After the light faded, the forest returned to an eerie silence. There was a burning smell in the air, and the traces of the cracked ground were still emitting a faint smoke. Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin stood there, their faces full of anxiety and worry, and they looked around for Xiaoxiao.

In the center of the light burst, Xiao Xiao's figure gradually appeared. She knelt on the ground, her hands still tightly grasping the artifact, her body trembling slightly, as if she was in great pain. Her face was as pale as paper, cold sweat oozed from her forehead, and she looked extremely weak.

Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin immediately rushed over and helped Xiaoxiao up from the ground. Qin Wentian's voice was filled with deep concern, "Xiaoxiao, how are you? Are you okay?"

Xiaoxiao tried hard to open her eyes and forced a weak smile, "I... am fine. It's just that the backlash of the artifact... is stronger than I imagined..."

A trace of pain flashed in Ye Qilin's eyes. He held Xiaoxiao's hand tightly and said in a low but firm voice, "You don't have to hold on any longer. We will walk the rest of the way together."

Xiao Xiao nodded. Feeling their support, the pain in her heart seemed to be alleviated a little. However, she knew in her heart that although the power of the artifact was reversed, the price was that her soul was gradually being eroded. If she didn't find a solution in time, she would eventually be completely devoured by the artifact.

"We can't delay any longer," Xiao Xiao said softly, with a hint of anxiety in her voice, "I don't have much time, we must find the next clue as soon as possible."

Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin looked at each other. Although they were both filled with uneasiness, they could only choose to trust Xiao Xiao's judgment at this moment. The three of them simply sorted out their things and continued to move forward into the depths of the Black Forest.

As they went deeper, the scene in the forest began to change. The originally dense trees gradually became sparse, the vegetation on the ground became increasingly dry, and the air was filled with a smell of corruption. It was as if they were entering a completely unfamiliar world, a place of death corroded by darkness.

Xiaoxiao felt a strong cold breath coming from the front, and her heart ached. She knew that she was getting closer and closer to the real source of darkness. At this moment, she had to stay calm and not let the fear in her heart shake her determination.

"There seems to be something ahead." Ye Qilin suddenly reminded in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead.

Qin Wentian and Xiao Xiao immediately stopped and nervously observed the movements around them. At the end of their sight, they could vaguely see the remains of an ancient building. The building was covered with black vines and exuded a chilling atmosphere.

"Is that the source of the darkness?" Qin Wentian asked in a low voice, with a hint of suppressed nervousness in his voice.

Xiaoxiao nodded, "It's very likely. We have to be careful."

The three of them quietly approached the building. The closer they got, the stronger the sense of oppression in the air became, as if countless pairs of eyes were staring at them in the darkness. Xiaoxiao felt the artifact vibrate slightly in her hand, as if responding to the power of darkness.

"The atmosphere here is very wrong," Ye Qilin frowned and said, "We'd better split up and act carefully."

Qin Wentian thought for a moment and agreed to Ye Qilin's proposal, "You two go in from the left, and I'll explore the way from the right. If there is any situation, signal immediately."

Xiao Xiao did not object. She knew that every step now had to be cautious and there could not be any mistakes. The three of them acted separately and carefully entered the building ruins.

The scene inside the building was even more eerie, with black vines crawling all over the walls and a rotten smell in the air. Xiao Xiao and Ye Qilin walked slowly forward, scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes. Suddenly, Xiao Xiao stopped and felt a strong energy fluctuation in front of her.

"There is something over there," Xiaoxiao reminded Ye Qilin in a low voice, and the two of them immediately moved closer.

At the end of the building, they found an ancient stone door with mysterious runes engraved on it. The stone door emitted a faint light, as if blocking the invasion of the outside world.

"There must be something important behind this door," Ye Qilin whispered, with a flash of determination in his eyes, "Should we go in?"

Xiao Xiao hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded, "We must go in, perhaps this is the source of the darkness."

Ye Qilin took a deep breath and pushed the stone door open. The scene inside the door shocked them - it was a huge underground hall with a black altar in the center. A glowing dark sphere was suspended above the altar, emitting a strong evil aura.

Xiaoxiao's heart suddenly shrank, and she almost immediately realized that it was the core of darkness - the Heart of Darkness. It was its power that polluted the entire forest and continued to erode the world.

"This is what we want to destroy." Xiaoxiao said in a low voice, with a determined light in her eyes.

