Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

A glimmer of hope in despair

Darkness, endless darkness. I felt as if I had fallen into a bottomless abyss, my body floating lightly, without weight or direction.

"Give up... some... power..." I vaguely remember saying this, but what power should I give up? And for what?

Suddenly, a tiny glimmer of light appeared before my eyes. It grew larger and brighter, eventually transforming into a dazzling white glow. I instinctively closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I found myself in a strange space.

There was no sky, no earth, only a chaotic mist. Within the mist, a gigantic sphere floated, emitting a soft glow. I instinctively sensed it was the Spirit Pearl.

"You're here." An ethereal voice sounded in my ears.

I turned around suddenly, but saw no one. The voice seemed to come from all directions, but it also seemed to be right inside my heart.

"Who are you?" I asked warily.

"I am the guardian of these ruins," the voice replied, "and the guide of the spirit pearl."

"Guardian? Guide?" I muttered to myself, my heart full of doubts.

"The deal you saw is real." The Guardian's voice sounded again, "As long as you are willing to give up some of your power, you can break the shackles of the spirit pearl."

"Give up some power?" I thought, remembering the blurry image I saw before I passed out. Could it be... that was the key to breaking the spirit pearl?

"Yes," the guardian seemed to see through my thoughts. "The power of the spirit pearl comes from balance. It absorbed too much negative energy, causing itself to become unbalanced and become so violent. Only by giving up some of its power can it restore balance and break free."

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. Giving up strength is not easy at all. Hao Yang and I have worked so hard to reach our current level. If we give up some of our strength, our strength will be greatly reduced.

"I do." A firm voice sounded behind me.

I turned around suddenly and saw Hao Yang standing behind me, looking at me firmly.

"Hao Yang! No!" I grabbed his hand, "I can't let you do this for me..."

"Silly girl," Hao Yang stroked my hair gently, "We are one. Your business is my business. As long as I can keep you safe, I am willing to do anything."

My eyes were filled with tears and I almost burst into tears. I hugged him tightly, my heart filled with emotion.

"Have you thought it through?" The Guardian's voice sounded again, "Once you make your choice, there's no going back."

I looked up at the huge spirit pearl, my heart filled with determination. To break the spirit pearl's shackles, for our future, I was willing to pay any price!

"We do!" I said firmly.

At this moment, the light of the spirit pearl suddenly became more dazzling, and a powerful force enveloped Hao Yang and me... I felt my body being torn apart, and a sharp pain spread throughout my body...

"Hao Yang..." I held his hand tightly, my nails digging deep into his flesh...

The excruciating pain nearly consumed me. I felt like every bone in my body was shattering, every inch of my skin was burning. I clutched Hao Yang's hand tightly. His hand was equally cold and stiff, his finger bones clearly visible. I could even feel the bulging veins on the back of his hand. Hao Yang, my Hao Yang...

"Hao Yang!" I called his name hoarsely, my voice as thin as a mosquito's, almost completely drowned out by the humming sound of the spirit pearl. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was blurry, and I could only see Hao Yang's face, twisted in pain. His teeth were clenched, beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and his face was as pale as paper.

"Yaoyao... don't be afraid..." He uttered a few words with difficulty, his voice trembling violently, "I... I'm fine..."

"I don't believe you're okay!" I cried inwardly, but at this moment, I barely had the strength to speak. This force was too strong, far beyond our imagination. It was like an invisible beast, greedily devouring everything we had, including our life force.

"It's too late! You must make a decision quickly!" The ethereal voice sounded again, with a hint of anxiety. "The power of the spirit pearl is increasing. If you hesitate any longer, you will all be devoured!"

A little elf emitting light green light appeared in front of us at some point. It flapped its transparent wings and flew around us anxiously, its tone full of worry.

I looked at Hao Yang. His breathing was growing weaker, and his eyelids began to droop. My heart was pierced, and tears blurred my vision. Giving up our strength would mean that all our years of hard work would be wasted, and we might even be unable to protect ourselves. But if we didn't give up, we would all die here...

what should I do?

