172: Chapter 171 Searching for the Key to the Ruins! Solving the Mystery and Obtaining the Key, Activating the System and Reshaping the Future (3)

The technician quickly crouched down, picked up the fragments from the ground, and carefully examined both the stone tablet and the pieces. His face was filled with confusion and panic as he stammered, "I... I don't know! The energy signature of the fragments is correct, and it perfectly matches the energy fluctuations of the stone tablet, but it just won't activate! Could... could we have misinterpreted the meaning of the symbols?"

Caesar frowned, his expression gloomily terrifying. He strode to the stone tablet, personally picked up the blue fragment, and carefully placed it into the groove once more. But the result was the same as before—the blue light flickered for a moment before instantly vanishing, and the fragment still fell out of the groove, completely ineffective.

"Useless! You're all useless!" Caesar kicked the technician in a rage, his voice hysterical and his eyes filled with malice. "Re-interpret it! Carefully decode every single symbol; there must be no mistakes! If you can't figure it out, I'll throw you into the canyon to feed the beasts!"

The technician was kicked back several steps and fell to the ground, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Trembling with fear, he scrambled up and huddled before the stone tablet again, meticulously studying the symbols without daring to slacken for a moment, terrified of provoking Caesar further.

Hiding behind the bushes, Mu Li saw this and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. As if struck by a bolt of inspiration, his eyes instantly lit up. He quietly took out his USB drive and lightly touched it, slowly channeling the fragment energy from within into his palm. Instantly, his palm emitted a faint, warm, and soft blue light that resonated strongly with the energy fluctuations from the stone tablet, sending a slight tremor through his hand.

"I've got it! I finally understand!" Mu Li whispered excitedly, his tone carrying an irrepressible thrill. "Activating the stone tablet doesn't require the energy of a single fragment, but rather fused fragment energy! They only have one piece, so the energy is singular and cannot activate the tablet. However, the fragment in my hand has already undergone a preliminary fusion with the code in my mind, producing the complete activation energy. That is the key to activating the stone tablet!"

"So what do we do now? Charge out immediately, seize their fragment, and then activate the stone tablet?" Old Yang's voice came through the walkie-talkie, sounding somewhat urgent. He was already prepared for battle; as soon as Mu Li gave the order, he would lead the team and charge out.

"Wait a bit longer; don't be impulsive." Mu Li shook his head, his tone steady. "They are still studying the symbols, and their attention is focused on the stone tablet, so their guard is relatively lax. We can take advantage of their distraction to quietly circle behind the stone tablet and look for another entrance. If we really can't find one, it won't be too late to seize it then. This will minimize our casualties and buy us more time."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Mu Li's decision. Then, taking advantage of the gap while Caesar's team was focused on studying the symbols, Mu Li led the group to quietly circle around the side of the canyon and climb toward the back of the stone tablet. The cliff was very steep and the rocks were smooth, making the climb exceptionally difficult; from time to time, gravel would slide out from under their feet, making faint sounds. Helping each other, the team members gripped rock crevices with one hand and vines with the other, advancing cautiously for fear of slipping and falling off the cliff. After more than half an hour of arduous climbing, they finally reached the back of the stone tablet, gasping for breath and covered in dust and sweat.

Behind the stone tablet, a narrow cave was actually hidden. The entrance was tightly concealed by dense vines and weeds, with interlacing branches and leaves; if one didn't look closely, it was impossible to notice its existence. Mu Li signaled for everyone to stop and hold their breath, while he carefully parted the vines and weeds to peer into the cave. It was pitch black inside and seemingly bottomless, but a faint green light could be seen emanating from the depths, mysterious and eerie.

"I found something!" Mu Li whispered, his tone tinged with excitement as he turned to the group. "There's a cave here, very well hidden. It must be the secret entrance to the ruins! If we go in through here, we can bypass Caesar's people and find the key first!"

Everyone was overjoyed and carefully slipped into the cave after parting the vines and weeds. The passage inside was very narrow, only allowing one person to pass through sideways. Strange symbols, similar to those on the stone tablet, were carved into the walls of the passage; they emitted a faint green light that illuminated the path ahead, as if guiding them forward. The passage was damp, with water droplets covering the walls and falling to the ground with a rhythmic "drip-drop" that echoed clearly in the silent cave.

"These symbols... they seem to be providing directions." Professor Zhang slowed down to carefully observe the symbols on the walls, his tone serious. "Look, these symbols all point in the same direction—deeper into the cave. It should lead to the core area of the ruins, which is where the key is kept."

