This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 316 Descending into the Valley

Stepping into this rift valley known as the 'Creation of the Planet' is like stepping from the arid savanna into a completely different world.

A thick, almost tangible dampness hit me, carrying with it the chill rising from the depths of the earth, instantly soaking through my clothes and clinging stickily to my skin.

A persistent layer of white moisture permeates the air, flowing slowly through the trees like a thin veil, blurring the view.

With each breath, the two felt as if they were inhaling a mouthful of water-saturated sponge, their lungs clearly feeling the heavy dampness.

The rock face was covered with a thick, slippery, dark green moss; you could squeeze water out of it if you pressed it with your hand.

Countless tiny dewdrops condensed on every leaf, every vine, and every exposed rock surface. Some luminous crystals peeked out from the cracks in the rocks, reflecting the starlight that occasionally shone through the cracks. The dewdrops were illuminated, like countless tiny specks of light.

It's very strange; the area above and below the cliff seems to be two completely different worlds.

The water vapor seems to be locked here, unable to rise, and can only remain there over the years, becoming the lifeline for the plants and animals in the canyon.

Nie Weiyang walked through the grass, his feet on a soft and elastic layer of humus that had accumulated over countless centuries. He could barely hear his footsteps; instead, he felt a damp, sticky sensation as he sank into it.

Brightly colored fungi are everywhere, growing in clusters on tree roots, fallen tree trunks, and even rocks. Some of them emit a faint phosphorescence, providing a tiny light source for this dark environment.

The giant ferns spread out their canopy-like leaves, some of which were even taller than a person, with glistening water droplets rolling between the veins.

Thick vines twine around the towering ancient trees like giant pythons, climbing from the ground all the way to the treetops tens of meters high. Some vines are also covered with strange and huge flowers, with flamboyant colors and a strong, almost stinky fragrance that attracts some greedy flying insects.

The trees here are exceptionally tall, their bark mostly dark brown or black, covered with various epiphytes. Aerial roots hang down from the branches like curtains, sinking into the moist soil to form intricate root networks. The dense canopies intertwine high up, almost completely blocking out the sky, while below, vegetation and rising mist entwine endlessly.

Nie Weiyang casually tossed aside a snake carcass and drew a broken sword, sending a half-meter-long mutated centipede flying.

The environment here is quite exciting...

Bai Yu silently followed. Following the sound and the strange mental fluctuations, the two quietly arrived at the entrance of a hidden cave.

Vines hung down from the cave entrance, the interior was dark and damp, and a faint, sweet, fishy smell filled the air. The cave passages were winding, and along the way, some strangely shaped small monsters could be seen wandering in the shadows.

A small, sprite with skin like cracked earth and a ghostly blue flame burning on its head was rustling as it moved an unknown, glowing ore.

The slender, serpentine creature, clinging to the rock face like a shadow, emitted a hypnotic whisper as its scales reflected a faint light.

A face floating in mid-air, seemingly made of smoke, with hollow eye sockets, scanned the passageway, bringing a chill.

There are also some bizarre humanoid creatures with eyes on their feet...

These monsters were low-level but numerous, and each carried a distinct regional flavor. Nie Weiyang and Bai Yu didn't disturb them, communicating only through simple hand gestures.

Like ghosts, the two used the shadows of the rocks and the blind spots of the monsters' vision to slowly pass through these mythical creations with near-perfect stealth skills, continuously venturing deeper into the underground.

The deeper they went, the hotter and more humid the air became. Clusters of natural crystals, emitting a soft glow, began to appear on the rock walls, providing some illumination. Fragments of warning spells also began to appear around them…

The two relied on their own abilities to try to avoid the warning spells.

They arrived at a huge underground cavern.

The space here is vast, with countless stalagmites hanging from the ceiling and rugged stone forests growing underground. The hot and humid environment makes even breathing difficult.

This environment... Nie Weiyang really wanted to ask the people of the previous civilization what their reasons were for turning the Great Rift Valley into this state—making it look like some kind of ancient tree forest or continental coral plateau! And what kind of people would actually venture into this place!

Oh, they're both crawling in here...

In a relatively flat area in the center of the cave, dozens of Returning Christians dressed in black robes were gathered, busy seemingly setting up some kind of spell.

—It's actually a return to the religion?

Nie Weiyang raised his eyebrows.

The crystals here seem to have the effect of interfering with perception. Only now, when Nie Weiyang is personally standing within the energy radiation range of the crystals, can he hear the inner voices of those believers.

From his chaotic thoughts, he managed to glean fragments of information.

