Qingshuang smiled slightly, "After all, we came out of that swamp, so we will naturally attract attention."
At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing coarse clothes walked over. He looked like the owner of the tavern.
"Are you two from that side of the swamp?" the man asked in a low voice.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at each other and nodded.
"My name is Baicheng, and I am the boss here. You may not know that Jinmu City is inextricably linked to the swamp." Baicheng said mysteriously.
"Oh? Is there any special story?" Qingshuang asked curiously.
Baicheng looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice and continued: "Legend has it that the establishment of Golden Wood City is closely related to the Heart of the Swamp. A long time ago, our ancestors received help from the Heart of the Swamp before they were able to build the city. This city was built on this desolate land.”
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang were shocked after hearing this.
They did not expect that the "Heart of the Swamp" they had just come into contact with would have such a deep connection with this city.
"Then do you know where the Heart of the Swamp is now?" Luo Chen couldn't help but ask.
Baicheng shook his head, "Only a very few people know this secret, but I heard that some mysterious outsiders have been inquiring about the Swamp Heart recently."
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang's hearts tightened, and they realized that things might not be as simple as they thought.
"Thank you for your information, Baicheng." Qingshuang said politely.
"You're welcome, if you need help, just come to me."
After Baicheng finished speaking, he turned around and returned behind the counter.
After Luo Chen and Qing Shuang finished eating, they decided to walk around the city to see if they could find out more about the Heart of the Swamp.
They walked on the streets of Golden Wood City and found that the residents here seemed to have a special awe for the swamp.
They passed by a bookstore, and Qingshuang suggested that they go in and have a look, maybe they could find some ancient books about swamps.
The bookstore is filled with the scent of paper, and the shelves are filled with all kinds of books.
Luochen and Qingshuang began to search among the bookshelves, hoping to find some clues.
At this moment, Qingshuang saw a few blurry words on the spine of a worn book - "The Secret of the Swamp Heart".
She carefully pulled out the book, opened it, and found that it contained many legends and history about the swamp.
One of the passages caught her attention: "The heart of the swamp is the essence of nature and contains endless power. It can not only give the holder powerful power, but also bring wisdom and purification of the soul. However, it is also A double-edged sword, if used improperly, will bring disaster.”
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at each other and realized that the importance of the Heart of the Swamp was far beyond their imagination.
They must be careful not to let this power fall into the wrong hands.
They decided to buy the book so they could study it carefully later.
After paying the money, the two left the bookstore and continued exploring the city.
As night falls, the lights of Golden Wood City gradually light up, adding a bit of mystery to this ancient city.
Luochen and Qingshuang stood on a bridge, looking at the slowly flowing river, their hearts filled with thoughts about the future.
"How about we stay here for a while?" Luo Chen said softly.
All these hours of experience and running around.
Luo Chen did feel a little tired inside.
Qingshuang nodded. She also felt Luo Chen's fatigue. At the same time, she also longed for a temporary place to rest and give her soul a moment of peace.
"Okay, let's stay here for a while." Qingshuang's voice contained a hint of gentleness, "Maybe we can meet some interesting people in this city."
Luochen looked at Qingshuang gratefully. He knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, as long as Qingshuang was by his side, he would have infinite strength to face it.
They began looking for suitable accommodation and eventually found a small hotel on a quiet street in the east of the city.
Although the hotel is small, it is clean and tidy. The proprietress is a kind middle-aged woman. She warmly welcomed them and arranged two adjacent rooms for them.
After Luochen and Qingshuang settled down in the hotel, they decided to rest for one night and continue their exploration the next day.
In the dead of night, Luo Chen lay on the bed, thinking a lot.
He recalled the various adventures he had experienced with Qingshuang, and a warm current surged in his heart.
He knew that no matter what the road ahead was, they would face it side by side.
Early the next morning, the sun shone into the room through the gaps in the curtains. Luochen and Qingshuang got up early, ready to start a new day.
