MM Racing Page 456
Page 456
"Everything's fine here for now." Zhao De dusted off his hands and sat down on a small stool. "Now, Zhao De, let's begin. What can you remember?"
Zhao De sat down, closed his eyes, and carefully recalled the contents of the book. "I remember that activating the jade talisman requires a specific kind of light, but it's not ordinary sunlight; it's a special light source. Also, there are several crucial steps in the activation process, and each step needs to be completed precisely."
Li Tao asked, "Do you remember exactly where that light came from? Was there any clue pointing to it?"
“It seems…it seems to be emanating from some kind of special crystal, called ‘Crescent Stone,’ which is shaped like a crescent moon.” Zhao De slowly recited what he remembered. “The book describes this stone as extremely rare, and it only glows under specific conditions.”
"What about these 'specific conditions'? For example, is there any information about the time and place?" another team member asked impatiently.
"Hmm...it seems to only work on the night of a full moon. And the book also mentions that you need to find the crescent stone inside an ancient building, a few kilometers west of where we are now in the valley, in a place called Qinglong Temple."
Hearing this, everyone fell into thought. It was clear that finding this mysterious "crescent stone" might hold the key to unlocking all the mysteries. But it also meant that another perilous journey lay ahead.
“So we have to get to Qinglong Temple before the next full moon, or everything will be meaningless.” Zhao De looked at everyone seriously. “But before that, we need to make full preparations, especially regarding supplies.”
Li Tao stood up and said, "I'll set off first thing tomorrow morning to see if there's anything usable nearby. As for tonight..." He glanced out the window at the dark night, "Everyone has worked so hard for so long, getting some rest is the most important thing."
“Good suggestion, everyone go to sleep,” Zhao De agreed. “We’ll meet at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, and I’ll confirm our action plan again before we set off.”
Just as everyone was preparing to make their beds, they suddenly heard light footsteps outside the door...
"Wait, what's going on?" One of them immediately became alert and grabbed the long knife that he had just put down.
The footsteps outside stopped, followed by a familiar voice softly saying, "It's me, open the door quickly."
Zhao De recognized Old Wang, their team's scout, as returning. "Old Wang? Is that you? What happened? Why are you back now?"
“Something’s not right… I’ve spotted more enemy tracks on the road.” The door slowly opened, and Old Wang rushed into the room, panting. “It seems there’s more than one group searching for us, and they’re carrying a lot of high-tech equipment. We need to be extra careful.”
Old Wang was still breathing heavily, and beads of sweat glistened on his face in the dim light. His words made everyone's slightly relaxed mood tense up again.
Chapter 1377 A Long-Awaited Story
Chapter 1377 A Long-Awaited Story
"High-tech equipment? What exactly is it?" Zhao De asked, making room for Old Wang to sit down.
“Drones, night vision goggles, and I even saw thermal imaging equipment. If I hadn’t spotted them beforehand, our whereabouts would likely have been exposed,” Old Wang said, panting. “And judging from their actions, it wasn’t just simple tracking; it seemed more like a planned encirclement.”
Hearing this, the initial relief at finding temporary shelter vanished instantly. Li Tao frowned, looked at everyone in thought for a while, and then said, "It seems that Qinglong Temple will probably be heavily guarded. We need to come up with a foolproof plan."
Although young, Zhao De was quick-witted and immediately replied, "Since the enemy knows we're coming this way, why not use that to our advantage? We could release some false information to mislead them..."
Zhao De looked at Zhao De approvingly and nodded: "Good idea. But the premise is that people must believe these false rumors. How do you think that can be done?"
“We can leave a few obviously intentionally placed ‘clues’,” Li Tao suggested. “For example, we could forge some personal items that look like they were left behind in a hurry, or write a few lines of suggestive text on the ground with a twig, and so on.”
“But this might attract even more enemies to hunt us down,” another team member said worriedly. “What if the situation gets out of control?”
"So we need to act quickly and get there before the full moon. In the meantime, we should try to create as many false directions as possible to distract the enemy," Zhao De concluded. "In addition, we need to observe the surrounding environment more carefully and report any unusual activity immediately."
Old Wang nodded: "I agree with this plan. I can go out for another walk around to check the surrounding area before we leave tomorrow morning."
As the conversation continued, darkness had completely enveloped the outside world. Although exhausted, everyone knew that the task ahead would be even more arduous.
