Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

The crisp chirping of birds echoed through the forest, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows.

Juckley and Avril walked side by side along the forest path, with Adrian riding a frost dragon behind them.

The air was filled with the scent of earth and grass, mixed with the fragrance of wildflowers from afar, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

Juklee took a deep breath, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.

He turned to look at Avril beside him, and saw that she had her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was thinking about something.

Juckley couldn't help but tease, "Hey, Avril, if you keep frowning, you'll get wrinkles!"

Upon hearing this, Avril gave Juckley a cold glance. "Shut up, I'm thinking about serious matters."

Juckley pursed his lips, about to say something, when Adrian's voice came from behind.

“Avril, are you really not going to reconsider?” Adrian, perched atop the dragon's back, looked down at Avril, his voice tinged with worry. “This bracer is far too powerful. Can you really control it?”

Avril stopped and turned to face Adrian. "I've already said it, I'll prove you wrong!"

Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two, Jukele sighed inwardly.

Since he unexpectedly demonstrated his ability to control the young dragons during the attack, Adrian has become even more worried that they will abuse the power of the bracers and bring disaster to the world.

“How about this,” Adrian suggested after a moment’s thought, “I’ll take you somewhere where you can prove whether you can truly control this power.”

Avril and Juckley were both curious about Adrian's suggestion, and they followed Adrian through the dense forest to an ancient ruin hidden deep in the woods.

When Adrian led Juckley and Avril to the trial grounds, he stopped and pointed to the ancient buildings around them.

"These ruins you see," Adrian's voice was filled with reverence, "were once the sacred ground of dragon knights. A thousand years ago, when demonic dragons ravaged the continent, it was here that the first dragon knights were born."

Jukele curiously touched a stone pillar carved with dragon patterns. "Wow, so the place we're standing here now is a genuine historical site!"

Adrian nodded. "That's right. Legend has it that the first dragon knight gained the power to wield dragons right here. That power... comes from the bracers you're wearing now."

Avril looked down at the bracers on her wrist, lost in thought. "So, that's why these bracers are so important? Because they contain the power to control dragons?"

“Not only that,” Adrian’s expression turned serious, “the power of the bracers goes far beyond that. It is said that they allow the wearer to control elemental forces, and even… alter reality.”

Jukeli gasped. "Change reality? That's way too far-fetched!"

Adrian shook his head. "It is precisely because its power is so immense that it has caused countless conflicts and disasters. The last dragon rampage was caused by someone attempting to use the bracers' power to awaken a slumbering ancient dragon."

Avril frowned. "But if the wristbands are really that dangerous, why not just destroy them?"

“Because,” Adrian took a deep breath, “the bracers are also key to maintaining the balance of the world. Without the bracers, the dragons will lose their restraint, and the world will once again descend into chaos.”

Juckley and Avril exchanged a complicated look, seemingly beginning to realize the weight of the responsibility they bore.

Adrian continued, "That's why I must make sure you have the ability to control the power of the bracers. The trials to come will not only be a test of your abilities, but also a test of your inner strength."

As Adrian finished speaking, the first challenge of the trial grounds slowly began. Juckley and Avril took a deep breath in unison, knowing that every step they took from here on would determine the fate of this world.

First stage: Flame Statue Formation

The first trial ground was a lava field surrounded by raging flames. The air was thick with the acrid smell of sulfur, and the scorching rocks beneath one's feet made it difficult to stand.

In the center of the lava field stood a circle of stone statues spewing scorching flames. These statues had ferocious faces and varied shapes, wielding burning weapons, like demons from hell, ready to tear intruders to shreds at any moment.

Avril took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. She knew that fear and panic would only make her more vulnerable to being consumed by the flames. She slowly closed her eyes, sensing the raging fire elements around her, attempting to connect with them.

When she opened her eyes again, a resolute light shone within them. Her body began to emit a faint blue glow, and the surrounding air seemed to distort slightly due to her magic.

Avril leaped lightly into the air, fluttering like a feather. The flames spewing from the stone statue seemed to come alive, forming beautiful rings of fire around her, yet unable to touch her in the slightest. Her movements were elegant and precise, each step perfectly timed, captivating the audience.

However, as time went on, the statue spewed flames more frequently and at increasingly higher temperatures. The temperature of the lava field also rose accordingly, and Avril felt as if her skin was being scorched. Her magic was being depleted too quickly, and her movements gradually became sluggish.

"This won't do!" Juckley shouted anxiously from the side. "Avril, you need to find a way to break the fire statue array!"

Avril gritted her teeth, trying to calm herself down. She carefully observed the statue's movements and the pattern of the flames, attempting to find a flaw.

Suddenly, she noticed a strange rune engraved on the bottom of each stone statue. The rune flickered in the light of the flames, seemingly hiding some kind of secret.

"Could it be..." A bold guess flashed through Avril's mind.

She immediately changed her strategy, no longer avoiding the flames, but actively approaching the statues. Enduring the high temperature and burning pain, she laboriously approached one of the statues, stretched out her finger, and began to trace the runes on it with the magic of the ice element.

As the last stroke was completed, the statue let out a painful roar, the flaming weapon in its hand instantly went out, and the entire statue collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Avril was overjoyed; she had finally found a way to break the fire statue array!

She followed the same method, using ice elemental magic to trace the runes on the base of all the statues. The fiery stone statue array was finally broken, and the temperature of the lava land gradually decreased, returning to calm.

Second Stage: Magic Maze

As Avril and Juckley stepped into the maze's entrance, the surrounding scenery instantly changed.

