From cute to empress

Chapter 352: The Battle between Sword Light and Darkness

After the blinding flash of light, I fell heavily to the ground, my ears ringing and my vision blurring. I struggled to stand up, but found that my limbs were weak, as if they were falling apart.

"Your Majesty!" A familiar voice sounded in my ears. I blinked hard and vaguely saw Youcai's anxious face.

"I'm fine..." I shook my head, trying to reassure him, but I found that my voice was very hoarse.

"Your Majesty, you are injured!" Youcai helped me up and looked at the blood oozing from my forehead with concern.

Only then did I feel a sharp pain in my forehead. Looking around, the narrow passage had vanished, replaced by a wide, circular space. We seemed to be back in the ruins hall. However, the once solemn and majestic hall was now in ruins, littered with collapsed stone pillars and shattered mechanical debris.

The air was filled with a disgusting stench of decay, and many bodies of guards were lying on the ground, with expressions of fear still on their faces.

"Enemy attack! Protect His Majesty!" A few roars came from not far away, and then I realized that the surviving guards were holding weapons, standing back to back, staring vigilantly at the darkness around them.

"What's going on? What happened?" I asked, enduring the pain in my body.

"Your Majesty, we're under attack!" A blood-soaked guard ran over, knelt on one knee in front of me, and spoke in a sorrowful tone, "A monster unlike anything we've ever seen. They...they crawled out from the wall!"

"Monster?" I was shocked. Before I could ask, I heard a creepy roar coming from the darkness.

"Protect His Majesty!" Youcai protected me behind him, drew his sword, and stared at the direction where the voice came from with sharp eyes.

In the darkness, pairs of scarlet eyes slowly lit up, and accompanied by the grinding sound of bones rubbing against each other, a group of hideous monsters emerged from all directions. They were tall, covered in spikes, and their mouths dripped with dark green liquid, emitting a foul odor.

"Kill!" Youcai shouted, rushing forward first. The long sword in his hand turned into a series of silver lights, beheading the monsters that rushed over. The guards also fought desperately. For a moment, shouts and screams echoed throughout the hall.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Youcai chopped off a monster's head with a sword, but when he turned around, he saw a monster approaching him silently.

I was startled and tried to dodge, but it was too late. Just as the monster's claws were about to fall, a flash of golden light appeared, and the monk appeared before me. The staff in his hand brought immense force and smashed down on the monster's head, sending it flying.

"Amitabha, Your Majesty, don't panic, I'm coming!" The monk had a kind face, but he had an indomitable spirit.

"Master, what are you doing..." Before I could finish my words, Youcai pulled me behind him and said, "It's too dangerous here, Your Majesty, please protect yourself!"

"Your Majesty, look!" the weather officer shouted in horror, pointing at the energy core in the center of the hall. "It...it's changing color!"

I looked up and saw that the energy core, which had originally radiated a dazzling light, was now enveloped by a strange black substance. The originally pure light also became flickering, as if it would be extinguished at any moment...

"Oh no! It's getting out of control!" The monk said solemnly, "It's the power of darkness! It's eroding the energy core!"

"The power of darkness?" My heart sank. "What is that?"

The monk didn't answer. Instead, he stared at the energy core with a sullen expression and said slowly, "It seems we have all underestimated the danger of this relic..."

In the center of the hall, the light of the energy core became dimmer and dimmer, while the strange black substance continued to spread and expand like a greedy vine, as if to devour all the light.

"Amitabha..." The monk muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. "The power of darkness has already penetrated into the energy core. If we don't stop it quickly, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"Master, is there any way to stop it?" I asked anxiously, my fists clenching unconsciously.

The monk shook his head, his tone heavy, "The source of the dark power comes from the depths of the ruins, an evil being that has been sealed for thousands of years. It is trying to break the seal. If it succeeds, the entire universe will be plunged into darkness!"

