Possessed by my father, I was reborn and became the supreme ruler.

"Hold on!" Ye Yunjian shouted, his internal energy surging wildly and continuously pouring into the light screen.

The others gritted their teeth and unleashed their full power to maintain the stability of the light barrier.

The black energy waves, like roaring beasts, relentlessly pounded against the light screen, emitting deafening roars.

The runes on the light screen flickered erratically, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, as if they might go out at any moment.

Everyone's faces turned pale, large beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads, and their bodies began to tremble.

Time seemed to stand still, and every second felt incredibly long.

After an unknown amount of time, the black energy waves gradually dissipated, and the roaring sound gradually weakened.

Only then did everyone dare to slowly breathe a sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground and panting heavily.

"We...successfully?" the Spirit Clan girl asked weakly, her voice filled with disbelief.

Ye Yunjian looked around and saw that although everyone was exhausted, their faces showed the joy of surviving a disaster, and his heart was filled with emotion.

He stood up, looked at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "Yes, we succeeded! Together we overcame this disaster!"

However, just as everyone was immersed in joy, a sudden change occurred.

The ground began to shake, and the surrounding scenery began to distort and deform.

Mysterious runes suddenly appeared in the previously empty space, emitting an eerie light.

At the same time, some bottomless cracks appeared on the ground, like giant beasts ready to devour people, exuding a dangerous aura.

Looking at the sudden changes around him, Ye Yunjian felt a sense of foreboding.

He reached out to stop the crowd from getting up and said in a deep voice, "Wait, don't move!"

"What's wrong?" Lingxi asked, puzzled.

Ye Yunjian didn't answer, but stared intently at the mysterious runes on the ground, and slowly said, "Be careful, something's strange here..." Before he finished speaking, one of the runes suddenly lit up, shooting out a dazzling light...

Ye Yunjian's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's as he scanned the strange runes that appeared around him. They were like lurking venomous snakes, emitting a ghostly blue light that sent chills down one's spine.

On the ground, bottomless cracks resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast, exuding a dangerous aura.

A faint smell of sulfur permeated the air, irritating everyone's nasal passages.

"Be careful, these runes and cracks conceal deadly dangers." Ye Yunjian's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath and cautiously observed their surroundings.

Lingxi gripped Ye Yunjian's hand tightly, her palms damp with sweat.

The spirit girl hid behind the elder, her bright eyes filled with fear.

Jian Chen gripped his sword tightly, the blade emitting a slight hum, as if responding to its master's tense emotions.

Murong Feng and Xuan Feng were also on guard, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

A tense atmosphere filled the air, like a taut bowstring, ready to be released at any moment.

In the silence, only the sound of everyone's heartbeats and soft breathing could be heard.

Suddenly, a soft "click" broke the suffocating silence.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Jian Chen's foot had accidentally touched a rune that was flashing red.

It's too late to say, then soon!

A dazzling bolt of lightning, like an enraged python, shot out from the runes and cleaved straight at Jian Chen!

Although Jian Chen reacted quickly and tried to dodge, the lightning was too fast. He only had time to turn to the side before being struck in the left arm.

"Ah!" Jian Chen screamed in agony, his body trembling violently. His left arm went numb instantly, and the sword in his hand fell to the ground.

He staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground, pale-faced, with large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Seeing this, everyone was shocked and wanted to rush to their aid, but dared not make any rash moves.

No one knows what other traps might be around, and acting rashly will only trigger more dangers.

The oppressive atmosphere surged in like a tide, almost suffocating.

Gu Ying murmured to himself, a barely perceptible sneer playing on his lips, "Perhaps..." "This is an opportunity..."

Gu Ying's calculations were in full swing. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the fallen Jian Chen, his eyes filled with no pity, but rather with burning desire.

He felt that this group of people were a burden and would only slow down his treasure hunt.

He lowered his voice and said with a hint of impatience, "Gentlemen, this place is extremely dangerous. Rather than wasting time here, we should each find our own way to survive. My mind is made up, I'll go first."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples all around.