"Everyone will take turns on watch tonight, so be sure to stay alert." Before going to bed, Zhao De arranged the watch and added, "Remember, as long as we act carefully, we will definitely have a chance to reach our destination successfully."
The next morning, in the faint light of dawn, everyone in the cabin was ready to embark on a new journey. Just then, a series of hurried footsteps interrupted the departing group…
"What happened?" Li Tao asked immediately.
"Look behind us," a teammate on scouting breathlessly pointed towards the woods ahead—a few faint lights were faintly visible. "It looks like someone's coming! And they're moving very fast!"
The group exchanged glances and then reacted. "Get out of here immediately!" Zhao De quickly gave the order.
So the four of them quickly gathered all their supplies and set off westward. By the time the first rays of sunlight pierced through the treetops, they had already traveled a considerable distance stealthily deep into the forest.
After several days of arduous trekking, we finally arrived at the legendary ancient temple—the Green Dragon Temple. Although its exterior was dilapidated, it still exuded an indescribable charm and solemnity.
Upon entering the temple gate, a spacious hall comes into view. Various stone carvings and weathered murals adorn the walls, as if each stone itself tells a long-ago story.
Chapter 1378 Treasure
Chapter 1378 Treasure
Just as everyone was immersed in the atmosphere, a statue not far away caught Zhao De's attention. "Captain, look here! I think this moon-shaped thing might be the 'Crescent Stone' we're looking for."
"Really?" Zhao De stepped forward to examine it. The semi-circular object embedded in the wall had a faint silvery-white luster, and its surface was finely and intricately carved, which indeed matched the description.
"That's right, this is the 'crescent stone' we've been looking for!" Zhao De examined the crescent-shaped stone carefully and confirmed. He gently touched the surface and felt a faint yet undeniable energy fluctuation.
“But,” Old Wang suddenly said, “this place isn’t as easy to approach as we think. What if the enemy discovers it too?”
“That’s what I’m worried about too,” Li Tao added. “But now that we’ve found our target, we can’t give up easily. We need to get it as soon as possible and then proceed according to plan.”
“Yes,” Zhao De nodded firmly in agreement. “We have made full preparations before we came. Let’s proceed according to the original plan now.”
With that, the group quickly divided the work. Zhao De and Zhao De were responsible for finding a safe way to remove the stone, while Li Tao and Lao Wang were responsible for setting up a perimeter and traps to prevent any uninvited guests from entering.
After much effort, as the first rays of the setting sun shone into the temple, they finally succeeded in removing the 'crescent stone'. However, just then, they heard soft footsteps outside the door.
"Someone's coming!" Old Wang, who was setting up defenses, immediately became alert and signaled to his teammates with hand gestures.
"Hide well, don't let them discover our location," Zhao De commanded in a low voice.
The four quickly scattered and hid in the shadows. Moments later, a group of strangers dressed in black appeared inside the temple. These people looked like professional hunters or assassins, each carrying a longsword, their eyes sharp as hawks.
One of them seemed to sense something was amiss and looked in their direction. "Are you sure no one's here?" he asked the person next to him.
“Captain, there are indeed traces left by others here.” A man in black replied after carefully examining the ground.
"Be vigilant, split up." After giving the order, the leading man walked towards the original location of the 'Crescent Stone'.
"Oh no, they seem to have found the crescent stone too." Li Tao, hiding behind a pillar, gritted his teeth nervously. He knew he absolutely couldn't let these people take such an important item now.
Just as the enemy leader was about to reach his destination, Zhao De, who had been observing the situation from the shadows, suddenly struck, swiftly attacking his opponent from behind—
With a loud bang, the entire temple seemed to shake. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Zhao De successfully prevented the enemy from getting close to the treasure.
"Everyone, attack!" With that command, the three who had been waiting in ambush immediately rushed forward and joined the battle...
The battle erupted instantly, the sounds of clashing metal, footsteps, and shouts mingling together, turning the ancient temple into a chaotic battlefield. Zhao De swiftly emerged from behind a pillar, a silver dagger gleaming coldly in his hand. He charged straight at the nearest man in black, several swift and precise thrusts forcing him to retreat.
Chapter 1379 According to the Plan
Chapter 1379 According to the Plan
"Old Wang, to the right!" Li Tao shouted to his companion. Old Wang immediately turned, brandishing his short sword to block an enemy attacking from the right, and forced him back with a backhand slash. However, this brief advantage didn't last long, as the enemy clearly outnumbered them.
