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

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And so, through their combined efforts, several hours passed, and everyone found a considerable amount of valuable information. Just when everyone thought they had made a great harvest for the day, a strange sound caught their attention—it seemed something was quietly approaching…

"Listen!" the musician exclaimed softly, "Someone's coming?"

Everyone instantly became alert and hid in the nearest concealed spot to observe the situation. A short while later, a figure dressed in a long robe and wearing a mask, Zhao De, slowly entered the room. Judging from his gait, he seemed unaware that others were present.

Zhao De gestured to his companions to continue observing the situation. Suddenly, the mysterious figure stopped and quickly turned to look at a corner. "No need to hide anymore, I've already spotted you." A deep, slightly mocking voice echoed throughout the space.

The four men tensed up, but still tried to remain calm and stepped forward. "Who are you? Why are you here?" the musician broke the silence first.

“My name is Zhao De,” the other party introduced briefly. “As a member of the guards of this area, my duty is to protect the secrets here from falling into the wrong hands. Tell me, how did you outsiders manage to find this place and freely browse these valuable documents?”

Zhao De's words were full of accusation, clearly indicating his high level of vigilance regarding the four's arrival. Although he did not take direct action, a subtle threat could be sensed from his eyes hidden behind the mask.

“We were guided here,” Zhao De replied calmly, attempting to state his position in the most direct way possible. “Our goal is to find the clues needed to solve the puzzle. If you are willing to help us…”

"The Elder?" Upon hearing this name, Zhao De seemed slightly taken aback. "What is your relationship with him? How did he reveal this information to you?"

“He is our mentor and the only one who gave us hints,” the little fox added. “Please believe that we have no ill intentions; we just hope to return safely after completing our mission.”

A brief silence fell over the air, those few seconds feeling like an eternity. Finally, Zhao De nodded. "Alright, since his name has been mentioned, I'll choose to trust you this once and for all." He said, relaxing his posture slightly. "But that doesn't mean I'll tell you all the secrets. To get the answers, you must prove yourselves."

Chapter 1276 Enormous Creature

Chapter 1276 Enormous Creature

Seeing that the other party's attitude had softened considerably, the four exchanged smiles. The musician stepped forward and politely asked, "Then, could you please offer some guidance? Where should we begin?"

“First of all,” Zhao De’s voice became more serious, “you must know that this library not only contains a wealth of knowledge, but also hides countless traps and dangers. You need to be extremely careful with every step you take.”

Just as everyone thought a difficult search was about to begin, a rumbling sound suddenly came from outside—it seemed that some kind of enormous creature was rapidly approaching! The ground trembled slightly, dust flew up, and a low roar could even be faintly heard…

Without thinking further, everyone hurriedly followed Zhao De and retreated to a concealed position. "What happened?" Zhao De asked anxiously.

Peeking through the crack, a gigantic lizard covered in scales slowly came into view. Its eyes, like two fiery red gems, were particularly striking in the dim light; and its gaping maw dripped a viscous liquid, clearly indicating it had just had a large meal…

“This is a ground dragon!” Zhao De explained in a low voice. “They usually inhabit the depths of this desolate area and rarely leave their nests to wander around. It seems we’ve run into some bad luck today… We must find a safe place to hide as soon as possible.”

Just then, the monster seemed to smell something unusual, abruptly stopping and sniffing around. Then, something unexpected happened—it walked straight towards them!

Zhao De reacted immediately: "Everyone, get your weapons ready and try not to make any noise. If a confrontation is unavoidable, then we'll have to fight it out."

"Don't panic, just follow my instructions." At this critical moment, Zhao De remained surprisingly calm and took out a small ball emitting a faint blue light from his robe. "Close your eyes and don't ask anything. Stay still for three seconds."

As the last word fell, a burst of intense blue light instantly enveloped everyone. After a slight dizziness, the whole world completely disappeared... When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a completely unfamiliar, enclosed space.

Zhao De slowly put down the blue light sphere in his hand, turned to face the crowd, and said, "This is one of my shelters, outside the Earth Dragon's perception range. We should be safe here."

"This is amazing!" the musician exclaimed. "What is that glowing little ball? It can teleport us here in an instant."

"This is a simple teleportation device I made," Zhao De replied casually. "However, it has a limited number of uses, so it's best not to use it unless absolutely necessary."

Zhao De looked around warily: "So what do we do now? Just stay here and wait for the situation outside to stabilize? Or do we have another plan?"

“Hmm…” Zhao De pondered for a moment and then said, “We need to leave this area as soon as possible. Although this place is secluded enough, the earth dragons roaming around will definitely cause considerable obstacles to our actions.”

"So what suggestions do you have for us?" Zhao Mei asked immediately.

"Let's observe first." With that, Zhao De walked to a wall that looked like it was made of metal and pressed a few buttons. Instantly, the entire wall seemed to melt and become transparent, allowing a clear view of the outside world through the window.

The earth dragon was still lingering nearby, occasionally letting out a low roar. "It really hasn't gone far..." Zhao De muttered to himself.

