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

Xiao Yichen walked into the depths of the cave. The cramped space was full of oppression, but he was not afraid at all. Instead, he became more worried. Who was the man in black robes and what was his connection with the artifact they were looking for? All of this was still unknown.

"Who are you?" Xiao Yichen asked straight to the point, with a hint of vigilance in his tone.

The man in black robe slowly raised his head, revealing a pale and thin face. A faint light flickered in his deep eye sockets, like a burning will-o'-the-wisp, which made people shudder.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I know what you are looking for." The black-robed man's voice was hoarse and low, like the sound of two rusty pieces of iron rubbing against each other.

"Do you know the whereabouts of the artifact?" Xiao Yichen asked with an idea in his mind.

The man in black robe did not answer directly. Instead, he took out an ancient parchment scroll from his arms and slowly unfolded it. On it was a complex and ancient map with various strange symbols and patterns marked on it.

"If you want to find the third artifact, follow the instructions on the map and head to the cursed castle." The man in black robe pointed to a gloomy and terrifying castle pattern in the center of the map and said, "But I have to remind you that this road is full of dangers and sacrifices. Are you ready?"

Xiao Yichen took the map without hesitation and said firmly: "In order to protect my lover and this world, I am willing to give everything!"

The man in black robe looked at him deeply, said nothing more, turned around and disappeared into the darkness, as if he had never appeared.

Xiao Yichen returned to the Valley of Despair with the map. After meeting up with Chu Mengmeng, the two of them immediately set out on a journey to find the third artifact.

Following the instructions on the map, they traveled through mountains and rivers, passed through dense forests, crossed turbulent rivers, and finally arrived at the place marked on the map.

In front of me was an old and dilapidated castle, with vines crawling all over the towering walls, like giant black pythons silently telling the vicissitudes of time. The gate had long since collapsed, revealing a dark entrance, like a gate to hell, which made people shudder.

Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen looked at each other and saw a solemn look in each other's eyes. They knew that the real test had just begun.

Walking into the castle, a chilly atmosphere hits you in the face, making you shiver. The interior of the castle is dimly lit, and the walls are covered with mottled marks, as if they had been burned by a raging fire. There are broken walls and ruins everywhere, as well as various strange statues and murals, all of which exude a sense of weirdness and gloom.

"It feels so uncomfortable here..." Chu Mengmeng couldn't help but shiver and held Xiao Yichen's hand tightly, as if this could give her a sense of security.

"Be careful, there may be danger here." Xiao Yichen warned in a low voice, while vigilantly observing the surrounding environment.

They walked forward cautiously, taking every step with extreme caution, fearing that they would trigger some trap. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew, and the torches on both sides of the corridor flickered, illuminating the murals on the walls, which seemed to come alive and pounce on them with their fangs and claws.

"Ah!" Chu Mengmeng screamed in fright and hugged Xiao Yichen tightly.

Xiao Yichen hurriedly comforted her and at the same time released powerful spiritual power to dispel the evil wind around them.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

They continued walking forward, passing through a series of gloomy corridors, and came to a spacious hall. In the center of the hall, there was a huge magic circle, emitting a strange light, as if it was a portal to another world.

"It seems that we have to find a way to activate this magic circle in order to find the third artifact." Xiao Yichen said as he carefully observed the magic circle.

"But how do we start it?" Chu Mengmeng asked.

Xiao Yichen pondered for a moment, and suddenly, he noticed that there were several grooves around the magic circle, which seemed to be used to place something.

"Maybe, we can try this..." Xiao Yichen took out the two artifacts he had found before from his arms and put them into the grooves respectively.

When the two artifacts were placed in the groove, the entire magic circle suddenly burst into dazzling light. Chu Mengmeng and Xiao Yichen were blinded by the sudden light, and bursts of deafening roars came to their ears...

When everything returned to calm, Xiao Yichen found himself in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by cold stone walls, the only light coming from a small window above his head.

"Meng Meng? Where are you?" Xiao Yichen shouted loudly, but got no response. His heart sank immediately...

The dazzling light faded away, and Chu Mengmeng found herself in a small stone room. The walls were engraved with ancient runes, emitting a faint light. In the center of the stone room, a dry well emitted bursts of cold air, which was eerie and terrifying.

