I am cautiously cultivating immortals in a strange world

As Bai Lingyu was mocking Zoxiwen, a loud bang came from the sea, and a green thing flew out of it.

"Oh no, it's a drum frog! Run!"

Bai Lingyu's expression changed drastically.

The others were also horrified upon hearing this. They disregarded their ability to suppress energy fluctuations and unleashed their most powerful techniques, shooting off into the distance.

"boom!"

Another loud bang.

This time it was even louder, and carried a strange power that sent chills down one's spine. All those who had just been thrown out fell to the ground. One of them, a young man wearing gray soft armor, screamed as his body suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Chen Lin felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew a little about the drum frog; it was a very strange creature in this secret realm. It was huge, with a large drum on its chest. Each time it rang, it could take a life. Moreover, its attacks were not only transmitted through its ears, making it impossible to defend against.

However, this item is very rare and is not usually encountered. It is unexpected that they had such bad luck.

Faced with such a renowned item, Chen Lin dared not be careless. He immediately used the Zodiac Secret Technique to isolate any possible sonic attacks targeting him while keeping the badge effective.

"boom!"

Another loud bang.

Another offering exploded in the crowd.

The remaining people were terrified. They were powerless to resist such methods, and if this continued, no one would survive.

"Beast looking for death!"

Bai Lingyu was furious. A ball of snow-white light bloomed from between her brows, transforming into a phantom exactly like herself, which shot towards the frog with a long sword in hand.

"Boom!"

The drums sounded again.

Then Chen Lin saw the illusory image formed by Bai Lingyu suddenly flash and become extremely dim.

But it still held up.

The phantom spurred its longsword, the sword shadow swelling in the wind, and slashed down at the frog.

"go!"

Bai Lingyu did not attack again, but instead let out a low shout and her figure transformed into a stream of light, shooting away into the distance.

The others hurriedly followed.

"Don't take any chances. The sound of this frog can travel thousands of miles. We've already been locked onto by it, and there's absolutely no hope of escaping. Let's go to that pagoda; perhaps there's a glimmer of hope there."

Zoshi also activated his escape technique and quickly issued a warning.

"To the pagoda!"

Bai Lingyu hesitated for a moment, then chose to believe Zoxiwen's words.

Because what the other party said is correct.

The monster, the Drum Frog, has been thoroughly investigated. Even if a powerful being is locked onto it, there is no hope of survival. Even ordinary rare treasures cannot withstand it.

Upon hearing this, the remaining people immediately changed direction and desperately accelerated their escape light, ignoring the losses.

Chen Lin was no exception.

Although he possessed the badge and rare treasure, it had only been tested outside, and he was unsure of its power in the secret realm. If it couldn't withstand the strength of the frog's supernatural abilities, he would still die.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The croaking frog made several drumming sounds in succession.

The first few sounds shattered Bai Lingyu's illusory image, and the next three sounds took the lives of three more worshippers.

Han Tianyu was one of them.

When Chen Lin saw Han Tianyu's dead body, his eyelids twitched violently.

When the opponent was attacked, the "Straightforward Bird" talisman was activated on its own, but its power was directly dissipated by the drumbeats, failing to achieve the desired effect.

What terrifying power!

Now Chen Lin understood why so many powerful figures were wary of this secret realm. The seemingly peaceful environment concealed numerous deadly dangers. These so-called powerful figures were no different from ordinary cultivators here.

"quick!"

Bai Lingyu's eyes widened in fury, and light shone from between her brows once more, engulfing everyone except Zosiwen, before vanishing from the spot in a flash.

next moment.

They appeared in front of the half-open gate of the pagoda and rushed in without stopping.

Chen Lin felt as if his body was falling into an abyss, and he fell for a full incense stick's time before crashing to the ground with a thud.

The white light dissipated.

He quickly surveyed his surroundings.

His eyes flickered slightly.

This is a ruin. The ground is made of a black material that is neither like soil nor metal, but rather seems to be made from some kind of refined material.

But it wasn't intact; instead, it was riddled with deep, unfathomable cracks.

Several of the offerings that had entered were now missing; they must have been unlucky and fallen into the crack.

