about a minute, then suddenly disappeared. I leaned weakly against Hao Yang, feeling exhausted. Hao Yang also breathed a sigh of relief, but the stone in his hand no longer glowed, becoming dull and lifeless, like an ordinary stone.

"What was that just now?" Wei Xue asked with lingering fear.

I looked at the stone in my hand, my heart filled with doubt. The power it had just emanated was definitely not something an ordinary stone could possess. This power seemed to be calling for something, and also seemed to be warning something.

"Perhaps, this is just the beginning." Hao Yang's voice was low. He looked into the depths of the cave with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.

I nodded, sensing that things weren't quite as simple as they seemed. This stone might be the key to solving all these mysteries. I put the stone away and stood up. "Let's go, let's keep going."

The cave was completely silent, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing. As we walked forward, the air around us grew increasingly humid, and the temperature dropped. Suddenly, I felt a chill. Looking up, I saw strange runes appearing on the stone wall at the top of the cave. Those runes glowed red, like ghosts... "Hao Yang..."