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

Her gaze turned icy as she looked at the rune spirit, the magical artifact in her hand gleaming. "Dare to hurt him, and I'll fight you to the death!" she shouted, charging towards the rune spirit to join Ye Yunjian in their battle.

In an instant, sword light flashed, spells flew, and the entire space was filled with the clamor of battle.

Ye Yunjian and Lin Yao worked together seamlessly, exchanging blows and fighting the rune spirit to a standstill.

However, the rune elves were too powerful, and they gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Just then, Elder Xuanfeng...

Upon seeing this, Elder Xuanfeng quickly sat cross-legged, formed hand seals, and began chanting incantations.

A gentle spiritual energy emanated from him, enveloping Nie Hanshan and Gu Ling.

Nie Hanshan felt his splitting headache gradually lessen, and the images in his mind gradually faded away.

He took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and Gu Ling gradually calmed down. His body stopped trembling, and he tightly grasped Elder Xuanfeng's hand, as if he had grabbed a lifeline.

"Thank you, Elder!" Nie Hanshan and Gu Ling said in unison, their eyes shining with determination.

They stood up, drew their weapons, and prepared to join the battle.

The long sword in Nie Hanshan's hand gleamed coldly, its blade whistling as it sliced ​​through the air.

Gu Ling then took out a handful of talismans from his pocket. The talismans shimmered with a strange light, and a powerful force was contained within them.

"Let's fight together!" Nie Hanshan shouted, his figure charging towards the rune spirit like a tiger descending a mountain.

He brandished his longsword, the blade flashing, and the sharp sword energy swept out like a whirlwind.

Gu Ling followed closely behind, his talismans flying out and transforming into streaks of golden light that streaked across the night sky like shooting stars.

Seeing their companions join the battle, Ye Yunjian and Lin Yao were also invigorated.

Ye Yunjian brandished his longsword, his sword energy crisscrossing, intertwining with Nie Hanshan's blade light to form an impenetrable attack net.

Lin Yao continuously cast spells, with flashes of light providing support for her companions while also interfering with the rune spirits' actions.

Seeing the group so united, the rune spirit stopped attacking and quietly observed them, seemingly re-evaluating them.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the rune sprite warily, wondering what it was up to.

After a moment, the rune sprite spoke, "I saw your sincerity and courage, and I saw the bond between you. You have passed my test." Its tone was no longer cold, but rather carried a hint of appreciation.

The group looked at each other, hardly believing their ears.

The rune sprites' change of attitude caught them somewhat off guard.

"What exactly is going on?" Ye Yunjian asked in confusion.

The rune spirit explained, "This is an ancient trial ground. The man in black robes lured you here to obtain its power. He wants to use your blood and souls to break the seal here and gain immense power."

Everyone suddenly realized the truth of the matter.

They were filled with anger and felt an intense hatred for the black-robed man's plot.

"Then what should we do?" Lin Yao asked.

The rune spirit said, "You need to find the core of the Trial Grounds and destroy it to stop the black-robed man's plot."

Everyone nodded, their hearts filled with determination.

They knew the journey ahead would be even more arduous, but they were prepared.

"The core of the Trial Grounds is..." The rune spirit suddenly stopped, looked at everyone, and ultimately did not reveal the location of the core.

"What's wrong?" Ye Yunjian noticed the rune spirit's unusual behavior and quickly asked.

The rune sprite shook its head and said, "There are some things I cannot tell you. You will have to find the answers yourselves." After it finished speaking, its figure gradually disappeared, leaving only a mysterious smile.

Everyone looked at each other, filled with doubts.

They didn't know why the rune spirits were hiding the location of the core, nor did they know how to find it next.

"What should we do?" Gu Ling asked anxiously.

Ye Yunjian took a deep breath, looked around, and his gaze fell on the runes on the wall.

“Perhaps the answer lies within these runes…” he said slowly, reaching out to gently stroke the runes on the wall.

A strange feeling welled up inside him, as if the runes were telling him something...

Ye Yunjian lightly touched the cold runes with his fingertips, and a strange energy fluctuation spread along his arm.

He closed his eyes, and fragmented images appeared in his mind. Ancient runes twinkled like stars, eventually converging into a blurry direction.

"Open your eyes, Ye Yunjian"

The group followed Ye Yunjian, traversing the ruins of the ancient trial grounds.

The air was filled with the long-dormant earthy smell, mixed with a strange fragrance that invigorated the senses.

The surrounding light was dim, with only the runes on the walls shimmering with a faint blue light illuminating their path.

Lin Yao held a luminous pearl tightly in her hand. Its soft light dispelled the surrounding darkness and illuminated the uneven road beneath her feet.

Nie Hanshan occasionally touched the surrounding walls, feeling the vicissitudes and weight of the ancient buildings.

Gu Ling followed closely behind the group, constantly glancing around warily, as if afraid that some danger might suddenly appear.

The deeper you go, the richer the fragrance in the air becomes, making you feel refreshed and relaxed.

The view before them gradually opened up, and a magnificent palace came into view.

The palace walls were inlaid with countless gems, which shimmered brilliantly in the dim light, like stars in the night sky.

"Is this... the core of the Trial Grounds?" Gu Ling's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of excitement and fear.

Before Ye Yunjian could answer, a burst of arrogant laughter shattered the surrounding tranquility.

"Hahaha! Looks like we're in luck, we've actually run into a fat sheep!"

A group of people dressed in black, wearing ferocious masks, emerged from the shadows of the palace. They held sharp blades and their eyes were filled with greed.

The leader was a burly man who held a huge battle axe in his hand and exuded a chilling aura.

“Bloodthirsty bandits!” Nie Hanshan recognized the group at a glance, and his expression immediately turned serious.

"Hand over all the treasures you've found, and I'll spare your lives!" the Blood Fiend bandit leader roared, his voice echoing like thunder throughout the palace.

Ye Yunjian gripped his sword tightly, his eyes icy: "If you want the treasure, let's see if you have the ability!"

"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" The Blood Fiend Bandit leader sneered. "Brothers, charge!"

The Blood Fiend bandits pounced on Ye Yunjian and his group like hungry wolves.

They were numerous, wielding all sorts of weapons, and their battle cries were deafening.