Alliance: Start Suona, send away the stupid sister Zhou

Under the guidance of the traveler, Allen placed the stone in the center of the seal, and with an ancient unlocking spell, the seal began to tremble and gradually disintegrated. Song Xinli finally regained his freedom, but his body was obviously weakened by his long imprisonment.

"We must leave here as soon as possible. This place is full of dangers." Song Xinli reminded.

With the help of the mysterious stone, they reactivated the portal, raced against time, escaped from the shadowy world, and returned to the village.

"Teacher, you are safe, this is the most important thing." Lin Yaya supported Song Xinli, tears flashing in her eyes.

"It was you, my children, it was your courage and wisdom that saved me." Song Xinli looked at everyone with satisfaction, his eyes full of pride.

Sitting around the campfire, everyone was grateful for having survived the disaster.
Just as everyone was immersed in the joy and peace of reunion, an ominous shadow quietly approached in the depths of the night. Suddenly, a sharp sound of breaking through the air broke the silence, followed by several consecutive sounds, which were obviously attacks by some kind of weapon.

"Be careful!" Instructor Song Xinli reacted the fastest, shouting and pushing away the defenseless Lin Yaya beside him. At the same time, several black shadows suddenly appeared from the darkness around them like ghosts in the night and attacked them.

Alan and the traveler quickly drew their swords to fight against these sudden attackers. The sound of metal colliding and the chanting of spells intertwined, sparks flew, and light and shadows intertwined. Lin Feng and Mia were not to be outdone, using the cover in the environment to look for opportunities to counterattack.

"Who sent you here?" The traveler asked loudly while resisting. The pages of the book in his hand shone brighter, providing assistance to his companions.

"You are a nobody, you don't deserve to know." An agile man in black sneered, and aimed the short blade in his hand at Allen's vitals, but Allen cleverly dodged sideways and slashed the opponent's arm with his backhand.

"Retreat!" It seemed to be an order issued by the leader. The men in black changed their tactics in an instant and began to retreat in an orderly manner. Their speed was astonishing, and it was obvious that they had received professional training.

Everyone looked at each other, knowing that this attack was no accident and there must be a bigger conspiracy behind it. At this moment, everyone was injured to some extent, especially Lin Feng, whose wound on his arm was bleeding.

"We have to treat the wounds quickly. These guys will definitely come again." Mia calmly checked everyone's injuries and took out emergency medical supplies from her bag.

"Teacher, what do you think is going on?" Lin Yaya frowned and asked Song Xinli for his opinion with concern.

Song Xinli looked solemn and said in a deep voice: "It seems that we have touched upon the interests of certain forces, or... the guardian of some ancient secret."

"So what should we do now? Passive defense or active attack?" Alan tapped the ground with the tip of his sword, his fighting spirit still lingering.

"We need to take both into account." The traveler gently closed the book, with a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes. "We need to strengthen the village's defense first, and at the same time investigate the reasons behind this attack. Only when we know ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle."

"I agree." Song Xinli nodded. "In addition, we should also improve our own strength and be prepared to face greater challenges."

As the night deepened, the four of them sat by the campfire and discussed their next plan. The air was filled with tension and determination, but the trust and solidarity between them were as warm and firm as the campfire.

"No matter what, we are together." Although Lin Yaya's words were simple, they made everyone feel powerful.

"That's right." Alan patted her shoulder, "As long as we are together, there is nothing we can't overcome."

The traveler suddenly looked up at the bright moon in the night sky and whispered, "Tomorrow we will embark on a new journey to uncover the secrets hidden in the dark and protect everything we cherish."

"That's settled then." Lin Feng stood up and tied the last bandage. "Have a good rest tonight. We'll set off at dawn tomorrow."

Just as the conversation was coming to an end, a trembling voice came from the edge of the campfire: "Can you... really defeat those monsters?" Everyone turned around and found that it was a young villager with a face full of worry and fear, and behind him stood several villagers with equally complicated expressions.

