We agreed that you, a weak strategist, would fight against three heroes by yourself?

Luo Xiaoyu's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard, sweeping away the previous decline, and everyone's morale rose again.

They roared and fought back against the robbers again.

A gratified smile appeared on Master Lingyin's face. He nodded slightly and recited scriptures. A warm force began to flow among the crowd, instantly healing their pain.

Just as everyone was rekindling their fighting spirit, Master Lingyin suddenly looked into the distance and muttered to himself: "This aura is actually..." Before he finished speaking, he looked at everyone and said solemnly: "I'm afraid we are in trouble..."

Master Lingyin clasped his hands together and muttered something. Golden Buddha light circulated around him, becoming more and more dazzling.

He pushed out with both palms, and a golden light surged towards the robbers like a huge wave. Wherever it went, the robbers fell to the ground wailing as if they were hit by huge rocks.

Seeing this, Li the Hunter, Zhao the Blacksmith and others became more motivated and used their fists and feet together, each move was fatal, and they beat the remaining bandits to a pulp.

The robbers cried for their parents and fled in all directions. The scene was in chaos.

The man in white had eyes as sharp as an eagle. His figure was like a ghost, moving among the robbers, with the long sword in his hand flashing with a cold light.

He found the bandit leader's weakness and stabbed him in the shoulder with his sword.

The bandit leader screamed, and the scimitar in his hand fell to the ground. He covered his wound, knelt on the ground, and begged for mercy: "Mercy! Mercy! I won't dare to do it again!"

The surrounding villagers burst into deafening cheers, waving their weapons to celebrate this hard-earned victory.

The robbers fled in a panic and disappeared into the night.

As everyone watched their receding backs, they felt a sense of accomplishment, as if a huge rock had finally fallen to the ground.

Xiaohong excitedly threw herself into the arms of the man in white, and her tears soaked his collar.

"I was so scared, I thought..." She choked and couldn't say a complete sentence.

The man in white gently stroked her hair and comforted her softly, "It's okay. Everything is over."

Luo Xiaoyu hugged everyone excitedly, her face filled with the joy of victory, as if the thrill just now was not worth mentioning at all.

"I told you, we can definitely win!" she said proudly, waving her fist.

Everyone smiled at each other, and the feelings between them became deeper and closer after this battle.

Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of victory, the orb in Xiaohong's hand once again emitted a strange light, flickering, as if foreshadowing something...

Elder Chen looked at the pearl with a frown on his face, muttering to himself, "This is just the beginning..."

The noise of the battle gradually subsided, and the joy of surviving the disaster had not yet faded from the villagers' faces. The gem in Xiaohong's hand once again became the focus of everyone's attention.

The light of the orb still flickered, sometimes brighter and sometimes dimmed like breathing. This strange change cast a shadow over everyone's hearts again.

Master Lingyin sat cross-legged and took out an old scripture from the cloth bag he carried with him.

The cover of the scripture has turned yellow and the edges are curled, obviously having gone through the baptism of time.

He carefully opened the scripture, his fingertips lightly running over the ancient characters, muttering to himself, trying to find the answer to the unusual movement of the orb from this crystallization of wisdom.

Elder Chen also came forward. He squinted his eyes, carefully studying the words on the scripture, and occasionally communicated in a low voice with Master Lingyin.

The two of them sometimes frowned, sometimes looked thoughtful, the atmosphere was serious and focused.

The surrounding villagers held their breath and followed the two wise men closely, hoping that they could solve the mystery.

As Master Lingyin and Elder Chen studied, the light of the orb suddenly became stronger, like a small sun, illuminating everything around it.

Everyone couldn't help but cover their eyes with their hands, marveling at this strange sight.

Then, the orb emitted a dazzling beam of light, pointing straight into the distance.

Everyone looked in the direction of the light and saw a towering mountain standing in the clouds in the distance. The outline of the mountain appeared particularly clear under the light, yet mysterious.

