Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

With trepidation, the three embarked on the road leading to Longhu. The towering pillar of light, like a guiding light, pointed them in the right direction, yet it also seemed like an ominous premonition, casting a shadow over their hearts.

“I hope my hunch is wrong,” Juklee said in a low voice. “I don’t want to run into any more trouble.”

“Don’t worry, Juckley,” Avril comforted her, “we’ll get through this together.”

Adrian rode his frost dragon, circling in the air. "I will protect you," he said, "no matter what happens."

Along the way, they traversed dense forests, climbed treacherous peaks, and endured all sorts of trials. But the unease in Jukele's heart remained ever-present.

Finally, after several days of trekking, they arrived at the legendary Dragon Lake.

The majestic mountains, shrouded in mist, resemble a traditional Chinese ink painting. The lake, like a giant sapphire, shimmers under the sunlight, reflecting countless tiny golden sparkles.

In the distance, several snow-capped peaks, perpetually covered in snow, are reflected in the lake, like an inverted crystal painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

The fresh air carried a hint of moisture, mixed with a faint smell of sulfur, the mysterious aura of the geothermal hot springs deep in the lake, adding a touch of exotic charm to this fairyland-like scene.

Jukele stood by the lake, hands on his hips, taking a deep breath. His gaze lingered on the magnificent scenery, and an expression of amazement involuntarily appeared on his face.

"This is Longhu? It truly lives up to its reputation!" he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "If we could build a resort here, business would definitely boom!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a clearly mocking voice came from the jade pendant on his chest: "You idiot, all you know is eating, drinking, and having fun!" Little White's voice was full of disdain. "Don't forget why we're here!"

Juckley was startled by the sudden reprimand and quickly waved his hand to explain, "I know, I know," his tone slightly ingratiating.

“But enjoying the scenery won’t interfere with anything.” He turned to Avril beside him, his eyes filled with expectant approval. “Don’t you think so, Avril?”

However, Avril didn't seem to be in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery before her.

Her gaze was fixed intently on the calm lake surface, her eyes filled with complex emotions—anticipation, unease, longing, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

She gripped the golden wristband tightly, as if it were her only hope and support.

“Alright, let’s not waste any more time,” Avril suddenly spoke, her voice low and firm. “Let’s begin.”

She walked to the lakeside, her footsteps echoing clearly in the stillness. Following the ancient legend, she slowly crouched down and gently placed the golden bracelet in her hand into the lake water.

The moment the wristband touched the lake surface, the whole world seemed to freeze for a second.

Immediately afterwards, the calm lake surface began to churn violently, as if some enormous creature was about to burst from the lakebed. The water surged, waves splashed, and a huge whirlpool appeared on the surface, continuing to expand.

With a deafening roar, the lake surface seemed to be cleaved open by an invisible giant axe, and water splashed dozens of meters high.

To Juckley and Avril's horror, a massive black shadow slowly rose from the bottom of the lake. With a chilling roar, an ancient dragon appeared before them.

The size of this dragon far exceeded their expectations. It was more than twice the size of Adrian's Frost Dragon, and one of its claws was larger than a small car.

The dragon's entire body was covered in black scales that gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight; each scale was like an indestructible shield.

Its enormous eyes, like two burning molten lava, emitted a chilling light, as if they could see into one's soul.

"Roar—!" The dragon roared to the sky, letting out a deafening roar.

The powerful sound waves spread out, creating a gust of wind that caused the surrounding trees to sway and bend.

An indescribable pressure emanated from the dragon, and Juckley and Avril felt suffocated, as if an invisible mountain was pressing on their chests, making it almost impossible for them to breathe.

Jukeli was so terrified by the sudden scene that his face turned deathly pale, his legs trembling uncontrollably, almost causing him to kneel down. He stammered, "This...this is an ancient dragon?!"

His voice was filled with fear, "Xiaobai, have we... gotten into trouble?"

Xiao Bai's voice came from the jade pendant, tinged with schadenfreude: "You idiots, are you scared now? Who told you to move the wrist guards around like that?"

However, Avril's reaction was quite different. Ignoring Juckley's panic, she stared intently at the dragon, her eyes filled with a desire for challenge and a thirst for power.

“This is… the power I need!” she murmured, her voice low and resolute. “I will conquer it!”

The dragon seemed to sense Avril's provocation, a flash of anger appearing in its eyes. Suddenly, it spread its enormous wings, creating a gust of wind, and pounced towards Avril.

