Following the young girl, they wound through the earth for what seed like an eternity. Just when Dean Bruce's head was starting to spin, a massive opening appeared.
Erging from the hole, the moonlight finally bathed them, and as Dean Bruce looked around, his pupils suddenly contracted.
What greeted them were over a dozen people holding spears, all with tense expressions, scrutinizing Dean Bruce and his companions.
"Outsiders? How did you get here?"
"You are not welco here! Leave at once!"
The crowd was clamoring, but amidst the noise, Dean Bruce gathered a wealth of information.
The fact that these people could refer to them as "outsiders" ant that they had encountered others from the outside world before!
The unwelcoming attitude suggested that unpleasant events had occurred in the past.
Dean Bruce pondered the implications of their words, but Horton Martin and the others had never been treated with such hostility before. Anger flared in their hearts, and as they looked at the group, their eyes filled with killing intent.
"Enough!"
At that mont, an aged voice rang out: "How far are you all going to take this?"
As the words fell, the spears in the hands of the crowd lowered, and their heads bowed as if they were children caught doing sothing wrong.
Dean Bruce, Lina Jones, Alita Miller, and the others turned toward the source of the voice. What they saw was a figure with an empty left leg and right arm, hobbling toward them on crutches, with a large scar covering the wrinkled face.
"Village Chief!"
"Village Chief!"
The group saluted in unison, and the young girl from before leaped into the elder's arms, affectionately calling out, "Grandpa!"
"Good girl."
The elder smiled at the girl, then turned his gaze to Dean Bruce and the others.
He carefully scrutinized each one of them before finally locking eyes with Dean Bruce, saying, "Outsiders, it has been a long ti since we last saw your kind."
Dean Bruce asked in confusion, "Elder, have you encountered people like us before?"
"Indeed."
The elder nodded. "But unlike you, those people wore identical uniforms, and their presence was much stronger."
Upon hearing this, Lina Jones and the others' faces changed drastically. If stronger individuals had been here before, then wouldn't the relics inside have already been plundered?
A villager suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Village Chief, why bother talking to these outsiders? Our lives used to be so peaceful, so beautiful! It's because of those outsiders that our families were destroyed, your son was killed, and you yourself were left with these injuries!"
As soon as the elder finished speaking, the villagers began to echo his sentints, causing Dean Bruce and his companions to frown slightly.
The elder, however, remained calm and said serenely, "That disaster was inevitable. So of our people no longer wished to remain in peace, no longer wanted to stay here. We cannot bla others for that."
After saying this, the elder looked at Dean Bruce and spoke, "I imagine you're all very curious about what this place is and what exactly happened here."
It wasn't just Dean Bruce; everyone was filled with curiosity.
Since entering this ruin, there had been far too many strange occurrences!
The elder raised his head and looked at the sky, saying softly, "Look, how is the sky here different from the sky you saw when you first entered?"
Everyone looked up, and Dean Bruce quickly noticed sothing unusual.
When they first entered, the moonlight had a tinge of purple, but now, in this village, the moonlight was purely white!
"Why did the moon change color?!" Dean Bruce asked directly.
"It's not that the moon changed color, but rather that there is a strange force in that space that drives people mad and gradually turns them into beasts."
The elder continued, "Those wolf-like creatures you encountered earlier were villagers who absorbed too much of that energy and transford."
Upon hearing this, Lina Jones asked in disbelief, "How can there be sothing that turns people into beasts?"
"You should be asking yourselves that question," the elder replied calmly. "That purple moonlight only appeared after outsiders like you entered the Lulu Ruins."
"Lulu Ruins?"
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged puzzled glances, finding the na of the ruin unexpectedly casual.
Such an eerie, dangerous place--called Lulu?
The elder explained, "The na Lulu Ruins dates back to ancient tis. Back then, the Moon Goddess was nad Luyel. This ruin was created by a powerful sorcerer who, after defeating a black dragon, established it to forever imprison the dragon, leaving behind a village to guard it for generations."
"Because the powerful sorcerer used three types of magic--moonlight, ice, and thunder--to defeat the black dragon, the three ruins were nad after three deities. Over ti, this place beca known as the Lulu Ruins."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned and blurted out, "The legend of the black dragon is real?"