They found themselves in complete darkness, with eerie howls echoing in their ears, as if countless ghosts were wandering around them.

"Where...where is this?" Jukli's voice trembled slightly, and he instinctively gripped his weapon tighter.

Avril felt a pang of unease, but she tried to remain calm. "Don't be afraid, Jukele, we'll find our way out."

She tried to use magic to illuminate her surroundings, but found that the magic failed her. The darkness seemed to possess a life of its own, devouring all light.

They could only grope their way forward. The walls of the maze seemed to be made of some special material, cold and smooth, with nothing to climb or use for leverage.

The maze's passages were intricate and winding, seemingly without end. They walked for a long time, but could not find the exit; instead, they became increasingly trapped.

Fear and despair began to spread in their hearts.

"Are we... lost?" Jukeli's voice grew lower and lower.

“No, we’ll definitely get out of here!” Avril said firmly, but she herself began to have doubts.

Just then, they heard a strange sound coming from ahead, like the roar of some kind of creature, or the sound of some kind of machine running.

Curiosity and the will to survive drove them to continue.

As they rounded a bend, the sight before them astonished them.

In a huge circular space, there stood a massive magic circle. At the center of the magic circle floated a black crystal ball, emanating an evil aura.

Surrounding the crystal ball were countless bizarre creatures, emitting nauseating roars and staring greedily at Avril and Juckley, as if ready to devour them at any moment.

"What kind of place is this?" Jukele exclaimed.

“I don’t know,” Avril’s voice trembled slightly, “but we have to be careful, these creatures look dangerous.”

They dared not advance rashly, and could only hide at the corner of the passage, observing the magic circle and the creatures.

Suddenly, the crystal ball emitted a dazzling light, the magic circle began to operate at high speed, and the creatures became even more ferocious, their roars becoming louder.

Avril realized that the magic circle was accumulating energy, and if it wasn't stopped soon, the consequences would be dire.

“We must destroy that magic circle!” she said to Juckley.

"But...how do we get across?" Jukele looked at the menacing creatures, feeling somewhat apprehensive.

Avril thought for a moment and said, "I'll distract them, and you take the opportunity to sneak into the magic circle and destroy the crystal ball!"

“This is too dangerous!” Juklee said worriedly.

“Trust me,” Avril said firmly, “I’ll be fine!”

After saying that, Avril rushed out, waving her staff and unleashing powerful frost magic that froze the creatures in place.

Seeing this, Jukele also mustered his courage and, taking advantage of the moment when the creature was frozen, sneaked into the magic circle.

He approached the crystal ball, raised his weapon, and smashed it down hard.

The crystal ball made a crisp sound and shattered into pieces. The magic circle stopped working, and the frozen creatures turned to ashes.

The exit of the maze then appears.

Avril and Juckley helped each other out of the maze.

They were exhausted, but their hearts were filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

Third stage: Abyss of Death

A deadly canyon filled with traps and mechanisms.

The canyon is flanked by steep rock walls covered with sharp spikes and hanging stalactites; a slight misstep could result in being pierced or injured.

At the bottom of the canyon is a bottomless abyss, filled with black mist that obscures the view of what lies within. However, the chilling roars suggest that extremely dangerous creatures must be lurking there.

Avril and Juckley cautiously made their way through the canyon, constantly alert to their surroundings, dodging falling rocks, spikes, and traps, while also wary of monsters that might leap out of the abyss.

"Watch out!" Juckley suddenly shouted. He saw a stone slab under Avril's feet suddenly collapse, revealing a dark hole.

Avril reacted quickly, immediately jumping to the side to avoid the trap.

“Thank you!” she said gratefully to Juckley.

“You’re welcome,” Juklee said. “We must be careful; there are traps everywhere.”

They continued onward, encountering all sorts of traps and mechanisms along the way, including venomous projectiles, suddenly appearing flamethrowers, and sharp claws extending from the rock walls.

With their agility and seamless teamwork, they repeatedly escaped danger.

However, the most dangerous challenge is yet to come.

As they reached the center of the canyon, the ground suddenly began to shake violently, and the rock walls on both sides of the canyon began to collapse, with countless rocks falling from the sky.

"Run!" Juckley shouted, grabbing Avril's hand and running forward as fast as he could.

They dodged one falling rock after another, but the canyon was collapsing faster and faster, and they had nowhere to escape.

Just then, Juckley saw a cave ahead and immediately pulled Avril into it.

The cave was very narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass side by side, and it was pitch black inside, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

“Are we safe?” Avril asked.

“We don’t know yet,” Juklee said. “We must be careful; there may be other dangers here.”

They groped their way forward; the cave was very deep, and they walked for a long time, but they still couldn't see the end.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of flowing water ahead.

"There's water ahead!" Juklee exclaimed in delight.

They quickened their pace and arrived at the edge of an underground river.

“We’re finally safe!” Avril breathed a sigh of relief.

They followed the underground river and eventually found the exit of the canyon.

Adrian was filled with mixed emotions upon witnessing this scene. He had to admit that there was a tacit understanding and trust between Avril and Juckley that he couldn't comprehend. This relationship was perhaps more important than mere strength.

“Congratulations on passing my trial,” Adrian said, his tone tinged with respect. “I promise you I will help you reach Dragon Lake and ensure your safety.”

"Great!" Jukeli shouted excitedly, jumping up and waving his fist. "We can finally go to Dragon Lake!"

Avril smiled too; this was the first time she had smiled genuinely since the trial began.

“Thank you, Adrian,” she said.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed them in a golden light.

The three left the training ground and continued towards Dragon Lake.