Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Finding a way out of adversity

The light was indeed emanating from a stone, a dark green stone half-buried beneath the ruins. Unlike the warmth of ordinary jade, it exuded a cold, almost suffocating energy. I instinctively felt a sense of unease, yet was captivated by the faint glow. It was so faint, yet so resolute, like a last glimmer of hope stubbornly guarding amidst the endless darkness.

"Haoyang, do you feel it?" I asked in a low voice, my fingertips almost touching the stone.

"Well," he replied weakly, "a... very strange power..."

I took a deep breath and tentatively placed my hand on the stone. Instantly, a powerful wave of energy surged through my body. Countless fragmented images flashed through my mind: ancient texts, intricate patterns, and... a strange resonance. I felt as if I were in a vast starry sky, countless stars twinkling, and the dark green stone, like a dormant planet, waiting to be awakened.

I recalled some records I'd read in ancient books about the energy of ruins. It was said that these relics were left behind by ancient immortals and contained powerful forces. These forces were often hidden in special media, such as this dark green stone.

I tried to concentrate, merging my power with that ray of light. At first, I felt a strong repulsion, like two different magnetic fields colliding, making a crackling sound. But I didn't give up. I kept trying, over and over again.

Hao Yang has been observing his surroundings vigilantly. His face is pale and his lips are chapped, but his eyes are resolute. I know he is protecting me from a sudden attack from the Shadow Demon.

I don't know how long it took, but I finally felt a subtle change. The repulsive force gradually weakened, replaced by a strange attraction. My strength seemed to be drawn by the light, slowly merging with it.

Gradually, I found myself able to sense some flaws in the Shadow Demons' power. Although their power was formidable, it wasn't invulnerable. They seemed to be subject to some kind of restriction, unable to fully exert their full strength.

"Hao Yang," I opened my eyes, a hint of excitement in my tone, "I think... I found a way..."

He looked at me with a glint in his eyes: "What's the solution?"

I told him my findings, and we began to discuss how to exploit these flaws and fight against the Shadow Demon.

At this moment, I sensed a violent energy fluctuation coming from outside the barrier. It was Elder Wei and the mysterious elf trying to destroy the barrier.

"They're almost there!" I was delighted, but also a little uneasy. I knew that once the barrier was broken, the shadow demon would become even more frantic.

I looked at the dark green stone, and the light it emitted became brighter, as if responding to my determination.

"Hao Yang..." I squeezed his hand. "We must weaken the power of the Shadow Demon before the barrier is broken."

He held my hand in his, his eyes firm: "I'll do whatever you say."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused my attention on the dark green stone. The light seemed to come alive. Under my guidance, it slowly flowed into my meridians, blending with my own strength. I felt an unprecedented surge of power within me, as if I could control everything.

I sensed the shadow demon's power again, this time with even greater clarity. Their source of power seemed to emanate from a black vortex at the center of the barrier. Like a ravenous beast, that vortex continuously devoured the surrounding energy, transforming it into the shadow demon's power. The flaws I'd sensed earlier were precisely due to subtle imbalances in this energy conversion process.

"Hao Yang," I opened my eyes and pointed at the black vortex in the center of the barrier. "See that vortex? That's the source of the Shadow Demons' power. Their attack method is simple. Although they are fast, there is a brief stagnation in their power output when they draw energy from the vortex. We need to seize this opportunity and attack their weakness."

Hao Yang followed my finger, squinted his eyes, observed carefully for a moment, and nodded. "I understand. I will use my speed to attack their weaknesses when their strength stagnates." He paused, then added, "You also have to be careful not to be affected by their attacks."

I smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will protect myself."

I closed my eyes again, merging my power even more deeply with the light. I felt the dark green stone tremble slightly, as if responding to my call. An even stronger energy surged into my body, and I felt myself grow lighter, as if I could merge into this space at any moment.

I tried to direct this power towards the barrier, attempting to disrupt the Shadow Demon's absorption of energy. I felt a slight fluctuation in the barrier's power, and the black vortex's rotation speed also slowed slightly.

"It works!" I was delighted and continued to increase my power output.

However, at this moment, I felt a powerful backlash. My body shook violently, a mouthful of blood rushed to my throat, and I quickly severed my connection with the light.

"Wei Yao!" Hao Yang exclaimed and supported my shaky body.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and shook my head: "I'm fine, just a little weak..."

At this moment, I felt that the energy fluctuations outside the barrier became more intense. The attack of Elder Wei and the mysterious elf had reached the final moment.

At the same time, the shadow demon seemed to sense the danger, and the black vortex's rotation speed suddenly increased, and the power of the barrier also increased. I felt a strong sense of oppression, as if the entire space was about to be squeezed and deformed.

I looked at Hao Yang. His eyes were full of worry, but also full of determination.

"Are you ready?" I whispered.

He nodded and tightened his grip on the weapon.

I took a deep breath and injected the last bit of strength into the dark green stone.

"Right now..." I said.

The dark green stone hummed in my palm, and a warm power flowed continuously into my body. I could feel my connection with the mysterious light growing stronger and stronger, as if I had become a part of it. This feeling was strange and powerful, and it filled me with confidence to defeat the shadow demon.

However, the shadow demons were no pushovers. They seemed to sense the threat posed by my fusion with the light. The black vortex in the center spun even more frantically, and the energy fluctuations within the barrier grew more intense, like boiling magma poised to erupt at any moment. The oppressive feeling in the space intensified, making it difficult for me to breathe.

"They are strengthening the barrier!" Hao Yang's voice was a little nervous. He stared closely at the black vortex in the center of the barrier, and the weapon in his hand flashed with cold light.

I nodded, my face solemn. "I know. They're scared." I felt the veil of malevolence emanating from the black vortex, like icy tentacles trying to devour me. But I wouldn't retreat, nor would I be afraid. I took a deep breath, cast aside all distractions, and focused my entire attention on merging with the light.

I felt the dark green stone vibrate violently, like a heart about to beat. The power within me surged with it, like a surging river, unstoppable. I knew I was only one step away from the key to a breakthrough.

At that moment, I sensed an unusual fluctuation in the barrier's power. It was a sense of instability after extreme expansion, like a balloon blown to its limit, ready to explode at any moment. This was the flaw revealed when the Shadow Demon strengthened the barrier's power!

"Now!" I suddenly opened my eyes, a gleam of light in them. I poured all my strength into the dark green stone, and the light suddenly grew stronger, illuminating the entire dim space. I felt an unprecedented powerful force erupt from my body. I channeled this power into the barrier, targeting the abnormal fluctuations and launched a fierce attack.

"boom--"

There was a loud bang, and the barrier shook violently, as if it would collapse at any moment. I felt a powerful backlash coming, but I gritted my teeth and persevered, not retreating at all.

"Wei Yao!" Hao Yang's voice sounded in my ears, and the weapon in his hand also burst out with dazzling light. In coordination with my attack, he slashed fiercely at the barrier.

The two forces converged, forming an even more powerful shockwave that slammed fiercely into the barrier. I felt the barrier's power begin to disintegrate, and the black vortex in the center began to become unstable.

"Hurry! Now!" I shouted...