Dolia glared angrily at them and said, “Ignorant guys, if you insist on taking this book, then step over my body first.” He then raised his black sickle and prepared to launch another attack.

Enzo quickly stepped in, saying, “Everyone, hold on! Let’s not rush into this. Maybe we can discuss it further.”

But some members of Pride Temple were already too eager to wait. They began casting spells, launching their attacks at Dolia.

Dolia didn’t back down, moving like lightning through their onslaught. Each swing of his black scythe sent out waves of dark energy, injuring anyone who got too close.

Seeing this, Enzo let out a helpless sigh and joined the fray, but in his mind, he was trying to figure out how to both quell the conflict and uncover the secrets of that book.

Enzo noticed that although Dolia was powerful, he seemed to be wearing down after a long time guarding this place.

He seized an opportunity when Dolia was momentarily distracted by several attackers and unleashed a powerful surge of soul energy, targeting his mind directly.

Dolia paused, a brief look of confusion crossing his face.

Seizing the moment, Enzo charged forward, snatched the black scythe from his hands, and quickly retreated.

“Everyone, stop!” Enzo shouted.

Seeing Enzo subdue Dolia, everyone finally stopped, though they were still panting and eyed each other with wariness and hostility.

Holding the black scythe, Enzo addressed Dolia, “Now that you’re unarmed, you can’t stop us anymore. But I’d still like to hear you explain the secrets of this book in detail. If what you say makes sense, maybe we can help you continue to protect it.”

Dolia glared at Enzo, saying, “You greedy people wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

“You won’t know unless you tell us.” Patricia chimed in from the side.

Dolia fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking. “The secrets recorded in this book not only concern the origins of planet Alfa but also involve a power that can allow a person to break through their current limits. “

“But this power is too immense. If it falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

The group exchanged glances, clearly taken aback.

Weiss couldn’t help but exclaim, “Breaking through to the limits? Does that mean one could become a being beyond an immortal deity? How is that even possible?”

Leah frowned as well. “Even if such power exists, we could protect it together and ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

Enzo, however, was deep in thought. He understood that such immense power often came with significant risks.

“Dolia, how can we ensure that this power won’t be abused?”

Dolia glanced at Enzo. “Only those who undergo rigorous trials to prove their purity of heart, along with sufficient wisdom and ability to wield this power, can access the true contents of this book. And you people, coming in with intentions of seizing it, are simply not qualified.”

These words split the members of Pride Temple and Rage Temple into two factions.

Some felt she had a point. If this power caused chaos, it would be disastrous.

Others believed this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that couldn’t be missed.

Weiss was firmly in the latter camp. He shouted at Enzo, “Enzo, don’t listen to her nonsense! Hand over the book, and let’s get out of here. If someone harnesses this power and elevates their realm, that would be a tremendous boon!”

Patricia stood by Enzo’s side. “Enzo, I think we should be cautious. We can’t let greed lead us into a disaster.”

Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, a deep rumbling sound suddenly echoed from deep within the ruins, as if something enormous was awakening.

The rumbling grew louder, causing the entire structure to shake violently, with stones falling from the walls and everyone struggling to maintain their balance.

“This is bad! The ruins are going to collapse. Our earlier fight must have triggered some kind of powerful mechanism.” Enzo shouted.

Panic set in as everyone momentarily forgot about the debate over the book.

“Quick, find an exit!” Leah urged.

They all looked around, but the path they had taken was now blocked by falling stones and newly formed cracks, leaving them with no way out.

“Over there!”

Enzo suddenly pointed to one side of the hall, where a faintly glowing portal appeared, seeming to lead to another location.

Without a moment to waste, everyone rushed toward the portal.

Enzo led the way in front, with Weiss and Leah closely following behind.

Just as they passed through the portal, a massive collapse echoed behind them. The original hall had completely fallen in.

Everyone couldn’t help but feel relieved that they had run fast enough.

But before they could catch their breath, a new crisis emerged.

They found themselves in a narrow passage filled with a pungent smoke, which seemed to conceal some hidden dangers.

Enzo was about to release Soul Fortress to assess the situation when suddenly, several enormous black pythons lunged out of the smoke. Their bodies were pitch black, and their eyes glowed with a sinister red light as they opened their massive jaws and charged at the group.

