Chapter 80: Exploring the Ancient Relic

Ji Chen took a step inside, as if crossing the boundary of time and space.

An ancient and eerie aura rushed toward him instantly, carrying the fishy smell of soil and an unknown scent of decay, drilling straight into his nasal cavity.

He took a deep breath; the air was as cold as ice shards, stinging his lungs as if reminding him that this place was definitely not a good place.

The lake of his heart, which had been relatively calm, rippled with layers of waves.

He knew that the real challenge had only just begun.

Looking around, this was a huge stone chamber. The four walls were covered with unknown totems, appearing ferocious and terrifying in the dim light, as if some monster might jump out from the walls at any moment.

Under his feet were smooth stone slabs, cold and hard. Every step he took produced a hollow echo that amplified infinitely in the silent space, making one's heart crawl.

Ji Chen tightened his fists, and the supernatural ability within his body began to circulate slowly, allowing his tense nerves to relax slightly.

He activated his "Eagle Eye" state to carefully observe the situation around him.

"Tsk, this place is really hellish." Ji Chen couldn't help but complain, but his feet didn't pause in the slightest as he cautiously walked toward the depths of the stone chamber.

After walking only a few steps, the stone slab under his feet suddenly sank. Ji Chen was quick-witted and agile, rolling sideways to dodge the trap's attack.

"Damn, this is looking for trouble!" Before he could recover, countless sharp arrows suddenly shot out from the walls. The arrowheads flickered with a ghostly blue light, clearly poisoned at a glance.

Ji Chen was like an agile leopard, constantly dodging in the narrow space. Within a few breaths, fine beads of sweat had seeped onto his forehead.

Before he could even catch his breath, the floor of the stone chamber suddenly began to vibrate. A huge stone statue slowly rose from underground; it was made entirely of black rock, exuding a powerful sense of oppression, with scarlet light flickering in its eyes.

A Guardian Beast?

Ji Chen's heart tightened; he knew the real battle had begun.

He stomped his foot hard, and the muscles on his body instantly expanded, preparing to meet this unknown challenge.

When the traps were triggered, the light in the stone chamber flickered on and off, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, jumping like ghost fire, making the entire space even more bizarre and adding a touch of horror.

Ji Chen was exhausted from dealing with it; the series of traps and the Guardian Beast kept him overwhelmed. He felt like he was playing an ultra-difficult escape room game, and there were no save points.

Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind attacked from behind. Ji Chen turned around in a hurry but failed to dodge completely; his back was grazed, and a burning pain spread instantly.

He frowned and raised his hand to wipe it. Blood stained his fingertips, yet he only said, "Hmm?"

"Damn, playing dirty, are we!" Ji Chen spat, and with a backhand, he blasted a "Thunderbolt Fist" at the attacker behind him.

But he hit nothing but air, only shattering a stone pillar. Debris flew, and dust filled the air.

By the time the dust settled, the attacker was long gone.

"A bit interesting." Ji Chen licked the blood from the corner of his mouth; far from retreating, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.

"I'll play with you all today!"

The Guardian Beast's attack came again. This time, Ji Chen's movements were clearly a beat slower, and his back was hit again, leaving a deep, visible wound.

The intense pain made him grunt, and his body staggered a few steps, nearly falling.

"Damn it!" Ji Chen gritted his teeth, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead.

He knew he had to find a breakthrough as soon as possible, or he would be worn down to death here sooner or later.

Enduring the pain, he carefully observed the surrounding environment while dodging the Guardian Beast's attacks.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a stone in the corner of the stone chamber that was emitting a faint light.

"What is that?" Ji Chen's heart stirred; his intuition told him that the stone might be the key.

He spotted a gap and rushed over with lightning speed.

The Guardian Beast seemed to have sensed his intention, letting out a deafening roar, and its attacks became even more violent.

Ji Chen dodged left and right, narrowly escaping danger, with more and more wounds on his body, and blood staining his clothes.

But he seemed not to feel the pain, his eyes flickering with a firm light.

Finally, he arrived in front of the stone.

The stone emitted a soft light, as if possessing some kind of magical power.

