Courtyard House: Report enemy agents at the start, and you'll take off immediately.

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After a brief exchange, a basic level of trust gradually formed among the four. "Alright," the older one nodded, "It seems we really need to unite to face the challenges ahead."

"That's fantastic! Now we don't have to worry about not being able to solve all the puzzles!" the young man exclaimed excitedly.

As they walked towards the palace gate, just as they were about to cross the threshold, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept in...

"Whoa! What happened?!" The young man was nearly blown to the ground by the wind.

At the same time, a glowing object floated in mid-air—a symbol similar to the previous totem, only more complex and ornate. "Could this be... the next level?" Zhao De muttered to himself, staring at the pattern in the sky.

Xueyao, on the other hand, seemed more composed. "We have to face it no matter what. Now that we've come this far, we can't give up easily."

After exchanging a determined look, the four of them reached out together to touch the mysterious symbol...

The moment their fingertips touched the light and shadow, the surrounding environment changed again, and they found themselves in a vast, boundless space, like a starry sky...

"It seems this is the real challenge," the older man said in a deep voice.

Indeed, Xueyao responded, saying that everyone must be more careful, as the unknown is often the most terrifying enemy.

At this moment, Zhao De seemed to notice an unusual fluctuation of energy in the distance. Wait a minute, something is coming this way. Let's quickly get into defensive positions.

As soon as Zhao De finished speaking, the surroundings suddenly became even quieter. A few seconds later, a powerful gust of wind swept in from afar, accompanied by faint rumbling thunder. Everyone's heartstrings tightened instantly, and they each assumed their most proficient stances to prepare for battle.

The older man swiftly drew a seemingly ordinary longsword with a restrained gleam; the younger man also took out several gems that shimmered with mysterious runes and placed them in front of him to form a shield.

Zhao De, on the other hand, once again mobilized the power of the fire element, igniting a raging flame in his hand.

Only Xueyao stood out from the crowd—her hands were gently clasped together, and when she opened them, several small orbs emitting a soft glow swirled around her, as beautiful yet intimidating as a meteor shower drifting in the starry sky.

Chapter 884 added a bit of confidence

Chapter 884 added a bit of confidence

Soon, that imposing force had closed to within ten meters of them. "Who is it! Show yourself!" the elder shouted.

Then a piercing sound echoed throughout the space: "Heh... interesting humans, now that you're here, don't even think about escaping easily."

A massive and eerie figure suddenly appeared not far ahead. It was a warrior-like creature clad in ancient armor, but its eyes glowed with an eerie green light that sent chills down one's spine. Even more peculiar was the pair of wings behind it, seemingly formed from darkness, slowly flapping, creating an intense sense of oppression.

"Is this... a Shadow Beast General?" the young man exclaimed in surprise. "Legend has it that only a very few powerful beings possessed by evil spirits can grow to look like this!"

Faced with such a formidable enemy, although everyone felt a little uneasy, their eyes were filled with determination and courage. "What's there to be afraid of? Didn't we already decide that we would persevere to the end no matter what?" Xueyao encouraged, her words flowing like a clear spring into the hearts of each companion, adding to everyone's confidence.

Just as the Shadow Beast was about to launch an overwhelming attack on the four of them, Zhao De was the first to react. "Get out of the way!" He suddenly leaped to the side, and instantly unleashed the flames that had been accumulating in his right palm, drawing a dazzling trajectory in mid-air to meet the heavy blow from the opponent.

boom--! .

The two energies, of diametrically opposed nature, collided violently, and the shockwave from the explosion swept away almost all the dust within a radius of hundreds of miles. Meanwhile, the other three members were not idle either—the older man used this brief moment to quickly rush to the enemy's side and launch a series of attacks; the younger man manipulated the gem in his hand to continuously fire beams of light to disrupt the target's vision; and Xueyao used her special abilities to heal her teammates' injuries and provide necessary support…

The battle raged on for an unknown period, with both sides giving their all to secure victory. As time passed, the Shadow Beast General, who had initially held a clear advantage, seemed to be growing weary. "Hmph...you are indeed much more troublesome than I expected..." it growled in a low voice, "But that's fine, it wouldn't be as interesting if we were easily defeated."

