Mortals cultivate immortality, I have a Chaos Tower

At the moment he broke through the door of the Holy Ruins, Lin Fan thought that all the battles were over. However, when he pushed open the ancient stone door, the golden rune light gradually faded, and the silence around him seemed particularly unusual. The Chaos Tower vibrated slightly, as if responding to some invisible force. Lin Fan frowned slightly, and he vaguely felt that this Holy Ruins was hiding a more complex and mysterious power than he had imagined.

"What on earth are these shadow blade ghosts?" Lin Fan whispered to himself, his eyes sweeping across the remaining black mist still floating outside the stone gate. Although the battle just now had come to an end, the weirdness and tenacity of the shadow blade ghosts still puzzled him. These ghostly beings were not simply evil, and seemed to be driven by some deeper mission.

The Chaos Tower suddenly glowed with a faint light, and the power in the tower seemed to resonate with the land. Lin Fan's mind moved, and he raised his hand and gently pressed the top of the Chaos Tower, sensing the energy fluctuations surging in the tower. This power seemed to be responding to his questions, guiding him to unravel the secret behind the Shadow Blade Ghost.

Lin Fan closed his eyes and his consciousness went deep into the Chaos Tower. At that moment, it seemed as if the whole world became blurry, the air around him began to distort, the light dissipated, and the scene before his eyes seemed to have entered another time and space. His consciousness passed through the void and came to a gray world. This was an endless wasteland, the sky was shrouded in eternal darkness, and the surroundings were terribly silent, as if time had stopped flowing here.

In the center of the wasteland, Lin Fan saw an ancient figure. It was a man in armor, tall and shabby, and he had obviously experienced countless tragic battles. The man stood at the end of the wasteland, holding a blade as black as night in his hand. The cold light of the blade flickered in the darkness, as if it was absorbing the surrounding darkness all the time.

"Who are you?" Lin Fan asked, his voice echoing in the void.

The man slowly turned around, his face grim and his eyes sharp as knives. He was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "I... was once the guardian of the Holy Ruins. A thousand years ago, the Holy Ruins suffered an unprecedented disaster, and countless strong men fought for the power of the Holy Ruins. In order to protect this holy land, I and other guardians decided to sacrifice everything and seal our souls here forever."

Lin Fan's heart was shocked. He finally understood that the man in front of him was one of the sources of the Shadow Blade Ghosts. These Shadow Blade Ghosts were not evil creatures, but the guardians of the ancient Holy Ruins. In order to protect the Holy Ruins, they were willing to turn their souls into blades and linger around the Holy Ruins forever, blocking anyone who tried to break in.

"The Shadow Blade Ghost is the soul of the guardian..." Lin Fan murmured, with a hint of respect rising in his heart. The attacks of these Shadow Blade Ghosts seemed ruthless and cold, but the sacrifices behind them were awe-inspiring. They sacrificed their bodies and freedom, and trapped their souls forever in this shadow, just to protect the Holy Ruins from being disturbed by outsiders.

The man's eyes were deep, and he continued, "The Holy Ruins carry the strongest power between heaven and earth. For thousands of years, countless strong men have wanted to step into it and seize this power. But we guardians know that if the power of the Holy Ruins falls into the hands of evil people, it will inevitably cause endless disasters. Therefore, only those who pass the trial and gain recognition are qualified to enter the core of the Holy Ruins."

"Trial..." Lin Fan looked at the ancient stone gate behind him thoughtfully. Obviously, the battle with the Shadow Blade Ghost just now was just the first trial to enter the Holy Ruins. If they hadn't worked together to solve the mystery of the rune, they would probably have died under the blade of the Shadow Blade Ghost.

"Why do you want to protect with your soul?" Lin Fan couldn't help but ask, "You were once powerful guardians, don't you have any other way to protect the Holy Ruins?"

The man shook his head slowly, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes: "All power has a price, especially the power of the Holy Ruins. We have tried other methods, even using the spiritual power of heaven and earth to seal this holy land. However, the only thing that can truly stop the invaders is our own souls. In order to protect the secrets of the Holy Ruins, we are willing to sacrifice, turn our bodies into ashes, condense our souls into blades, become shadow blade ghosts, and wander this land forever."

When Lin Fan heard this, he felt a complex emotion. These shadow blade ghosts were once fearless warriors, shouldering the responsibility of protecting the Holy Ruins, but now, they are no longer flesh and blood, their souls are trapped in nothingness, and only the cold blades become the symbol of their existence.

"They also have souls..." Lin Fan murmured in a low voice. He suddenly realized that every time those shadow blade ghosts swung their blades, they were not attacking unconsciously, but with some kind of obsession. Their souls were imprisoned in the blades, and they were constantly fulfilling the protection oath they made thousands of years ago.

The man's figure gradually faded away, as if he was about to merge back into this empty world. Before leaving, he looked at Lin Fan with mixed emotions in his eyes: "You can come here, which means you have passed the test of the Shadow Blade Ghost. The next journey will be even more dangerous. The core power of the Holy Ruins is beyond your imagination. I hope you can use your own will and strength to unlock the true secret of the Holy Ruins."

Before he finished speaking, the man's figure completely disappeared in the wilderness. Lin Fan's consciousness gradually withdrew from this empty space and returned to reality.

When he opened his eyes, Jin Buke, Zhong Ling'er and Jiang Shuiling were still standing beside him, all of them with puzzled expressions. They were not aware of Lin Fan's experience in the spiritual world, but they also felt that the aura and power in this holy ruins had become unusual.

"Lin Fan, what happened just now?" Jin Buke stepped forward and asked with a serious look on his face.

Lin Fan did not answer immediately. His eyes fell on the remaining black mist outside the stone gate. The black mist was the traces left after the Shadow Blade Ghost dissipated. After the previous communication, he had a new understanding of the Shadow Blade Ghost. He no longer regarded them as simple enemies, but looked at these guardians with respect.

"The Shadow Blade Ghost was once the guardian of the Holy Ruins." Lin Fan said slowly, telling everyone the secret he learned from the Chaos Tower. Jin Buke, Zhong Ling'er and Jiang Shuiling were all shocked when they heard this.

"Guardians?" Zhong Ling'er's eyes flashed with confusion, "Why are their souls imprisoned in the blade, never to be freed?"

"This is their choice," Lin Fan replied in a low and solemn voice. "In order to protect the secrets of the Holy Ruins, they are willing to sacrifice everything and bind their souls to this land forever. The existence of the Shadow Blade Ghost is to prevent those invaders who try to break into the Holy Ruins."

Jiang Shuiling's eyes softened a little, and she said softly: "So that's how it is... Our previous battle was actually a fight against the will of these guardians."

Jin Buke clenched the sword in his hand, pondered for a moment and said: "Although these shadow blade ghosts are guardians, if we enter the Holy Ruins, does it mean that we must also pass some kind of trial before we are allowed to enter?"

Lin Fan nodded: "That's right. The Shadow Blade Ghost Trial is just the first step. The true core of the Holy Ruins may hide even more powerful powers and secrets. We must remain vigilant, the road ahead will definitely not be easy."

The four of them looked at each other, and a trace of determination flashed in their eyes. Although the origin of the Shadow Blade Ghost was revealed, their journey was not over. Unknown dangers in the Holy Ruins were still waiting for them, and the road ahead would be full of endless challenges.

Lin Fan knew that the Shadow Blade Ghost Trial was only the first hurdle to the entrance to the Holy Ruins. The real test might be hidden deep inside that magnificent palace. He and his companions had to be fully prepared.