Chapter 1277 The Old Hunter

Chapter 1277 The Old Hunter

Suddenly, a figure stealthily approached from behind the monster—it was the old hunter who had separated from them earlier! He held an exceptionally long and incredibly sharp spear, poised to attack. But clearly, against such a massive opponent, such an attempt was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock…

"No!" the musician exclaimed upon seeing this. "That fellow is in danger!"

But it was too late. The old hunter hurled his weapon with all his might, and although it pierced the giant beast's hide with good aim, it failed to inflict a fatal wound. Instead, it enraged the earth dragon, causing it to furiously swing its tail towards the attacker's location. Just when it seemed the beast was about to be in trouble…

"I'll go help him get out of this mess." With that, Zhao De rushed towards the portal without hesitation. "You guys stay here and wait for me to come back."

But before anyone could react, he vanished through the illusory door. At the same time, Zhao De quickly pressed a button on the other wall to shut down the visual passage. "That was the wisest move; at least we won't be facing two threats simultaneously. Now we can only pray your friend is lucky."

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Several minutes later, a faint light illuminated the room again—Zhao De returned, covered in dust and scratches, but thankfully unharmed. "How is he? The old man…?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao De shook his head and interrupted him: "He has already sacrificed himself... but at least I made the Earth Dragon lose interest in continuing the pursuit."

Zhao Mei's eyes dimmed instantly. She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the grief in her heart. Although she hadn't spent much time with the old hunter, his kindness in helping them in their life-or-death situation was deeply etched in her heart. "I'm sorry, we killed him..." she said, her voice trembling.

Zhao De gently patted her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. If it weren't for the old hunter, either of us might have died." His tone carried a faint sadness, but also a firm strength. "The most important thing now is to ensure that the rest of us can leave safely."

"Tell me, what's the next step?" The musician broke the silence, trying to calm himself down.

After thinking for a few seconds, Zhao De proposed a plan: "Since the Earth Dragon's attention has been drawn, we can take this opportunity to quietly detour and evacuate. However, before we act, we need to determine the route to ensure that we do not encounter any other unknown dangers."

"Regarding the choice of route..." Zhao De interjected, "I remember there is a very dense forest near the entrance. That might be a good hiding place, and it would also help us avoid the open areas where monsters frequently appear."

"Great idea, it's settled then!" Zhao De nodded in agreement, then looked at the others, "Does anyone have any questions or anything to add?"

No one responded. Everyone knew that, in this situation, there seemed to be no better option than to cooperate with the team's decision-making. Therefore, after some simple preparations, this hastily assembled team began their escape.

They proceeded slowly along the pre-planned path, each step taken with utmost care. The atmosphere in the forest was oppressive, and the occasional roar of a ground dragon in the distance only added to the tension. To minimize disturbance, everyone spoke in hushed tones, communicating even with gestures, only speaking when they were certain the environment was safe.

Chapter 1278 Poisonous Spider

Chapter 1278 Poisonous Spider

After trekking for about half an hour, they finally saw the path leading to the outside world. Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was about to speed up to cross this last barrier, a group of smaller but equally aggressive creatures suddenly darted out of the grass on their right—poisonous spiders!

"Watch out! A swarm of poisonous spiders has appeared!" Zhao De, reacting swiftly, was the first to notice the anomaly. He quickly drew his short sword and charged forward. "You guys go! Leave this to me!"

Seeing the critical situation, Zhao Mei stepped forward without hesitation: "Let's go together! We can't let him fight so many enemies alone!" With that, she brandished her long whip and joined the battle.

Faced with numerous and agile opponents, even though both fighters displayed extraordinary bravery, they were still struggling. Just then, the musician, who had been observing the battle, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He remembered that he carried some substances that could interfere with the sense of smell or sight of small animals. "Watch this!" he shouted, and threw out several bottles. As a thick and peculiar gas spread, the poisonous spiders became confused, and their attacks weakened considerably.

With the musician's interference, the spider swarm became increasingly chaotic, allowing Zhao De and Zhao Mei a temporary respite. They quickly adjusted their strategy, using the terrain to their advantage, gradually driving the spiders deeper into the forest. Meanwhile, Zhao De led the other team members to quicken their pace, attempting to cross the path before the spiders regrouped.

"Keep up with me, don't stop!" Zhao De shouted, his longsword gleaming coldly, like a beacon in the dim forest. The team members followed closely behind, their hearts pounding with tension, but their steps remained steady.

Finally, with everyone working together, they arrived at an open area. This was no longer a dark, damp, and dangerous forest, but a place where sunlight could shine in. Ahead, a clearly marked path was visible—a shortcut out of this terrifying place!

Just as everyone was preparing to celebrate, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, followed by a figure named Zhao De rapidly approaching from the woods. "It's Zhao De!" someone with sharp eyes exclaimed. Closely following behind her was another group of earth dragons, seemingly even more ferocious than the one they had encountered before! "Quick, hide!" Zhao De said breathlessly, "They're catching up!"

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and the group, who thought they were out of danger, were once again plunged into crisis. Zhao De quickly assessed the surrounding environment, "We don't have time, we can only choose the cave over there!" His gaze locked onto a natural cave not far away. Although it didn't look deep, it was still much safer than facing these monsters directly.

