Chapter Sixty-Four: The Underground Cave

When we clearly saw the monster chasing after Feng Zimo, we were all stunned.

This creature was beyond bizarre; to call it a chimera would be an understatement—it was like nothing we had ever seen before. Covered all over with barbs, it moved on three legs, had no head, and its entire body was studded with eyeballs.

There was no time to think. Before Feng Zimo could reach us, the monster suddenly lashed out and ensnared him with one of its legs.

Fortunately, within this underground tomb, our magic wasn’t restricted; otherwise, we would have been doomed. I quickly summoned the Black Jiao to rescue Feng Zimo. Then we all rushed forward, and I pulled the Mirror of Heaven and Earth from my pocket, sending bolts of lightning shooting toward the monster.

Ever since Lin Weiyan saved my life, this was the first time I’d used magic again, and it was clear my abilities had improved greatly. I could feel the difference in the thunderbolts unleashed by the Mirror of Heaven and Earth.

The monster was struck by my lightning, and a deafening explosion rang out. It abruptly retracted the leg coiled around Feng Zimo, and Lin Weiyan’s Chixiao Sword unleashed a storm of sword energy toward it.

Taking advantage of the opening, Feng Zimo slipped back to our side. I wanted to ask what had happened, but the urgency of the situation left us no choice but to deal with the monster first.

Feng Zimo caught his breath, grasped his halberd, and charged back to help Lin Weiyan. I kept attacking the monster with the Mirror of Heaven and Earth, while only Wu Xin seemed to be moving around leisurely.

But I knew Wu Xin’s apparent nonchalance was a ruse; he was setting up an array.

The monster was formidable—at least, compared to the Illusion Fiend, it was probably on par. Feng Zimo, Lin Weiyan, and the Black Jiao joined forces, and with my sneak attacks, we only barely managed to hold our ground.

I could fly now, but in terms of skill, I was still lacking. I’d always wanted to fight alongside them, but I knew I’d only be a distraction, making them worry about protecting me.

For the greater good, I couldn’t act rashly. Sometimes, a single wrong move could lead us all to ruin.

Besides, I couldn’t be sure if the Crimson-Eyed Demon Eye would come to my aid. Like last time, when it failed me at the most critical moment.

I had no wish to risk that again, and even less desire to die.

Only after surviving a brush with death did I truly understand how precious life was.

Soon, Wu Xin finished setting up the array and shouted for Feng Zimo and the others to retreat.

Then he began chanting, and countless golden beams shot up from the ground, enveloping the monster.

The creature struggled, trying to break through the golden barrier, but couldn’t succeed.

Seeing it trapped, I breathed a sigh of relief—until Wu Xin’s next words made my heart clench.

“This Earth Dragon Array won’t hold it for long. We need to get out of here—fast,” he said, his face tense.

Damn it, I cursed inwardly. If it couldn’t hold for long, why didn’t you say so sooner? There’s no time to waste—escaping is all that matters.

We all dashed toward the exit, but something strange happened. When we reached the spot where the entrance should have been, it was gone.

I distinctly recalled the exit being right here. How could it disappear?

Off in the distance, the monster shrieked like a slaughtered pig, sending chills through me.

With no way out, there was no sense wasting time here. The most important thing was to get as far away as possible, so we followed the underground river westward.

We walked for who knows how long, until we finally lost the monster. Exhausted, we found what seemed to be a relatively safe spot to rest.

Panting, I asked Feng Zimo, “Brother Feng, how did you end up provoking that thing?”

He sighed in exasperation, “It crawled out of a burial chamber. I thought maybe there’d be treasure inside… sigh…”

Then he asked us, “How did you all get here?”

I recounted the events, including our encounter with King Zhou of Shang in the burial chamber, and finally told him that this place was the Nine Coffin Yin Valley.

Feng Zimo seemed unfamiliar with the Nine Coffin Yin Valley—his eyes only ever fixed on the prospect of treasure, heedless of the dangers.

His attitude brought to mind the old saying: “Man dies for wealth, birds die for food.”

I had to admire his fearlessness, though I knew I could never be so reckless.

After resting a while longer, we all agreed to press on. We believed that as long as we kept moving forward, there would be an exit; and even if there wasn’t, it was better than facing that monster again.

About half an hour later, the underground river grew narrower, its waters calmer, almost completely still—like a pool of dead water. Could we be nearing the end?

I felt a twinge of doubt, but it seemed unlikely.

We kept going for another ten minutes or so, and the river narrowed to just three meters across. Up ahead, it looked like there was no more path.

Just as I hesitated on whether to continue, Wu Xin spoke up, jolting me to attention.

“Look,” he said, “the water seems to be moving.”

Upon closer inspection, he was right. The river was indeed flowing gently forward—though up ahead, there was clearly no more riverbed.

How could the water be flowing forward if there was nowhere to go? It made no sense.

As time passed, the current grew stronger. Within minutes, the once gentle flow had become swift and urgent.

Our curiosity piqued, but we didn’t rush ahead recklessly. I knew all too well that those who let curiosity get the best of them rarely met good ends—especially when things seemed most unnatural.

After much deliberation, we made thorough preparations and proceeded with utmost caution, scrutinizing every step and analyzing our surroundings for safety.

What should have taken ten minutes took half an hour.

At last, we reached the true end of the underground river. There was indeed no way forward; the water was draining into an underground hole.

But one thing puzzled me: why had the water suddenly begun to flow? Had this underground hole just appeared?

Staring at the torrent plunging into the depths, I had no idea how deep the pit might be.

I thought of sending the Black Jiao down to investigate, but reconsidered—this place was too strange, and if another monster appeared, things could turn ugly fast.

Just then, a rainbow of light flashed from the depths of the hole, and suddenly the river began to flow in reverse.

The water that had been rushing down now surged upward from the underground pit in a bizarre, unnatural tide.