“Watch out!”

Enzo shouted, gathering elemental energy in his hands and shooting it towards the pythons.

The others quickly cast spells to attack as well.

However, the pythons had tough skin and were hardly affected by their attacks, which only seemed to make them angrier and more ferocious.

One python lunged straight at Weiss, who turned pale with fear. In a panic, he cast a defensive spell, barely managing to block the python’s strike, but was still knocked back several steps.

“Damn it, how are these things so strong?” Weiss cursed.

Enzo calmly observed the pythons’ attack patterns and noted that, despite their massive size, they moved with surprising agility. Their tails, in particular, could create powerful gusts that easily knocked people off their feet.

“Target their eyes and their vital spots!” Enzo shouted.

Hearing this, everyone adjusted their attacks accordingly.

Enzo timed it perfectly as one of the pythons lunged at him, dodging its attack with a swift movement. He then leaped onto its back, gripping its scales tightly. With a forceful tug, he ripped off a scale, causing the python to thrash wildly in pain.

Seizing the opportunity, Enzo concentrated a powerful burst of elemental energy and shot it at the python’s eye. The eye exploded on impact, and the creature let out a piercing scream, writhing in agony.

The others followed suit, gradually figuring out how to combat the pythons. After an intense battle, they finally managed to take down several of the snakes.

Breathing heavily, the group was exhausted, and each of them bore various injuries.

“This ruin is filled with danger. I really don’t know what else awaits us.” Someone complained.

Enzo stared at the book he had taken from Dolia, deep in thought.

Should he continue to investigate it?

If what Dolia said was true, the secrets inside could lead to disaster. But giving up now felt unsatisfying.

“Enzo, what should we do? Should we keep going forward, or try to find another way out of here?” Patricia asked.

Before Enzo could respond, a strange sound echoed from the front of the passage. It was as if someone was softly chanting, and the voice carried a mysterious power that sent chills down their spines.

The eerie chant grew clearer, as if an invisible force was compelling the group to move toward the source of the sound, making it hard for them to resist.

“Everyone, be careful! This sound is unsettling, and there could be more danger.” Enzo warned. But he too felt his feet moving against his will.

“Why does it feel so eerie here?” One team member shivered and complained. “I feel like we’re in a damn hell surrounded by terrifying ghosts.”

Enzo smiled softly and said, “There’s no need to be afraid, I’m here. Even if it’s the ghosts of hell that dare to harm us, I’ll make sure they come out to face their doom!”

The group continued down the passage until they finally arrived at a vast circular space.

A thin layer of mist hung in the air, through which strange, ghostly shapes could be seen flickering, almost like apparitions.

The chanting was emanating from the center of this space.

Enzo tried to release Soul Fortress to assess the situation, but as soon as his soul energy was unleashed, it seemed to be swallowed by something, vanishing without a trace.

“What’s going on? My soul energy doesn’t seem to work.” Enzo said, frowning.

The others attempted the same, only to experience the same result.

Just as panic began to set in, the strange figures in the mist suddenly drifted toward them.

“Ah!” someone screamed in fright.

Enzo focused on the shapes. They resembled human forms but were incredibly vague, making it impossible to discern their true appearance. They emitted a chilling aura that sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

“Everyone, don’t be afraid. Let’s see what they want.” Enzo said, trying to sound calm despite his own uncertainty.

The figures floated in front of the group, then suddenly stopped, beginning to swirl around them slowly. The chanting grew more urgent.

Out of nowhere, a beam of light shot from the center of the space, directly illuminating Enzo.

He felt a powerful force surge into his body, and strange images flashed through his mind—ancient battlefields, mysterious rituals, and bizarre creatures he had never seen before.

“Enzo, what’s happening to you?” Patricia shouted anxiously.

Enzo shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but the images kept swirling relentlessly.

At that moment, the other members of the group were also hit by the light, each displaying expressions of pain, as if they were enduring immense torment.

“What the hell is this place?” Weiss cried out in agony.

Leah gritted her teeth, attempting to resist the force, but it was futile.

As the group struggled, Enzo suddenly noticed that the strange figures were beginning to merge together.

Eventually, they formed a massive shape that had a human outline but bore enormous wings and a pair of twisted horns on its head, looking terrifyingly fierce.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep