Me? I was transported into a book? And I became a vicious villain?

After the black fog dissipated, a pungent smell of sulfur filled the air for a long time. Chu Mengmeng coughed a few times, raised her hand to fan the air in front of her, and frowned slightly. Xiao Yichen took her into his arms with concern and whispered to comfort her: "It's okay, don't be afraid."

The mysterious woman squatted down and carefully observed the traces of dark magic left on the ground. These traces were like black blood vessels, crisscrossing and exuding a frightening evil aura.

"These traces..." The mysterious woman stretched out her finger and gently touched a black pattern. A bone-chilling chill came from her fingertips. She quickly withdrew her hand and said solemnly, "These are the marks of ancient dark magic."

"Ancient dark magic?" Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen asked in unison, with surprise on their faces. Although they knew a little about dark magic, they knew nothing about this legendary ancient magic.

"That's right." The mysterious woman stood up and said in a serious tone, "This kind of magic has been lost for thousands of years. I didn't expect it to reappear in the world today. It seems that the enemy we encountered this time is far more powerful and dangerous than we imagined."

"Then what should we do?" Chu Mengmeng asked worriedly, "Is there any way to stop him?"

The mysterious woman pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Based on the direction of these magical traces, I guess he is most likely from a place called 'Shadow Abyss'."

"Shadow Abyss?" Xiao Yichen frowned. He seemed to have heard of this name somewhere, but he couldn't remember it.

"It is an ancient and mysterious place. Legend has it that it is the birthplace of all dark magic." The mysterious woman explained, "It is full of dangers and unknowns. Even I have never set foot there."

"Then we..." Chu Mengmeng wanted to ask again, but Xiao Yichen gently held her hand. He looked at the mysterious woman and said firmly, "We are going to the Shadow Abyss."

The mysterious woman looked at him deeply, said nothing, and just nodded.

As night fell, the stars twinkled. Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen packed their bags and stood at the gate of the courtyard, ready to set off. A gust of night wind blew by, bringing a hint of coolness and also blowing the silver-white long hair of the mysterious woman that fell on her shoulders.

She turned around and handed a crystal clear blue crystal to Chu Mengmeng, saying, "This crystal can guide you to find the entrance to the Shadow Abyss. Remember, you must be careful and do what you can."

"We will remember your words." Xiao Yichen took the crystal and nodded solemnly.

"Let's go." He took Chu Mengmeng's hand and turned to walk out the door.

They didn't look back, nor did they speak, but they both knew that what awaited them would be a journey full of unknowns and dangers...

Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen held hands and walked in the direction indicated by the crystal. The night was dark, and the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds. Only the crystal in their hands emitted a faint blue light, illuminating their way forward.

"Are we really going to that Shadow Abyss?" Chu Mengmeng's voice was trembling. She held Xiao Yichen's hand tightly. "I always feel uneasy. Will there be danger?"

Xiao Yichen stopped, turned around, gently embraced Chu Mengmeng in his arms, and comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid, I will always be with you and protect you." His deep eyes flashed with a firm light, "We have already promised that senior, and if we don't figure out all this, we can't solve the problem completely. You don't want that mysterious enemy to disturb our lives again, right?"

Chu Mengmeng raised her head and looked at Xiao Yichen's determined eyes, and her heart gradually calmed down. She nodded and said softly: "Well, I believe you."

They continued to move forward, encountering all kinds of difficulties and challenges along the way. Giant trees blocked the sun, thickets of thorns blocked their way; the roaring and icy rivers made it difficult for them to move forward.

"Be careful!" Xiao Yichen grabbed Chu Mengmeng and dodged a black magic arrow shot from deep in the woods. The magic arrow made a sharp sound of breaking through the air and hit a thick tree trunk, embedding deeply into it. The black magic aura spread on the trunk, instantly corroding the tree into a pile of black powder.

"It looks like we have entered enemy territory." Xiao Yichen looked around vigilantly and whispered, "We need to be more careful."

They advanced cautiously, using the terrain and the surrounding trees as cover to avoid the occasional magic traps and patrolling dark creatures. Although Chu Mengmeng was afraid, she always followed Xiao Yichen closely and did not retreat.

Finally, they arrived in front of an ancient and gloomy castle. The castle was towering into the sky, with mottled walls covered with black vines, like a giant beast with bared fangs and claws, quietly lurking in the darkness. The castle's gate was closed, with strange patterns carved on it, exuding a frightening dark atmosphere.

"The place indicated by the crystal is here." Xiao Yichen looked at the crystal in his hand and whispered, "It seems that we must go in and find out."

Chu Mengmeng took a deep breath, clenched the dagger in her hand, and whispered: "Okay, let's do it together."

