The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

As Granny Lin gently opened the lid of the treasure chest, a dazzling light instantly poured out from the box, like thousands of golden rays of light at sunrise, illuminating everything around.

Everyone couldn't help but gasp. Their eyes narrowed slightly due to the brightness of the light, their hearts filled with shock and surprise.

Inside the treasure chest, a divine artifact emitting a mysterious glow lay quietly inside. Its surface was inlaid with various gems, and each gem was sparkling with a different color.

Next to the artifact is an ancient parchment map. Although the pattern on the map is a bit blurry, it clearly points to a deeper place in the mysterious space.

"What is this?" Luo Xiaoyu's voice was filled with excitement that was difficult to conceal.
"This must be a treasure given to us by God." There was a slight tremor in Grandma Lin's voice. Her hands gently stroked the surface of the artifact, feeling the warm power coming from the artifact.

Everyone's mood was high again and morale was boosted.

They knew that this was not just an ordinary treasure, but also their motivation and hope to move forward.

Everyone's eyes turned to the old man in white. He smiled slightly and nodded, as if telling everyone that all this was destined.

At this moment, the old man in white suddenly reached out his hand, gently stroked the black panther's head, and whispered: "Thank you, friend. You have completed your mission."

A deep respect welled up in the hearts of the Black Panther people. They knew that this mysterious Black Panther had become an indelible mark in their hearts.

"Let's go, a new journey awaits us." The voice of the old man in white echoed in the air, and everyone's hearts were filled with determination and hope. They embarked on the road leading deeper into the mysterious space, and every step was full of unknowns and possibilities.

After the treasure chest was opened, the surrounding space began to distort. The originally closed stone chamber was like a blooming flower, revealing several deep and mysterious passages.

A strange light flickered on the stone wall, flickering like breathing, illuminating the shadowy outlines deep in the passage.

An ancient and mysterious atmosphere permeated, carrying with it a disturbing chill.

Everyone looked at each other, and tension spread in the air.

"It seems that our journey has just begun." The man in white spoke in a steady tone, looking firmly at one of the passages, and took the lead to step forward.

Xiaohong followed without hesitation and held his hand tightly.

Luo Xiaoyu and others followed closely behind. Although they were nervous, there was excitement in their eyes.

"Watch your step," the gray-haired hunter warned. He was keenly aware of the traps hidden in the passage. There was an imperceptible sense of danger in the air.

"The terrain here is complex and full of traps. If you are not careful, you will be doomed."

Xiaohong felt the warmth in the palm of the man in white, and her heart calmed down a lot.

She held his hand back, interlocking their fingers, as if she had found strength to support herself.

Granny Lin looked kindly at the two people walking side by side and smiled with satisfaction, as if she was watching her own children grow up.

Everyone encouraged and supported each other, and their friendship became deeper at the new starting point, like an indestructible rock, resisting the fear of the unknown.

As they walked along the passage, they suddenly heard a melodious flute sound in their ears, sometimes high-pitched, sometimes low, like a call from ancient times, carrying a mysterious magic.

Everyone stopped involuntarily and looked in the direction of the sound, but they saw that the depths of the passage were hazy and the source of the flute sound was difficult to discern.

"This flute sound..." Xiaohong murmured to herself, feeling an inexplicable throbbing in her heart, as if something was calling her.

"Let's go and take a look." said the man in white. He felt a mysterious force attracting him and made him want to find out what was going on.

Everyone walked towards the direction of the flute sound, their pace gradually quickened, and the passage became narrower and narrower...

What is waiting for them ahead?

"Be careful!" the gray-haired hunter suddenly warned.

The melodious flute sound seemed to carry some kind of magic, leading everyone step by step towards the depths of the passage.

The passage became narrower and narrower, and the rock walls on both sides pressed towards them. The air became damp and cold, with an indescribable smell of decay.

Everyone subconsciously slowed down their pace, moved closer to each other, and looked around vigilantly.

As we go deeper, the sound of the flute becomes clearer, but also more eerie, as if countless ghosts are whispering.

The light around was getting dimmer and dimmer, with only the occasional flicker of phosphorescence on the rock wall, flickering like a ghost fire.

The air was filled with a strong smell of earth, mixed with the scent of an unknown flower, so sweet that it was nauseating.

Xiaohong felt her palms were a little clammy and cold, and she couldn't help but tighten her grip on the white-clothed man's hand. The warmth of his palm from her fingertips made her feel a little more at ease.

Granny Lin walked in the middle of the team, holding her crutches tightly. There was anxiety in her cloudy eyes and she was muttering to herself, as if praying for the gods' protection.

Suddenly, several thick vines sprang out from the cracks in the rock wall and swept towards everyone like poisonous snakes.

"Be careful!" The gray-haired hunter shouted, and took the lead in swinging the dagger in his hand, cutting off a vine that was attacking Luo Xiaoyu.

The sudden attack made everyone a little panicked. Luo Xiaoyu screamed and almost fell down.

Hunter Li and Blacksmith Zhao reacted quickly. They wielded axes and hammers to cut off the attacking vines one by one.

