The crowd circled the faintly glowing runes on the ground, their hearts filled with anxiety. The black vines relentlessly rammed against the ice wall set up by Lin Feng, producing loud "bangs" and cracks appearing all over its surface, threatening to shatter at any moment.

The woman in white had beads of sweat on her forehead. As she carefully examined the runes, she said, "These runes are too ancient. I can only barely recognize a portion of them. They seem to be conveying some kind of guidance, related to a mysterious space deep within the Abyss of Illusion. Perhaps the key to leaving is hidden there."

Lin Feng frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "There's no better way right now. We can only follow the runes' guidance. Everyone get ready; the ice wall probably won't hold for much longer."

As soon as the words left his mouth, with a "crack," the ice wall finally succumbed to the onslaught of the vines and shattered. The black vines surged towards the group like a raging tide. Xuanfeng shouted, and his staff emitted a dazzling light, forming a light barrier that temporarily blocked the vines.

The Blood Shadow Sect woman flashed to Lin Feng's side and said, "I'll clear the way, you follow." With that, she swung her Blood Spirit Curved Blade and slashed at the oncoming vines. Wherever the blood-red blade light passed, the vines snapped.

Lin Feng, holding Su Ran's hand, followed closely behind the Blood Shadow Sect woman. Xuan Feng, meanwhile, maintained the light barrier while slowly retreating. Following the direction indicated by the runes, they struggled forward amidst the relentless attacks of the vines.

Suddenly, a giant vine burst forth from the ground, lashing out at the Blood Shadow Sect woman. Unable to dodge in time, she was struck in the shoulder, staggering and nearly falling. Seeing this, Lin Feng swiftly hurled his Ice Spirit Spear, which transformed into a streak of blue light, piercing through the vine.

The group continued onward, and soon arrived before a massive stone gate. The gate itself was covered in runes, echoing those on the ground. The woman in white stepped forward, carefully studying the runes on the gate. After a long while, she said, "These runes form a puzzle; it seems we must trigger them in a specific order to open the gate."

At this moment, the surrounding black vines surged forward again. Xuan Feng resisted while shouting, "There's no time! Think of something quickly!" The woman in white took a deep breath, her eyes rapidly scanning the runes, her mind racing.

Finally, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, and she said, "I understand! Lin Feng, you activate the rune in the upper left corner. Su Ran, you prepare to activate the rune in the lower right corner after Lin Feng. Blood Shadow Sect girl, you then activate the rune slightly to the left of the middle. Senior Xuanfeng and I will then activate the remaining two key runes."

The group quickly followed the white-clad woman's instructions. When the last rune was triggered, the stone door emitted a muffled rumble and slowly opened. Behind the door was a deep, dark passage, filled with a faint mist and exuding a mysterious aura.

Without a second thought, the group hurriedly entered the passage. The stone door slammed shut behind them, shutting out the black vines. The passage was eerily quiet, save for the sound of their rapid breathing. Lin Feng, wielding the Ice Spirit Spear, cautiously led the way.

After walking for a while, the passage suddenly opened up, revealing a huge circular space. A crystal ball emitting a soft blue light floated in the very center of the space, surrounded by wisps of mysterious power.

The woman in white exclaimed in surprise, "Could this be the core of the power of the Illusionary Sea Abyss? Perhaps we can find clues to our escape and the whereabouts of the Heart of the Illusionary Sea here."

Just as everyone approached the crystal ball, it suddenly shone brightly, blinding them. When the light faded, a phantom figure appeared before them. This figure had indistinct features, wore an ancient robe, and exuded a powerful aura.

"Outsiders, how dare you trespass into the core of the Illusionary Sea Abyss? The secrets here are not something you can bear," the illusory figure said coldly.

Lin Feng mustered his courage and said, "Senior, we have no intention of offending you. We have simply wandered into this place by mistake. Please guide us to leave."

The illusory figure sneered: "Leave? Not so easy. However, if you can pass my test, I will let you leave, and may even tell you the clues to the Heart of the Illusionary Sea."

The group exchanged glances, all seeing determination in each other's eyes. Lin Feng said, "Please, senior, explain the content of the test."

With a wave of its hand, the illusory figure conjured five enormous stone pillars in the space, each covered with intricate patterns. "These five pillars represent the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. You must, within a quarter of an hour, correctly adjust the patterns on the pillars according to the principles of mutual generation and restraint among the five elements; otherwise, you will remain here forever."

Having said that, the illusory figure waved its hand, and everyone felt a powerful force transport them to different stone pillars. The pillar in front of Lin Feng represented the water element, Su Ran's the wood element, the Blood Shadow Sect woman's the fire element, Xuan Feng's the metal element, and the woman in white stood on the earth element pillar.

