Transmigrating to win the heart of a beautiful snake

Chapter 483 A Minor Interlude in Peaceful Times: Exploring Mysterious Ruins

A brief interlude in peaceful times: re-exploration of mysterious ruins

After successfully repelling the massive attack of the dark forces, the continent ushered in a rare period of peace. The area around the castle returned to its former bustling activity and prosperity, the people lived in peace and contentment, and children played and laughed in the streets and alleys. The stories of the heroes spread even more widely across the land, becoming inspiring legends told by the people.

Pigsy lived a carefree and leisurely life in these peaceful days. He spent his days feasting in the castle's kitchen, enjoying all kinds of delicious food. One day, as he was gnawing on a large chicken leg, he mumbled to the cook beside him, "Your cooking skills are getting better and better. This chicken leg is simply divine. If I could eat such delicious chicken legs every day, I, Old Pig, would be completely satisfied."

The chef smiled and replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Pig Hero. I'm glad you enjoy it. But don't just eat chicken legs; you should also pay attention to a balanced diet."

Pigsy glared and said, "What do you mean by balanced nutrition? I, Old Pig, just love eating chicken legs. These chicken legs are my nutrition."

At this moment, Xiaoqing walked into the kitchen and saw Zhu Bajie's appearance. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Bajie, look at you, all you do is eat. If you keep eating like this, you probably won't even be able to carry the Nine-Toothed Rake anymore."

Pigsy quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and retorted, "Little Green, don't underestimate me. I, Old Pig, eat a lot and am very strong. Besides, if I don't eat more in these peaceful days, what will I have the strength to deal with the forces of darkness if war breaks out again someday?"

Xiaoqing shook her head helplessly: "You're so right. By the way, did you know? Recently, many adventurers have been saying that a mysterious ruin has been discovered in the northwest of the continent, and it is said that it contains all kinds of magical treasures and powerful forces."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy's eyes lit up immediately. He threw down the chicken leg and exclaimed excitedly, "What? Mysterious ruins? And treasures too? I, Pigsy, can't miss this! Come on, let's tell everyone and go explore together!"

The two went to the hall and told Liu Yu, Fahai, Er Gou, and Ling Yue the news. After listening, Liu Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Although this may be an opportunity to improve our strength, mysterious ruins are often fraught with danger. We should proceed with caution and gather more information about the ruins first."

Fahai clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha, what Benefactor Liu Yu said is absolutely right. We should not go rashly, but make full preparations."

Lingyue nodded in agreement: "I can first consult some ancient books to see if there are any records about this ruin. Ergou, you and Xiaoqing go and inquire again to see if any adventurers have come out of the ruin and learn about the specific situation inside."

Er Gou and Xiao Qing accepted the order and left, while Zhu Bajie paced anxiously to the side, saying, "Why are you still asking around? Just go! I can't wait to see what treasures they have."

Lingyue smiled and reassured him, "Bajie, don't rush. Since this ruin is so mysterious, it must be extraordinary. The better we prepare, the better we can deal with the dangers inside, and the easier it will be to find the treasure."

A few days later, everyone gathered in the hall again. Er Gou spoke first: "We found out that several adventurers did go in, but only one came out alive. After he came out, he went crazy, constantly muttering things like 'terrifying monster' and 'endless labyrinth'."

Xiaoqing continued, "I've also heard that there are all sorts of traps and mechanisms in the ruins, and you could lose your life if you're not careful. Moreover, it seems to be shrouded in a mysterious power, which even restricts the use of magic."

Lingyue also said, "I have consulted many ancient books, but I have not found any records about this ruin. It seems that this ruin is very mysterious, and we must be extra careful."

Liu Yu frowned and thought for a while before saying, "Even so, the power contained in these ruins might be helpful in dealing with the forces of darkness. We've decided to explore them anyway, but we must be fully prepared."

So, everyone began to prepare in earnest. Lingyue concocted various emergency magical potions, some to restore physical strength, some to disarm traps, and some to resist dark forces; Fahai went into seclusion to cultivate, hoping to make a breakthrough in Buddhist teachings to deal with unknown dangers; Ergou meticulously sharpened his dagger and also made some special hidden weapons; Xiaoqing developed a magical tool that could mark routes in the ruins to prevent getting lost; and Zhu Bajie was busy packing all kinds of food into his bag, saying that he could replenish his strength if he got hungry in the ruins.

With everything prepared, the group embarked on their journey to the mysterious ruins in the northwest. Along the way, Pigsy was as excited as a child about to go on a spring outing, constantly talking about the treasures he imagined the ruins would contain.

"I think there must be an incredibly powerful artifact in those ruins, maybe even more powerful than my Nine-Toothed Rake. When I wield that artifact, the forces of darkness will be terrified and run away with their tails between their legs," Pigsy said, gesturing wildly as he spoke.

Xiaoqing teased him with a laugh, "Bajie, stop dreaming. Maybe that divine weapon doesn't want you and ran away on its own. Besides, if there really was a divine weapon more powerful than your Nine-Toothed Rake, could you even lift it?"

Pigsy snorted, "Little Green, you're just trying to dampen my spirits. I, Old Pig, am born with superhuman strength, what can't I lift? Besides, divine artifacts definitely have spirits, they know I, Old Pig, am a great hero, they'll definitely take the initiative to acknowledge me as their master."

The group chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived at the location of the mysterious ruins. There stood an ancient and dilapidated stone gate, covered with strange runes and patterns, exuding a mysterious aura.

“This should be the entrance to the ruins,” Liu Yu said, carefully examining the runes on the stone gate.

Lingyue stepped forward and studied the runes with Liu Yu. After a while, Lingyue said, "These runes seem to be a kind of combination lock, which needs to be activated in a specific order. I'll try to see if I can crack it."