"Evil existence? Seal?" I was shocked. Could it be that such a terrible secret is hidden in this relic?

"Your Majesty, we must find a way to seal the power of darkness as soon as possible!" Youcai gripped the hilt of the sword and spoke firmly, "Otherwise, everything will be over!"

"But we know nothing about this place. How can we find the seal?" I looked around, feeling powerless.

"Your Majesty, please trust us!" the meteorologist suddenly spoke up. "The builders of this ruin must have left clues. As long as we search carefully, we will definitely find a way to seal the power of darkness!"

"Okay! I believe you!" I took a deep breath, my eyes gradually becoming firmer. "We can't just sit there and wait for death. We must take the initiative!"

"Your Majesty, please stay here. It's relatively safe here. The monk and I will go find a way to seal it." Youcai said, and was about to pull the monk away.

"No, I want to go with you!" I shook my head firmly. "I can't hide behind you. I want to do my part for my people and my universe!"

Youcai wanted to persuade me again, but was stopped by my firm gaze. He knew that I would not change my decision easily.

"Alright, let's go together!" Youcai no longer hesitated and turned to the surviving guards, ordering them, "You stay here and protect His Majesty! If anyone shows any signs of abnormality, kill them without mercy!"

"Yes!" The guards answered in unison, their eyes filled with determination to face death.

The three of us formed a small team and walked cautiously towards the depths of the ruins. Along the way, we encountered various dangers, including huge gargoyles, giant spiders that sprayed venom, and agile ghost wolves.

Wherever we went, Youcai and I fought side by side, swinging our weapons in deadly arcs, destroying our enemies one by one. The monks chanted scriptures beside us, using the Dharma to bless us and resist the encroachment of the dark forces.

After passing through a long and narrow corridor, we arrived in front of a huge stone door. The stone door was carved with intricate patterns, and it faintly exuded an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

"This should be deeper into the ruins," the weather officer said, pointing to the patterns on the stone door. "These patterns are ancient sealing runes. Only by finding the correct method can we open this door."

The three of us circled the stone door, carefully examining it, trying to find the mechanism to open it. However, the runes were complex and difficult to decipher, and we tried various methods, but to no avail.

"What should we do? Are we going to be trapped here?" I was extremely anxious. I felt that time was passing by every second and the dark forces were growing stronger and stronger.

At this moment, I accidentally touched a groove on the stone door. Suddenly, the stone door made a deafening roar and slowly opened a gap...

"This is..." Before I could react, a strong suction force sucked us in...

After the blinding light faded, we fell to the cold, hard ground. I struggled to my feet and found myself in an even more expansive space. A towering dome dotted with stars made me feel as if I were in the universe. However, beneath this beautiful scene lay a suffocating oppression, and the air was filled with a sickening stench of decay.

"Is this... the sealed place?" I covered my mouth and nose, trying hard to suppress the discomfort.

"Be careful!" Youcai suddenly pulled me behind him, unsheathed his long sword, and with a flash of cold light, he split a hideous gargoyle in half. The gargoyle let out a shrill scream and turned into black powder that dissipated in the air.

"These guardians were corrupted by the power of darkness," the monk said solemnly. "Only by purifying the dark power can they rest in peace."

We advanced, step by step, encountering various terrifying guardians along the way. The talented swordsman's swordsmanship was sharp, each strike striking the vital point; the monk's Dharma was profound, and his golden runes formed a series of barriers to protect us. Although I lacked a powerful martial art, I was diligently learning to harness the power of magic circles, using energy beams to attack and shield the enemies.

After a tough fight, we finally arrived at an altar. In the center of the altar, a black crystal ball hovered, emitting a terrifying dark aura.

"It's the source of darkness!" the meteorologist exclaimed, pointing at the crystal ball. "The key to the seal is right here!"

However, just as we were about to approach the altar, the crystal ball suddenly erupted with a strong light, and a huge black figure slowly emerged from the crystal ball. It was a humanoid creature, but without facial features, only a constantly twisting black void, emitting a creepy aura.

