sjar Chapter 117 Rune Puzzle and a Narrow Escape
Chapter 117 Rune Puzzle and a Narrow Escape
Inside the cave, the situation grew increasingly critical. The black flames spewed by the Black Flame Beast swept towards the woman in black robes, the man in white, Ling'er, and the old man in gray robes like a raging tide. The intense heat burned their cheeks, and the billowing smoke choked them, making them cough uncontrollably. Meanwhile, the ancient runes flickering around the spring acted as a merciless barrier, preventing them from accessing the potentially life-saving power of the spring water. The entire situation reached an unprecedented stalemate.
The woman in black robes was frantic, staring at the spring water so close yet unreachable, her heart filled with frustration and anxiety. She gritted her teeth, her forehead beaded with sweat, thinking, "Why are there so many obstacles? This spring water seems capable of suppressing the flames of that Nether Beast, yet it's blocked by these runes. Are we really going to perish here? No, we can't give up. We must find a way to unlock the secrets of these runes." Her gaze was fixed on the runes, trying to find a clue in the flickering light, her hand still gripping her sword tightly, ready to face any further attack from the Black Flame Nether Beast.
The man in white also frowned deeply. He leaned closer to the runes, carefully observing their shapes and arrangements. He gently tapped his jade flute against his palm, as if to help him think more quickly. He pondered to himself, "These runes look ancient and mysterious; they must contain some profound meaning. Perhaps some clues to solving this puzzle lie in my previous knowledge of runes, but I just haven't been able to recall them yet. I need to calm down and think about it carefully." He took a deep breath, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts, but the oppressive feeling from the Black Flame Nether Beast's flames still made his heart beat faster involuntarily.
Ling'er hid behind the man in white, her small hands clutching his robes tightly, her large eyes brimming with tears of fear and anxiety. She still held the ancient scroll in her arms, clutching it even tighter now, as if it were her last lifeline. She prayed silently, "Scroll, oh scroll, you must help us again! You've helped us through so many hardships before, you can help us this time too." With trembling hands, she opened the scroll, quickly scanning the pages, hoping to find information on deciphering the runes.
The gray-robed elder, holding a cane, used his spiritual power to create a shield against the flames of the Black Flame Nether Beast while keeping an eye on the group's exploration of the runes. He gazed at the runes, a thoughtful glint in his eyes, and muttered to himself, "These runes look somewhat familiar. They seem to be an ancient language used for sealing and protection, but deciphering them won't be so simple."
Just as everyone was deep in thought, Ling'er suddenly exclaimed, "Look! There seems to be a repeating pattern here!" Hearing this, everyone quickly gathered around and looked in the direction Ling'er was pointing. Sure enough, they found several rune-like patterns appearing intermittently within the complex string of runes, like some kind of crucial clue.
The man in white's eyes lit up, and he said, "Perhaps this is the breakthrough. If we follow these repeating patterns to find the rules, we might be able to decipher the meaning of the runes." After saying that, he focused intently on studying the relationship between the repeating patterns and the surrounding runes, muttering some speculative words from time to time, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.
The woman in black robes watched from the side, a glimmer of hope igniting in her heart. She clenched her fists, secretly cheering on the man in white, thinking, "We must untie this; our lives depend on it."
After a tense and difficult calculation, the man in white finally showed a look of realization and said excitedly, "I think I understand now. These runes are indicating that I need to inject the corresponding spiritual power attributes into the grooves around the spring in a specific order to break the rune seal and release the power of the spring water."
Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly followed the white-robed man's instructions and began searching for the grooves around the spring. Soon, they discovered several grooves hidden in the crevices of the rocks, each corresponding to a specific amount of spiritual energy. The black-robed woman was the first to gather her spiritual energy and pour it into the groove representing the metal element. The groove flickered slightly, as if receiving a signal. The white-robed man then poured his wood elemental energy into the corresponding groove. Ling'er also mustered her courage and poured her meager but pure water elemental energy into one of the grooves. Finally, the gray-robed elder completed the final step with earth elemental energy.
The moment all the spiritual energy was poured in, the spring shone brightly, and the gushing water transformed into jets of water that shot towards the Black Flame Nether Beast. The Black Flame Nether Beast seemed to sense the threat and tried to dodge, but the water arrows were incredibly fast and instantly struck the black flames on its body. Miraculously, the flames extinguished rapidly upon contact with the spring water, like ice meeting warm sunshine. The Black Flame Nether Beast was forced back by this sudden attack, letting out a painful roar.
"It worked!" the woman in black robes shouted excitedly. Everyone was overjoyed. Taking advantage of the Black Flame Nether Beast being temporarily suppressed, they hurriedly ran towards the place where the divine artifact keys were kept. Just as they were about to touch the three keys that emitted strange light, the cave shook violently again, even more violently than before. Large sections of the cave ceiling began to collapse, and boulders tumbled down, as if the cave was about to completely collapse.
The gray-robed old man's expression changed, and he shouted, "Oh no! This cave is about to collapse! We have to get out of here quickly, take the key and leave!" But at this moment, many of their paths were blocked by fallen boulders, leaving only a deep and dangerous passage that was barely passable.
The woman in black robes looked at the passage, hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "There's no other way, we can only go this way. Everyone be careful!" With that, she took the lead and rushed into the passage. The man in white robes pulled Ling'er and followed closely behind, while the old man in gray robes brought up the rear to prevent any accidents from happening.
However, they hadn't gone far into the passage when they heard a sinister howling sound coming from its depths. The sound seemed to emanate from the deepest hell, carrying an endless chill and an unknown danger. Their steps slowed involuntarily, a strong unease rising within them. What terrifying thing lurked in this passage? Could they successfully escape this collapsing cave with the key to the divine artifact? Everything was shrouded in mystery once more, awaiting their discovery…