Lingyue concentrated her mind and began trying to decipher the order of the runes. With her efforts, the runes lit up one by one, the stone door slowly opened, and an ancient aura wafted out.

The group cautiously entered through the stone gate. Inside was a narrow passage, with glowing stones embedded in the walls on both sides, barely illuminating the way forward.

They continued along the passage when suddenly they heard a "crackling" sound. Pigsy gripped his nine-toothed rake tightly, shouting, "What's that sound? Is a monster coming?"

Liu Yu gestured for everyone to be quiet and carefully observe their surroundings. Suddenly, several large stones began to descend slowly from the top of the passage, hurtling towards them.

"Oh no, it's a trap! Everyone get out of the way!" Liu Yu shouted.

The crowd quickly scattered, each using their agility to dodge the rocks. Pigsy, nimble as he dodged left and right, muttered, "This damn mechanism almost hit me, old Pig."

Xiaoqing then shook her bell, emitting a sound wave in an attempt to stop the stone from falling. Although the sound wave did not completely stop the stone, it slowed its descent, giving everyone more time to dodge.

Fahai clasped his hands together, and a radiant Buddhist light formed a shield around him, blocking a rock flying towards him. Er Gou, with his agile movements, weaved through the gaps between the rocks, successfully avoiding the danger.

While dodging the falling rocks, Lingyue pondered how to solve the puzzle. She noticed that the rocks seemed to fall in a certain rhythm, so she shouted, "Everyone, move according to the rhythm of the falling rocks! Don't panic!"

After listening to Lingyue's words, everyone calmed down and skillfully dodged the falling stones. After some effort, they finally succeeded in passing the trap.

"Phew, that was close! There are quite a few traps in these ruins." Pigsy wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

The group continued forward, and at the end of the passage appeared a huge circular room. The floor of the room was covered with intricate patterns, and in the center of the room was a stone platform on which sat a box that emitted a faint glow.

"There must be treasure in that box!" Pigsy said, and rushed over to grab the box.

Liu Yu quickly grabbed him and said, "Bajie, don't be impulsive. This room looks very strange. Let's check if there are any other dangers first."

Just then, some black shadows suddenly appeared on the walls of the room. These shadows gradually coalesced into black warriors, who, wielding weapons, charged towards the group.

"Perfect timing! I was just looking to stretch my muscles!" Pigsy brandished his nine-toothed rake as he approached the black-clad warrior.

The black-clad warriors were incredibly agile and seemed tireless. After fighting several of them, Pigsy discovered that their strength was not to be underestimated; each collision left his arms numb.

Liu Yu drew his sword and unleashed his swordsmanship, his sword energy surging and instantly repelling several black-clad warriors. Xiao Qing shook her bell, emitting a powerful sonic wave that echoed throughout the room, causing the black-clad warriors to sway. Fahai rapidly formed hand seals, his hands radiating Buddhist light that shone upon the black-clad warriors, slowing their movements. Er Gou seized the opportunity to circle behind the black-clad warriors, attacking their weak points with his dagger.

However, the number of black-clad warriors seemed endless, surging in wave after wave. Pigsy grew anxious and shouted, "With so many warriors, when will this ever end!"

While dodging the attacks of the black-clad warriors, Lingyue observed the situation in the room. She noticed that the patterns on the ground seemed to be related to the appearance of the black-clad warriors, so she shouted, "Everyone, don't just focus on attacking! See if you can destroy the patterns on the ground; maybe that's the key to defeating these black-clad warriors!"

Upon hearing this, the group parried the black-clad warrior's attacks while simultaneously searching for an opportunity to strike the pattern on the ground. Liu Yu seized the moment, unleashing a sword strike that cracked the pattern. As the pattern crumbled, the black-clad warrior's movements became even more chaotic.

Seeing this, Pigsy perked up and slammed his rake hard into the ground. With a loud "boom," a large crater was smashed into the pattern on the ground, and the black warriors fell to the ground, turning into puffs of black smoke and disappearing.

"Haha, my old pig's rake is still the most powerful!" Pigsy laughed smugly.

The group approached the stone platform, and Liu Yu reached out and picked up the box. The instant he did so, a voice suddenly echoed in the room: "To obtain the treasure within, you must answer one question. If you answer incorrectly, you will all remain here forever."

Pigsy muttered, "There are so many rules in these ruins. Hurry up and give me a question, I, the old pig, am not afraid."

The voice said, "A farmer needs to cross a river with a wolf, a sheep, and a basket of cabbages. There is only one boat, and he can only take one item at a time. If he leaves the wolf and sheep together, the wolf will eat the sheep; if he leaves the sheep and cabbages together, the sheep will eat the cabbages. How should the farmer cross the river?"

After hearing this, everyone began to think. Pigsy scratched his head and said, "This has stumped me, this old pig. This question is so convoluted."

Xiaoqing thought for a moment and said, "I know. The farmer first led the sheep across the river and then came back by himself; then he led the wolf across the river and brought the sheep back; next, he led the cabbage across the river and came back by himself; finally, he led the sheep across the river, and that's how they all got across."

The voice paused for a moment, then said, "Correct answer. The treasure in the box is yours."

Liu Yu opened the box, inside which lay a gemstone radiating multicolored light. The gemstone's brilliance illuminated the entire room, making one feel as if they were in a dream.

“This gem looks extraordinary; it might grant us immense power,” Lingyue said.

Just then, a new passage suddenly appeared on one side of the room. The voice sounded again: "This is a passage leading to the depths of the ruins, where even more powerful treasures and secrets await your discovery. But the dangers ahead are also greater. Do you still wish to continue?"