Ji Chen reached out to touch it, and a powerful energy instantly surged into his body.

"Boom!"

It felt as if an explosion had occurred within his body, and an unprecedented power filled his entire being.

He felt his supernatural ability rising rapidly, breaking through the bottleneck and reaching a new height.

"Hahaha! Awesome!" Ji Chen roared toward the sky, and the pain on his body seemed to have vanished.

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him, and a powerful sense of self-confidence welled up.

The surrounding darkness seemed to be dispelled by the light radiating from him, and the entire stone chamber lit up.

The Guardian Beast let out an unwilling roar and lunged at him again.

"Well timed!" A glimmer of excitement flashed in Ji Chen's eyes, and he slowly raised his right hand...

"Long time no see, little one." A cold voice came from the darkness.

Ji Chen curled his lips, revealing an arrogant smile. "I'll send you on your way!" He clenched his right fist, gathering surging energy, and blasted out another "Thunderbolt Fist." This time, the power was more than double what it was before, and electric sparks seemed to appear in the air.

With a loud "Bang!", the Guardian Beast's massive body was blasted directly away, crashing into the stone wall with a deafening sound, causing the entire stone chamber to shake.

The Guardian Beast struggled to stand up, only to find its body unable to move, and could only let out painful wails.

Ji Chen didn't give it a chance to catch its breath. He lunged forward, his fists falling like a rainstorm, each punch carrying astonishing power, forcing the Guardian Beast to retreat step by step. The stones on its body kept shattering, making "crack, crack" sounds, as if the end of the world had arrived.

The stone pillars nearby were shaken to the point of collapse by the aftermath of the battle, and the entire space was filled with dust and debris, a complete mess.

Just as Ji Chen was about to deliver the final blow to the Guardian Beast, a gentle voice suddenly rang out, "This little brother is so amazing."

Ji Chen frowned and turned to look, only to see a woman in a red long dress appearing in the stone chamber at some point.

She had a graceful figure with exquisite curves, a pair of charming eyes shimmering with light, and a meaningful smile on her lips, as if carrying a fatal attraction.

Seeing Ji Chen, she moved with light steps, slowly walking toward him. Every step she took felt like scratching at his heart.

A faint, lingering fragrance filled the air, making one's heart flutter.

"Little brother, your aura is so special; I like it very much." The woman extended her slender fingers, gently stroking the bloodstain on Ji Chen's cheek, her eyes filled with provocation.

Ji Chen only felt that where she touched him, it was as if an electric current had passed through, tingling and numb. The boiling hot blood in his body seemed to have been summoned by something.

This girl, she's got something.

"Big sister, who are you?" Ji Chen suppressed the restlessness in his heart and said, feigning calmness.

"My name is Meiniang, and I am the guardian of this relic." Meiniang said with a coquettish laugh, her breath as fragrant as orchids.

"Guardian? You look more like a demoness to me." Ji Chen couldn't help but complain, thinking that the style of this relic was a bit off.

"Little brother really knows how to talk; I like that." Meiniang leaned close to Ji Chen, and the soft sensation against his chest made Ji Chen's heart race.

The surrounding air seemed to become scorching, and an ambiguous atmosphere permeated between the two.

"Cut it out, let's talk business!" Ji Chen took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself down.

"Little brother is so heartless." Meiniang pouted coquettishly, then said seriously, "The depths of the relic hide the secret regarding the energy fluctuations, but it's very dangerous there, so you must be careful."

After hearing this, Ji Chen's expression became solemn, and the previous ambiguous atmosphere vanished completely.

He stared at Meiniang and asked in a deep voice, "What exactly is inside?"

Meiniang didn't answer, only smiling sweetly, "Why doesn't little brother go and see for himself?" After saying this, Meiniang winked at Ji Chen, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Ji Chen watched the place where she disappeared, silent, with a complex expression on his face.

He knew that the real challenge had only just begun.

Afterward, without any hesitation, he lifted his feet and walked toward the depths of the relic, his figure gradually fading into the boundless darkness. ===== CHAPTER 81 =====