260: Chapter 260 A Way Out and an Exit

Under the gaze of everyone, the golden bumpa bottle underwent a wondrous change.

The body of the bottle, crafted from gold, had originally emitted only a faint glow like a candlelight.

At this moment, however, it seemed to be connected to some mysterious source, with endless energy continuously pouring into it.

That golden radiance rapidly intensified, becoming exceptionally dazzling and piercing through the darkness and mist.

Even though it was so bright that people could not look directly at it, the light did not completely disperse outward into the surroundings.

Instead, it continuously gathered, twisted, and orbited around the body of the bottle.

Before long, it actually formed a sphere of light identical to the one previously seen on the stone platform in the Underground Vault.

"Hum— Hum—"

The light sphere trembled violently, emitting a low and deeply shocking resonance.

Rings of halos spread outward like ripples in water, and wherever they passed, the air was vibrated to produce a "humming" sound, while the ground also trembled slightly.

Fang Cheng's pupils constricted slightly as he caught a trace of abnormality.

Lowering his gaze to look immediately, he vaguely saw mysterious and complex patterns continuously oozing out and emerging from the ground.

The deep blue runes intertwined with the golden light, adding a few more layers of eerie color.

At the same time, the corpses on the ground seemed to be exposed to the scorching sun, rapidly withering at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Their skin lost its luster, their muscles atrophied, and their originally plump bodies collapsed inward.

Clearly, these corpses had not yet touched the light sphere, yet their vital blood was inexplicably extracted from within their bodies.

It was as if pairs of invisible tentacles extended over, greedily sucking upon them.

Sensing the danger within, Fang Cheng immediately spoke out to remind them:

"Everyone, step back!"

Lin Chuqiao, Bailing, and Dachui also perceived this horrifying scene at this moment, their faces revealing looks of terror as they had no idea what was happening.

As corpse after corpse around them was ruthlessly devoured by the golden light, the golden bumpa bottle appeared increasingly and extraordinarily sinister.

On the surface of the light sphere, the light surged and roared like a turbulent golden torrent.

The leaping of each halo seemed to be constantly exploding, containing unimaginable and majestic energy.

It seemed ready at any moment to break through the confinement and completely destroy everything before it.

And just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, the light sphere wrapped around the golden bumpa bottle, as if breaking free from the shackles of gravity, and slowly floated up.

Immediately following that, it flew towards the heights at an extremely fast speed, sweeping past the treetops of the forest, continuously climbing in the air, and finally transforming into an out-of-reach speck of light.

Everyone looked up and saw that the speck of light transformed by the golden bumpa bottle plunged into the obscuring dark clouds overhead, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Only the deafening resonance still hummed beside their ears.

And as the golden bumpa bottle flew high into the sky and vanished, the surroundings once again plunged into deep darkness.

Whoosh~

An eerie wind roared up without warning, blowing everyone's clothes into wild dancing and leaving their hair disheveled.

Wind again?

Fang Cheng quickly withdrew his gaze from the night sky and looked around vigilantly.

The wind speed seemed to be accelerating, and as the fog surged, a pungent sulfur smell also permeated the air, choking people to the point of nausea.

"Fang… White Ghost!"

Lin Chuqiao suddenly spoke up, "Do you see if there is any movement in the black fog over there?"

She stretched out her hand to point not far away, her throat still faintly carrying a trace of a tremor.

Fang Cheng followed the direction she pointed and looked closely.

He saw that the black fog over there was actually darker and thicker than the side where everyone was, like a materialized tide churning and surging, accumulating an extremely violent power.

And within the black fog, an even more gloomy and terrifying scene was revealed.

Vaguely, twisted ghost shadows were shuttling and swaying; some had hunchbacked figures, while others had slender limbs.

Others had huge heads, opened hollow eye sockets, and gazed with full resentment at everyone located on the other side.

They flickered uncertainly in the black fog, charging forward as if they couldn't wait to cross the barrier blocking before them and pounce straight over.

From time to time, shrill screams came over, so sharp and piercing that it was like fingernails scratching across glass, making one's scalp go numb and all the hairs on one's body stand on end.

It seemed that this barrier isolated the Yin and Yang realms, and the opposite side was Hell imprisoning grievances and suppressing evil ghosts.

Lin Chuqiao said with lingering fear:

"Earlier we were trapped in the mist and couldn't walk out no matter what, and then those black fog suddenly surged over and swallowed many people."

Bailing and Dachui also nodded in agreement repeatedly, the look of terror in their eyes still not fading.

Fang Cheng slightly frowned and made a decisive judgment:

"We must leave this place immediately!"

Hearing this, the three of them were stunned for a moment and asked in unison, "Which way should we walk?"

They were full of confusion; after all, they had been walking in circles around this vicinity just now and had long lost their sense of direction.

Fang Cheng quickly explained, "Let's return to the manor inside first; it should be relatively safe there temporarily, and I made marks when I came."

Seeing that the situation around them was becoming increasingly dangerous, everyone could not think of a good method for a moment, so they helplessly nodded and agreed to try again.

