The contestant is too old, sister Zhou is crazy

Chapter 639-Light

"As long as there is light in your heart, the light can penetrate the deepest darkness and reach every place that needs it." A voice that has experienced vicissitudes of life but is still gentle answered.

The child showed a yearning expression on his face: "Can we also be like them and become people who spread light?"

"There is a small flame in everyone's heart. When countless flames like these gather together, even the glaciers at the end of the world can be melted." The voice was encouraging, "So, as long as we are willing, you and I can become part of the light."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's set off on our journey towards light!" The child held the hand of the adult next to him, his eyes sparkling with eagerness.

The adult smiled, with a firmness in his eyes that could not be ignored: "Yes, let's go. Every step may be the beginning of hope."

Although their conversation was brief, it was like a horn in the breeze, inspiring everyone's heart. Su Mo and Zhao Ming smiled at each other, without words, their persistence and belief in light had already been connected.

The team paused in front of the gate of Shadow City. Su Mo raised his hand and pushed gently. The heavy gate opened silently, as if even the city was silently responding to their call. Inside the city, a faint light flickered in the dimness, like the most imperceptible star in the night sky. Although tiny, it was enough to guide the lost people forward.

"It seems that there are already brave people here who have lit the first lamp in the darkness." Lily said softly, with both admiration and relief in her tone.

"We must not only find this pioneer, but also unite all forces to turn this spark into an everlasting light." Zhao Ming's words were powerful and stirred everyone's heart.

As they went deeper, the Shadow City gradually revealed its true appearance. On both sides of the street, the dilapidated buildings were shrouded in layers of mist, but in those seemingly deserted corners, occasionally a window could be seen with soft light, which was proof that ordinary people still refused to give up hope in despair.

"Look, there are people over there!" Eun-jeong pointed to a faint light. Several ragged children were sitting around a fire, carefully lighting the flame of hope with old book pages.

As Su Mo and his group approached, the children were surprised at first, and then they could not hide their curiosity and excitement. One of the children stood up and asked timidly, "Are you here to find light, too?"

"Yes, we are the messengers of light." Su Mo squatted down and looked into the child's eyes, gently but firmly, "Moreover, we hope to work with you to make every corner of this city bathed in sunshine again."

The child's eyes lit up instantly, and other children gathered around him. Their voices were small but full of desire and expectation: "Really? We can help!"

This scene warmed everyone's heart. In the deepest darkness, the seeds of light were sown silently, and their arrival seemed to have become the catalyst for this change.

"Welcome to join, everyone is an important member of the light." Zhao Ming's words, like spring rain, nourished the hearts of everyone present.

While they were discussing with the children how to expand the range of light, a pair of eyes in the dark quietly observed everything. It was a mysterious masked man with a barely perceptible smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he was looking forward to the battle between light and darkness.

"Finally, an interesting opponent appears." The mysterious man's whisper drifted away with the wind, laying a new foreshadowing for the following story.

At this moment, Su Mo and his team members are working hand in hand with the children to light up more lights in the City of Shadows. Their backs are elongated in the darkness, but they are extremely determined. Every bit of light that spreads indicates that the fire of hope is spreading, illuminating the road to the future and arousing the desire and courage in the hearts of more people.

The exploration of Shadow City was not smooth sailing. As the team went deeper, they found that the streets were getting narrower and the shadows were getting thicker. It seemed that there were unknown dangers hidden around every corner. There was an oppressive atmosphere in the air, as if the whole city was silently telling the past shrouded in darkness.

"Everyone be careful, the atmosphere here is not right." Eun Jung warned in a low voice, her fingers lightly resting on the bowstring, looking around vigilantly.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps, and a group of figures in black robes emerged from the darkness, their faces hidden by hoods, and the weapons in their hands emitted a faint cold light.

"Stop! You foreign invaders, this is the territory of darkness and light has nowhere to hide here!" The leading man in black robe said viciously, his voice low and cold, carrying an irresistible pressure.

"We have no intention of invading, we are just looking for pioneers who can bring hope." Su Mo took a step forward. His sword was not unsheathed, but the firm temperament emanating from his body seemed to shake the air around him.

"Pioneers? Humph, there is no one you are looking for here, only loyal believers who obey the darkness." Another man in black robe sneered, his words full of provocation.

Before he finished speaking, a melee was inevitable. Zhao Ming quickly waved the Heart of Light in his hand, and a dazzling light fell, illuminating the surroundings and providing a sense of security for his teammates. Eun Jung's arrows were accurate and every arrow hit the enemy's vital points, while Lily used healing magic to heal the injured teammates in time.

The young messenger was quick-witted and swift, weaving through the enemy group. His archery skills were like dancing, graceful and deadly. Salman and the newly joined explorers, including Jack, also showed their strength and fought fiercely with the black-robed man.

During the battle, a figure suddenly jumped out from the darkness, aiming directly at the most vulnerable scholar in the team. At the critical moment, a thin but agile shadow blocked the scholar. It was one of the children met before, holding an ordinary wooden stick in his hand, with a determined look in his eyes.

"Don't try to hurt him!" The child's voice was trembling, but his position was firm.

Seeing this, Su Mo's heart was warmed, and he quickly dealt with the enemy in front of him and rushed to the direction where the child was. However, in the chaos, a flying stone hit the child's arm, and he gasped in pain, and the wooden stick fell to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Su Mo hurriedly supported the child, and at the same time a sword light flashed, forcing back the approaching enemy.

"I, I'm fine." The child clenched his teeth, trying to endure the pain.

"Healing spell." Lily's voice sounded at the right time. A soft light wrapped around the child's wound, and the pain was quickly relieved.

"We can't stay too long. We must find the forerunners and leave this dangerous place." Su Mo said in a deep voice, while looking around to determine the best evacuation route.

