Chapter 61: The Second Test

The team, still warmed by their victory, continued their advance into the depths of the temple. The surroundings grew increasingly eerie, with an oppressive atmosphere lingering in the air, as if there were invisible eyes watching them from the shadows.

On both sides of the passage, ancient murals glowed faintly, seemingly telling the history of the temple. Lynn carefully examined the murals, hoping to find some clues about the second test. However, the content on the murals was obscure and confusing, and he could only discern some vague outlines and symbols.

As they delved deeper, they arrived at a massive circular hall. In the center of the hall was an inky - black hole, surrounded by a ring of fire. The flames were of an eerie, 幽蓝色. Above the black hole hovered a 巨大的水晶球,emitting a soft glow that illuminated the entire hall.

"Is this the place of the second test?" one team member asked in confusion. Lynn nodded, saying, "Likely. Everyone be careful, this place is filled with unknown dangers."

Just then, the crystal ball suddenly emitted a blinding light, within which appeared a illusory figure. The figure looked like an old man, his eyes profound and mysterious, as if he could see into their souls.

"You brave adventurers, welcome to the second test. This test will test your wisdom and courage. Hidden within this black hole is a key that can unlock ultimate power. But to obtain this key, you must solve the riddle I present to you," the old man said.

"Riddle? What kind of riddle?" a team member asked. The old man smiled slightly, saying, "I will ask you a question, and you must answer it correctly within the allotted time. If you answer incorrectly, or exceed the time limit, you will be swallowed by the black hole."

Lynn and the team exchanged glances, knowing this was a severe test. The old man began posing the question: "In a mysterious world, there are three types of creatures: unicorns, griffins, and dragons. Unicorns have one horn, griffins have two horns, and dragons have three horns. It is known that there are a total of 100 creatures in this world, and their horns add up to 200. How many unicorns, griffins, and dragons are there?"

The team fell into deep thought. This was a complex mathematical problem that required logical reasoning to solve. Lynn quickly analyzed the problem in his mind, thinking that he could use the method of setting unknowns to solve it.

Let there be x unicorns, y griffins, and z dragons. Based on the known conditions, he could set up two equations: x + y + z = 100 (total number of creatures) and x + 2y + 3z = 200 (total number of horns).

Lynn began to try the method of elimination, subtracting the first equation from the second to get y + 2z = 100. Then, he started analyzing various possible scenarios.

As time passed, the team watched Lynn intently. Sweat beaded on Lynn's forehead, but he remained calm and thoughtful. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he had the answer.

"I know!" Lynn exclaimed excitedly, "There are 50 unicorns, 50 griffins, and 0 dragons." The old man nodded, saying, "Correct answer. You have passed the first sub - test. I still have a harder riddle for you."

The old man posed another riddle: "In a magic forest, there are three types of magic trees: life trees, magic trees, and death trees. Life trees bear 3 magic fruits each day, magic trees bear 2 magic fruits each day, and death trees bear no fruits at all. It is known that there are a total of 10 trees in this forest, and they bear a total of 20 magic fruits in one day. How many life trees, magic trees, and death trees are there?"

The team fell into thought again. This problem was more complex and required more logical reasoning. Lynn once again used the method of setting unknowns, letting a represent the number of life trees, b represent the number of magic trees, and c represent the number of death trees. He set up the equations: a + b + c = 10 (total number of trees) and 3a + 2b + 0c = 20 (total number of fruits).

Through a series of calculations and reasoning, Lynn finally found the answer. He shouted, "There are 0 life trees, 10 magic trees, and 0 death trees." The old man smiled with satisfaction, saying, "Correct answer. You have passed the second sub - test."

Thus, the old man continued to pose riddles, and the team, relying on Lynn's wisdom and their teamwork, successfully answered them one after another. However, as the difficulty of the riddles increased, their pressure grew as well.

In the final riddle, the old man posed: "In a mysterious kingdom, there are three types of currency: gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins. The value of a gold coin is three times that of a silver coin, and the value of a silver coin is twice that of a copper coin. It is known that there are a total of 100 coins in this kingdom, and their total value is 1000 copper coins. How many gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins are there?"

This was an extremely complex riddle. Lynn's mind was racing, and he tried various methods, finally finding the answer at the last moment. He shouted, "There are 20 gold coins, 40 silver coins, and 40 copper coins." The old man nodded, saying, "Correct answer. You have successfully passed the second test."

As the old man's words fell, the flames in the black hole gradually died down, and a golden key shone brilliantly, slowly rising from the black hole. Lynn reached out and grabbed the key, his heart filled with joy.

"We did it!" the team cheered. They knew they were one step closer to ultimate power. But they also knew that there was one final test waiting for them. They tucked away the key and continued their advance into the deeper parts of the temple, ready to face new challenges.