Chapter 296 Going to the Ancient Fortress

Chapter 296 Going to the Ancient Fortress

The ancient fortress, located at the edge of the Zerg world, is shrouded in a mysterious fog. Legend has it that there is ancient wisdom and powerful power hidden there. For the Zerg, it is both a holy place and a taboo place, because any Zerg who tries to approach it has never returned. But the arrival of Lin Zhi and Zhang Ying seems to have brought a new turn to this ancient mystery.

"We must go," Lin Zhi stood on the high platform of the Zerg village, looking into the distance with a firm gaze, "There may be secrets in the ancient fortress that can help us fight against external threats." The external threats she mentioned are those unknown creatures trying to invade the Zerg world. Their appearance has plunged this once peaceful land into crisis.

Wang Jun and Wang Kai looked at each other, their eyes flashing with fighting spirit and determination. "We will accompany you, no matter how difficult the road ahead is." The Zerg brothers' voices were deep and powerful. They knew that as the guardians of this land, it was their responsibility to protect their homeland.

Li Li, Li Ming, Li Hua, and Li Li, four siblings, also gathered around. Although they were young, they each had extraordinary abilities. "We are the new generation of the Zerg, and it's time to prove ourselves." Li Li's words were filled with the stubbornness and courage of a young girl.

Hua Yuan and Zhang Yuan quietly prepared the materials and equipment needed for the expedition. Their wisdom and carefulness always ensured the safety and supplies of the team. After everything was ready, the group of eight set out on the journey to the ancient fortress.

The journey was long and difficult, they crossed dense jungles, crossed steep mountains, and encountered several small-scale attacks by alien creatures. But with the tacit understanding and cooperation among the team, they were always able to overcome danger and continue to move forward.

Finally, in a desolate valley, they found the entrance to the ancient fortress. It was a huge stone door with complex totems and symbols carved on it, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere. Lin Zhi stepped forward and gently touched the patterns on the stone door. A weak energy wave passed into her heart, as if telling a distant history.

"Are you ready?" Lin Zhi looked back at everyone, with a determined light in his eyes.

"We're ready!" Everyone answered in unison, their hearts closely connected as they faced the unknown challenges together.

As Lin Zhi slowly pushed open the stone door, a dull roar echoed through the valley, and the secret door of the ancient fortress finally opened to them. What greeted them was dim light and ancient dust in the air. They stepped in carefully, stepping on the dust of history with every step.

The interior of the ancient fortress is intricate and the passages are intertwined, like a huge maze. Relying on the intuition of Lin Zhi and Zhang Ying, and the wisdom of Hua Yuan and Zhang Yuan, they go deeper step by step. On the way, they find many ancient ruins and treasures, but more unknown dangers and traps.

While dodging a trap, Wang Jun accidentally triggered a hidden trap, and a stone door leading to a deeper level slowly opened. Behind the door was a huge circular hall, with a radiant crystal platform in the center. On the crystal platform, there was a crystal that emitted strong energy fluctuations - that was the legendary "Heart of Wisdom".

"This is what we are looking for!" Lin Zhi shouted excitedly. She knew that this crystal not only contained ancient wisdom, but was also likely to be the key to fighting against external threats.

However, just as they were about to take away the "Heart of Wisdom", a powerful energy wave suddenly burst out from the crystal, enveloping the entire hall.

They also made friends with a group of loyal Zerg people, including the smart and brave Wang Jun, the powerful Wang Kai, and four Zerg brothers and sisters with different personalities: the calm Li Yu, the witty Li Ming, the gentle Li Hua, and the lively Li Li. Hua Yuan and Zhang Yuan, the Zerg orphans they rescued during an expedition, have now become an indispensable member of this big family.

On this day, Linzhi received an urgent call from the Zerg Elders Council, with the mission of repairing and decorating an ancient fortress so that it could serve as an important place for the Zerg to communicate with the outside world in the future. This fortress is located deep in a dense forest on the edge of the Zerg territory. It is said that it was once the residence of a great hero in the history of the Zerg, but was later forgotten due to disrepair.

