Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Phantom Finding the Source to Resolve the Crisis

I held my breath, my fingertips gently stroking the runes on the jade pendant. They were cold and smooth, yet faintly radiated a warm aura. It felt like... like something was about to break free. I tried to mobilize the system's power, hoping it could interpret the runes, but a weak tone sounded: "Insufficient energy, unable to fully analyze."

The screen displayed only fragments of information, words like "ancient," "seal," and "guardian." These fragments, like scattered puzzle pieces, only left me even more bewildered. I frowned. Was the secret of this jade pendant destined to remain unsolved?

Suddenly, a ethereal figure passed by me. I looked closely and saw it was a tiny elf emitting a pale blue light! It had transparent wings and a delicate face, like something out of a fairy tale. It circled the unconscious Hao Yang several times before landing on his chest, chanting a spell I couldn't understand.

As it chanted, the light emanating from Hao Yang grew stronger, its blue light blending with the jade pendant's radiance, creating a bizarre spectacle. I watched in amazement, my mind filled with confusion. What was this little elf? And why was it helping us?

After a long time, the elf stopped chanting, and Hao Yang slowly opened his eyes. He looked around blankly, his eyes full of confusion. "What's wrong with me?" He struggled to sit up, but felt his body weaken.

"Are you okay?" I quickly supported him and asked with concern.

"I feel...something strange in my body," he frowned, as if trying to sense something, "but I can't put my finger on what it is."

I looked at him, my heart filled with worry. Everything in this ruins is full of unknown dangers, and we are in danger now. What does the strangeness on Hao Yang indicate?

At that moment, the phantoms around us suddenly became restless. They let out sharp roars and approached us like ghosts. The elf chirped crisply, as if warning us. I clenched the jade pendant in my hand, and an inexplicable power surged into my body.

"It seems we must find the answer as soon as possible..." I looked at the phantom getting closer and closer, took a deep breath, and my eyes fell on the jade pendant on Hao Yang's chest. This jade pendant may be our only hope...

The elf flew to Hao Yang's chest again and gently touched the jade pendant. The jade pendant shone even brighter, as if responding to the elf's call. As I watched this scene, a bold idea suddenly came to my mind... I gently pushed Hao Yang and said, "Concentrate and feel the power of the jade pendant."

The phantoms' roars grew closer, their twisted forms appearing even more menacing in the flickering firelight. My heartbeat was pounding like a drum, and a thin sheen of sweat formed on my palms. Hao Yang followed his instructions, closing his eyes, his brow furrowed, as if trying to process something. The elf hovered above him, its gentle chanting like a requiem, standing out against the tense atmosphere.

As time passed, the phantoms' attacks grew more intense; I could almost feel their icy breath brushing my cheeks. "I... I feel a warm current," Hao Yang's voice trembled. "It... it seems to be guiding me..." He slowly opened his eyes, a strange light gleaming in them. That light echoed with the jade pendant's, as if connected into a single whole.

"Guide it, guide that warm current, let it come into contact with the phantom," I encouraged him. Although I didn't know what would happen, this seemed to be our only hope. The words "abnormal energy fluctuations" flashed on the system screen, making me think that this might be a viable path.

Hao Yang took a deep breath, raised his trembling hand, and slowly pushed the warm current toward the approaching phantom. At that moment, time seemed to stand still. I held my breath, nervously watching everything unfold before my eyes.

The moment the warm current touched the phantoms, they suddenly ceased their attack, suspended in mid-air as if frozen in time. Then, something even more incredible occurred: these still phantoms began to merge, twisting and deforming, eventually converging into a massive phantom, towering before us like a gigantic ghost.

The giant phantom didn't attack us. Instead, it let out a deep voice, like the sound of an ancient bell, echoing through the empty ruins. "You... have passed the test..."

A test? I was shocked. Could this phantom attack actually be a test?

