Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue watched the old man's departing figure, their hearts full of confusion and unwillingness. Shen Jingqi clenched his fists and said, "We can't just give up like this. We must find out the truth. This old man definitely knows some secrets about the cave, but he refuses to tell us. We have to find a way to find him and get to the bottom of this."

Lin Yue nodded and said, "Yes, we can't let this secret remain buried in darkness forever. But where do we find him? He seems to be elusive, like he doesn't want us to find him." Shen Jingqi thought for a moment and said, "Let's try looking in the direction he left; maybe we can find some clues."

So, they walked in the direction the old man had left. Along the way, they carefully observed the surroundings, hoping to find traces of the old man. However, after walking for a long time, they didn't find any useful clues. Just when they were feeling a bit disappointed, Shen Jingqi suddenly noticed a strange symbol carved on a tree by the roadside.

"Look at this symbol, could it have something to do with the old man?" Shen Jingqi pointed to the symbol and said. Lin Yue came closer to take a look, frowned, and said, "This symbol is so strange, I have never seen it before. But since it's here, it might really be related to the old man. Let's try following this direction."

They continued moving in the direction indicated by the symbol, and the further they went, the more eerie their surroundings felt. The trees around became denser, sunlight barely penetrated through the leaves, and a thin mist spread on the ground, giving an ominous feeling.

Suddenly, they heard a strange sound. It sounded like someone was sobbing softly, or some kind of beast was growling, making it particularly frightening in the silent forest. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue's hearts tightened, and they stopped, looking around warily.

"Shen Jingqi, did you hear that sound? Could it be a monster chasing us?" Lin Yue's voice trembled a little. Shen Jingqi perked up his ears, listened carefully, and said, "It doesn't quite sound like a monster, but it's definitely not something good."

They cautiously walked towards the source of the sound, each step full of apprehension. As they got closer, the sound became clearer. When they rounded a large tree, the scene before them stunned them.

A huge stone tablet stood in front of them, covered with various strange symbols and patterns. Next to the stone tablet stood a figure in a black robe, facing away from them, muttering something, and holding a flute in his hand, which was the source of the flute music they heard earlier.

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with suspicion and caution. They didn't know who this black-robed figure was or what he was doing here. Shen Jingqi whispered, "Let's quietly get closer and see what he's up to."

They slowly moved towards the black-robed figure, trying not to make any noise. However, just as they were about to get closer, the black-robed figure suddenly turned around. He wore a black mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with an eerie light.

"You've finally arrived," the black-robed figure said coldly, his voice as if coming from an ice cellar. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue were taken aback, not expecting the figure to have noticed them long ago. Shen Jingqi mustered up his courage and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here? What's the matter with that cave and the monsters?"

The black-robed figure let out an eerie laugh and said, "You shouldn't know so much. But since you're here, don't think you'll leave easily. You think escaping from that cave means you're safe? This is just the beginning."

With that, the black-robed figure raised the flute in his hand and began to play it again. The flute music sounded, identical to what they had heard in the cave. As the music played, the ground around them started to tremble, as if something was about to erupt from the earth.

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue watched in horror as terrifying monsters crawled out from underground. These monsters were even more massive, even more ferocious than those they encountered in the cave, rushing towards them with snapping jaws and sharp claws.

"Lin Yue, run!" Shen Jingqi shouted, grabbing Lin Yue's hand and turning to flee. They charged left and right among the monsters, constantly dodging their attacks. The monsters roared incessantly, closely pursuing them.

During their escape, Shen Jingqi suddenly noticed a narrow gap. His mind raced, and he said, "Let's squeeze through here; maybe we can shake these monsters off." They quickly squeezed into the gap; the monsters, too large in size, couldn't follow and could only roar angrily outside the gap.

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue leaned against the wall of the gap, gasping for breath, their hearts filled with fear and doubt, not knowing who this black-robed figure was or why he used music to control monsters to attack them.

"Shen Jingqi, what do we do now? That black-robed figure seems terrifying, and we don't seem to be a match for him," Lin Yue said with a sob. Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and said, "We can't just sit back and wait for death. This black-robed figure must be related to the cave's secret. We must find a way to uncover this secret to escape his pursuit. Let's rest here for a while, regain our strength, and then figure out a way out."

After resting in the gap for a while, they began to look for a way out. After some exploration, they finally found an exit. When they crawled out of the gap, they found themselves in an unfamiliar place.

This was a valley, surrounded by high mountains, with a thick fog filling the valley, making it hard to see the road ahead. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue carefully walked deeper into the valley, unsure of what dangers lay ahead, but with only one conviction in their hearts: uncover the truth, overcome their fear.

In the valley, they encountered some strange creatures. These creatures had peculiar appearances, some with wings, some with multiple legs. They were curious about Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue but seemed unwilling to approach them lightly. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue continued to avoid these creatures while pressing on.

Suddenly, they heard a melodious song. The song was ethereal and beautiful, as if it could pierce the soul. They followed the direction of the song and discovered a clear lake. In the center of the lake sat a beautiful maiden on a giant lotus, singing softly.

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