A Fantasy Love Story Across the Warring States Period

Chapter 84 The Watery Predicament and Unexpected Help

The whirlpool in the pool roared, its powerful suction seemingly threatening to devour everything around it. Huanmo looked at the scroll still floating in the center of the whirlpool, his heart filled with helplessness and anxiety. Every moment of delay brought the unknown calamity ever closer, but the protective power of the pool was so formidable that they had no way of dealing with it.

The woman in black robes looked at Huanmo with concern and said, "Huanmo, you just suffered a backlash of spiritual energy, and your injuries are quite severe. Don't panic, let's think of another way together." Huanmo shook his head slightly, his gaze still fixed on the scroll, and said through gritted teeth, "There's no time. This scroll is of utmost importance. We must find a way to get it no matter what."

The man in white frowned, pacing back and forth by the pool, his eyes never leaving the faint patterns on the walls, trying to find more useful clues. Ling'er squatted by the pool, reaching out to feel the spiritual energy emanating from it, a thoughtful expression on her face.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the cave was as oppressive as the deep water, with only the roaring sound of the swirling eddies constantly assaulting everyone's eardrums. The surrounding air seemed to have become damp, carrying a chill that seeped into people's bodies through their pores, making them shiver involuntarily.

Suddenly, Ling'er stood up, her eyes lighting up, and said, "I think I can sense it. Although the protective power of this pool is strong, it seems to have some kind of connection with the surrounding environment. Look at those stalactites, the spiritual energy fluctuations they emit seem to complement the pool."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up at the stalactites hanging upside down from the cave ceiling. Bathed in the sapphire-blue light, they shimmered with a mysterious luster, and indeed, spiritual energy seemed to flow within them. Huanmo's heart stirred; perhaps he could find a breakthrough point in these stalactites. Enduring the pain in his body, he slowly walked along the edge of the pool, carefully observing the point where the spiritual energy converged between the stalactites and the water.

The man in white followed Huanmo's steps, gently tapping his jade flute as if probing something. As they observed, they discovered that several stalactites extended down precisely from points in the pool where the spiritual energy fluctuations were weakest, as if intentionally placed.

A surge of hope welled up in Huanmo's heart. He looked at his companions and said, "Perhaps we can try to break through the protective power of this pool by targeting these weak points." His companions nodded in agreement, took their respective positions, and mobilized their spiritual power, ready to give it a try.

At Huanmo's command, everyone simultaneously released their spiritual energy towards the weak point in the pool. In an instant, the light of their spiritual energy intertwined, shooting towards the pool like a dazzling arrow of light. The whirlpool in the pool seemed to sense the threat, spinning even more wildly. The powerful suction pulled the group's spiritual energy in the opposite direction, making them feel as if they were rowing against the current, exhausting all their strength for every step forward.

Huanmo's face flushed red, and veins bulged on his forehead. He steadied himself tightly, constantly encouraging himself: "I must succeed. I must not give up. The fate of all living beings rests on this scroll." The woman in black robes also gritted her teeth, and the long sword in her hand trembled slightly from the force. She continuously channeled her spiritual power, stubbornly resisting the protective force.

Just when everyone felt they were about to give up, the whirlpool in the pool gradually showed signs of weakening. The previously frantically spinning water began to slow down, and the suction force decreased significantly. Seeing this, everyone was overjoyed and exerted even more effort to increase their spiritual energy output.

Finally, with a flash of dazzling light, the whirlpool in the pool completely subsided, and the scroll emitting a strange light slowly floated towards the shore, as if it had lost its protective power. Huanmo quickly reached out and caught the scroll. An ancient and mysterious aura wafted over him. He carefully opened the scroll and saw that it was full of ancient characters and patterns. Although he couldn't understand them at first, he knew that this must be the key to unlocking the secret of the Seven-Colored Box.

As everyone gathered around, preparing to examine the scroll closely, a muffled horn sound suddenly echoed from the cave. The sound was long and eerie, as if it came from the deepest underground, reverberating throughout the cave and stirring up a sense of foreboding in everyone's hearts.

Immediately afterward, the cave walls began to shake violently, and stones fell, crashing to the ground with tremendous noise. Ling'er's expression changed, and she shouted, "Oh no! We've triggered a deeper layer of restrictions on this forbidden area! An even greater danger is approaching!"

Huanmo hurriedly put away the scroll, looked around with a serious expression, and said, "Everyone, don't panic. Quickly find another exit. We can't be trapped here." With that, he took the lead and ran towards one side of the cave, with the others following closely behind.

However, they hadn't run far when a group of enormous, bizarrely shaped stone beasts surged out of the passage ahead. They exuded a hard aura, their eyes flashing red, and the ground trembled with every step they took. The stone beasts opened their mouths, roaring as they pounced on the group.

Huanmo was greatly alarmed. These stone beasts looked formidable, but there was no way to retreat now; he could only charge forward. He drew his sword and shouted, "Everyone be careful! Charge together!" before rushing towards the foremost stone beast.

The woman in black robes and the man in white robes also unleashed their special skills, engaging the stone beast in a fierce battle. Ling'er, meanwhile, waved colorful ribbons on the sidelines, attempting to use the light to distract the stone beast and create an opportunity for everyone.

However, these stone beasts had thick hides and tough flesh. The attacks from the group only sent up sparks, hardly causing any real damage. While dodging the attacks from the stone beasts, Huanmo anxiously racked his brains for a solution, inwardly lamenting, "I thought that getting the scroll would bring us one step closer to unlocking the secret, but I didn't expect to be trapped in such a desperate situation. Are we really going to die here?"

Just as the group was being forced into a retreat by the stone beasts, an even stronger surge of spiritual energy suddenly emanated from the depths of the cave. This energy seemed to contain a mysterious and powerful force, causing the stone beasts to pause slightly and slow their movements. Was this force friend or foe, and what opportunity or danger would it bring? Everything was once again shrouded in mystery, and everyone's hearts were in their throats…