bookrandom Chapter 719 Ancient Altar
Chapter 719 Ancient Altar
Chen Yile and Lin Xiao looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.
Since the old principal is unwilling to reveal more information, we can only find another breakthrough.
"Let's go to town and ask around."
Chen Yile said in a low voice.
Lin Xiao nodded: “There should be some old people in the town who know the secret of this mountain.”
The next morning, the two of them quietly left the school while the students were still asleep.
After walking down the winding mountain road for about an hour, they arrived at the town market.
The market was bustling with people, and vendors were shouting their wares.
Chen Yile and Lin Xiao mingled in the crowd, looking around, hoping to find a local who knew the situation.
Just when they were about to give up, an old man with a hunched back caught their attention.
The old man was wearing a tattered gray cloth shirt, holding a bamboo cane in his hand, and was sitting under a big tree with his eyes closed to rest.
"Old man, do you know any ancient legends about this mountain?"
Lin Xiao walked forward and asked politely.
The old man slowly opened his eyes and his cloudy gaze fell on them.
There seemed to be something unfathomable hidden in his eyes, which made Chen Yile's heart shudder.
"Young man, knowing too much about some things may not be a good thing."
The old man said slowly, with a hint of warning in his tone.
"But we must know!" Lin Xiao said anxiously, "Something strange is happening in the school, and we need to find a solution."
The old man was silent for a moment, then finally spoke: "This mountain does indeed hide an ancient curse. Hundreds of years ago, a plague broke out here. The villagers believed it was caused by ghosts in the mountain, so they worked together to build an altar to suppress the wronged souls. But..."
At this point, the old man's voice suddenly grew low. "Those wronged souls haven't been completely eliminated. Every once in a while, they awaken and pass on some kind of message or warning through the children."
Chen Yile frowned: "The children you are talking about are the students in school?"
The old man nodded. "That's right. On every full moon night, those wronged souls awaken. They make low murmurs, reciting ancient prophecies."
Lin Xiao was horrified when he heard this: "Then what should we do?"
The old man sighed. "To break this curse, we must find the forgotten altar. It is said that the method to lift the curse is engraved on the altar, but the road to the altar is fraught with danger. You'd better be prepared before the full moon night arrives."
Chen Yile's heart moved: "Do you know the location of the altar?"
The old man shook his head. "I only know it's located in a dense forest on the mountainside. No one knows its exact location anymore. But..." He paused. "If you can find an ancient book called 'Records of Mountain Ghosts', it should contain the secret of the altar."
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up: "'Mountain Ghost Chronicles'? This name sounds familiar..."
Chen Yile suddenly thought of something: "Oh right! I saw an ancient book in the school library. There was a tattered book on the top shelf. It seemed to be called "Mountain Ghost Chronicles"!"
That afternoon, Chen Yile and Lin Xiao couldn't wait to return to school. In the school library, they found the copy of "Mountain Ghost Chronicles." The pages were yellowed and torn, but the text was still legible.
"This book records many secrets of this mountain." Chen Yile said as he flipped through the pages. "It seems we have to follow the instructions in the book to find the altar."
Lin Xiao leaned over to take a look. "It says the altar is located in a dense forest at the foot of 'Bluestone Peak.' Bluestone Peak is one of the highest peaks on this mountain, right?"
Chen Yile nodded. "That's right. But to get there, you have to go through a very dangerous forest. I heard that wild animals often appear there."
"Then let's get ready!" Lin Xiao said firmly.
The next morning, the two set out with flashlights, ropes, and some dry food. The mountain path was rugged and difficult to navigate, overgrown with weeds and filled with a damp air. The chirping of birds in the forest was intermittent, and the occasional howl of wild animals could be heard in the distance.
"Be careful." Chen Yile warned in a low voice, "There may be snakes here."
Lin Xiao clenched the flashlight in his hand: "Don't worry, I won't fall behind."
After walking for nearly two hours, they finally arrived at a dense forest. The trees here were so dense that they almost blocked out all the sunlight. The air was filled with a rotten smell that made people sick.
"This is the dense forest mentioned in the "Mountain Ghost Chronicles." Chen Yile said, pointing ahead.
Lin Xiao swallowed his saliva: "It feels so eerie..."
At this moment, a cold wind suddenly blew, and the leaves rustled. Chen Yile keenly felt a strange aura in the air.
"Hush." He whispered, "We might be being watched."
The two held their breath and walked forward cautiously. Suddenly, a huge black shadow flashed through the treetops!
"It's a wild boar!" Lin Xiao exclaimed.
Chen Yile quickly grabbed her wrist: "Don't move! It's just attracted by our scent!"
The wild boar roared deeply and paced back and forth in the bushes. Chen Yile could feel its tusks covered with dirt and dead leaves.
At this moment, a piercing chill suddenly struck him from behind! Chen Yile turned around abruptly, but saw nothing.
"Be careful!" Lin Xiao suddenly shouted.
A giant spider fell from the tree! Its body was as big as an adult's hand, and its eight legs were waving in the air.
Chen Yile quickly took out the exorcism talisman he carried with him: "This is a trap! There must be something here watching us secretly!"
After some thrilling twists and turns, the two finally found the altar.
It is located on an open flat ground and is surrounded by a circle of bluestone pillars.
In the center of the altar stands a bronze tripod, engraved with ancient symbols.
"This is the altar mentioned in the "Mountain Ghost Chronicles"!" Lin Xiao said excitedly.
Chen Yile approached the bronze tripod and carefully examined the symbols on it: "These symbols seem to be somewhat similar to those in the diary."
At this moment, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew past! The bronze tripod suddenly emitted a faint light, and the symbols began to slowly rotate.
"Look!" Lin Xiao exclaimed, pointing at the bronze tripod.
As the symbol rotated, a faint green smoke rose from the cauldron. The smoke gradually condensed into a vague figure!
"Is this... a ghost?" Chen Yile gasped.
The figure spoke slowly, "You've finally arrived... This mountain has been cursed for centuries. Every full moon, wronged spirits awaken to deliver prophecies. Your arrival... seems to be the key to this curse."