On the other side, Zhao De was engaged in combat with the leader of the enemy. This man was highly skilled in swordsmanship and agile in movement, clearly no ordinary opponent. The two moved rapidly in the center of the hall, sparks flying with each clash of their weapons. Although Zhao De was technically proficient, he was slightly inferior in strength and quickly found himself at a disadvantage.
"We can't keep fighting like this," Li Tao said breathlessly during a lull in the fighting. "We need to think of something..."
Just then, Zhao De had a sudden inspiration. He remembered that when he retrieved the crescent stone, he had discovered a hidden mechanism nearby. Activating this trap might change the course of the battle. "Captain, do you remember? There seems to be a secret exit over there that leads directly outside!" he shouted, pointing to a secluded corner not far away.
Upon hearing this, Zhao De made a plan. "Listen to my order, prepare to retreat!" As he finished speaking, he pretended to collapse from exhaustion, drawing everyone's attention while he rolled to the corner of the wall and pressed the switch in the location he already knew well.
Suddenly, the ground cracked open, and amidst the billowing dust, a dark and narrow tunnel appeared before them. "Quick, move out!"
Without hesitation, the four rushed into the secret passage. Although they were temporarily out of danger, they knew the real battle was just beginning. As the sounds behind them faded into the distance, they finally relaxed a little and checked each other's wounds in the small, damp space.
"Thankfully, none of them were seriously injured," Li Tao said, bandaging his teammates. "It's just that this mission will probably be much more troublesome than expected."
“That’s right, but at least we got the ‘Crescent Stone’.” Zhao De dusted off his hands, a hint of determination in his voice. He gently stroked the stone in his pocket; the familiar energy fluctuations were reassuring. “The most important thing now is to get out of here safely, and then figure out how to deal with the trouble that follows.”
“The captain is right. Let’s find somewhere to catch our breath,” Zhao De wiped the sweat from his forehead. “This secret passage looks very secure, but we can’t stay here for too long.”
Old Wang looked up and around, noticing a faint light coming from the end of the secret passage. "It seems the exit is just ahead; we should be able to get out from there."
“Okay, according to the plan, we need to contact the outside world as soon as possible and seek support.” Li Tao nodded, signaling everyone to follow. The four quickly adjusted their breathing and quickened their pace toward the light.
Finally, as they passed through the last stretch of darkness, a breathtaking view unfolded before them. Sunlight streamed onto a wide-open meadow, with rolling mountains in the distance and dense forests nearby. The air was fresh, the scenery delightful, and the tension of the moment seemed to vanish instantly.
"The scenery here is really beautiful. If it were any other time, I would definitely enjoy it to the fullest," Zhao De exclaimed, taking a deep breath.
“Alright, that's enough relaxation time,” Zhao De interrupted his musings. “Now we need to find a safe place as soon as possible. We might be being watched; we need to be vigilant.”
Chapter 1380 Crescent Stone
Chapter 1380 Crescent Stone
The group quickly packed their gear and prepared to set off. Zhao De looked at the 'crescent stone' in his hand, then suddenly thought of something and turned to Li Tao: "Li Tao, do you think if we go directly to 'Zhao De' with the 'crescent stone' now, will he help us?"
Li Tao frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "This... is theoretically feasible. But 'Zhao De' has always been elusive, so we need to determine his location first."
“I do have an idea,” Old Wang, who had been silent all along, suddenly said. “There is an ancient mountain village nearby, where a wise man is said to live. Perhaps we can get some clues from him.”
“Then let’s go there,” Zhao De nodded in agreement. “Time is of the essence, let’s set off immediately.”
The four of them quickly headed towards the small mountain village, avoiding conspicuous roads as much as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble. After walking for several hours, they finally arrived at the entrance to the village. The village was quiet; apart from the occasional crowing of roosters, almost no other sounds could be heard.
"There don't seem to be many people here, we need to be careful," Li Tao warned.
"Don't worry, now that you're here, you'll surely gain something," Zhao De comforted him.
Entering the village, they found the old wooden house. Pushing open the door, a warm, old-fashioned atmosphere wafted out. The house was filled with all sorts of ancient books and strange artifacts, and in the corner sat an old man with a long beard, intently flipping through the scrolls in his hands.
“Excuse me, sir,” Zhao De greeted politely as he stepped forward. “We’ve come to see you. We’ve heard you know a lot about ‘Zhao De.’”
The old man raised his head, his gaze sharp as if he could see right through them. "You're looking for 'Zhao De,' aren't you?"