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

The ruins are built of huge stones, covered with traces of time, exuding a mysterious and ancient atmosphere that makes people feel awe.

Everyone approached the ruins curiously, wanting to find out what was going on.

But when they approached the ruins, an invisible force suddenly appeared and blocked them outside, like a transparent wall that they could not cross no matter how hard they tried.

Everyone was shocked and looked at each other.

"This..." Commander Yan was so shocked by the scene before him that he was speechless before he could finish his words.

Everyone stood in front of the ruins, looking at the flashing protective power before their eyes, their hearts filled with doubts and confusion.

Everyone stood in front of the ruins. The invisible barrier flickered with a faint light, rising and falling like breathing, and reflected on their curious faces.

This force seems gentle, but it carries a majesty that keeps people at a distance, like the roar of an ancient beast, intimidating everyone who tries to get close.

A breeze blew by, bringing an unsettling chill, and the leaves around rustled, as if whispering some secret.

Young Master Yan Yang, the usually proud and conceited young master of an aristocratic family, had a gleam of disdain in his eyes. He took a step forward, a scornful smile on the corner of his mouth: "You think a mere barrier can stop me?" Before he finished speaking, he stretched out his palm and touched the flickering light with a bit of joking.

"boom!"

There was a dull sound, as if it had hit a hard rock.

A powerful rebound force erupted instantly, shocking Young Master Yan Yang back repeatedly, with mud splashing under his feet.

His face turned pale in an instant, and he covered his aching arm with disbelief in his eyes.

The force just now not only bounced him away, but also brought a slight numbing pain, making it difficult for him to recover for a while.

Everyone exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to check on Young Master Yan Yang's condition.

Mo Yu, the expert invited to decipher the mysteries of the ruins, remained calm and professional.

He slowly approached the protective force.
"This is not a simple barrier," Mo Yu whispered, frowning. He could feel that there was some mysterious law contained in this power. "It's more like some kind of energy shield."

"Energy shield?" Lingyue, Mo Yu's assistant, immediately retorted, "I think it's more like an ancient formation. Look at the way the energy flows. It doesn't seem like a single energy fluctuation." She pointed to the constantly changing halo on the protective power, her tone firm.

The two of them started a heated argument, talking back and forth.

Mo Yu believes that the flow of energy is even and stable, which is more in line with the characteristics of an energy shield; while Ling Yue believes that the flickering changes in the halo suggest the existence of some kind of formation.

Their voices grew louder and louder, their tones gradually became sharper, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere, as if a fierce conflict was about to break out at any second.

Elder Xuanfeng sighed softly, took a step forward, and raised his hand to signal the two to be quiet.

His tone was gentle but full of unquestionable majesty: "You two, now is not the time to argue. The mystery of the ruins is right in front of us. We should work together to find a solution." He looked around with a firm gaze, "Perhaps, by combining your views, we can find a way to break through this layer of defense."

Mo Yu and Ling Yue looked at each other. Although there was still unconvinced in their eyes, they didn't continue arguing.

Both of them understood that now was not the time for internal strife.

They turned their gaze back to the mysterious protective force, each thinking in their minds, but none of them spoke again.

Just as everyone was lost in thought, a faint fishy smell suddenly entered their noses, and the surrounding air became sticky, as if a pair of invisible hands were strangling everyone's throats, making breathing extremely difficult.

The stench became stronger and stronger, and a layer of light green mist filled the air, lingering around everyone like a ghost.

A sickeningly sweet smell entered the nose, making one dizzy.

The originally cool air became scorching hot, as if being in a furnace, and sweat instantly soaked my clothes.

"What's going on? This fog is poisonous!" someone in the crowd exclaimed, his voice trembling, revealing deep fear.

I saw several people with weaker constitutions began to shake, their faces turned blue, their lips turned purple, they covered their chests in pain, and made hoarse groans in their throats.

"Everyone be careful! Hold your breath and cover your mouth and nose with clothes!" Elder Xuanfeng reminded loudly, while taking out a pill from his arms and swallowing it.

Young Master Yan Yang’s face was pale, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He staggered back a few steps, holding onto a big tree, and barely managed to stand firm.

He tried hard to breathe, but felt as if his chest was being pressed down by a huge rock and he couldn't breathe.

He opened his mouth wide, breathing in the air greedily, but inhaled more poisonous mist, causing him even more pain.

He felt his consciousness begin to blur, everything in front of him became distorted, and there was a buzzing sound in his ears, as if countless bees were flying around.

He wanted to call for help, but no sound came out. He could only collapse weakly on the ground, his body twitching continuously.

At this moment, a sound of metallic friction came from the depths of the ruins, dull and powerful, like the footsteps of an ancient behemoth, crushing everyone's hopes and bringing endless despair.

Several tall mechanical puppets slowly walked out from the entrance of the ruins.

They are made entirely of bronze, shining with a cold luster, with precise joints, yet they are extremely flexible in movement.

Each puppet held a sharp sword in its hand, and the blade was flashing with cold light, which was chilling.

