Alliance: A Great Compassion Mantra, I make the whole network autistic

After encouraging each other, the few decided to take a detour and continue on their way. Just then, a commotion suddenly sounded outside. "Have you spotted them?" One of the guards, who seemed to have heard it before, asked. "No, we clearly saw a flash of fire just now. Could it be that they escaped from somewhere?"

While the other party was still trying to find their way in the chaos, Jack and his team quickly groped their way along the more hidden but narrower path on the other side, trying not to make any noise. A few minutes later, they finally climbed out of this depressing environment and appeared in a dense forest.

"Huh - luckily we weren't caught." Robert panted and looked back at the place he just came from. "It should be much safer here, right? At least the enemy can't find us for the time being."

"Thank you for saving us again," Jack patted the young man on the shoulder to express his appreciation, and looked around to make sure it was really safe. "But we still have to get away from here as soon as possible. Can you give us a general direction? It would be best if it was a hidden place that even the locals don't know existed."

After thinking for a moment, Robert nodded: "I know a place. It is the site of the ruins of an ancient temple. Because of the legend of a curse, almost no one dares to approach it. In fact, those are just superstitions. It is hidden enough, just right for hiding."

At this moment, a silver light suddenly flashed among the leaves, and everyone became alert instantly.

"Who is it? Come out!" Jack asked in a stern voice. A gust of wind blew, bringing more rustling sounds, and then a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. It turned out to be an old man who looked ordinary but had sharp eyes.

"Are you the heroes chosen by the Guardian?" the old man asked calmly and profoundly.

"Who are you?" Ye asked immediately vigilantly, while her hand reached for the dagger at her waist.

The old man smiled and shook his head. "Don't be nervous. I mean no harm. I am one of the guardians of this forest, and what you are carrying has caught my attention." He said slowly, his eyes falling on the dragon ball in Jack's hand.

"What does this have to do with you?" The little witch looked at him warily, with a hint of provocation in her tone.

"Oh, little girl," the old man sighed, "There are many secrets hidden behind this dragon ball. It concerns the safety of the whole world. I just want to help you."

"In that case, how did you know we were here?" Leonard asked directly and sharply.

"Well... just treat it as a little secret from an old friend." The old man's eyes revealed a hint of cunning, but then he became serious, "Are you willing to listen to me finish?"

Everyone exchanged glances. Although they were wary, they did need guidance at the moment. "Okay, please continue." Jack finally nodded.

"Very good. First, please put down your weapons." The old man said calmly. After they did as he said, he continued, "A long time ago, a prophecy was circulated in this land. When the world fell into endless darkness, several warriors would appear, fight side by side, and finally save all living beings."

"This sounds like something out of a storybook!" the little witch exclaimed angrily.

"Sometimes, the most incredible things are closest to the truth." The old man was not angry at her words, but smiled kindly. "The legend mentions a key item called 'holy relic' - yes, it refers to the gem in your hand that looks ordinary but contains great power."

At this moment, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, with only the occasional sound of wind blowing through the woods. Everyone listened quietly to the old man's words, and even the air was filled with a solemn atmosphere.

Just as Robert was about to ask a question, bursts of shouting and killing were heard in the distance, as if someone was approaching this side quickly!

"Oh no! They found this place so quickly?" Jack frowned and quickly drew out his sword to prepare for battle. "What should we do now?"

The old man looked at the direction, then turned to look at everyone and said firmly: "Follow me. I know there is a more secret and safe route that can allow you to avoid pursuers. But before that--"

He took out an ancient token from his wide sleeves and handed it to Jack. "Give this to your future allies. They will recognize that this is a unique token of our organization. With this token, we may be able to gain more help. Remember: uniting all the forces that can be united is the key to victory!"

As these words fell, several dark shadows began to quietly approach their position, and it was obvious that the enemy was approaching.

"Thank you, but I'm afraid we need to act quickly." Jack quickly put away the token and nodded gratefully. The five people followed the old man's instructions and disappeared into the depths of the forest...

"We have to find the route marked on the ancient map first," Jack said as he ran, the ancient token in his hand still emitting a faint light. "This is not just an ordinary sign, it may be able to guide us to our next destination."

"Are you sure we want to go to the deep sea?" The little demon girl was a little bit unbelieving. "I've heard there are terrible monsters there!"

"Isn't that what the legend says? The most dangerous places often hide the most precious secrets." Robert comforted her, "Besides, we have come so far. Isn't it too late to give up now?"

As they were talking, the five of them had already arrived at a stretch of coast. The waves kept hitting the shore, making a splashing sound. On the distant horizon, the sun was slowly setting, and the whole world was dyed with a light orange-red color.

"According to records, the ruins we are looking for are located on an uninhabited island at the northernmost end of this sea area." The old man stopped and explained, "However, since it is covered by storms all year round, almost no one can successfully reach it."

Ye held her short sword tightly, raised her head and looked into the distance, her eyes determined: "In this case, we must give it a try. The secret of Dragon Ball is related to the future of the entire world."

The old man nodded, took out a yellowed map from his sleeve and spread it on the ground: "This map was obtained from a traveler. He once accidentally discovered this island and wrote down the coordinates."

"It sounds risky." Leonard frowned as he studied the document, "but it seems that this is the only way to go. We'd better find a reliable way to cross this sea."

Just then, a small boat appeared in sight. On it sat a man with a rough face and dressed in fisherman's clothes, waving at them. "Are you here for help? I'm the guard here, my name is Alexander. After hearing your story, I thought I should lend a hand."