Xiao Yichen nodded, took her hand, and walked towards the eerie door...

The ancient castle gate slowly opened with a dull sound, and a cold and damp breath came to her face, mixed with the smell of dust and corruption, which was disgusting. Chu Mengmeng subconsciously covered her mouth and nose, and leaned towards Xiao Yichen uneasily.

The interior of the castle was even more gloomy and terrifying than the outside. The towering walls were covered with tattered tapestries, depicting some weird and terrifying scenes, like a demon's feast or the wailing of the dead. The weak light shone through a few flickering torches on the wall, making their shadows distorted and terrifying.

"Be careful!" Xiao Yichen suddenly pulled Chu Mengmeng behind him. At the same time, a black magic arrow flew over their heads and nailed into the opposite wall. The black magic aura quickly spread, corroding the surrounding stones with a sizzling sound.

Before they could react, several magic arrows shot from different directions. Xiao Yichen waved the sword in his hand and shot down the arrows one by one, but one arrow still grazed his arm, leaving a deep blood mark.

"You are injured!" Chu Mengmeng exclaimed and hurried forward to check Xiao Yichen's injuries.

"I'm fine, just a scratch." Xiao Yichen comforted her while enduring the pain.

"It's all my fault. If you hadn't protected me, you wouldn't have been hurt." Chu Mengmeng said self-reproachfully, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? It is my responsibility to protect you." Xiao Yichen gently wiped away the tears from her eyes. "I promised you that I would always be by your side, and I will never break my promise."

Looking at Xiao Yichen's determined eyes, Chu Mengmeng felt a warm current in her heart. She nodded vigorously, suppressed the fear and uneasiness in her heart, and began to treat his wounds calmly.

After a simple bandage, they continued to explore cautiously. Along the way, they encountered various traps and guardian monsters, but they resolved them one by one. Chu Mengmeng was no longer the weak girl who would only hide behind Xiao Yichen when in danger. She showed amazing courage and wisdom, fighting side by side with Xiao Yichen to overcome difficulties together.

Finally, they arrived at the center of the castle, and a magnificent hall appeared before them. In the center of the hall, a huge crystal ball was suspended, emitting dazzling light, illuminating the entire hall.

"It seems that we are getting closer and closer to the truth." Xiao Yichen looked at the crystal ball, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

However, just as they were about to approach the crystal ball, a powerful magical force suddenly burst out from the crystal ball, forming a transparent barrier that blocked them out.

"Is this... a magic shield?" Xiao Yichen's face changed and he tried to attack the shield with magic, but to no avail.

"It seems that if we want to solve the mystery of all this, we still need to find a way to break this shield." Chu Mengmeng said calmly with a firm look.

Xiao Yichen nodded and tightened the hilt of the sword in his hand, "Let's go together." Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen temporarily left the castle and returned to their shop. The afterglow of the setting sun poured into the house through the window, coating the quaint furniture with a layer of warm gold. Chu Mengmeng gently stroked the sleeping baby in her arms, her eyes full of maternal tenderness.

Xiao Yichen was sorting books aside, his brows slightly furrowed, obviously still thinking about what was happening in the castle. "This magic shield is extraordinary," he pondered, "I have never seen such a powerful defensive barrier, I'm afraid it's not easy to break."

Chu Mengmeng raised her head with a determined look: "We must find a way to crack it. I have a hunch that the castle hides important clues about the mysterious enemy, and it may even be related to the secret of my travel through time."

Xiao Yichen walked up to her and gently held her hand: "You are right, we can't just sit there and wait for death. Tomorrow morning, we will go visit an old friend, maybe he can provide us with some help."

The next morning, before the mist had dispersed, Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen set out on their journey to the Magician's Guild. The Magician's Guild was located in an old manor on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by dense forests, with a quiet and mysterious environment.

The guild leader was a white-haired old man named Albert, who had profound magical knowledge and rich experience. After hearing their purpose, Albert fell into deep thought, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"The situation you are facing is indeed tricky," Albert said slowly. "The castle is very old. Legend has it that it was once the residence of a powerful dark wizard and was later sealed up. If my guess is correct, the magic shield should be controlled by three lost magic keys."

"Three magic keys?" Chu Mengmeng asked, "Then where should we look for them?"

Albert shook his head: "That's exactly what I'm going to say next. These three keys represent courage, wisdom and love respectively. They are scattered all over the world, and only those who truly possess these three qualities can find them."

Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen looked at each other, and a glimmer of hope ignited in their hearts. They believed that as long as they persevered, they would be able to find a way to break the shield and uncover the truth hidden in the darkness.

"I will do my best to help you," Albert said, walking to the bookshelf and taking down a heavy ancient book from the top. "This ancient book records some legends about magic keys, which may be helpful to you."