"This mission is of great importance, and we must go all out." Lin Zhi stood in the center of the camp and said to his companions who were about to go with him. His eyes were firm and his tone revealed his unquestionable determination.

Zhang Ying nodded in agreement, holding tightly in his hand an ancient map, which was the valuable information they had obtained from the Council of Elders during the preparation stage. "According to this map, the entrance to the fortress is hidden in a misty forest. We need to be careful to avoid getting lost."

Wang Jun and Wang Kai looked at each other and smiled, obviously looking forward to the upcoming adventure. "Don't worry, with us here, no matter how complicated the terrain is, it's no problem!" Wang Jun assured, patting his chest.

Li? was silently calculating the needed supplies and tools to ensure that the team could successfully complete the mission. "Food, water, repair materials... everything is ready, we can set off."

Li Ming, Li Hua and Li Li were in charge of packing the equipment. They carefully packed every tool to ensure that nothing would be missed during the trip. Although Hua Yuan and Zhang Yuan were still young, they also tried their best to help, packing the bags with their tender little hands.

The group set out on their journey in the morning light. They crossed dense jungles and turbulent rivers, and finally arrived at the edge of the misty forest after several days. The forest was shrouded in fog and visibility was extremely low, but they relied on the keen intuition of Wang Jun and Wang Kai, as well as the map in Zhang Ying's hand, to slowly move towards the fortress.

As they went deeper, the atmosphere in the forest became more and more strange, and occasionally there were a few cries of unknown creatures, which made people feel cold. But Linzhi and his group did not retreat. They encouraged each other and moved forward hand in hand. Finally, deep in a dense forest, they found an ancient stone door entangled by vines, which was the entrance to the fortress.

Everyone worked together to push open the stone door, and a long-forgotten smell came to their faces. They lit torches, stepped into this forgotten fortress, and began the intensive restoration and decoration work. Lin Zhi and Zhang Ying were responsible for planning and layout, Wang Jun and Wang Kai used their strength to move stones and repair walls, and Li? directed Li Ming, Li Hua, and Li Li to carry out detailed decoration work. Hua Yuan and Zhang Yuan helped to clean up the garbage, bringing new vitality to the fortress.

After several days of hard work, the ancient fortress finally took on a new look, not only regaining its former majesty, but also adding a bit of modern flavor. Standing at the highest point of the fortress, Lin Zhi looked at the land they had fought for together, his heart filled with pride and gratitude. He knew that this fortress would not only become a bridge for the Zerg to communicate with the outside world, but also a witness to the deep friendship between them, a group of traversers, and their Zerg brothers and sisters.

As night fell, the fortress was brightly lit, and representatives sent by the Zerg Elder Council arrived one after another, expressing their sincere gratitude to Lin Zhi and his team for their outstanding contributions.

Lin Zhi and Zhang Ying walked side by side, their eyes were firm, their hearts were full of curiosity and desire for exploration. Since crossing into this strange world, they have experienced countless challenges and adventures, and have forged deep friendships with Zerg brothers Wang Jun, Wang Kai, and four Zerg siblings Li?, Li Ming, Li Hua, and Li Li. Today, their goal is the legendary ancient fortress gem, a mysterious treasure that is said to have supreme power.

"Linzhi, are you sure that the gem in the ancient fortress really exists?" Zhang Ying asked as he walked, with a hint of doubt on his face.

Lin Zhi nodded and looked ahead: "According to the records of the ancient Zerg books, the gem does exist, and it is in the ancient fortress we are about to go to. However, that place is extremely dangerous, and it is said that there are powerful guards and complex mechanisms."

"Hmph, so what if it's dangerous? We have been through danger every time along the way." Wang Jun interrupted, his tone full of confidence and disdain.

Wang Kai patted Wang Jun on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Brother, don't be careless. This mission is different from the previous ones. We must act carefully."

The team continued to move forward, and the four Zerg siblings followed closely behind. Li?, as the wise man in the team, reminded everyone to pay attention to the surrounding movements from time to time. Li Ming and Li Hua were responsible for scouting ahead to ensure that there were no emergencies. Although the youngest, Li Li, was still young, her speed and agility were unmatched, and she could often provide help to the team at critical moments.