After some conversation, Alexander, who looked ordinary but had a kind heart, was willing to lend his boat and some necessary supplies to Jack and his crew. "However, please remember that the ocean is full of unknowns and dangers, especially sailing at night. I hope you can arrive safely."

"Thank you very much, Alexander." Jack took the other's hand and shook it vigorously to express his gratitude. "We will be careful."

Soon the night fell, and a bright moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the way ahead. With the help of the light of the full moon and the guidance of the stars, the few people finally began their sea journey.

Occasionally, they encountered some strange phenomena on the way, such as a huge whirlpool that suddenly appeared or an unknown creature swimming nearby. Fortunately, whenever they encountered such a situation, the advice given by Alexander always helped them to escape danger. "Look, there seems to be something over there!" Just when everyone thought they could pass smoothly, Jack suddenly exclaimed. Looking in the direction, a huge and unclear figure was floating on the sea not far away.

"What the hell is that?" the little witch asked nervously.

"I don't know...but judging from its size, it should be a giant." Robert also felt a little uneasy.

As time went by, the outline gradually became clear - it turned out to be a giant dragon! It spread its wings and flew low in front of everyone and stopped, with a gentle and friendly light in its eyes.

"I didn't expect to find a living dragon..." Jack exclaimed, "Who are you?"

The giant dragon spoke slowly: "I am one of the guardians of the sea. I heard that someone was carrying the dragon ball on the journey to find it, so I came here to help you."

"That's great! With your help, we can definitely solve the problem faster." The little demon girl said with a cheerful smile.

"But before that," the dragon continued, "I need to confirm whether you are really capable of protecting this treasure from harm. Let us accept this test together--"

Before he finished speaking, the sky was covered with dark clouds, thunder and lightning, and a sudden storm was about to come.

As soon as the dragon's voice fell, the sky suddenly darkened, dark clouds gathered, and thunder and lightning struck. The wind began to howl, huge waves rolled, and huge waves rose on the sea. Several people stood at the bow, holding on to the side of the boat tightly, their bodies shaking so much that they could hardly stand.

"What...what is happening?" Leonard shouted in horror. He tried to keep his footing, but a strong vibration almost made him lose his balance.

"This is our test!" the giant dragon announced loudly, "Only those who can pass the test in this sea area can prove that you are qualified to protect the Dragon Ball."

"Hold on tight, everyone!" Jack shouted as he held the ancient token tightly, praying that it would guide them through the storm.

"How can we survive this disaster?" the little demon girl asked anxiously, she hugged Ye's arm tightly, panic in her eyes.

"We need to calm down," Robert tried to keep his voice calm, "Alexander's ship is very strong, and he has told us a lot of experience."

"That's right," Jack nodded firmly, "We should follow what he said before and lower the sails to the lowest level and let the boat drift with the wind. This will reduce the possibility of damage."

While they were discussing, a merchant ship passing by was also struggling in the storm. The people on the ship looked at the giant dragon and their small boat in the wind and rain in horror.

"Look over there!" A crew member on the merchant ship shouted in surprise, "What is that? There is a dragon on the sea! And there are so many people fighting against the storm! Who are they?"

"This is incredible!" Another crew member widened his eyes, his tone full of shock, "This is definitely the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life! Are they the legendary warriors?"

"No matter what, we have to leave here as soon as possible," the captain ordered calmly, "The storm is so fierce that our own safety is in question."

On Jack's boat, the storm became more and more violent, and the waves rushed towards the boat like a giant beast, as if to swallow everything. The dragon still guarded them, and although its huge body also rose and fell with the wind and waves, it never gave up protecting them.

"Thank you, Lord Dragon, but we must find a safe place now." Jack said to the dragon, trying his best to make his voice cover the sound of the storm.

"Don't worry, I have felt your courage and determination." The dragon's voice was particularly clear in the storm, "I will guide you to a shelter."

Then, the dragon flapped its wings and flew, it shuttled through the storm, leading Jack's boat in one direction. Soon after, they saw a huge underwater cave, which seemed to be a safe haven, enough for them to temporarily avoid the storm.

"Go in quickly," said the dragon, "this is our only shelter from the wind."

"Thank you, Master Dragon," Jack responded gratefully, and then he and the others sailed into the cave.

Once you enter the cave, the storm outside seems to be isolated, leaving only the faint sound of water and breathing echoing throughout the space. This is a huge empty cave, and the walls are covered with fluorescent light from strange creatures, giving the entire cave a mysterious and soft glow.

"This is such a magical place." The little witch exclaimed. She had relaxed a lot and a smile appeared on her face again.

“Yes, thanks to the help of the dragon, we were able to escape.” Robert also said with emotion.

"But don't forget, this is only part of the test." The dragon slowly landed on the ground, its eyes still gentle, "The real challenge is still to come. Are you ready?"

"We will persevere no matter what." Jack replied firmly, the ancient token in his hand flickering faintly under the fluorescent light.

"Very good," the dragon nodded with satisfaction, "Then let's get started—"

Before he finished his words, the ground suddenly shook, and a deep crack appeared from the center of the cave, seemingly leading to the deeper seabed.

"What will happen next?" The little witch looked at Jack nervously, and the others also held their breath, their eyes full of anticipation and fear.

"No matter what it is, we will face it together." Jack held the little witch's hand, and his firm eyes gave her some comfort. (End of this chapter)