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

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As his words fell, a powerful sense of courage welled up within them. Even the most timid recruits straightened their backs, attempting to face this unprecedentedly powerful enemy. "Yes, Lord Zhao De!"

At the same time, the girl who had spoken earlier stepped forward. "Listen up, everyone! Now is not the time to panic! Now that we're here, we'll show those guys that humans aren't easily defeated!" she shouted, raising a hastily found wooden stick as a weapon, her eyes gleaming with unyielding spirit.

"That's right!" someone echoed. "We can't let down the friends who sacrificed themselves along the way."

At that moment, everyone reached a silent consensus: they must protect this land and the artifact they were about to obtain, no matter what!

Suddenly, the monster opened its gaping maw and let out a deafening roar, instantly crushing all the surrounding vegetation into powder. Then, it swung its massive forepaws and slammed them down on the group at the front...

"Watch out—" Almost reflexively, the thief immediately grabbed the novice warrior who couldn't dodge in time and pulled him behind him; while Red Flame quickly released a powerful fire barrier to try and block the opponent's attack. The two coordinated with a level of tacit understanding that was as smooth and natural as partners who had trained for many years.

Even so, it couldn't withstand the full force of the attack—just as the barrier was about to collapse, Li Hua timely cast a powerful barrier, temporarily blocking the shockwave. "We can't hesitate any longer! We must fight back!" he shouted urgently.

Chapter 1048 His expression softened somewhat

Chapter 1048 His expression softened somewhat

Upon hearing this, several carefully selected elite members of the team immediately adjusted their formation and advanced. "Follow me! We're going to fight this guy head-on!" The leader was a seasoned warrior wielding a heavy battle axe. Closely following him were female knights wielding long spears and skilled in close-quarters combat, and further back were staff-wielding mages providing ranged support firepower.

"You pathetic wretches..." came the mocking voice of the enemy leader from the other side. But before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sudden and fierce attack.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhao De led several brave men towards the legendary floating sword in the center. "Hurry up, try to get it as quickly as possible!" he urged his teammates along the way. "Roger!" the others responded in unison and began to run.

Victory was just around the corner when suddenly the entire space began to distort and twist. "Foolish...do you think this will stop me?" A more sinister and eerie voice rang out, and the body that had been approaching the artifact abruptly stopped.

"What's going on?!" asked the thief leading the way anxiously. "It looks like we're trapped by some kind of energy," the mage beside him speculated. "If we don't break free of this barrier soon, I'm afraid..."

Before she could finish her last sentence, the ball of light in the air suddenly exploded, illuminating the entire area with a blinding white light that forced everyone to close their eyes. "Oh no..."

When everyone opened their eyes again, they discovered that their surroundings were completely different from before...

"Where...where exactly is this?" The villagers looked at each other, their voices filled with confusion and shock.

"It seems we have fallen into the enemy's trap..." a wise-looking man said, frowning in thought.

"No matter what, we must find a way out and complete our mission!" Zhao De's eyes were firm as he gripped his longsword tightly.

"You're right." Li Hua nodded, gazing into the distance, a glint of light in his eyes. "Hopefully, this path won't only be filled with thorns..."

Just as they decided to move on, a soft footstep broke the silence, as if foreshadowing yet another unknown challenge...

Footsteps drew closer, and everyone instantly went on high alert. Zhao De brandished his longsword, drawing a dazzling arc of light in front of him, preparing to face the unknown enemy. Li Hua swiftly erected a protective barrier around them, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. The girl, meanwhile, had already raised her wooden staff high, leaning forward, ready for battle at any moment.

At that moment, a figure dressed in black robes slowly came into view. "Who's there? Come out!" Zhao De shouted sharply, the tip of his sword pointing directly at the newcomer. However, as the figure drew closer, everyone realized that the newcomer did not exhibit any aggressive behavior. The stranger lifted the cloak covering her head, revealing a slightly smiling face—a young woman who appeared to be around twenty years old.

"Please don't be nervous," she said gently. "I am a resident of a nearby village, and my name is Aliya."

