12dz Chapter 146 I know you are in a hurry, but don’t be anxious yet
Chapter 146 I know you are in a hurry, but don’t be anxious yet
A pungent poisonous gas rushed towards them, and they suddenly found it difficult to breathe, as if countless invisible hands were strangling their throats.
"Hurry! Hold your breath and speed up!" Zhang Chulan shouted, his voice echoing in the narrow cave with an unquestionable firmness.
Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath and ran forward with all their strength. Their footsteps made a "thump thump" sound on the rocky floor of the cave, intertwining with the sound of their heartbeats.
At the moment when they were about to suffocate, they finally saw the exit in front of them. It was a faint light, like a bright lamp in the darkness, guiding them in the direction of progress.
"What's going on here? Why is there poisonous gas?" Zhang Chulan asked breathlessly, his brows furrowed, his eyes full of confusion and anxiety.
"That... I don't know either." Granny Jinfeng shook her head, her eyes equally solemn. She looked around and saw three towering mountains standing before them, like three guardian gods, silently watching them.
"Could these three mountains have been built by the leader?" Zhang Chulan suddenly made a bold guess. His words carried a hint of uncertainty, but more so, awe and curiosity for the leader.
"Impossible." Granny Jinfeng decisively denied Zhang Chulan's guess. "Although the leader has great magical powers, it's impossible for him to create these three mountains overnight. Besides, he hasn't been here for long, so how could he have such a grand plan?"
"So what are these three mountains?" Wang Ye couldn't help but interrupt. There was a tremor in his voice, and he was obviously shocked by the momentum of these three mountains.
"These three mountains must have existed for a long time," Li Qiankun suddenly said, his voice steady and powerful. "And, judging by their scale, the builders must have possessed the power to move mountains and remove hills, and possess the ability to create with uncanny skill."
Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this. They looked at the three towering mountains, their hearts filled with awe and curiosity.
At this moment, they suddenly heard a faint sound coming from the front. Everyone's heart tightened, and they all gripped their weapons tightly and walked forward cautiously.
When they arrived at the place where the sound came from, they saw a body lying not far away. The body had already lost its life, and the clothes on the body were tattered, revealing the bones.
"Who... who is this?" Zhuge Qing asked in horror. His voice trembled slightly, and he was obviously frightened by the sudden appearance of the corpse.
"It's not one of ours," Granny Jinfeng said gravely. She carefully examined the body and then shook her head. "It seems there are other secrets hidden here."
Hearing this, everyone felt even more uneasy. They continued forward and soon arrived at three cave entrances. These three cave entrances were bottomless, as if they led deep into the earth.
"Where do these three holes lead to?" Wang Ye asked curiously. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, as if he wanted to find out.
"I don't know." Li Qiankun shook his head, "But we have to go in and take a look. Only by understanding the secret of this cave can we find a way out."
As he spoke, Li Qiankun took the lead and walked into a cave entrance. The others followed closely behind, cautiously exploring forward. The air inside the cave was damp and cold, making people shiver.
"Do you feel a little dizzy?" Xia Liuqing suddenly said. There was a hint of pain and struggle in his voice, and he was obviously feeling unwell.
"Yeah, I think something's amiss," Zhuge Qing agreed. His face was pale, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
Upon hearing this, Granny Jinfeng frowned and said, "Everyone be careful, there might be something strange going on here."
At this moment, a chilling wind blew past, and everyone felt their heads loosen, as if something was pulling at their souls. Their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety, and they all gripped their weapons tightly, ready to deal with any possible danger.
"No, get out!" Li Qiankun suddenly shouted. There was a hint of urgency and panic in his voice, and he had obviously sensed the danger.
However, at this moment, Granny Jinfeng suddenly interrupted Xia Liuqing impatiently: "Old Xia, stop keeping me in suspense. What's so strange about this cave?"
Xia Liuqing chuckled, not angry at all: "Jinfeng, you need to control your hot temper. I'm just saying this. This cave is indeed a little strange. But I can't really tell what it is. Anyway, we have to be careful and not get into trouble."
Hearing this, Granny Jinfeng snorted coldly, "Humph! Better safe than sorry. I understand that."