Everyone nodded and continued forward along the passage, their footsteps light as they didn't dare make any unnecessary noise. After walking for about ten minutes, the narrow passage suddenly widened, and a massive grotto appeared before them, like a natural palace. The ceiling of the grotto was hung with crystal-clear stalactites, from which water droplets fell; the "drip-drop" sounds echoed throughout the grotto, forming a natural melody. In the center of the grotto was a circular stone platform about a meter high, upon which sat a massive stone altar. The surface of the altar was carved with complex patterns and emitted faint energy fluctuations. In the very center of the altar stood a strangely shaped stone sword. The sword was a dark bluish-black, and its hilt was embedded with a red crystal that emitted a dazzling, warm, and powerful red light, bathing the entire grotto in a crimson glow.

"That must be the key to activating the core system!" Mu Li's eyes flashed with excitement, his tone firm as he involuntarily walked toward the platform, his fingertips trembling slightly—he could clearly feel the powerful energy emanating from the red crystal on the stone sword, resonating strongly with the energy in his body and the fragment energy in the USB drive, as if there were countless threads connecting the three.

Just then, the sound of messy footsteps came from the entrance of the grotto, followed by Caesar's angry and cold voice, breaking the silence: "I didn't expect there to be a secret entrance here! Mu Li, you really are here! I knew you wouldn't give up so easily!"

Mu Li's expression changed, and he spun around to look toward the entrance. He saw Caesar leading over a dozen Mercenaries into the grotto, everyone armed with assault rifles and looking fierce as they aimed at Mu Li and the others. It turned out that after their fruitless study of the symbols, Caesar had sensed something was wrong and immediately sent men to search the area. They happened to find the traces left by Mu Li's group and followed them all the way to this secret entrance.

"Caesar, you're quite good at finding things, but you're still a step too late." Mu Li sneered, signaling his team to prepare for battle. He gripped the USB drive tightly, his eyes fixed coldly on Caesar. "The key to the ruins is right here. If you want it, you'll have to see if we agree!"

"You think you can stop me with just these people?" Caesar laughed dismissively, his eyes full of contempt. He waved his hand and ordered coldly, "Go! Kill them and get the key! Spare no effort to seize it!"

The Mercenaries immediately raised their guns and fired frantically at Mu Li and the others. Bullets hissed as they struck the grotto walls and stalactites, sending up sparks and stone fragments. The "bang-bang-bang" of gunfire echoed deafeningly in the cavern. Prepared for this, Mu Li and the others dove behind the massive stalactites for cover and began to return fire. The sounds of gunfire and bullets hitting rock intertwined, and the scene instantly became chaotic and intense.

"Engineer Mu, take Professor Zhang and President Lin to get the key! We'll cover you!" Old Yang shouted. While firing at the Mercenaries, he directed the team members to form a defensive formation, stubbornly blocking the Mercenaries' advance to buy time for Mu Li and the others. His face was full of determination and his eyes were sharp, showing no fear even though he had been scratched by flying stone fragments as he held his ground.

"Alright! Be careful!" Mu Li nodded, his heart filled with gratitude. He immediately took Professor Zhang and Lin Wei and ran toward the central platform during a gap in the exchange of fire. Bullets whizzed past them, grazing their ears in a terrifying display, but they didn't dare stop, running toward the platform with all their might.

"You want the key? It won't be that easy!" Caesar's face changed when he saw Mu Li running toward the platform. A flash of panic and rage crossed his eyes as he personally picked up a submachine gun and fired frantically at Mu Li. A bullet grazed Mu Li's shoulder and hit the stone slab of the platform, sending up a shower of sparks and leaving a deep crater. Mu Li instinctively ducked, but he was still a step too slow; a bullet grazed his right shoulder, and blood instantly soaked his clothes. A sharp pain spread from his shoulder throughout his body, causing him to groan and stumble.

"Engineer Mu! You're hurt!" Lin Wei was quick to support the staggering Mu Li, her tone full of anxiety as she reached out to check his wound. "I have a first-aid kit here, let's bandage it first!"