Holding a dagger in his hand, Fang Cheng relied on his memory to lead Lin Chuqiao and the others to cautiously grope their way forward in the mist.

He walked at the very front, taking every step extremely cautiously, his ears alertly capturing any subtle sounds around him, and his eyes scanning unceasingly, pushing his sensory perception to the maximum degree.

He was terribly afraid of suffering interference from the illusion array and thereby going astray.

But even with such carefulness, when Fang Cheng lowered his head to search for the marks set on the ground, his heart suddenly sank.

The marks that should have been clearly visible had unexpectedly vanished, leaving only a mess of soil and withered grass on the ground, as if deliberately erased by something.

He squatted down, his fingers rubbing against the ground, trying to find even a trace of remaining marks, but his brow gradually locked tightly.

"What is going on? Have the marks disappeared again?"

Dachui couldn't help asking in a lowered voice, breaking the temporary silence of the team.

Fang Cheng stood up and looked around with a solemn expression.

The mist grew increasingly dense, wrapping them in layers as if it had life.

The visible range also became smaller and smaller, and even each other's faces began to blur indistinctly.

Everyone was as if placed in the illusory Void Realm, unable to see their own fingers when stretching out their hands.

Fang Cheng activated Eagle Eye Vision, trying to let his gaze pierce through the mist and observe the distant scenery as much as possible.

Yet he still found no trace of the existence of the marks.

"I have a feeling that the terrain of the entire Miwu Mountain should be changing at all times."

Fang Cheng's gaze was profound, and he spoke in a low voice, "So no matter which way we walk, we cannot find a true exit, unless…"

As he spoke, he slowly raised his head to look at the faintly flashing speck of light in the dark clouds, spitting out the second half of the sentence.

"Unless we can fly."

Hearing this, everyone's heart sank.

Dachui scratched his head and muttered with a helpless face, "What should we do then? We are not birdmen and don't grow wings; could it be that we can only wait for the mist to dissipate on its own?"

Lin Chuqiao tightly bit her lower lip, her pearly teeth leaving shallow marks on her lips.

After pondering for a moment, she shook her head softly and said, "No, those black fogs seem to be constantly closing in, shrinking the safe range. We must find a way to find the path out as soon as possible, otherwise we might be trapped to death here."

A trace of worry showed in her eyes as she looked at the boundless mist all around, trying to find a flaw from it, but her eyes were filled entirely with darkness.

Bailing clung closely to Lin Chuqiao, her small hand involuntarily grabbing the corner of her clothes, and said timidly, "Could it be that something is hidden in this mountain, secretly manipulating the terrain, deliberately erasing the marks, and stopping us from leaving?"

Her voice trembled, resembling a frightened little deer.

The scene encountered right now was simply a ghost story happening in reality.

Fang Cheng slightly frowned and then said, "Xiaochu, contact the professor again and see if he has any other methods."

At this moment, the mist not only blocked visual perception, but even the mental connection was disturbed, intermittent.

To reduce the consumption of her energy, Lin Chuqiao was forced to interrupt it when unnecessary.

Hearing Fang Cheng's proposal, she took a deep breath, then closed her eyes tightly, knitted her brows slightly, and concentrated her Mental Energy.

Trying to pierce through these heavy mists and re-establish contact with the professor.

"Hello, Xiaochu, White Ghost, how is your situation right now?"

The professor's words sounded in everyone's minds, and that familiar gentle voice made everyone's spirits perk up.

Lin Chuqiao hurriedly recounted the events that had happened before and the predicament they were facing now in a simple and clear manner.

The professor's side was silent for a moment, seemingly pondering countermeasures, and then said, "You stay in place for now, and I will have Monkey launch a signal flare to see if it can illuminate the forest and reveal the passage."

That steady voice came through the mental connection, making everyone's somewhat panicked hearts settle down a little bit.

Monkey, who was ambushing at the hilltop observation post, received the instructions, immediately responded in the consciousness channel, and began to act.

However.

Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao and the others waited for a few seconds.

Yet the surrounding forest and the night sky overhead remained dead silent, and no expected brightness appeared at all.

"Did you not see the signal flare launch?"

The professor's voice again, carrying a bit of surprise.

Dachui immediately shouted, "No! It's pitch black here for us, we can't see anything!"

"Strange, exactly where is the problem…"

The professor muttered to himself, his tone full of confusion.

Just as everyone was at their wits' end.

Fang Cheng's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if locked onto by some dangerous aura, and he instinctively turned his head to look.

This look instantly made his hairs stand on end; he saw a gust of fierce wind carrying mist rushing right at his face, as cold as steel needles piercing his skin.

The black fog that had been isolated in the distance was surging and gathering momentum like a tide.

At first it was only slightly undulating, but in a fleeting instant, it lunged forward with an overwhelming and earth-shattering momentum, as if it wanted to devour everything along the way completely.

Fang Cheng's pupils shrank abruptly, and he shouted immediately, "Run!"

As soon as his words fell, a sound resembling the galloping of thousands of horses roared over, making people's eardrums ache and completely drowning out his shout.

