As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

The stone gate stands tall and majestic, like a sleeping giant beast. Ancient and obscure runes are carved on the closed stone surface, like mouths silently telling secrets.

A faint mist surrounded the stone gate, as if it came from ancient times, carrying an unspeakable mystery.

Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan held each other's hands tightly, their eyes full of curiosity and desire to explore. They approached the stone gate cautiously, and every step seemed to be stepping on the vein of time.

Behind him, Youruo leaned against the tree trunk with a pale face. She covered her chest and stared at the stone gate with cold eyes. There was both unwillingness and exploration of the secret behind the stone gate in her eyes.

Just as Ding Chen's hand was about to touch the stone door, a strong airflow suddenly hit him, accompanied by a dull roar, and an old man in a gray robe with white hair and beard appeared out of thin air and blocked the stone door.

The old man's eyes were as sharp as torches, and he exuded a terrifying aura, like a god from ancient times.

His appearance instantly made the air around him freeze.

Elder Gu had a serious and stern expression. He looked down at Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan, and his voice was like the sound of metal clashing, making people's eardrums hurt: "This is a forbidden area. No one is allowed to approach!"

Ding Chen was not intimidated by the old man's pressure at all. He straightened his chest and said in a firm and powerful tone: "Senior, we have no intention of offending you. We are just curious about what is hidden behind the stone gate. I hope you can tell us." He was neither humble nor arrogant, and his eyes were full of desire to explore the truth.

Xiaoxuan also stood beside Ding Chen. Although she didn't say anything, her eyes were full of curiosity about the secret behind the stone gate.

She knew that there must be something extraordinary hidden behind the stone gate.

Elder Gu snorted coldly, his eyes filled with unquestionable majesty. "Hmph, this is an ancient relic, how can mortals like you be able to peek into it? Leave quickly, or else, don't blame me for being rude!"

As Elder Gu spoke, a powerful aura came pressing down on him, like a mountain pressing down on one's head, making it almost impossible to breathe.

At this moment, Elder Gu raised his hand and gently waved his sleeve. An invisible force instantly attacked Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan...

As Elder Gu waved his sleeves, an overwhelming force came like a strong wind. Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan felt a tightness in their chests, and their bodies flew backwards uncontrollably.

"Bang!" With two dull thuds, they fell to the ground in a mess, with dust flying everywhere.

The force of the impact made their internal organs seem to shift, a fishy-sweet taste surged in their throats, and dull pains spread throughout their bodies, as if they were crushed by a huge rock.

They struggled to get up, but found their limbs numb and weak, as if they had lost consciousness. They could only barely support their bodies, gasping for breath.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on their painfully distorted faces, making them look particularly desolate.

Seeing this, Youruo curled up the corner of her mouth into a sneer. She slowly stood up from the tree trunk and gently lowered her hand that was covering her chest. She looked at the embarrassed Ding Chen and Xiaoxuan, as if she was watching a wonderful farce. In her eyes, this pair of self-proclaimed righteous men and women were nothing more than two jumping clowns who overestimated their own abilities.

Xiaoxuan struggled to get up from the ground, biting her lower lip tightly.

She trembled as she took out an ancient jade pendant from her bosom. The jade pendant was emerald green all over, with fine carvings on it, and it emitted a soft light in the sunlight.

She held the jade pendant high, her voice weak but full of determination: "I am the descendant of a divine doctor, guided by heaven's will, to save the lives trapped behind the stone gate!"

Elder Gu's originally indifferent gaze paused slightly when he saw the jade pendant in Xiaoxuan's hand, and a trace of disbelief and doubt appeared on his weather-beaten face.

His cloudy eyes stared at the jade pendant, as if he wanted to see through it. His brows were furrowed, and the expression on his face changed from serious to a little complicated.

He seemed to be recalling something, and also seemed to be considering something.

A trace of hesitation appeared on his face, which was originally as hard as a rock.

Ding Chen was also stunned by Xiaoxuan's sudden action. He looked at the jade pendant in her hand in disbelief, then looked at Elder Gu's expression, his heart full of doubts.

