Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue were truly unable to run any further, their legs felt as if they were filled with lead, each step taken with all the strength they could muster. They stumbled to the side of a creek and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air in large gulps.

Lin Yue propped her hands on her knees, head bowed down, beads of sweat as large as beans rolling off her forehead, instantly absorbed by the earth. She said between gasps, "We… we can't just keep running like this… that group… that group will definitely keep chasing us."

Shen Jingqi was not faring much better, leaning against a large rock, coughing violently, his chest heaving harshly. He responded with labored breaths, "Yeah, but now… now there's no other way."

Lin Yue steadied herself, stood up, walked to the creek, and cupped a handful of water to gently wash her face. The cool creek water refreshed her, and she shook off the droplets, saying, "We need to think of a way to shake them off, if we keep running like this, we'll be caught sooner or later."

Shen Jingqi looked at the Divine Artifact in his hands, the oval, jade-smooth surface of the Divine Artifact shimmered with a mysterious light under the sun. He gripped the Divine Artifact tightly, as if holding onto his only hope, and said, "We must unlock the secret of the Divine Artifact quickly, maybe it will help us escape them."

They began to carefully study the Divine Artifact. Lin Yue squatted down, her fingers gently touching the strange symbols on the surface of the Divine Artifact, saying, "Look, these symbols, could they have some special meaning?" Her eyes were fixated on the symbols, filled with curiosity and doubt.

Shen Jingqi frowned, squatted down as well, moved closer to the symbols, and looked at them carefully. His gaze was focused and serious, as if trying to see through the symbols. He said, "I don't recognize these symbols either, but we can try to see if there's any pattern." His voice was deep and steady, but inside he was full of anxiety.

They placed the Divine Artifact on the ground, sitting around it, eyes locked on the symbols, as if engraving every detail in their minds. Time passed by slowly, their eyes grew sore, tears welled up, but they dared not blink, fearing they'd miss any crucial clue.

Lin Yue rubbed her eyes and yawned, saying, "These symbols are too hard to understand, can't see any pattern at all." Her voice carried a hint of frustration, her eyes revealing a trace of despair.

Shen Jingqi gritted his teeth and said, "Look more closely, maybe we missed something." His fists clenched tightly, knuckles turning white from the force, inwardly urging himself not to give up.

Just as they were feeling a bit dejected, suddenly, the Divine Artifact emitted a faint glow. The glow was initially very dim, like the light of a firefly, flickering. Lin Yue exclaimed in surprise, "What's happening?" Her eyes widened, face full of fear and curiosity.

Shen Jingqi also widened his eyes and said, "Could it be that we've activated some mechanism?" His heart suddenly raced, as if it would jump out of his throat. He instinctively stepped back, hands guarding in front of him, watching the Divine Artifact warily.

The light grew brighter, and the symbols flashed more rapidly. Those strange symbols seemed to come alive, dancing and spinning on the surface of the Divine Artifact, emitting a strange brilliance. Lin Yue nervously grabbed Shen Jingqi's arm, her voice trembling as she said, "Shen Jingqi, this… this is too scary, could we be in danger?" Her body trembled slightly, her eyes filled with fear.

Shen Jingqi feigned calmness, patted Lin Yue's hand, saying, "Don't be afraid, maybe this is the key to unlocking the secret of the Divine Artifact." In truth, his heart was also full of fear, but he knew that he had to stay calm and give Lin Yue some courage.

Suddenly, the light disappeared, and a map appeared on the Divine Artifact. The map's lines were intricate, marking some strange places, with a red mark resembling a burning flame, seemingly guiding them somewhere.

Lin Yue said excitedly, "Is this a map? Could it be connected to the secret of the Divine Artifact?" Her eyes gleamed with a light of hope, a long-lost smile appearing on her face.

Shen Jingqi nodded, saying, "It's very possible. Let's follow the mark on the map, maybe we can find the key to unlocking the Divine Artifact's secret." His eyes rekindled with determination, his heart full of anticipation.

They stood up, dusted themselves off, and headed in the direction indicated by the map. Along the way, they were cautious, constantly alert to the surroundings. Every step was preceded by a thorough observation of the area to see if there were any black-clad pursuers.

Lin Yue closely followed behind Shen Jingqi, whispering, "Where do you think this map will take us? Could it be very dangerous?" Her voice carried a hint of worry, her eyes revealing a trace of unease.

Shen Jingqi glanced back at her, saying, "Don't think too much, we can only move forward bravely. Maybe there lies the secret to unlocking the Divine Artifact, and then we can get rid of those Totem People." His tone was firm, but he had no assurance in his heart.

They passed through a dense forest, where the branches tore their clothes and pricked their skin painfully. But they ignored these, focused solely on the red mark on the map.

Suddenly, Lin Yue stopped, pointing ahead, saying, "Look, there seems to be a cave." Her eyes revealed a hint of excitement, as if seeing hope.

Shen Jingqi looked in the direction she pointed out, and sure enough, there was a dark cave on the rock face not far away. He said, "Maybe the mark on the map is inside the cave, let's go in and take a look."

They cautiously approached the cave, stepping carefully with fear in every step. The cave was filled with a damp scent, darkness so thick it was blinding. Shen Jingqi took a lighter from his pocket and lit it, the faint flame illuminating a small area around them.

Lin Yue clung tightly to Shen Jingqi's coat, her voice trembling as she said, "Could there be danger inside this cave? I'm so scared." Her body shivered slightly, eyes full of fear.

Shen Jingqi comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. We'll be careful, nothing should happen." Although his voice was calm, his heart was also tense.

They slowly advanced into the cave, the ground uneven and occasionally a stone would fall. Suddenly, Lin Yue stepped on a loose rock and fell forward. Shen Jingqi's quick reflexes caught her, saying, "Be careful."

Lin Yue, still shaken, patted her chest, saying, "That scared me, this cave is too dangerous."

At this moment, they heard a strange noise, like whispers, or the growl of a beast. Lin Yue's face turned pale, saying, "Shen Jingqi, did you hear that? What's that sound?"