Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Overcoming difficulties and starting a new journey

"Crack!" With a crisp crack, like ice shattering, a tiny fissure appeared on the barrier. This crack spread rapidly like a spider web, covering the entire barrier in an instant. The black vortex twisted violently, emitting a sharp, piercing howl, like a wounded beast in its death throes.

I felt a sense of relief, and the power within me weakened, but I knew it wasn't time to relax yet. The shadow demon was still there, it had only been temporarily suppressed by our attacks.

"Hao Yang, let's go together!" I shouted, gathering an even more powerful force in my hands, and rushed towards the shattered barrier without hesitation.

Hao Yang followed closely behind, the weapon in his hand flashing with dazzling light, like a flash of lightning, cutting through the dim space and pointing straight to the center of the barrier.

The barrier finally couldn't withstand our combined attack and collapsed with a resounding "boom." The black vortex instantly vanished, and a powerful wave of energy spread out, knocking us back several steps.

I steadied myself and looked up, only to see a black figure struggling within the energy fluctuations, roaring in agony. It was the Shadow Demon! Its body had become ethereal, its once formidable strength greatly diminished, clearly suffering the backlash of the shattered barrier.

"Now!" A gleam of light flashed in my eyes, and I gathered my strength again, ready to give the Shadow Demon the final blow.

At this moment, a clear voice suddenly sounded: "Stop!"

I froze for a moment, then turned to see a shimmering elf appear before us. It had transparent wings, delicate features, and long, silver hair that flowed like a waterfall. A soft glow emanated from its body, illuminating the surrounding space.

"Who are you?" I asked warily.

The elf smiled slightly and said, "I am the guardian elf here. You can call me Ling'er."

"Guardian Elf?" I was a little confused and didn't understand why it would stop us from destroying the Shadow Demon.

"The Shadow Demon's power comes from the dark power of this ruin. If you destroy it, this ruin will collapse." Ling'er explained, "And I need the power of this ruin to maintain my existence."

I looked at Hao Yang, then at Ling'er, feeling a little hesitant. We finally defeated the Shadow Demon, so are we just going to let it go?

Ling'er seemed to see what I was thinking and continued, "I know you want the Spirit Pearl, and I can help you get it. But in exchange, you must promise me not to harm the Shadow Demon."

Lingzhu! My heart moved. That was the purpose of our trip.

Ling'er stretched out her slender finger and pointed in a direction deep in the ruins: "The Lingzhu is there, you guys go."

I looked at Hao Yang, he nodded slightly and motioned me to follow Ling'er.

We followed Ling'er through a mist and arrived in front of an ancient altar. In the center of the altar, a bead emitting a soft glow was quietly suspended there.

That is the spirit pearl!

I was about to go forward to take it, when suddenly, the runes around the altar lit up, and a powerful force surrounded us...

"Ling'er, what's going on?" I exclaimed. The runes around the altar emitted a dazzling light, and a powerful force bound us tightly. Hao Yang also frowned, trying to break free from the control of this power, but to no avail.

Ling'er flew above the altar, her long silver hair moving without a breeze. The gentle smile on her face vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. "This... this is the spirit pearl's self-protection mechanism. It's repelling outsiders."

"Repulsion?" I felt the force growing stronger, as if my body was about to be torn apart. "Then what should we do?"

"We must break the shackles of this power as soon as possible, otherwise..." Ling'er didn't continue, but the expression on her face said it all.

I took a deep breath, endured the severe pain in my body, and mobilized all my strength to try to break through the restraint. Hao Yang did the same, gritting his teeth and resisting this powerful force with all his strength.

"It's useless," Ling'er said helplessly, "This power is too strong. Your strength is simply not enough to compete with it."

"Are I going to give up just like that?" I was a little unwilling. I had finally come this far, was I going to go back empty-handed?

Hao Yang's gaze fell on the spirit pearl in the center of the altar, and a flicker of determination flashed in his eyes. "No, there must be a way." He said, suddenly reaching out and grabbing the spirit pearl.

"Hao Yang, don't!" I exclaimed, but it was too late.

The moment Hao Yang's hand touched the spirit pearl, an even more powerful force erupted, sending him flying. He fell heavily to the ground, spurting out a mouthful of blood.

"Hao Yang!" I quickly ran to his side and helped him up. "How are you?"

Hao Yang's face was pale, with blood at the corner of his mouth, but he shook his head, signaling me not to worry. He struggled to stand up, his eyes fixed on the spirit pearl. "I must get it!"

Seeing him so persistent, a ray of hope ignited in my heart. Yes, we can't give up, there must be a way!

At this moment, Ling'er suddenly said: "Maybe, I can try."

She flew above the orb, muttering something, her hands forming a complex seal. As she chanted, the orb's light softened, and the power binding us gradually weakened.

"Hurry, now!" Ling'er's voice was a little weak.

Hao Yang and I exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. We concentrated, summoning all our strength, and charged towards the Spirit Pearl...

My fingers finally touched the spirit pearl, and a warm energy instantly surged into my body. I felt my body filled with strength. At the same time, everything around me became blurry, and I felt as if I was in chaos...

"Hao Yang..." I stretched out my hand, wanting to grab something, but I grabbed nothing.

"Wei Yao..." A familiar voice sounded in my ears, but I couldn't see his face clearly.

"Where...are we?" I felt my consciousness becoming increasingly blurred, and everything before my eyes became distorted...

"Hao Yang... look... what is that..."