"Puppet guards!" Mo Yu exclaimed, "It seems that the protection measures of this ruins are more stringent than we thought."

Miss Mo and Captain Lei stepped forward again, waving their weapons and heading towards the puppet guards.

With the flashing of swords and the clanging of metal, a fierce battle broke out in an instant.

However, the combat effectiveness of these puppet guards far exceeded everyone's imagination.

Their movements are swift and precise, their strength is immense, and they are tireless.

Although Miss Mo and Captain Lei are both highly skilled in martial arts, they gradually feel overwhelmed.

"The energy of these puppets... seems to be concentrated in the energy core in the chest!" Lingyue's voice was trembling slightly, but it was like a bright light in the darkness, instantly igniting everyone's hope.

She pointed at the faint flickering light on the puppet's chest.
"Attack there!" Mo Yu reacted immediately and shouted loudly.

He moved and rushed towards the nearest puppet first. He gathered powerful energy in his hands and hit the light spot on the puppet's chest directly.

Everyone followed closely behind, using all their best skills to launch a fierce attack on the puppet's energy core.

Swords flashed and shadows crisscrossed, energy fluctuations surged, and the air was filled with a strong smell of burning.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several explosions were heard in succession, and the energy cores on the chests of several puppets were shattered. Their tall bodies collapsed as if all their strength was drained away.

The loud sound of metal colliding made the ground shake slightly.

Everyone cheered and their morale was boosted.

"Lingyue, you're so awesome!" Ms. Mo excitedly rushed to Lingyue and held her hand tightly. The others also expressed their gratitude to Lingyue. The previous tension and fear were swept away, replaced by the belief that they would win.

After a hard battle, the remaining puppets were destroyed one by one.

Everyone finally had a chance to take a breath and re-examine the predicament they were facing.

Although they temporarily repelled the puppet guards, the mysterious protective force still stood in front of them, like an insurmountable chasm.

At this time, in the crowd, the man in white was carefully wiping the blood off Xiaohong's face.

Xiaohong said in a weak voice: "Brother, you are hurt..." She stretched out her trembling little hand and gently touched the wound on the arm of the man in white. Everyone looked at the warmth flowing between the two and felt the deep love.

Young Master Yan Yang, who was standing by, walked silently to Mo Yu's side. In the previous battle, Mo Yu had helped him to prevent him from being seriously injured by the puppet.

"Thank you very much for what you did just now." Young Master Yan Yang's tone was a little awkward, but the pride in his eyes was less than before.

Elder Xuanfeng was like a rock, standing firmly in front of everyone, his eyes like torches, scanning the surroundings, protecting everyone, his heart full of responsibility.

Just as everyone was about to continue trying to break through the defensive force, Mo Yu suddenly stopped.

He squatted down, looked at the ground carefully, and gently ran his fingers over the strange symbols.

"These symbols..." He frowned.

People gathered around and looked at the symbols on the ground curiously.

Mo Yu took a deep breath and said slowly: "These symbols may be related to breaking this layer of protection." He began to interpret these symbols, his tone serious, but with a hint of uncertainty. "However, the operation process is full of dangers. Once a mistake is made, it may lead to unpredictable consequences."

After hearing Mo Yu's words, everyone fell silent.

They looked at each other, their hearts full of contradictions.

Should you choose to take a risk or continue to look for other methods?

This is a difficult decision that concerns their life and death.

After a long time, Young Master Yan Yang broke the silence: "Instead of waiting to die, it is better to give it a try!" His voice trembled slightly, but with a hint of determination.

At this moment, Elder Xuanfeng suddenly exclaimed: "Look!" He pointed to a corner of the ruins.

Mo Yu's discovery was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, causing ripples.

Everyone gathered around, staring intently at the strange symbols on the ground. The atmosphere was so heavy that even breathing had to be cautious.

These symbols are like some kind of ancient writing, winding and tortuous, exuding a mysterious atmosphere.

"According to my interpretation, these symbols represent the trajectory of a kind of energy. If we can activate them in the correct order, we may be able to break this layer of protection." Mo Yu's voice was low and powerful, but with a hint of uncertainty. "But if you are not careful in the operation, it may cause energy backlash, and the consequences will be disastrous."

Shuanghua squatted down and gently brushed the symbols with her slender fingers. She carefully checked them again and confirmed that the energy fluctuations of the symbols were stable. Then she slowly said: "From the perspective of energy stability, the risk of operation is relatively small, but we still need to be extra careful."

Shadow Demon stood around the crowd like a sculpture, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes, alert to any potential danger.

The dagger in his hand flashed with cold light, ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

Just as everyone was about to start the operation, they had a disagreement on the order of the steps.

"I think we should activate the symbols on the left first, from left to right, in line with the law of energy flow." An elder expressed his opinion.

"No, I think we should activate the symbol on the right first. The energy fluctuation of the symbol on the right is stronger, and we should guide this powerful energy first." Another elder retorted.

The arguing became louder and louder, and a tense atmosphere spread.