"This relic... is the abode of an ancient god..." the gigantic phantom continued, "Its energy... is about to run out..." It slowly extended a translucent hand, pointing deep into the ruins, "There... is a spirit pearl... Only the power of the spirit pearl... can repair the ruins..."

"The previous guardian... set a test... Only those who passed the test... can use the spirit pearl..."

I looked at Hao Yang. His face was pale, clearly also deeply shocked. "Spiritual Pearl, repair the ruins..." These messages exploded in my mind like thunder. If we use the Spiritual Pearl to repair the ruins, then... our chance to change our fate...

I clenched the jade pendant in my hand, a mixture of emotions welling up in my heart. Repair the ruins, or change our fate... How should we... choose?

The elf flew in front of me, looked at me with its clear eyes, gently rubbed my cheek, and then... it pointed to the depths of the ruins, in the direction of the spirit pearl...

Hao Yang took my hand. His hand was warm and gave me a little strength. "Let's go," he said softly, "Let's go see the spirit pearl..." There was a firmness in his tone that I had never heard before.

I looked at him, and a sudden surge of courage welled up in me. Perhaps this was the true test...

The enormous phantom gradually dissipated, leaving only a low echo lingering in the ruins, like the sigh of an ancient god. Hao Yang and I stood there for a long time, speechless. Shock, confusion, and a faint fear intertwined, weighing me down, making it almost impossible to breathe.

"Spiritual Pearl..." I murmured to myself, my fingers tightly grasping the jade pendant. It was emitting a warm light at this moment, as if responding to my inner uneasiness.

Hao Yang gently held me in his arms, his warmth making me feel a little more at ease. "Don't be afraid, Yaoyao, we'll face this together." His voice was low and firm, like a warm current flowing into my cold heart.

The elf hovered around us, its large, lively eyes gleaming with an indescribable light, as if it could see through our inner struggles. Sometimes it flew deep into the ruins, sometimes it stopped in front of us, as if urging us to make a decision.

Restoring the ruins would mean we might lose the chance to change our fate. The system screen still flashed with the words "abnormal energy fluctuations." I realized this spirit pearl might be the key the system claimed would help us turn back time. If we use it to repair the ruins, we might be trapped in this world forever, unable to return to our original lives.

But if we don't repair the ruins, how can we leave? These ruins are fraught with unknown dangers, and the phantom's attack is just the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, the abode of the ancient gods is not something we can desecrate at will. If we insist on going this way, will we bring about even greater disaster?

I was caught in a dilemma, my thoughts a tangled mess, unable to sort out or cut through. I looked at Hao Yang, his eyes also filled with confusion and worry. We held each other's hands tightly, seeking strength and support in each other's eyes.

"Yaoyao," Hao Yang broke the silence, "Perhaps, we can go and see the spirit pearl first." There was a hint of temptation and determination in his tone.

I know what he means. Only by seeing the Spirit Pearl with our own eyes can we make a final decision. Perhaps the Spirit Pearl itself will offer some insight, perhaps we can find a way to achieve the best of both worlds.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, let's go check it out."

We followed the elf, heading deeper into the ruins. Along the way, we were cautious, wary of possible dangers. The ruins' passages twisted and turned, and the walls on both sides were engraved with ancient runes, exuding a mysterious atmosphere.

After walking for a long time, we finally arrived at a spacious cave. In the center of the cave, a bead was suspended, emitting a dazzling light. The light was like the sun, illuminating the entire cave.

That is the spirit pearl.

It emanated powerful energy fluctuations, sending alarm bells ringing throughout my system. I felt an inexplicable force drawing me in, as if to devour me.

I subconsciously took a step back and held Hao Yang's hand tightly.

"Yaoyao, what's wrong with you?" Hao Yang asked with concern.

I shook my head and said nothing. I looked at the spirit bead, my heart full of contradictions and struggles.

This spiritual pearl is hope and also a challenge.

It can repair ruins and change our destiny.

But how do we choose?

I slowly stretched out my hand towards the spirit bead...