Qingfeng Longying Xianfei Jue

The torrential rain pounded against the windshield of the SUV, making a dull thud. Lin Yu gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white, while Su Ran beside him glanced nervously out the window every now and then. They were professional adventure bloggers, who, having heard that mysterious ruins were hidden in this ancient forest, had embarked on this adventure to attract viewers. As the car reached the edge of the forest, the navigation system suddenly malfunctioned, and cell phone signal completely disappeared, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Just then, a sharp screech of brakes pierced the rainy night, and the SUV came to a difficult stop in the mud—the road ahead was blocked by a fallen giant tree. Lin Yu and Su Ran had no choice but to put on their raincoats, grab their flashlights, and prepare to hike into the forest. The moment they stepped into the forest, a putrid smell assaulted their nostrils. The towering trees blocked out the sun, making the flashlight beams incredibly weak in the thick darkness. The rain seemed to be intensifying, the raindrops pattering eerily on the leaves, as if countless eyes were watching them from the shadows.

They hadn't walked far when Su Ran suddenly stopped, her face ashen. "Lin Yu, did you hear anything?" Lin Yu pricked up his ears. Through the intermittent rain, he faintly heard a low roar, like the sound of some large wild beast. Their hearts leaped into their throats. They huddled closer, warily scanning their surroundings. Just as they were about to turn back, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. In the flash, they saw a stone house, barely visible in the distance, swaying precariously in the wind and rain. Driven by an instinct for survival, the two ran towards the stone house.

Pushing open the door, a damp, musty smell hit them. The room was filled with old, broken clutter, and cobwebs covered the corners. Lin Yu shone his flashlight around and suddenly noticed strange symbols and patterns on the walls, resembling some kind of ancient script. Su Ran cautiously approached a mural depicting a group of people surrounding a large altar, upon which lay a figure radiating light. The people around them seemed to be performing some kind of sacrificial ritual. Just as she was examining it closely, a chilling wind whistled behind her, followed by a loud bang as the door slammed shut, trapping the two inside the mysterious stone house…

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Lin Yu rushed to the door and pulled hard, but it wouldn't budge, as if locked by a mysterious force. Su Ran's breathing quickened, fear spreading in her eyes: "Lin Yu, what's going on?" Lin Yu frowned, his flashlight beam rapidly scanning the room, trying to find a way out. Just then, an inconspicuous box in the corner caught his attention. The box was covered with the same mysterious symbols as on the wall, seemingly telling a story of untold secrets.

Lin Yu carefully opened the box, and a musty smell wafted out. Inside lay a leather diary, its pages yellowed and edges curled. Su Ran leaned closer, and the two of them opened the diary together. The diary's owner was an archaeologist named Chen Feng, and it recorded his terrifying experiences in this forest. Chen Feng mentioned that a supernatural creature existed in this forest, guarding a mysterious power deep within, and any intruder would be cursed. The stone house was once a place of worship, and on rainy nights, the sealed power would stir.

As they read on, Lin Yu and Su Ran grew increasingly pale. Suddenly, a sharp scraping sound came from above. Looking up, they saw cracks appearing in the ceiling, from which a sticky liquid slowly dripped. At the same time, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside, as if something was approaching. Su Ran grabbed Lin Yu's arm in terror: "What should we do?" Lin Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself: "Let's find somewhere to hide."

The two hid behind a pile of clutter, barely daring to breathe. The footsteps grew closer, and then the door was flung open with tremendous force. A figure radiating an eerie glow slowly entered. It was tall, its features indistinct, and exuded a nauseating stench of decay. Lin Yu gripped Su Ran's hand tightly, his nails almost digging into her skin. The monster circled the room a few times, seemingly searching for something. Suddenly, it stopped, slowly turning its head to look in the direction where the two were hiding. Although he couldn't see its eyes, Lin Yu could feel a chilling gaze piercing through the darkness, directed at them.

Just as the monster was closing in, Lin Yu noticed a rusty key at the bottom of the box, also engraved with mysterious symbols. A thought struck him; he deduced this might be the key to opening the door. Taking advantage of the monster's momentary distraction, Lin Yu grabbed Su Ran and rushed out towards the door. The monster let out an angry roar and lunged at them. Lin Yu frantically inserted the key into the lock, and just as the monster was about to touch them, the door creaked open.

The two rushed into the rain without hesitation, the roars of monsters echoing behind them. They ran desperately in the darkness, the muddy ground nearly causing them to slip and fall several times. After running for an unknown amount of time, an open space appeared ahead, and a massive altar came into view. The altar emitted a ghostly blue light, surrounded by a ring of stone pillars, each inscribed with mysterious runes. Lin Yu and Su Ran hesitated for a moment, then walked towards the altar.

As they approached the altar, the ground suddenly trembled violently, and beams of light shot out from the altar, soaring into the sky. Immediately afterward, the surrounding space began to distort, and countless illusory figures emerged from the light—the very figures depicted in the murals participating in the ritual. These figures floated in mid-air, emitting eerie chants. Lin Yu and Su Ran were stunned by this sudden sight, their bodies seemingly frozen in place, unable to move.

Just then, a familiar voice rang in their ears. Turning around, they saw it was Chen Feng, the owner of the diary. But Chen Feng's eyes were vacant, his skin pale, and he emanated an eerie light like a monster. Chen Feng slowly spoke: "You shouldn't have come here. Whoever trespasses into this forest will become a sacrifice to the guardian power." Lin Yu mustered his courage and asked, "What can we do to leave?" Chen Feng smiled coldly: "Only by offering sacrifices to appease the guardian power's anger can you leave alive."

Lin Yu and Su Ran exchanged a glance, realizing that the sacrifice Chen Feng spoke of was themselves. Just as they were in despair, Lin Yu suddenly remembered a passage in his diary mentioning that at the crucial moment of the sacrificial ceremony, the altar needed to be sprinkled with pure water, which might temporarily suppress the protective power. He looked around and found a pool of water not far away. In this life-or-death situation, Lin Yu decided to take a gamble.

He rushed towards the puddle, scooped up a handful of water, and ran towards the altar. The instant he poured the water onto the altar, the light dimmed, and the surrounding phantoms began to dissipate. Chen Feng let out a painful roar, his body gradually becoming transparent. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Yu grabbed Su Ran and ran desperately along a hidden path beside the altar.

After running for an unknown amount of time, they finally saw the edge of the forest, where the SUV was still parked. The two eagerly jumped into the car and started the engine. The moment the car drove out of the forest, the navigation regained signal, and their phones received a message from the outside world. Lin Yu and Su Ran slumped into their seats, tears of joy streaming down their faces. But they knew that this terrifying experience in the misty forest would be forever etched in their memories, a shadow they could never erase for the rest of their lives.