However, the vines became more and more numerous, coming in like a tide, and everyone was in trouble again.

"We can't go on like this!" Doctor Zhang shouted, "There are too many vines. We will be trapped!"

"Xiao Hong!" A cry of surprise cut through the tense atmosphere...

Xiao Hong screamed in surprise, and saw a vine thicker than the previous one, like a python, wrapped around her ankles at lightning speed and dragged her towards the rock wall.

"Xiaohong!" the man in white exclaimed, watching Xiaohong hanging in the air. Her slender body looked particularly fragile under the vines.

Fear filled Xiaohong's face. She struggled desperately, but the vines became tighter and tighter. The rough surface of the vines rubbed against her skin, causing a burning pain.

"Save her quickly!" Luo Xiaoyu shouted anxiously, waving the dagger in her hand to cut the vines, but was forced back by other vines that rushed over.

Everyone was extremely anxious, but their hands and feet were entangled by the wildly dancing vines, making it difficult to get close.

Zhang Lang was extremely anxious, but he could only watch Xiaohong being pulled higher and higher.

Granny Lin was so frightened that her face turned pale and she kept muttering "Amitabha".

Li the Hunter and Zhao the Blacksmith waved their weapons, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The vines became more and more numerous and dense, almost covering the entire passage.

The man in white was furious. He tried his best to cut off the vines wrapped around him and wanted to rush over to save Xiaohong. However, when he was distracted, a vine hit his back hard.

At the critical moment, Master Lingyin muttered something, and a golden light shot out from the Buddhist beads in his hand and enveloped Xiaohong.

The vines wrapped around Xiaohong's body quickly withered and turned into ashes as if they were burned by a raging fire.

Xiaohong fell from mid-air, and the man in white rushed forward and caught her steadily.

Master Lingyin had a solemn appearance, with golden Buddha light lingering around him, like a god descending from heaven.

When everyone saw this, hope ignited in their hearts and they all looked at him with gratitude.

"In front..." Master Lingyin looked solemnly, pointing to the depths of the passage.

Before Master Lingyin finished his words, a clattering sound came from deep in the passage, like the sound of bones rubbing against each other, which was creepy.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of puppets appear at the end of the passage. Their movements were stiff and mechanical, yet they carried a strange sense of oppression.

These puppets have different appearances, including men, women, old and young, wearing tattered clothes and with strange oil paint on their faces, like evil spirits crawling out of hell.

"What is this?" Luo Xiaoyu exclaimed and subconsciously tightened the dagger in her hand.

"Be careful, these puppets are not easy to deal with!" said the gray-haired hunter in a deep voice. He had seen similar puppets in other secret realms and knew that their attack power should not be underestimated.

Doctor Zhang narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the puppet's movements, and suddenly said, "Their joints seem to be the weak points!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned their attacks to the joints of the puppet.

Blacksmith Zhao swung the hammer and hit the knee of a puppet hard. With a click, the puppet's leg broke.

Li the Hunter's axe also hit the shoulder of another puppet, and the puppet's arm hung down weakly.

After Xiaohong escaped from danger, she hugged the man in white tightly, with fear still in her eyes.

"I'm fine." She said softly, her voice trembling a little.

The man in white patted her on the back gently and comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Granny Lin looked at everyone working together to fight the puppets, "Children, don't be afraid, we can definitely get through it!" She encouraged everyone in a hoarse voice.

However, there were too many puppets, and even if everyone concentrated on attacking their weaknesses, it was difficult to resist their successive attacks.

Everyone was fighting and retreating, and the pressure doubled.

At this moment, everyone discovered that the melodious flute sound came from the center of the maze.

As long as you get there, you can solve the puzzle!

"Charge!" the man in white shouted and rushed towards the center of the maze.

Everyone followed closely behind, with the puppets chasing closely behind. The clattering sound echoed in the passage like a death curse.

"Wait... we seem to..." Xiao Hong suddenly realized with horror that they had been running for so long, but the surrounding scenery had not changed at all...

After Xiaohong escaped from danger, she hugged the man in white tightly, with fear still in her eyes.

"I'm fine." She said softly, her voice trembling a little.

The man in white patted her back gently and said in a soft voice, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Granny Lin watched as everyone worked together to fight the puppets. "Don't be afraid, kids. We can definitely get through this!" She encouraged everyone in a hoarse voice.

However, there were too many puppets, and even if everyone concentrated on attacking their weaknesses, it was difficult to resist their successive attacks.

Everyone was fighting and retreating, and the pressure doubled.

At this moment, everyone discovered that the melodious flute sound came from the center of the maze.

As long as you get there, you can solve the puzzle!

"Charge!" the man in white shouted and rushed towards the center of the maze.

Everyone followed closely behind, with the puppets chasing closely behind. The clattering sound echoed in the passage like a death curse.

"Wait... we seem to..." Xiaohong suddenly discovered in horror that they had been running for so long, but the surrounding scenery had not changed at all.

There are still gray stone walls on both sides of the passage, winding and twisting, as if there is no end.

The sound of the flute seemed to maintain the same volume, neither getting louder nor softer.

