229: Deep into the Ghost Realm and Twisted Jungle

The ark of hope hovered in the safe airspace on the periphery of the Misty Ghost Domain like a silent ghost.

Below, the boundless grey-purple fog wall writhed slowly like a living creature, exuding a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.

This time, the exploration team selected by Wen Youyi was larger in scale, totaling twelve people, encompassing almost all of the base's current core combat and support personnel.

In addition to himself, Zhao Iron Pillar, Wang Wu, and Mu Wanqing, it also included six other combat experts and two Purifiers members proficient in Formation and first aid.

Everyone checked their personal equipment once: the latest 'Starfire Type III' armor, 'God-Protecting Jade Pendants' hanging on their chests, 'bedrock communication talismans' and 'Mind-Clearing Pills' within reach at their waists, weapons shimmering with cold light, and backpacks filled with 'Star Beacon Stones' and 'Star Rain' Magical Artifacts.

"Final check on communications and beacons." Wen Youyi's voice sounded simultaneously through the "Mind Net" and the bedrock communication talisman.

"Position One, Zhao Iron Pillar, received! Beacon clear!"

"Position Two, Wang Wu, received! Visibility good!"

...

After confirming everything was correct, Wen Youyi took a deep breath: "According to the predetermined plan, form a triangular assault Formation, maintain spacing, provide alternating cover, move out!"

Twelve figures leaped out from the opened hatch of the ark, shooting toward the fog below like sharp arrows.

The moment before contacting the fog, everyone simultaneously activated their "God-Protecting Jade Pendants" and "bedrock communication talismans," a layer of soft starlight enveloping their bodies, like lighting twelve faint lighthouses in the grey world.

"Pfft—"

As if passing through a layer of viscous, cold water membrane, everyone officially entered the Misty Ghost Domain.

The light inside was extremely dim, the grey-purple fog so thick it couldn't be dispersed, with visibility less than ten zhang.

The air was filled with a heavy smell of rot and a fishy sweetness. Even with the protection of the jade pendants, those pervasive mental whispers still lingered in their ears like gnats, attempting to drill into their minds.

The ground beneath their feet was uneven in hardness; at times they stepped on solid, seemingly eroded rocks, and at other times they sank into viscous, bottomless mud.

"Stay vigilant, watch your footing and surroundings!" Wen Youyi reminded, simultaneously releasing his Mental Energy, coordinating with the Star Core's sensing, trying to penetrate the fog and perceive the environment further away.

However, the fog's suppression of perception was extremely strong, and his effective detection range was compressed to about fifty zhang.

Wang Wu, acting as the vanguard, walked at the very front.

He held a specially made compass in his hand, the needle pointing toward the direction Wen Youyi had set in advance—the general location where the architectural ruins were detected last time.

Every time he advanced a certain distance, he would bury a "Star Beacon Stone" at a relatively safe foothold.

The moment the stone was buried, a faint star beacon, which could only be perceived by those wearing a specific receiver, would stabilize, like a road sign left in the darkness.

The team moved forward silently and efficiently, with only the faint sounds of feet stepping on mud or gravel, and the brief commands and reports passed between them through the bedrock communication talismans.

After advancing for about half an hour, the surrounding scenery began to change.

What was originally just monotonous swamps and strange rocks began to feature some twisted, bizarre plants.

These plants were entirely an unhealthy purple-black, their branches and leaves twisted like struggling arms, some even slowly writhing.

The nauseating, fishy-sweet smell in the air also became more intense.

"Watch out for those strange trees!" Mu Wanqing reminded, "They might be poisonous or aggressive."

As soon as she finished speaking, a huge plant near a team member on the flank, shaped like a twisted man-eating flower magnified dozens of times, suddenly opened its "corolla" filled with sharp teeth and snapped at that team member!

"Careful!" The team member reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side while swinging their longsword, which carried starlight!

"Sshh!"

The sword light flashed, and the twisted plant's stem was easily severed, spraying foul-smelling purple sap.

The severed part writhed frantically on the ground a few times before gradually stiffening.

"Defense is average, but aggression is very high. The sap might be corrosive," the team member reported quickly.

This was just the beginning.

The deeper they went, the more of these twisted, aggressive plants there were.

They seemed to be contaminated by some kind of power, full of pure malice.

The team's speed of advance had to slow down, needing to be constantly on guard against attacks from all directions.

"This damn place is practically a twisted jungle!" Zhao Iron Pillar cursed, waving his heavy sword, smashing a vine covered in suckers that had suddenly shot out from the mud into pieces.

Just at this moment, Wen Youyi suddenly raised his hand, signaling the team to stop.

"Something is approaching! There are many of them! Prepare for battle!" He shouted lowly through the bedrock communication talisman.

His Mental Energy sensed that in the fog ahead, a large number of chaotic, hostile life fluctuations were approaching rapidly!

The group immediately tightened their Formation, standing back-to-back, weapons unsheathed, looking vigilantly toward the direction from which the fluctuations were coming.

"Rustle, rustle... Hiss, hiss..."

The teeth-grating sound approached from far to near, the grey-purple fog surged violently, and the next moment, countless pairs of eyes flickering with scarlet light lit up in the fog!

(End of chapter)