Courtyard House: Report enemy agents at the start, and you'll take off immediately.

3. You have three pieces of clothing in your life: the first is black, the second is red, and the third is white.

Everyone fell into deep thought, trying to find the answer.

"Is the answer to the first question 'night'?" Li Tao offered his thoughts.

"The answer to the second question should be 'books'," Lao Wang added.

"And the answer to the third question?" Zhao De asked.

"I think it represents different stages of life: birth, youth, and old age," Zhao De analyzed.

Chapter 1397 Holy Spring

Chapter 1397 Holy Spring

As the answer was revealed, the text on the scroll suddenly vanished, replaced by a new light emanating from the table. A golden ray shone onto the other wall of the room, revealing a hidden door.

"We did it!" Xiaomei cheered.

“Let’s go take a look.” Zhao De led the way toward the hidden door.

Just as they were about to reach the door, they suddenly heard a deep laugh: "You've finally arrived."

Everyone turned around abruptly and saw an old man dressed in a magnificent robe appear at the other end of the secret room.

"Welcome to my territory." The old man smiled, his voice carrying a hint of chilling coldness. "I am the guardian of this place. The treasure you desire can only be obtained by passing my test."

“You mean…” Zhao De stared intently at the old man.

“Indeed, I have been waiting for you for a long time. Let us see if you are truly capable of passing the final test.” The old man slowly walked over, his eyes revealing an arrogant confidence.

"Then let's have a good competition!" Li Tao rubbed his hands together, ready to accept the challenge.

"Alright, let's begin then." The old man chuckled softly, waving his hand, and the atmosphere in the entire secret room became tense.

"Are you ready?" The old man's voice echoed in the air.

“Of course,” Zhao De replied firmly.

A hint of a smile flashed in the old man's eyes. He slowly raised his hand, and instantly, the air in the secret room seemed to freeze. The hidden door on the wall suddenly emitted a dazzling light, then disappeared, replaced by a huge illusion appearing before them.

"The first test: a test of courage," the old man said in a deep voice. "You must pass through the misty forest before you and find the sacred spring hidden deep within it. Only those who drink from the sacred spring will be qualified to continue."

Everyone looked at each other, and Xiaomei frowned slightly: "This doesn't sound like an easy thing..."

“Don’t worry, we have a map!” Zhao De suddenly remembered something and quickly took out an old map he had found earlier from his backpack. It was marked with detailed information about the terrain and landmark buildings of the area.

"That's great!" Zhao De patted Zhao De's shoulder, a relieved smile on his face.

Following the map's directions, they cautiously entered the Misty Forest. All around was a vast expanse of white, making it impossible to see anything ahead. However, with the map's help, they successfully avoided many dangerous areas.

"Wait, there's a trap here!" Li Tao suddenly whispered, reaching out to grab Liu Feng, who was walking ahead. Everyone stopped and looked down carefully, and sure enough, they found a soft patch of ground with what appeared to be a deep pit hidden beneath it.

"Thanks to you, Li Tao!" Liu Feng said gratefully.

"It's alright, we're just helping each other out." Li Tao smiled slightly and continued to keep up with the others.

After more than an hour of arduous exploration, they finally found the sacred spring protected by a mysterious force. The clear spring water shimmered softly under the moonlight, as if it possessed a magical power that drew everyone's attention.

"Is this the Holy Spring?" Xiaomei asked softly.

"It seems so." Zhao De nodded, stepped forward, scooped up a handful of spring water, and drank it gently.

A moment later, a satisfied expression appeared on Zhao De's face: "I feel much better, everyone should try it!"

So the others went over and drank the holy spring water, and immediately felt full of energy.

Just as they were about to leave, a cold wind swept through, instantly turning the entire forest eerie. A sinister voice echoed in the air: "Not bad, you've passed the test of courage; the real challenge lies ahead..."

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Zhao De shouted, looking around warily.

"Hahahaha..." Accompanied by a piercing laugh, a man dressed in a black robe slowly emerged from the darkness. "I am the second guardian here. Next, you will face a dual test of intelligence and courage."

"What do you want?" Zhao De asked coldly.

“It’s very simple.” The man in black smiled slightly. “Defeat the three monsters in my hands, and you will pass the next test.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a crack appeared in the space behind the man in black, and three monsters of different shapes emerged from it. They looked extremely ferocious, their eyes flashing with greed and murderous intent.

"Ready for battle?" the man in black asked the crowd provocatively.

"Of course!" Zhao De was the first to rush forward, brandishing his sword and engaging in a fierce battle with the nearest monster.

"Let's attack together!" Zhao De and the others joined the battle, and the dense forest was instantly filled with the glint of swords and the fierce fighting.

After a fierce battle, the last monster finally fell at their feet. The man in black's smile gradually faded, and a hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes.

“You have won,” he said slowly. “The true path to the treasure will open for you, but it also means that greater dangers await you.”

