Monster Hunter, start with a wife!

The hovercar traveled smoothly through the snow and wind of the North, with only a vast expanse of white visible outside the porthole.

Gao Wang sat in the opposite seat, his expression slightly solemn as he slowly began to speak:

"First, once you go inside, your source energy will be disrupted, so don't waste it carelessly."

"The degree of chaos varies depending on the source energy of different attributes. Some will weaken, while others will go out of control and even harm oneself. It is best not to use source techniques if possible."

"Secondly, the space is chaotic. You might walk a hundred steps forward and then turn back to find yourself in the same spot. Don't trust what you see; follow the signs."

Gao Wang took out a palm-sized bronze compass from his pocket. The surface of the compass was engraved with fine patterns, and the pointer swayed gently inside.

"This thing can determine the approximate location, so you must stick close to me when the time comes."

The girls sat around Cheng Zhuo, leaning forward and listening intently with their eyes wide open.

They had never been to such a sinister place before, and they were both a little scared and unable to suppress their curiosity.

"Third, you may experience hallucinations. Deceased relatives and friends, your inner obsessions, anything can come to mind. Don't speak, don't follow them, don't touch them. Just pretend you can't see them. The more you pay attention to them, the more they will haunt you."

Gao Wang's voice deepened:

"In previous years, the most people fell victim to this. They knew it was fake, but they couldn't control themselves and followed along, never to turn back."

Fourth, never answer if you hear someone call your name.

Gao Wang's gaze swept over the crowd. "Remember, no matter who shouts, pretend you didn't hear them."

He spoke slowly, one point at a time, each one steeped in the bloody lessons of those who came before him. No one in the carriage interrupted; everyone listened quietly. Even the most lively cicada pursed its lips and nodded obediently.

"And there's one more crucial point."

Gao Wang paused, his expression becoming more serious. "When you see a fisherman, don't touch his bait, and don't sit on his stool. His habits are quite peculiar."

"That's really weird?" Xia Chan couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "What exactly is that angler?"

"Nobody knows." Gao Wang shook his head.

"Some say it is the remnant soul of an old god, some say it is an aggregate of evil spirits, and some say it is not a living thing at all, but an embodiment of the rules born from the shadow zone itself."

He sighed. "Just remember the rules I told you. I will follow you until you reach the area where the angler is, but whether you can receive the mission and fulfill the angler's wish is beyond my control."

"We would be very grateful if you could lead us there," Cheng Zhuo said.

Gao Wang glanced at him, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

After a long pause, he slowly said:

"Actually, whether the mission can be triggered inside the shadows has nothing to do with the number of people in the team, you guys..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence, but the meaning was quite clear.

Bringing so many women in would only increase the risk and is completely unnecessary.

He originally didn't want to take his wives on a dangerous mission, but considering that he couldn't let them be sheltered, he asked Shenlong for advice.

The answer I received was:

"If the Star Lord doesn't intervene, you can do whatever you want..."

Of course, he wouldn't tell Gao Wang any of this; he simply smiled and said:

"Don't worry, I dare to bring them along because I'm confident in my abilities."

"That's good then." Gao Wang replied casually, clearly not taking Cheng Zhuo's words seriously.

He had seen too many young, arrogant experts who, relying on their limited skills, became overconfident and ultimately met their downfall.

Although Cheng Zhuo has many tricks up his sleeve, the Shadow Zone is inherently evil. It doesn't care about your cultivation level. The seven girls all look delicate and pretty, but I'm afraid they'll all cause trouble if they go in.

But he was just leading the way. The city lord himself wasn't worried, so as an outsider, he shouldn't say anything.

The carriage fell silent again, with only the soft hum of the hovercar's engine.

The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, pelting the porthole densely and quickly accumulating into a thin layer of white.

"arrive."

Four hours later, Gao Wang stood up first, "Follow me, the rest of the way can only be walked."

Cheng Zhuo nodded and followed him out of the car.

In the distance, the temporary campsite was dotted with lights, the glow of the campfires was hazy in the wind and snow, and voices drifted on the wind, noisy and bustling, much more lively than yesterday.

Many hunter teams had just emerged from the Ruins, wrapped in heavy animal skin coats, huddled around the campfire, gulping down wine from jugs, their faces showing exhaustion, and muttering curses about how ferocious the beasts in the Ice Ruins were.

There were also newly arrived teams crowding in front of the task board, arguing heatedly over which tasks to choose.

Gao Wang led the group around the main road, trudging through ankle-deep snow toward the west side of the camp.

There were few footprints in the snow, indicating that this path was rarely used.

After walking for about half an hour, a narrow canyon appeared ahead.

Several military green tents were pitched at the mouth of the canyon, and two hunters in standard combat uniforms stood at the entrance, with the official emblem of Tianji City embroidered on their chests. Both were at the seventh level of cultivation, and they immediately bowed to Gao Wang upon seeing him.

"Chief Steward Gao."

"Hmm." Gao Wang nodded slightly. "I'll take them inside to have a look."

The guard didn't ask any questions and stepped aside to make way.

As we passed through the canyon, the ice walls on both sides gradually changed color.

Normal ice is a clear, bright blue, but the ice walls here have a matte, grayish-black sheen, as if covered with a thick layer of gray.

The further in you go, the dimmer the light becomes, and even the sound of wind and snow gradually disappears.

After walking for a while, Gao Wang stopped in front of an ice wall.

There stood a crack about half a person's width, with twisted patterns on the ice at the edges, as if twisted by an invisible force. It was pitch black inside, and the depth was indiscernible.

"This is it."

Gao Wang pulled out a stack of silver-white cards from his pocket, each only the size of a fingernail. "Keep these cards close to your body after you go in. You'll be teleporting in the shadows by team, so don't lose them. If you lose this location card, I won't be able to find you."

Cheng Zhuo took the cards, distributed one to each of the women, and put the rest into his inner pocket.

"Stay close to me."

Gao Wang said something and took the lead, stepping sideways into the crevasse.

Cheng Zhuochong and the other girls exchanged glances, signaling everyone to follow.

The group filed in, their figures quickly disappearing into the dark crevice.

After walking a dozen meters further in, the ice surface underfoot gradually became smoother.

Suddenly, the view opened up before me.

It felt like stepping into another space.

The sky was gray, as if covered by a layer of dirty glass that could not be wiped clean. Even the light was hazy and had no warmth when it shone on people.

The ground was also gray, covered with a thick layer of ice, but it had a dull, lifeless sheen. It felt hard underfoot, and you couldn't hear the crisp sound of ice cracking.

There was no wind, and no sound.

It was eerily quiet.

Even the sound of footsteps seemed to have been swallowed up by something, falling lightly without any echo.

"This is the shadow zone. It does seem pretty strange," Xia Chan muttered to herself.

The sound dissipated within two meters, as if it were trapped in cotton.

Xia Chan was startled and quickly covered her mouth, looking around with her eyes wide open.

A figure suddenly emerged from the gray mist to the side; it was Gao Wang.

He had somehow moved to the front, turned around to look at the crowd, and said in a low voice, "Don't speak loudly, it'll attract trouble. Stay close to me."

"it is good."

Cheng Zhuo agreed and quietly activated the Summoning Source.