Legend of the Embroiderer

The ancient book shook violently, and a dazzling light filled the air, like a small star about to explode, instantly illuminating the entire circular space as bright as day.

The light, like a tangible object, recklessly crashed against the surrounding stone walls, reflecting a blur of light and shadow. Li Zhaohe, the old man, was caught off guard and instinctively raised his hands to shield his eyes. His body subconsciously stepped back, stumbling and nearly falling.

They stared with wide eyes at the sudden change in front of them, their eyes full of vigilance and astonishment.

In the light, the runes on the ancient books seemed to be infused with fresh vitality. They broke free from the constraints of the pages and slowly rotated in the air like nimble fireflies.

Each rune exudes a strong energy fluctuation, and a faint halo lingers around the rune, which is either a deep blue or a mysterious purple-red, echoing the power of the runes on the stone platform.

This echoing force caused the air in the entire circular space to vibrate, and visible ripples spread out in the air, as if the space itself was distorted by this mysterious force, filling the air with a mysterious and tense atmosphere that made people feel breathless.

"What secrets does this ancient book hide? How could it suddenly become like this?" Li Zhao's brows were twisted into the shape of a "chuan" character, and his hands, which were tightly gripping the purification crystal, turned slightly white due to the force, and his knuckles were slightly painful.

He tried to gain some perception of the current situation from the power of the treasure. With his mind highly concentrated, his consciousness slowly sank into the purifying crystal, as if he wanted to merge his soul with the treasure.

The old man also had a solemn look on his face, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen at this moment. He narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the runes rotating in the air. His eyes moved with the movement of the runes, trying to find a clue from them.

"Child, these runes are similar to those we have seen before, but they are also different in many ways. They seem to be hiding more crucial information."

The old man's voice was low and hoarse, echoing in this space where light flickered and air vibrated, with a hint of worry that was hard to conceal.

An old and ethereal voice rang out from the ancient book. It seemed as if it had traveled through an endless tunnel of time and space, carrying with it the vicissitudes and mystery of the years:

"You have broken into this place and opened the ancient tome, revealing that you have triggered an ancient seal. This bead is the key to the interweaving of the forces of darkness and light. The secret that holds it is far beyond your imagination."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhao suddenly raised his head and asked loudly:

"Senior, what should we do to completely solve this mystery and stop the conspiracy of the dark forces?"

The voice was silent for a moment, as if considering its words, and then slowly said:

"To unlock all the secrets, you must gather the full power of the five treasures and find the ancient land where the power that can truly balance the darkness lies. But first, you must quell the unusual movements of the ancient tome."

Li Zhao and the old man looked at each other, and saw determination and resoluteness in each other's eyes.

Li Zhao's chest heaved violently, stimulating the power of the purifying crystal, the light gem, the crystal ball, the jade pendant, and the fragments once again.

In an instant, the treasures shone brightly. The purifying crystal emitted pure golden light, like a small sun; the light of the bright gem was like bright moonlight, soft but containing powerful power.

Light flows in the crystal ball, as if countless stars are twinkling in it; the light of the jade pendant is warm and tenacious, like the warm sun in spring.

The light of the fragments is mysterious and profound, as if hiding endless mysteries.

These lights blended with each other, like five rushing rivers converging together, gradually forming a huge energy vortex.

The vortex was filled with flickering light, surging energy, and a constant "sizzling" sound, as if it was having an intense conversation with the power of the ancient runes.

The vibration of the ancient book began to gradually weaken, and the runes that were originally spinning wildly also slowly slowed down. After drawing graceful arcs in the air, they slowly returned to the pages.

The ancient book returned to calm, and a new light shone out from the book. This light was softer than before, but it carried an unquestionable guiding power, illuminating the walls of the circular space.

A huge map appeared on the wall, marking a distant and mysterious place. At that place, there was a light flickering, similar to the runes in ancient books, as if calling them.

"Could this be the location of the ancient heritage site?"

Li Zhao said excitedly, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes and his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

The old man nodded slightly, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. "It seems so. We must go there to find more clues to unlock the secret."

Just as they were about to leave the circular space, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the cave.

The sound came from far away, as if a group of people were rushing towards here, with footsteps and whispers intertwined.

Li Zhao gripped the Sword of Purification vigilantly. The sword trembled slightly, making a buzzing sound, as if responding to the master's nervousness.

The old man was also ready for battle, and raised the broken crutch in his hand slightly. Although the crutch was broken, his eyes revealed a fearless courage.

Soon, a group of people in black robes appeared at the entrance of the passage. Leading them was a man with a stern face. He was tall, like a silent mountain. The black robe fluttered in the wind, adding a bit of eerie air to his appearance.

There was a cold light flashing in his eyes, like two balls of ghostly fire, flashing coldly in the darkness.

"Hmph, do you think you can easily unlock the secrets here? This bead and the ancient book are both what we, the dark forces, are determined to obtain."

The man said coldly, his voice like ice chips, biting coldness.