“We will overcome all difficulties,” Xiaomei replied firmly.

"Well then, good luck." The man in black turned and disappeared into the night.

Just then, the previously closed path suddenly lit up with a soft light, and a road leading to the unknown appeared before them.

"Is this the place?" Zhao De asked.

"That's probably true." Zhao De took a deep breath. "We have no way out."

"That's right, now that we're here, let's move forward bravely!" Old Wang encouraged.

Zhao De nodded and led the group onto the radiant path. As they ventured deeper, the surrounding mist gradually dissipated, revealing a wide road. Ancient stone tablets and carvings lined both sides of the road, covered with mysterious runes and patterns.

"This road doesn't look simple," Li Tao said in a low voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

"No matter what, we must proceed with caution." Zhao De gripped his sword tightly, ready to deal with any potential dangers at any time.

They walked along the road for about a kilometer when suddenly, a huge stone gate appeared ahead, and a guard in silver armor stood before it. The guard's eyes were cold and sharp, and he held a long spear; he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" the guard asked coldly.

“We are adventurers who have come to find treasure,” Zhao De replied. “We have already passed the previous tests.”

"Very good, but that's not enough." The guard smiled slightly. "I want to see your abilities."

Chapter 1398 A New Test

Chapter 1398 A New Test

As soon as he finished speaking, the guard suddenly brandished his spear, unleashing several sharp blades of energy that hurtled towards the group. Everyone dodged, but several blades still grazed their skin.

"So strong!" Xiaomei covered the wound on her arm and frowned.

"Don't be afraid, let's join forces to deal with him." Zhao De remained calm and waved for everyone to surround and attack the guards.

The battle resumed. Zhao De brandished his longsword, engaging the guards head-on; Liu Feng provided ranged support with his bow and arrow; Li Tao and Lao Wang provided flanking support. Although injured, Xiao Mei persisted in using magical attacks, attempting to weaken the opponent's defenses.

After a fierce battle, the guard finally showed signs of fatigue, and the attacks with his spear gradually weakened. Finally, Zhao De seized the opportunity, severing the guard's spear with a single sword strike, followed by a powerful punch to the guard's chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

“You’ve won,” the guard said, panting. “I’m willing to give way, but I hope you remember that true strength isn’t just about brute force, but also about wisdom and courage.”

“We will remember this.” Zhao De nodded, then turned to everyone and said, “Let’s move on.”

Passing through the guarded stone gate, they were astonished by the sight before them. It was a vast underground palace, with a radiant throne at its center, upon which rested an exquisite box. The palace was surrounded by various gemstones, emitting a dazzling brilliance.

"This must be our final destination," Zhao De remarked.

Just as they were walking toward the throne, the ground suddenly trembled, and a series of deep voices came from the depths of the palace: "Foolish humans, do you think you can obtain the treasure so easily?"

"Is this another new test?" Zhao De looked around warily.

"Hahahaha..." An aged voice echoed in the palace, "That's right, I am the last guardian here. Only those who pass my test can truly obtain the treasure."

From the darkness, a huge figure slowly emerged. It was an old man with white hair and a beard, holding a golden staff that shimmered in the light, and exuding a powerful aura.

"Who wants to challenge me first?" the old man asked with a smile.

“Let me try,” Zhao De stepped forward, his gaze resolute.

“Alright, let’s have a contest.” A hint of admiration flashed in the old man’s eyes. “If you win, the treasure is yours.”

After a brief standoff, Zhao De launched the first attack, his sword flashing like a dragon as he thrust towards the old man. The old man remained calm, gently waving his staff, creating an invisible protective shield that blocked the sword's attack.

"It seems you are quite capable," the old man smiled slightly, "but you are far from being able to defeat me."

"That's not necessarily true." A cold glint flashed in Zhao De's eyes, and his swordplay became even more ferocious.

Inside the palace, sword light and magic clashed, sparks flying. Every exchange was fraught with danger, and everyone held their breath, afraid to miss a single detail.

After dozens of rounds of fierce fighting, Zhao De finally found an opening. His sword tip flashed like lightning, aiming straight for the old man's vitals. The old man trembled slightly, quickly retreated a few steps, and finally gave up resisting.

“You have won, child,” the old man sighed. “The treasures in this palace will henceforth belong to you.”

"Thank you." Zhao De put down his sword and bowed deeply.

"However..." The old man's eyes held a hint of mockery, "to obtain the real treasure, we still need to solve some minor problems."

"What's the problem?" Zhao De asked curiously.

The old man smiled but didn't speak. He simply pointed to the box on the throne and said, "You'll find out for yourselves when you open it."

"What secret does this box hold?" Xiaomei stepped forward and carefully opened the box.

The box was empty except for a piece of parchment. Xiaomei picked up the parchment and carefully read the words on it, her expression gradually becoming serious.