Gou Zai Gaowu Shijie Cheng Shen

Chapter 241 Mysterious Shadows
Gold Standard Land.

Xu Feng streaked across the sky like a meteor, his blood surging, dispersing all the howling winds.

Swish!
After rushing into the cave, Xu Feng made several turns and soon met Senior Yin.

"Senior! Junior Xu Feng has something important to ask you!"

Xu Feng's voice echoed through the valley like a resounding bell.

"Hmm? Why haven't you come for so long this time?" Senior Yang asked in confusion.

Senior Yin's golden eyes were like burning yellow flames, radiating a chilling aura.

"I'm so sorry, I've encountered some tricky matters, which is why I've been delayed recently."

Xu Feng clasped his hands in a respectful bow, first apologizing, before explaining:

"My wife has been trapped in an ancient ruin and we haven't heard from her since. I really have no heart to prepare a delicious meal."

I came here to inquire about some matters related to that ancient ruin.

The younger generation is preparing to go to the rescue.

If you do not return, your brothers and sisters will surely deliver your delicacies in the future.

"It's alright, tell me about the ruins, maybe I can help."

Senior Yin's voice was deep and authoritative, but there was no hint of blame.

Xu Feng bowed respectfully and said solemnly, "Senior, the reason I have come here is to inquire about the ruins of Guniu Village."

Do you know anything about this site, senior?
It is located on Guniuzhai Mountain, near the highest peak of the Wumeng Mountains.

Upon hearing this, Senior Yin's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he said in a deep voice, "The area near Guniu Village is not a safe place."

As far as I know, that place has been cursed and hides a terrifying existence beyond the comprehension of this world.

If you go there, be very careful of those 'eerie' creatures.

What I mean by "mysterious and eerie" is the human word for "strange and bizarre."

"A ghost?" Xu Feng frowned, puzzled. "Senior, what exactly is this 'ghost'?"

Senior Yin said in a deep voice, "'Ghostly creatures' are evil things that have been born in those ruins."

It is formless and intangible, yet it can devour one's soul, making it impossible to guard against.

Moreover, this thing cannot be killed by ordinary means; it can only be temporarily dispersed.

Even those of you who claim to be at the level of War Gods wouldn't dare to easily venture into that area.

Only by comprehending one's own demonic intent can one break through that eerie illusion.

That is, what you humans call 'laws, true meanings, the Great Dao' and the like.

Even so, many strange things still cannot be explained.

Therefore, avoid going there unless absolutely necessary.

Xu Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Does Senior have any good solutions?"

Senior Yin pondered for a moment, then suddenly released a drop of pale golden blood, which hovered in front of Xu Feng:
"This is my blood; smear it on the battle blade."

If attacked by a 'mysterious spirit,' you can use this blood to fight the enemy; it might save your life.

Xu Feng quickly took the drop of blood.

He felt a surge of intense heat and power enter his body, causing him to break out in a sweat.

Immediately, Xu Feng flipped his hand and took out a reagent bottle, then ingested the blood into it.

He bowed to Senior Yin again to express his gratitude.

Just as he was about to speak, Senior Yan said again, "There is one more thing you must remember."

“Please speak, senior,” Xu Feng said respectfully.

"You must not use your mental power carelessly within those ruins."

Senior Yan said solemnly.

"The ominous power of that place will pollute your mental energy and bring even greater disasters."

If you don't want your soul to be scattered, you'd better obediently withdraw your spiritual power.

Xu Feng was deeply shocked upon hearing this.

He never imagined that the ruins of Guniuzhai would be so dangerous.

He can't even use his mental powers? Doesn't that greatly limit his combat ability?

However, it's fortunate that I asked a senior for advice.

He bowed deeply to Senior Yin again and said, "Thank you for your advice, Senior. I will keep it in mind."

After returning to the fighter jet.

Xu Feng briefly relayed what Senior Yin had said to Gu Cheng.

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng was also astonished: "I didn't expect the Guniu Village ruins to be so dangerous. It seems we really need to be careful this time."

He quickly recorded the relevant information and uploaded it to the intelligence agency's database for safekeeping.

After all, this kind of information had never been recorded before.

This also puzzled Gu Cheng.

