Alliance: Start Suona, send away the stupid sister Zhou

"Yes, think about their fearlessness in the face of darkness, and the light emitted by the 'Key of the Soul'," said a middle-aged man in scholar's robes, pushing up his glasses, his eyes sparkling with wisdom. "If they can really lead the world towards light as the ancient prophecy says, then each of us has the responsibility to support them, even if it's just to light a candle in our hearts."

The conversation in the tavern gradually converged into a belief. Although people had doubts, they were also hopeful. Just as the topic was reaching its climax, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the door, interrupting everyone's discussion.

A messenger rushed into the tavern breathlessly and announced loudly: "The latest news is that there is an urgent call from the Temple of Light. Warriors of Light and holders of holy relics from all over the world are to gather. It seems that something big is about to happen!"

This sentence was like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, and it instantly caused a stir in the crowd. Everyone was whispering to each other, with different expressions, some showing concern, and some showing curiosity.

“It seems that the story is far from over. Our world may really be able to take a turn for the better.” The old man stroked his gray beard, with the corners of his mouth rising rarely.

"I heard that there is an ancient book in the library of the Holy Temple of Light, which specifically records the secrets and usage of the 'Key of the Soul'. If that is really the solution..." The scholar's eyes flashed with a light of exploration of the unknown. Before he finished speaking, he had already inspired endless reverie in the people around him.

"Who cares? Lin Feng from our village is also in there. We watched him grow up, there's no doubt about it!" An old lady patted her chest, her pride evident in her words. The surrounding villagers nodded one after another, with proud expressions on their faces.

"By the way, remember the old man in the cloak? Maybe he is also a key figure." The young blacksmith had a sudden idea, which attracted a lot of nods of agreement and more speculation.

While everyone was talking, a young girl gently opened the door and walked into the tavern. Her eyes wandered among the people talking, and finally fell on the traveler who was telling the story. She was dressed simply, but it was hard to hide the extraordinary in her eyes. She asked softly, "Excuse me, do you know where they are now? I think maybe I can help."

The traveler was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Child, it's a good thing that you have this intention. But their road is destined to be full of unknowns and difficulties. Are you sure you want to follow their pace?"

The girl nodded without hesitation, her eyes sparkling: "It is the unknown and the difficulty that make the journey meaningful. I believe that as long as you have light in your heart, there is no shore that you cannot reach."

"Good! Age is not the limit for a man of ambition," the traveler nodded approvingly, then lowered his voice and revealed some inside information he knew, "I heard that they are on their way to the temple, but only a very few people know the specific route. If you really want to lend a hand, you might as well go to the hidden forest in the northern suburbs. There is a secret passage there that may allow you to catch up with them."

The girl nodded gratefully, said nothing more, turned around and disappeared into the night outside the door, leaving only a trail of firm footprints.

Inside the pub, conversations resumed, but this time with an added sense of anticipation and hope.

"Hey, this little girl is quite interesting." The old man shook the cup with a smile in his eyes.

“Yes, the younger generation always brings us surprises.” The blacksmith nodded in agreement, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"May the light guide her path." The scholar man whispered, with a gentle light in his eyes.

The traveler, looking at the direction the girl left, felt an inexplicable warmth in his heart. "Every era needs heroes, but what is more important is the heart that believes in heroes. Her appearance may be the best proof of this."

As the night deepened, the discussion in the tavern did not stop, but became more heated and encouraging because of the girl's decision. People talked about the past and the future, darkness and light, and those seemingly insignificant choices that were actually enough to change the world.

"By the way, has there been any recent movement from the dark forces?" A young businessman interrupted curiously. He came from afar and was eager to get the latest intelligence.

The old man took a sip of wine and said slowly: "The news is very intense. It is said that they are looking for an ancient relic, trying to use it to fight against the power of the 'Key of the Soul'. If they succeed, I'm afraid..."

The blacksmith hammered the table hard, and the sound of metal colliding temporarily silenced the conversation in the tavern. "Then we can't just sit there and wait for death. We have to do something!"