Everyone sprang into action, rushing towards their destination as quickly as possible. However, just as they were about to arrive, several earth dragons broke through the last barrier in the forest, roaring furiously, seemingly trying to prevent the humans from escaping.

"No, we can't let ourselves be captured like this!" Zhao De's firm voice rang out. He turned around in the group, deciding to make a final effort. "You guys keep going, I'll cover the rear!" With that, he drew his short sword and faced the first earth dragon that pounced on him.

"Wait, don't fight alone!" Zhao Mei hurriedly called out to her brother, "I'll stay and help you too!" The two stood side by side, their eyes filled with an indomitable spirit.

Chapter 1279 Earth Dragon

Chapter 1279 Earth Dragon

Zhao De quickly made a judgment: "Zhao De, Zhao Mei, you two must be careful. Zhao De, you also help them cover their retreat. The rest of you, get into the cave immediately! Quickly!"

Everyone obeyed the order and moved out. The non-combatants rushed towards the cave entrance at top speed. Zhao De stood firmly beside the brother and sister without hesitation, her eyes burning with an indomitable spirit. "I'll cover you and try to buy you as much time as possible!" Her voice was firm and calm.

At this moment, the first earth dragon approached. It was enormous, its entire body covered in scales as hard as steel, and every thud of its hoof shook the earth. The beast roared and opened its maw, large enough to swallow several people whole, as it lunged at the three of them.

"Everyone, spread out and try to keep your distance from them," Zhao De commanded. He knew that it was impossible for a few people to defeat these beasts head-on. Zhao De launched the first attack, thrusting his longsword straight at the monster's eye socket—clearly one of its weak points. But unexpectedly, the earth dragon was unusually alert, ducking its head to avoid the fatal blow, and then angrily slamming its front claws against the ground.

At the same time, Zhao De seized the opportunity to leap from the side, unleashing a beautiful spinning slash in mid-air, his short blade slicing precisely across the target's carotid artery. Blood gushed out, but this only drove it even more berserk. The wounded earth dragon let out a deafening roar, as if the entire forest trembled.

On the other side, Zhao De gripped his bow and arrows tightly, and after firing several accurate shots, he finally brought the enemy to a halt. However, more of their kind were steadily approaching... "This won't do; we must find a way to deal with them," the girl thought to herself, secretly considering her next move.

Just then, a clear, melodious yet slightly eerie melody suddenly rang out, and the mysterious musician reappeared. "Don't be afraid, friends," he said with a smile, "let's join hands to face this disaster."

Inspired by the music, the team members rallied and launched a new counterattack: some attacked directly with weapons; some cast spells to aid their comrades; and others adopted a roundabout strategy to try and lure the giant beasts away from the entrance...

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, Zhao Mei noticed something unusual. "Look there!" she pointed to a strange light gradually emerging in an open area ahead. "It looks like something is about to appear?"

Sure enough, as everyone noticed this, a huge cocoon-shaped object, shimmering with a soft light, slowly rose into the air. It rotated slowly, and a faint mist swirled around it, making the surrounding scenery even more hazy and mysterious. "Could it be... one of the legendary ancient elven ruins?!" Zhao De asked in surprise.

As the halo grew brighter and more dazzling, it finally burst forth with a brilliant light. Under the intense light, not only did everything around freeze for a moment, but even the earth dragons ceased their attack, as if stopped by some force. When everything returned to normal, the enormous creatures miraculously scattered and fled, clearly having lost their previous arrogance.

Taking advantage of the enemy's retreat, Zhao De immediately shouted, "Hurry and get into the cave! Now is our best chance to escape!"

Chapter 1280 Strange

Chapter 1280 Strange

The group hurriedly followed the instructions and ran into the nearest cave, temporarily sealing the entrance. Although unknown risks might still lurk outside, they at least gained a breather. Now, everyone had the opportunity to carefully observe their surroundings: it was a small but relatively flat and open space, with a few slits in the ceiling letting in light, making it not too dark; the walls were etched with some indistinct yet ancient characters and patterns, seemingly telling a story about nature and peaceful coexistence; and in the very center stood a small, translucent altar emitting a faint glow, upon which rested an object that looked like an exquisitely decorated box or a small shrine?

Zhao De was breathing heavily, but her gaze never left the translucent altar. She approached cautiously, her fingers gently tracing the ancient totems. "What do you all think this is?" Zhao De turned to her companions, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Zhao De frowned and thought for a moment: "In any case, we should ensure our safety before figuring out its purpose. Who knows if it might be a trap?"

Zhao Mei nodded in agreement, saying, "You're right. Let's find a way out as soon as possible. The atmosphere here is making us feel uncomfortable."

Just as the group was about to split up to explore, the mysterious musician suddenly spoke up: "Look over there, there seems to be a passage."

Following his pointing finger, the group indeed discovered a dark, narrow path winding its way out from one side of the stone wall. Although the light was dim, there seemed to be a faint glow illuminating the path at its end.

“Okay, let’s go.” Zhao De quickly decided and took the lead. The other three followed, keeping a certain distance from each other in case of any unforeseen circumstances.