Hearing this explanation, the expressions of the surrounding people eased somewhat, but their vigilance remained. "Why are you here? And do you know where this is?" the wise-looking mage with a staff stepped forward and asked.

Chapter 1049 Narrow Gap Passage

Chapter 1049 Narrow Gap Passage

Alia nodded and replied, "I do know where this place is. In fact, my family has guarded the secret entrance to this area for generations. As for why I am here, it is because I sensed that an outsider had trespassed into the forbidden area."

Hearing this, Zhao De couldn't help but ask, "Forbidden Land? Could it be that we've already entered another world?"

"Yeah, where is this? We were just fighting monsters a moment ago..." someone muttered in the crowd.

"What an amazing place! It feels like a dream..." another villager chimed in.

Alia nodded slightly in agreement. "Indeed, this is one of the parallel spaces to the outside world. But since you were able to find this place and survive, you must be people with considerable strength, right? Perhaps... we can use your strength to complete a crucial mission."

Hearing this, everyone looked curiously at the mysterious woman who called herself the Guardian. "What mission?" Li Hua asked directly. "It's like this," Alia said, her gaze sweeping over the attentive faces of everyone before finally settling on Zhao De. "So I need your help—to activate that power."

After listening, some murmurs began to circulate in the group.

"Is it really possible? It sounds too unrealistic..."

"But if we don't try, we might never find our way home..." someone else whispered in rebuttal.

"Besides, haven't we always wanted to protect the village? If this can really help..."

Just as the discussion reached a stalemate, a series of deafening roars suddenly rang out—as if something was approaching! Everyone was alarmed and scattered to see what was happening.

The reason quickly became clear: a group of bizarrely shaped, enormous demonic creatures were rapidly approaching this place! They were baring their fangs and roaring as if they wanted to tear everyone to shreds...

Seeing this, Zhao De didn't hesitate at all: "Alright, Alia, let's get started now! Tell us how to get deeper into the ruins! Time is running out."

Upon hearing this, Alia's face showed gratitude, and she immediately turned and walked towards a secluded spot to the side, reminding everyone as she went, "Come with me quickly, we can go directly to our destination by going through the secret door here... but remember to watch your step."

Following her, the group carefully passed through the narrow crevice. Just as they were about to be fully inside, another voice broke the brief silence: "Wait! It seems there's another force approaching this place..."

Everyone turned around and looked at the person who had spoken with surprise—it was the same brave girl from before. "You mean there are other enemies?!" Zhao De asked urgently. "That's right," the girl nodded firmly.

"Sigh... I wonder what kind of trouble I'll be facing this time..." someone sighed, filled with emotion.

"We have to pull through no matter what, everyone! We've come this far, we can't stop now!" someone else encouraged.

Chapter 1050 Voices of Support

Chapter 1050 Voices of Support

And so this group of courageous and hopeful travelers continued their unfinished journey; and ahead of them awaited even more unknown challenges and opportunities that could change the entire world—

Alia stopped, standing at the far end of the passage, gazing at the target emitting a soft glow in the distance. "We've arrived. Touching that crystal ball will trigger the final trial... but remember to give it your all!"

As they gazed at the crucial item they were about to touch, everyone present involuntarily clenched their fists, mentally preparing themselves for whatever changes might occur...

"Are you ready? Then let's create a miracle together!" Zhao De's firm words resounded like a horn throughout this mysterious and perilous ruin.

Just as Zhao De finished speaking, the crystal ball in front of the group suddenly emitted an even stronger light. An unusual aura seemed to permeate the air, making them feel both mysterious and uneasy.

Alia nodded gently. "Now, only one person needs to touch it." She then scanned the room, her gaze finally settling on Zhao De. "You seem to have the most courage and responsibility. Would you like to give it a try?"

"Wow, Zhao De, you're so cool! You can definitely do it!" A young man watching from the sidelines cheered Zhao De on excitedly.

"Go for it!" "You must succeed!" Voices of support kept coming from the crowd.