"Are you... here to stop me?" The black figure uttered a deep voice, as if it came from the depths of hell. "Foolish creatures, you don't know what you are doing!"

"Evil being, your plot will not succeed!" Youcai met the black figure's gaze fearlessly, "Today, we will seal you back!"

A terrifying battle began. The black figure possessed immense power, each attack carrying the aura of devastating destruction. Youcai and I joined forces to fight, but we were still losing ground.

"Mengmeng, use your strength!" At the critical moment, Youcai shouted and threw the sword in his hand at me.

I took the sword, and a powerful energy instantly surged into my body. I felt the magic circle within me spinning frantically, as if trying to break free from some kind of shackles.

"Use my will to guide the power of the universe!" I closed my eyes, concentrated all my energy on the tip of the sword, and then swung it out fiercely.

A dazzling ray of light pierced the darkness, striking the core of the black figure. The black figure let out a shrill scream, and its massive body began to tremble violently, eventually turning into black powder and being sucked back into the crystal ball.

The light of the crystal ball gradually dimmed and finally returned to calm.

I collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Youcai and the monk also suffered varying degrees of injuries, but their faces showed the joy of victory.

"We... succeeded?" I muttered to myself as I looked at the crystal ball on the altar that had returned to calm.

"It's not over yet..." The monk shook his head, his tone solemn, "The dark power has only been sealed temporarily, it will come back again. We must find a way to completely eliminate it..."

I took a deep breath, stood up, and looked into the distance with a determined gaze. I knew this was just the beginning...

I slowly stood up, holding onto the altar. That previous blow had nearly exhausted all my strength. The magic circle within me hummed, as if protesting my overuse. I looked at the calm black crystal ball on the altar, feeling a mixture of emotions.

"Did we succeed?" I looked at Youcai with a hint of uncertainty in my tone.

"For now, yes." Youcai's face was a little pale, and it was obvious that he was not feeling well either. However, he still gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and observed his surroundings vigilantly. "But the monk is right, this is just the beginning."

"The dark forces will not give up and will seek an opportunity to reappear." The monk walked to the altar, his brow furrowed, as if he was thinking about something. "We must find a way to completely eliminate it, otherwise the entire universe will be in turmoil."

The weather officer dragged his injured leg over and gasped, "But where can we find a way to eliminate it?"

"Perhaps the answer lies in the depths of the universe." Youcai looked up at the vast sea of ​​stars above the dome with a determined gaze. "We must continue our exploration, searching for the power to completely defeat darkness."

"But..." The meteorologist wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Youcai with a wave of his hand.

"No buts. We have no way out." Youcai's tone left no room for doubt. "To protect this universe, to preserve everything we hold dear, we must forge ahead courageously!"

I looked at Youcai's determined eyes, and a surge of ambition ignited within me. Yes, we've come this far. How can we give up so easily? I gripped the sword tightly in my hand. It wasn't just a weapon; it was our faith in safeguarding peace.

"I'll go with you!" I said firmly.

"And me!" The monk also nodded in agreement.

The weather officer looked at us and finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'm going to risk my life for you!"

The four of us smiled at each other. Although the road ahead was filled with unknown risks and challenges, we were ready. Just then, a slight tremor came from under our feet. At first, we didn't pay much attention to it, just thinking it was the aftermath of the battle just now.

However, the vibrations became stronger and stronger, and rubble from the dome began to fall.

"What's going on?" the weather officer exclaimed. "Is the seal still unstable?"

"No, that's not right..." I suddenly felt a powerful energy surge from all directions. This energy was different from the cold and gloomy dark power before. Instead, it carried a primitive and violent aura. "Something is coming!"

Almost as soon as I finished speaking, the walls around the altar collapsed, and a group of hideous creatures rushed out from the darkness...