Murong Feng frowned. He was about to speak when Gu Ying interrupted him first.

"Senior Brother Murong, I know you are righteous, but the situation is special now. If we continue to stay together, we will all be trapped here. It's not that I'm abandoning you, but I want to find an exit first and then come back to rescue you!" Gu Ying spoke in a high-sounding manner, as if his actions were out of righteousness rather than selfishness.

Murong Feng was furious. He pointed at Gu Ying's nose and rebuked her sharply, "Gu Ying! What are you saying? We are fellow disciples. How can you abandon your companion at this critical moment of life and death? You keep saying it's for everyone, but all you see is the treasure. Where is your sense of camaraderie?" Murong Feng's voice was like a roaring lion, shaking the surrounding air.

Seeing Murong Feng's agitation, Gu Ying's face darkened, and he sneered, "Murong Feng, stop putting on airs! Who isn't thinking about themselves right now? The treasure is right in front of us, who wouldn't want it? I admit I'm selfish, but it's better than waiting to die here!" His voice carried a hint of sarcasm, as if mocking Murong Feng's stupidity and naivety.

The two were on the verge of a fight, the atmosphere extremely tense, as if a fierce conflict would erupt at any moment.

Jian Chen struggled to stand up, but fell down again due to the numbness in his left arm.

He watched the two arguing, his heart filled with helplessness and sorrow.

Just then, the spirit girl who had been hiding behind the elder suddenly let out a clear shout: "Wait! I see it clearly, there's a pattern among these runes!"

Everyone's attention was drawn to the sudden sound. A spirit girl stepped out from behind the elder, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light, and a soft white light condensing between her small palms.

She carefully cast the light over the runes beneath her feet, and the runes, which had been flashing a dangerous red light, instantly dimmed, as if they had been covered by ice and snow.

Everyone watched in astonishment at the scene before them. The tense atmosphere was eased somewhat by the actions of the spirit girl.

Ye Yunjian's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes.

This spirit girl might be the key to their escape from their predicament.

"These runes are a type of spiritual energy array. As long as they are temporarily sealed with special spiritual energy, they can be avoided." The spirit girl's tone carried a hint of pride, as if she had done something remarkable.

A sinister glint flashed in Gu Ying's eyes. He looked at the spirit girl, then at the sealed runes, his eyes gleaming with complex emotions.

"Oh? Is that so? That's wonderful..." A cold smile appeared on Gu Ying's lips as his figure slowly disappeared into the dark corner...

The moment the rune's light dimmed, the ground trembled, and a sickening scraping sound came from all directions.

Before everyone could even breathe a sigh of relief, countless burly puppets crawled out of the crack, their eye sockets gleaming with an eerie green light, like demons from hell.

The clanging of metal against metal was deafening. The puppets, wielding rusty swords, approached the group with a suffocating sense of oppression.

"Watch out!" Ye Yunjian shouted, drawing his Xuanhuo Sword. A crimson sword light sliced ​​through the air, cleaving the puppet at the forefront in two.

Jian Chen, Murong Feng, and Xuan Feng also made their moves, and in an instant, swords flashed and shadows danced, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

The puppets were numerous, tireless, and fearless.

Even after their limbs are severed, they will continue to attack due to inertia, making them impossible to defend against.

As everyone gradually felt their strength waning, Jian Chen's left arm was injured, making it difficult for him to move, and Murong Feng's clothes were also torn in several places, with blood seeping out.

During the fierce battle, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in Ye Yunjian's mind.

He sensed that the flow of spiritual energy around him seemed to have some connection with these runes.

He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy, and the movements of the Xuanhuo Sword in his hand changed accordingly.

Each move contains a unique rhythm, as if resonating with heaven and earth.

"That's it!" Ye Yunjian suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes gleaming.

He imparted the key points of his newly acquired swordsmanship to everyone, and they immediately grasped the essence and began to imitate him.

The sword light was like a rainbow, carrying an overwhelming force that crushed the puppets one by one.

With all the puppets destroyed, everyone was finally able to catch their breath.

