Chapter 173 Mystery Solved

The ruins after the battle were in a mess, with broken stone pillars lying on the ground and rubble and debris scattered everywhere. The air was still filled with the aftermath of the fierce battle, the remnant of thunder and the aftermath of the dark power mixed together, making people feel cold. Qin Feng, Wang Yue, Chu Tian, ​​Zhang Meng and Ye Li stood aside, staring at the front. Ling Yun walked slowly to their side, scanning the ruins with a deep gaze, his expression solemn.

"Teacher, what should we do next?" Qin Feng was the first to break the silence and asked the question in everyone's mind.

Ling Yun pondered for a moment, then said, "Although we have repelled the black-robed man, there may be a bigger conspiracy behind him. We cannot let our guard down."

Wang Yue nodded, frowning slightly. "What he just said really concerns me. He said he has been controlling all this. Is this all part of his plan?"

Ling Yun said in a deep voice, "Indeed, his appearance and the cooperation of these dark priests do not seem to be accidental. Everything we have encountered may be just the tip of the iceberg."

"But he has been defeated, why do I still feel that things are far from over?" Ye Li couldn't help but say, she stroked the frost fox's fur, trying to calm the uneasiness in her heart.

Chu Tian took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I feel the same way. It seems that a greater threat is approaching, but we haven't noticed it yet."

Zhang Meng frowned and remained silent, but judging from the way he clenched his fist around the giant rock bear, he was obviously also worried about the situation that would follow.

"No matter what, we must find out the truth now." Ling Yun's tone was firm. His eyes swept over everyone and finally stopped at Qin Feng. "We need to investigate this ruins and the place where the man in black robe appeared just now."

"I understand." Qin Feng nodded, and then took Wang Yue and the others to start their actions separately. They carefully searched for clues in the ruins, trying to find more clues about the man in black robe.

A moment later, Ye Li found an ancient book corroded by dark forces under a ruin. She picked it up carefully and handed it to Ling Yun, "Teacher, this book seems to be related to the altar just now."

Ling Yun took the book and opened it. The pages were filled with dense records written in an ancient language. He frowned slightly, "This is a record of an ancient dark sect. They seem to have performed some kind of dark ritual on the altar."

"Dark ritual?" Chu Tian came over with a serious expression, "Is it used to summon some evil being?"

Ling Yun nodded and continued flipping through the book. "That's a possibility. This book mentions an ancient ritual that can summon a powerful dark force to control the fate of the world."

"Is the man in black robe trying to complete this ritual?" Zhang Meng asked in a low voice, obviously shocked by the possibility.

"It's very likely." Ling Yun's voice was low, "However, it seems that there is still some key power that has not been completed, otherwise he would not be so eager in the battle."

When Qin Feng heard this, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind, "Teacher, perhaps we have overlooked an important thing - this ritual requires a certain power or item, and the man in black robe may not have fully obtained it yet."

Ling Yun was slightly startled, then nodded, "Yes. This is one of the reasons why he launched the attack in a hurry. He was eager to complete the ritual, but some power or item was not yet in his hands."

"Then we must find that thing before him!" Wang Yue suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem and said anxiously, **"Otherwise, once the ceremony is completed, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Ling Yun was silent for a moment, with a hint of thought in his eyes, "This relic may be just a part of it, the real key may be somewhere else. We need a deeper investigation."

"But where will the other part of the ceremony be?" Ye Li's voice was filled with confusion. She looked down at the Frost Fox in her hand, as if looking for an answer.

Qin Feng frowned, thinking about all the clues. He suddenly remembered a broken stone tablet he had found in another ruins before, which seemed to have some ancient runes engraved on it. "The stone tablet we found in another ruins before may provide us with some clues."

Ling Yun nodded slightly. "There are indeed some ancient runes on that stone tablet, which are similar to the content in this book. Perhaps we can find more information about this ritual through comparison."

"Then let's go back and investigate the stone tablet immediately." Qin Feng said with determination, and others also expressed their agreement.

Just as they were about to leave, suddenly, a cold wind blew, and a strange smell filled the air. Qin Feng immediately became alert, holding the Dragon Shadow Sword in his hand, and looked around, "Be careful, something is approaching!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of dark creatures suddenly emerged from the shadows in the ruins. They seemed to be attracted by some force, with bloodthirsty light flashing in their eyes, and rushed straight towards Qin Feng and others.

"Damn it, why are these things here again!" Zhang Meng roared, and the giant rock bear immediately stepped forward and punched those dark creatures.

Chu Tian and Ye Li also quickly launched their attacks, and the Storm Wolves and Frost Foxes joined forces to neutralize the attacks of those creatures one by one.

"We must leave here as soon as possible!" Ling Yun said coldly. The power of the Thunder Dragon gathered in his hands and landed on the ground with a bang, shocking those creatures to take a few steps back.

Qin Feng nodded, "Let's go!"

They fought and retreated, and finally, under Ling Yun's cover, they evacuated the ruins filled with darkness. After losing their target, the dark creatures gradually dissipated, and the ruins returned to silence.

After returning to a safe place, Qin Feng and the others took a short break and then focused their attention on the stone tablet. Ling Yun carefully studied the runes on the stone tablet, while Wang Yue compared the contents of the book with the runes, trying to find the connection between the two.

"These runes seem to describe an ancient power, a power that can control life and death..." There was a hint of uneasiness in Wang Yue's voice, "This power may be the key to the ritual."

"The power to control life and death?" Qin Feng's heart suddenly felt cold. He realized the danger of this power. "Then we must not let the Dark Cult get this power!"

Ling Yun took a deep breath and continued to analyze the runes. "According to the description of these runes, this power seems to be hidden in an extremely secret place and can only be awakened through a specific ritual."

"Then where can we find this place?" Chu Tian asked urgently. He already felt the urgency of time.

Ling Yun's eyes fell on the stone tablet again. "These runes mentioned an ancient place name - 'Death Valley'. According to legend, it is an extremely dangerous forbidden land, full of endless grudges and powerful curses."

"Death Valley?" Zhang Meng's expression became a little serious. "Isn't that the place where even the strongest warriors can't survive?"

"Yes." Ling Yun nodded, his tone heavy, "But if the Dark Cult's goal is really there, we must go there and stop them from completing the ritual."

Qin Feng gritted his teeth. Although he felt a little uneasy, his sense of responsibility was even stronger. He knew that as the successor of the Dragon Shadow Sword, he must stand at the forefront to protect the world from the erosion of darkness.

"We must act quickly." Qin Feng said firmly, "Time is running out."

Others also expressed their agreement. Although they all knew what it meant to go to the Valley of Death, they were fearless in order to stop the Dark Cult.

Ling Yun looked at these young warriors in front of him, feeling secretly relieved. He nodded gently, "Okay, let's set off immediately and head to the Death Valley!"

The group set out on a journey again, this time their goal is the most dangerous forbidden area, and the front is full of unknown challenges. But they are not afraid, because they know that only they can stop the coming of darkness.