However, just as they were about to take action, the Heart of Darkness suddenly erupted with a strong energy wave, and the entire underground hall began to shake violently. Xiao Xiao and Ye Qilin were knocked back several steps by the huge shock wave and almost fell to the ground.

"What's going on?" Ye Qilin exclaimed, his eyes full of shock.

"It's defending itself!" Xiao Xiao said hastily, "We must act immediately, otherwise it will become stronger and stronger!"

Xiao Xiao didn't think much about it, and immediately raised the artifact in her hand and began to chant the spell. The light of the artifact lit up again, fiercely fighting against the energy of the Heart of Darkness. The entire underground hall was filled with dazzling light, as if the world was shaking.

At the same time, Qin Wentian also quickly rushed to the underground hall. When he saw the scene in front of him, he immediately realized the urgency of the situation. He joined the battle without hesitation and fought against the Heart of Darkness with Xiao Xiao and Ye Qilin.

However, the power of the Heart of Darkness was far stronger than they had imagined. Despite their best efforts, the power of darkness continued to grow, as if to devour them completely.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao suddenly felt the energy of the artifact in her body surge. It was an unprecedentedly powerful force that almost tore her body apart. She clenched her teeth in pain, but did not dare to stop chanting the spell.

"Xiaoxiao!" Qin Wentian was filled with anxiety when he saw Xiaoxiao's condition. He immediately rushed forward, wanting to help her share the pressure.

However, Xiao Xiao pushed Qin Wentian away with all her strength, "Don't come over! You can't be swallowed by this power... This is a battle for me alone..."

Ye Qilin and Qin Wentian's eyes were filled with pain and struggle, but they understood that Xiaoxiao at this moment would not allow them to intervene. They could only stand aside and do their best to protect her from being eroded by the power of darkness.

Xiao Xiao felt that the power of the artifact was almost out of control, and she knew that she had reached her limit. But she couldn't give up, she had to hold on until the last moment. Her spell became more intense, and the light of the artifact became more dazzling, as if it was going to completely destroy the Heart of Darkness.

Finally, under the final impact, the Heart of Darkness let out a shrill roar, and the entire underground hall began to collapse. Xiaoxiao's body was surrounded by huge energy, as if she was fighting the darkness for the last time.

With a deafening explosion, the Heart of Darkness was finally completely destroyed. The entire underground hall was reduced to ruins, and the power of darkness was completely dispelled. However, Xiaoxiao's body also lost its support at this moment and slowly fell to the ground.

Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin immediately rushed to Xiaoxiao and hugged her tightly in their arms.

His face was pale and his breath was weak, as if he would disappear at any time.

"Xiaoxiao, hold on!" Qin Wentian's voice was filled with pain and unwillingness. He could not accept the fact that he had lost her.

Xiaoxiao opened her eyes with difficulty and forced a smile, "I... I'm fine... We succeeded, didn't we?"

Ye Qilin held Xiaoxiao's hand tightly, his voice low and firm, "Yes, we succeeded. You did it."

Xiaoxiao nodded slightly, the light in her eyes gradually dimming, "Thank you... for accompanying me here... I... am really happy..."

Before she finished speaking, Xiaoxiao's eyes slowly closed, and she fell into endless darkness. Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin's hearts seemed to be torn apart. They hugged Xiaoxiao tightly, their eyes filled with endless grief.

However, a miracle happened at this moment - the artifact in Xiaoxiao's hand suddenly glowed again, and the light enveloped her body, as if performing some mysterious ritual. Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin stared at all this in amazement, unable to believe the scene before them.

The light lasted for a moment, and finally slowly dissipated. Xiaoxiao's breath gradually recovered, and her face began to turn rosy. She slowly opened her eyes, looked at the two people in front of her, and revealed a gentle smile.

"I... am back." Xiaoxiao said softly, with tears in her eyes.

Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin hugged Xiaoxiao excitedly, their hearts filled with joy and gratitude. They knew that although this battle was full of dangers, they finally defeated the darkness and won the light.

Xiaoxiao gently stroked their hair, feeling their warmth, her heart filled with happiness and satisfaction. She knew that the road ahead was still full of unknowns, but as long as they were by her side, she would have nothing to fear.

The darkness was finally dispelled, and the forest regained its vitality. Xiao Xiao, Qin Wentian and Ye Qilin stood together, looking at the beautiful scenery in front of them, their hearts full of expectations for the future. Although they experienced countless hardships and obstacles, they finally overcame their fate and came to this day.

They know that the real adventure has just begun. And their story will continue to be written...

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