"No need!" Mu Li gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain in his shoulder as he pushed Lin Wei's hand away. "There's no time. The key must be obtained as soon as possible; we can't give Caesar any chances!" He clenched his fist, letting the blood slide down his arm and drip onto the ground, staining the stone slab beneath his feet red. He continued toward the platform, every step intensifying the pain in his shoulder and causing fine beads of cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

Seeing Mu Li's determined back, Lin Wei's heart ached for him, but she knew this was not the time for sentimentality. She immediately gripped her pistol and stood guard by Mu Li, repelling several Mercenaries who tried to charge in and clearing the path forward for him. Professor Zhang followed closely behind, occasionally reminding Mu Li to watch his step and avoid falling debris.

Enduring the pain, Mu Li finally reached the platform. Just as he reached out to pull out the stone sword, the platform began to vibrate violently as if an earthquake were occurring. The symbols on the altar lit up one after another, emitting a dazzling red light that resonated with the crystal on the sword, enveloping the entire platform in crimson. The vibration tugged at his shoulder wound, causing a tearing pain. Mu Li's face turned pale instantly, but he didn't let go, staring intently at the stone sword in the center of the altar.

"Oh no! The altar has been activated!" Professor Zhang's face changed drastically as he shouted in alarm. "These symbols are an ancient energy array! Once someone steps onto the platform and touches the stone sword, the array activates. The platform could collapse at any moment!"

Mu Li was startled. The platform beneath his feet vibrated more and more violently, cracks began to appear in the stone slabs, and rubble constantly slid off the platform as if it were about to collapse. Gritting his teeth, he reached out regardless and gripped the hilt of the stone sword, pulling with all his strength. With a crisp "crack," the stone sword was successfully pulled out. The red crystal on the hilt emitted an even more dazzling red light that illuminated the entire grotto, its brilliance so piercing that it was impossible to look directly at it. The moment he pulled the sword, his shoulder wound was tugged again, and blood gushed out. His vision went dark, and he almost fell, but he quickly grabbed the edge of the altar with his left hand to steady himself.

The moment the stone sword was pulled out, the platform stopped vibrating, and the symbols on the altar gradually dimmed, returning to their original state. Holding the stone sword, Mu Li could clearly feel the red crystal transmitting a powerful energy into his body—warm and majestic, it flowed down his arm and spread through his entire body. The pain in his shoulder actually eased significantly, filling him with strength once more. The USB drive in his pocket also began to vibrate violently as the fragment energy within resonated with the energy of the red crystal, creating a wonderful harmony as if the three were slowly merging.

"The key! He got the key!" Seeing Mu Li pull out the stone sword, Caesar's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with panic and resentment. He shouted frantically, "Kill him! Kill him now! Don't let him activate the core system! Otherwise, we're all finished!"

Encouraged by Caesar, the Mercenaries became even more frenzied, firing at the platform regardless of their own casualties in an attempt to stop Mu Li from activating the core system. Old Yang and his team resisted fiercely, doing their best to block the Mercenaries' advance, but the enemy was too numerous and their firepower too heavy. The team members were gradually losing ground; one member was hit by a bullet and fell to the ground with a piercing scream, blood staining the floor. Mu Li looked at the team members fighting below and then at his bleeding shoulder. A flash of resolve crossed his eyes as he accelerated the process of activating the system.

"Engineer Mu, activate the system quickly! We can't hold on much longer!" Old Yang shouted. He had also been shot in the arm, and blood was flowing freely, staining his camouflage uniform. But he still didn't give up, continuing to fire and hold his ground to buy time for Mu Li to activate the system.

Mu Li gripped the stone sword, knowing that this was the critical moment to activate the core system and there could be no hesitation. He quickly took the USB drive out of his pocket and examined it closely, finding a slot on the hilt of the stone sword that perfectly matched the USB interface. Enduring the intense pain in his shoulder, he used his trembling right hand to insert the USB drive into the slot. Instantly, the fragment energy from the USB, the red energy from the stone sword, and the code in his mind merged. This produced a powerful energy shockwave that swept through the entire grotto; wherever the energy passed, rubble was sent flying and the sound of gunfire instantly ceased.

Hit by the powerful energy shockwave, the Mercenaries fell to the ground one after another, coughing up blood and losing their ability to fight, unable to get back up. Caesar was also sent stumbling back by the shockwave, his face pale and a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of fear and disbelief. Mu Li, on the other hand, was enveloped by this powerful energy and slowly floated into the air, his body emitting a dazzling blue light. Under the nourishment of the energy, the bleeding from his shoulder wound gradually stopped and the pain completely vanished. His entire aura underwent a world-shaking transformation, his eyes becoming deep and sharp as if he controlled all the energy in the world.