Since mental energy cannot be used near these ruins, how did the genius mentalist "Zhou Yi" manage to explore this place when he first explored it?
Did he use his mental powers? Was he tainted by something ominous?
Was his eventual death related to this matter?

Gu Cheng sighed slightly.

These are all mysteries left over from the passage of time.

After half an hour.

The fighter jets quickly arrived near Guniuzhai Mountain.

Looking down from the air, the mountains were shrouded in a thick layer of fog.

Like a sleeping behemoth, it exudes an unsettling, unknown, and heart-pounding aura.

"This is it, gentlemen, we've arrived."

The driver looked down at the thick fog and gave the signal.

As the fighter jet hovered in the sky.

Gu Cheng looked down from the cabin door and shouted to Xu Feng, "According to intelligence..."

The entrance to the ruins is near the back slope of the North Peak, about three kilometers from here!

Upon hearing this, a look of seriousness flashed in Xu Feng's eyes: "Are you ready?"

He looked at Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng nodded, sat down in the net bag in Xu Feng's hand, and quickly put on the military-made breathing mask.

Xu Feng, on the other hand, has his own "S" combat suit helmet, which has an air purification function.

This is to prevent the fog below from being toxic.

"Ah Snake, Little White, let's go!"

Xu Feng gave a low shout and, along with his two beast pets and Gu Cheng, charged into the thick fog.

Swish!
After a while.

The two suddenly slowed down from the strong winds and landed quietly.

As soon as it landed, Ah She instantly grew to half the height of a human.

With a "squeak," Xiaobai burrowed underground and activated its "earth listening" mode.

It can detect various environments from underground through vibrations, which can be considered as an additional detection method.

Xu Feng, however, heeded Senior Yin's warning and did not use his mental powers.

Instead, he picked up the tactical watch that Gu Cheng had given him and glanced at it.

The air quality is normal, with no toxins present, and all data are normal.

The signal display still shows one bar of signal.

This is clearly the effect of that unfinished interdimensional communication device, and it's not bad.

"This place is the highest peak of Wumeng Mountain, located in the Xiaojiang River Valley, with an altitude of only 695 meters."

Therefore, the climate and vegetation vary greatly, as the saying goes, "One mountain has four seasons, and ten miles can have different weather."

Therefore, the area is surrounded by camphor and birch forests, and coupled with the dense fog, it is easy to encounter attacks from mutated creatures.

As soon as Gu Cheng landed, he gave Xu Feng a briefing on the local environment.

"I'll be careful," Xu Feng nodded.

Gu Cheng began pulling out various GPS devices from his backpack: "Okay, I'll check the route. Following their trajectory, we'll continue heading north."

After saying that, he walked towards the northern part of the mountain forest, his steps uneven.

"Slow down."

Xu Feng drew his sword, nodded, and followed.

"Swish!"

Visibility was obstructed by the thick fog.

The two carefully made their way forward, traversing the dense forest.

the strange thing is.

Even after arriving here, Xu Feng still couldn't sense Ah Kun's location.

This intensified his unease.

Suddenly, a strange whispering sound came from ahead.

It sounded like someone was speaking in a low voice.

"Someone?"

Gu Cheng was startled and immediately lowered his body, taking out a special telescope to look ahead.

He tried several different modes but still couldn't find any trace of anyone.

Thermal imaging, infrared imaging, lidar detection, and other methods have all yielded no results.

After he told Xu Feng about this, Xu Feng immediately remembered his senior's instructions: "Wait a moment."

Xu Feng gave a low shout, and his battle sword was already held horizontally in front of him.

"noob!"

Simultaneously.

In his mind, he also instructed Xiaobai to feel its way forward from underground, to explore the environment and determine if anyone was there.

As a result, Xiaobai replied that there really was no sign of any living person within a three-kilometer radius.

"Detour."

Xu Feng immediately decided to go around the slightly eerie grove in front of him.

But at this moment.

The thick fog around them suddenly began to churn violently, as if stirred by an invisible force.

Several illusory figures suddenly emerged vaguely from the forest.

"careful!"

Xu Feng inwardly cried out and quickly shielded Gu Cheng behind him.

Several figures slowly emerged from the thick fog.

The figure was blurry and indistinct, as if it were formed from thick fog.

Their bodies exuded an eerie aura that sent chills down one's spine.

