Chapter 81: The Truth Dawns

Ji Chen stepped into the depths of the relic without hesitation, as if walking into the belly of a giant beast.

The air was filled with a scent of decay, like old accounts being opened in a grave, nauseating.

The surrounding darkness was like viscous ink, almost swallowing him whole.

He could feel that the dangerous aura all around was like boiling water in a pot, seething and clamoring, crazily hinting that this was not a place for the faint of heart.

His brows were tightly locked, his eyes like the brightest stars in the night sky, firm and sharp.

He was no flower in a greenhouse; having struggled and crawled his way up, what kind of storms hadn't he seen?

Could a mere relic scare him, Ji Chen, away?

Impossible!

In the darkness, rustling sounds were endless, as if countless eyes were peeping from the shadows, making one's hair stand on end.

Ji Chen could feel those gazes from the shadows, like poisonous snakes, cold and greedy.

A cold smile curled on his lips. As the saying goes, "If you walk the night road often enough, you'll eventually meet a ghost." Since he was here, he would properly meet these "ghosts"!

As he went deeper, he felt the pressure around him increasing, as if he were under a giant hydraulic press.

Soon, he discovered an energy barrier flickering with eerie light ahead. The barrier was covered with profound runes, like little demons baring their fangs and brandishing claws, exuding a heart-palpitating deterrent force.

"Whoa, good fellow, are you playing the seal game with me?" Ji Chen complained in his heart. He tried to take a step forward, and a powerful counter-shock force instantly struck, directly shaking him back several steps. His blood surged, and his internal organs felt as if they had been hit by a high-speed truck. A wave of intense pain made Ji Chen wince.

"Mommy, the force of this seal is something else!" He licked the corner of his mouth, feeling the surging energy within his body.

This feeling was like seeing a question before an exam and realizing you didn't know anything—urgent and helpless.

He tried to approach the seal again, attempting to find a breakthrough.

He mobilized the supernatural ability in his body, gathering it in his fists, wanting to break the clever with force.

However, the runes on the seal were like living things, constantly flickering and releasing even more powerful forces.

Every collision made him feel as if his arms were about to be torn apart, and the intense pain made him almost unable to stand steady.

Ji Chen's heart was burning with anxiety, his brows tightly locked.

"This seal is really a tough nut to crack!" Ji Chen muttered to himself.

Just as he was preparing to try again, he heard a voice, like a whisper from ancient times, ringing in his ears: "Are you qualified?"

That voice was like a devil from hell, carrying a hint of mockery and disdain, directly leaving Ji Chen stunned.

"Damn, what the hell is this? Does the relic BOSS also come with taunts?" Ji Chen complained in his heart, but his hands didn't stop.

He gathered his strength again, attempting to break through the seal in front of him.

However, this time, the power of the seal was even greater, like a surging tide, impacting his body wave after wave.

Ji Chen's supernatural ability was over-consumed, and his body felt as if it had been emptied, as weak as a patient who had just come out of the ICU.

His vision became blurry, and the surrounding darkness seemed to want to swallow him, suppressing him until he couldn't breathe.

"Could it be that I'm going to die here today?" Ji Chen's heart was filled with despair, and feelings of unwillingness grew like wild grass.

Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly remembered his "Golden Finger"—a special ability that could rapidly absorb and convert supernatural energy.

Wasn't this like being handed a pillow when you were sleepy?

He immediately mobilized the special ability within his body and began to crazily absorb the energy leaking from the relic.

Like sweet rain after a long drought, or like charging a mobile phone, he felt a powerful force rapidly pouring into his body, and his originally weak body instantly recovered its vitality.

"Hahahaha! Grandpa is alive again!" Ji Chen laughed toward the sky, his voice echoing in the relic like a thunderclap, carrying an indescribable excitement and heroism.

The light around his body flourished, like a giant energy source, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

The entire relic vibrated, as if welcoming the return of a king.

"A mere seal wants to trap me?" Ji Chen punched the seal, and the runes on it instantly cracked, shattering like glass.

He had finally broken the seal!

Just as he was preparing to investigate, he felt a powerful aura rapidly approaching, like a tide, carrying monstrous malice.

"Interesting, it seems the good show has only just begun." A playful smile curled on his lips.

The next second, a giant black shadow appeared before him, blotting out the sky. Within the shadow, countless blood-red eyes were staring fixedly at him...

Ji Chen's fist was like a meteor piercing the sky; with one strike, the seal shattered instantly like a fragile mirror.

He strode forward, preparing to go deep into the core of the relic, but felt a strong aura surging from all directions.

The surrounding air seemed to solidify, heavy enough to make one unable to breathe.

He stopped his steps, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings, only to see a giant black shadow rapidly condensing.

This shadow was incomparably huge, its body like a mountain, and every black streak on it exuded heart-palpitating dark energy.

Countless blood-red eyes flickered in the darkness, like lighthouses from hell, locked firmly onto Ji Chen.

Ji Chen's heart tightened; this sense of oppression was something he had never experienced before.

"Interesting, just in time!" A cold smile curled on Ji Chen's lips, and the energy within his body gathered rapidly.

The light around him flourished, like a standing war god, advancing instead of retreating.

The monster's offensive surged like a tide, each strike carrying destructive power, but they were all skillfully dodged or neutralized by Ji Chen.

"Still playing this game with me? Do you really think I, Ji Chen, am easy to bully?" He threw a punch, and a harsh tearing sound came from the air; a huge energy ripple directly severed one of the monster's arms.

The monster let out a deafening roar, and more dark energy surged from its wound, attempting to repair the damaged limb.

Ji Chen didn't give it a moment to catch its breath, sprinting forward again.

Every one of his movements was incomparably precise, as beautiful and deadly as a dance.

The intensity of the battle made the entire relic tremble; the ground cracked, stone pillars collapsed, as if the end of the world were unfolding.

At this critical moment, Ji Chen's Golden Finger played its part; he rapidly absorbed the energy leaking from the surroundings, and the power within his body was endless, as if it would never run out.

His movements became increasingly swift, and every attack became more lethal.

Just as he was about to defeat the monster, the figure of Ceng Yue suddenly appeared in his mind.

Ceng Yue's coldness and firmness—these memories were like a bright lamp, illuminating the belief in his heart.

"I will never stop!" Ji Chen roared, throwing a punch that carried unparalleled power, striking directly at the monster's vital point.

The monster let out a shrill wail, its massive body collapsing with a crash, turning into a pile of dark dust and dissipating with the wind.

With the dissipation of the monster, the darkness in the relic gradually receded, replaced by a warm and peaceful aura.

Ji Chen stood in the center of the relic, the surrounding light gathering on him, like stars surrounding the moon.

He was bathed in glory, yet at this moment, he suddenly stopped his steps and looked up toward the depths of the relic.

"This isn't over yet; the real good show has only just begun." Ji Chen's voice was low and powerful, as if issuing a declaration to an unknown challenge. ===== CHAPTER 82 =====