Invincible Soul Emperor

Xiao Xiao and Xue Feng watched Old Turtle quietly.

Then they slowly walked to its side.

It wasn’t until they got closer that they realized the Old Turtle was twice as tall as the two of them combined.

The head of the Old Turtle was large and resilient, its eyes deep and clear, exuding a wisdom and calm that penetrated the heart.

It slowly moved its long neck, seemingly observing the two young humans before it.

The gaze made Xiao Xiao and Xue Feng feel an involuntary sense of awe.

Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but think: the thousand-year-old Elder Gui might just be a legendary creature.

There are so many secrets within the Xue Family that she doesn’t know!

In this Secret Realm, they have no idea how many unknowns they have yet to encounter.

There’s no telling when they’ll find Buddha’s Relic.

"Ahem, hello, thousand-year Old Turtle," Xiao Xiao respectfully began, "We came to this seabed hoping to find a way out. We heard you are the wisest elder here, capable of guiding us in the right direction."

Old Turtle nodded slowly, its gaze profound and serene, as if it could see through everything.

After a while, it spoke in a deep, magnetic voice: "Your determination and courage are commendable, but coming in is easy, getting out is difficult. Finding the way out is no simple task.

The dangers and challenges ahead far exceed your imagination. Before guiding you, I need to ascertain whether you possess enough wisdom and perseverance to face these trials."

Xiao Xiao and Xue Feng exchanged glances, their eyes filled with calm.

Isn’t it just a test?

Could it really be that difficult?

They nodded in agreement, expressing their willingness to accept any test.

Old Turtle smiled slightly and continued: "Alright, everyone who comes here says the same as you, wishing to take the test, but the results are often unsatisfactory. Next, I will give you three trials, only by passing these trials will I tell you the way ahead."

The two immediately nodded solemnly.

Then, under the guidance of the thousand-year Elder Gui, Xiao Xiao and Xue Feng began the first trial—"Riddle of Wisdom."

Old Turtle slowly said: "On this seabed, there rests an ancient ruin, within which lies a mysterious gemstone. You need to solve the riddles in the ruins, find the gemstone, and bring it back to me. This challenge depends not only on wisdom but also luck."

The two exchanged looks of mutual understanding and determination.

They knew well that this was not only a test of their wisdom but also a test of their luck.

Old Turtle detailed the location of the ruins, a mysterious place hidden between coral thickets and seaweed, almost merging with the surrounding environment, making it difficult to spot.

Following the guidance of Old Turtle, they swam towards the designated direction.

Along the way, they passed through dense seaweed forests, dodged schools of fish, and encountered a few curious sea turtles. As they delved deeper, the surroundings became darker, the coral and seaweed more abundant, as if protecting something important.

Finally, they arrived at the ancient ruins mentioned by Old Turtle. It’s a place forgotten by time, with massive stone pillars and broken stone slabs scattered across the seabed, forming a natural barrier.

The entrance to the ruins was obscured by thick seaweed, almost invisible. Carefully, they parted the seaweed, revealing a narrow passageway.

"This looks like the entrance," Xiao Xiao whispered.

Xue Feng nodded, gripping the Longsword in his hand, cautiously surveying the surroundings. "Let’s go in, be careful."

The two gradually entered the passage, finding the space increasingly spacious.

The walls were covered with ancient runes, which emitted a faint blue glow, seemingly guiding them forward.

Xiao Xiao studied these runes carefully, discovering they seemed to record some ancient legend and wisdom.

"These runes seem off, Xue Feng, come look," Xiao Xiao said, her voice echoing in the narrow passage.

Xue Feng ran over and silently noted these runes.

As they ventured deeper, they arrived at a large Stone Gate.

The Stone Gate was carved with complex patterns and symbols, appearing ancient and mysterious. The center of the gate embedded a circular groove, seemingly requiring a specific item to open.

"This is the first riddle," Xue Feng said, examining the patterns and symbols on the gate intently.

Xiao Xiao also pondered, her gaze wandering over every detail of the Stone Gate. Suddenly, she noticed a detail: "These symbols seem to be elements’ symbols. We need to find the correct sequence to touch them in order to open the Stone Gate."

The two began to study the symbols on the Stone Gate closely, discovering they represented water, fire, earth, and wind—the four elements.

According to the runes’ records, they needed to touch these symbols in a specific order to solve the mechanism of the Stone Gate.

"I remember the runes mentioned, water begets fire, fire begets earth, earth begets wind, wind begets water," Xiao Xiao recalled, "We should try following this order."

Xue Feng nodded in agreement, reaching out his hand to first touch the symbol representing water.

The symbol emitted a faint blue glow, and the Stone Gate trembled slightly. Then, he touched the symbol representing fire, flashing like a flame of red light. Then earth, and finally wind. Each symbol, upon touch, emitted different rays of light, and the shaking of the gate gradually intensified.

When the last symbol was touched, the Stone Gate slowly opened, emitting a low rumbling sound. Xiao Xiao and Xue Feng exchanged smiles, knowing they successfully solved the first riddle. Cautiously, they stepped into the hall behind the Stone Gate, the heart of the ruins, filled with an ancient and mysterious aura.

In the center of the hall, a blue-glowing gemstone floated, radiating soft light that illuminated the entire room. The surrounding walls were covered with more runes and patterns, seemingly recording the history and wisdom of the ruins.

"That’s the gemstone we’re looking for," Xiao Xiao said, her gaze captivated by the gemstone’s glow.

However, as they approached the gemstone, they suddenly felt a strong pressure. The air around seemed to become heavy and a vague sense of danger shrouded the entire room.

"Little Girl Xiaoxiao, be careful, something’s not right here," Xue Feng warned cautiously, gripping the Longsword, ready at any moment for an unexpected situation.

At that moment, the ground around the gemstone suddenly cracked, and a strong surge of energy emanated from below, forming a giant energy barrier. Inside the barrier appeared an ancient Guardian, its body covered with glowing runes, its eyes revealing wisdom and authority.

"You humans, if you wish to obtain this gemstone, you must prove you can withstand its power," the Guardian’s deep voice echoed in the hall.