Mythology

Chapter 517 A seemingly unsolvable layout?

In the deep, boundless cave, the air was foul and damp, with only a few scattered fluorite stones embedded in the rock walls emitting a faint glow.

A dozen or so figures were prostrate on the ground, using the soil to build a makeshift altar.

They included men and women, old and young, but all were wrapped in thick clothes and used bones to make sacrificial implements.

Upon closer inspection, the utensil appears to be made of fish bones.

Master Song's robes were tattered. He held a bone bell and shook it, chanting incantations, "Oh, mysterious and mysterious, the mountain and stone possess spirits. I humbly beseech the Supreme God, who, having shed his stone form, manifests his holiness in this place..."

The others dared not say a word, their expressions filled with astonishment as they looked around at the surrounding rock walls.

The rock face was translucent, resembling amber, and the outlines of numerous curled-up infants could be clearly seen inside, numbering two to three hundred.

The baby's eyes were closed, and the umbilical cord was connected to the mountain.

With each breath, the baby grows at a speed visible to the naked eye! The body lengthens, the limbs become stronger, and the face transforms from childlike to youthful, angular—all in a silent process.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, while Master Song opened his spiritual eye between his brows and examined the many infants.

In just a few dozen breaths, the infants in the rock wall had transformed into adults. There were middle-aged women in their early forties, young people around twenty, and even children as young as three or four. They were all motionless and looked no different from ordinary people.

Tick.

Water droplets condensed on the stalactites overhead dripped down from time to time, creating a monotonous yet clear echo in the silence. Everyone looked at Master Song.

"Master, which ones... are we able to find out?"

"this."

"and this."

"It's hard to say, but there's still a long time before he wakes up, so we can give it a try."

"Master Song... Master Song..."

The middle-aged man spoke in a trembling voice. His name was Zhao Da, and his clothes were already soaked with sweat. "Did we also grow out of the rock wall? Aren't we... already dead?"

"It must have been the demons of Lion Camel Ridge who lured us here. Don't overthink it. Only with enough manpower can we dig our way to the outside world."

Master Song explained in a deep voice, but he didn't know the specific reason. To put it bluntly, he was just a third-stage cultivator who had just reached the Core Formation stage.

Originally working in Chang'an, he died from qi deviation and ended up in Lion Camel Ridge.

Master Song scanned the crowd. They came from all over the country, and without exception, they all appeared in Lion Camel Ridge after death, and all of them were conceived from within the rock walls. No one knew the reason.

"Do as I say, rescue the three of them first."

"Yes, we believe in the Taoist priest."

"Master, you are incredibly powerful, there will definitely be no problem."

The group quickly complied, using bone chisels to slowly break through the rock wall, from which foul-smelling blood seeped out.

Master Song looked helpless and kowtowed repeatedly in front of the altar.

Then he got up and continued to stare at the figure in the rock wall.

"They all look like people."

Master Song shuddered. Only he knew that only part of the figure was human, while the other part, for some unknown reason, would turn into indescribable demons once it left the rock wall.

The number of demons in the cave has been increasing recently. If they don't leave soon, they will soon become the demons' food.

"According to the pattern, it takes three days for them to hatch from the rock wall. Unless it is completely destroyed, they will not wake up. I hope there will be no problem."

Master Song turned his head and looked into the pitch-black cave.

A faint rustling sound could be heard coming from there.

He affixed the talismans he carried with him to the outside of his body, so that he would have enough time to avoid any demons that approached. Unfortunately, he didn't have many talismans.

Before long, the sound of knocking echoed in the cave.

Each time the fishbone chisel fell, tiny fragments flew up.

For a day and a night, even though they could take turns resting, the tension in their hearts made it difficult for them to fall asleep, and everyone's eyes were bloodshot.

Master Song did not participate, but the spiritual eye between his eyebrows remained open from beginning to end, constantly staring at the three figures that were gradually becoming clearer.

He had to be extremely careful, lest a demon be born.

The other figures within the rock wall also had cracks spreading, but as time passed, their postures became more distorted and terrifying.

"Slow down, make the left side a little thinner, okay, stop!!"

Master Song's voice was hoarse, "Zhao Da, be careful over there. Yes, right there, you can already see the hem of his clothes. Don't damage it!"

Finally, the group carefully separated the three figures completely.

Only a thin layer of transparent amber-like substance covered the surface, like a placenta.

Master Song breathed a long sigh of relief. His spiritual eyes repeatedly confirmed that the three bodies were full of vitality, their souls intact, and there was nothing unusual about them.

Yes, they are definitely living, breathing people.

"It's done!"

Master Song staggered a step and leaned against the rock wall, almost collapsing from exhaustion.

Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, and all he wanted to do was sit down immediately.