After they had a simple breakfast, they decided to go to the central square of Golden Wood City, which was the busiest place in the city. They might be able to find out more information about the Heart of the Swamp.
People were coming and going in the square, and various vendors were shouting one after another.
Luochen and Qingshuang shuttled among the crowd, listening carefully to the conversations around them.
Suddenly, they noticed a group of people discussing something intensely, which seemed to be related to the swamp.
The two approached quietly, trying to hear their conversation clearly.
"Have you heard? Another mysterious person appeared at the edge of the swamp last night. They seemed to be looking for something." A middle-aged man whispered.
"Yeah, I heard that too. Those people don't look like locals. They have an unsettling aura about them." An old woman next to him agreed.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at each other, secretly wary in their hearts.
They know that the appearance of these mysterious people may be related to the Heart of the Swamp, and they must find out the truth as soon as possible.
The two decided to split up, and Luo Chen went to the library in the city, hoping to find more historical information about the Heart of the Swamp.
Qingshuang plans to visit some elders in the city. Maybe they know some unknown secrets.
Luochen came to the library, which has a rich collection of books and bookshelves filled with various ancient books.
He explained his purpose to the librarian, who took him to an area dedicated to storing information about swamps.
Luochen began to immerse himself in reading, hoping to find clues.
At the same time, Qingshuang came to the oldest area of the city, where many long-lived old people lived.
She went door to door, patiently asking about the legend of the Swamp Heart.
The old people recalled the ancient stories they heard when they were young. One of the white-haired old people told Qingshuang: "The heart of the swamp is the spirit of nature. It guards the balance of this land. But if someone tries to destroy this If there is no balance, the heart of the swamp will awaken and bring disaster.”
After Qingshuang heard this, her heart sank.
She realizes that the actions of those mysterious people may be threatening the balance of the swamp.
She thanked the old man and hurried back to the hotel to share her findings with Luochen.
Luochen also gained something in the library. He found an ancient book that recorded the legend of Swamp Heart, which mentioned: "Swamp Heart will show its true power every hundred years, and at this moment, Coming soon ”
The two looked at each other and both saw the worry in the other's eyes.
They know that they must take action as soon as possible to stop the conspiracy of those mysterious people. Luochen and Qingshuang decided to explore the edge of the swamp first to see if they could find traces of those mysterious people.
They packed their bags and set out immediately.
Along the way, they maintained a high degree of vigilance and were ready to deal with possible dangers.
As they approached the edge of the swamp, they discovered some unusual signs.
There are messy footprints on the ground, as well as some damaged vegetation.
Luochen and Qingshuang carefully followed these traces and went deep into the swamp.
As night falls, a layer of mist fills the swamp, making visibility extremely low.
Luochen and Qingshuang lit the torches they carried and continued moving forward.
Suddenly, they heard whispers not far away, as if someone was talking.
The two quickly extinguished their torches and quietly approached the source of the sound.
Through the fog, they saw a group of men in black, who were surrounding a luminous object and seemed to be performing some kind of ritual.
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang held their breath and observed carefully.
Then, they could find that there seemed to be a pool of blood-red liquid in front of the group of men in black.
And the pool of liquid gradually began to move along with the various rituals of these men in black.
All of this seems so weird.
"This, what is going on?"
Luo Chen asked Qingshuang in a low voice, his voice full of vigilance and confusion.
Qingshuang also frowned, her eyes showing a hint of uneasiness, but more of a determination.
"We have to be careful." Qingshuang responded softly: "It seems that they are trying to awaken some kind of power, which coincides with the legend of the Swamp Heart we know."
The two continued to observe, trying to get more information from the conversation of the man in black.
However, the men in black seemed to use a language they did not understand, which made it difficult for Luo Chen and Qing Shuang to understand their true intentions.