"Calm down, my friend." The scholar adjusted his glasses, his tone calm but powerful, "Knowledge is our sharpest weapon. Only by understanding the enemy can we formulate countermeasures. I plan to study those ancient books in depth, maybe I can find clues to fight against them."

Everyone nodded, and the atmosphere gradually changed from worry to positive discussion. Everyone began to think about how to prepare for the coming storm in their own position. Even a small amount of effort can be gathered into an ocean.

Just as the conversation in the tavern was becoming more constructive, an old woman who had been listening silently in the corner suddenly spoke up with an old and mysterious voice: "Remember, true light does not only come from external things, but more importantly, it comes from the light within. Everyone has a light in their heart, and only when they are lit together can the darkness be exposed."

These words were like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring up ripples. People fell silent, thinking, and seemed to have found resonance deep in their hearts.

"Well said, old woman." The traveler was the first to applaud, followed by the whole audience's applause, which was loud and powerful.

As night fell, the conversation in the tavern gradually became silent, leaving only the crackling of the fire. Everyone was immersed in the old woman's inspiring words, each holding hope and determination, but unaware that an undercurrent was quietly surging.

Just as everyone was dispersing and preparing to face the unknown challenge, the old woman slowly stood up, and a cold light suddenly flashed in her seemingly kind eyes. She looked around, a barely perceptible sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she whispered: "You ignorant believers of light, do you think you can illuminate the world with just a few words? The real power is always hidden in the deepest shadows."

In the darkness of the night, the old woman flashed and left the tavern silently like a ghost, running in the opposite direction of the secret forest in the northern suburbs. Under the moonlight, her back revealed an ominous aura, and she was completely different from the image of the wise man just now.

At the same time, Lin Feng, Allen and Lin Yaya were crossing the dense forest and heading towards the Temple of Light along the secret passage. The occasional roar of animals in the forest made the air even more tense, but their hearts were filled with faith in light, and every step they took was exceptionally firm.

"I don't know if that little girl can find us. After all, this road is not easy to find." Lin Yaya said softly, with a hint of worry in her eyes.

"I believe she will. We just need to focus on getting on our way." Lin Feng looked back at the winding path, his tone full of confidence in the future.

As they were discussing, the surrounding trees suddenly swayed violently, a gust of cold wind swept in, and a depressing atmosphere filled the air. The three of them immediately became alert and took a fighting stance.

"It's the power of darkness, and it's very powerful!" Allen warned in a low voice, gathering light in his hands, ready to fight. At this moment, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure slowly walked out from the darkness. Under the moonlight, the old woman's face looked extremely strange. She sneered and slowly said, "It's really a narrow road for enemies. I just wanted to get rid of you quietly, but I didn't expect you to come to my door."

"Old lady, you..." Lin Yaya was stunned, staring in disbelief at the old woman in front of her who had brought them enlightenment during the day.

"Hmph, don't call me an old woman. I'm Theresa, a senior apostle of the Shadow Council." The old woman - or rather Theresa, had a cold light flashing in her eyes. A thick black mist surrounded her, and a powerful oppressive force solidified the air around her.

"Shadow Council... So you have been spying on us in secret." Lin Feng tightly grasped the holy weapon, his eyes shining brighter, "But do you think you can stop us like this? The power of light will never be extinguished so easily!"

"Naive!" Theresa shouted angrily, and with a wave of her hand, several ink-black shadow arrows appeared out of thin air and shot towards the three people.

"Get out of the way!" Lin Feng shouted, and the three of them quickly dispersed and dodged, while counterattacking at the same time. The short swords intertwined with the holy light and collided with the shadow arrows, bursting out with dazzling light, shaking the surrounding trees to the point of collapse.

The battle quickly became intense, and both sides were evenly matched, but Lin Feng felt vaguely uneasy in his heart. The opponent's strength seemed to be stronger than expected, and this battle seemed to have been premeditated.

