A Fantasy Love Story Across the Warring States Period

Chapter 367 Searching for the Key, Danger Lurks Everywhere

Huanmo and the others gazed in the direction where the illusory figure had disappeared. Though their hearts were filled with worry about the impending trial, their eyes remained resolute. The surrounding space seemed much quieter after the shadows vanished, yet the unknown aura of danger remained undiminished. The shimmering gems on the walls now appeared somewhat sinister, as if watching their every move.

"Three keys, and we don't even know where they're hidden in this vast space. Time is limited, we have to act quickly," Huanmo said anxiously, his brows furrowed. He knew that every second wasted brought him closer to being trapped here, and the so-called great disaster hung like a sword of Damocles, preventing him from being careless in the slightest.

Yi Chen gripped the broken gun tightly, nodded, and said, "Then let's split up and search quickly; that way we can be more efficient. Everyone be careful; there are definitely still many dangers hidden in this place." Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was also worried inside, unsure of what difficulties they would encounter next, and even more afraid that his companions might meet with misfortune.

The woman in white trembled slightly, but still forced herself to remain calm and said, "Okay, let's stay in touch and support each other if anything happens." Her heart was filled with fear; the unknown dangers of this mysterious space left her somewhat at a loss, but the steadfastness of her companions gave her courage.

The mysterious figure looked at everyone and said, "Everyone must not let your guard down. These three trials will definitely be extremely difficult. If you encounter danger that you cannot overcome, do not be reckless, call for help immediately." He knew in his heart that this trial was by no means easy, and they had to be careful. The slightest mistake could lead to their utter destruction.

Then, the four of them set off in different directions. Huanmo walked along the edge of the space, his eyes carefully searching every corner. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, the silence unsettling. His heart pounded involuntarily, and he took each step cautiously, afraid of triggering some mechanism. "Where could the key be hidden? This space is so vast; finding all three keys is no easy task," Huanmo thought to himself as he searched, anxiety creeping into his heart.

As he walked, Huanmo came to a wall covered with strange patterns. These patterns seemed to tell a story, but he had no time to decipher them. He reached out and touched the wall, hoping to find some hidden compartments or passages. Just then, the wall suddenly shook, and a hidden door slowly opened. Huanmo's heart leaped with joy, "Could the key be inside?" However, when the hidden door fully opened, a pungent black smoke rushed out. Huanmo quickly held his breath and stepped back. When the smoke dissipated slightly, he looked closely and saw a huge black spider inside the door, its eyes flashing with an eerie red light, staring at him menacingly.

"Looks like trouble's brewing." Huanmo gripped the artifact tightly, a mix of tension and excitement coursing through him, for he suspected this spider might be connected to the key. The spider hissed, its eight long legs moving swiftly as it lunged at Huanmo. Huanmo dodged to the side, the spider missing its target, its legs carving deep gashes in the ground. Huanmo seized the opportunity to attack, the artifact unleashing a beam of light that struck the spider's body. The spider let out a painful screech, but quickly recovered and continued its attack on Huanmo.

Meanwhile, Yi Chen encountered trouble on the other side of the space. He came to an area covered in spikes, the ground and walls densely covered with sharp points. In the center of this area was a box that shimmered faintly; he guessed the key might be inside. Just as he cautiously approached the box, the spikes began to extend and retract rapidly, trying to block his progress. Yi Chen dodged left and right, but still suffered several cuts from the spikes. "How am I going to get through this?" Yi Chen was extremely anxious, looking at the box so close yet so far, unable to reach it, and he felt somewhat frustrated.

As the woman in white searched for the key, she discovered a narrow passage. A light mist filled the passage, obscuring her view. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to venture in. She hadn't gone far when she heard a deep roar. As she went deeper, a massive black panther emerged from the mist. The panther exuded a powerful aura, its eyes fixed on the woman in white, ready to attack at any moment. The woman in white was startled and quickly brandished her ribbon, assuming a defensive stance. "It seems I've encountered a formidable foe," she thought, her heart pounding as she nervously watched the panther's every move.

The mysterious figure arrived at a hall filled with various statues. These statues were diverse in form and lifelike. The mysterious figure carefully observed them, noticing that one statue seemed to be holding something in its hand. He approached to investigate. The moment he drew near, all the statues came to life, surrounding him. The mysterious figure inwardly cursed, quickly gathering his power to prepare for a counterattack. "What are these statues? It seems this test is more difficult than I imagined." A hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes as he warily surveyed the surrounding statues.

The battle between Huanmo and the black spider intensified, the spider's attacks growing increasingly fierce, and Huanmo was gradually finding himself struggling. "No, I have to finish it off quickly, or I'll run out of time." Huanmo was anxious, concentrating his efforts to find the spider's weakness. Finally, he discovered that before each attack, the spider's legs would pause briefly. Just as the spider lunged again, Huanmo seized the opportunity, dodging the attack while simultaneously stabbing the spider's leg where it had paused with his divine weapon. The spider let out a scream, its body convulsed a few times, and it collapsed to the ground. Huanmo breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, where the spider had fallen, he found a key emitting a faint glow. "Finally found one!" Huanmo shouted excitedly, his anxiety lessening somewhat.

Yi Chen stared at the constantly extending and retracting spikes, lost in thought. He observed the pattern of the spikes' movements for a while, noticing a brief pause between each extension and retraction. He took a deep breath, seized the opportunity, and at the instant the spikes retracted, swiftly rushed towards the central box. Before the spikes could extend again, he successfully retrieved the box. Opening it, he found a key inside. "Great!" A smile spread across Yi Chen's face, and the pressure in his heart eased considerably.

The woman in white confronted the black panther, who suddenly attacked, lunging at her like a black lightning bolt. The woman in white quickly wielded her ribbon, which transformed into streaks of white light, attempting to block the panther's attack. The panther was too fast, and the woman in white was struggling to defend herself. Just as the panther was about to pounce, she suddenly had an idea. She tied one end of the ribbon to a nearby stone pillar, then pulled hard, using the ribbon's momentum to swing herself into the air. The panther missed its target and crashed into the pillar. The woman in white seized the opportunity to land behind the panther and wrap the ribbon around its neck. The panther struggled, but the woman in white held on tightly to the ribbon. After a fierce struggle, the panther finally collapsed to the ground. The woman in white found a key in the panther's lair.

The mysterious figure was surrounded by statues, which launched a barrage of attacks. The figure dodged and weaved, simultaneously unleashing runes to strike the statues. However, the statues seemed tireless, charging in wave after wave. The mysterious figure's strength gradually waned, and his face grew increasingly pale. "This won't do; I have to find a way to break through," the figure thought anxiously. He looked around, trying to find a weakness in the statues. Just then, he noticed that one of the statues was moving somewhat slowly, seemingly the key to the entire attack rhythm. He concentrated his power and attacked that statue. After much effort, he finally shattered it. With the shattering of this statue, the other statues ceased their attacks and collapsed to the ground. The mysterious figure found a key among the broken statues.

After resolving their respective crises, the four returned to the central stone platform with the keys they had found. As they placed the three keys on the platform, it emitted a burst of light, and a portal appeared before them.

"It seems this is the passage to the second trial," Huanmo said, looking at the portal radiating a mysterious light. His heart was filled with both anticipation and apprehension. He wondered what the second trial would be like, and what dangers awaited them.

However, just as they were about to step into the portal, they suddenly heard heavy footsteps. The sound came from afar, growing closer and closer, as if something enormous was approaching them.