As the sun gradually set, they finally arrived at the entrance of the ancient fortress. It was an ancient and huge building with mottled walls, as if telling the vicissitudes of a thousand years. The gate of the fortress was closed, and there were two huge statues standing in front of the gate, holding spears and looking at them with torches, as if they were guarding this mysterious place.

"Is this the entrance to the ancient fortress?" Zhang Ying looked at everything in front of him and couldn't help feeling awe in his heart.

Lin Zhi nodded, her eyes serious: "Yes, we have to find a way to get in."

Just when everyone was at a loss, Li? suddenly said, "I remember it was mentioned in ancient books that there is a mechanism at the entrance of the ancient fortress, which requires a specific method to open."

"Specific method? What is it?" Wang Jun asked anxiously.

Li? pondered for a moment, then pointed to the two grooves on the gate: "It should be related to these two grooves. Ancient books record that you need to find two specific gems and embed them into the two grooves respectively, and then the gate will open."

"Gem? What kind of gem?" Zhang Ying asked.

Li shook his head: "The ancient books don't give a detailed description, they only say that the two gems represent light and darkness respectively."

Hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought. Light and darkness, these two words seemed to contain some kind of profound philosophy that was hard to fathom.

At this moment, Wang Kai's eyes suddenly lit up: "I remember that in our previous expedition, we once obtained two gems of completely different colors. One was crystal clear and as dazzling as the sun; the other was as black as ink, as if it could swallow all the light."

"Yes, it's those two gems!" Li?'s face showed joy when he heard it.

So, everyone quickly took out the two gems from their backpacks and, following Li?s instructions, inserted them into the two grooves on the door. A dazzling light flashed, and then the door slowly opened, revealing a dark passage.

"It seems we have found the right place." Lin Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the passage first.

The passage was pitch black, with only the torches in their hands illuminating a small area in front of them. As they went deeper, the air around them became increasingly dull, as if an invisible pressure was oppressing their nerves.

"Everyone be careful, there may be hidden traps here," Wang Jun warned.

However, just as he finished speaking, a sharp arrow flew out from the darkness and headed straight for Lin Zhi. Lin Zhi reacted quickly, dodged to the side, and narrowly avoided the attack.

"There's an ambush!" Zhang Ying shouted, and everyone immediately entered combat status.

After a fierce battle, they finally repelled the enemies hiding in the dark. However, this was just the beginning. As they went deeper, more and more enemies emerged, and each battle became extremely difficult.

"This is not a solution. We must find the gem and leave this place as soon as possible." Lin Zhi wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to everyone.

"But we haven't even seen the shadow of the gem." Wang Kai said a little frustrated.

At this moment, Li Li suddenly pointed to a corner in front and shouted: "Look, there is a light flashing there!"

Everyone looked in the direction of Li Li's finger, and saw a shining gem lying quietly at the end of the passage, as if waiting for their arrival.

"Is that the gem of the ancient fortress?" Zhang Ying asked excitedly.

Lin Zhi nodded, with a determined light in her eyes: "Yes, we can definitely get it!"

So, everyone cheered up again and rushed towards the shining gem. After some effort, they finally succeeded in getting the gem. However, just as they were about to leave, a strong energy wave suddenly emanated from the gem, enveloping them all.

"What's going on?" Wang Jun asked in horror.

Lin Zhi didn't know what was going on, but he knew that they had to find a way out as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

At this moment, the energy fluctuation suddenly disappeared, and they found themselves standing outside the ancient fortress. The gemstone lay quietly in their hands, emitting a soft light.

"We succeeded!" Zhang Ying cheered.

Lin Zhi looked at the gem in her hand, her heart full of emotion: "We have experienced too many hardships and dangers along the way. However, it is these experiences that make us stronger and braver."

"That's right, we are a family. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must face them together." Wang Jun patted Lin Zhi's shoulder, his tone firm and warm.