"Xiao Yichen! Where are you?" Chu Mengmeng's heart was beating wildly. She shouted loudly, but only heard her own voice echoing in the empty stone room. Fear wrapped around her heart like a vine. She fell to the ground, tears blurring her eyes.

On the other side, Xiao Yichen found himself in an empty hall. In the center of the hall was a huge crystal ball suspended. Thunder and lightning were raging inside the ball, as if it contained the power to destroy the world. He tried to find an exit, but found that all passages were blocked by an invisible barrier and could not be crossed.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?" Xiao Yichen punched the cold wall, but it was no use. He was worried about Chu Mengmeng's safety, and even more worried that they had fallen into the enemy's trap.

At this moment, a black shadow appeared silently behind Xiao Yichen. The man in black robe looked at the crystal ball, with a complicated look in his eyes.

"You're finally here." The hoarse voice of the man in black robes echoed in the empty hall. "Only your power can break this ban and save them."

"They? Where is Mengmeng?" Xiao Yichen turned around abruptly, flames of anger burning in his eyes.

"They are trapped in different dimensions, and only you can bring them back." The man in black robe pointed at the crystal ball, "But you have to think clearly. Once you choose to take action, it means you will have to pay a huge price..."

Before the man in black robes finished speaking, Xiao Yichen had already rushed towards the crystal ball without hesitation. He stretched out his palm and pressed it on the surface of the sphere. In an instant, a powerful energy wave swept across the entire hall, and the lightning inside the crystal ball seemed to have found an outlet, rushing madly into Xiao Yichen's body.

"Ah!" Xiao Yichen screamed in pain, he felt as if his body was about to be torn apart. He saw Chu Mengmeng's horrified eyes, saw the complicated expression on the black-robed man's face, and also saw his own figure gradually being swallowed by the darkness...

"No! Don't!" The man in black robe wanted to stop him, but it was too late. He watched Xiao Yichen being swallowed by the dark energy, and the crystal ball also dimmed.

"Xiao Yichen..." The man in black robe knelt on the ground helplessly, his eyes full of pain and self-blame. He knew that he had made an unforgivable mistake and pushed Xiao Yichen into the abyss.

At this time, Chu Mengmeng, who was trapped in the stone chamber, had no idea what was happening outside. She stood up, wiped away her tears, and looked firmly at the bottomless well...

Chu Mengmeng took a deep breath and tried to calm her flustered heartbeat. The stone chamber was dead silent, with only the sound of her gentle breathing. She looked around, and the runes on the wall flickered in the dim light, as if mocking her helplessness.

"There must be a way out..." Chu Mengmeng bit her lip. She couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She didn't know what had happened to Xiao Yichen. She walked to the dry well, and the cold air hit her face, making her shiver. The well mouth was very narrow, and she couldn't see the bottom. There was only endless darkness and eerie silence.

Chu Mengmeng took a silk handkerchief from her waist, tied it to a piece of gravel, and then carefully put the gravel into the well. The silk handkerchief fell with the gravel and quickly disappeared into the darkness. For a long time, no sound was heard.

“Could it be…” Chu Mengmeng’s heart sank. Could it be that this well has no bottom at all?

Meanwhile, Xiao Yichen was trapped in the empty hall, pacing anxiously. The crystal ball had lost its light, staring at him coldly like a huge eyeball. He tried to attack the barrier in various ways, but to no avail. The barrier was indestructible, as if it had merged with the entire space.

"Damn it!" Xiao Yichen punched the wall, and the intense pain made him calm down a little. He knew that brute force could not solve the problem, and he had to find a way to crack this space.

He carefully observed the surrounding environment, and suddenly, he noticed a complex pattern on the ground in the center of the hall. In the center of the pattern was a six-pointed star. He walked over, squatted down, and carefully observed every detail of the pattern.

"What is this?" Xiao Yichen frowned. He felt that this pattern seemed to hide some secret, but he couldn't figure it out for the time being.

At this moment, the words that the man in black robe said before he left suddenly flashed through his mind: "To lift the ban, we must find the magic core in the castle..."

"Magic core?" Xiao Yichen suddenly raised his head. Could this pattern be the key to finding the magic core?

He stood up and followed the instructions of the pattern, moving step by step in the hall. With every step he took, he could feel an invisible energy fluctuation, as if guiding him in the direction he was going.