"Is this what 'eerie' is?"

Xu Feng's heart tightened, and he gripped the battle knife in his hand tightly.

However, those "ghosts" did not approach the two.

They stood there in the mist, as if "observing" the two of them.

It was this eerie sight that sent chills down Xu Feng's spine.

He is not afraid of real mutated creatures or enemies.

I'm most afraid of things that are hard to explain!

"Go! Go around it!"

Xu Feng patted Gu Cheng on the shoulder, and together they ran wildly into the woods on the left.

The group of "ghosts" did not follow, as if they had simply stopped in place.

The trees around him rushed past, and Gu Cheng gripped the short sword in his hand tighter and tighter.

"Xu Feng!"

Suddenly, Lu Fei's voice seemed to faintly echo in the forest.

Xu Feng suddenly stopped and looked in shock into the woods to his left.

"What's wrong?" Gu Cheng asked in surprise.

Xu Feng shook his head: "I heard someone calling me."

"People?" Gu Cheng immediately became alert. "Uh, this place..."

“Don’t be afraid, I didn’t say I was going to find her,” Xu Feng glanced at Gu Cheng speechlessly, “If it really is Lu Fei, she wouldn’t call me that.”

Moreover, she had Ah Kun with her, and at this distance, we could communicate through a mental link.

"Shall we continue?"

"Walk."

The two then walked quickly forward.

But he had only taken two steps.

Sudden.

Xu Feng suddenly stopped and grabbed Gu Cheng's combat uniform, pulling him back.

next moment.

A pale woman's face suddenly appeared from behind a tree in front.

The face wasn't floating in mid-air; it was a woman wearing tattered combat gear.

His face was ashen, as if it were white paper, and devoid of any color.

All that remained were blurry facial features, almost thirty centimeters away from Gu Cheng's face.

If Xu Feng hadn't pulled him back, Gu Cheng would definitely have already collided with him.

"grass!"

Even the composed Gu Cheng couldn't help but exclaim in surprise at this moment.

at this time.

The woman suddenly let out a sharp scream.

It instantly broke free of the fog and rushed towards the two of them.

"what!"

The voice seemed to pierce through one's soul. "Watch out!"

Xu Feng swiftly and decisively swung his battle blade at "Ghostly Charm".

Swish!
He slashed it down with a single stroke.

The terrifying blade energy instantly severed all the trees within a radius of tens of meters in front of it.

At the same time, a violent gale suddenly swept across an area of ​​tens of meters, swirling up grass, trees, and soil.

However, what made Xu Feng's pupils shrink was...

The woman's figure blurred for only a moment before she passed through the blade's energy and pounced directly towards the two of them!

Gu Cheng's expression changed drastically, and he immediately shouted, "Quickly, use that blood!"

Xu Feng flipped his hand and took out the blood test tube from his senior, crushed it in his hand, and then slashed it across the blade.

boom!
Another swift slash was unleashed.

The golden-red blood on the sword collided with the eerie aura, immediately producing a piercing sound.

"Fuck!"

It was like hot oil splashing onto water, scalding hot!
The "ghostly creature" was struck by the battle blade, let out a miserable scream, and its body instantly dissipated.

But then.

Five more "ghosts" emerged from the thick fog in the surrounding forest and surrounded them.

"Brother Xu, I'll join too!"

Gu Cheng hurriedly rubbed the weapon in his hand against Xu Feng's hand.

"Don't panic!" Xu Feng glanced around and said in a deep voice, "Take care of yourself!"

With that, Xu Feng released Gu Cheng and then his figure vanished instantly.

next moment.

A gust of wind immediately swept through the forest, and that gust was none other than Xu Feng moving at high speed.

The golden-red blood on the battle sword resembled holy water that warded off evil.

Wherever it went, the "eeries" vanished.

After Xu Feng killed the five strange creatures.

The woods fell completely silent.

"Phew—" Gu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, "Senior's blood is really useful."

Xu Feng glanced around warily and then simply recalled Ah She.

"Stay close to me, Snake."

"Woo-"

Ah She wagged her tail.

At the same time, Xu Feng asked Xiao Bai if she would encounter any strange creatures, but Xiao Bai did not encounter any danger.

Therefore, Xu Feng judged that the underground area should be safe.

But if you were to dig your way through from underground, that's a different story.

