The contestant is too old, sister Zhou is crazy

"We did it!" Yueyue opened her eyes excitedly. The glow of the gem shone on everyone's face, full of joy and a sense of accomplishment.

"This is not just the power of gems, but also the proof of trust and cooperation between us." Li Zixue exclaimed, and the Book of Wisdom closed gently, completing its mission.

"What should we do now?" Yueyue asked, holding the gem containing incredible power tightly in her hand. The air around her seemed to tremble with this power.

Su Mo smiled, his eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future: "We will return with it and give it to the elders of the alliance. This power should be used to protect our world, not become the focus of conflict."

"But the way out will definitely be filled with more tests." Zhao Ming reminded, never putting down the bow and arrow in his hand, alert to every possible corner.

The mysterious shadow guard then slowly spoke: "I will explore the way first to ensure our safety on our return." His figure merged into the shadows again, silently, but giving people great peace of mind.

"I want to help too!" Yueyue raised the gem in her hand, her small body hiding an indomitable courage.

"Of course, each of us is important." Li Zixue patted Yueyue's head gently. The book of wisdom was gently opened at this moment, as if silently telling them that with knowledge and courage, they will be able to overcome everything.

Just as the four were preparing to set off, a low roar suddenly came from deep within the palace, the floor began to shake, and the murals seemed to come alive, telling of urgency and warning.

"Is this... a trial from ancient civilization?" Su Mo frowned, keenly aware that something was wrong.

"It looks like we still have to pass the final test." Zhao Ming's eyes became more determined, the arrow was on the string, ready to face everything that was about to come.

Yueyue was very excited: "It's like the final level of a game! We must win!"

Li Zixue's book of wisdom automatically turned to a page, and an ancient rune flashed, as if guiding them: "The book records a secret path that can avoid direct conflict and lead directly to the exit."

The mysterious shadow guard reappeared in the light, and his simple but powerful words gave everyone great confidence: "Follow me closely, the secret path is right under your feet."

They followed the instructions in the book and passed through a series of intricate secret passages. They encountered various mechanisms and illusions along the way, but they solved them one by one with their mutual trust and wisdom.

Finally, after passing the last obstacle - a seemingly insurmountable wall of fire, Su Mo took a deep breath and gently placed the gem in the center of the flame. Miraculously, the flame separated to form a safe passage.

"This is the final verification of the Key of the Heart." Li Zixue explained softly, her eyes full of admiration for her teammates.

After passing through the flame gate, they returned to the entrance of the ruins. The bright sunlight made them squint their eyes. In the distance, the alliance's reinforcements were already waiting.

"We succeeded!" Yueyue raised her hands high in joy.

"Yes, we did it." Su Mo looked into the distance, his heart full of emotion, "We learned a lot from this adventure."

"It's not just an adventure, it's also a journey of trust, courage and friendship." Zhao Ming's words revealed deep gratitude.

The mysterious shadow guard stood aside. Although his face was still hidden in the shadows, his voice was clearer than usual: "I am honored to write this legend with you."

Just as the group was immersed in the joy of victory and enjoying the warmth of the sun, a sudden loud noise broke the silence. The ground shook violently, and a huge piece of rubble fell from the sky, heading straight for Su Mo. In the horrified eyes of the crowd, Su Mo instinctively pushed his companions away, but he himself had no time to dodge and was hit by the heavy stone and fell down.

"Su Mo!" Yueyue screamed and trotted to Su Mo, tears welling up in her eyes.

Zhao Ming and Li Zixue also quickly gathered around, looking solemn. The mysterious shadow guard flashed over in an instant, checked Su Mo's injuries, frowned, "He is seriously injured and must be treated immediately."

"Here is my first aid kit, use it quickly." Li Zixue hurriedly opened her backpack and took out medical supplies. Despite the panic, she still tried her best to stay calm.

Su Mo's face was pale. He endured the pain with a faint smile on his face. "Don't worry, I won't fall down that easily."

