Lin Yue's eyes lit up, "Alright, we'll go explore the forest tomorrow."

At night, in the room of the ancient castle, Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue lay side by side on the bed, but neither could fall asleep. Shen Jingqi stared at the ceiling, his mind swirling with thoughts: "The power of the Divine Artifact is too mysterious. Can we truly master it before the crisis comes? Who are the forces behind those black-clothed men? Will they come again?"

Lin Yue gently turned over, facing Shen Jingqi, "Don't overthink it, let's take it step by step. As long as we're together, there's no difficulty we can't overcome."

The next morning, sunlight spilled over the spire of the ancient castle. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue packed their bags simply and set off toward the mysterious forest.

At the forest entrance, the trees towered into the clouds, their branches and leaves intertwining, slicing the sunlight into tiny spots scattered on the ground. Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and stepped into the forest first. Lin Yue followed closely, cautiously observing the surroundings.

"Be careful, something feels off here," Shen Jingqi softly reminded, his steps becoming lighter.

Suddenly, a deep roar came from the depths of the forest, the sound causing the leaves to rustle.

The two exchanged a glance, seeing alertness in each other's eyes. They carefully advanced toward the source of the sound, every step taken cautiously.

"That sound... it sounds like some sort of giant creature," Lin Yue's voice trembled slightly, her hand instinctively grabbing Shen Jingqi's clothes.

Shen Jingqi patted her hand, comforting, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

They continued onward and finally saw the source of the sound in an open meadow—a gigantic beast emitting a strange blue glow all over. Its eyes blazed like flames, every step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

"What... exactly is this thing?" Lin Yue's voice carried a hint of terror, her hand tightly gripping the Divine Artifact, which glowed faintly in her grasp, seemingly responding to some call.

Shen Jingqi stared intently at the beast, his mind racing. He felt the Divine Artifact heating up slightly, as if urging him to use it. But he knew that using the artifact rashly without fully mastering its power could lead to uncontrollable consequences.

"Let's observe first," he whispered to Lin Yue, slightly turning his body to shield her behind him.

The beast seemed to sense their presence and let out a roar, charging at them. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue quickly retreated, looking for cover.

"It seems to be reacting to the Divine Artifact," Lin Yue suddenly said, her voice carrying a hint of excitement amidst the tension, "Look, its attacks seem to be testing our reactions."

Shen Jingqi nodded, becoming even more vigilant. He realized this might be a test, to see if they could truly control the Divine Artifact.

The beast's attacks grew more fierce, its claws leaving deep marks on the tree trunks. Suddenly, Shen Jingqi had a flash of inspiration, feeling the Divine Artifact vibrating slightly in his hand, seemingly guiding him.

"Lin Yue, step back!" he shouted, simultaneously raising the Divine Artifact to his chest. The artifact emitted a dazzling light, forming a stark contrast with the beast's blue glow.

The beast seemed intimidated by the light, pausing momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue quickly retreated. The beast roared unwillingly, turning and disappearing into the depths of the forest.

"It seems to be testing our strength," Shen Jingqi gasped, sweat dripping from his forehead, "We need to master the artifact more quickly."

Lin Yue nodded, determination flashing in her eyes, "Yes, let's continue."

In the following days, they practically moved into the castle's library. The yellowed ancient texts piled high on the tables, and they studied every word, not missing a single detail. Lin Yue handled the note-taking while Shen Jingqi focused on practice.

Deep into the night, the candlelight flickered in the castle. Shen Jingqi closed his eyes in concentration, the Divine Artifact glowing faintly in his hand. He attempted to establish a deeper connection with the artifact, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"I feel it!" he suddenly opened his eyes, gleaming with excitement, "The power of the Divine Artifact is connected to one's inner beliefs."

Lin Yue paused her note-taking and looked up, "You mean..."

"Yes, you need to feel it with your heart, not just technique," Shen Jingqi stood up, the artifact glowing in his hand, "Tomorrow, let's try the forest again."

The next day, in the forest.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating patches of light. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue stood in a clearing, the Divine Artifact glowing slightly in Shen Jingqi's hand.

"Let's begin," Lin Yue took a deep breath.

Shen Jingqi closed his eyes, sensing the power of the artifact. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, the artifact erupting with brilliant light, a beam shooting into the distance.

In the distance, a small animal attracted by the light slowly approached. It was the same beast from yesterday, but now its eyes were gentle, without any aggression.

"It seems we've succeeded," Lin Yue exclaimed with joy.

Shen Jingqi nodded, "But the crisis isn't over; we need to master it quicker."

In the days that followed, they continued to delve deeper, constantly experimenting. The forest seemed to be watching, waiting for them.

One day, the castle received urgent news: the black-clothed men were regrouping.

"It seems the true test is coming," Shen Jingqi clenched the Divine Artifact.

Lin Yue was resolute, "We are ready."

The black-clothed men attacked again, flames blazing outside the castle.

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue stood side by side, the Divine Artifact in their hands.

"Come on!" Shen Jingqi shouted.

The battle broke out, the artifact's light intertwining with the shadows of the black-clothed men. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue coordinated, the power of the artifact gradually revealed.

"They're... stronger!" cried the leader of the black-clothed men in astonishment.

The battle ended, the black-clothed men retreated.

"This is only the beginning," Shen Jingqi gazed into the distance, the artifact's glow unextinguished.

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue didn't rest and went straight to Spirit Mountain.

The journey was surprisingly smooth, possibly because they wielded the Divine Artifact.

Soon, deep within a cave, they discovered some important clues. It turned out that the stern man was backed by a mysterious force, intending to seize Spirit Mountain's cultivation resources and control its power to fulfill their ambitions.

Filled with anger, Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue decided to take this information back to Spirit Mountain and discuss countermeasures with the Crane Immortal.

Back at Spirit Mountain, they relayed their discovery to the Crane Immortal. The Crane Immortal pondered for a moment and said, "It seems we need to unite with other righteous forces to combat this mysterious power."

Thus, the Crane Immortal began to reach out, contacting other sects and experts. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue were not idle either; they continued to train at Spirit Mountain, enhancing their strength in preparation for the imminent war.

In the days that followed, the atmosphere at Spirit Mountain grew tense. Everyone sensed the looming crisis, but there was no trace of fear—only determination.

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