The two of them were too much of a target.

It might bring the eerie underground.

"Alright, Xiaobai, you find the location of the ruins underground, and tell me when you find them."

"Yes, leader!!"

Then, he pulled Gu Cheng along to continue forward.

The mountains and forests were deathly silent.

Xu Feng and Gu Cheng remained silent, simply continuing their journey.

The mountain road, which is only three kilometers long, now feels incredibly long.

Because of what had just happened, neither of them dared to walk too fast.

At this moment, the speed of progress is about the same as that of an ordinary person walking.

"I really can't imagine how Miss Lu and the others survived."

Gu Cheng glanced at Xu Feng.

Given the situation just now, physical attacks simply couldn't kill these monsters.

So how did Lu Fei's team deal with these things?
Prior to this, Da Xia was unaware of the situation here.

Strangely, Zhou Yi's report to the authorities did not mention any information about "mysterious spirits".

This is really puzzling.

Xu Feng frowned, his thoughts as chaotic and unclear as the thick fog.

He muttered to himself, "What exactly is the Book of Changes hiding?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng's expression also turned serious: "Perhaps he didn't intend to hide it, but rather he himself couldn't figure out the situation."

After all, the existence of 'ghosts and monsters' is far beyond our comprehension.

Or perhaps she really did encounter something that prevented him from giving a complete report.

Or perhaps he deliberately concealed certain information, not wanting more people to get involved.

It's pointless for us to discuss this now, as it's only after the fact.

Xu Feng nodded slightly, but an indescribable unease welled up in his heart.

This place is just as eerie as the elders said.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down: "No matter what, we have to find Lu Fei and the others, and keep moving forward."

This time, however, the two were much more cautious.

In the mountains and forests, only their footsteps and the occasional eerie whispers could be heard.

They intertwine to form a chilling melody.

Suddenly, Xiaobai's voice rang in Xu Feng's mind: "Chief, Chief, I've found a village!"

Xu Feng's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "A village? Is anyone there?"

"Nobody's here, nobody's here, it's empty."

Xiao Bai's voice carried a hint of wariness.

Xu Feng pondered for a moment and said to Gu Cheng, "Xiao Bai has discovered an empty village ahead. Let's go around and take a look; we might find some traces of other people."

After all, all they could do for now was guess that Lu Fei and the others had gone into the ruins.

Whether they actually went or not, no one knows.

Therefore, they would investigate any clue they could find.

What if Lu Fei and the others encountered danger and hid in that deserted village?

The two immediately followed the direction Xiaobai pointed out, but after walking less than 500 meters, they saw a village covering no more than 1,000 square meters on the edge of a sparse woodland.

The houses in the village are all made of wood and look quite old.

"I don't think this looks like a village; it looks more like a long-term camp, only it's been built quite professionally."

In the forest, Xu Feng looked through the fog through his binoculars for a while and then nodded, saying, "That makes sense, but the fog is too thick; we can only see part of it. Let's get closer and take a look."

"Okay." Gu Cheng had no objections.

As a result, the two had just reached the edge of the village.

Suddenly, Gu Cheng raised his hand and said to Xu Feng, "There's a mark here!"

Xu Feng turned his head and looked.

Indeed, a mark was found on the tree trunk next to Gu Cheng.

“These are military signal markers; I recognize similar symbols from all the factions at the base.”

After explaining, Gu Cheng glanced at the village, a hint of wariness flashing across his face: "This mark means that this place is extremely dangerous, do not approach."

"Let's go!" Xu Feng immediately turned and left.

Since the military left a mark, it means that Lu Fei and her group were indeed here.

The two teams entered this place together, so there's no reason for them to separate easily.

"Look for any signs indicating Tianyue Martial Arts University."

Xu Feng turned his head and looked around before speaking.

"Okay." Gu Cheng gripped the short sword and walked to the side.

A moment later, a mark was found on a tree trunk no more than three meters away from Xu Feng.

He turned and called over Gu Cheng.

"Yes, this is indeed the mark of Tianyue Martial Arts University."

Wuhan University not only warned of the danger here, but also marked their movements.

Gu Cheng looked at the two marks left on the tree trunk and explained, "One is to warn that this place is dangerous, and the other is to indicate that they went north."

