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

"What should we do?" Grandma Lin's voice was trembling and full of fear.

Elder Chen looked at the mechanical beast that was getting closer and closer. Li the Hunter's axe was knocked away, and Zhao the Blacksmith's hammer was also deformed.

Master Lingyin's golden light spell had no effect on the mechanical beasts and could only barely protect everyone.

Doctor Zhang dodged the attacks of the mechanical beast while taking care of the injured Grandma Lin.

Suddenly, a mechanical beast wielded a sharp blade and slashed at Grandma Lin.

Doctor Zhang rushed forward to stand in front of Grandma Lin without hesitation. The sharp blade cut his arm and blood gushed out.

"Doctor Zhang!" Xiaohong exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Doctor Zhang covered his wound, his face pale, but he endured the pain and said, "Don't worry about me, run... run away..."

The man in white was entangled by two mechanical beasts and could not escape.

He wanted to end the battle quickly, but the mechanical beast had extremely high defense, and his attacks were unable to cause any effective damage to it.

Seeing Doctor Zhang injured and Xiaohong in danger again, he was extremely anxious but powerless to save her.

At this moment, Doctor Zhang, who had been silent all this time, suddenly shouted, "Their joints! Attack their joints!"

Everyone was stunned and didn't understand why Doctor Zhang said that.

Doctor Zhang pointed at the leg joint of one of the mechanical beasts and said, "There, their weak spot is there!"

Everyone followed Doctor Zhang's instructions and discovered that the joints of the mechanical beast did not seem to be as strong as other parts.

"Really?" Luo Xiaoyu was skeptical.

"You'll know if you try it!" Doctor Zhang gritted his teeth and said while enduring the severe pain.

The man in white's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped something.

He growled, dodged the attack of one mechanical beast, and then slammed his palm into the leg joint of another mechanical beast.

"Crack!" With a crisp sound, the leg joints of the mechanical beast actually broke, and its huge body fell to the ground with a bang.

"It works!" Luo Xiaoyu exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing this, everyone's morale was boosted and they changed their tactics, focusing on attacking the joints of the mechanical beast.

"Let's go together!" The man in white shouted again and rushed forward first...

The man in white moved as fast as lightning and his palms were fierce, and each of his strikes landed precisely on the joints of the mechanical beast.

With crisp "crackling" sounds, the joints of the mechanical beast's legs and arms broke one after another, and its huge body was crumbling.

Luo Xiaoyu was not to be outdone. He flew his dagger like a snake spitting out its tongue, focusing on attacking the weak points of the mechanical beast.

Although the weapons of Li the Hunter and Zhao the Blacksmith were damaged, they were still fearless and used their broken weapons to hold off the mechanical beasts, creating opportunities for others.

Although Master Lingyin's golden light spell cannot directly harm the mechanical beasts, it can interfere with their actions and buy precious time for everyone.

Everyone worked together and cooperated well, and beat the mechanical beast without any chance of fighting back.

The mechanical beast let out roars, but could only watch itself being dismantled by everyone.

Excitement spread among the crowd, and they seemed to see the dawn of victory.

"The last blow!" The man in white shouted softly, gathering all his energy and slapping the mechanical beast on the head.

Luo Xiaoyu and others also cheered and hugged each other, their faces filled with the joy of victory.

This battle not only allowed them to defeat a powerful enemy, but also deepened their feelings and made their relationship closer.

"We... won..." Doctor Zhang covered his injured arm, his voice weak but full of joy.

"Yes, we won." Elder Chen stroked his beard, wisdom flashing in his eyes, "But this is just the beginning..." He looked up into the depths of the cave, his eyes deep and meaningful.

The man in white gently pushed Xiaohong away and looked deep into the cave, where a bigger secret seemed to be hidden...

"Let's go." He took Xiaohong's hand and said in a firm tone.

The remains of the mechanical beast were scattered all over the ground, and the metal fragments flashed a cold luster in the firelight.

Everyone was panting, with joy on their faces at having survived the disaster.

