Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

Inside the blue portal, Jukeli found himself in a labyrinthine room. The room was filled with strange symbols and patterns, and ancient scrolls hung on the walls, exuding an air of antiquity.

The walls of the room were made of some kind of metallic material, gleaming with a cold luster, and the entire space was filled with a sense of oppression. Jukele looked around, a confused expression on his face. He felt his mind go blank, completely unaware of how to begin this trial.

"Is this supposed to be a puzzle?" Jukele scratched his head, his brow furrowed. "This is way too much trouble." He wasn't good at thinking, and faced with such a complex puzzle, he felt a headache coming on.

Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly remembered Xiaobai's words: "Silly pig, don't forget your 'Eye of Insight'!" Xiaobai's voice seemed to echo in his ears, reminding him of the special ability he possessed.

Jukeli closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused his mind to activate the power of his "Eye of Insight." A warm energy flowed from between his brows to his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him had instantly changed.

The previously chaotic symbols and patterns became clear in his eyes, radiating a different light. He saw the hidden patterns and connections within them, as if a layer of fog had been lifted to reveal the hidden truth.

"I see!" Juklee exclaimed, a look of excitement spreading across his face. "These symbols are actually an ancient language; they contain the code to unlock the mechanism!"

He discovered that the symbols and patterns on the wall were arranged in a certain order, forming complete texts, which were the key to unlocking the room's mechanisms.

Following the symbols, he unraveled the puzzles and mechanisms in the room step by step. Turning the symbols on the walls and pressing the patterns on the floor triggered hidden mechanisms, causing the walls to move and reveal new passages and puzzles. He continued to solve puzzles and advance, as if immersed in a giant maze game, full of challenge and fun.

Finally, he found the key to leave the room—a gem that shimmered with blue light, lying quietly on a stone platform in the center of the room. The blue portal opened again, and Jukli walked out triumphantly, a victorious smile on his face. He felt an immense sense of accomplishment, as if he had completed a great task.

"Haha, I passed! How about that? Aren't I amazing?" Juckley said boastfully, his eyes gleaming with pride. He couldn't wait to share his joy with Avril.

Avril breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Juckley return safely, but she said aloud, "What's there to be so proud of? They were just child's play puzzles." She didn't want Juckley to get too cocky, and she also wanted to hide her own worry.

"Tch, you're just being stubborn!" Juckle rolled his eyes at her, a disdainful expression on his face. "If you had gone into that room, you'd probably still be wandering around in circles right now!" He knew that although Avril was powerful in magic, she wasn't good at thinking. If he asked her to solve the puzzle, she would probably be in an even more embarrassing situation than he was.

Avril ignored him and walked to the golden portal, the trial representing the "Hand of Power." The golden light shone like the sun, full of power and majesty, seemingly foreshadowing the cruelty and intensity of the trial. She took a deep breath, a determined glint in her eyes; she knew this would be the most difficult challenge she had ever faced.

“I’m going,” she said to Juckley and Adrian, her voice brimming with confidence. Then, she resolutely stepped into the portal, the golden light slowly fading behind her, leaving only the cold, black rock walls.

Through the golden portal, Avril found herself in a space resembling an arena. High stone walls surrounded the space, the ground was covered in fine sand, and the air was thick with the atmosphere of battle.

Suddenly, a deafening roar rang out, and a huge gargoyle appeared in front of Avril.

Carved from black rock, it exuded an evil aura, its eyes burning with red flames, and it charged towards Avril, wielding a huge stone hammer, as if to crush her into dust.

A hint of surprise flashed in Avril's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

She straightened her chest and shouted, "Come on!" She fearlessly faced the gargoyle, the magic staff in her hand radiating a dazzling light, as if responding to her fighting spirit.

Undeterred, Avril brandished her magic wand, unleashing powerful magical attacks in a fierce battle against the gargoyles. Magical light flashed in the arena, and multicolored magical energy collided with the black rocks, creating deafening explosions.

The gargoyles' roars and Avril's incantations mingled together, creating an exceptionally intense scene, like a breathtaking magical performance.

However, the gargoyle's defenses were astonishing; Avril's magical attacks had almost no effect on it. Fire magic burned its body but caused no damage; frost magic froze it but couldn't stop its movements; lightning magic struck it, only causing it to pause slightly. Avril was panting heavily, her forehead covered in sweat. She had already cast dozens of spells in succession, but the gargoyle remained unscathed.

"Damn it!" Avril said through gritted teeth, a hint of anxiety flashing in her eyes. She began to doubt whether she could defeat this powerful opponent.

Just then, Jukele's voice suddenly rang in her ear: "Avril, calm down! Observe carefully, it must have a weakness!"

Avril then realized that she had been too eager for quick results. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She began to carefully observe the gargoyle's movements, no longer blindly casting spells, but searching for its weaknesses.

His eyes gleamed with focused attention, like an experienced hunter tracking his prey.

Suddenly, Avril noticed that the gargoyle would pause briefly before each attack, as if it were gathering its strength.

On its chest was a red gem, shimmering faintly, a stark contrast to its black body, as if it were its only weakness.

"Could that be its weakness?" A thought flashed through Avril's mind, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes. She decided to take the risk and place all her hopes on this final attack.

Avril waved her magic wand again, this time concentrating all her energy to unleash a powerful lightning spell.

The lightning bolt, like an angry silver serpent, struck the gargoyle's chest gem with destructive power, shattering the red gem into countless fragments.

With a deafening roar, the gargoyle's body trembled violently. The black rocks began to crack, the red flames gradually died down, and then it collapsed into a pile of rubble, like a black mountain collapsing, raising clouds of dust.

The golden portal opened again, and Avril stepped out, a victorious smile on her face and a proud gleam in her eyes. She had defeated the powerful gargoyle, proving her strength and her right to wield the bracers.

"How about that? Aren't I amazing?" she said proudly to Juckley and Adrian, her voice filled with pride. She was enjoying the joy of victory and looking forward to their praise.

Juckley smiled and gave a thumbs up, his eyes sparkling with admiration: "You're amazing, Avril!" He genuinely admired Avril's courage and strength, and was happy for her victory.

Adrian nodded, an approving expression on his face: "Congratulations, you have proven that you possess the power to control the bracers." He acknowledged Avril's power and believed she could become a qualified guardian of the bracers.

The three successfully passed the trial, and the magic circle was activated. A dazzling beam of light shot out from the magic circle, pointing straight to the sky like a sharp sword, piercing the darkness and guiding them towards Dragon Lake. The atmosphere in the hall changed accordingly, becoming relaxed and hopeful.

“It seems we’ve found the way to Dragon Lake,” Avril said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Next, all we need to do is…” Before she could finish, Jukele interrupted her.

"Wait!" Juckley suddenly interrupted Avril. He looked at the pillar of light, his brows furrowed, and a hint of unease flashed in his eyes. He sensed that the pillar of light was not just a simple way of indicating direction.

"What's wrong?" Avril and Adrian asked at the same time, their faces showing confusion. They didn't understand why Juckley had suddenly become so tense.

“That beam of light seems to be summoning something,” Juklee’s voice was filled with worry. “I have a bad feeling.”

He sensed a powerful force approaching, a force filled with malice. Juckley's words made Avril and Adrian feel uneasy as well.