"boom--!!!"
The final, violent explosion echoed in the empty room, causing dust to fall from the walls.
The lingering smoke and the acrid smell of escaping energy had not completely dissipated, and the air still retained the scorching heat of the battle.
Lin Yi shook his slightly numb arm, and the [Power of Time and Space] slowly receded, the pale golden light surrounding him gradually fading away.
Although that "Space-Time Fracture Slash" didn't completely kill that cunning old bastard Night Owl, it did force him to retreat, leaving him to flee in a sorry state with his injuries.
"Pah! He got lucky he ran fast!" Long Wu kicked away a twisted and deformed remnant of an alien creature at his feet and spat. "If I run into him again next time, I'll rip off his black robe and use it as a rag!" As he spoke, he smoothed his hair, which was a little messy from the aftershocks of the battle, but his face was flushed with excitement, clearly indicating that he had thoroughly enjoyed the fight.
"He won't let this go." Su Qing walked to Lin Yi's side, a hint of worry in her cool eyes. "He suffered a loss this time, but next time he'll probably bring even stronger power." She and Chu Yao had just joined forces to precisely control the rhythm of the battlefield, creating an opportunity for Lin Yi to fight Night Owl one-on-one. At this moment, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Chu Yao floated silently on Lin Yi's other side, blue data streams flashing rapidly in her eyes as she calmly analyzed: "Based on the energy fluctuations just now, the power system used by Night Owl is significantly different from known extradimensional creatures, being more corrosive and destructive. It is recommended that Master prioritize avoiding its core energy attacks in future encounters." She was like a most loyal bodyguard and a super strategist, always putting Lin Yi's safety first.
Lin Yi nodded, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged battlefield. He said in a deep voice, "You can run away, but you can't hide. The most urgent thing is to find the clues that guided us from the ancient times." The Night Owl was just a minor incident; what's truly important is to uncover the greater secrets behind this world.
The group rallied and began a thorough search of the enormous stone room.
The room resembled the core area of some ancient ruin, with indistinct murals carved on the walls, huge stone slabs paving the floor, and broken artifacts of unknown purpose scattered in the corners.
An ancient and somber atmosphere permeated the air, as if time itself had slowed down here.
"Hey Lao Lin, can you really find any clues in this dump?" Long Wudong tapped around, kicked a protruding stone slab with his foot, making a dull thud. "It feels like an abandoned warehouse, we haven't found a single hair." He was impatient, and this kind of meticulous search work was clearly not his forte, so he soon became a little impatient.
Lin Yi ignored his complaints. He had already activated his [Space-Time Perception] to its maximum, carefully sensing the energy flow in every inch of the room.
However, apart from the chaotic energy left over from the battle, nothing unusual was found.
Su Qing also frowned; her senses were equally sharp, yet she also gained nothing.
Could it be that the clues aren't here? Or have they overlooked something?
Just as everyone was about to give up and prepare to expand the search area to other areas, Chu Yao, who had been silently scanning, suddenly spoke up: "Master, abnormal energy reaction detected. Coordinates: front wall, three o'clock position, two meters high."
Everyone's eyes immediately focused on the wall that Chu Yao was pointing to.
It was an unremarkable stone wall, covered with signs of weathering, and no different from other places.
"What? Yao Yao, are your eyes made of titanium alloy? How can you see that?" Long Wu's eyes widened as he leaned forward and carefully felt the wall. It was cold and rough to the touch, nothing but stone.
Lin Yi stepped forward, extended his palm, and faintly extended the [Power of Time and Space].
Sure enough, at the location Chu Yao pointed out, he sensed an extremely faint, almost imperceptible spatial fluctuation, like an undercurrent hidden beneath the surface of water.
The fluctuations were cleverly hidden within the texture of the wall itself. Unless an AI of Chu Yao's caliber performed a precise scan, or someone like Lin Yi with an extreme control over space, it would be impossible to detect them.
"Something's strange." Lin Yi's eyes narrowed. "This should be a hidden mechanism."
He tried to inject a wisp of [space-time power] into that fluctuation point.
At first there was no reaction; the wall remained the same cold wall.
Lin Yi did not give up. He gradually increased the energy output and tried to adjust the frequency and mode of the energy.
"Buzz..."
A very faint buzzing sound rang out, as if an ancient machine that had been asleep for thousands of years had been awakened.
The stone texture on the wall began to flow, as if it were alive, slowly receding to both sides to reveal a square entrance just big enough for one person to pass through.
The entrance wasn't the passage or secret room I'd imagined, but rather... nothingness?
No, it's more like a condensed energy body radiating a soft white light.
"Wow! It really is! Yao Yao is amazing!" Long Wu exclaimed, then scratched his head, "But... what is this thing? What happened to the treasure map? What happened to the ancient manual? Why is it just a ball of light?"
This is definitely a bit unconventional.
Logically, finding a hidden mechanism should mean either a portal to a new map or a treasure chest containing a key item.
The ball of light before them, seemingly harmless and even somewhat resembling a human or animal, was truly baffling.