That mountain has never been visited by anyone, and it hides countless legends and unknown secrets.

Everyone looked at each other.

The air around seemed to solidify, and the atmosphere became mysterious and weird.

A breeze blew by, and the leaves rustled, like a whisper, telling an ancient story.

"Let's go," the man in white broke the silence with a firm tone, "Let's go and take a look." He took the lead and walked towards the mysterious mountain.

The man in white took the lead, and everyone followed closely behind him, walking towards the mysterious mountain guided by the light of the gem.

There was a mixture of curiosity and vigilance in their eyes, as if they were exploring an unknown secret or facing an unpredictable adventure.

Li the Hunter was tall and walked at the front of the team.

He held a sharp machete in his hand, and while observing his surroundings vigilantly, he waved the machete to clear a path and remove obstacles for everyone.

He had dark skin and muscular body, and every step he took was firm and steady, like a moving mountain.

His honest face was filled with determination and courage in the face of unknown challenges, and it also brought some peace of mind to the people behind him.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew, and the temperature around dropped sharply, making people feel creepy.

A dark shadow flickered among the trees like a ghost and made an eerie laugh.

Mountain ghost!

Its body is erratic, sometimes appearing on the treetops, sometimes disappearing in the cracks of the rocks. Its attacks are unexpected, and each time it appears, it is accompanied by a terrifying roar.

"Be careful!" Luo Xiaoyu exclaimed, waving the wooden stick in her hand wildly, trying to disperse the monster that suddenly appeared. Her straightforward personality made her unable to care about being afraid, and she reacted immediately.

Her voice echoed in the valley, carrying a hint of fear, and also alerted others to be on guard.

The mountain spirit's attack target is clear, and it seems to specifically attack everyone's weaknesses.

It stretched out its sharp claws and pounced towards Doctor Zhang, knocking his medicine box to the ground. Bottles and jars were scattered all over the floor, and various medicinal herbs mixed together, emitting a pungent smell. Doctor Zhang became anxious and worried when he saw this.

Just when everyone was panicking, the man in white stepped forward. He was as fast as an arrow and with a few leaps he stood in front of Shan Mei.

He was unarmed, but he showed no fear.

His eyes were as sharp as torches as he stared at the mountain spirit. A cold aura emanated from his body, as if he, like the mountain spirit, came from the netherworld.

The mountain ghost let out a sharp howl, waved its sharp claws, and pounced towards the man in white.

The man in white was agile and dodged left and right, engaging in a fierce fight with the mountain spirit. Every confrontation was carried out with great force, stirring up clouds of dust around and filling the air with the breath of battle.

At this moment, the mountain spirit's sharp claws scratched the arm of the man in white, and blood instantly dyed his sleeves red. However, the man in white seemed to feel nothing, his eyes remained firm, and he had no intention of retreating. He clenched his teeth tightly, as if he was enduring great pain.

The mountain spirit let out a sinister laugh and pounced forward once again...

The mountain spirit's attack became more and more fierce, and its sharp claws swung like blades, leaving afterimages in the air.

The man in white had more and more wounds on his body, and blood soaked through his clothes and dyed the rocks red.

His breathing became rapid, his movements slowed down, and his originally fierce momentum gradually weakened, as if he would fall down at any time.

Xiaohong's heart clenched tightly. Seeing the man in white injured, she felt waves of heart-wrenching pain, as if sharp claws were scratching her body.

She wanted to rush over to help, but she was powerless and could only watch him endure the attack of the mountain spirit alone.

Fear and worry surged into her heart like a tide, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

The air around seemed to be frozen, so oppressive that it made people breathless.

The situation of others was not optimistic either. Fear and despair were written all over everyone's face, and morale was at its lowest point.

Suddenly, the mountain spirit let out a sharp roar, a strange power emanated from it, and the surrounding scene began to distort and deform.