At this moment, Feng Lingzi, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke: "First left, then right, activate them in staggered manner, and the energy will converge at the center." Although his voice was not loud, it carried an unquestionable majesty.

Everyone stopped arguing and started to follow Feng Lingzi's instructions.

Shuanghua carefully controlled the output of energy, Mo Yu paid close attention to the changes of symbols, and Yingsha vigilantly guarded everyone.

As the last symbol was activated, a powerful wave of energy surged from the ground and rushed into the sky...

"Wait, this..." Mo Yu's face suddenly changed.

The energy suddenly went out of control, and the originally gentle golden light instantly turned into a violent red, scurrying around like fire snakes.

"Oh no! It's energy backlash!" Shuanghua exclaimed, and hurriedly mobilized her magic power to try to stabilize the energy. However, the violent energy was like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins and was completely out of control.

boom!
With a loud bang, the ground shook violently, and a powerful shock wave spread out in all directions with the activation point as the center.

Caught off guard, many people were knocked to the ground by the energy impact, and groans of pain rang out one after another.

"Cough cough..." Master Xing fell heavily to the ground due to the impact of the energy. He spat out a mouthful of blood and his face instantly turned as pale as paper.

He struggled to stand up, but he felt weak all over, as if he was falling apart. He could only lie powerlessly on the ground, dying.

Everyone was panicked, and the originally orderly team suddenly fell into chaos.

"Quick! Protect the young master!" someone shouted.

When the dust settled, everyone was horrified to find that the area originally covered by the protective force had disappeared, and in its place was an ancient and mysterious relic.

However, before anyone could sigh, a group of guardians emitting a faint blue light suddenly emerged from the depths of the ruins.

These guardians are tall, holding strange weapons, and emitting powerful magical fluctuations.

"Be careful! These guardians are very strong!" Feng Lingzi warned with a serious expression.

Miss Mo and Captain Lei were the first to bear the brunt of the attack and meet the oncoming guardian.

Swords flashed and magic and martial arts collided violently, bursting into dazzling light.

Although the two fought desperately, they were still unable to withstand the guardian's powerful offensive and gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Others also joined the battle, but the guardians were numerous and powerful, so they were quickly defeated and the situation became precarious.

At this moment, Shadow's gaze suddenly fell on an energy source emitting a faint blue light behind the Guardian...

"Wait," he whispered, "I think I found something..."

Shadow's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He noticed that behind each guardian was a thin blue beam of light, which converged to an energy source deep in the ruins.

"Their power comes from that beam of light!" Yingsha shouted, and his figure flashed like a ghost. The dagger in his hand drew a cold light and accurately cut off the beam of light behind a guardian.

The guardian's body froze, the dark blue light suddenly dimmed, and his movements became slow.

Everyone was cheered up upon seeing this, and they all followed Shadow Demon's example, attacking the energy connection behind the Guardian.

Swords flashed and energy beams were cut off one by one. The guardians collapsed to the ground like machines that had lost power.

The crisis was resolved and everyone was excited, looking at Yingsha with gratitude.

His calm observation and decisive action undoubtedly saved the entire team.

Morale was boosted and the flame of hope was rekindled in everyone's hearts.

As you step into the ruins, an ancient and mysterious atmosphere hits you.

There was a faint smell of dust in the air, and underfoot were stone slabs that had seen who knows how many years, making dull echoes.

There are strange patterns carved on the walls, which seem to be telling an unknown history.

The man in white hugged Xiaohong tightly and patted her back gently.

Xiaohong sobbed softly in his arms, with tear marks still on her face.

People around them could feel the deep affection between them and silently made way for them.

Shuanghua and Feng Lingzi exchanged glances and nodded slightly to each other. A tacit understanding that did not require words flowed between them.

Having completed his mission, Shadow Demon disappeared silently into the shadows, as mysterious as when he appeared.

The crowd continued to go deeper and found a huge crystal ball in the center of a spacious hall.

The crystal ball is transparent throughout, with brilliant light flowing inside, as if it contains huge energy.

Everyone was shocked by the strange sight and stopped to watch.

“There seems to be something sealed in this crystal ball…” an elder muttered to himself and stretched out his hand to touch the crystal ball.

Just as the fingertips were about to touch the crystal ball, the ground suddenly shook, and the crystal ball shone brightly. Beams of light shot out from the sphere, illuminating the entire hall.

The patterns on the wall began to move, making a clicking sound, as if some mechanism had been triggered...

"Not good! Retreat quickly!" Mo Yu's face changed drastically and he shouted a warning.

However, it was too late...

The ground in the hall shook violently, and the ancient patterns on the wall seemed to come alive, and began to shift and move with a teeth-grinding "cracking" sound.

Countless tiny holes appeared on the wall, dark and dark, as if there were monsters lurking there, ready to devour anyone.

The ground began to crack, revealing a bottomless gap. Cold air poured out from it, instantly enveloping the entire space.

"Be careful!" Captain Lei roared, waving the huge axe in his hand, trying to chop open a rapidly approaching wall.

The axe blade collided with the wall, making a deafening roar, but the wall did not move at all. (End of this chapter)