Chapter 9:The Trail of the Mysterious Gem
After defeating the ancient beast,Lin Shen,Ye Ying,and Yin Yue took a brief rest before continuing deeper into the Misty Forest,their bodies weary yet invigorated.Sunlight struggled to pierce through the dense foliage and mist,casting dappled shadows on the ground.Following the vague clues from the ancient texts,they searched for the mysterious gem,the silence around them broken only by their footsteps and occasional insect chirps.
Suddenly,Yin Yue let out an excited bark and darted towards a nearby bush.Lin Shen and Ye Ying exchanged glances and quickly followed.Behind the bush,they found an ancient stone wall covered in strange symbols and intricate patterns.A gem pattern emitting a soft blue light stood out,closely resembling the gem described in the texts.
"This must be a clue.The gem could be nearby,"Lin Shen said excitedly,gently touching the wall for more hints.Ye Ying remained vigilant,scanning their surroundings for potential danger.
As Lin Shen focused on the wall,the symbols began to glow faintly,connecting to form a winding line of light leading upward.The three followed the light,which grew brighter,urging them to move faster.
The light led them to a cave entrance,concealed by thick vines and exuding a mysterious aura.Lin Shen pushed aside the vines,and a damp,musty smell hit them.Inside,the cave was dim and deep,with unknown phosphorescent stones on the walls providing minimal illumination.
They moved cautiously,but suddenly Ye Ying felt the ground give way beneath him,and he fell quickly."Watch out!"he shouted.Lin Shen and Yin Yue were too slow to react and fell as well.
They landed in a vast underground cavern,surrounded by a faint mist.In the center of the cavern,on a large stone pedestal,lay the blue-glowing gem they had been searching for.But before they could celebrate,a swarm of vampire bats emerged from the darkness,flying towards them in dense masses.
These bats were enormous,with wingspans as tall as a person,and their sharp fangs dripped with disgusting slime.Lin Shen immediately took out his crystal,trying to use its light to drive the bats away,but their sheer numbers and ferocious attacks made it difficult for the crystal's light to hold them back for long.
Ye Ying swung his blade,engaging in close combat with the bats.The bats kept coming like a black tide,and he soon had several wounds on his body.Yin Yue also fought fiercely,using her claws and teeth to attack the bats that came close.
While manipulating the crystal,Lin Shen thought of a strategy.He noticed that the bats seemed to react to the rhythm of the crystal's light;when it flickered rapidly,the bats became disoriented.He quickly adjusted the crystal's light to flash frantically.
Sure enough,the bats fell into chaos,colliding and tearing at each other.Ye Ying seized the opportunity to attack,and Yin Yue coordinated well with him.After a tough battle,they finally drove the bats away.
Lin Shen walked slowly towards the pedestal and picked up the gem with trembling hands.Instantly,the gem's light intensified,resonating strongly with the crystal in his hand,and a warm,powerful energy spread through his body.
As they reveled in the joy of finding the first gem,heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the cavern,each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.Then,a massive figure slowly emerged from the darkness—a rock golem as big as a mountain.Its body was made of solid rock,covered in sharp edges,and its red eyes burned like flames,radiating intense heat.
"Oh no,it's a rock golem!"Ye Ying's face turned pale as he tightened his grip on his blade.The rock golem was incredibly powerful,and wherever it went on this continent,it left almost no trace of life.
Lin Shen quickly secured the gem and focused on manipulating the crystal.The crystal emitted a dazzling light,trying to intimidate the rock golem.However,the golem seemed unfazed by the crystal's light.It roared and swung its massive rocky arm towards the three of them.
Ye Ying and Yin Yue dodged just in time,but the golem's attack created a huge crater in the ground.Lin Shen dodged while observing the golem's movements,trying to find its weak spot.He noticed that the joints of the golem seemed relatively vulnerable,with brief gaps appearing there during each attack.
"Ye Ying,attack its joints!"Lin Shen shouted.Ye Ying nodded and dashed towards the golem like a flash of lightning.He used the cave's terrain to climb and jump,avoiding the golem's attacks and gradually getting closer to its joints.
The golem sensed Ye Ying's intention and kept swinging its arms to prevent him from approaching.Lin Shen,meanwhile,focused all his energy on the crystal,sending out waves of energy to interfere with the golem's movements.With Lin Shen's cover,Ye Ying finally reached the golem's joint and thrust his blade into it with all his might.
With a dull thud,a crack appeared in the golem's arm.The golem roared in anger and attacked Ye Ying even more fiercely.Ye Ying dodged left and right,adding more wounds to his body,but he never gave up.
Yin Yue also joined the fight,taking advantage of the moments when the golem attacked Ye Ying to pounce on its leg and bite.The golem,enraged by Yin Yue's attack,kicked her away with a powerful blow.
Lin Shen was desperate.He increased the output of the crystal's power,causing its light to surge.Suddenly,the crystal unleashed a powerful energy blast that struck the golem's head directly.The golem's body swayed,and its attack rhythm slowed down.
Ye Ying seized the opportunity and attacked again,driving his blade deep into the golem's joint with all his strength.With a violent tremor,the golem's massive body collapsed to the ground,raising a cloud of dust.
Lin Shen,Ye Ying,and Yin Yue sat on the ground,panting heavily.Exhausted from the intense battle,they were determined to continue.They knew that two more gems awaited them,and more unknown dangers lay ahead,but they were undeterred.After a brief rest,they set off once again on their quest for the gems.