Hu Shu took a deep breath and looked at the Human Race warriors who had volunteered, their eyes filled with determination. Warmth surged through his heart, but he also knew that the Mysterious Ruins ahead would certainly be fraught with danger. "Set out!" At Hu Shu's command, everyone stepped forward resolutely. But what kind of dangers lay hidden within those unknown ruins? Could they truly obtain the Divine Artifact safely? A faint sense of worry lingered in Hu Shu's heart.
Just as everyone had finished preparing their gear and was about to further discuss their specific defense and development plans, the emotionless voice of the Invincible Domain System suddenly rang out in Hu Shu's mind. "Mission issued: Obtain the Divine Artifact from the nearby Mysterious Ruins. This Divine Artifact can enhance Human Race Fortune. Upon mission completion, the range of the Invincible Domain will expand by 2,500 li, and a new Domain Skill will be added. If the mission fails, the domain's range will shrink by 1,000 li."
Hu Shu was stunned at first, then overjoyed. Expanding the domain's range and capabilities was undoubtedly a timely boon for the current Human Race. Yet when he heard the penalty for failure, his brows furrowed tightly.
Seeing Hu Shu's expression shift, the Human Race warriors around him had no idea what had happened, but they quietly waited for him to speak. Hu Shu steadied himself and told them about the system mission. Everyone fell silent after hearing it. The mission was extremely risky, but if they succeeded, the benefits to the Human Race would be immeasurable.
"Clan Leader, we'll go with you! No matter what, for the Human Race, this risk is worth taking!" a burly Human Race warrior shouted first.
"That's right, we're going!" The other Human Race warriors responded one after another, their eyes filled with resolve.
Hu Shu looked at them, deeply moved. "Good. Since everyone is so determined, we'll set out. But you must all be careful and follow my command in everything."
Hu Shu led thirty selected Human Race warriors toward the Mysterious Ruins, following the general direction given by the system. Back on Shouyang Mountain, the unselected members of the Human Race either helped prepare supplies or continued reinforcing the defenses, all busy in an orderly fashion.
Along the way, Hu Shu constantly explained the dangers they might encounter and how to deal with them. He himself repeatedly considered every detail of the mission. This mission concerned the Future of the Human Race. There could be no mistakes.
After traveling for half a day, they arrived at a valley. The valley was unusually quiet, with only the occasional birdsong drifting through the air. Hu Shu vigilantly surveyed his surroundings, feeling that the silence was strangely unsettling. He signaled everyone to slow down and proceed carefully.
Suddenly, one warrior's footing gave way, and he instantly sank into the ground. Hu Shu was alarmed and shouted, "Careful, everyone! It's a trap!" The moment the words left his mouth, pits of all sizes appeared across the surrounding ground, and many warriors nearly lost their footing.
Hu Shu activated the Invincible Domain and pulled the warriors near the traps back to his side. He crouched down and carefully inspected the edge of one trap, finding it covered in sharp stone spikes. If someone fell in, they would be severely injured even if they survived.
"These traps are set up very cleverly. It seems the dangers around these ruins far exceed our expectations," Hu Shu said grimly.
Everyone cautiously bypassed the trapped area and continued onward. After walking some farther, they came upon a dense forest. A faint mist filled the woods, creating an eerie feeling.
The moment they stepped into the forest, a rustling sound came from all directions. Hu Shu's heart tightened, and he shouted, "Prepare for battle!" A pack of agile black panthers sprang from the trees, their eyes glinting with a ghostly light as low growls rumbled from their throats. They had clearly taken the group for prey.
Hu Shu struck first. With a flash, he appeared before one black panther and threw a punch. The beast was blasted backward as though struck by lightning, crashing heavily into a tree and falling still.
The Human Race warriors were fearless as well. They drew their weapons and fought the black panthers. For a moment, battle cries and beastly roars intertwined.
One warrior was pounced upon by a black panther and knocked to the ground. The panther opened its bloody jaws, about to bite into his throat. At that critical moment, another warrior leaped over and viciously drove his long blade into the panther's side. The panther cried out in pain, released its claws, and turned to pounce on him.
Seeing this, Hu Shu condensed a stream of spiritual energy in his hand and shot it at the black panther attacking the warrior. Struck by the energy, the panther collapsed to the ground. After a bitter battle, they finally drove off the pack.
Hu Shu looked at the somewhat exhausted warriors and said, "Rest for a while and recover your strength. The road ahead will probably be even harder." Everyone nodded, found a relatively safe place to sit down, and ate some dried rations to regain their energy.
