A Fantasy Love Story Across the Warring States Period

Chapter 150 The Mural Mystery and the Frost Crisis

The temperature inside the stone house plummeted, the chill spreading rapidly like icy tentacles. Wisps of white mist billowed from everyone's mouths and noses, instantly condensing into a thin layer of frost. The walls, already covered in dust and cobwebs, were now completely encased in frost, as if clad in silver armor, shimmering with a cold luster. The eerie murals on the walls, illuminated by the frost, appeared even more sinister and terrifying, the figures in the paintings seeming as if they were about to leap out of the canvas.

Huanmo couldn't help but shiver, but her gaze remained fixed on the mural, trying to find a clue in its complex and bizarre imagery. She was secretly anxious: "This mysterious fellow's methods are endless! This mural must hold crucial clues, but time is of the essence. If we delay any longer, we might not even have a chance to fight back. I have to figure it out quickly." Her fingers gently touched the lines on the mural, feeling the slightly raised textures, trying to discern some deeper meaning. Although the coldness from her fingertips made her hands numb, she ignored it all, her mind solely focused on solving the mystery.

Wanru hugged his arms, rubbing them incessantly, trying to warm himself up, but the chill seemed to penetrate to his very bones, impossible to dispel. Shivering, he carefully examined the mural, muttering, "What secrets are hidden in this painting? It's giving me the creeps, but now we're counting on it to show us the way. Ugh, what a headache." He frowned, his gaze darting across the mural, cold sweat beading on his forehead from the tension. The beads of sweat froze instantly, hanging on his forehead, making him look rather disheveled.

Ling'er's little face was red from the cold. She sniffed, hugged the book to her chest, and snuggled closer to Huanmo, as if trying to draw more warmth from it. "It's so cold! These paintings look so scary, but I believe there must be a way to help us defeat the bad guys inside. I want to find it with everyone." She whispered, her big eyes full of determination. Although she was terrified, seeing everyone working so hard gave her courage. She gently traced patterns on the murals with her little hands, imitating the adults, trying to help find clues.

The woman in white also felt the biting cold. She frowned slightly, her fingers gently plucking the strings of the guqin. A faint wave of spiritual energy emanated, temporarily dispelling some of the chill, but it was merely a drop in the ocean. She gazed at the mural, pondering, "The sacrificial scene depicted in this mural is far from ordinary. It must be closely connected to this stone house and that mysterious entity. Perhaps the solution can be found in the actions of the figures and the objects they place. However, I need to observe more carefully." Her eyes were grave, her gaze sharp, not missing a single detail in the mural.

Just as everyone was engrossed in studying the murals, the mysterious entity hidden in the shadows seemed to grow impatient. A sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out from inside the stone house, followed by sharp ice spikes emerging from the ground. The ice spikes pierced towards the group at incredible speed, their crystal-clear tips gleaming coldly in the dim light, like the blade of death, sending chills down their spines.

Huanmo reacted with lightning speed. She shouted, "Watch out!" Her sword flashed, its blade surging with spiritual energy, transforming into beams of light that deflected the ice spikes hurtling towards them. The ice spikes struck the light barrier with crisp clanging sounds, scattering shards of ice. Some of these shards stung the group, but Huanmo paid no heed, focusing solely on fending off the ice spikes. She thought, "I can't let these ice spikes hurt anyone. I have to hold them off!"

Wanru hurriedly blew her jade flute, and her spiritual power transformed into sharp wind blades, shooting towards the source of the ice spikes, attempting to sever the area where ice spikes were constantly emerging. The wind blades cut into the ground, raising a cloud of dust and ice shards, but the ice spikes continued to emerge relentlessly, showing no sign of stopping.

Ling'er closed her eyes in fright and quickly chanted an incantation. Golden light emanated from the scroll, coalescing into a shield that enveloped everyone's heads, strengthening their protection. However, the impact of the ice spikes was too great. With each strike of the shield, Ling'er felt her body sway, and the pressure to maintain the shield increased. Her face turned red, but she gritted her teeth and persevered, silently praying that the danger would pass quickly.

The woman in white plucked the strings of her zither with incredible speed, producing a stirring melody. Spiritual energy, flowing with the music, transformed into beams of white light that surged towards the densest concentration of ice spikes. Wherever the light waves touched, the ice spikes shattered, turning into countless ice fragments scattered across the ground. However, this only temporarily alleviated the crisis; the onslaught of the ice spikes remained relentless.

Just as everyone was beginning to struggle, Huanmo suddenly noticed a spot on the mural that was shimmering with an unusual light under the spiritual energy fluctuations of the ice spike attacks. The light was very faint, almost imperceptible without close inspection. A thought struck her, and she shouted, "Everyone, pay attention to the mural! Something seems to be changing!"

Upon hearing this, while continuing to fend off the ice spikes, everyone glanced at the mural. There, in the shimmering light, was a disc-like object held by a priest. Strange symbols were engraved on the disc, and under the light, these symbols seemed to come alive, slowly rotating, exuding an aura of mystery.

"Could this be the key?" Wanru exclaimed, a glimmer of hope igniting in her heart.

Ling'er stared wide-eyed at it and said, "This disc seems really important. Maybe it can stop those ice spikes."

The woman in white looked at the rotating symbols and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps we need to do something according to the order or pattern of these symbols in order to resolve the current crisis, but we need to look at it more carefully."

The group struggled to decipher the symbols on the disc amidst the onslaught of ice spikes, attempting to uncover its secrets. Suddenly, the attack intensified, increasing in number, speed, and power. The pressure mounting. Could they decipher the disc's symbols under this relentless assault, and avert the crisis? And would the mysterious entity unleash even more terrifying attacks? Everything was once again fraught with a life-or-death situation, filled with uncertainty…