In the war between humans and demons, it's not unreasonable for me to absorb demonic energy, is

Fan Tong stared at the rune barrier, where the flowing runes resembled tiny snakes, shimmering with a ghostly blue light.

He reached out and gently touched the barrier with his fingertips. A warm sensation came through him, as if ancient energy was responding to his exploration.

He closed his eyes, concentrated, and tried to sense the patterns contained within the runes.

The spirit orb in his hand felt slightly warm, resonating with the runes on the barrier. A wisp of strange energy flowed into his body through his arm, giving him a tingling sensation.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, silent, with only the sound of runes flowing on the barrier, like a low chant.

Fan Tong took a deep breath, channeled the power of the spirit orb into his fingertips, and slowly moved it along the trajectory of the runes.

He felt a resistance, as if he were pushing open a heavy stone door.

He gritted his teeth and increased his spiritual power output, causing the runes on his fingertips to light up.

Suddenly, a soft "click" broke the silence.

Fan Tong's heart skipped a beat. A rune on the barrier suddenly dimmed, and then the surrounding runes began to extinguish one by one.

The barrier emitted a low rumble and slowly opened to both sides, revealing a passage leading into the interior of the ruins.

However, the moment the barrier opened, the ground began to shake, and a piercing metallic scraping sound came from deep within the passage.

Countless mechanical puppets poured out of the passage. They were two zhang tall and made of an unknown metal, gleaming with a cold luster.

Their eyes glowed red, locked onto Fan Tong, and they let out a silent roar.

Fan Tong felt a chill and immediately released his spiritual power to form a protective barrier.

The mechanical puppet brandished its sharp blade, slashing fiercely at the barrier, producing a deafening roar.

Fan Tong felt a powerful impact, which made him take a few steps back.

He brandished his spirit sword, unleashing a sharp sword aura that struck the puppets, but only left shallow marks on their hard metal shells.

"These puppets... how can they be so tough!" Fan Tong was secretly shocked. He discovered that his power was limited within the ruins, and he could not unleash his full strength.

A puppet suddenly broke through Fan Tong's defenses, and a huge metal fist smashed towards him.

"Damn it..." Fan Tong cursed under his breath and quickly dodged.

Fan Tong's spirit sword clashed with the puppet's metal shell, producing a series of ear-piercing metallic sounds.

Each attack felt like hitting a solid stone wall, leaving him feeling powerless.

The spirit pearl felt slightly warm in his hand, but it only released a weak amount of energy, a stark contrast to his usual powerful spiritual energy.

Fan Tong felt a wave of powerlessness, and his anxiety deepened. Sweat dripped down his forehead and onto the ground.

In this dark passage, Fan Tong could only rely on the faint light source to see everything around him.

His eyes were fixed on the puppet's movements, each dodge like dancing on a knife's edge.

The number of puppets increased, and their mechanical sounds and metallic scraping filled the entire passage, like a symphony of death.

Fan Tong's heart was racing, and each breath seemed particularly rapid.

"These puppets... how can they be so tough!" Fan Tong was secretly shocked, realizing that his power within the ruins was greatly restricted.

The output of spiritual energy was weak, and the power of the spirit orb seemed to be suppressed by some invisible force.

His body gradually became exhausted, and each dodge became more and more difficult.

But he did not give up; his eyes still shone with determination.

Just when Fan Tong felt helpless, the gentle smile of the girl in white appeared in his mind.

That smile was like a ray of light, piercing through the gloom in his heart and giving him boundless strength.

He took a deep breath,

"There must be a way!" Fan Tong encouraged himself silently. He carefully observed the movements of each puppet, trying to find their weaknesses.

Although the puppet's movements are mechanical, each attack follows a certain pattern.

Fan Tong's

Just as Fan Tong was about to make use of this discovery, a huge puppet suddenly crashed down from above, the powerful impact making it almost impossible for him to stand.

He clenched his teeth.

"I don't believe this ruin is truly unsolvable!" Fan Tong roared in a low voice, his spirit sword flashing with light. Just as he was preparing to launch a new attack, a deep roar suddenly came from the depths of the passage, as if an even greater danger was approaching.

Fan Tong's heart tightened, but the determination in his eyes did not waver in the slightest.

He gripped his spirit sword tightly, his eyes deep, as if he were ready to face new challenges.

Fan Tong's gaze was sharp and penetrating, piercing through the puppets' wielding blades and pointing directly at the darkness deep within the passage behind them.

He sensed that the puppets did not possess independent consciousness; their mechanical and synchronized actions clearly indicated that they were being controlled by some force.

A bold idea began to take root in his mind: instead of passively defending, why not strike at the heart of the enemy?

He took a deep breath, his spiritual power surging wildly within him. He no longer tried to fight the puppet, but instead moved like lightning, dodging and weaving through the narrow passage to avoid the puppet's attacks.

The sharp metal blades whistled past his clothes, and he could feel their icy chill, yet they didn't slow down at all.

He shot towards the core area deep within the passage like a sharp arrow.

The puppets' behavior pattern seemed to have been completely disrupted. They did not seem to have anticipated that Fan Tong would abandon the fight and instead rush towards the unknown area behind them.

The metallic scraping sound they emitted was slightly chaotic, but they still mechanically waved their arms, trying to block Fan Tong's path.

He felt like a bird soaring through a storm, facing the danger of being torn apart at every moment, but his eyes shone with determination, and his steps did not falter in the slightest.

Finally, he broke through the puppet's blockade and arrived in front of a core device surrounded by countless dark blue runes.

The device, like a beating heart, emitted a faint glow, and it was it that controlled all the puppets.

Without hesitation, Fan Tong raised his spirit sword, gathered all his spiritual power, and slashed fiercely at the core device.

A crisp cracking sound echoed throughout the passage. The runes on the device instantly dimmed, and the puppets fell to the ground like broken puppets, making dull thuds.

The entire passage fell silent instantly, with only Fan Tong's heavy breathing remaining.

He looked around and found a new entrance at the end of the passage.

A desire for adventure welled up within him, and he resolutely stepped into it.

At the end of the passage was a secret chamber, in the center of which sat an ancient treasure chest, its surface engraved with mysterious patterns and emitting a faint golden glow.

Fan Tong stepped forward and gently opened the treasure chest.

In an instant, a dazzling light shot out from the box, revealing a jet-black sword with a blood-red gem inlaid at its hilt, lying quietly inside.

He gripped the sword hilt, and a powerful force surged into his body instantly, like a raging tide, filling every corner of his body.

This force was gentle yet powerful, giving him an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

He gripped the sword tightly, feeling the ancient aura emanating from its blade, his heart filled with excitement and exhilaration.

He knew that this sword was no ordinary item; it would become a powerful aid on his path forward.

He carefully put the sword away and continued on his way.

However, when he passed through a narrow stone door, he found himself in a room full of traps.

The ground was covered with sharp barbs, and flame-throwing devices were hidden in the walls.

An unsettling atmosphere filled the air.

He looked at the dense array of traps before him, a hint of wariness in his eyes. He took a deep breath and began to carefully observe the distribution and patterns of the traps.