Chapter 52 Exploration

Passing through the narrowest stone fissure of the "Thread of Sky," the scene before them changed abruptly. Hanze Ravine was like a Secret Realm forgotten by the heavens and earth; water vapor condensed into fine droplets around them, dampening their lapels and carrying a bone-chilling cold.

The riverbed beneath their feet had completely vanished, replaced by a swamp. Countless sharp stalagmites were embedded in the deep green sludge; a moment of carelessness would result in their boot soles being sliced open.

Pale purple algae floated on the surface of the sludge. Touching it felt like being pricked by fine needles, leaving itchy red welts on the skin.

Du San flicked a strand of algae with the tip of his boot: "This thing is poisonous, don't touch it."

The cliffs on both sides widened here, forming an irregular, circular valley. Looking up, the cliff tops were covered in dense vines. The creepers intertwined like giant pythons, cutting the daylight into fragmented spots of light that fell into the swamp, refracting eerie, iridescent halos.

Most terrifying of all was the karst cave in the middle of the cliff face. The entrance was wreathed in ink-green mist, and one could faintly hear the sound of water dripping, though it was impossible to tell if it was a natural echo or the breathing of a Demon Monster.

"Watch out for the bubbles underfoot." Captain Zeng Fu suddenly pressed down on Yun Bai's shoulder, pointing to the bubbles constantly swelling in the swamp. "They are filled with miasma; if one bursts, it's enough to knock out a cow."

He sidestepped a fist-sized bubble. His boot soles made a crisp clacking sound as he used the stalagmites for leverage, which sounded exceptionally piercing in the silent valley.

In the center of the swamp stood several black stones, their surfaces smooth as mirrors and covered in spiral engravings. Li Ying tapped one of the black stones lightly with her Spirit Gun, and viscous liquid suddenly seeped from the engravings. It dripped into the swamp, instantly bursting into ripples, causing the surrounding algae to wither and curl up.

"Is this... a suppression object set up back then?" She retracted her Spirit Gun and wiped her fingertips on a barrier talisman; the golden light of the Talisman seemed to dim slightly.

"A suppression object?" Yun Bai realized.

The dossier provided by Captain Zeng Fu contained clear records of this being a common method used by the Demon Suppression Army to clean up the battlefield after the war. At that time, the State Religion's Spirit Official system had not yet matured, and the organization known as the Demon Suppression Division still existed.

These black stone pillars were originally transparent pillars crafted from high-purity Spirit Crystals. Buried here for many years to absorb and purify the surrounding Devilish Qi, it was unexpected that they had already been stained pitch black.

Wind emerged from the depths of the karst cave, carrying a scent like rusted iron. Yun Bai's Divine Sense subconsciously expanded, but it was blocked by the dense water vapor, only allowing him to perceive movement within ten zhang.

He suddenly discovered that the seemingly still vines were actually writhing slowly, the serrated edges of their leaves opening and closing gently with the wind, as if waiting for prey to walk right into their trap.

"The water currents of Hanze Ravine are all hidden underground." Captain Zeng Fu held up the Xuanyuan Compass. The hologram projected by the compass displayed a dense web of red lines. "These stalagmites are air vents for the underground river; if you step on and break them, you might be swept away by the undercurrents."

He traced a circle in the air between the stalagmites with his finger. "We must walk along the red lines, avoiding all karst caves and bubble zones. Let's do a lap first."

Yun Bai gazed at the largest karst cave in the distance, where mist was slowly overflowing from the entrance, condensing into vague, bizarre shapes in mid-air.

A cold glint flashed in Captain Zeng Fu's eyes: "The Fate-Fallen Demon Monster is inside that cave. Remember, once the battle begins, retreat to the black stones immediately; don't give it a chance to drag you into the swamp."

He took the first step. His boot soles crushed the debris of the stalagmites, making a faint, crisp sound that seemed like a warning bell striking in this land of deathly silence.

Two hours later, the squad finally finished the basic mapping of Hanze Ravine.

Captain Zeng Fu crouched behind a protruding rock, a wisp of Spiritual Qi condensing at his fingertips as he outlined the movement trajectory of the Demon Monster before him.