"Help them out!"

Master Song gave the instructions, forcing a relieved smile on his face.

The crowd showed a long-lost joy and rushed forward to cut open the last thin membrane with bone knives.

at this time.

Master Song suddenly felt a sharp, needle-like pain between his eyebrows!
Ling Tong opened her eyes again uncontrollably, staring intently at the woman on the far right, a woman who looked to be in her thirties with an ordinary face.

wrong!

Despite the fact that the spiritual eye had shown nothing unusual before, just before the woman completely broke free from the rock wall, the three yang flames began to fluctuate.

The fluctuations were extremely subtle, but they were definitely not an illusion!
Master Song felt a chill run down his spine, and then he heard the woman's faint breathing.

But the breathing sound did not come from the woman's mouth and nose.

His gaze shifted downwards and landed on the woman's naturally hanging right hand!
The sound of breathing... was coming from her tightly clenched palms?!
"Stop!! Everyone, get back!!"

Master Song roared hoarsely, his voice distorted with extreme fear!
However it was still too late.

Some people were so exhausted that they didn't hear Master Song's reminder at all, and the bone knife had already cut through the membranes on their chests.

At the very moment the amniotic sac ruptured, the woman's right arm suddenly convulsed violently.

His skin was dyed jet black, and his five fingers suddenly spread open, revealing a huge maw in his palm, filled with layers upon layers of sharp teeth!
And this is just the beginning!
The bones of his right arm made a sickening noise as they stretched wildly, the elbow twisted in the opposite direction, and the fingertips became sharp as hooks. In just one or two breaths, the entire arm transformed into a fish head.

Roar! ! !
It let out a sharp, mournful howl and lunged at the nearest person!

Master Song reacted quickly and pulled the other person away.

This action thoroughly enraged the demon, whose right arm slammed into the still-fractured amniotic sac, instantly creating countless spiderweb-like cracks.

"Run!! Run with me!!!"

Master Song's eyes were bloodshot as he threw the last few talismans in his hand at the demon that was trying to completely detach from the amniotic sac.

Chaos erupted inside the cave as people scrambled and crawled their way into its depths.

Master Song glanced back and saw that half of the demon's body had already squeezed out of the rock wall, and the talisman had vanished into thin air without having any effect.

The burning pain emanating from his brow and pupils intensified, yet he dared not close them.

In the darkness, the demons gave everyone no chance to catch their breath, their cries of despair mingling with the stench of flesh being torn apart.

What's chilling is that, besides the pursuers closely following them, it seems that even more demons have been disturbed deep within the surrounding caves.

It was as if they had awakened not just a demon, but the entire lair!

"Daoist... Daoist Master! There's no way out! It's a dead end!!"

Zhao Da shouted, his voice trembling with tears, as the faint light from the tinderbox illuminated the rock face ahead.

Despair gripped everyone in an instant. Master Song's heart sank, and his spiritual eyes scanned frantically, only to find the rock wall incredibly thick and without any gaps, while the foul wind behind them grew closer and closer, and strange panting was already right behind their ears.

suddenly.

A slightly cold reminder rang out amidst the chaos, drowning out all the noise.

"On the left side of the fork in the road, after walking about five meters, there is a half-meter-wide crevice in the rock at the corner. Perhaps you can find a place to hide!"

In dire straits, anyone would grasp at any straw. No one considered who the voice belonged to, nor did anyone think about how he knew there would be a gap deep in the fork in the road.

Master Song instinctively shouted, "Left! Quick! Go in!!"

The group scrambled and stumbled into the narrow side path, constantly tripping over protruding rocks in the darkness, only to get up again on their hands and feet.

Five meters felt like an eternity, as if traversing the line between life and death.

"Here!!"

It was that same voice again, calmly guiding the crowd.

Under the dim light, there was indeed an extremely hidden crack at the bottom of the rock wall, no more than half a meter wide at its widest point, just enough for one person to squeeze in sideways.

"Get in! Quickly!!"

Master Song urged him on, then turned around and infused a crumpled talisman with yin energy, placing it at the crossroads in an attempt to provide some protection.

The shadow of demons has appeared, and the oppressive feeling is almost tangible.

Gravel fell in a soft rustling sound.

The talisman flickered for a moment, then instantly turned to ashes.

Seeing that the others had already entered the crevice, Master Song no longer hesitated.

The gap is extremely narrow, and the inside is winding.

dong dong!

The demon's enormous size clearly prevented it from entering the crevice, and the impact continued for a long time before gradually subsiding, eventually disappearing into the distance.

Within the sealed crevice, only the sound of extremely heavy breathing could be heard.

The feeling of utter exhaustion after surviving the ordeal overwhelmed everyone; there was no sobbing, and whether sitting or lying down, no one wanted to move a single finger.