"Your injury is serious, stop joking." Zhao Ming frowned, helping to fix Su Mo's wound while comforting Yue Yue, "It's okay, we will take you back, the alliance has the best doctors."

Just as everyone worked together to lift Su Mo up and prepare to leave the ruins, a deep voice sounded from behind: "Wait a moment."

They turned around in surprise and found a figure slowly walking out of the shadows. It was the guardian of the ruins who had never appeared before. He was wearing a tattered cloak, his face was weathered, but there was a majesty in his eyes that could not be ignored.

"I am the guardian of this relic. I feel the innocence and courage in your hearts, especially this young man who is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his companions." The guardian walked to Su Mo and reached out to touch Su Mo's wound. A gentle energy immediately flowed, and the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"You are..." Su Mo looked at the guardian in surprise, and the severe pain in his body had been greatly relieved.

The guardian smiled and said, "I have been the guardian of this ruins for thousands of years, and I was also an explorer in the past. You have passed all the tests and proved your worth. As a reward, I am willing to give you something."

After that, he took out a yellowed scroll from his cloak and handed it to Li Zixue, "This is an ancient healing technique. With it, you will be able to heal more injuries."

Li Zixue took the scroll with both hands, her eyes full of gratitude, "Thank you, this will be our most precious treasure."

"Remember, true power comes from the kindness and selflessness in your heart." The guardian's words seemed to have magical power, deeply touching everyone present.

"We will never forget today's experience." Su Mo stood up slowly. Although his steps were a little unsteady, his eyes had regained their former firmness.

"Yes, we will continue to move forward with this strength." Zhao Ming clenched his fists with a firm look in his eyes.

Yueyue ran to the guardian, looked up and said seriously: "Thank you for saving Brother Su Mo, we will help more people in the future!"

The guardian touched Yueyue's head lovingly and said, "I hope you can pass on this spirit and become a true hero."

Just as they were about to leave, the mysterious shadow guard suddenly spoke: "Guardian, do you know what kind of threat the outside world is facing?"

The guardian stared into the distance and said in a deep voice: "I know, and that's why I chose to help you. Remember, in the face of darkness, light and courage are always the greatest weapons."

After saying this, the guardian's figure gradually faded away until it completely merged into the shadows, leaving only a long echo: "Brave men, the road ahead is still long, I wish you a smooth journey."

The four of them smiled at each other and set out on their journey home again. Although Su Mo was injured, the healing from the guardian not only repaired his body, but also strengthened their faith.

Just as the group was immersed in the guardian's words and blessings and preparing to leave the ruins, the air around them suddenly froze, and an ominous premonition spread in everyone's heart. The sunlight seemed to dim a little, and a sudden black shadow passed by like a ghost, aiming directly at the unsuspecting Yueyue.

"Be careful!" Su Mo shouted. Although his body had not fully recovered, he instinctively wanted to pounce on Yueyue, but was pulled back by Zhao Ming. "I'll do it!" Zhao Ming quickly pulled out a special arrow and aimed at the black shadow. However, the black shadow was incredibly fast and was close to Yueyue in the blink of an eye. It stretched out a hand wearing a strange silver glove and grabbed Yueyue's head.

Yueyue instinctively jumped back, the gem in her hand flashed, and she barely avoided the grab, but her face was already pale with fear. "Who is it?!" She asked loudly, her eyes wide open, full of anger and confusion.

"Hehehe..." A cold laugh echoed in the empty ruins. Along with the laughter, an unknown person in a black robe and with his face covered by a mask slowly stepped into the light. In his hands, he was playing with a pair of silver claws, which were the weapons that attacked Yueyue just now. "What an interesting little guy, you have such a treasure at such a young age." His voice was particularly harsh and cold through the mask.

"What do you want to do to us?" Su Mo asked coldly, his body tense, ready to respond to possible attacks at any time.

"What? It's very simple. Give me the gem and I might consider letting you go." The black-robed man raised a cruel smile at the corner of his mouth, his eyes wandering greedily over the gem.