At this moment, a melodious flute sound came from afar. The tune was pure and mysterious, and seemed to contain some kind of ancient call. The black-robed crowd began to look restless and gradually retreated.

"That flute sound... is the signal from the forerunner!" the scholar suddenly exclaimed, with a flash of understanding in his eyes.

The team took advantage of the situation to break through the encirclement and headed towards the source of the flute sound. After some twists and turns, they finally arrived in front of a small house that looked ordinary but emitted a faint light. Inside the house, an elderly man was playing the magical flute, and a faint but warm halo surrounded him, like a beacon guarding the light alone in the darkness.

"You are here, seekers of light." The old man put down his flute and looked at them with kind eyes.

"Are you the pioneer?" Su Mo walked forward, his heart full of respect.

"Pioneer is just a title. What's important is that we all have the same belief - to dispel darkness and welcome light." The old man smiled, and that smile was as warm as the spring sunshine.

Just as the group was about to communicate further, suddenly, the sky outside the house darkened, covered with dark clouds, and a black shadow swept across the sky and headed straight for the cabin.

"It seems that darkness is not going to let us go easily." The old man looked solemn, and then took out a glimmering gem from his arms, "This is a fragment of light, maybe it can help you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the mysterious black shadow arrived. It turned out to be a tall warrior in black armor. His aura was eerie and terrifying, and the huge sword in his hand exuded an ominous aura.

"Forerunner, your days of hiding are over." The Black Knight's voice was low, as if it came from the underworld.

"For the sake of light, we will not retreat." Su Mo gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, and behind him stood his companions, with unyielding flames burning in their eyes.

The battle broke out again, more intense than before. With the help of the fragments of light bestowed by the forerunners, everyone radiated unprecedented power and fought a desperate battle with the Black Knight.

Finally, in a gorgeous coordinated attack, the Black Knight was defeated and dissipated in a puff of black smoke. But the price of the battle was also heavy, and someone in the team was injured and needed urgent treatment.

"Come in quickly, here is the medicine I made." The pioneer invited everyone into the hut and began to treat the wounded busily.

In the treatment room, Su Mo sat next to the injured child and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

The child held back tears and shook his head: "It doesn't hurt anymore, because you are here."

Su Mo smiled, feeling mixed emotions. The sky outside gradually cleared up, a ray of sunlight penetrated the clouds and fell on the window of the cabin, bringing the long-lost warmth.

"Light always finds a way to penetrate the darkness, just like you." The pioneer stood by the window, looking at the outside world, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The conversation ended in a peaceful yet powerful way, indicating that even in the most difficult times, as long as there is light in our hearts, hope will not be extinguished.

"So, what should we do next?" Su Mo asked, with determination and anticipation for the future in his eyes.

The pioneer smiled slightly and did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked out the window. It was a world full of unknowns, but also full of possibilities...

Su Mo and his companions looked at each other, and everyone saw determination and courage in each other's eyes. They knew that in order to find the mentor of light and for the ray of light in this world, no trial could stop them.

"Please tell us, what is the content of the trial?" Li Zixue took a step forward, her eyes clear and determined, showing a will that is not inferior to anyone else.

The leader of the guardians nodded slightly and turned to face the depths of the hall. "There are three levels of trials, which will test your wisdom, courage, and sacrifice. Only those with a firm mind and pure faith can pass."

As the guardian leader finished speaking, the hall began to light up, and totems of light slowly unfolded on the ground. Each ray of light seemed to be telling the secrets of ancient legends and trials.

At the beginning of the first trial, a maze made of light and shadow appeared in front of everyone. It was complex and changeable, full of temptation and misleading. Su Mo led everyone to solve the puzzles one by one, avoiding traps and illusions, relying on the wisdom of the team and mutual trust, and finally walked out of the maze, proving their wisdom and cooperation.

"Very good, you have passed the test of wisdom." There was a hint of approval in the voice of the guardian leader.

The second trial came immediately. A huge dark phantom condensed in the hall. It represented the inner fear and the external threat. It kept changing its form, trying to defeat everyone's defense. Facing this invisible enemy, Zhao Ming stepped forward. His sword light was like the light of dawn. Every swing was full of fearlessness and determination, inspiring the courage of his teammates. After rounds of fierce confrontation, the dark phantom finally dissipated, and the light of courage illuminated the entire hall.

The guardians' eyes showed recognition: "Your courage is admirable."

The last trial is the most rigorous, and a seemingly unsolvable choice lies before them: on one side is the bright road leading to the Glorious Guide, but choosing it means giving up a companion; on the other side is a dark passage full of unknowns and dangers. If this road is chosen, everyone can go together, but the chances of success are slim.

Faced with such a choice, everyone was silent. Su Mo took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination: "We are a team, no matter what lies ahead, we must walk side by side. Even if the road is difficult, we will find a solution together."

After hearing Su Mo's words, the expressions of the guardians changed subtly, as if this was the answer they had been looking for. Suddenly, a third path appeared in the hall, a middle path that had never appeared before, neither completely bright nor completely dark.

"You have proven your wisdom and courage, and more importantly, you have demonstrated a spirit of sacrifice that transcends the individual and the cohesion of a team." The voice of the Guardian leader was full of solemnity. "It is this group of people that the Shining Guide is waiting for."

As the guardian leader spoke, the shining guide floating in the center of the hall slowly landed in front of Su Mo. He took it respectfully, feeling unprecedented warmth and strength, as if thousands of years of wisdom and hope were gathered in his heart at this moment.

"Teacher of Light... How far are we from you?" Su Mo muttered in his heart, and slowly turned to the first page of the Glorious Guide. A line of simple words came into view: "The road to light begins with a single step. With hope in your heart, move forward fearlessly." (End of this chapter)