Lin Yi, Su Qing, and even Aizen, who had been deep in thought and seemingly studying the mural, all turned their gazes toward that ball of light.
Just then, something unexpected happened!
The soft white light seemed to be stimulated by something, and suddenly expanded!
"Whoosh—!!!"
The dazzling light instantly engulfed the entire room. Its brightness was so great that Long Wu, caught off guard, let out a strange cry and instinctively closed his eyes, feeling a sharp pain in his eyeballs, as if he had been pricked by countless fine needles.
Lin Yi and Su Qing reacted a little faster, but they could only squint and barely see.
The light is not just a visual impact.
An indescribable, heavy pressure descended instantly!
This oppressive force is not a physical pressure, but more like a... mental scrutiny.
It was as if a supreme, incomprehensible being was casting an indifferent yet majestic gaze upon each of them across endless time and space.
The air seemed to freeze, making it difficult to even breathe.
Long Wu felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on him, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
His prized "True Dragon Bloodline" was utterly powerless against this oppressive force, trembling as if it had encountered its natural enemy.
Su Qing's face was also a little pale. She gripped Lin Yi's arm tightly, her body trembling slightly, as if this force had stirred up some deep-seated memories or feelings within her.
Chu Yao's virtual body also flickered slightly, and the data stream was being processed at an unprecedented speed, clearly under tremendous impact.
Lin Yi frowned. His profession as the [Master of Time and Space] gave him a stronger resistance to the pressure from higher-dimensional beings, but he also felt the vast and boundless power.
This power is ancient and weathered, carrying a kind of indifference that looks down upon all living beings.
“This feeling…” Aizen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. His voice carried a hint of gravity that was hard to detect, and his eyes flashed with a strange light. He didn’t seem to be completely surprised by the scene before him. “…It’s the aura of the ‘Trial’.”
He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the dazzling white light, looking towards the void's source: "This power is not simply energy, but more like a filtering mechanism. It's similar to the trial we encountered in the 'Forgotten City,' but its essence is higher."
The Forgotten City!
Lin Yi's heart stirred.
That was early in the game, when they stumbled upon an ancient city ruin forgotten by time. There, they indeed underwent a series of incredible trials before finally obtaining important information and rewards.
Could it be that... the clues here also require some kind of test to obtain?
Aizen continued, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal under the oppressive aura: "It seems that to obtain the true 'Ancient Guidance,' we must first pass this threshold. This test is probably related to each of our pasts, our power, and even... the things deep within our hearts."
As soon as he finished speaking, the white light that filled the room seemed to solidify further, and the sense of scrutiny intensified.
Long Wu swallowed hard, trying to appear calm as he shouted, "A test... a test it is! Who's afraid of who! What storms haven't I weathered?" But his clenched fists and slightly trembling voice betrayed his nervousness.
Su Qing took a deep breath, looked at Lin Yi, and said with a firm look in her eyes, "Lin Yi, let's go together."
Chu Yao also adjusted her state, and the data stream returned to stability: "Master, Chu Yao is ready to assist you in passing any test."
Lin Yi glanced around at his companions, and finally fixed his gaze on the depths of white light that seemed to contain the secrets of the entire universe.
He could sense that although this power brought a great sense of oppression, it did not seem to contain any direct killing intent; rather, it was more like a... test of qualifications.
He slowly clenched his fist, a confident smile curving his lips.
"Interesting. Since it's a test..."
Lin Yi took a step forward, facing the immense pressure directly.
"Then let's see what tricks this so-called 'trial' is up to." The white light suddenly receded, no longer a shapeless energy ball, but condensed into complex runes, wriggling like tadpoles and shimmering with a ghostly blue light.
These runes floated in the air, intertwining and rotating, like a giant combination lock.
"What the hell is this?" Long Wu stared wide-eyed, as if he had seen a ghost.
He reached out to touch it, but was blocked by an invisible barrier, and a tingling sensation came from his fingertips.
Su Qing frowned slightly.
Chu Yao immediately began scanning and analyzing: "The rune structure is complex, and the energy fluctuations are abnormal. Preliminary judgment indicates it is some kind of high-dimensional information encoding. We are attempting to decipher it..."
Lin Yi narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the runes.
He felt that these runes were not just simple symbols, but contained some deeper meaning.
A sense of familiarity washed over him, as if... he had seen something similar somewhere before.
"Wait!" Lin Yi suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Chu Yao's analysis. "Don't move, let me try."
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed the power of time and space to its limit.
In my mind, my understanding of the mysteries of time and space surged forth like a tidal wave.
He seemed to be in an infinitely extending space-time, with countless stars spinning around him and time flowing through his fingertips.
Lin Yi slowly extended his palm, and a pale golden light condensed in his palm, gradually forming a shape similar to the runes in the air.
“This… could it be…” Aizen’s eyes narrowed, as if he had realized something.
Lin Yi suddenly opened his eyes, and the runes in his palm shone brightly!
"Open it for me!"
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