As she spoke, Granny Jinfeng carefully observed her surroundings. She suddenly spotted footprints on the left side of the cave. "Look at these footprints, everyone. Manniu and the others must have chosen this cave entrance."
Hearing this, everyone came forward to check. They saw that the footprints were messy, but they could vaguely tell that they were left by several people.
"It seems the Manniu team has already entered the cave before us," Zhang Lingyu said solemnly, his eyes tinged with worry and nervousness.
"So what should we do now?" Zhuge Qing asked, his voice filled with helplessness and confusion.
Xinghua looked up into the depths of the cave, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and anticipation. She turned to the others and said, "How about we split up into two groups, one going in from the left, the other from the right. This way we can increase our chances of exploration."
Upon hearing this, Li Qiankun immediately shook his head, frowning, "No, this is too dangerous. We don't know what's in the cave, and splitting our forces into two groups will only increase the risk."
Granny Jinfeng spoke at this time, her voice steady and powerful: "Let's enter the cave from the left entrance. I have a feeling that the answers we are looking for are there."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Then, holding flashlights, they carefully stepped into the cave entrance on the left.
As soon as he stepped into the cave, a fishy smell hit his nose, making him frown. Zhang Chulan couldn't help but cover his nose, frowning: "What is this smell? Why is it so smelly?"
Zhuge Qing frowned. His nose was much more sensitive than most people's, able to distinguish a variety of smells. He took a deep breath, carefully distinguishing the fishy smell: "It smells like a beast, and it's not just any beast."
The cave was completely dark, with no sight of one's hand in front of one's face. The group relied on flashlights to illuminate the path ahead. They walked cautiously, fearing they would step on a trap or startle anything.
The bricks on the walls seemed to be arranged in a certain pattern, and the passages were sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, making it difficult to understand. Zhang Chulan couldn't help but whisper, "This maze is too strange, isn't it? We have to be careful."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, everyone was horrified to find that the road behind them had disappeared, replaced by a solid stone wall. Some people began to panic: "How could this happen? Did we take the wrong road?"
Li Qiankun stepped forward, carefully observing his surroundings. He said in a deep voice, "This maze is probably a Qimen Dunjia formation. Once we step into it, it will be difficult to escape."
After hearing Li Qiankun's analysis, everyone's mood calmed down a little. However, they were still trapped in this maze and didn't know what to do.
Zhang Chuwei asked anxiously, "What should we do then? Are we going to be trapped here forever?"
Li Qiankun shook his head and comforted Zhang Chuwei: "I know you are anxious, but don't be anxious." As he said, he took out a golden little insect from his arms - the Golden Centipede King.
Zhang Chulan looked at the Golden Centipede King in Li Qiankun's hand and said speechlessly, "Are you...are you sure this can help us find a way out?"
Li Qiankun smiled slightly and explained, "This is the Golden Centipede King I raised. It's very sensitive to smells and vibrations. Moreover, I've trained it to be able to recognize the formations of Qimen Dunjia. As long as we let it out, it will help us find a way out."
Upon hearing this, everyone cast doubtful glances at him. However, Li Qiankun paid no attention. He gently placed the Golden Centipede King on the ground. It crawled excitedly, as if searching for something.
As the Golden Centipede King moved, the ground began to tremble slightly. Suddenly, small snakes and insects began to emerge from the surrounding walls. As if summoned by the Golden Centipede King, they crawled deeper into the maze.
"This...what's going on?" Zhang Chulan looked at the scene in surprise, a little at a loss.
Li Qiankun explained, "These snakes and insects are attracted by the Qimen Dunjia in this maze. They will lead us to the core of the formation. As long as we follow them, we will definitely find a way out."
After hearing this, everyone still had some doubts in their hearts, but they were no longer as panicked as before. They carefully followed the snakes and insects' path, passing through many bends and forks in the road.
After a long journey, they finally arrived at a spacious cave. In the center of the cave was a stone platform, on which lay a yellowed ancient book.
Li Qiankun walked forward and carefully flipped through the ancient book. A solemn yet excited expression appeared on his face. "It seems this is the core of the maze. This ancient book records the secrets of Qimen Dunjia and the method to crack it."
Zhang Chulan looked at Li Qiankun's skilled movements and focused expression, and couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration in his heart. He exclaimed, "Li Qiankun, you are really amazing!"