"Dream on!" Zhao Ming's arrow was on the string, with the tip of the arrow pointing directly at the man in black robe, "We will never let you succeed."

Li Zixue also tightly grasped the Book of Wisdom, and the pages automatically turned, with ancient text shining, as if looking for a countermeasure. The mysterious shadow guard quietly moved to the flank of the black-robed man, like a cheetah waiting for the best opportunity.

"What a stupid choice." As soon as the man in black robe finished speaking, his figure suddenly blurred and spread out like smoke. The next moment, he appeared behind Yueyue and swung the silver hook again, bringing up a gust of wind.

"Yueyue, be careful!" Su Mo and Zhao Ming shouted at the same time, but it was too late for them to rescue.

At this critical moment, a look of determination flashed in Yueyue's eyes. She did not run away, but raised the gem in her hand and shouted loudly: "I will never allow you to hurt my friend!" The gem shone brightly, forming a dazzling shield, blocking the fatal blow of the man in black robe.

"How is this possible!" The black-robed man showed a hint of surprise, obviously not expecting Yueyue to have such a counterattack.

"Because we are a team!" Li Zixue recited an ancient spell at the right time, and the Book of Wisdom released circles of halos that surrounded everyone and enhanced the power of the shield.

"Retreat, we are no match for them." Seeing that the situation was not good, the man in black robe quickly withdrew his attack and used his smoke-like body skills to try to escape from the scene.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" The mysterious shadow guard suddenly appeared beside the man in black robe, with a sharp short blade in his hand, pressing straight at the man in black robe's vital points.

“Hmph, you are lucky today, but don’t be complacent for too long. The thread of fate will eventually lead us to a decisive battle.” The man in black robe left a meaningful remark before disappearing completely into the shadows, leaving only a string of eerie laughter echoing over the ruins.

The crisis was resolved, but everyone understood that this was only a temporary calm. Yueyue panted, holding the glowing gem tightly, with fear and determination in her eyes: "We must find out who he is and why he wants this gem."

Su Mo patted Yueyue's shoulder and smiled gently, "Yes, we will. But first, we need to go home, rest well, and prepare for the next battle."

"Well said, Yueyue," Zhao Ming nodded in agreement, his eyes sparkling, "No matter what enemy is hiding in the dark, we must face it head-on and uncover all the mysteries."

Li Zixue carefully put away the Book of Wisdom, with a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. "That gem seems to hide a huge secret. We must protect it more carefully and study its origin in depth."

The mysterious shadow guard stood silently by the side. Although his face was hidden in the shadows, the determination revealed in his sharp eyes could not be ignored. "I will increase my vigilance to ensure our safety. At the same time, I will also start collecting clues about the man in black robes."

"Well, first we need to ensure that we return to the alliance safely and report everything that happened here to the higher-ups." Su Mo looked around and confirmed that there were no other threats. He suggested, "Let's go without further delay."

The group quickened their pace, passing through the ruins and heading for the reinforcements waiting for them. Along the way, the alliance members they met all looked at them with admiration and gave them a warm welcome for their return.

"You really did it! It's incredible!" A young soldier exclaimed, his eyes full of admiration, "I heard about your feat, it's simply a glory for the Alliance!"

"Wow, look over there, it's Su Mo and the others!" another voice came, and several logistics personnel stopped what they were doing and gathered around curiously, "Is it really the legendary gem? It looks amazing!"

Su Mo and his team responded to everyone's enthusiasm with a smile. Although they were exhausted, their hearts were filled with unprecedented satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. They knew that these compliments from passers-by were not only a recognition of their achievements, but also an encouragement for their future journey.

When the team approached the reinforcements, an elderly general came forward to greet them. His eyes swept across the faces of Su Mo and the others, and finally stopped at the gem that was emitting a faint light. He said seriously and expectantly: "Your success is of great significance. I believe that this is not only a test for us, but also a revelation of the fate of the entire continent. The secret of the gem is probably more profound than we imagined." (End of this chapter)