Siheyuan: The Temptation of the Mountains

Standing in front of this ancient and solemn altar, Lin Ze walked forward slowly step by step with awe in his heart, holding the treasure in his hands.

When he gently placed the treasure in the center of the altar, a miracle happened! The treasure seemed to resonate with the altar, instantly bursting out with an incomparable brilliant light, and then completely sank into the altar.

Then, a brilliant and auspicious light suddenly appeared in the sky, like a rainbow interwoven together, beautiful beyond words. This strange sight undoubtedly indicated that the treasure had successfully returned to its original position and completed its mission. From then on, this land that had been in constant dispute because of the treasure would no longer suffer from disasters. Lin Ze, the woman, and the little fox looked at the beautiful scenery in front of them, smiled at each other, and their hearts were full of relief and joy. Then, they turned around and walked down the mountain together with brisk steps, ready to meet new challenges and embark on a new adventure.

Just as they reached the foot of the mountain, they heard a melodious flute sound. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in white riding on a white deer. The young man had a handsome face and an extraordinary temperament.

"Are you the ones who just returned the treasure?" A handsome young man in a green shirt standing not far away asked. His voice was clear and loud, like a spring flowing through the mountains.

Lin Ze nodded slightly to show his affirmation. The young man raised his lips slightly, revealing a friendly smile: "I am the descendant of the guardian of this place, and I came here specially to thank you for calming down this dispute. However, the road ahead is full of unknowns and dangers. This jade flute is given to you. If you play it at the critical moment, it may keep you safe." As soon as the voice fell, the young man shook his wrist and threw the crystal clear, jade-like flute in his hand to Lin Ze.

Lin Ze was quick to catch the flying jade flute. He was about to say thank you when he found that the scenery around him had suddenly changed dramatically. The picturesque green mountains and clear waters disappeared in the blink of an eye, replaced by a gloomy and misty forest. The trees were tall and twisted, with branches and leaves crisscrossing, as if a huge net covered the entire space.

"It seems that a new challenge has come so soon!" The woman beside him clenched her fists tightly and said with a firm look in her eyes. She was graceful and her eyebrows revealed a heroic spirit. The little fox beside him seemed to feel the tense atmosphere and perked up. His two furry ears stood up straight and he looked around vigilantly.

Lin Ze took a deep breath, calmed himself, then, holding a jade flute, strode to the front of the team and said loudly: "Now that we are here, let's make the best of it! If we work together, we will surely be able to successfully get through this foggy forest!" After that, he looked back at his companions behind him, and seeing that everyone was ready, he stepped into the mysterious fog first.

The woman and the little fox followed closely behind, and the three people and the fox carefully embarked on this dangerous journey. Their figures gradually disappeared in the thick fog, and only the wisps of light behind them, symbolizing auspiciousness and hope, slowly dissipated as they went away.

After entering the misty forest, Lin Ze and his companions found that there was an invisible pressure here. Every few steps, some strange vines would come out from the ground and try to entangle their feet. Lin Ze gently waved the jade flute, a faint light flashed, and the vines retracted.

As they walked, suddenly, a deep and deafening roar resounded through the sky, as if the whole forest was shaking. Everyone's heart tightened, and they stopped and looked around vigilantly. At this moment, a black bear with a jaw-droppingly huge body suddenly jumped out of the dense woods like a ghost. Its huge body was like a small hill, and every step made the ground tremble slightly. What was even more terrifying was that the black bear's eyes flashed with a faint cold light, like two burning ghost fires, which made people shudder.

The little fox, who was originally following the team, was frightened by the sudden giant in front of him. After screaming in panic, he quickly hid behind the woman, trembling. The woman was not afraid of danger, her eyebrows were raised, her beautiful eyes were wide open, and she did not hesitate to draw the soft but extremely sharp sword at her waist and face the aggressive black bear. At the same time, Lin Ze on the side was not idle either. He held the jade flute tightly in his hand, took a deep breath, and tried to play a melodious melody that could calm his mind.

However, the black bear seemed unaffected by the sound of the flute. It only paused for a moment before opening its bloody mouth again, revealing its sharp fangs, and continued to pounce with the force of thunder. The woman was as agile as a swallow, skillfully avoiding the fierce attacks of the black bear, and seized the opportunity to swing her sword to counterattack. For a moment, the sword flashed and the shadows of the sword were heavy, and she started a thrilling life-and-death struggle with the black bear.

Lin Ze was concentrating on observing the battle, not missing any details. Finally, he keenly discovered the black bear's weakness - the hair on its belly was particularly sparse compared to other parts. He hurriedly shouted loudly, directing the woman to attack the black bear's vital point. After receiving the instructions, the woman understood, and her swordsmanship changed, becoming more and more sharp and tricky, focusing on the black bear's abdomen.

After an arduous battle, the woman seized a fleeting opportunity and used all her strength to thrust the sword into the black bear's belly. With a shrill scream, the black bear's huge body fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. The fierce battle finally came to an end, but everyone's tense nerves did not relax.

Because at this moment, the fog around them became thicker and thicker, like ink that could not be dissolved, and visibility was extremely low. Moreover, the air was filled with a biting chill that penetrated into people's bones. In such a harsh environment, they had no choice but to cling to each other, relying on each other's body temperature to resist the cold, and then continue to grope forward carefully.

Although the road ahead is full of unknowns and dangers, Lin Ze always firmly believes that as long as they can unite as one and work hand in hand, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles they will encounter in the future, they will be able to overcome them one by one and finally reach the mysterious new adventure destination.

As they were moving forward slowly, a faint light appeared in front of them. Lin Ze's eyes lit up, thinking he had found a way out, and he quickened his pace and walked forward. When he got closer, he found that it was a glowing fairy grass.

The little fox sniffed it and said in surprise: "This is Lingxu grass. Eating it can temporarily enhance spiritual power and resist the cold." The woman was about to pick it when suddenly a squirrel with flames all over its body jumped out and squeaked at them, as if guarding this magical grass.