Hearing this, everyone knew that the most crucial moment was about to arrive. Sure enough, when the evil creature decided to stop holding back, the power it displayed far exceeded its previous level: both its attack power and defense increased several times over! The situation was becoming increasingly tense...

"No, we won't be able to hold on like this," the elder said anxiously, while using all his strength to resist wave after wave of fierce attacks.

"We need to think of a way!" Xueyao added. Although her recovery spell could heal injuries, it couldn't withstand the constant drain on her resources.

Just then, a glint of light flashed in Zhao De's eyes. "Remember the 'seamless cooperation' the goalkeeper mentioned? Perhaps this is our only chance!"

The three exchanged glances and a sense of mutual understanding. "Great idea!" the young man nodded in agreement. "Let's create a miracle together!"

Chapter 885 Unexpected Changes

Chapter 885 Unexpected Changes

So they began to work closely together, each person striving to leverage their own strengths and compensate for the weaknesses of others as much as possible... After a fierce round of competition, a turning point finally arrived...

Just when everyone thought victory was imminent, an unexpected turn of events occurred again...

"Oh no! It's gathering its strength for one last strike!" Zhao De shouted. "Everyone, focus! This is our last chance!"

"Understood! Regardless of the outcome, it is my honor to fight alongside you all." The young man replied firmly.

As long as we are united, there is no difficulty that we cannot overcome! Xueyao smiled gently, but a determined flame burned in her eyes as well.

The older man nodded, his gaze resolute: "Then let's completely eliminate this evil spirit!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the four immediately adjusted their positions. Zhao De concentrated all his strength once more, and fire element gathered in his palm into a huge fireball; the young man quickly mobilized the gem in his hand, and light intertwined in front of him to form a dense energy net; Xue Yao closed her eyes, and the surrounding air was filled with gentle yet powerful life energy, providing continuous protection and recovery for everyone.

The Shadow Beast seemed to sense the intense pressure emanating from its opponent. It roared, its body suddenly growing even larger, its eerie green eyes flashing with an ominous light. Its fists clenched, and dark energy steadily gathered within them, like a dam about to burst.

"Now!" Zhao De roared, and the fireball in his hand shot towards the enemy like a meteor. At the same time, the young man activated the power of the gem, and beams of light intertwined to form a dazzling net that covered the upper body of the Shadow Beast General.

Xueyao spread her arms, and countless glowing orbs instantly surrounded the enemy, each containing powerful healing and weakening abilities. However, even in the face of such a fierce attack, the Shadow Beast continued to resist. Its shields were chipped away layer by layer, but it still stubbornly wielded the dark energy in its hands.

Just then, the older man finally seized an opening. He leaped forward, his longsword gleaming with a sharp light as it pierced the enemy's chest. However, in this life-or-death moment, the Shadow Beast suddenly opened its eyes wide, let out a piercing roar, and its entire body erupted with unprecedented dark energy!

A massive shockwave swept through the surroundings, instantly blasting the four people into the air. Zhao De barely managed to steady himself and was shocked by what he saw—the Shadow Beast General's body began to twist and deform violently, and its black wings grew even larger and were covered with terrifying runes.

“It seems this is our last stand…” the older man gasped, his longsword dulled by the sudden surge of dark power. “We must cooperate even more closely!”

"Listen up, everyone! We need to spread out to confuse it!" Zhao De shouted. "Then I'll attack from behind."

The three nodded in understanding. Then, Zhao De deliberately attracted the attention of the Shadow Beast General and engaged it in a fierce battle head-on; on the other side, the young man used the cover of the environment to flank to the left; while Xue Yao and the older man approached from the right separately.

When all three arrived at the designated location, Zhao De immediately shouted, "Now!"

Chapter 886 Coming Head-On

Chapter 886 Coming Head-On

He unleashed a fierce fire attack as bait. The Shadow Beast General was indeed drawn to its power and turned to pounce. In that instant, the young man hidden on the right fired several beams of light, striking the Shadow Beast General directly in the eyes.