"We will do our best." Mia answered gently but firmly, her eyes full of care for the villagers and confidence in the future.

“But the world outside is so dangerous. We heard that even the royal city has been infiltrated by unknown forces,” another villager added, his tone mixed with uncertainty and fear.

Song Xinli stood up and looked around at the villagers. He spoke in a steady and powerful voice: "Indeed, our enemies are powerful and secretive, but we are not fighting alone. Justice and light are always worth defending. I believe that as long as we have hope in our hearts and unite all those who are willing to resist darkness, nothing is impossible."

"Look at these young people," he pointed at Lin Feng and his group, "Their bravery and determination have proven that even the darkest night cannot conceal the hearts that are burning with the flames of justice."

The villagers looked at each other, and a light began to shine in their eyes, a gleam of hope. An old man nodded slowly: "You are the pride of our village and the hope of this continent. We will do our best to support you."

The night was getting darker, but the atmosphere around the campfire was warmed by the trust and support between each other. The discussion finally determined the preliminary plan, and everyone began to prepare to rest and accumulate strength and energy for the upcoming challenges.

Just as Lin Feng was about to enter the tent, Mia grabbed his arm and asked softly, "Are you really ready to face what's coming next? It may be more difficult than we thought."

Lin Feng looked back at Mia, his eyes gleaming with determination: "I'm ready. As long as I'm with you, nothing can stop us. Besides, don't we still have an unfinished mission? For our mentor, for this village, and for the light of the entire continent."

Mia smiled, a smile that showed unconditional trust and reliance on her companions: "Then, let us greet the dawn together and meet new challenges." The lights in the tents went out one by one, and the entire camp returned to silence. Only the occasional night breeze brushed across the treetops, as if whispering, full of anticipation for the upcoming adventure.

And in this tranquility, an even denser darkness is quietly gathering not far away, as if silently responding to the approaching dawn and making final arrangements.

"Do they think they are ready?" A low voice sounded in the darkness, which sounded like a mockery, but also carried a hint of inexplicable expectation.

"Whether you are prepared or not, the result will be the same." Another voice continued, with an unquestionable power in its coldness. "Their courage and determination are but the light of fireflies. How can they compete with the darkness that has accumulated over ten thousand years?"

These two sentences seemed to have traveled through space invisibly, echoing directly in Lin Feng's mind, waking him up suddenly and sweating profusely. He sat up, his heart beating like a drum, and the ominous premonition made it difficult for him to calm down. Looking outside the tent, the moon was setting in the west. The darkness before dawn was the deepest, but Lin Feng knew that light would always come after the darkest moment.

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the clouds and illuminated the camp, everyone was ready to go. Their equipment sparkled in the sun, reflecting faith and hope. The villagers came to see them off spontaneously, with reluctance and expectation in their eyes. The children, with admiration in their eyes, surrounded the hero in their hearts tightly, as if conveying a silent support.

"You must come back safely!" A middle-aged woman held Mia's hand, her eyes full of worry. Mia smiled and comforted: "Don't worry, Auntie, we will bring light back."

"Let's go!" Lin Feng gave the order, and the team set out on the journey, each step was firm and powerful, moving forward towards the unknown and challenges. Their figures gradually faded away, becoming the most solid support in the hearts of the villagers.

The journey was not peaceful. They encountered various strange monsters and dangerous terrains along the way. Every difficulty made their cooperation more tacit and their strength increased. Every time they solved a problem, passers-by around them or ordinary people who witnessed their battle from a distance would exclaim:
"Look, those young men are incredible!" "They are true heroes, daring to fight against such monsters!" "I have never seen such superb swordsmanship, just like the legendary warriors in the poems."

These discussions spread all over the place as they traveled, and without realizing it, Lin Feng and his group had become a legend circulating on the mainland, giving hope to many people in distress.