Jian Chen and Murong Feng looked at Ye Yunjian with admiration, and even Gu Ying, who was always greedy and cunning, couldn't help but look at Ye Yunjian with new respect.

Just when everyone thought the crisis was over, the Spirit Clan girl exclaimed, "Look, everyone!" She pointed to the ground, and everyone then realized that the runes were not random, but arranged in a huge circular pattern, like a giant seal.

At the center of the seal, a chilling energy fluctuation emanated.

"What's down there...?" Murong Feng muttered to himself.

Ye Yunjian's eyes sharpened. "Go take a look."

A greedy glint flashed in Gu Ying's eyes, "Perhaps... it's a treasure!"

The group headed towards the center of the seal...

The center of the seal resembled a sleeping behemoth, emanating an unsettling aura.

Ye Yunjian held the Xuanhuo Sword, its blade emitting a faint red light that reflected on his cold and stern face.

He walked with extreme caution, as if he were stepping not on solid ground, but on an abyss that could collapse at any moment.

The surrounding air was stagnant and cold, and everyone's breathing could be clearly heard. The tense atmosphere clung to everyone's hearts like a spider web.

The eerie blue runes flickered like will-o'-the-wisps, their light reflecting off everyone's faces, adding to the strange atmosphere.

Lingxi followed closely behind Ye Yunjian. She could feel the chill emanating from the center of the seal, as if it were freezing her whole body.

A greedy glint flashed in Gu Ying's eyes, but he also restrained himself considerably, nervously observing everything around him.

Jian Chen, Murong Feng, and Xuan Feng, the three swordsmen, also gripped their swords tightly, ready to fight at any moment.

Suddenly, a powerful suction force erupted from the center of the seal, like a giant beast opening its blood-red maw.

Caught off guard, the spirit girl cried out in alarm as her body slid uncontrollably toward the center of the seal.

Her slender fingers drew deep lines on the ground, but they couldn't stop her from being sucked in.

"Help me!" she cried out in despair, her voice echoing in the empty space.

Gu Ying subconsciously reached out to grab it, but accidentally tripped over a protruding stone and fell heavily to the ground.

He watched helplessly as the spirit girl was swallowed up by the suction force, a look of horror flashing across his face.

Ye Yunjian's pupils shrank suddenly. Just as he was about to rush forward to help, he felt an even more powerful force surging out from the center of the seal.

The light suddenly intensified, blinding everyone.

When the light faded, everyone was horrified to discover that a tall figure had appeared at the center of the seal.

The figure had its back to the crowd, so its face was obscured, but it exuded a suffocating aura, like a demon god from hell.

"Situ... Jiuxiao!" Ye Yunjian's voice trembled, almost squeezed out from between his teeth.

Ye Yunjian's eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead as he struggled forward, trying to break through that invisible barrier.

But with each step he took forward, the suction force intensified, like an invisible hand pressing him firmly to the spot.

The Xuanhuo Sword hummed in his hand, as if it too felt resentful for him.

He felt a tightness in his chest, as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

Are we just going to watch another life disappear right before our eyes?

This feeling of powerlessness almost drove him crazy.

He clenched his teeth, his fists were tightly clenched, and his nails dug deep into his flesh, yet he felt no pain.

Fate, how exactly are you going to play tricks on me?

He felt an unprecedented rage burning in his chest.

Everyone else was stunned by this sudden turn of events, and they all stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

The elder of the Spirit Clan was filled with anxiety, but his aged body could no longer support him to take any effective action.

Only Senior Xuanfeng remained calm, unlike the others, observing his surroundings with composure.

His gaze swept over the shimmering runes, his brow furrowed, as if he were deep in thought.

Suddenly, he pulled out a magical artifact from his robes—a fiery red disc covered with intricate runes and radiating a scorching aura.

Without any hesitation, he forcefully hurled the disc at one of the runes.

"Senior Xuanfeng, what are you doing..." Murong Feng exclaimed in surprise, not understanding Senior Xuanfeng's intention.

The moment the disc collided with the rune, a crisp sound rang out, followed by a powerful energy wave that spread outwards.