The earth beneath their feet also trembled slightly as a result, as if announcing the opening of the gates of Hell.

Within the rolling black waves, countless ferocious eyes were concealed, emitting a faint cold light and staring fixedly at them.

Everyone also reacted immediately and took off running.

They had no clear direction and could only desperately stride forward, trying to stay as far away as possible from that haunting and terrifying threat.

However, the mountain path was rugged and uneven, covered with thorns and gravel, adding heavy obstacles to the path of escape.

Lin Chuqiao was already physically exhausted. After running only a few steps, she was out of breath, her figure tottered, her face was as pale as paper, and sweat completely soaked the clothes on her body.

Seeing that she was running slower and slower and was about to be overtaken by the black fog, Fang Cheng did not hesitate to turn back, simply picked her up in his arms, and then continued to rush forward with strides as if flying.

Seeing this, Dachui followed suit, scooped up Bailing who was also falling behind, tucked her under his arm, and sprinted following Fang Cheng's footsteps.

Bailing was so scared that she closed her eyes tightly, her hands clutching Dachui's arm desperately, and her mouth kept chanting words praying to Goddess Guanyin.

The moment Lin Chuqiao was picked up by Fang Cheng, her cheeks flushed red, and she shyly buried her face in his broad chest.

In this hazardous environment resembling Hell, surrounded by howling fierce winds and pervading black fog, her heart miraculously settled down.

All because Fang Cheng's powerful arms gave her an inexplicable, unprecedented sense of security.

It was as if as long as she hid in this man's embrace, she could avoid all the dangers and perils in the world.

Lin Chuqiao's delicate body, soaked in fragrant sweat and clothes, pressed tightly against Fang Cheng, allowing her to clearly feel the temperature transmitted from the other's body.

That warmth spread all the way from her skin to the bottom of her heart, making her heart beat more and more violently, echoing ceaselessly within her chest like drumbeats.

Fang Cheng had no mind to care about these at the moment; his brain spun rapidly, pondering methods to break the deadlock.

Although the black fog wave behind him could not keep up with his speed by far,

driven by the fierce wind, it was obviously more ferocious in momentum and longer in duration than last time, as if continuously compressing the safe area.

Developing like this, Fang Cheng and the others would sooner or later step by step fall into a dead end with nowhere to escape.

In the process of running, they successively encountered a group of treasure hunters who had also lost their direction and were driven by the black fog.

Every single one of them had a look of terror on their face, and they blindly joined the team of escapees in panic.

Footsteps, shouts, and screams converged together in the mountain forest, presenting a chaotic scene.

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Fang Cheng's mind, and he looked down at Lin Chuqiao snuggled in his arms, saying to her:

"Right now, immediately establish a mental connection with me and Monkey."

Lin Chuqiao was secretly raising her gaze at this moment, ripples rising in her heart, and she couldn't help but be startled upon hearing this.

Then she forcibly suppressed her complex emotions, closed her eyes tightly, and followed instructions to do so.

Before long, a mental connection pierced through the heavy fog blockades, linking the three people—Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao who were in the forest, and Monkey who was far away on the hilltop—together.

Fang Cheng immediately issued orders:

"Monkey, shout one-two-three in the channel, don't stop."

"Xiaochu, don't worry about anything else, concentrate all your Mental Energy, sense the direction where Monkey is, and guide the way for me."

Then, he turned his head to look at Dachui behind him who was holding Bailing and panting heavily:

"You all follow closely behind me, don't get separated!"

Dachui and Bailing trusted Fang Cheng and immediately nodded in assent.

After all, Fang Cheng had led them to turn danger into safety just now, and he would definitely be able to successfully lead them to escape safely this time too.

Subconsciously, those treasure hunters encountered along the way also chose to follow behind them.

Fang Cheng slowed his pace and ran slowly, allowing Dachui and the others to barely keep up.

His mind and focus were mainly placed on searching for the safe route hidden in the mist.

When contacting the professor and others earlier, he had realized a key issue.

According to common sense, Monkey's side should also have encountered the pursuit of the black fog like other treasure hunters, or directly fallen into the "poison circle" formed by the black fog.

Yet he had always stayed safe and sound at the observation post, awaiting the professor's instructions.

Moreover, the signal flare launched just now could be seen by the professor inside the manor, while Fang Cheng and the others lost in the forest could not see it.

This indicated that the location where Monkey was located was very special.

At least, like the manor, it belonged to a temporarily safe area.

Furthermore, it was very likely the location of the exit of the entire mist array!

Although he didn't have wings and couldn't fly out, what if he climbed to a high place?

Under Lin Chuqiao's hard sensing and guidance through the mental connection, Fang Cheng used Eagle Eye Vision to continuously search.

Finally, he discovered a rather steep hillside.

Without hesitation, he climbed upward along the steep slope.

Everyone followed closely behind. Despite being utterly exhausted, the desire for survival made them erupt with astonishing strength.

Sure enough.

The higher they went, the thinner the mist became, and they could faintly see the mountain top revealed in the distance.

"Did you guys really find this place?"

An astonished voice subsequently came over.

(End of Chapter)