Chapter 231: Ruins Exploration

In the early morning, the sun shines through the gaps between the leaves and onto the ground. At the training ground of the Soul Master Academy, Qin Feng, Chu Tian, ​​Zhang Meng and Ye Li are ready to go. Today, they will follow the map they found in the library yesterday and head to the forest next to the academy to look for the legendary remains of the "Lord of Shadows".

"Are you all ready?" Qin Feng looked around to make sure everyone had all the equipment.

"No problem! I brought dry food, water, and some medical supplies." Zhang Meng patted his backpack, looking extremely excited.

"I also prepared defensive talismans and some simple tools." Ye Li took out a few talisman papers from her waist bag and showed them to everyone.

Chu Tian smiled and waved the dagger in his hand: "As long as I have this sword, there is no need to fear any danger!"

"Very good." Qin Feng nodded with satisfaction, "Then let's go!"

The four of them walked along the path behind the college, heading for the place marked on the map. Along the way, the birds were singing, the flowers were fragrant, and the air was fresh. It was a good day.

"I didn't expect there is such a beautiful place near the college." Ye Li exclaimed.

"Yeah, usually we only run back and forth between the training ground and the dormitory, and we haven't really paid much attention to this place." Chu Tian also nodded in agreement.

Zhang Meng walked and looked around: "Do you think this relic is hidden under a tree or in a cave?"

Qin Feng smiled and said, "It's very likely. According to the map, we should be there soon."

Sure enough, not long after they walked, they came to a dense forest, in which there was an ancient stone gate covered with vines. The stone gate was engraved with the same ancient symbols as the jade pendant, which seemed out of place with the surrounding environment.

"Looks like this is the place." Qin Feng walked forward and gently pushed the stone door, but it didn't move at all.

"Let me try." Zhang Meng volunteered, rolled up his sleeves and pushed the door hard, but the stone door still did not respond.

"This door seems to be sealed." Ye Li carefully observed the symbols on the stone door, "We need to remove the seal before we can go in."

"Seal?" Chu Tian touched his chin, "How do we break it?"

Qin Feng thought about it and took out the golden jade pendant from his arms: "Maybe this thing can help us."

He brought the jade pendant close to the stone door. Suddenly, the symbol on the stone door began to emit a faint light. Then there was a "click" sound, and the stone door slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black hole.

"It really works!" Zhang Meng shouted in surprise.

Qin Feng put away the jade pendant and motioned for everyone to follow: "Everyone be careful, let's go in and take a look."

As I walked into the cave, a faint light gradually appeared all around. There were some glowing stones inlaid on the walls, illuminating the entire passage dimly.

"These stones are luminous minerals. It seems that the designer here is quite thoughtful." Ye Li said softly.

"This passage is really long." Chu Tian joked, "I have been walking for so long but still haven't reached the end. I wonder what good things the Lord of Shadows has hidden."

Zhang Meng disagreed: "Doesn't it mean that there are secrets as it gets longer? Maybe we can find some treasure in the end!"

The passage finally came to an end, and a spacious hall appeared in front of them. In the center of the hall was an altar, on which was placed a black crystal ball, surrounded by complex symbols.

"This must be the legendary altar of the Lord of Shadows." Qin Feng walked forward and looked at the crystal ball carefully.

"It looks quite ordinary." Chu Tian frowned and said, "It's just a crystal ball, what's so special about it?"

Ye Li observed it carefully for a while and shook her head: "No, this crystal ball seems to contain some kind of energy. I feel a strong dark aura."

"Dark aura? Isn't that very dangerous?" Zhang Meng asked worriedly.

Qin Feng thought for a moment and said, "In any case, this crystal ball should be the key to unlocking the secrets of the ruins. Let's take it back to the academy for research."

Just as Qin Feng reached out to take the crystal ball, the whole hall suddenly began to shake, and black shadows appeared on the wall. The black shadows gradually condensed into fully armed black warriors!

"There's an ambush!" Chu Tian drew out his dagger and looked around vigilantly.

"These are the guards of the Lord of Darkness. It seems we have triggered a trap." Ye Li clenched the talisman paper, ready to fight.

Qin Feng quickly picked up the crystal ball and shouted, "Everyone, be careful and don't let these guards get close to the altar!"

The black-clad warrior said nothing, his weapon flashing coldly as he rushed towards Qin Feng and the others. Chu Tian rushed forward first, his short sword colliding with the opponent's long sword, sparks flying. Zhang Meng was not to be outdone, and he raised his fist to fight the black-clad warrior.

