The old man looked at them, his eyes filled with fear and hesitation. That gaze, like ripples stirring in a deep pond, carried endless worry and unease. His eyes wandered back and forth between Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue, his lips trembling slightly, as if he had a thousand words but found it hard to speak. After a long while, he finally said slowly, "This secret concerns the fate of the entire world... Those men in black are members of a mysterious organization, attempting to use this secret to achieve their ambitions... But you shouldn't get involved... It's too dangerous..."

Shen Jingqi straightened his spine, clenching his fists tightly, his eyes burning with a resolute flame, and said loudly, "We are not afraid of danger; we must uncover this secret and stop their conspiracy." His voice echoed in the silent space, carrying an undeniable determination.

Lin Yue stood beside Shen Jingqi, nodding gently, her eyes equally steadfast, silently supporting Shen Jingqi. Her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes, showing a hint of nervousness inside, but more so, fearless courage.

The old man looked at their determined eyes, and a complex expression flashed across his eyes, as if hesitating, yet also moved by their determination. He hesitated for a moment, his fingers unconsciously tugging at his clothes, then slowly said, "Since you insist so much, I will give you some clues. Deep in the valley, there is a high tower that holds the key information about this secret. But the tower is filled with traps and dangers; you must be careful."

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with resolve. In that moment of eye contact, it was as if an electric current passed through, and they saw persistence and trust in each other's eyes. Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, old man. We will definitely find that high tower and uncover this secret."

They bid farewell to the old man and continued along the road. The path beneath them was rugged and uneven, with tall and eerie trees on both sides, seemingly hiding countless pairs of peering eyes. The wind whistled through the forest, as if telling untold secrets.

"Do you think that high tower really exists?" Lin Yue broke the silence, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

Shen Jingqi replied firmly, "Since the old man mentioned it, it must exist. And no matter how difficult it is, we must find it." His steps did not pause for a moment, his eyes always looking firmly ahead.

As they walked, a narrow path appeared ahead, with rustling sounds coming from the grass on both sides of the path from time to time. Lin Yue's steps paused slightly, and she instinctively moved closer to Shen Jingqi. Shen Jingqi noticed her nervousness and said softly, "Don't be afraid; I'm here."

Suddenly, a wild rabbit darted out of the grass, causing Lin Yue to let out a startled cry. Shen Jingqi quickly shielded her behind him, cautiously surveying the surroundings. Once he confirmed it was just a rabbit, he breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at Lin Yue, "Look how scared you were; it was just a little rabbit."

Lin Yue smiled awkwardly, but the tension in her heart hadn't completely dissipated. This was just a small episode in their journey, and countless dangers still lay ahead, unknown.

Continuing forward, they arrived at a Mist Forest. The forest was shrouded in dense mist, and visibility was extremely low. Shen Jingqi took a compass from his backpack, only to find that the needle was spinning wildly, unable to determine the direction.

"This mist is peculiar; even the compass is malfunctioning," Shen Jingqi said with a frown.

Lin Yue looked around the white expanse, feeling a surge of unease, "So what should we do? Will we get lost here?"

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, "Don't panic, we'll explore slowly. As long as we stay calm, we'll definitely find a way out."

They walked cautiously forward, each step taken with extreme care. Suddenly, Lin Yue felt the ground beneath her feet give way, and just as she was about to warn Shen Jingqi, she fell into a trap on the ground.

"Lin Yue!" Shen Jingqi exclaimed, quickly reaching out to grab her. But the trap was too deep, and Lin Yue fell inside.

Shen Jingqi lay on the edge of the trap, anxiously calling out, "Lin Yue, are you okay?"

Lin Yue's voice came from the trap, "I'm okay, it just hurts a little. There seem to be spikes in this trap, but they didn't stab me."

Shen Jingqi searched around for something to pull Lin Yue up, eventually finding a thick branch nearby. He extended the branch into the trap, saying, "Lin Yue, grab onto the branch, I'll pull you up."

Lin Yue tightly grasped the branch, and with Shen Jingqi's efforts, she was finally pulled up. She patted the dust off herself, saying with lingering fear, "Thankfully, I wasn't injured, otherwise it would have been troublesome."

After this thrilling encounter, they became even more cautious. They wandered in the Mist Forest for a long time, finally finding a path that seemed like an exit. As they left the forest, the sky gradually darkened.

"We need to find a safe place to rest tonight," Shen Jingqi said.

Lin Yue nodded, "Yes, I hope we don't encounter any more dangers."

They found a cave nearby and decided to spend the night there. Shen Jingqi lit a fire in the cave, and the warm firelight illuminated the small space. Lin Yue leaned against the cave wall, watching the dancing flames, her mind filled with thoughts.

"What do you think is hidden in that high tower?" Lin Yue asked.

Shen Jingqi added a few branches to the fire and said, "Whatever the secret is, we must uncover it. The ambitions of those people in black can't be anything good, and we can't let them succeed."

"But can we really succeed? We don't know how many dangers lie ahead," Lin Yue's voice carried a hint of worry.

Shen Jingqi turned his head, looking into Lin Yue's eyes, and said earnestly, "As long as we persevere, we will succeed. Also, we're not fighting alone; we're doing this for the fate of the entire world."

Lin Yue was encouraged by Shen Jingqi's words, and her eyes reignited with fighting spirit, "You're right, we can't give up."

Early the next morning, they set off again. According to the old man's description, they headed towards the depths of the valley. The terrain in the valley became increasingly complex, with peaks towering into the clouds and a mysterious atmosphere pervading the valley.

"It feels like we're getting closer to the high tower," Shen Jingqi said.

Lin Yue nodded, "Let's hope everything goes smoothly."

However, danger always comes unexpectedly. When they reached a steep hillside, a large number of boulders suddenly fell from the slope. Shen Jingqi shouted, "Watch out!" and quickly pulled Lin Yue to hide behind a massive rock.

The boulders whistled past them, kicking up a cloud of dust. Lin Yue leaned against the rock, still shaken, saying, "That was so dangerous. If we got hit, it would be over."

Shen Jingqi patted her shoulder, "Don't be afraid, we'll be careful. These boulders were probably set intentionally by someone as a trap, which means we're really close to the high tower."

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