The man in white supported Xiaohong, Luo Xiaoyu waved the dagger excitedly, Li the hunter and Zhao the blacksmith supported each other, and Doctor Zhang leaned against the stone wall, and Granny Lin bandaged his wounds.

"Let's keep going." Elder Chen leaned on his crutch and pointed towards the depths of the cave.

Everyone calmed down and followed Elder Chen to go deeper.

The cave is winding and the deeper you go, the colder and damper it becomes.

There was a rotten smell in the air, which made people feel very uncomfortable.

After walking for about half an hour, the front suddenly opened up and revealed a huge cave.

In the center of the cave, there is a huge treasure chest.

The treasure chest is made of unknown metal, with mysterious patterns engraved on the surface, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

The pattern is complex and intricate, like some ancient characters or some strange symbols.

In the light of the fire, the pattern on the treasure chest flickered with a strange light, as if it had life.

"What is this?" Luo Xiaoyu exclaimed, walked quickly to the treasure chest, and looked at it curiously.

Elder Chen walked forward and carefully observed the pattern on the treasure chest with a frown on his face.

He stretched out his withered fingers and gently stroked the patterns, muttering to himself as if he was interpreting some ancient spell.

Everyone held their breath and looked at Elder Chen nervously.

The air seemed to freeze, with only Elder Chen's low chanting voice echoing in the cave.

As Elder Chen chanted, the pattern on the treasure chest began to emit a brighter light.

The treasure chest trembled slightly, making a "clicking" sound.

"It's about to open!" Xiaohong excitedly grabbed the arm of the man in white.

Finally, with a dull sound, the treasure chest slowly opened.

A dazzling light shot out from the treasure chest, illuminating the entire cave.

Everyone was blinded by the sudden bright light and covered their eyes with their hands.

The atmosphere in the cave became weird.

There was a strange fragrance in the air that made people feel dizzy.

"What is this..." Luo Xiaoyu muttered to herself, trying to open her eyes.

The bright light gradually faded away, and everyone slowly opened their eyes, with lingering doubts in their eyes, but more of an anticipation for unknown treasures.

They looked around curiously, trying to see what was inside the treasure chest.

The light emitted by the treasure chest gradually softened and was no longer dazzling. Instead, it turned into a comfortable light gold color, adding to the mysterious atmosphere of the treasure chest.

Elder Chen couldn't wait to approach the treasure chest again, his weather-beaten eyes flashing with eagerness.

He stretched out his hand, wanting to reach into the treasure chest. Just as his fingers were about to touch the edge of the treasure chest, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the treasure chest, blocking his way.

He was an old man wearing coarse linen clothes. His hair and beard were all white, his face was clumsy, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He glanced coldly at everyone present.

He exuded a suffocating sense of oppression, like an insurmountable mountain.

"If you want to get what's in the treasure chest, you must pass my test." The old man's voice was low and powerful, like a roar from deep underground.

Everyone was immediately surprised, and Luo Xiaoyu even grumbled to express her dissatisfaction: "Why did an old man suddenly appear? We have put in so much effort, why do we need to test him again!"

The man in white frowned, took a step forward slowly, and said calmly, "Old man, I wonder who you are? We were the ones who opened this treasure chest."

The old man sneered, and an invisible force instantly pressed towards the man in white, causing his face to change suddenly. He took two steps back, and his chest felt as if it was hit by a huge rock.

"Hmph!" The old man snorted coldly, with contempt in his eyes.

Seeing this, a trace of anger flashed across Li the Hunter's honest face. He stepped forward and wanted to stand up for the man in white, but the old man waved his sleeve lightly. A huge force hit him and he flew backwards and fell heavily to the ground. He groaned and it took him a long time to catch his breath.

The atmosphere in the cave suddenly became extremely depressing. The air seemed to be frozen, so heavy that it made people breathless.

Master Lingyin clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist name in a low voice.

The mysterious old man slowly raised his hand, and a strange wave gathered in his palm, and a powerful force began to spread around him...

