Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!-Chapter 775 - 773: The Strangeness in the Passage

The strangeness in the darkness was pervasive, with grotesque faces, a series of eerie cries, and chilling laughter that continuously echoed.

Liu Qin and his group stood resolute, quickly turning around.

Fortunately, after they left this area, the group of fierce beasts behind them dissipated like a gentle breeze.

HUFF, HUFF!

Everyone was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, and in a sorry state.

After a long while, Jiang Hao recovered and looked up at Liu Qin. "Brother Liu, what are you doing here?"

In the fat man's impression, the Liu Family of East Town was nothing but a lapdog of Luo Feng Mountain—and the most inconspicuous, mangy one at that, always scrambling to lick their boots. And Liu Qin was the most sinister among the Liu Family's orphans; their few interactions had been deeply unpleasant, simply because Jiang Hao disliked him. Such a person couldn't be trusted; he might stab you in the back.

Still, one had to go through the motions of civility on the surface.

Besides, this place was filled with strangeness, and death lurked around every corner. If Liu Qin and his people joined their group, their chances of survival would greatly increase.

"Just passing by..." Liu Qin said softly.

This statement made several of them laugh. PFFT!

No one had ever heard of someone just passing by the Life Prohibited Zone. Was that like lighting a lamp in a latrine—courting death?

At this moment, Ru Shuang suddenly spoke up, "Lord Liu is here to find someone."

Oh? Her companions all looked at her.

But Ru Shuang kept silent. She had merely heard some rumors, without knowing their truth. The Moon God, a great general of the Netherworld, had supposedly betrayed the Nether Emperor and given birth to a little girl. It was said that the child was of the Human Clan. In earlier years, the scandal had caused an uproar that shocked a large part of the Netherworld. Later, the news gradually subsided, and nearly everyone thought it had ended. The Moon God might have been executed, or perhaps... she was still alive, imprisoned deep within the flames of Karma Fire, enduring endless torment. As for her daughter, many years had passed, and her whereabouts remained a mystery. Until about half a year ago, when that little girl suddenly appeared...

An imperceptible coldness from Liu Qin flickered across Ru Shuang, gone in an instant. He quickly masked it with a smile. "The lady thinks too much. This place is the Life Prohibited Zone; who would come here to find someone?"

Ru Shuang smiled without saying a word. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Jiang Hao chuckled. "Not finding someone? Just passing by?"

Liu Qin replied, "The same as you."

Looking for treasures. Looking for opportunities. Looking for inheritances.

But this explanation failed to convince any of them.

Of course, with the conversation having reached this point, it would be impolite to press further.

"Such terrifying Strange Power. It'll be difficult to venture deeper," Jiang Hao cursed. "Damn it, how did those two wenches get in?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qin and his companions tensed.

Those two wenches... If they hadn't guessed wrong, the two girls Jiang Hao mentioned must be Guang Xiaoyu and An. They were the very targets of their expedition. So, had they gotten in?

Liu Qin looked ahead, his expression grave. The manifestation of Strange Power earlier had been truly terrifying. He had wanted to test it, but alas... the pervasive fluctuations contained Swallowing Power. He refrained from acting recklessly.

"This is troublesome," muttered the black-robed man beside him.

Liu Qin remained silent.

After cursing for a while longer, Jiang Hao took out the ancient sheepskin scroll again, scrutinizing the route meticulously before spitting disdainfully. "We'll bypass this area. I refuse to believe those two wenches can get in and I can't."

As he finished speaking, he turned to Liu Qin and suddenly smiled. "Brother Liu, shall we travel together?"

Liu Qin nodded. "Alright!"

One side wished for the protection of powerful individuals, while the other intended to use them to find the Daughter of the Moon God. The decision to travel together was made in an instant.

「Several hours later.」

They found a valley, very long and extending so deep vertically that its bottom was out of sight. There was no sign of life around; it was barren, giving it a desolate and eerie appearance. Occasional cold winds blew through, not intensely frigid, but to them, it felt bone-chillingly cold.

The group shivered and carefully stepped into it.

"Are you sure this is a path?" one of the twin brothers asked. "I have a feeling it's not."

"Nonsense! This is the path on the map that leads even deeper. Don't panic... This young master won't deceive you," Jiang Hao declared, mustering his courage as he walked in.

He was also comforting himself. There must be! There definitely was a path. The map couldn't deceive him.

And indeed... they found a huge cave in the valley.