"We can't let them complete the ritual." Luo Chen held the hilt of the sword tightly, ready to take action at any time: "But we need a plan."
Qingshuang nodded, knowing that rushing forward would only lead to death.
They need to find an opportunity to disrupt the ritual without being discovered.
At this moment, a gust of wind blew by, and the fog began to dissipate, revealing more figures of men in black.
They seemed to be waiting for a certain moment, and everyone seemed extremely focused.
Luochen and Qingshuang exchanged a look, and they knew now was the best time to act.
They moved quietly behind the man in black, using the vegetation in the swamp as cover, and approached step by step.
Just when they were about to reach the attack range, a man in black suddenly turned around, seeming to notice something.
Luochen and Qingshuang immediately stopped, held their breath, and hid in a dense bush.
The man in black looked around, but found nothing unusual in the end, and turned back to the ceremony.
Luochen and Qingshuang breathed a sigh of relief and continued their stealth.
Finally, they reached a position where they could launch a surprise attack.
Luochen pulled out her long sword, and Qingshuang also held her weapon tightly.
They looked at each other and understood each other's intentions without the need for words.
Luo Chen was the first to attack. He rushed out of the bushes like a bolt of lightning, pointing his sword directly at the nearest man in black.
Qingshuang followed closely behind, her weapon drawing out streaks of cold light in the night, hitting the other man in black's vitals.
The sudden attack caught the men in black off guard. They tried to fight back in panic, but Luo Chen and Qing Shuang's attacks were swift and precise, and they quickly knocked several men in black to the ground.
However, the other men in black reacted quickly, and they quickly formed a formation and prepared to fight.
Luochen and Qingshuang knew that they had to destroy the ceremony before the other party was completely organized.
Qingshuang waved her weapon and released energy waves, shaking away the surrounding men in black.
Luo Chen took the opportunity to rush towards the luminous object. He wanted to use all his strength to destroy it and prevent the ceremony from proceeding.
Just when Luo Chen was about to touch the luminous object, a powerful force burst out from it and knocked him away.
Luochen fell heavily to the ground and felt dizzy.
Upon seeing this, Qing Shuang immediately rushed to Luo Chen and helped him up.
The two looked at the luminous object and saw it began to tremble violently, as if something was about to be born from it.
"We must stop it!" Luo Chen gritted his teeth and stood up again.
Qingshuang nodded, knowing that this might be their last chance.
The two men rushed towards the glowing object again, this time focusing all their strength on the attack.
Just when their weapons were about to come into contact with the luminous object, the entire swamp suddenly shook, and a powerful energy wave erupted from the center, knocking Luo Chen and Qingshuang away again.
It seems that it failed
As Luo Chen looked forward again, he saw a giant turtle that was like a hill, covered in blood red, and emitting a strange aura around its body. It just stared at him with a pair of blood-red eyes, staring at him intently. Looking at him.
"What is this?"
"Is it that weird thing that was born?"
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang struggled to stand up amid the shaking in the swamp, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.
The giant blood-red turtle almost occupies the center of the entire swamp with its huge body, and its eyes sparkle with ancient wisdom and wild light.
"This can't be a naturally occurring creature." Qingshuang whispered, with a hint of trembling in her voice.
Luo Chen held the hilt of his sword tightly. Although he knew that their weapons might seem insignificant in the face of such a behemoth, he had no intention of backing down. "We have to stop it, whatever it is."
As if sensing their determination, the giant turtle let out a deep roar that made the swamp ground tremble.
The people in black seemed even more excited amidst the roar of the giant turtle. They surrounded the giant turtle as if waiting for something.
Luochen and Qingshuang exchanged a look, and they knew they had to take action now.
Luo Chen took the lead and rushed towards the nearest man in black. His swordsmanship was extremely sharp, and every sword made the sound of breaking through the air.
Qingshuang cast her spell on the other side, and streaks of ice flew out of her hands, freezing the movements of several men in black. (End of chapter)