"What's going on?" Luo Xiaoyu asked breathlessly. She felt an inexplicable chill rising from the soles of her feet.

"Are we... just going around in circles?" Doctor Zhang's face was solemn. He looked around, trying to find some marks, but found nothing.

More and more puppets gathered, and their clicking sounds became more and more frequent, as if countless cold metal claws were scratching everyone's hearts.

Fear surged into my heart like a tide.

"Are we... going in the wrong direction?" Blacksmith Zhao's voice trembled a little, and the hammer in his hand seemed to become heavier.

All along, the old man in white has been like a lighthouse, guiding everyone in the direction of progress.

At this moment, he was silent, his brows furrowed, and he seemed to be confused.

"I... I have no other choice." The old man in white spoke slowly. His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had lost his former wisdom and composure. "This maze... is beyond my understanding."

This sudden change was like a bolt from the blue, causing everyone to fall into panic.

The beliefs they had always firmly believed in collapsed at this moment.

In the oppressive air, Xiao Hong's voice trembled: "We...we can't go on like this...why...why don't we go our separate ways, maybe...maybe there is still a glimmer of hope..."

As soon as Xiaohong finished speaking, everyone looked at her.

After everyone dispersed, the passage was suddenly filled with shouts of fear.

Li the Hunter's roar was the first to sound, followed by Luo Xiaoyu's scream and Zhao the Blacksmith's dull cry of pain.

The puppet's cold iron claws cut through the air, bringing up waves of creepy breaking wind sounds, as if the god of death was reaping lives.

Granny Lin was old and frail, and was soon tripped by a puppet.

She watched in horror as the metal face approached, wailing in despair.

Doctor Zhang tried to pull her up, but was entangled by another puppet, and its sharp claws left a bloody mark on his arm.

"Help!" Doctor Zhang's voice was filled with pain. The puppet's iron claws left bloody marks on his body.

He felt his strength draining away quickly and his vision started to blur.

He looked around in despair, only to see puppets rushing in like a tide, as if they were going to swallow him up completely.

When the man in white heard Xiaohong's cry for help, his heart tightened. He struggled to split the puppet in front of him and rushed towards the direction where Xiaohong's voice came from.

However, he soon found himself in deeper trouble.

Countless puppets poured out from both sides of the passage, densely packed like a cold steel wall, surrounding him.

The puppets waved their cold claws, making a "clicking" sound, and a suffocating sense of oppression filled the air.

Just when everyone was feeling desperate, Luo Xiaoyu's scream broke the silence.

"Here! There's light here!" she shouted excitedly, with disbelief and surprise in her voice.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fist-sized stone in the corner of the passage emitting a faint light, like a star in the dark, guiding lost travelers.

"Everyone come here!" Luo Xiaoyu waved her arms excitedly, as if she had discovered a new world.

Everyone seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw and gathered towards the light.

The crowd gathered again and looked at the stone that was emitting strange light, and hope rekindled in their eyes.

"Let's attack that stone together!" the man in white said in a deep voice. He felt the power surging again in his body. He tightly grasped the sword in his hand, pointed it at the stone, and his eyes were determined.

Everyone responded in unison, took out their weapons, aimed at the stone, and gathered their strength, preparing to launch a new round of attacks.

Luo Xiaoyu looked at everyone. She felt the trust and admiration for her in everyone's eyes, and a warm feeling surged in her heart.

Just as everyone was preparing to launch an attack, Elder Chen suddenly whispered, "This stone seems a little strange."

Master Lingyin clasped his hands together and said softly, "Amitabha, perhaps this is the key to solving the maze."

Hunter Wang looked at the stone, his eyes full of curiosity and anticipation. He couldn't wait to know what secrets the stone held. He rubbed his hands excitedly, "What on earth is this? This is the first time I've seen it!"

"Whatever happens, let's give it a try!" Luo Xiaoyu tightly grasped the dagger in her hand, her eyes determined. She looked at the man in white, "Let's go together!"

The man in white nodded. He didn't say anything, but his eyes revealed that he thought the same way.

Everyone drew their weapons and concentrated their strength on the glowing stone.

After a loud bang, the stones shattered into pieces, bursting out with dazzling light, illuminating the entire passage.

At the same time, something strange happened - the puppets that were originally attacking frantically suddenly became slow in their movements, and the mechanical clicking sounds became intermittent.

Then, they actually started attacking each other!
The sharp metal claws swung, making a harsh metal collision sound and sparks flying.

Everyone was stunned for a moment; this sudden change caught them off guard.

"What's going on?" Luo Xiaoyu asked in astonishment, forgetting to swing the dagger in her hand.

"Take advantage of now and counterattack!" The man in white acted decisively and took the lead in swinging his sword at the puppet closest to him.

Everyone finally reacted and seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack on the puppets that were in chaos.

The swords collided, making a harsh sound of metal friction.

Although the puppets are in chaos, their attack power should not be underestimated.

Blacksmith Zhao smashed a puppet's head with his hammer, causing metal fragments to fly. The puppet's head suddenly caved in, but it still waved its arms, trying to attack its companions. (End of this chapter)