"What level of sorcerer was this? To defeat a black dragon alone?"
"A dragon--it's supposed to be a legendary creature!"
The elder did not answer these questions but instead looked at Dean Bruce and continued, "For many years, the Lulu Ruins have been peaceful, guarding the seal to ensure that the black dragon cannot absorb the elents of heaven and earth, preventing it from reviving."
"Until three years ago, when a group of outsiders entered the Lulu Ruins. At first, they were extrely friendly, so we didn't pay them much mind. That was until... they destroyed the Moon Temple and set up nurous formations in the Ritual Hall, which produced that strange purple moonlight!"
"They then occupied the Sealing Temple, capturing many of our people and conducting experints on them. They used the bizarre purple moonlight along with certain potions to turn them all into monsters!"
As the elder spoke, the villagers began to grit their teeth, their eyes filled with hostility. If it weren't for the presence of the village chief, they might have already attacked Dean Bruce and his group.
"So, what you're saying is..." Lina Jones furrowed her brow and said softly, "The Moonlight Butterflies and those strange creatures we encountered earlier were once your people?"
"That's right," the elder nodded.
Lina Jones couldn't help but show a look of despair and anguish as she murmured, "Oh my god, I actually... killed those innocent people?"
"That's why my villagers do not welco you," the elder said with a gentle smile. "I'm telling you this so you won't hold it against us. They've been tornted for years; you can't bla them."
With these words, the mbers of the Temple of Wisdom looked ashad, though Alita Miller and her companions remained calm.
Dean Bruce, however, was focused on the three ruins they had seen earlier. He couldn't help but ask, "So, the three palaces we saw earlier--are they the three ruins that are suppressing the black dragon?"
"No, they're not," the elder shook his head. "These three palaces, including the space we are currently in, are all part of the Lulu Ruins. We are now in the Moon Temple. The other two are the Ritual Temple and the Sealing Temple."
"The Sealing Temple contains part of the magic formation that suppresses the black dragon. However, both the Sealing Temple and the Ritual Temple have been taken over by the outsiders. You... may not be able to defeat them!"
Dean Bruce and the others exchanged glances, unable to believe what they were hearing. They asked, "Are they really still here?"
The elder replied calmly, "I have no reason to deceive you. Moreover, the reason I'm telling you all this is that I have a request to make of you. If you agree to help, I will warmly welco you and provide you with more information."
"I understand that you've co to the ruins seeking various benefits and rewards. If you're willing to help, I can give you the most precious treasures within the Lulu Ruins."
These words imdiately made the villagers tense, but they also dispelled the suspicions of Dean Bruce, Lina Jones, and the others.
After all, no one in this world offers kindness without reason!
The elder's willingness to share so much information had already made them wary.
Dean Bruce, Lina Jones, and Alita Miller exchanged glances and all nodded in agreent.
As fellow outsiders, they were also rivals!
No one was willing to give up the benefits within the ruins, so competition would have to co down to strength.
Gaining the support of the indigenous people within the ruins was actually advantageous, as it would provide them with a better understanding of the place.
Dean Bruce asked directly, "Elder, what do you need us to help you with?"
The elder replied calmly, "I want you to eliminate those outsiders and avenge our villagers who have died or turned into monsters! If you can do that and refrain from damaging the black dragon's sealing formation, I will give you the most precious thing in the ruins. How does that sound?"
"Moreover... that most precious thing can be used by multiple people at once, so there's no need to worry about how to divide it."
Upon hearing this, everyone smiled, clearly tempted, and began preparing for battle, eager to get started.
The difference between gaining the benefits yourself and having only your superiors benefit is imnse!
The elder spoke softly, "Do not underestimate them. Even though many of them have left, those who remain are still very powerful. Additionally, so of our people have chosen to join the outsiders. The enemies you'll face are well-versed in the ruins, so be extrely cautious."
Dean Bruce, not one for autocratic leadership, imdiately asked, "Elder, in your opinion, what do we need to do to take down these people?"
"You must first retake the Moon Temple."
The elder's voice was calm, but his words left Dean Bruce and the others puzzled.
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