The fluctuations in the mysterious old man's palm became stronger and stronger, and an invisible pressure enveloped the entire cave.

Everyone felt as if their bodies were being pressed down by a mountain, having difficulty breathing and moving slowly.

Sweat oozed from their foreheads, soaking their clothes, and their faces showed painful expressions.

Xiaohong gritted her teeth and tried to resist the pressure, but she found that she was completely powerless.

Her body was shaking and her eyes revealed helplessness and despair.

The situation of the others was not much better. They all seemed to have been drained of all their strength and collapsed to the ground.

Everyone's morale was at its lowest point, and a feeling of despair spread throughout the cave.

Doctor Zhang took out a few pills from the medicine box and wanted to take them to relieve the pressure, but as soon as he put the pills into his mouth, he felt a powerful force shattering the pills, and the powder scattered in the air.

His face became serious.

At this moment, Luo Xiaoyu, who had always been impulsive and reckless, suddenly calmed down.

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She did not struggle like the others, but carefully observed the fluctuations in the mysterious old man's palm.

Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were gleaming with thought.

Everyone was surprised by her behavior and didn't understand why she was so calm.

Suddenly, Luo Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, and she seemed to have discovered something.

She pointed to a spot above the old man's palm and said loudly, "There! There seems to be a flaw there!"

Everyone looked in the direction of Luo Xiaoyu's finger, and indeed found that there was a hint of abnormality in the fluctuations above the old man's palm.

The fluctuations there are weaker than in other places, like a thin barrier that may break at any time.

"Concentrate your strength and attack there!" Luo Xiaoyu's voice sounded again, her tone firm and powerful.

A glimmer of hope ignited in everyone's hearts. They supported each other, gathered the remaining strength in their bodies, and headed in the direction pointed by Luo Xiaoyu...

"Wait," Elder Chen suddenly whispered, "I seem to have seen this kind of magic somewhere."

Everyone gathered their strength and gathered it into a dazzling beam of light, which hit the weak spot above the old man's palm.

Wherever the beam of light passed, the air made crackling sounds, as if the space was about to be torn apart.

The contempt on the old man's face gradually disappeared, replaced by surprise. He did not expect that this group of seemingly weak humans could find his flaws.

"Boom!" With a loud noise, the wave above the old man's palm shook violently, like broken glass, and cracks spread.

The old man groaned and was pushed back several steps, and the powerful pressure also dissipated.

Everyone suddenly felt their bodies lighten and breathed in the fresh air greedily.

The man in white seized the opportunity, and appeared in front of the old man like a ghost.

The true energy in his palm surged, bringing with it a fierce gust of wind, and hit the old man's chest hard.

The old man was caught off guard and was hit by the palm. He staggered back with a trace of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

"Success!" Luo Xiaoyu shouted excitedly, and his voice echoed in the cave.

The others also cheered, their faces filled with the joy of victory.

They high-fived each other in celebration, as if they had just experienced a life-and-death battle.

Xiaohong looked at the man in white.

The feelings between everyone became deeper after this test. They supported each other, faced challenges together, and their trust and reliance on each other became stronger.

A warm current flows in everyone's heart. This is a deep friendship built after living and dying together.

Luo Xiaoyu suddenly grabbed Xiaohong's hand and said excitedly: "Xiaohong, we succeeded!"

Xiaohong looked at Luo Xiaoyu's excited expression and also smiled happily.

She nodded slightly and said, "Yes, we succeeded."

Just as everyone was immersed in joy, the old man slowly stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked at everyone and slowly said, "You..."

"You have passed my test." The old man's tone was full of appreciation. He slowly made way, revealing the treasure chest behind him.

Seeing this, everyone's spirits were lifted and cheers echoed in the cave.

They couldn't wait to gather in front of the treasure chest, their eyes fixed on the things inside. The treasure chest emitted a faint golden light, and a strange energy wave permeated the air, making people feel relaxed and happy.