But a very thick log lay across the entrance, greyish-brown in color, covered in dense, messy stripes. It looked chaotic, but upon closer inspection, these stripes seemed to follow some sort of pattern. An indescribable feeling washed over them. The faint, indistinct fluctuations of the Great Tao lingered around it.

"DAMN IT!" Jiang Hao cursed. "The map said this is a passage."

However, the map hadn't mentioned a log blocking the way.

A man in a black robe strode forward, attempting to move it, but the log was as immovable as Mount Tai; it didn't budge at all. His face stiffened slightly. He struck again, unleashing a powerful attack, yet the log remained unyielding. It was impervious to his efforts, unable to be shaken in the slightest. The black-robed man muttered a curse and walked back, his face dark.

Just then, a deep humming sound came from the depths, starkly abrupt in the quiet valley.

Jiang Hao and his companions stiffened, growing tense.

Shortly after, a crushing surge of aura burst forth like a collapsing dam, and an oppressive pressure bore down like a torrential downpour.

The group was horrified, their faces paling. They wanted to turn and flee...

However, their bodies were immobilized; the Power Path, like a mountain, pressed down heavily on them.

A man in a black robe exclaimed, "Mr. Jiang!"

Jiang Hao was speechless.

"Everyone, attack together!" Liu Qin remained relatively composed. He gathered his energy, summoned his sword...

Powerful currents of qi began to condense, and then he slashed out.

HUM! HUM! HUM!

The dozen or so companions behind him also gathered their energy.

It wasn't that there was no effect, only that it was extremely minimal. In an instant, the small cave was filled with the silent collisions of Sword Qi, yet residual ripples spread outwards.

More terrifyingly, the patterns on the log seemed to revive at that moment, a cryptic luster bursting forth.

"DAMN!" a man exclaimed, eyes wide.

Fortunately, that luster quickly dimmed.

ROAR! A ferocious beast's roar followed, accompanied by an even more oppressive pressure. Their attacks had apparently infuriated the entity within.

In just a few breaths, their Sword Qi was shattered. Their protective qi barriers were also pulverized in that same instant.

It was over!

They looked at each other, their expressions grim. None of them had expected to meet their doom here. They had traveled so far, encountered all kinds of fearsome beasts and forbidden things, but now...

"Sister, save me!"

"Sister, where are you?"

"Sister, it's so dark in here!" Suddenly, An's voice drifted from the depths.

Liu Qin frowned deeply and shouted, "Liu Xing, slash!"

He unleashed his full power, circulating his potent energy control technique, and executed an ancient attack. A sword light as magnificent as a meteor streaked out from his body, unleashing powerful Divine Might. Impossibly, its ethereal strands managed to hold their own against the oppressive force.

The group of young people showed looks of delight at the sight.

Behind them, a man in a black robe opened his eyes, revealing a sallow face with deeply sunken eyes. Without a word, he struck. It was another ancient attack.

The force that had surged from the depths of the cave was instantly pushed back.

"It's suppressed!" a man whispered. The ancient attack had countered their opponent's assault.

The depths of the cave grew quiet, but the thick log before them remained. From the luster it had emitted just moments before, one could infer that it was very likely a Divine Weapon.

Jiang Hao, still shaken, finally caught his breath. "Goddammit, it's that wench," he cursed. "The passage is viable; we need to find a way through."

"But... this log."

The group exchanged glances, the corners of their mouths twitching. The log was a secondary concern; the real issue was the creature in the depths, which clearly wasn't to be trifled with. Moreover, its previous attack had come through the log, meaning... the power it had displayed might have been only a tiny fraction of its true strength.

One percent? One-thousandth?

At that thought, a chill seeped into their hearts.

At that moment, a figure approached from outside the valley. It was a young man clad in animal hide, astride a ferocious-looking beast. The creature was large, its four legs planted firmly on the ground.

HEH! The young man chuckled lightly, nimbly hopping down from the beast. His gaze swept over everyone before landing on Ru Shuang. He winked at her.

Jiang Hao and the others glared, their expressions turning wary. Show-off.

The young man possessed a sturdy physique. Though clad in animal hide, the garment could hardly conceal his build. His bronze skin, sculpted chest, and the faint outline of abdominal muscles were all clearly visible. His every word and action exuded a wild aura.

His state of partial undress, revealing so much of his torso, made Ru Shuang, who had little worldly experience, blush instantly.

"My name is Aji. May I have the honor of getting to know this beautiful lady?" The young man in animal hide ignored the others and strode towards Ru Shuang.