He focused his mind, feeling the power within the golden key. Suddenly, the key emitted a strong glow, forming a golden shield that protected the three of them inside. The Water Monster saw the golden shield and let out an angry roar, continuously attacking the shield, but it remained steadfast.

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Jingqi launched an attack. He wielded the power of the golden key, his longsword shimmering with golden light, and thrust it towards the Water Monster. The longsword accurately pierced the Water Monster, which let out a piercing scream, its body writhing uncontrollably. It struggled frantically, trying to escape the sword's attack, but Shen Jingqi held onto the sword tightly, refusing to let go.

Just as the Water Monster was gradually losing its strength, the golden key suddenly emitted a powerful suction, continuously absorbing the energy from the Water Monster's body. The Water Monster's body shrank increasingly small, eventually dissipating into a mist of water in the air.

The three of them sighed in relief, slumped to the ground. "Finally, we've dealt with this monster," Lin Yu said. Xu An looked at the pool and said, "But there must be other secrets hidden in this pool, we can't let our guard down." Shen Jingqi nodded and said, "Let's take a break first, recover our strength, and then continue exploring."

After a short rest, the three stood up and continued examining the pool and the surrounding statues. Suddenly, they noticed that as the golden key's light shone on the statues, subtle changes occurred. Some statues' eyes would flicker, others' arms would slightly move.

"These statues seem to have some connection with the golden key," Shen Jingqi said. Xu An carefully observed the changes in the statues and said, "Maybe we need to activate the statues in a certain sequence to open the passage to the next area."

The three began trying different sequences to activate the statues, but they were unsuccessful. Just as they were becoming a bit frustrated, Lin Yu suddenly discovered that the patterns on the statues bore some resemblance to the runes on the previous stone door. "Look, the patterns on these statues seem to correspond to the runes on the stone door," Lin Yu said excitedly.

Shen Jingqi and Xu An stepped forward to closely observe and found it to be true. "Maybe we can activate the statues following the sequence of the runes on the stone door," Shen Jingqi said. The three of them, following this idea, began activating the statues according to the sequence of runes on the stone door.

When they activated the last statue, the water in the pool suddenly started to swirl, forming a giant vortex. The vortex spun faster and faster, producing a "whoosh" sound. Then, a massive water column shot out from the vortex, straight towards the ceiling. A huge hole appeared in the ceiling, from which a bright beam of light shone down.

"What's beyond that hole?" Lin Yu asked curiously. Shen Jingqi looked at the hole and said, "Whatever it is, we need to go up and see. It might be the key to accomplishing our mission." The three, utilizing the power of the water column, flew towards the hole.

As they passed through the hole arriving at a new place, the sight before them left them stunned again. It was a gigantic garden filled with various strange flowers and grasses, colorful flowers vying for bloom, emitting bursts of fragrance. In the center of the garden stood a majestic palace; its architecture was magnificent and mysterious, its walls inlaid with countless gemstones, dazzling under the sunlight.

"This...this is simply a fairyland!" Lin Yu exclaimed. Xu An's eyes widened as well, and he said, "Didn't expect such a place inside the castle." Shen Jingqi gazed at the palace, filled with a strong feeling that they were getting closer to the final answer.

The three of them walked towards the palace, and as they reached the front door, it slowly opened. A mysterious aura came rushing out from the palace, as if beckoning them. Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and said, "Let's go inside and see what secrets are hidden within." With firm steps, the three walked into the palace…

The palace was spacious and bright, its walls adorned with exquisite scrolls depicting various mystical scenes and figures. In the center of the palace stood a monumental throne, inlaid with countless gems and pearls, exuding an air of nobility and authority.

"Who would sit on this throne?" Lin Yu asked softly. Just then, a mysterious voice echoed in the palace: "Welcome, brave adventurers. You've passed numerous trials to arrive here." The three of them looked around, trying to identify the source of the voice but found nothing.

"Don't bother looking for me, I'm the soul of this castle. I've been waiting for someone worthy of holding the golden key to come here," the mysterious voice said. Shen Jingqi spoke loudly, "Who are you exactly? What secrets are concealed in this castle? How can we fulfill our mission?"

The mysterious voice paused for a moment and then replied slowly, "This castle used to be the stronghold of a powerful kingdom, but an evil curse descended, plunging the kingdom into darkness and ruin. The golden key is the key to breaking the curse, and you are chosen to unseal the curse, to save this kingdom."

"So how can we break the curse?" Xu An asked eagerly. The mysterious voice said, "In the depths of the palace, there is a mystical altar. You need to place the golden key on the altar and recite a specific spell to lift the curse. But during this process, you will face the final test, which is your greatest challenge."

"We fear no challenge; tell us what the spell is," Lin Yu said firmly. The mysterious voice said, "The spell is... but remember, once you start, there's no turning back, or you'll face even more terrifying consequences."

The three of them exchanged a glance, then nodded resolutely. According to the guidance of the mysterious voice, they headed towards the depths of the palace. Along the way, they encountered various mechanisms and traps but overcame them with the power of the golden key, their wisdom, and courage.

Finally, they arrived in front of the mystical altar. The altar exuded a sacred and solemn aura, covered with strange runes and patterns. Shen Jingqi placed the golden key on the altar, took a deep breath, and recited the spell the mysterious voice had told them.

As he finished the incantation, the runes on the altar began to glow, emitting radiant multicolored light. The light grew stronger, illuminating the entire palace. Suddenly, a powerful force surged from the altar, forming a colossal energy storm. Within the storm, terrifying visions appeared: fierce demons, gigantic monsters, and innumerable tormented souls.

Shen Jingqi and the others stood firmly together, relying on the power of the golden key and their belief, fiercely resisting the impact of the energy storm. Though their bodies were battered by the storm, their eyes were full of determination and resolve.

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