All kinds of terrible illusions appeared before everyone's eyes: Luo Xiaoyu saw herself trapped in a raging fire, crying in despair; Doctor Zhang saw that all his medicinal materials were destroyed and his patients were groaning in pain; Li the Hunter saw himself being chased by wild beasts with nowhere to escape...

Everyone was caught in the scenario they feared the most, their hearts filled with fear and despair.

At this moment, Granny Lin, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up.

With trembling hands, she took out a handful of dried herbs from her bosom. After lighting them, a strange fragrance spread.

The fragrance seemed to have magical power, dispelling the illusion of the mountain spirit.

The illusion in front of everyone's eyes gradually disappeared. They looked around blankly and found that they were still standing on the mountain road.

"Don't be afraid, everyone! I have broken the mountain spirit's illusion!" Although Granny Lin's voice was trembling, it was full of strength, making people feel surprisingly at ease.

There was a determined light flashing on her old face, as if she was a wise person who had experienced many vicissitudes of life, guiding everyone in the direction of progress.

Granny Lin's words were like a shot of adrenaline, injected into everyone's hearts.

They picked themselves up again and a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.

Luo Xiaoyu clenched the wooden stick in his hand, Doctor Zhang sorted out the scattered medicinal herbs, and Li the hunter raised the machete again. They united closely and prepared to fight the mountain spirit together.

"Grandma, these herbs..." Xiaohong looked at the herbs in Grandma Lin's hand.

Granny Lin smiled mysteriously and said, "This is..."

Elder Chen narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the attack trajectory of the mountain spirit.

He discovered that the mountain spirit would make a specific roar before each attack, and its target was always the weakest person in the team.

He told everyone about his discovery, "The mountain spirit's weakness lies in its attack pattern! As long as we predict its target in advance, we can effectively defend against it!"

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Blacksmith Zhao took out his carefully crafted weapons from his backpack - a sharp long sword and a sturdy shield.

He handed the long sword to Li the Hunter, "Brother Hunter, this sword can cut iron like mud, it will definitely help you!" He handed the shield to Doctor Zhang, "Doctor, this shield can resist the claws of the mountain spirit, protect yourself!"

Li the Hunter took the long sword, weighed it a few times, and swung it a few times. There was a whistling sound, and the blade cut through the air, making a low buzzing sound.

Doctor Zhang took the shield, feeling it was heavy, and felt more at ease.

Under the command of Elder Chen, everyone began to defend in an orderly manner.

Whenever the mountain ghost roared, they could predict its attack target in advance and respond quickly.

Li the Hunter waved his long sword, blocking the sharp claws of the mountain spirit again and again. The collision between the blade and the claws made a sharp metal collision sound and sparks flew.

Doctor Zhang used a shield to protect himself and others from the attacks of the mountain spirit.

Everyone cooperated well and morale was high.

They were no longer panicked as before, but full of fighting spirit.

The man in white seized the moment when Shan Mei revealed his flaw, flew up, and hit Shan Mei's chest hard with a palm.

"Ah——" The mountain spirit let out a shrill scream, and its body turned into a ball of black mist and disappeared into the air.

"We won!" Luo Xiaoyu jumped up excitedly, and cheers echoed throughout the valley.

Everyone hugged each other, their faces filled with the joy of victory.

Xiaohong hurried to the man in white and asked with concern, "Are you okay?" She bandaged his wound carefully. The man in white looked at her gently and shook his head gently, "I'm fine, don't worry."

Everyone supported each other and continued to move deeper into the mountain.

The bond between them became stronger after this battle, and their trust in each other became deeper.

As they walked, they found a hidden cave. The entrance of the cave was blocked by vines, making it look very mysterious.

Hunter Li pushed aside the vines, and a cold breath came from the cave, making people shudder.

"This cave..." Elder Chen stroked his chin, thoughtfully.

The biting mountain wind whistled past as everyone continued to climb up the rugged mountain road.

Sweat soaked their clothes and their heavy breathing echoed through the valley.

Finally, behind a dense bush, they found a hidden cave.