The humming of the spirit pearl grew louder and louder, like a death warrant, hammering at my nerves. I felt my consciousness begin to blur, and my body grew lighter and lighter, as if it would be torn apart by this force at any moment.

"Hao Yang..." I used up my last bit of strength and held his hand tightly, "I'm sorry..."

If we make it out alive, I will...

"No...don't..." Hao Yang seemed to have noticed my intention. He suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed my hand with all his strength, "Yaoyao...let's do this together..."

His eyes were firm and persistent, as if telling me that no matter what happened, he would face it with me.

I looked at him with mixed feelings.

"Idiot..." I choked, "We have to... bear it together..."

The elf nodded with satisfaction. It extended a slender finger and pointed at the core of the spirit pearl. "Direct your power... here..."

I took a deep breath, tried to concentrate, and began to guide my power according to the instructions of the elf. A heart-wrenching pain instantly spread throughout my body, and I felt as if my body was torn into pieces and then pieced back together again.

Hao Yang also started the same action. His face became paler and his body trembled more violently, but he always held my hand tightly, his eyes full of determination.

The light of the spirit pearl became stronger and stronger, and our bodies became more and more painful.

Can I...succeed...

A green light streamed between our clasped hands, and the spirit's voice grew increasingly ethereal, like an ancient chant, guiding the power within us to converge at the core of the spirit pearl. It felt like someone was branding my bones with a red-hot iron, or like countless tiny steel needles piercing my meridians. The pain nearly made me faint. I bit my lip tightly, tasting blood, but I didn't dare let go of Hao Yang's hand.

Hao Yang's condition wasn't much better. He squeezed his eyes shut, his teeth clenched, veins popping out of his forehead, and beads of sweat dripped down his face. I could feel his grip on my hand tightening, as if he was trying to crush my bones. I could even hear his muffled moans, muffled and painful.

"Hold on, Hao Yang!" I squeezed out a few words with all my strength, my voice so hoarse that it didn't sound like my own.

He suddenly opened his eyes, bloodshot but gleaming with a determined light. He forced a smile and said weakly, "Yaoyao... I'm fine... You... have to hold on too..."

"Yeah..." I nodded vigorously, but tears couldn't stop flowing.

Spirits danced around us, a green light growing ever brighter, enveloping us. The humming of the spirit pearl grew deeper, like a weary beast slowly drifting off to sleep. I felt the power within me being drawn by a powerful suction, surging towards the core of the spirit pearl.

It was a long and painful process, each second stretching like a century. I felt my consciousness begin to blur, and everything before my eyes became distorted. I seemed to see everything we had experienced, from our initial encounter, to our mutual understanding and love, to our current life-and-death relationship.

"Hao Yang..." I murmured his name weakly, feeling my body getting lighter and lighter, as if it would float away at any time.

"Yaoyang... I'm here..." He responded weakly, his voice intermittent.

I tried hard to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy as if they were filled with lead. I felt my body slowly disappearing, and my consciousness gradually sank into darkness.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I felt a warm force enveloping me, pulling me back from the abyss of darkness. I struggled to open my eyes and saw Hao Yang holding me tightly, his body emitting a faint light, which fought against the powerful force of the spirit pearl.

"Hao Yang..." I called his name weakly, my voice as thin as a thread.

He looked down at me, his eyes filled with tenderness and determination. He gently stroked my cheek and said in a hoarse voice, "Yaoyao...we...successfully..."

I felt the humming sound of the spirit pearl had completely disappeared, replaced by a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. I tried hard to raise my hand, but found that I was too weak.

"Yaoyao... don't move..." Hao Yang hugged me tightly, as if he was afraid that I would disappear, "Have a good rest..."

I leaned weakly in his arms, feeling his warm body temperature, my heart filled with peace and happiness.

Suddenly, I felt Hao Yang's body stiffen suddenly, and his hands holding me began to tremble.

"Hao Yang...what's wrong with you?" I raised my head with great effort and looked at his pale face, with an ominous premonition in my heart.

He looked at me, his eyes full of pain and struggle. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end nothing came out.

He slowly raised his hand and pointed behind me...