Li Zhao glared at them, his eyes burning with anger, and shouted loudly: "You minions of the dark forces, don't even think about taking away everything here.

We will definitely stop your conspiracy!"

He swung the Sword of Purification, and the sword drew a dazzling arc. A golden sword energy, carrying a powerful purifying force, slashed towards the people in black robes like a lightning bolt.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the air was instantly torn apart, making a sharp whistling sound.

The black-robed man sneered, and that smile was like the cry of a night owl, revealing weirdness and disdain.

A black magic wand appeared in his hand, engraved with strange runes and emitting a sickening dark aura.

He gently waved his wand, and a black energy barrier appeared instantly. The barrier was like an indestructible black shield, steadily blocking Li Zhao's attack.

The golden sword energy collided with the black barrier, bursting into a dazzling light, accompanied by a "crackling" sound, like fireworks blooming.

The two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle, and the black-robed people cast dark magic one after another.

They were muttering something and dancing their hands quickly. Black beams of light shot out from their hands, like black sharp arrows, shooting towards Li Zhaohe and the old man with a breath of destruction.

As these black beams shuttled through the air, they left behind black trails, as if they were corroding the space into black holes.

Li Zhao worked closely with the old man, using the purifying sword of light and the broken crutch to continuously resist the enemy's attacks.

Li Zhao was agile, like a golden lightning, moving freely through the black beams. Every time the Sword of Purification was swung, it brought up a golden light, cutting off the black beams shot towards them.

The old man, relying on his rich experience, used his broken cane to skillfully change the direction of the black beam, making it deviate from their bodies.

He was also muttering something, releasing rays of light, trying to interfere with the spellcasting of the people in black robes.

During the battle, Li Zhao discovered that the magic of these black-robed men seemed different from the dark forces he had encountered before.

Their attacks were more organized and they coordinated with each other better.

The movements of the black-robed crowd were in perfect unison, as if they had been rehearsed countless times. Their magical attacks echoed each other, forming a tight attack network.

Li Zhao realized that these people were probably elite troops carefully trained by the dark forces.

While fighting, Li Zhao observed the enemy's weaknesses and discovered that the magic wand in the black-robed man's hand was the core source of their magical power.

Every time the man in black robes waved his wand, the magical power of the people in black robes would increase a little bit, and their attacks would become more fierce.

If we can destroy the wand, we might be able to disrupt their attack rhythm.

"Senior, I'll deal with the leader, you help me contain the others!"

Li Zhao shouted to the old man, his voice firm and powerful, still clearly audible amidst the sounds of fierce battle.

The old man nodded to show that he understood, and then increased the intensity of his attack.

He gripped the broken crutch in both hands, poured all his strength into it, and released strong rays of light.

These lights were like bright stars, shining among the people in black robes, attracting their attention.

The people in black robes turned their attacks towards the old man, and black beams of light shot towards him.

The old man dodged nimbly, waving the broken crutch in his hand continuously, drawing trails of light in the air and blocking the incoming black beams one by one.

Li Zhao took the opportunity to rush towards the man in black robe. The light of the Purifying Light Sword suddenly increased, and the sword body seemed to be ignited by golden flames, and it slashed towards the man in black robe with a powerful purifying force.

The black-robed man's expression changed slightly, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

He quickly waved his wand to resist, and the wand collided with the sword of purifying light, making a loud noise, like the ringing of a huge bell.

In the fierce confrontation, Li Zhao gradually gained the upper hand with his tenacious will and excellent swordsmanship.

He seized the opportunity and slashed down with his sword. A sharp golden sword energy cut off the magic wand in the black-robed man's hand with the force of breaking bamboo.

The moment the magic wand broke, the magical power of the people in black robes weakened instantly, and the originally tightly coordinated attack rhythm was disrupted.

The faces of the people in black robes showed expressions of fear, their movements became flustered and disorderly, and the magic light in their hands became dim.

Li Zhao took advantage of the victory and swung the Sword of Purification repeatedly. Each swing brought up a golden light and shadow, which forced the black-robed people to retreat step by step.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the people in black robes turned around and fled the cave. Their figures quickly disappeared in the darkness, leaving only silence.

Li Zhao and the old man were also exhausted. Their bodies were trembling slightly, and sweat soaked their clothes and kept sliding down their cheeks.

The dark forces will never give up, and this escape is only temporary.

After a short rest, the two looked again at the map on the wall that marked the ancient heritage site.

Li Zhao clenched his fists, and the veins on his arms bulged, as if expressing his inner determination:

"Senior, no matter how many dangers lie ahead, we must go to this place, unlock all the secrets, and completely defeat the forces of darkness."

The old man nodded firmly, his eyes revealing unquestionable determination:

"Yes, son, this is our mission."

They packed their equipment and walked along the passage out of the cave, ready to embark on the journey to the ancient heritage site.

What they didn't know was that after they left, the ancient book in the circular space shook slightly again, and a faint dark light flashed from the book, as if foreshadowing that a more terrifying crisis was brewing in secret.