Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Dangers and difficulties abound

"Hao Yang..." I grabbed his arm, my fingertips cold. I'd seen those runes in ancient books before; they were a type of ancient forbidden technique, immensely powerful.

"Don't be afraid." Hao Yang held my hand, and the warmth of his palm made me feel a little relieved. "I'm here."

Wei Xue's face paled. "How did these runes appear here?" Her voice trembled, evidently recognizing their origin. I felt her unconsciously draw closer to me, as if seeking protection. Once an adversary, now an ally, this transformation filled me with profound emotion.

I forced myself to calm down and carefully examined the runes. Their arrangement was strange, as if it contained some kind of pattern. Suddenly, I felt dizzy, and my internal systems issued a shrill alarm.

"Warning! System functionality is impaired! Time rewind is temporarily disabled! Other functions are restricted!"

My heart sank. This system, my biggest lifeline, was failing! This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury. I tried to remain calm, took a deep breath, and tried to restart the system, but it didn't respond.

"What's wrong?" Hao Yang noticed that something was wrong with me and asked with concern.

I shook my head and forced a smile, "It's okay, just a little uncomfortable." I didn't dare tell them about the system failure. The situation was already bad enough, and I didn't want to make them worry more.

Wei Xue looked at me worriedly, "Are you okay? You look terrible."

I shook my head again and said forcefully, "It's really okay, let's keep going." I must find other mysterious objects as soon as possible, maybe I can find a way to repair the system.

At this moment, a low rumbling sound emanated from the depths of the cave, and the ground began to tremble slightly. The red runes glowed even brighter, as if ready to come alive at any moment.

"Not good!" Hao Yang's face changed, "Something is coming!"

I clenched the stone in my hand, my heart racing. Systems were failing, crisis loomed, and I felt like a butterfly trapped in a spider's web, unable to move.

"We have to speed up!" I gritted my teeth and forced myself to calm down. Even if there was no system, I couldn't give up.

"Let's go!" Hao Yang took my hand and ran towards the depths of the cave... Wei Xue followed closely behind us, her breathing rapid, and I could sense her fear. What exactly was waiting for us in the depths of the cave?

Hao Yang's hands were warm and strong, his eyes as firm as a rock. "Yaoyao, don't worry. Even without the system, we can face this together." His words flowed through my frozen heart like a stream of warmth. Yes, I still have him, and Wei Xue. We are not fighting alone.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my chaotic thoughts. While the system is important, it's not everything to me. My own abilities, my knowledge, my experience—these are the weapons I rely on to survive. I can't let a system failure throw me off balance. I must rally.

I began to observe my surroundings carefully. The walls of the cave were covered with strange runes, different from those I had seen before. They were more complex and mysterious. I felt a powerful energy fluctuation emanating from these runes, and this energy made my heart palpitate.

"These runes..." I muttered to myself, trying to decipher their meaning.

"It looks like a formation." Wei Xue's voice trembled slightly. She followed me closely, her eyes full of worry.

Formation? A thought flashed through my mind. Could there be some secret hidden here?

We continued deeper into the cave, arriving at a spacious hall. In the center, a faintly glowing stone hovered suspended, surrounded by a complex circle of runes, forming a powerful formation.

Is this stone the mysterious object we are looking for?

I was about to step forward to take a closer look when suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed from the cave entrance. "Looks like you've found it."

I turned around suddenly and saw a group of people in black robes slowly approaching. They wore strange smiles on their faces, and their eyes gleamed with greed. The leader was tall and powerful. In his hand, he held a black staff, the top of which was inlaid with a gem that exuded an evil aura.

"Who are you?" I asked warily.

"We are the guardians," the man said with a sinister smile. "We guard this sacred object and prevent it from falling into the hands of villains like you."

Guardians? I sneered inwardly. These people clearly came here to steal the treasure!

I gripped the stone tightly in my hand, my eyes determined. "If you want it, you'll have to get past us first!"

"You're overestimating yourself!" the man snorted coldly, raising his staff. "Let me show you our power!" The black staff shone brightly, and a powerful wave of energy swept over...