The dragon opened its blood-red maw, and a red light emanated from the depths of its throat. The next second, a stream of black flames erupted from it.

The air distorted wherever the flames passed, as if they were about to burn everything to ashes. Just as Avril was about to be swallowed by the terrifying dragon's breath, a figure suddenly descended from the sky.

"Avril, watch out!" Adrian's voice rang out as he rode the Frost Dragon, charging head-on towards the ancient dragon without hesitation. The Frost Dragon opened its mouth and spewed out a blast of icy air, which collided with the black flames, creating a violent explosion in mid-air.

The two dragons engaged in a fierce battle in the air. The ancient dragon had the advantage in strength and size, but Adrian and the frost dragon cooperated well and skillfully dodged each other's attacks.

The forces of ice and fire collided repeatedly, producing a deafening roar, and the magical light illuminated the entire sky, both magnificent and terrifying.

Jukeli's legs were already weak with fear. He hid behind a boulder, trembling as he watched the breathtaking battle unfolding in the sky. "Little White, what do we do now?" His voice was filled with fear and helplessness.

"You idiot, what are you standing there for?" Little White said anxiously. "While they're locked in a fierce battle, let's hurry to the bottom of the lake and find a way to reactivate the wristband!"

Jukeli then suddenly realized, "Oh right! How could I have forgotten about that!"

He slapped his forehead, hurriedly ran out from behind the rock, grabbed Avril's hand, and ran towards the lake.

"What are you doing?!" Avril was bewildered by Juckley's sudden action and asked in confusion.

"To the bottom of the lake!" Juklee shouted as he ran. "We need to find a way to awaken the bracers! Only then can we possibly control that ancient dragon!"

Avril hesitated for a moment, her gaze involuntarily turning to the two giant dragons locked in fierce combat in the sky. "But... Adrian..." Her voice was filled with worry.

“He’ll be alright,” Juklee said, trying to sound calm, though his voice was still trembling slightly. “He’s a dragon knight, dealing with a dragon shouldn’t be a problem for him.” He himself didn’t quite believe it when he said that.

Avril gave Juckley a long look, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Finally, she made up her mind, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, let's go to the bottom of the lake!"

The two arrived at the lakeside, exchanged a glance, and nodded in unison. Then, they leaped into the lake.

The icy lake water instantly enveloped their entire bodies, and the biting cold made them shiver involuntarily.

But they didn't care about that and swam desperately towards the bottom of the lake.

The lake grew deeper and deeper, and the light grew dimmer. The surrounding water pressure increased, making their movements slow and difficult.

The scene at the bottom of the lake gradually came into view, but the light was dim and visibility was extremely low.

Various exotic aquatic plants sway in the water, some even emitting a faint fluorescent glow, adding a touch of eerie beauty to this mysterious underwater world.

Juckley and Avril cautiously made their way forward, feeling their way along the bottom of the lake.

They carefully avoided the strangely shaped, unfriendly-looking aquatic creatures, afraid of disturbing something terrible.

Their movements stirred up the silt at the bottom of the lake, causing it to float in the water and further reducing visibility.

"Little White, do you know where the secret of the wristband is hidden?" Jukele asked in his mind. They had been searching the bottom of the lake for some time but had found nothing.

"You idiot, how would I know?" Little White said irritably. "Find it yourself! If you see any unusual magical fluctuations, I'll tell you."

Juckley sighed helplessly and could only continue searching the bottom of the lake. Just as they were about to give up, Avril suddenly pointed ahead, her expression excited.

Juckley looked in the direction she pointed and saw a huge stone tablet faintly visible deep at the bottom of the lake.

They swam to the stone tablet and discovered that it was covered with ancient and mysterious runes. These runes shimmered with a faint light and emitted powerful magical fluctuations.

Juckley and Avril looked at each other, both seeing surprise and anticipation in each other's eyes.

"What...what is this?" Avril asked with her eyes.

Jukeli shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either. But he had a vague feeling that this stone tablet was likely what they were looking for. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and activated the ability of his "Eye of Insight" to carefully observe the runes on the stone tablet.

These runes were ancient and mysterious, and Jukele had never seen them before. But through his "Eye of Insight," he could sense the powerful energy contained within them.

"Little White, quickly help me see what these runes mean?" Jukele called out in his mind.

Little White was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, it exclaimed, "I know! This is ancient dragon language... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."

Juckley and Avril's hearts raced; they knew they were getting closer and closer to their goal.