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Mark stood there in a daze, repeatedly recalling every detail of his encounter with Orlan. He rubbed his eyes hard and pinched his thighs. The pain made him sure that he was not in a dream. "

Did I really meet a ghost?" He murmured to himself, his tone full of doubt. The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, shining on his confused face, making him look even more lost.

Albert frowned, stared at Mark sharply, and asked carefully: "Are you sure you saw Orlan? Tell me in detail his appearance and the content of your conversation."

His tone was serious, his expression was solemn, and an invisible pressure emanated from his body, making the air around him seem to solidify. The leaves stopped swaying, the birdsong disappeared, and the whole valley fell into silence. Only the sound of the gurgling stream was particularly clear in the silence.

Mark tried to calm himself down, took a deep breath, and told Albert in detail about his encounter with Orlan, Orlan's appearance and the content of the conversation.

As he spoke, his eyes were erratic, and he looked around from time to time, as if he was worried that Orlan would suddenly appear. His voice was also trembling, and he obviously had not recovered from the shock just now.

After listening to Mark's description, Albert's face became more solemn. He paced back and forth, and his fingers like dead branches gently tapped the tree trunk, making a crisp sound that echoed in the silent valley. "It is indeed Orlan you met." He stopped and said in a positive tone. He raised his head, his eyes were deep, as if he had penetrated time and space and saw the distant past.

"Olan's appearance is by no means accidental. There must be a huge secret hidden in it, perhaps related to the holy stone, or even to "Him." His voice was low and deep, with an unquestionable majesty, echoing in the empty valley. A trace of uneasiness spread in Mark's heart, and he subconsciously tightened the slate in his hand.

"What should we do now?" He asked anxiously, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

Albert pondered for a moment, and said with a firm look: "We must set off immediately and go to the ruins of the former holy city." He pointed to the distance, his tone full of determination,

"Maybe there are some clues."

Mark nodded in agreement without hesitation, "Okay, let's go!"

As he said, he took a step and moved quickly in the direction pointed by Albert. Albert followed closely behind, and the two figures quickly disappeared in the dense jungle. The sunlight sprinkled through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadows on the ground, which kept changing as the two figures moved, like a flowing light spot, adding a touch of vitality to this silent valley.

They rushed all the way, over mountains and ridges, and ran quickly towards the ruins of the holy city. The scenery along the way kept changing, sometimes passing through dense jungles, sometimes crossing turbulent rivers, and sometimes climbing steep peaks. Their steps never stopped, as if they had endless energy, and they only wanted to reach their destination as soon as possible.

On the way, Mark felt the energy in his body move again. A burning sensation surged from his body, making him feel dizzy. He was pale, staggering, and almost fell.

"Albert..." He said with difficulty, his voice trembling.

Seeing this, Albert hurriedly stopped and supported Mark, "What's wrong?" He asked with concern, his eyes full of worry. The surrounding trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the leaves rustled, as if they were also worried about Mark's condition.

"My... energy..." Mark said intermittently, breathing rapidly, and fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. Albert did not dare to neglect it, and hurriedly took out the slate given by the old man and handed it to Mark.

"Quick, use it to stabilize your energy." He said in a hurried tone, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes. The slate reflected a faint fluorescence in the sun, like the stars in the night sky, emitting a mysterious light.

Mark took the slate and put it on his chest. The runes on the slate emitted a soft light, which slowly flowed into his body, harmonizing the chaotic energy in his body. He felt comfortable, the energy fluctuations in his body gradually stabilized, and the original pain disappeared. Albert watched Mark gradually regain his composure, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. "The energy fluctuations in your body are still unstable." He said solemnly, "We must find the fragments of the holy stone as soon as possible to completely solve this hidden danger."

Mark clenched the slate in his hand and said with a firm look in his eyes: "I will definitely find the truth." His tone was full of determination, as if no difficulties could stop him from moving forward.

Feeling Mark's determination, Albert patted his shoulder with relief, "Let's go." He said, and continued to run quickly towards the direction of the holy city ruins. Mark followed closely behind, and the two figures were like two lightning bolts, breaking the tranquility of the mountains and rushing towards their destination.

"Albert, we must be fast!" Mark said firmly. "Yeah." Albert nodded in response.

"I feel... as if someone is watching us secretly." Albert said in a low voice while running and looking around vigilantly. He frowned slightly, and scanned the surrounding woods and rocks with sharp eyes, trying to find the trace of the watcher. The mountain wind whistled past, rolling up the fallen leaves and rustling, adding a bit of mystery. Mark heard this and slowed down his pace, scanning the surrounding environment with a torch-like gaze.

"I feel it too." He responded in a low voice with a hint of vigilance in his tone. He reached out and grasped the dagger at his waist, his knuckles slightly white, ready to deal with emergencies at any time. The two moved forward cautiously, and the speed gradually slowed down. The shadows of the trees around them were mottled, and the light was flickering.

Suddenly, a sparse sound came from the depths of the woods, breaking the silence in the mountains. "Who's there?" Albert shouted sharply, and at the same time pulled out the dagger and pointed it in the direction of the sound. His expression was serious, and his eyes were fixed on the depths of the woods, ready to deal with possible enemies at any time. There was a moment of silence in the woods, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"Come out!" Mark also became alert, and his right hand unconsciously clenched the slate, which emitted a faint fluorescence, illuminating his resolute face.