Chapter 443: Shadow

Finally, they shook off the pursuit of the tribe members and arrived at a deserted temple.

They panted, leaned against the wall, and fell into a brief silence.

Ding Ding Xiaoyu suddenly spoke: "We have the artifact in our hands now, but what should we do next?"

Chu Tian and Chen Chen Zihao both fell into deep thought.

They knew that the road ahead would be even more dangerous.

However, they could no longer turn back now and could only continue to look for clues to uncover the truth of all this.

On this pitch-black night, the moods of the three were somewhat oppressive.

They did not realize that what they were about to face was not just the pursuit of the tribe members, but a vicious conspiracy that was quietly descending in the dark. CHAPTER 957

In that deserted temple, Chu Tian, Ding Ding Xiaoyu, and Chen Chen Zihao sat in a circle, deciding to use the artifact in their hands to deduce the mastermind.

Moonlight shone through the dilapidated roof onto the ruins, appearing exceptionally quiet.

Chu Tian closed his eyes and began to silently recite the incantations on the artifact.

His voice was low and rhythmic, as if coming from the distant past.

On this quiet night, time seemed to have stood still.

Ding Ding Xiaoyu and Chen Chen Zihao also followed Chu Tian’s voice, falling into a peculiar state.

Suddenly, strange images appeared before their eyes.

It was a world full of exotic customs, with blue oceans, towering mountain peaks, and deserts everywhere.

The people in the images lived on this land, of all shapes and sizes, full of vitality.

Ding Ding Xiaoyu looked at these images in confusion and asked: "Is this the mastermind we are looking for?"

Chen Chen Zihao shook his head: "I’m not sure either, but there seems to be some important information hidden here."

Just as they were staring at these images, suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared in the image.

This person was wearing a mask, and his face could not be seen clearly.

He held a scepter in his hand, and there seemed to be a pair of vaguely visible wings behind him.

Chu Tian felt a hint of an ominous aura and whispered: "This person seems to be related to everything we have experienced."

Ding Ding Xiaoyu also felt this uneasy atmosphere; she looked nervously at the mysterious person in the image: "Then what should we do?"

Chen Chen Zihao took a deep breath and said: "We should find this person first and then get to the bottom of it."

Just as they were discussing, the image suddenly became blurry; the mysterious figure seemed to have sensed their prying and began to disappear from the image.

Chu Tian opened his eyes and stopped reciting the incantation.

He looked at Ding Ding Xiaoyu and Chen Chen Zihao and said firmly: "We must find this mysterious person and uncover the truth of all this."

The images from the artifact gradually blurred, but Chu Tian, Ding Ding Xiaoyu, and Chen Chen Zihao obtained a vague location.

The mysterious person in the image seemed to live in an ancient city, where trees were lush and ancient buildings stood in great numbers.

Chu Tian pointed to a map and said: "This location should be nearby; we must head there as soon as possible."

The three packed their bags and began their search for the mastermind.

They passed through one small town after another, witnessing various local customs and enjoying different scenery.

One morning, they arrived at the edge of an ancient city.

The ancient city was magnificent, and the mottled traces on the towering city walls witnessed the vicissitudes of history.

Sunlight shone through the treetops onto the stone steps of the ancient city, forming mottled light and shadows. CHAPTER 958

Chen Chen Zihao looked at the scene before him and said with emotion: "The sense of history in this place is truly too thick."

Ding Ding Xiaoyu walked on the streets of the ancient city and asked curiously: "Where could that mysterious person be hiding?"

Chu Tian looked at the map thoughtfully: "We have to look for clues in this city to see if we can find that mysterious person."

Thus, they began searching for clues all over the ancient city.

They visited temples and asked monks for ancient books;

They visited old mansions, trying to find buildings that matched the images;

They even climbed the city walls, looking at the mountains in the distance, trying to find inspiration.

Just as they were nearly in despair, a street performer attracted their attention.

That performer was wearing a mask and performing an ancient dance.

This mask was extremely similar to the one worn by the mysterious person in the image.

Ding Ding Xiaoyu said excitedly: "Could this mask be the clue we are looking for?"

Chen Chen Zihao also felt that this discovery was very important: "We should go talk to this performer."

Thus, the three walked up to the performer.

They asked the performer about the origin of the mask, only to learn that the mask had nothing special about it and was just an ancient tradition.

Although the clue about the mask did not lead them to the mastermind, the three were not discouraged. They continued to search for new clues in the ancient city.

One evening, Chu Tian, Ding Ding Xiaoyu, and Chen Chen Zihao stopped to rest in a tavern in the city.

The tavern was bustling with noise, and the room was filled with the aroma of wine and laughter.

The three found a corner seat, ordered some side dishes and wine, and began to chat.

Just as they were enjoying this rare leisure time, Chen Chen Zihao suddenly noticed a painting on the wall.

This painting depicted a mysterious ritual, with people in the painting wearing strange costumes, surrounding an altar.

On the altar in the painting sat an object extremely similar to the artifact in their hands.

Chen Chen Zihao pointed excitedly at the painting and said to Chu Tian and Ding Ding Xiaoyu: "Look, isn't the artifact on the altar in this painting exactly the same as the one in our hands?"

Chu Tian and Ding Ding Xiaoyu observed it carefully and also felt the similarity was extremely high.

Ding Ding Xiaoyu asked curiously: "Then shouldn't we find the author of this painting? Maybe he can provide some valuable clues."

The three asked the tavern owner about the origin of the painting and learned that it was created by a local painter.

The owner told them the painter’s address, and they decided to visit the next morning.

Early the next morning, the three arrived at the painter’s home.

The painter was an old man over fifty, named Master Zhao.

He warmly entertained the three and introduced the creative background of the painting to them.

It turned out that this painting depicted an ancient sacrificial ritual that had already been lost.

When Master Zhao was young, he accidentally discovered a description of this ritual in an ancient book and used it as inspiration to create this painting.

Chu Tian asked Master Zhao if he knew more information about this sacrificial ritual.

Master Zhao told them that this ritual was related to a local legend, which said that a mysterious figure held the secret of this ritual.

Master Zhao told them that the legend about that mysterious figure had become blurry, but there were rumors that he lived in a mysterious temple hidden among the mountains. CHAPTER 959