Just when Lin Feng was distracted, a sinister smile appeared on Theresa's lips. Suddenly, her body grew larger and turned into a black lightning that pounced towards the unsuspecting Lin Yaya.

"Be careful!" Alan roared, and at the same time released the light shield with all his strength, trying to block the fatal blow.

However, at that critical moment, a light figure appeared like a ghost. It was the girl who asked in the tavern before. She held a short dagger emitting a faint blue light and accurately inserted it into Theresa's attack trajectory, abruptly changing its direction and saving Lin Yaya.

"My name is Mia. I told you I can help." Mia's voice was calm and firm. Her appearance undoubtedly brought a glimmer of hope to Lin Feng and the other two.

"It seems that today will not end so easily." Theresa snorted coldly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but was immediately replaced by deeper malice.

With the addition of Mia, the balance of the battlefield began to tilt. The four of them cooperated tacitly, and the light and the newly added mysterious power intertwined, suppressing Theresa's offensive step by step.

Just as Theresa was gradually losing her strength and wanted to retreat, Lin Feng raised the holy weapon high, and a beam of bright light penetrated the night sky and shot directly at her: "End it, Theresa! Your conspiracy will not succeed!"

Theresa roared unwillingly, and her body gradually dissipated in the light, leaving only a whisper echoing in the forest: "This... is not over yet. There is always a shadow behind the light..."

After the battle, the four men stood there, gasping for breath. The looks they gave each other showed both the lingering fear of the battle just now and the determination for future battles.

"Thank you for your help, Mia." Lin Feng broke the silence first, his eyes full of sincerity.

Mia smiled and shook her head. “It is your belief that attracts me. We all have the same goal - to dispel darkness and welcome light.”

Lin Yaya patted Mia on the shoulder and said with a heroic smile: "Welcome to join our team. Let's walk the future together!"

Alan nodded, his eyes sparkling: "Yes, the road to light is difficult, but we are never alone."

Just as the four of them took a short break and prepared to continue on their way, a slight noise came from the treetops in the distance, and then a familiar voice floated in the wind: "It seems that you have indeed found some interesting companions."

Lin Feng and the others immediately became alert, and saw a figure walking out from the bushes. It was none other than the storyteller in the tavern. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes showed his insight into the situation.

"Traveler, why are you here?" Lin Feng asked doubtfully, while secretly wondering whether this person could be trusted.

The traveler gently patted the dust off his hands and smiled: "In this world, news can always be delivered to those who need to know in various ways. Especially when some important gears start to turn."

"You mean..." Alan frowned, seeming to realize something.

"That's right. Theresa's actions are just the tip of the iceberg. The Shadow Council's plan is far larger than we imagined, and the relics they are looking for may be related to the balance of the world." The traveler looked solemn, and his tone revealed an unusual sense of urgency.

Mia heard this, and a trace of determination flashed in her eyes: "If it is true as you said, then we must speed up and get ahead of them."

"But we know nothing about the relic, what should we do?" Lin Yaya raised the key question.

The traveler took out a yellowed map from his robe and slowly spread it out: "This is an ancient parchment scroll, on which is marked the location of a legendary relic. It is said that the relic is hidden there. But the journey is dangerous, and the Shadow Council will definitely send experts there."

"No matter what, this is our only chance." Lin Feng held the map tightly, his eyes determined, "For the sake of light, for the sake of this world, we must try."

The four of them set out on their journey again. This time they were no longer alone. They had a common goal in mind, and every step was more solid. As they went deeper into the dense forest, the surrounding environment became more and more treacherous. The occasional unknown sounds and strange shadows that occasionally passed by reminded them that danger was everywhere.

"Look, there is light ahead!" Lin Yaya suddenly pointed to the gap in the woods ahead. A faint but firm ray of light penetrated the dense branches and leaves, like a guide.

They quickened their speed and passed through the last dense bush. Suddenly, the view in front of them opened up and a magnificent ancient temple appeared in their sight. The ray of light was emanating from the center of the temple. (End of this chapter)