Everyone stood before their respective stone pillars, their expressions solemn. Time was of the essence, leaving no room for hesitation. Lin Feng was the first to examine the stone pillar representing the water element. He saw that the patterns on it were intricately interwoven, faintly emitting a ghostly blue light. He knew well that the five elements' generating cycle was "wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, and water generates wood," while their controlling cycle was "water controls fire, fire controls metal, metal controls wood, wood controls earth, and earth controls water."

Lin Feng quickly sorted through the relationships of the Five Elements in his mind. He discovered that the direction of some of the patterns on the stone pillar contradicted the position of the water element in the Five Elements cycle. Immediately, he mobilized his Ice Spirit power and carefully touched the patterns on the stone pillar. Each time he touched a spot, the patterns emitted a faint light, seemingly reacting to his adjustments.

On Su Ran's side, facing the stone pillar representing the wood element, although her ice spirit power wasn't directly related to the wood element, her intelligence and keen elemental perception quickly revealed the flaws in the pillar's patterns. She gently stroked the pillar with both hands, her ice spirit power seeping into it through her fingertips, gradually smoothing out the disordered patterns. A verdant light emanated from the pillar, mirroring the deep blue light of the water element pillar on Lin Feng's side.

The Blood Shadow Sect woman stood before the fire elemental pillar, her gaze resolute. A flash of light appeared in her Blood Spirit Scimitar, and crimson spiritual energy merged into the pillar. The patterns on the fire elemental pillar pulsed like burning flames, and she continuously adjusted their direction according to the principles of the Five Elements. The temperature of the flames rose higher and higher, reddening her face, and large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, but her movements did not falter in the slightest.

Xuanfeng stood before the golden elemental pillar, his staff gleaming. He chanted incantations, continuously channeling the power of light into the pillar. The patterns on the golden elemental pillar shimmered like metal, gradually returning to their correct alignment under the guidance of the light. Golden light shot into the sky, intertwining with the light from the other pillars to create a magnificent spectacle.

The woman in white stood before the earth elemental pillar. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and seemed to be communicating with the earth. After a moment, she placed her hands on the pillar, and a soft, earthy-yellow light spread from her palms. Under the glow, the chaotic patterns on the pillar slowly returned to their proper places. The earth elemental pillar exuded a powerful aura, resonating with the power of the other elemental pillars.

Time flew by in the tense atmosphere, and with a quarter of an hour almost up, the group finally finished adjusting the patterns on the stone pillars. The five pillars simultaneously erupted with intense light, the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth merging together to form a massive five-element halo suspended above their heads.

The illusory figure looked at the group who had completed the test and nodded slightly: "Not bad, you have passed the test." With that, he waved his hand, and the five elemental halos slowly descended, transforming into five gentle forces that merged into the group's bodies.

Lin Feng felt a cool sensation flowing through his meridians, and his Ice Spirit Power showed signs of a breakthrough. Su Ran, the Blood Shadow Sect woman, Xuan Feng, and the woman in white also felt their strength improve to varying degrees.

"This is your reward. The power of the five elements will strengthen your foundation and enhance your strength," the illusory figure said.

Lin Feng clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, senior. I wonder if you could keep your promise and tell us the clues to the Heart of the Illusionary Sea and how to leave this place?"

The illusory figure looked at everyone and slowly said, "The Heart of the Illusionary Sea is the core power of the Illusionary Sea Abyss. It is hidden in a mysterious palace at the deepest part of the Illusionary Sea Abyss. That palace is protected by many restrictions and is full of dangers. As for how to leave this place, you only need to follow the passage forward. At the end, there is a teleportation gate that can send you out of the Illusionary Sea Abyss."

Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this. However, Lin Feng still had doubts and asked, "Senior, why is there so much danger and secret in the Abyss of Illusion? And why are you here?"

The illusory figure remained silent for a moment before speaking: "The Abyss of Illusion was once an ancient battlefield where countless powerful figures perished. Their strength and will converged here, eventually creating numerous dangers. I am one of the guardians who protected the secrets of the Abyss of Illusion in ancient times. Now, my consciousness is about to dissipate, and the future of this mysterious place depends on you, its descendants."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a deep sense of awe for this mysterious place. The illusory figure waved its hand again, and a portal emitting a soft glow appeared at the end of the passage.

"You may leave now. I hope you will not venture into this Abyss of Illusions again unless you have sufficient strength," the illusory figure said.

The group bowed deeply to the illusory figure, then turned and walked towards the portal. The moment they stepped into the portal, a flash of light appeared, and they vanished.

When they reappeared, they were in a forest outside the Abyss of Illusion.