Entering the Ruins

"Pfft!"

The arrow grazed the Wind Mage's cheek, drawing a string of blood. Though it was only a minor injury, the force of the shot forced him to stop, his heart pounding.

"Now!" Jialan gritted his teeth, knowing this was his last chance. He concentrated his Mental Power to the extreme, chanting a few words. Water elements in the air converged madly, transforming into a dense Ice Mist. This wasn't the ordinary Ice Mist Technique, but an advanced version refined by Mental Power.

The Ice Mist spread rapidly, not only obscuring vision but also carrying a bone-chilling cold. The pursuers were caught off guard, falling into chaos. Even the high-level Wind Mage couldn't dispel this special Ice Mist immediately.

"Let's go!" Jialan felt a wave of dizziness; the spell had consumed most of his Mental Power. But he knew this wasn't the time to rest, and he forced himself to keep running.

Through the thick mist, Jialan and the others stumbled into the valley. The pursuers behind them were temporarily blocked by the Ice Mist, but everyone knew this delay wouldn't last long.

"This place..." Jialan suddenly stopped, his pupils contracting slightly. The valley's outline was strangely familiar—the scattered arrangement of rocks, the faint traces of runes...

"This is the entrance to that Ancient Elf ruin!" His voice trembled with excitement. He had been studying that Scroll for some time and was very familiar with the entrance's terrain. He never expected to stumble upon it in a life-or-death situation.

Before the others could react, Jialan quickly walked to a giant stone engraved with runes. His fingers gently traced the ancient patterns, his mind rapidly recalling his research findings.

"What are you doing?" Katerina asked warily, looking around.

"Give me a minute!" Jialan interrupted her, his eyes fixed on the runes, his Mental Power highly concentrated.

The roar of the Wind Mage could be heard in the distance; the Ice Mist was being blown away by the strong wind. Time was running out.

Jialan rapidly formed hand seals, chanting a string of obscure incantations. This was the opening spell he had deciphered after more than ten days of research, but he had never practiced it. As the incantation progressed, the runes on the giant stone began to emit a faint glow.

"Hurry over!" Jialan shouted. Though the others didn't understand, they quickly gathered around him.

As the last syllable fell, the giant stone suddenly erupted in a dazzling light. A spatial rift appeared before them, revealing ancient stone steps and mottled murals within.

"In!" Jialan was the first to step into the rift. The others followed closely. Just as the last person entered, a Wind Blade whizzed past the edge of the rift.

The spatial rift closed rapidly, shutting out the pursuers' angry roars.

It was surprisingly quiet inside the ruins, only the sound of their breathing echoing. Jialan raised his Staff, chanting a few words. A bright light appeared on the gem at the top of the Staff, illuminating the surroundings.

"This is..." Kaisalin gasped.

They stood in a vast circular hall, the surrounding walls covered in exquisite reliefs. Elven script flowed across the walls, emitting a faint magical glow. The air was filled with an ancient and mysterious aura.

Excitement flashed in Shadow's eyes: "These writings... they seem to record the knowledge of the Ancient Elves!" As a Half-elf, though raised in human society, he was not unfamiliar with Elven script. He quickly walked to the wall, his fingers lightly touching the glowing characters.

"Wait..." Jialan quickly tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Suddenly, the entire hall began to shake. The runes on the walls started to flow rapidly, forming a complex magic array. Amidst Qiuqiu's warning cries, a blinding flash of light occurred, and everyone felt the world spin. When their vision cleared, they found themselves scattered in different parts of the ruins.

Jialan walked alone through a deep corridor, the Elven script on the walls emitting a faint blue light, illuminating the path ahead. His Mental Power was highly concentrated, ready to face any potential danger.

Everything was peaceful until he reached a massive stone door.

"Answer the following question, and wisdom will guide you forward," he softly read the Elven script on the door.

Below was a star chart, with text beside it asking to deduce the correct season based on the positions of the stars. Jialan's gaze was drawn to the twinkling star chart on the wall, countless points of light flowing in the air, outlining the vast starry sky.

"The positions of the stars..." Jialan murmured, his fingers tapping in the air, trying to find a pattern. Gradually, the star chart began to spin rapidly, the positions of the stars constantly changing. Jialan felt his Mental Power being drawn into a wondrous realm, as if he were in the vast universe.

"This is... the Elven stargazing technique!" he suddenly realized. In his past research, he had encountered some records of Elven astronomical knowledge. The Elves believed that the positions of the stars were closely related to the changes of the seasons.

Jialan closed his eyes, recalling the records in ancient texts. His fingers drew trajectories in the air, his Mental Power resonating with the star chart. Gradually, the stars' rotation slowed down, finally settling in a specific position.

"Midsummer," Jialan opened his eyes, "when the Silver Moon and the Crimson Star align." He gently pointed to the star representing midsummer. The star chart emitted a dazzling light and then slowly disappeared. The great door rumbled open to both sides...

Jialan steadied himself, then shifted his gaze to the stone wall behind the door, covered in magic formulas. Complex symbols and variables intertwined, appearing like heavenly script.

Jialan carefully observed the structure of the formulas, pondering, "This looks like more than just a math problem..."

He took out his notebook from his Spatial Bag and began calculating rapidly.

Time ticked by, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Jialan's forehead. The complexity of these formulas far exceeded his imagination; each variable could affect the final result.

Suddenly, his pen tip paused: "Wait, how can this variable be so close to the fluctuation frequency of the Wood element..."

Inspiration struck him like lightning. Jialan quickly wrote down the final calculation results on the paper, then placed his palm on the stone wall. Elemental power flowed from his fingertips into the formulas, and the entire stone wall began to glow.

"Correct!" Jialan joyfully watched as the stone wall slowly opened, revealing the passage behind it.

The third trial appeared at the end of the passage: an Elven poem inscribed on a stone tablet. The beautiful script flowed with light, yet it contained profound metaphors.