"This beast is craftier than we imagined." Captain Zeng Fu whispered. His First Realm Peak cultivation allowed him to clearly perceive that twisted existence dozens of zhang away. "It has never left the area where the poisonous mist is thickest. The terrain there is complex, and it's riddled with tunnels it has dug."

"A direct assault is too risky; its poison can even corrode protective Spiritual Qi." He looked toward Du San, who was organizing the Formation Flags. "How is the Formation coming along?"

Beads of sweat oozed from Du San's forehead as his fingers moved constantly in calculation. "The Moshou Luogu Formation requires nineteen Spiritual Qi nodes. The Devilish Qi in this valley is too heavy, and the ley lines have been messed up by it."

He looked up at the obscured sky. "After confirming its specific location, it will still take a quarter of an hour to complete the basic setup."

Li Ying checked the Spirit Stone reserves of her Spirit Gun and said softly: "Then we follow the plan: lure it out."

Fu Lianchuan had already stealthily crept to the predetermined position. In his hand, he held a specially made explosive Talisman, which was the key to luring out the Demon Monster.

"Commence operation." Captain Zeng Fu gave the order.

Fu Lianchuan's Talisman landed precisely at the entrance of the cave where the Demon Monster resided, followed by a blinding white light and a deafening explosion. The valley shook, and rock fragments flew everywhere.

An unearthly roar emerged from the cave; the sound was like metal grinding against metal, yet also like something rotting.

The appearance of the Fate-Fallen Demon Monster as it charged out of the cave made everyone, even those who were mentally prepared, gasp in horror.

It stood nearly three zhang tall, its entire body covered in black-green scales, with viscous venom constantly seeping from the gaps between the scales. Its head had no eyes, only a giant maw occupying half its head, filled with layers upon layers of sharp teeth. Most terrifying were the six bone spikes extending from its back, the tip of each spike shimmering with a ghostly green venomous light.

"Damn it, is this really still a Fate-Fallen Demon Monster? It's mutated into this!" Du San cried out strangely.

"Spirit Gun volley, fire!" Captain Zeng Fu ordered.

Three Spiritual energy beams shot toward the Demon Monster from different angles, exploding into dazzling sparks upon its body. The Demon Monster let out a painful howl, but it did not retreat; instead, it charged toward the nearest person, Captain Zeng Fu, with astonishing speed.

"It's coming!" Captain Zeng Fu shouted in a low voice, and he and Yun Bai leaped out from cover simultaneously.

Yun Bai's figure was like lightning, his sword light turning into a blue flash that stabbed straight at the Demon Monster's throat. The Demon Monster appeared clumsy, yet at the critical moment, it tilted its head to dodge, while at the same time, one of its bone spikes whipped toward Yun Bai's back.

"Watch out!" Captain Zeng Fu shouted, his long saber, imbued with scorching Spiritual Qi, slashing toward that bone spike.

The saber light collided with the bone spike, emitting the sound of metal clashing against metal. Captain Zeng Fu was forced back three steps, his hand numb. The strength of this Demon Monster far exceeded his estimates.

Yun Bai took the opportunity to circle to the Demon Monster's side, his sword edge slicing across the joint of its left leg. The friction between the blade and the scales sparked blindingly, leaving only a shallow mark.

"Damn it, this beast's scales are harder than the intelligence reports said!" Yun Bai gritted his teeth.

The Demon Monster suddenly opened its giant maw, and a mass of ink-green poisonous mist spewed out. Captain Zeng Fu and Yun Bai had been prepared; as they retreated rapidly, they activated their "barrier talisman" and simultaneously swallowed a "barrier-breaking pill." The Talismans erected an insulating barrier around the two. The moment the poisonous mist touched the barrier, it made a "hissing" corrosive sound, and their protective barriers were weakened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"It's forcing us toward the cave!" Captain Zeng Fu keenly sensed the Demon Monster's intention. "We can't let it succeed!"

The two changed their strategy, consciously moving toward the direction where Du San was setting up the Formation. The Demon Monster seemed to sense something, and its offensive suddenly became even more violent. Its six bone spikes unfurled simultaneously, like six sharp spears stabbing at the two from different angles.