“Why are these guys so difficult to deal with!” Zhang Meng shouted while swinging his fists, “It feels like we can never stop beating them!”

"They are formed by the condensation of dark energy!" Ye Li threw out a talisman paper, which exploded in the air and turned into a golden light that repelled several black-clad warriors. "We must find the source to completely solve it!"

Qin Feng protected the crystal ball, with a gleam of determination in his eyes: "The source must be this altar! We have to destroy it!"

"But these black-clad warriors are blocking our way, and we can't get close to the altar at all!" Chu Tian said anxiously while resisting the attack.

"Let me attract their attention!" Zhang Meng suddenly shouted, "You take this opportunity to destroy the altar!"

"No, it's too dangerous!" Qin Feng wanted to stop him, but Zhang Meng had already rushed out, waving his fists and rushing towards the black-clad warrior.

"Hey! You guys, come at me if you dare!" Zhang Meng shouted provocatively, which really attracted the attention of the black-clad warriors. They turned to Zhang Meng and surrounded him.

"Now!" Qin Feng seized the opportunity and rushed to the altar with Chu Tian and Ye Li. They used all their strength to smash several stone pillars around the altar. As the last stone pillar collapsed, the crystal ball on the altar suddenly cracked, releasing a strong dark energy.

The dark energy swirled in the air and gradually dissipated. The black-clad warriors also disappeared in an instant, and the entire hall returned to peace.

"We succeeded!" Chu Tian shouted excitedly.

"Zhang Meng, are you okay?" Ye Li ran over to check on Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng sat on the ground panting and sweating, but he still smiled widely: "I'm fine, hehe, it was really exciting just now!"

Qin Feng also breathed a sigh of relief and collected the fragments of the crystal ball: "Thanks to everyone's cooperation this time, we successfully resolved the crisis."

The group packed up their things and returned to the academy along the same route. On the way, everyone was discussing the battle and the secret of the altar.

"It seems that this crystal ball is indeed related to the Lord of Shadows." Ye Li said, "But what exactly is its use? We need to study it further."

"Yes." Qin Feng nodded, "After returning to the academy, we can ask Vice President Feng Jian to see if he has any clues."

"But having said that," Chu Tian looked at Zhang Meng with a smile, "you were really brave to rush out and attract the enemy just now."

Zhang Meng smiled proudly: "Hehe, it's all for everyone. But I don't want to do this again next time, those guys just now were really difficult to deal with!"

"Don't worry, we are here. If you encounter any danger in the future, we will face it together." Qin Feng patted Zhang Meng's shoulder and said with a smile.

"Yes, let's face it together!" Everyone responded in unison, and laughter echoed among the mountains and forests.

After returning to the college, Qin Feng immediately told Vice Dean Feng Jian what he had discovered. After listening to him, Feng Jian frowned, and it was obvious that the matter was much more complicated than he had imagined.

"The power of the Shadow Lord has always been a mystery. The academy sent people to investigate in the early years, but there were no substantial findings." Feng Jian said thoughtfully, "Now that you have found the fragments of the crystal ball, perhaps we can find some clues from it."

"So what should we do next?" Qin Feng asked.

"I will hand the fragments over to the research team of the academy and ask them to analyze the energy contained in them." Feng Jian said, "You have done a good job, but the next things need more professional people to handle them."

Qin Feng nodded: "I understand, we will continue to pay attention to this matter."

Feng Jian patted Qin Feng on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry too much. With the academy here, these dark forces will not succeed in the end."

Qin Feng felt relieved, but still had a sense of uneasiness. He knew that this was just the beginning, and the mystery of the Lord of Shadows was far from over.

As night fell, Qin Feng and his friends returned to the dormitory. Despite all the thrills they had experienced today, they were still in a good mood chatting and laughing.

"What should we do tomorrow?" Zhang Meng asked expectantly, lying on the bed.

"Tomorrow? Of course we will continue training!" Chu Tian rolled his eyes.

"Yes, only by becoming stronger can we cope with unknown challenges." Ye Li said softly.

Qin Feng looked at the starry sky outside the window and smiled softly: "No matter how many challenges there are in the future, as long as we are together, we will be able to overcome everything."

In the dormitory, the laughter of the friends echoed for a long time, carrying their expectations and determination for the future.