Judging from the hasty way they marked the characters, they must have been in a rather tense situation at the time.

Xu Feng glanced back at the village, then immediately turned and said, "Then let's continue north."

Gu Cheng nodded slightly, feeling relieved.

Xu Feng remained quite rational throughout, and nothing that worried him occurred.

But what happened next was far beyond their expectations.

Just as the two of them bypassed the village and headed north for less than a kilometer, Gu Cheng stopped in his tracks, his face grim.

Logically speaking.

By now, they should have been close to the entrance of the ruins, or at least halfway up Guniuzhai Mountain.

However, the marks on the tree trunk beside Gu Cheng indicated that they had not gone far, but had instead circled back to that deserted village.

What gave Xu Feng and Gu Cheng a chill was—

"Are you sure this is the mark outside the village?"

Xu Feng looked at the empty, sparse woods around him and asked with narrowed eyes.

Gu Cheng confirmed repeatedly that the mark was the same mark left by Wu Da that they had just examined.

Three meters away, the marks left by the military were still clearly visible.

Xu Feng asked incredulously, "But what about the village?"
Even if we've come back from our detour, how could such a large village have suddenly disappeared?

Xu Feng's words sent a chill down Gu Cheng's spine.

He looked around.
indeed.

The village, which was clearly visible just moments before, has vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

"This...how is this possible?" Gu Cheng's voice trembled slightly. "We saw it with our own eyes."

Xu Feng frowned, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart.

It's impossible for two people to be wrong at the same time.

He looked down at the snake at his feet.

At this moment, Ah She also stopped wagging her tail and looked warily at the "open space" in front of her.

"Ah Snake, you saw the village too, right?"

"Yes, Chief!"

Xu Feng took a deep breath.

The senior was right after all.

This place is fucking weird.

"Little White, can you still sense your surroundings?" Xu Feng asked anxiously in his mind.

“Yes, leader!” Xiaobai said decisively.

"Xiaobai, continue exploring underground and help us determine the direction of the ruins."

We should be close to the ruins here.

Also, please be careful and return immediately if you encounter any danger.

"Received, Chief!"

Xiao Bai's voice echoed in Xu Feng's mind.

Then there was no further movement, clearly indicating that they had gone underground to begin their investigation.

aside.

"What the hell is going on?"

Gu Cheng's voice trembled slightly, clearly startled by the sudden turn of events.

Xu Feng took a deep breath, trying to stay calm: "It seems that this place is much more complicated than we imagined."

Not only were the things 'eerie' and bizarre, but even the space itself seemed to be changing.

Gu Cheng took a deep breath and patted his face: "Don't panic, at least we're safe for now."

Xu Feng pondered for a moment and said, "That's right, we can't panic. I've already had Xiaobai start searching for the direction of the ruins from underground."

Now, we'll wait here for Xiaobai's message; perhaps a different perspective will reveal something new.

Gu Cheng nodded, then took out an energy bar from his bag and ate it.

Noticing Xu Feng's gaze, Gu Cheng forced a smile: "Replenish your energy as needed."

Xu Feng nodded, took out two bags of instant chicken legs, and tossed one of them to Gu Cheng: "Eat this."

Then, he stuffed the chicken leg in his hand into his mouth and chewed it heartily.

But his eyes remained alert, constantly observing his surroundings.

He gripped his sword tightly, ready to face any danger that might arise.

Time passed second by second, and the surrounding environment remained deathly silent.

Only the occasional chirping of insects broke the tranquility.

But both Xu Feng and Gu Cheng knew that unknown dangers lurked behind this tranquility.

ten minutes later.

Xiao Bai's voice rang in Xu Feng's mind: "Leader, leader, I've found it! The entrance to the ruins is not far away!"

"Huh?" Xu Feng looked at Gu Cheng in surprise. "We've found the entrance to the ruins. It's not far away. It seems the changes in this space are even greater than we thought."

"What?" Gu Cheng quickly took out a map to roughly determine their location. "How did we get here?"

"Forget it, this space already feels off, so shall we head straight to the ruins?"

Xu Feng nodded and said, "Okay, I won't try my luck anymore."

They are more likely to be in the ruins, so let's start our search from here.

The same applies if you try to search again after ruling out the ruins.

"Okay." Gu Cheng nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)