Master Song coughed violently for a long time, then his spiritual pupils closed, leaving a bloodstain.

He fumbled for the last bit of fluorite powder and smeared it on the rock wall, the faint light illuminating the small space, less than a square meter in size.

Master Song glanced at the survivors.

Zhao Da, Sun Qiniang, a boy named Li Gou'er, an old man named Wang Laoguan, and myself, there were only five of them...

Wait, there are six.

The sixth person was huddled in the corner, and his appearance was completely unfamiliar.

Master Song's temple throbbed. He stared intently and saw a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had an ordinary face but was very calm.

"Who are you?!"

The young man raised his head, revealing a slightly pale but undeniably human face. "I...I don't know. I think I just woke up and started running after you guys. Where is this place?"

Master Song suppressed the urge to open his spiritual eyes again and examine the object carefully.

"Are you one of the three people rescued from inside the rock face?"

The young man nodded.

His breathing was normal, his soul was intact, and although the three Yang Fires were weak, they were stable. By all accounts, he was just an ordinary mortal who was still shaken.

"Did you just tell us there was a gap here?" Master Song's voice was deep and scrutinizing.

The young man's face showed even greater confusion: "Did I...did I say that? I think...I think I knew there was a place to hide, but I don't know why..."

Master Song fell silent, no longer interested in investigating the young man.

A huge sense of absurdity welled up inside me.

They escaped death, but only six people survived, and their hope of reaching the surface became increasingly slim.

It's a dead end!

Master Song spoke again, his throat hoarse as if he were dying, "What's your name?"

"Yang He".

"Okay, let's rest for a while. I'll go out by myself later to see if the demons have gone far."

The fissure fell into a deathly silence.

Unbeknownst to Master Song, the young man's expression shifted rapidly in a short moment, until the bewilderment between his brows finally disappeared completely.

Yang He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. When he first arrived at Lion Camel Ridge, he felt as if countless chaotic voices were murmuring in his mind. Now he had regained control of his body, but his limbs were still stiff.

"The whole scheme of Lion Camel Ridge was probably set up for me."

Yang He had no cultivation whatsoever, and his body and soul only retained a trace of the innate Ksitigarbha ghost body. It could be said that he had never encountered such a situation before.

He couldn't even return to the main world. If he died, he would likely be reincarnated from the rock wall, making it impossible for him to move an inch in Lion Camel Ridge.

"interesting."

A dangerous glint flashed in Yang He's eyes, and he immediately summoned the control panel.

[Consume 1000 points of Insight to select a character for deep fusion?]

Yang He was unable to sense the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field. Logically, he should have exhausted all means, but in reality, the fusion of the more than thirty celestial courts of the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Dao Field was enough to disrupt the plans of the immortals and Buddhas.

"Cancel."

He didn't rush to reveal his hand, believing that the situation could still change.

After an unknown amount of time, Master Song struggled to his feet. "I'll go out and scout ahead to see if that thing has left. You must all remain silent."

Zhao opened his mouth, but in the end he just lowered his head in dejection.

Sun Qiniang held the trembling Li Gou'er in her arms, her eyes vacant. Old Wang was curled up as if asleep, and no one responded.

Just as Master Song squeezed through the gap, Yang He broke the silence.

"Perhaps... we don't need to go out and take risks."

Everyone instinctively looked at Yang He. Master Song paused, frowning, "What do you mean? Being trapped here is just waiting to die."

Why don't we try digging deeper?

"Dig inside?" Master Song thought he had misheard. "Do you know what the rocks of Lion Camel Ridge mean? Behind every inch of the rock face, there may be demons like those just now sealed! Once you awaken what's inside, you're just asking for death!"

Yang He spoke as if it were a trivial matter, “I had a vague premonition of danger, and it was no coincidence that I was able to find this place before.”

"It's better to let me guide you than to sit and wait for death."

Master Song remembered that it was Yang He who had pointed out the way out, so he nodded in agreement. The others were numb and had no objections.

The sound of chiseling began again.

The rock face is not difficult to break through; it just requires repetitive, mechanical labor.

Yang He also participated in the excavation, using his spiritual vision to avoid demons. As they went deeper, he could feel sunlight gradually shining through the rock walls.

With hope renewed, everyone relaxed and worked even harder at digging.

Yang He, however, slowed down his movements and pressed himself against the rock wall to make the most of his spiritual vision.

Beyond the rock face lies Lion Camel Ridge.

Rumble.

A demon with a fish head and a human body roamed among the mountains, its abdominal flesh translucent, its intestines teeming with countless figures.

Yang He and the others were positioned higher up, in the liver of the demon.

(End of this chapter)