At the same time, Xueyao released all her life energy, turning the healing orbs into a beam of light that pierced through the opponent's abdomen, while the older man leaped up from another direction and forcefully plunged his longsword into the enemy's back.

The teamwork between the group was impeccable, and the Shadow Beast was powerless to resist this all-around attack. Finally, with a deafening scream, the enormous creature collapsed to the ground, turning into wisps of black smoke and disappearing without a trace.

After the battle, everyone was covered in wounds, but their faces were beaming with victorious smiles.

"That was really close." The young man let out a breath and patted the dust off his clothes.

Xueyao smiled gently and said, "Yes, I never thought we would be able to defeat such a powerful enemy."

The older man nodded: "It's certainly not easy. But this is another step forward for us. The road ahead will be even more difficult, so we need to be mentally prepared."

Zhao De gazed at the gradually dissipating dark clouds on the horizon, his eyes gleaming with determination: "No matter what lies ahead, as long as we are united, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. Next, we should discuss which area to continue exploring."

The young man said excitedly, "I've heard there's a mysterious ruin in the north, said to hold many ancient secrets. Want to go check it out?"

"Great idea!" Xueyao nodded in agreement. "We've already been through a life-or-death ordeal once, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

Just as everyone was discussing the next steps, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly came from not far away...

"Wait..." the older man suddenly became alert, "Who's over there?"

After a moment of silence, footsteps approached. The four immediately went on alert, each gripping their weapon tightly.

“Come out, we know you’re there,” Zhao De said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the direction from which the voice came.

A moment later, a figure slowly emerged from behind a large tree. It was a young woman dressed in a black robe, her eyes filled with a hint of cunning and curiosity. In her hand she held an exquisite staff, its tip inlaid with a faintly glowing blue gem.

"Don't be nervous, I'm a friend, not an enemy," the woman said gently. "I am Arya, a traveling mage. I decided to come and help when I saw you fighting."

“We don’t need help from outsiders,” the older man said coldly, “especially those who suddenly appear at a time like this.”

Arya smiled slightly, seemingly unperturbed by his attitude. "I understand your wariness, but please believe me, my purpose is simple—I hope to join your team and explore the unsolved mysteries of this world together. My magic may come in handy on your journey."

"Why choose us?" the young man asked, his eyes filled with doubt.

“Because among all the travelers, you have shown sufficient courage and wisdom.” Arya’s gaze swept over each of them. “Furthermore, I know something about that Shadow Beast. They are messengers of dark forces, and something far more terrifying lurks behind them.”

Chapter 887 It's settled then.

Chapter 887 It's settled then.

Xueyao stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face. "Alright, let's hear your story. If you can really help us, perhaps we can consider it."

Arya nodded her thanks and said, “I am very grateful. I know that the shadow creatures were created by an ancient evil god named Varel, who attempted to rebuild his power and regain his rule over this land by releasing these shadow creatures.”

“It sounds tricky,” Zhao De said thoughtfully, “but if we can stop this so-called evil god, it will be a great victory for us.”

The young man frowned and said, "But our current strength may not be enough."

“This is what I wanted to tell you,” Arya continued. “According to ancient texts, there is a legendary artifact that can be used to seal Varel. This artifact is called the ‘Key of Light,’ and it is said to be hidden in a mysterious ruin in the north. If I can help you find and obtain this artifact, perhaps we will have a chance to end this disaster.”

“The place you mentioned happens to be one of our targets,” Zhao De said. “In that case, why don’t we act together?”

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity." Arya seemed very happy. "I will do my best to contribute my strength."

At this moment, the older man finally spoke: "Well then, Arya, welcome to our team. But we hope you will abide by some rules—such as not easily concealing important information, and supporting each other in critical moments, etc."

“Of course, these are all things that should be done.” Arya nodded readily.

Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the sky, as if a large patch of dark clouds was rapidly moving in their direction. Zhao De looked up at the sky, his brow furrowed. "It seems another storm is coming..."

“We should find a safe place to hide for a while,” the older man suggested.

“I know a cave nearby where we can take shelter for a while,” Arya volunteered. “Come with me!”

The group of five quickly walked towards a small hill in the distance. As their pace quickened, the wind and rain began to intensify...