An ancient scroll lay quietly in the treasure chest, emitting a soft light, like the twinkling stars in the night sky.

The material of the scroll looks like some unknown animal skin, with complex patterns carved on it, exuding a mysterious aura.

Everyone held their breath and stretched out their hands to pick up the scroll, only to find that there was a transparent protective cover around the scroll, like an invisible barrier, isolating the scroll from the outside world.

When everyone's hands touched the protective cover, they only felt a slight resistance, but were unable to touch the scroll itself.

"What's going on?" Luo Xiaoyu frowned and asked in confusion.

"This protective shield seems to be a powerful energy barrier." Elder Chen observed the protective shield carefully and said in a deep voice.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to break this protective shield.

The atmosphere in the cave became mysterious, and an unknown energy fluctuation filled the air, making people feel a little uneasy.

"This..." Xiaohong was about to speak, but suddenly stopped. Her eyes were fixed on the protective shield, as if she saw something incredible.

"What's wrong?" The man in white noticed Xiaohong's abnormality and asked with concern.

Xiao Hong did not answer. She just stretched out her hand, pointed at a place on the protective cover, and said in a trembling voice: "Look..."

Everyone gathered around the treasure chest, their eyes fixed on the transparent protective cover above the scroll.

The soft light flickered, sometimes brighter and sometimes dimmed like breathing, reflecting everyone's anxious faces.

Elder Chen frowned, and took the lead in extending his withered fingers to gently touch the thin light curtain.

There was a slight resistance at the fingertips, like a breeze blowing across the water, creating ripples, but they were fleeting.

"This protective shield seems to be made up of some ancient rune power." Elder Chen withdrew his hand, his tone solemn.

Just as everyone was racking their brains for a way to crack the cave, a burst of wild laughter suddenly came from the entrance of the cave.

"Hahaha! God help me! Such a treasure actually fell into your hands!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man in a grey robe with white hair and beard striding towards them.

His eyes were sharp, flashing with greed, and he stared at the scroll in the treasure chest.

"Who are you?" Luo Xiaoyu stepped forward, stood in front of the treasure chest, and asked vigilantly.

"I am a rune master!" The old man puffed out his chest proudly, with a hint of disdain in his tone, "The runes on this scroll can only be deciphered by me! It should belong to me!"

Luo Xiaoyu said angrily: "We found this scroll first, why should we give it to you!"

The Rune Master sneered, and a complex rune suddenly appeared in his hand, emitting a dazzling light.

"Why? Just based on my strength!"

Before he finished speaking, the rune in the Rune Master's hand turned into a stream of light and shot straight towards the protective shield of the scroll.

"Be careful!" Elder Chen shouted.

Everyone dodged quickly, but the Rune Master's attack speed was so fast that some people were still hit by the light and groaned in pain.

The Rune Master's attacks continued to bombard the protective shield, and the air around the scroll vibrated violently, making a buzzing sound. It seemed as if a strong wind blew in the cave, with flying sand and rocks, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

Luo Xiaoyu waved the sword in her hand, trying to stop the Rune Master, but he easily deflected it.

"You are overestimating yourself!" Rune Master snorted coldly and intensified his attack again.

The light of the protective shield was getting dimmer and dimmer, and it was about to be breached.

Everyone's heart was in their throat. Was this precious scroll really going to fall into the hands of this greedy old man?

"Ah!" A scream cut through the chaotic air...

The Rune Master's attacks became more and more fierce. Runes flew out like sharp blades. No one could dodge and wailing sounds rang out one after another.

Doctor Zhang was running around exhausted, with herbs scattered all over the ground. His hands were covered in blood, sweat was oozing from his forehead, and his face was full of fatigue.

The air was filled with the smell of blood and the bitter scent of herbs, making it hard to breathe.

A dazzling golden light shot straight towards Xiaohong. She was unable to dodge and was hit in the chest. She groaned and fell to the ground in pain.

The bright red blood stained her clothes on her chest, which was shocking. (End of this chapter)