I was so scared that I put all my points into health.

The Fairy King Dragon (in human form) was completely absorbed in playing Pokémon Diamond, his focused expression suggesting he was utterly immersed in the game's world. His slender fingers moved deftly across the controller, the flickering light on the screen illuminating his handsome features. However, amidst this enjoyable gameplay, a strange feeling suddenly washed over him; the connection between him and Wang Xiaoyi seemed to have been abruptly severed by an invisible force.

The Elf King Dragon (in human form) abruptly raised his head, his previously relaxed and cheerful expression instantly replaced by surprise. He stared at the NDS in his hand, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion, muttering to himself, "What happened? How could we suddenly lose contact?" His once bright and lively eyes now revealed a hint of worry.

Then, without hesitation, the Elemental Dragon (in human form) put down his NDS and stood up. He hurriedly left the room, giving his mother a brief greeting as he stepped out. Before he could even finish speaking, his body began to change. His clothes bulged at the back, a powerful force surged from within him, and with flashes of light, his form shrank rapidly, transforming into an Elemental Dragon in parrot form.

With a flap of its wings, the parrot-shaped elven dragon transformed into a streak of lightning, hurtling towards the direction where Wang Xiaoyi had disappeared. Its speed was incredible, leaving a dazzling trail across the sky like a brilliant shooting star.

At this moment, Wang Xiaoyi sat quietly beside the old man, his eyes filled with confusion. The old man's weathered face was etched with deep wrinkles, and he slowly said in a low, hoarse voice, "You're awake."

Wang Xiaoyi was filled with questions. He took a deep breath and asked the old man, "Sir, what place is this? I feel this place is very mysterious and dangerous." The old man shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness and sorrow in his eyes, and slowly said, "I don't know where this is either. I woke up here, and I can't remember anything from before." His voice was tinged with loneliness, as if he had lost all his past memories, leaving only a blank.

Wang Xiaoyi frowned, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Then, sir, how do we get out of here?" The old man shook his head again, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness: "I don't know how long I've been trapped here. This place is like an endless cage. I've been searching for an exit, but I can't find it."

The old man paused for a moment, then looked at Wang Xiaoyi with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Young man, how did you get here?" Wang Xiaoyi took a deep breath and recounted in detail how he fell into the time rift.

After listening to Wang Xiaoyi's story, the old man looked surprised. He slowly said, "Falling into a time turbulence is extremely dangerous. That kind of power is extremely strong, and you could be instantly killed by the power of time. It's usually a matter of life and death. You are very lucky to have survived."

Wang Xiaoyi nodded, pondering to himself that perhaps it was all some kind of preordained arrangement. He took a deep breath and calmly took the small, tattered shield from his backpack. The shield had now returned to its original state; although it was still covered in rust, the rust was much less than before. Even more surprisingly, in the dim light, the golden cross in the center of the shield began to emit a mysterious and faint glow, like a ray of dawn in the darkness, seemingly concealing countless unfathomable secrets.

The old man's gaze was instantly drawn to the small, tattered shield, his eyes flashing with a complex mix of doubt, curiosity, and longing. Wang Xiaoyi keenly noticed the change in the old man's expression, and a sense of unease arose in his heart. Just then, he seemed to hear a voice calling to him, a voice that seemed to guide him to make contact with the old man. But that voice was completely different from the hoarse, aged voice of the old man before him; it was a younger, louder voice.

After a moment's hesitation, the old man seemed to finally make up his mind, slowly reaching out to take the small, tattered shield and examine it closely. Seeing this, Wang Xiaoyi didn't immediately hand it over. He was filled with a sense of danger, and naturally, he would remain wary of this complete stranger. After all, in this adventurous world full of unknowns and dangers, who could guarantee that this seemingly ordinary old man wasn't a demon lurking in the shadows? Could he be disguised as an old man, specifically there to steal his only key to escape—this small, tattered shield?

Various thoughts flashed through Wang Xiaoyi's mind. He couldn't help but ask himself: Would handing the shield to him really be dangerous? He had originally planned to contact his teacher first, but now he couldn't reach him. This made him feel helpless and anxious. However, just then, he suddenly remembered his Cowardice skill. This skill always activated in time when he faced mortal danger, protecting him from harm. So, Wang Xiaoyi decided to take the risk and handed the small, tattered shield to the old man.