He knew that Xiaoxuan was an excellent doctor, but he didn't know that she had such a background.

What does this jade pendant represent?

Elder Gu looked at Xiaoxuan for a moment, and his originally calm voice was filled with a hint of uncertainty: "You...where did this thing come from?" There was an imperceptible hesitation in his words, which was completely different from his previous firm and decisive attitude.

He stared at Xiaoxuan, waiting for her answer.

Xiaoxuan also stared at him closely, and the light of the jade pendant in her hand became brighter and brighter.

Upon hearing this, Elder Gu said, "Hmph, you are misleading people with your lies! Even if you have this thing, it can't prove anything!" He shouted angrily, clasped his hands together suddenly, muttered something, and a powerful spiritual power burst out from his body.

As he completed the spell, a huge shadow of light slowly rose from behind him.

The light and shadow gradually solidified and turned into a guardian spirit several feet tall, with a green face and fangs, and black flames burning all over its body.

The guardian spirit let out a deafening roar, shaking the ground beneath its feet. It waved its huge claws and pounced towards Xiaoxuan and Ding Chen with the force of breaking through the air.

The claws were as sharp as mountains, carrying a suffocating pressure that tore the air apart, making a sharp scream.

Ding Chen was quick-witted and quick-handed. He protected Xiaoxuan behind him and drew the long sword from his waist at the same time. The sword flashed with a sharp cold light.

He roared angrily and swung his sword to meet the attack. The sword edge collided with the sharp claws, making a deafening metal collision sound and sparks flying.

Ding Chen only felt a powerful force coming from the sword, which made his palm numb and his body shaky.

He gritted his teeth and held on tightly, preventing the guardian spirit's attack from hurting Xiaoxuan behind him.

Xiaoxuan did not sit idly by and wait for death. She held the jade pendant tightly in her hand and continuously injected spiritual power into it. The jade pendant emitted an even stronger green light, forming a faint protective barrier.

The two stood back to back, jointly resisting the attacks of the guardian spirits. Every collision made a deafening noise, as if the entire space was shaking.

Youruo, who was in the distance, had a sneer on her lips. She crossed her arms and watched the battle coldly, with an inexplicable light flashing in her eyes. She was like a spectator who had nothing to do with the matter, admiring others' futile resistance.

During the battle, Xiaoxuan keenly noticed that the black flames emanating from the guardian spirit were faintly mixed with a special herbal scent.

She had an idea and quickly took out a few herbs she had collected from her arms. She had accidentally discovered them on the way here and they had a very special smell.

She crushed the herbs, and the unique scent of the herbal juice instantly spread.

The guardian spirit sensed the smell and its movements became noticeably slower. Its originally fierce eyes became confused, and the black flames began to sway slightly, as if it was suppressed by something.

Xiaoxuan seized the opportunity and splashed the herbal juice at the guardian spirit.

With a "hiss" sound, the herbal juice fell on the guardian spirit, and the black flames dissipated instantly. The guardian spirit let out a painful wail, and its huge body began to decompose rapidly, eventually turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating in the air.

Elder Gu watched the guardian spirit dissipate with an expression of shock on his face.

His eyes widened, his cloudy gaze filled with disbelief. He muttered to himself, "How...how is this possible? My guardian spirit was actually...actually broken by a mere herb?" Ding Chen looked at Xiaoxuan, his eyes filled with pride and admiration.

Elder Gu was silent for a long time. He sighed deeply, and a look of helplessness appeared on his originally stern face. "Forget it, forget it. Perhaps this is really God's will." He slowly walked to the stone door, placed his trembling hands on the stone door, and chanted an ancient spell. The stone door made a dull roar and slowly opened.

A dazzling light shot out from the stone gate. The strong light made it impossible for people to open their eyes. Faintly, one could see a figure swaying in the light.

Elder Gu glanced at the light, his eyes filled with helplessness and expectation.

Then he stepped back and said no more.