Finally, he came to the other side of the hall, and a huge stone door appeared in front of him. The stone door was carved with complicated patterns, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

Xiao Yichen took a deep breath and reached out to push open the stone door.

The stone door slowly opened, and dazzling golden light shone through the crack of the door. Xiao Yichen subconsciously covered his eyes. When the light faded, he could see the scene clearly.

A huge spherical space appeared in front of him. In the center of the space, a sphere emitting dazzling light was suspended in the air. Powerful energy fluctuations emanated from the sphere, filling the entire space.

This is the magic core!

Xiao Yichen was delighted and was about to step forward, but he found that an invisible barrier flashed dangerously around the magic core. He stretched out his hand tentatively, but before he could touch the barrier, he was bounced back by a powerful force.

"Damn it!" Xiao Yichen took a few steps back, steadied himself, and felt powerless. He finally found the magic core, but he couldn't get close to it, let alone lift the ban.

At this moment, he felt a weak energy fluctuation coming from his arms. He took out the jade pendant, which emitted a warm light, as if responding to his anxiety and uneasiness.

"Mengmeng..." Xiao Yichen held the jade pendant tightly, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. He knew that Chu Mengmeng must also be trying hard to find a way out, and they will definitely meet again.

At the same time, Chu Mengmeng also discovered an astonishing secret. The runes on the wall of the stone chamber turned out to be an ancient magic array! And the center of the array was the bottomless dry well...

"Could it be..." Chu Mengmeng's heart began to beat violently. She seemed to have guessed something vaguely, but she didn't dare to believe it, nor did she want to believe it.

At this moment, a vague memory suddenly flashed through her mind. It was a legend recorded in an ancient book that she accidentally read when she was a child.

"Legend has it that at the end of the world, there is a forgotten castle. A powerful magical power is sealed in the castle. Only those with pure souls can unlock the seal and gain this power..."

"Pure soul..." Chu Mengmeng murmured to herself, her eyes fell on the dry well, and a crazy idea grew in her mind.

"If this is the only way..." Chu Mengmeng took a deep breath, a trace of determination flashed in her eyes. She took out a dagger and cut her finger without hesitation. The blood dripped into the dry well and disappeared in an instant.

"With my blood, awaken the dormant power..." Chu Mengmeng chanted the ancient spell in a low voice. Her voice became louder and clearer, as if it had crossed time and space and reached the end of the world... Chu Mengmeng bit her lower lip, her face pale. She could feel waves of frightening energy coming from the depths of the dry well, as if something terrible was about to wake up. But she had no way out. For Xiao Yichen and their child, she had to take a gamble!

"Meng Meng, what are you doing?!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded outside the stone chamber. Chu Mengmeng looked up in surprise, and saw Xiao Yichen appear at the door. He was holding the jade pendant in his hand, and the jade pendant emitted a warm light, illuminating his anxious face.

"Xiao Yichen, I'm so glad you're okay!" Chu Mengmeng shouted excitedly.

Xiao Yichen walked quickly to her side, and when he saw the bloodstains and the dry well on the ground, his expression suddenly changed: "What are you doing? Do you want to..."

"I have no other choice." Chu Mengmeng shook her head and smiled bitterly, "Only in this way can we break the barrier and get the magic core."

Xiao Yichen held her hand tightly, his eyes full of worry and distress: "No, this spell is too dangerous, I won't allow you to do this!"

"But……"

"No buts!" Xiao Yichen interrupted her, his tone firm, "There must be other ways. Let's think about it again. There must be other ways!"

Chu Mengmeng wanted to say something, but was hugged by Xiao Yichen. He held her tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood.

"Believe me, Mengmeng, we can definitely find another way." Xiao Yichen whispered in her ear, his tone gentle but firm.

Chu Mengmeng leaned on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and her originally flustered heart gradually calmed down. Yes, with Xiao Yichen here, they can definitely find a solution, they can!

However, what they didn't know was that in the dark, a pair of malicious eyes were watching them. A figure in a black robe was hidden in the shadows, with a cold smile on his lips.

"What a touching love story..." the black-robed man whispered, his tone full of sarcasm, "Unfortunately, your struggles are in vain. In the end, you will still become my sacrifice!"