The entrance of the cave is covered by thick vines, as if hiding an ancient secret.

A mysterious aura wafted out from the depths of the cave, bringing with it a hint of chilliness that made people shudder.

Hunter Li stepped forward and used his strong arms to push aside the vines, revealing a dark hole.

The cave was pitch black, like the gaping mouth of a giant beast, waiting to devour everything.

“This cave…” Elder Chen narrowed his eyes, stroked his chin, and his eyes flashed with wisdom.

He seemed to sense something and his expression became solemn.

At this time, Master Lingyin walked forward slowly, clasped his hands together, and muttered something.

An invisible force emanated from him, covering the entire cave entrance.

"Amitabha," Master Lingyin opened his eyes and said in a heavy tone, "There is a powerful force here, which is very significant." His words filled everyone's hearts with anticipation, but also added a hint of uneasiness.

They knew this expedition would be more dangerous, but also potentially more rewarding.

The group walked carefully into the cave, the torches in their hands illuminating the surrounding environment.

The inner wall of the cave is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light of the torches, making it look particularly deep and mysterious.

A humid air blew in my face, mixed with the smell of soil and rotten leaves.

When they walked deeper into the cave, they were shocked by what they saw.

The walls of the cave were covered with dense runes, flashing with strange light.

There are complicated mechanisms carved on the ground, like some kind of ancient formation.

There was a strange energy in the air that made it hard to breathe.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to crack these runes and mechanisms.

The atmosphere around them became increasingly dangerous, as if something was about to wake up.

"This... what is this place?" Luo Xiaoyu's trembling voice broke the silence in the cave.

"Be careful!" The man in white suddenly shouted and pulled Xiaohong behind him.

The torches flickered, illuminating everyone's faces. Their expressions were different, but all of them were solemn.

Deep in the cave, runes are densely distributed, flashing with faint green light, dancing like will-o'-the-wisp.

The mechanisms on the ground are intricate, with crisscrossing lines, like a huge spider web, waiting for prey to fall into it.

There was a faint smell of sulfur in the air, irritating everyone's nostrils.

The light in the cave is dim, and the torch light can only illuminate a small area. The farther away is hidden in the darkness, like a lurking beast, which makes people shudder.

Xiaohong clutched the sleeve of the man in white tightly, her fingertips turned white and her heart beat like a drum.

Luo Xiaoyu held the dagger tightly in her hand and looked around vigilantly.

Elder Chen walked forward tremblingly, leaning on a cane, his cloudy eyes sparkling with wisdom.

He stretched out his withered fingers and gently stroked the runes on the wall, muttering to himself as if he was deciphering ancient secrets.

A soft "click" sound broke the silence of the cave.

Everyone's heart tightened, and they looked in the direction of the sound, only to see that a stone slab under Elder Chen's feet had sunk slightly.

Almost at the same time, a low roar came from deep in the cave, and the ground began to shake slightly.

In the darkness, two red lights suddenly lit up, getting closer and bigger.

Mechanical beast!

Their eyes flashed with bloodthirsty red light, and their metal bodies reflected the firelight, like messengers from hell.

"Ah--" Luo Xiaoyu screamed, staggered backward, and the dagger in her hand fell to the ground.

The mechanical beast's attack was extremely swift, and its sharp blade cut through the air, making a piercing whistling sound.

Li the Hunter and Zhao the Blacksmith waved their weapons and tried their best to resist, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Sparks flew and the clanging of metal colliding echoed throughout the cave.

Upon seeing this, Master Lingyin recited Buddhist scriptures and golden light flashed, trying to block the attack of the mechanical beast.

However, the moment the golden light touched the mechanical beast, it disappeared without a trace like a drop in the ocean.

"Retreat!" the man in white shouted, pulled Xiaohong up and retreated.

"Oh no, the exit is blocked!" Doctor Zhang pointed in the direction of the cave entrance, his face pale.

I saw a huge stone slab falling down at some point, sealing the cave entrance tightly. (End of this chapter)