Filled with a strong, burning curiosity about the unknown, yet with footsteps slightly hesitant due to tension, the four of them cautiously and slowly approached the stone gate emanating a colorful radiance. As their figures were gradually enveloped by the gate's halo, the runes engraved upon the stone gate awakened like some mysterious force, instantly bursting forth with an even more dazzling brilliance. Immediately following, the stone gate emitted a muffled creaking sound, slowly parting to both sides as an ancient and mysterious aura surged over them. That aura interwove the vicissitudes of time with the temptation of the unknown, causing everyone's heartbeats to accelerate uncontrollably and sharply.
Behind the door lay a magnificent and grandiose circular space. The surrounding walls resembled a thick, heavy historical tome, densely carved with intricate and mysterious patterns and texts. These patterns seemed to be gently recounting ancient legends, while the texts appeared like mysterious ancient codes, quietly awaiting their decryption and interpretation. Right in the center of the space stood a huge stone platform, upon which rested a crystal ball emitting a soft blue light. The crystal ball lay there quietly, its light shimmering faintly as if eagerly summoning them to step forward and investigate.
However, just as they were approaching the crystal ball with great anticipation, the entire space shook violently without warning. A muffled vibration came from the ground, as though an indescribable, immense power was about to burst forth from the earth. Next, four gigantic guardian stone statues slowly rose from the ground. These statues stood as tall as three stories, surrounded by powerful magical fluctuations throughout their bodies. Those fluctuations formed layers of invisible, sturdy barriers, exuding a bone-chilling aura, clearly much trickier to deal with than the Rock Monsters they had encountered previously.
Lin Xiu had now successfully reached level 25. Following a careful attribute allocation, his agility attribute had increased substantially, making his movements light and nimble as though a gentle breeze could lightly lift him. His Shadow Stealth skill had also grown increasingly masterful, with a noticeably extended stealth duration and the added effect of a brief stun upon emerging from stealth to attack, catching enemies completely off guard. At the start of the battle, relying on his newly elevated, ultra-high agility, his figure moved like a black lightning bolt, instantly plunging into the darkness. In the blink of an eye, he shuttled behind one of the guardian stone statues. The moment he reappeared, the dagger in his hand, wreathed in dense shadow energy like an incomparably sharp blade, fiercely stabbed into the guardian stone statue. This strike not only dealt considerable damage but also instantly halted the guardian stone statue's movements, plunging it into a brief state of stun.
Bai Zhi had also reached level 25. With her level increase, she acquired more mana points, which brought a qualitative leap to her Healing Aura. The range of the aura expanded further, encompassing almost the entire combat zone, and its effects were immensely enhanced. Stationed within the aura, her teammates' stamina and mana were recovering at an even faster pace. While wholeheartedly maintaining the aura and continuously restoring her teammates' conditions, she sought out the right timing to cast offensive magic. Watching Lin Xiu bravely fighting the guardian stone statues ahead, her gaze was filled with worry and concern. Whenever Lin Xiu fell into danger, she would unhesitatingly channel her healing power to him at the very first moment; the anxiety in her eyes seemed to say that Lin Xiu's safety was what she cared about most at this very moment.
Aided by her enhanced strength attribute following her level-up, Su Yu's overall strength had greatly improved. The power of the arrows she fired increased dramatically, with each arrow resembling a roaring artillery shell carrying mighty impact and penetrating force. Constantly adjusting her shooting angles with a focused and resolute gaze, she sent her arrows hissing sharply through the air, accurately striking the guardian stone statues' weak points. Every single hit splashed dazzling sparks against the statues' hard bodies, leaving behind shocking and deep gouges.
Relying on the defense and attack power boosted by his level-up attribute allocation, Lu Chen stood proudly on the battlefield like an imposing and majestic god of war. Gripping a greatsword tightly in both hands, the blade gleaming with a frigid chill, every slash he delivered carried the force of a thousand jun, as though capable of cleaving the air directly in two. He engaged the guardian stone statue in fierce close-quarters combat, every attack leaving a shocking fissure on the stone body. Although the guardian stone statue's attacks were fierce, he relied on his formidable defense to successfully withstand them time and again without taking a single step back.
The battle quickly reached a stalemate, and the guardian stone statues' counterattacks grew increasingly violent. Suddenly, one of the statues unleashed a powerful energy wave. That energy wave, like a surging, roaring torrent, charged rapidly toward Bai Zhi. Seeing this, Lin Xiu's heart tightened fiercely, burning with anxiety. Having no time to overthink, he instantly activated Shadow Stealth, appearing in front of Bai Zhi at top speed. Opening his arms, he used his own body to block this wave of attack for her. The powerful impact, akin to a speeding carriage, sent Lin Xiu flying backward with a heavy crash. A trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, yet his gaze remained incomparably resolute; injured though he was, he steadfastly guarded Bai Zhi's side.
"Lin Xiu, don't do this, my heart aches for you." Bai Zhi's eyes turned red, tears swirling in her eye sockets as her voice carried a sob. Quickly gathering her focus, she pooled all her mana together to release a powerful Light of Healing. This light, resembling a warm, radiant sun, not only rapidly healed Lin Xiu's injuries but also applied a transparent shield over him. Mysterious runes flickered across the shield, providing Lin Xiu with extra protection.
Amidst the fierce battle, through meticulous observation of the guardian stone statues' attack patterns, Lin Xiu finally discovered their weakness—the energy core was located right in the chest. Seizing a brief lull in the combat, he quickly shared this discovery with his teammates. Hearing this, the group immediately changed tactics. Su Yu concentrated her firepower, firing her most powerful arrows one after another directly at the statues' chests, each arrow carrying her unwavering determination and formidable strength. Lu Chen utilized the advantages of his greatsword to continuously assault the statues' legs, every slash he delivered slowing the statues' movements down by a fraction. In the rear, Bai Zhi continuously provided support and treatment to her teammates; her healing and supporting magic acted like streams of warm current, endlessly infusing power into her companions.
After a grueling and hard-fought battle, the four of them finally succeeded in defeating the guardian stone statues. As the last guardian stone statue crashed heavily to the ground, a deafening, thunderous roar echoed throughout the entire space, and dust filled the air.
[Experience Points Obtained: 8000]
[Level increased to 26]
[Rare Material Obtained: Guardian Heart]
Following their level-up, the attributes of Lin Xiu and Bai Zhi were comprehensively enhanced. Lin Xiu acquired a new skill, Shadow Burst. When activating this skill, he could instantly release powerful shadow energy that spread rapidly outward like a billowing black mushroom cloud, dealing area-of-effect damage to surrounding enemies. Bai Zhi learned the Light of Purification. This light could not only dispel negative status effects from teammates and instantly restore their vitality, but also deal extra damage to dark-type enemies; wherever the light reached, the forces of darkness were purified and dissipated.
Filled with the joy of victory and lingering exhaustion, the four of them slowly approached the stone platform, their gazes fixed intently upon the blue-emitting crystal ball. The moment Lin Xiu's hand touched the crystal ball, it burst into a brilliant glow, its dazzling radiance forcing everyone to squint their eyes. Immediately afterward, an ancient projection slowly emerged, seemingly guiding them toward another mysterious destination. What kind of thrilling adventures awaited them there, one could only wonder...