The black staff blazed brightly, and a black beam of light hurtled towards us. I quickly dodged, the beam brushing past my sleeve, its scorching energy stinging me. Hao Yang pulled me behind him, and a longsword materialized in his hand, its blade gleaming with golden light. He swung the sword, shattering the incoming black beams one by one.

"Yaoyao, concentrate on breaking the formation!" he said in a deep voice with a firm gaze.

I nodded, suppressing my fear and focusing my attention once again on the stone in the center of the cave hall and the surrounding runes. These runes were arranged in a complex pattern, seemingly imbued with some kind of pattern. As I observed the runes, I dodged the magicians' attacks. Fireballs, ice arrows, lightning—all sorts of magical elements danced throughout the cave hall, creating a chaotic scene.

Wei Xue also joined the battle. A long whip appeared in her hand. When she swung the whip, it made a crisp sound and blocked some magical attacks.

"Yaoyao, I've noticed a certain pattern in their attacks!" Wei Xue shouted, "Before each attack, they make a specific hand gesture!"

I observed carefully and found that, just as Wei Xue had said, these magicians would make certain gestures before casting their spells. These gestures seemed to correspond to the patterns on the runes.

"Hao Yang, look!" I pointed at the patterns on the runes. "Their hand gestures are very similar to these patterns!"

Hao Yang took a look at the rune and immediately understood what I meant. "I'll attract their attention, and you find the key to breaking the formation!"

Hao Yang's figure moved like lightning between the magicians. His swordsmanship was sharp and his moves were exquisite. For a moment, he suppressed them. I took the opportunity to carefully observe the runes and the magicians' gestures, looking for the key to breaking the formation.

Time ticked by, beads of sweat forming on my forehead. Finally, I found it! I pointed at one of the runes and shouted to Hao Yang, "Attack the magician corresponding to this rune!"

Without hesitation, Hao Yang rushed towards the magician casting the spell and pierced his heart with his sword. As the magician fell, the runes around him dimmed. The stone in the center of the cave hall glowed brightly, and a powerful energy wave spread out in all directions.

I felt dizzy, as if my body was being sucked in by an invisible force. I reached out to grab something, but I only grabbed Hao Yang's warm hand.

"Yaoyao!" He held my hand tightly, his eyes full of worry.

I strained to open my eyes, only to find the scene blurring. Then, I noticed a line of ancient writing emerging from the stone. Those words... were identical to the words on the jade pendant I wore around my neck... "This..." The dizziness gradually faded, and I blinked hard. The scene finally cleared. The stone in the center of the cave hall emanated a soft glow, and the ancient words danced before my eyes, as if alive. I instinctively touched the jade pendant, and the cool touch sent a shiver through my heart.

"Yaoyao, are you okay?" Hao Yang's concerned voice sounded in my ears. His hand held mine tightly, conveying warm strength.

I shook my head. "I'm fine, it's just..." I paused, my eyes falling on the stone again. "The words on it are exactly the same as on my jade pendant."

Wei Xue came forward, carefully examined the words on the stone, then looked at the jade pendant around my neck, and said in surprise, "It really looks like it! Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"

A wave of shock surged within me. The words on this stone matched those on my jade pendant; this couldn't be a coincidence. My jade pendant was the only thing my mother left me. She once told me it held a connection to my past. Could it be that the mystery of my life was connected to this mysterious stone?

"What on earth is this stone?" I muttered to myself, my heart full of doubts.

Hao Yang patted my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, we will figure it out."

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Now wasn't the time to dwell on this. We had more important things to do. I focused my attention back on the stone, carefully examining the writing, trying to find some clue.

"These symbols..." I pointed at a few of them, frowning, "I seem to have seen them somewhere before, but I can't remember where..."

My fingers gently stroked the symbols, and a familiar feeling washed over me. Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind: a woman in ancient costume, standing before an ancient altar. Around her neck, she wore a jade pendant like mine...

"Yaoyao?" Hao Yang's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. "What's wrong with you?"

I suddenly raised my head and looked at Hao Yang, my lips trembling slightly: "I... I seem to remember..." I stretched out my hand, trying to grasp something, but I only grasped empty air. Who was that woman in that scene?