At that moment, Wang Xiaoyi was intently observing the old man's reaction. He nervously awaited the signal to activate the Cowardice skill. However, to his surprise, even after he had completely handed the small, broken shield to the old man, the Cowardice skill remained completely inactive. At this moment, Wang Xiaoyi's vigilance eased slightly, and he began to believe that the old man might not be a bad person after all.

Just then, a miraculous scene unfolded. The small, tattered shield in the old man's hands began to change, little by little. The rust-covered surface seemed to be peeled away by an invisible force, revealing the shield's original luster. The patterns on the shield became clearer, the mysterious and ancient lines seeming to tell a story of a long-forgotten history. Most astonishingly, the golden cross in the center emitted an even stronger light, as if the entire shield had been infused with new life, radiating a mysterious and ancient aura that moved everyone present.

The small, tattered shield, originally covered in rust, began to undergo a wondrous transformation in the old man's veined and age-spotted hands. The layers of rust, like stubborn peeling away of a fragile old wall under the erosion of time, were being gently yet firmly removed bit by bit by an invisible, mysterious force. As the rust faded, the previously blurry, indistinct patterns on the shield gradually became clear, as if redrawn by an unseen, skillful hand.

The golden cross pattern at the very center of the shield, like a brilliant star long covered in dust, emanated an increasingly intense and fiery aura under the gradually brightening light. The entire shield seemed to be infused with a mysterious life force, no longer its previous dilapidated state, but gradually radiating a new and powerful vitality. A mysterious and ancient aura, like a misty haze, slowly spread and lingered in the surrounding space.

The old man's eyes were tightly caressing the small, tattered shield. His once cloudy, dull eyes, as if shrouded in a thick haze, were now gradually brightening, like the dawn breaking through the darkness. His previously hunched body, like an old tree weathered by wind and rain, was imperceptibly beginning to straighten and straighten. The moment his back straightened, it was as if a miracle of time reversing was taking place. The deep, ravine-like wrinkles on his face, and the bulging veins and loose, parched skin on his hands, were slowly regaining their elasticity, like withered branches bursting with life again, radiating new vitality under the nourishment of spring rain.

The small, tattered shield was undergoing an astonishing transformation. Its size steadily increased, growing larger and larger until it was significantly larger than when Wang Xiaoyi had first taken it from his backpack. Now, it was large enough to completely conceal Wang Xiaoyi, resembling a sturdy, mobile fortress. The small, tattered shield was like a wounded warrior recovering and donning his armor again, gradually returning to its original state. This enormous silver shield had two elegant semicircles in its upper half, like two echoing crescent moons, while the lower half was a full oval shape, radiating a heavy, textured light. The shield was densely engraved with intricate and mysterious runes, like the mystical totems of an ancient tribe, carrying endless secrets and power. And the golden cross at the very center of the shield, like a dazzling core, shone particularly brightly, as if telling a legendary story sealed by time, exuding a power that inspired awe and longing.

The old man's appearance was also constantly changing. His once loose and weathered face began to become firm and smooth, and his wrinkles disappeared, as if the traces of time had been erased by magic. His voice also changed from being hoarse, low, and aged, like the sound of an old bellows being pulled, to being clear and loud. When that voice rang out, it was exactly the same as the old man who had just interacted with Wang Xiaoyi.

The radiant man raised the great shield high, his excitement overflowing. Like a child who had found a lost treasure, he exclaimed, "I remember! My name is Castiel, and I am the Guardian of Time. I was born to protect the goddess Veronica. This shield is my companion, the source of my protective power; it is called the Star Shield."

At that very moment, a crisp system notification rang out, like a melodious bell ringing in one's ear: "Ding, you have lost the quest item Rusty Little Shield, but have obtained the quest item Time Guardian equipment, Star Time Illusion Shield."

Upon hearing the notification sound, Wang Xiaoyi's eyes lit up instantly, like two shining stars. He jumped up excitedly, his heart pounding like a blazing fire. He eagerly opened his backpack, his eyes searching frantically. Sure enough, a Star Time Shield radiating a mysterious light appeared inside. His eyes were filled with covetousness for this powerful equipment. He cautiously reached out, wanting to take it out for a closer look and equip it. However, when he tried to equip it, he discovered that the notification indicated it was just a quest item and couldn't be equipped directly. His enthusiasm was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head; his joyful expression instantly froze on his face, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, thinking to himself, "What a waste of time."