Feeling everyone's trust and support, Zhao De took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the crystal that radiated a mesmerizing glow. The moment his fingertips touched the surface, a warm current surged through his body, causing him to shiver involuntarily. "Wow...what a peculiar feeling."

At that moment, the surrounding space began to blur and distort, and then everyone disappeared, leaving him alone floating in this void...

"Oh my god! Where am I?" came the panicked voices of his companions from not far away.

"Look, there looks like a cave over there!" another teammate shouted, pointing in a certain direction.

It turns out that this contact activated the ancient mechanism and also triggered a spatial transformation effect—everyone was teleported to different locations in the ruins, waiting to complete their respective trial tasks before reuniting to unlock the power of the seal.

Zhao De found himself in a dark, damp tunnel. All around was quiet except for the occasional dripping of water. Then, Alia's gentle yet slightly urgent voice echoed in his mind: "Everyone has their own difficulties to overcome to return to the main hall. Face the challenges bravely and return to the starting point as soon as possible..."

"Hey, what's going on?" Li Hua asked anxiously, searching for a way out.

"Hey, don't be afraid, I'm here! Let's find the answer together!" The girl, who was also in an unknown corner, answered her friend with encouragement.

"Hmm...why don't we start exploring now? Maybe we can discover some hidden secrets," another friend suggested.

As time passed, amidst various dangers and serendipitous encounters, everyone overcame their individual trials and found the path to the central area, reuniting at one point. "It's good that everyone is safe~" Aliya breathed a sigh of relief and smiled after seeing everyone return to their places on time.

Chapter 1051 Easily Solved

Chapter 1051 Easily Solved

However, just as everyone was preparing to celebrate their victory, the ground began to tremble violently—clearly, the threat outside still existed and was growing stronger...

"What should we do? Are we too late?" one of the team members asked with a worried expression.

"Let's calm down before making a decision. After all, we've already come this far... We have to persevere to the end no matter what!" Li Hua gritted his teeth and clenched his fist to encourage the others.

Seeing the unwavering determination in each other's eyes, Zhao De felt an unprecedented surge of strength: "Alright... let's join hands to face all these difficulties. No matter what the future holds, we will never give up hope!" With that, he led his team into the darkest depths...

Just then, a dazzling white light suddenly appeared in the distance, and at the same time, several whispers could be faintly heard:

"Ugh, these humans are really troublesome..."

"Looks like I'll have to put in a little more effort now, otherwise I probably won't be able to take them down easily."

- ...

This sudden turn of events immediately made the already tense atmosphere even more somber and complex...

Zhao De and his group ventured into the unknown ruins, their heartbeats deafening. Apart from the faint sounds of footsteps and breathing, the surroundings were so quiet they could almost hear their own heartbeats.

"Um...did you guys hear that?" A trembling voice came from the back of the group. The speaker was a newly joined member.

Another voice quickly responded, "Yes, who is that? They don't sound like one of our companions."

Zhao De stopped and cautiously observed his surroundings. Just as he was about to warn everyone to be careful, the passage ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a wide space with a huge crystal platform at its center. A softly glowing ancient lantern floated on the platform, creating an atmosphere that was both mysterious and oppressive.

Then the distant sound became clear again:

"Ugh, these humans are really troublesome..."

"Looks like I'll have to put in a little more effort now, otherwise I probably won't be able to take them down easily."

Hearing this, the atmosphere in the group became extremely tense, and everyone gripped their weapons tightly. Li Hua stepped forward and asked Zhao De in a low voice, "What do we do?"

Zhao De stared intently at the mysterious light source ahead. "Stay alert, but don't be too tense. The most important thing now is to figure out their identity and intentions." He then turned to everyone and added, "No matter what, we must stay united and remember the people who support us and the future of the entire world."

Just as everyone was preparing to continue their journey to uncover the truth, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows—an old man dressed in ancient robes with deep, penetrating eyes. "Oh, brave souls, welcome here..." The old man's calm yet powerful words echoed through the space, instilling a strange sense of trust.