Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

"Drip-drip!"

"Drip-drip!"

There were no lights in the underground tunnel.

It was pitch-black, one could barely see their hands before them, and even Chen Li could only vaguely make out objects within a six to seven-meter distance.

The occasional drip of water falling from above echoed distinctly in the silent darkness.

Chen Li secretly pressed his foot against the ground, the sandy texture beneath providing him with a slight comfort.

It was fortunate that a layer of sand and stone about an inch thick covered the ground of the tunnel; otherwise, the wet and slippery mud would have made it impossible to run when the time came.

Chen Li closed his eyes and waited quietly, straining his ears for any sound from outside.

If it were the demon beast of winter coming, he would not be so worried, but this time it was the snake demon. If it really sniffed its way here, the tunnel would prove practically useless, offering no obstruction at all.

Zhou Hong couldn’t resist throwing herself into her husband’s arms.

Chen Li patted her back, reassuring her, "Don’t worry, we won’t be so unlucky; it’s probably just a false alarm."

"Mm, with you here, I’m not afraid of anything," Zhou Hong said softly.

After that, the two of them stopped talking.

Time passed second by second; aside from the occasional faint scream drifting from outside, everything was still, but the "shushing" sound, like the Grim Reaper, still lingered by their ears.

It seemed very far away yet also very close.

The sound was traveling through the earth; it was impossible to determine its exact direction and distance.

Just as Chen Li’s anxious heart began to ease, the clear sound of breaking stone slabs rang out.

’Damn it!’

’The stone slab in the other passageway has broken.’

Chen Li’s heart skipped a beat, his face turned ashen, and he shouted lowly, "Go, let’s get back!"

He grabbed Zhou Hong and started running back the way they came.

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Hong asked in alarm.

"I’ll tell you later," Chen Li said.

But it was already too late.

The shushing sound rapidly grew clearer, and at the same time, a violent, foul-smelling wind blew their way. Thankfully, their robes were enchanted with the Wind Transformation Array, or the force of the wind alone would have been enough to carry them away.

An oppressive aura enveloped everything as if it filled the very sky.

’Damn beast!’

The ’shushing’ sound drew closer and louder, becoming increasingly raucous. Realizing escape was futile, Chen Li steeled his heart, released Zhou Hong, and without time for words, silently recited incantations while his fingers swiftly formed seals.

In less than a second,

the Traction Skill was already complete.

The raging wind entering the array became tranquil, and with eyes fixated on the pitch-black tunnel entrance, he activated his only golden light amulet without hesitation. Then, he drew his magic sword and, without looking back, said:

"We can’t escape. You get out first, I’ll cover the rear!"

"I’m not leaving; if we’re going to die, we’ll die together," Zhou Hong stubbornly said, activating an amulet and preparing for battle with her magic artifact in hand.

’This woman... never mind, never mind!’ Chen Li felt both touched and helpless.

He took out a Qi Replenishing Pill, popped off the bottle cap, and without bothering to see how many pills there were, he poured them all into his mouth and swallowed them whole.

He seldom fought desperately, never risking his life without at least a seventy to eighty percent certainty of success, but this time, no matter what, he had to fight with everything he had.

A demon beast comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage, with unknown specific strength, was of the Second Order.

Just the thought was enough to drive one mad.

"Come on, come on, if you want to die, then come!" Chen Li muttered to himself while looking at the tunnel from which the wind was howling, lost in his own words.

As if responding to his call,

just as the huge, fierce snake’s head, glowing dimly, suddenly appeared from the darkness, Chen Li also sprang forward, the ground beneath his feet bursting open, leaving a deep pit from where he’d launched himself. He lowered his body slightly, moving swiftly like an arrow released from its bow.

His eyes, red with bloodshot veins, never strayed from the snake demon’s head. At the final moment, all fear, unease, and the imposing aura of the Second Order demon beast disappeared.

All that was left was the frantic secretion of adrenaline and his wildly beating heart.

He moved faster and faster; after a couple of steps, his speed far exceeded his normal limit.

A blue serpentine creature, as thick as a meter and radiating a powerful spirit light, had a ferocious head that resembled dry bone, and in it, two glowing green eyes sparkled with cold light.

Both moved with the speed of lightning,

a mere ten meters away, yet less than twenty,

arriving in an instant.

There was no dodging, no flinching.

He was oblivious even to Zhou Hong’s cry of alarm from behind, his focus absolute.

As they were about to collide, the snake demon’s eyes shone with a murderous light, its head lifting slightly as it opened its mouth full of sharp teeth, poised to bite. The foul stench reached him before its attack did.

At the critical moment.

"Scram!"

Chen Li bellowed furiously. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The long-prepared Scolding Skill was unleashed instantly.

The masterful Scolding Skill, comparable to a sixth-level spell of the First Order, caught the Second Order demon beast off guard, causing its body to stiffen just slightly. Seizing that instant, Chen Li took a ferocious step forward, his muscles bursting with power, as he slashed down viciously at the beast’s neck with his sword.

The sword strike was like thunder out of a clear sky.

It moved too fast for the eyes to catch.

Wherever the sword light touched, everything was pierced through. A Second Order magic sword, combined with Chen Li’s long-prepared strike and the power of the Traction Skill, was truly unstoppable. The demon beast’s Protective Spirit Light shattered instantly, and even its intact Second Order scales could not withstand the blow.

But a Second Order demon beast was still a Second Order demon beast, and it reacted rapidly.

The sword had just pierced its flesh when it shook powerfully.