After resting briefly, they continued onward. As they ventured deeper into the forest, the mist grew thicker and visibility became extremely poor. Hu Shu could only feel his way forward based on the general direction provided by the system.
Suddenly, an ancient stone door appeared ahead, covered in strange runes. The runes flickered with a faint glow, as though telling of the passage of time.
"It seems this is the entrance to the ruins," Hu Shu said. He stepped forward and carefully examined the Rune on the Stone Door, trying to find a way to open it.
While he was studying the runes, a warrior accidentally touched a stone nearby. In an instant, several sharp arrows shot from the stone toward the group. Hu Shu reacted swiftly, spreading the Invincible Domain and blocking every arrow.
"Be more careful. This stone door is surrounded by mechanisms," Hu Shu warned. After some study, he finally discovered the pattern of the runes. He gently pressed several of them, and the stone door slowly opened.
A stale air rushed out from within, carrying a trace of rot. Hu Shu stepped through the stone door first, with everyone following close behind. Inside was a narrow passage. Glowing stones were embedded in the walls on either side, giving off a faint light that barely illuminated the way ahead.
The passage was so quiet that they could hear one another's breathing and heartbeats. Hu Shu kept feeling as though countless eyes were watching them from the darkness, and the sensation made him uncomfortable all over.
As they walked, they came to a fork in the road. One passage was wide and bright, while the other was narrow and dark. After thinking for a moment, Hu Shu chose the narrow, dark path. He felt that the place where the Divine Artifact lay would not be easy to find. The more dangerous the place, the closer it might be to their goal.
The group proceeded along the narrow passage. It grew increasingly tight until, eventually, only one person could squeeze through sideways. Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from ahead, as though countless insects were flying about.
Hu Shu became alert and signaled everyone to stop. He picked up a stone and threw it toward the source of the sound. The instant it hit the ground, a swarm of fist-sized flying insects surged out of the darkness and pounced on it. In moments, the stone had been eaten away until nothing but powder remained.
"They're Gold-Devouring Insects. Be careful, everyone. Don't let them touch you," Hu Shu said in a low voice. He circulated his spiritual energy and formed a barrier before him, keeping the insects outside.
The Human Race warriors followed suit, each using their own methods to fend off the insects. But there were simply too many of them, and gradually some warriors could no longer hold out. One insect broke through a barrier and flew toward a warrior, about to sting him. Hu Shu acted swiftly and shot out a stream of spiritual energy, knocking the insect away.
Under Hu Shu's leadership, everyone struggled to withstand the insects' attacks as they slowly advanced. After a fierce battle, they finally passed through the insect-infested area.
By then, everyone was somewhat disheveled, with more or less a few scrapes on their bodies. Yet no one complained. They all understood the importance of this mission.
Continuing onward, they found a huge stone chamber at the end of the passage. In the center stood a stone platform, radiating a soft glow. The Divine Artifact should have been atop it.
However, stone men filled the chamber. These stone men came in all shapes and sizes, weapons clutched in their hands as though guarding the Divine Artifact.
The moment Hu Shu stepped into the stone chamber, the stone men all began moving and charged at them. Hu Shu shouted and rushed toward them. He fought fiercely with the stone men, every punch carrying immense force and smashing them to pieces.
The Human Race warriors refused to be outdone and joined the battle with the stone men. For a time, battle cries shook the chamber.
One warrior was struck by a stone man and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Hu Shu hurried over, sent the stone man attacking the warrior flying with a punch, and helped the warrior up. "Are you all right?"
"Clan Leader, I'm fine. I can still fight!" the warrior said through gritted teeth.
With the combined efforts of Hu Shu and the others, the stone men were gradually eliminated. They walked toward the stone platform, their hearts filled with excitement as they looked at the glowing Divine Artifact atop it.
Hu Shu reached out and picked up the Divine Artifact. The moment it touched his hand, a warm power spread through his entire body. Just then, the system notification sounded. "Mission complete. The Invincible Domain's range has expanded by 2,500 li. New Domain Skill added: Domain Guardian. It can form a powerful defensive barrier within the domain."
Hu Shu was overjoyed. He knew the Human Race had grown stronger once again. But he also understood that this was only the first step in facing the threat of the Chan Sect. The road ahead was still long.
Hu Shu took the Divine Artifact and the others onto the road back to Shouyang Mountain. Outside the Mysterious Ruins, all remained peaceful, yet no one knew what life-and-death trials Hu Shu and the others had endured within. And after returning to Shouyang Mountain, how would they use this Divine Artifact and the strengthened Invincible Domain to deal with the Chan Sect's schemes? Everything was still unknown.
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