"ceremony……"

"Main News Mountain..."

"Sunday Lord..."

A believer was recalling yesterday's visitor: "...The believer who came from afar seemed to have an Asian face, and he looked travel-worn... He asked for directions to the Lord's Message Mountain, and I told him the way, and also told him that it was a seven-day journey from here... It's a pity, I should have given him some more food."

Nie Weiyang's heart stirred.

An Asian face, inquiring about the Lord's Message Mountain? This could very well be the messenger they were tracking! They were indeed close to catching up, which was within his expectations, given their mode of transportation and pace, far exceeding that of ordinary walking.

But before Nie Weiyang could think any further, an even more violent scream suddenly erupted from the depths of the cave!
This sound was no longer just a physical sound wave; it carried with it an intense mental anguish, surging and spreading like a tsunami, engulfing the entire cave!

"what--!"

Those who had returned to Christianity were the first to be affected, clutching their hair and screaming in agony as they collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing violently.

Their pain seemed to fuel the immense source of suffering, making it even more violent, with wave after wave of mental shocks sweeping outwards.

Bai Yu groaned. His powerful stealth ability was greatly reduced in the face of this indiscriminate mental attack, and he fell straight down like a stick.

Nie Weiyang's breathing became erratic. He groaned, gritted his teeth, and bulged the veins on his forehead. Only with his strong willpower did he not collapse immediately. He staggered and grabbed the damp and slippery rock wall next to him, slowly sliding down to sit on the ground.

The area is already hot and humid, and this mental shock makes it almost suffocating.

He forced himself to endure the painful fragments being forcibly injected into his mind, and with great difficulty, he took out two canisters of portable oxygen from his storage space. He took a few deep breaths to slightly relieve the burning sensation in his lungs, and then groped around to press the oxygen mask onto Bai Yu's mouth and nose.

Bai Yu's body twitched unconsciously. As oxygen flowed in, his pale face regained a little color, but his eyes remained unfocused and he was not in a conscious state.

Nie Weiyang leaned against the cold rock wall, channeling his mental energy to the fullest extent, trying to build a defense against the all-pervasive waves of pain.

Extreme pain cannot be offset by a large amount of mental strength; it tests the resilience of one's will—although willpower is an important cornerstone of mental strength, the two are not the same.

The pain seemed to drag on.

This pain was far beyond what a normal person could experience in their lifetime, and even Nie Weiyang's consciousness was inevitably thrown into a daze.

In a daze, he saw the pale girl with silver hair and blue eyes again, wearing a white robe, standing quietly in the dark corner of the cave, watching him.

Her gaze remained empty and lifeless, like that of a soulless doll.

But this time, Nie Weiyang sensed a surging power deep within her inorganic eyes, a power that transcended the pain of the moment…

……sad.

……

...No, it's all an illusion!
Nie Weiyang frowned, his teeth clenched so tightly he could hear them grinding, and he shook his head violently, trying to dispel the daze from his mind.

When he looked at that corner again, the girl had vanished without a trace.

At the same time, he heard cursing and shouting coming from deeper inside the cave, a scene of chaos.

A dozen or so seemingly higher-ranking Christians appeared unaffected, angrily strode out to check on the fallen Christians outside.

Nie Weiyang's eyes twitched, and he immediately took out a golden mask from his storage space, quickly disguising himself as an ordinary believer.

"This one over here, it hurts so much!" An inspector kicked a corpse.

"Damn it, you piece of trash! Take you in for a 'cycle'!" another yelled impatiently.

Nie Weiyang clearly heard the other person's thoughts.

In the slang of the Returning Christians in this region, the term "cycle" is a sarcastic one, meaning to take a corpse that has lost its usefulness or a person who is about to die and use it to feed certain "things" they raise, thus completing the so-called "return to nature cycle".

He relaxed his body, pretending to be completely unconscious, and leaned softly against the damp rock wall.

Bai Yu has entered stealth mode and is hiding nearby.

Just as the two cultists were cursing and dragging the corpse, someone checked Nie Weiyang, lifted his disguised silver mask, and checked his breath with their hand.

“This one is unconscious…” the man said.

Another person nearby spoke up anxiously, "Quite a few are unconscious. They're all useless! Drag them all in!"

"But……"

"No buts!"

The inspector sighed and prepared to drag the 'unconscious' Nie Weiyang away. But from deep within the cave, a clearly annoyed voice rang out, filled with anger and bewilderment:

"What the hell are those researchers doing?!"

"Is this how artificial empathy is used?!"

(End of this chapter)