One day, they came to the edge of an abandoned ancient city. It was once a prosperous place, but now only broken walls and fragments of time are left. In the most magnificent ruins of the city, an ancient stone tablet attracted their attention. It was engraved with key clues for the future, which seemed to be closely related to the ancient secrets they were pursuing.

“'When darkness looms, the Son of Light will join hands with ancient power to awaken the sleeping guardian and recast the chain of order.'” Lin Feng read out the prophecy on the stone tablet word by word. Everyone looked at each other, shocked.

"Ancient power?" Alan asked doubtfully, "Does it mean the stone we found before?"

"I'm afraid it's more than that." Song Xinli thought thoughtfully, "Every piece of land has its guardian. Perhaps we need to find them to truly understand the meaning of this prophecy."

At this time, a long bell sound came from the depths of the ancient city, dull and solemn, as if it was the echo of history, calling for something.

"Let's go in and take a look." Lin Feng said, and took the lead in stepping into the shadow of the ancient city, followed by everyone. As they went deeper, the outline of the ancient city gradually became clearer, and the feeling of uneasiness also intensified, as if something was lurking in the dark, ready to give them the most severe test.

Just as everyone was exploring carefully, a burst of hurried footsteps came from the corner, and a panicked passerby almost bumped into their team.

“You, you must hurry up!” The passerby gasped, his face full of fear. “The messengers of the shadow, they, they are coming!”

"The messenger of shadow?" Mia frowned. This sudden warning made the atmosphere tense.

"Yes, they have been tracking you down, saying that they want to prevent the realization of some 'Prophecy of Light'..." Before the passerby could finish his words, a roar was heard in the distance, and the ground shook faintly.

"There is no time to explain. We must leave here immediately!" The traveler flipped through the book in his hand, looking for a possible exit.

"No, if we run away, what will happen to the innocent people in this city?" Lin Feng said firmly, his eyes flashing with determination, "We can't leave anyone behind. If we want to fight, we have to fight here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the shadows around him seemed to come alive, constantly condensing and taking shape, and the men in black appeared in their sight again, with far more numbers than last time.

"Get ready for battle!" Lin Feng roared. At the same time, a beam of light burst out from the tip of his sword, illuminating the surroundings. It was the light of unyielding determination and faith.

"Alan, protect the passers-by, we will cover your rear!" Mia made quick arrangements, her voice firm and calm, as if telling everyone: no matter what difficulties you face, never take a step back.

"Yes!" Alan responded, swinging his sword to block the approaching shadow, while escorting the frightened passers-by to evacuate to a safer place. Other villagers around him also joined in. Although their weapons were simple, their eyes were full of indomitable spirit and courage. This courage came from the example set by Lin Feng and his people.

"The light will not be extinguished by darkness, it will only shine brighter!" Song Xinli shouted. He formed seals with his hands, and the ancient spells turned into rays of light in the air, building a temporary protective shield for the team and slowing down the offensive of the men in black.

An old man among the passers-by, shaking his hands, tightly grasped a rough wooden stick and joined the ranks of defense. "Although I am old, my bones are still strong. Let's protect our homeland together!" His actions inspired more people. Although they did not know how to fight, they held their ground in their own way.

"It seems that we have accidentally touched a big secret." The traveler was still able to remain relaxed in the chaos. He slowly opened the ancient book in his hand, and the pages of light gathered into a bright shield. He nodded at Lin Feng with trust in his eyes, "Be prepared, we not only have to protect this place, but also uncover all the mysteries."

"It's time to show my true strength." Lin Feng's sword tip spun lightly, and the sword light surged. He leaped up like an awakened beast and rushed straight to the center of the enemy group. Each of his strikes was accurate and deadly, tearing a gap in the encirclement.

Surprises and cheers were heard all around. People witnessed this almost impossible resistance, and their admiration for Lin Feng and others was beyond words. (End of this chapter)