Seven-Colored Bead

They followed a winding path, and the scenery around them grew increasingly strange. Suddenly, an ancient Stone Door emitting an Eerie Glow appeared ahead. Mysterious runes covered its surface, faintly pulsing with spiritual energy. Yan Zhao approached cautiously. The moment he touched the Stone Door, the runes lit up, and it slowly opened to reveal an enormous cave. A thin mist filled the cave, obscuring everything within. The group entered carefully, but after only a few steps, the ground began to shake violently. A swarm of strange little beasts poured out from the depths of the cave. They had the bodies of rats but wings, and their eyes glowed with eerie red light. Yan Zhao shouted, "Everyone, be careful!" and charged forward first. The others drew their swords and rushed to meet the enemy.

Amid the fierce battle, Yan Zhao keenly noticed that although the little beasts were not particularly powerful on their own, their numbers were enormous, and they moved with exceptional agility, making them difficult to handle. Just as everyone was beginning to struggle, a thought suddenly flashed through Yan Zhao's mind—the purple mist the Giant Python had transformed into!

He immediately focused and tried to recall the scene when the Giant Python had released that mist. In that instant, he seemed to see a certain power hidden within it, a power capable of restraining these little beasts. Yan Zhao seized upon that spark of inspiration and repeatedly worked through it in his mind. At last, he comprehended an entirely new method of using spiritual energy.

Without hesitation, he shouted and gathered the spiritual energy within his body, circulating it according to the method he had just realized. In an instant, a dazzling light shot from his hand like lightning tearing through the night sky. Wherever it passed, the little beasts were thrown back. Their bodies seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, gradually dissipating into the air.

The others stared at Yan Zhao in astonishment, deeply impressed by the immense power he had displayed. Yan Zhao merely smiled faintly and led them farther into the cave.

As they continued deeper, the cave grew ever more profound, and the air became increasingly heavy with a decaying stench. As they walked, a narrow passage suddenly appeared ahead. A faint light flickered at its end, as if calling them onward. The moment they stepped into the passage, a buzzing sound arose, and countless sharp arrows suddenly shot from the stone walls on both sides, racing toward them like rain!

Yan Zhao's heart jolted, but he reacted swiftly. He immediately cast a powerful spell, forming a transparent shield that protected everyone tightly within it.

Yet the arrows seemed endless, shooting toward them without pause. Under the barrage, cracks gradually appeared across the shield, and it began to totter on the verge of collapse.

Sweat beaded on Yan Zhao's forehead. He knew that if he could not find a way to break the trap quickly, once the shield shattered, they would all perish!

At that critical moment, Yan Zhao suddenly noticed strange patterns on the stone walls. They seemed to conceal clues to some mechanism.

He looked closely and, relying on his understanding of runes, finally found the key to the mechanism amid the chaos.

Without hesitation, Yan Zhao reached out and felt along the stone wall, pressing several runes in a specific order.

A series of clicking sounds rang out, and the arrows stopped firing abruptly.

The group let out a sigh of relief and cast grateful looks toward Yan Zhao.

Yan Zhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and led everyone onward.

After passing through the corridor, they entered an enormous space. At its center floated a bead that radiated seven-colored light, like the brightest star in the night sky.

Captivated by the bead's beauty, the group could not help walking toward it.

However, when they approached the bead, it suddenly emitted a blinding flash that enveloped them all.

When the light faded, they discovered in shock that they had been transported into an utterly unfamiliar environment. All around them were the scenes each of them feared most deeply in their hearts.

Some saw boundless darkness, some saw savage beasts, and others saw the most unbearable parts of their past...

Yan Zhao took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. He knew this had to be an Illusionary Realm created by the bead. Only by breaking it could they continue onward.

He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him.

A moment later, Yan Zhao opened his eyes, a trace of determination flashing through them.

He circulated the spiritual energy throughout his body until it surged like a torrent within him, then released it fiercely, attempting to break free of the Illusionary Realm's restraints.

Yan Zhao searched through the Illusionary Realm, his heartbeat quickening with every step. Although the terrifying scenes around him were so realistic that they made his skin crawl, fear did not consume him. Instead, he calmly observed every detail.

After careful observation, Yan Zhao finally detected subtle patterns in the fluctuations of spiritual energy. These fluctuations were like clues hidden beneath the fear, appearing and vanishing faintly, requiring his complete concentration to catch.

He followed the direction of those fluctuations, every step filled with anticipation and tension. At last, he reached a place where the spiritual energy was unusually chaotic. The energy there seemed twisted by some powerful force, forming a distinct vortex.

Yan Zhao's heart stirred. He knew this was likely the flaw in the Illusionary Realm. Taking a deep breath, he swung his sword fiercely, pouring all the spiritual energy in his body into the blade. Sword light flashed like lightning, carrying boundless force as it slashed viciously at that flaw.

With a thunderous boom, the entire Illusionary Realm shook. Yan Zhao's sword struck the flaw precisely, and a crack immediately appeared within the Illusionary Realm. Though the crack was small, it was like an opening, allowing everyone to see hope.

Encouraged by Yan Zhao, the others also focused their minds and began searching for flaws in the Illusionary Realm. For a time, countless spell lights intertwined as they launched a fierce struggle against the Illusionary Realm's power of fear.

As the group continued attacking, the crack grew larger and larger, and the Illusionary Realm began to collapse. Yet just when they believed victory was within reach, something unexpected happened.

The Seven-Colored Bead seemed to sense the danger and suddenly let out a piercing shriek. The sound was like a demonic voice drilling into their ears, making them dizzy and almost unable to concentrate.

Worse still, as the shriek rang out, the Illusionary Realm stabilized once more, and numerous Phantom Monsters emerged, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged at the group.

Seeing the scene before him, Yan Zhao's heart tightened sharply, and a chill rose up his spine. Yet fear did not defeat him. Instead, he clenched his teeth, and a trace of resolve flashed in his eyes.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, then unhesitatingly used the spell he had newly comprehended once again. The spell was astonishingly powerful, instantly forming a mighty shield around him that blocked the monsters' fierce attacks.

At the same time, the others unleashed their own ultimate techniques and fought shoulder to shoulder with Yan Zhao. They coordinated perfectly, supporting one another and forming a tightly knit battle formation.

With everyone working together, the monsters' attacks remained ferocious, but they could never break through the group's defenses. Meanwhile, the group seized every opportunity to attack the flaw in the Illusionary Realm.

After a fierce battle, the Illusionary Realm finally could no longer bear the strain and let out a crisp cracking sound. Immediately afterward, it shattered completely like glass, turning into countless fragments that drifted through the air.

As the Illusionary Realm broke apart, light flashed once more. The group's vision blurred, and they found themselves back in the enormous space. At that moment, the Seven-Colored Bead shone even more brilliantly, as though it concealed an enormous secret.

The group looked at one another, their hearts filled with both tension and anticipation. They slowly approached the bead, their steps somewhat hesitant. Every step felt as though they were walking on thin ice, afraid that a single misstep would shatter the mysterious atmosphere.