Chen Lin sighed inwardly.

This expedition has truly gotten off to a bad start. The journey had barely begun when more than half of the crew had died. Now, apart from him and Bai Lingyu, only four people remain.

And they are still not out of danger.

Even after experiencing countless life-or-death crises, Chen Lin couldn't help but feel despair at this moment.

"How are you?"

Bai Lingyu's face was extremely ugly at this moment. Gone was the air of complete control she had before, and the composure of an elder of the Azure Peak Heavenly Palace. Her face was distorted.

"Fortunately."

Chen Lin replied.

The other four remained silent, only nodding, all on guard and tense.

A dozen or so breaths passed.

The croaking of the frogs stopped, and everyone relaxed a little.

"It looks like this is an independent space, isolated from the outside world. We don't need to worry about that monster anymore."

The woman in the black robe exhaled softly.

"What's the use of that?"

The tall man next to him spoke in a gloomy tone.

"This place is also a dead end. Can we get out? We're going to die sooner or later, it's all the same."

After speaking, he looked at Bai Lingyu.

"Elder Bai, what did you say before we came in? You said there wouldn't be much danger on the way, and that you already knew the safe route. All we had to do was help you find the treasure in that abandoned city."

"now what?"

"So many people came in, and only a few of us are left dead. We didn't even see a trace of the ruined city, let alone any rare treasure. Shouldn't you give us an explanation?"

What kind of explanation do you want?

Bai Lingyu looked at the other person, her tone cold.

The tall man's expression froze.

He immediately realized that this Elder Bai, who looked refined and otherworldly, was actually a ruthless person.

Even mid-level Overlords can be killed without hesitation.

But he still forced himself to say, "I just think the elders' approach was wrong, otherwise we wouldn't be in this situation. He Gongfeng and Han Gongfeng were both old men of the Heavenly Palace with great achievements, and they died here in such a miserable way. You should take responsibility."

"I will naturally not shirk the responsibilities that are mine to bear."

Bai Lingyu did not have an attack.

He calmly said, "This time, I made a mistake in choosing the route. If there are any gains in the following explorations, I will give up my right to be the first to choose. Whatever we find together, Chen Gongfeng will take first, and what each person gets will belong to that person."

The tall man remained silent.

He also knew that pursuing accountability was pointless, and that he needed to rely on the other party to survive.

It's already commendable that the other side made concessions. If we anger them, we could just kill them all. It's a dog-eat-dog world, especially in a place like this.

"Where's Zossiven? I haven't seen him."

Chen Lin broke the silence with his words.

"He came in too, but he didn't land with us."

Bai Lingyu replied.

He glanced at the four tall young men and asked calmly, "Since you all think I made a mistake in my decision, I won't force you anymore. If you want to act on your own, that's fine too. The reward I promised you before will still be valid."

No one said a word.

Even the tall man lowered his head.

Everyone knows Bai Lingyu's methods and her strength is astonishing. Even when facing that drum frog, she was not without any power to fight back.

Needless to say, Chen Lin was even more so.

Having mastered the extraordinary treasure, he is no weaker than a mid-level ruler here. Staying together gives him a glimmer of hope, but separating from him means certain death.

"Humph."

"Since none of you want to leave, then stop talking nonsense and hurry up and explore." Bai Lingyu snorted.

Ignoring the group, he turned to look around.

Chen Lin also began to observe.

There is a lot of space.

It's clear that this pagoda is a spatial artifact, and it was probably the dwelling place of some force, but it has been destroyed.

However, what puzzled him was...

Based on their senses upon entering, they were currently underground, not on the three levels above ground; they wondered what secrets lay behind this.

Thinking about this...

Chen Lin activated his Soul Eye to observe the scenery further away, while searching for Zosiwen.

The other party was clearly after this pagoda, so they must have some understanding of the situation inside. Finding them would improve their situation.

About a cup of tea's time.

Chen Lin showed a look of disappointment.

There was no sign of Zosswin, so it's likely that there's more than one underground level, and he must have landed somewhere else. Given his mysterious and unpredictable strength, it's unlikely that he would have fallen into the crevice.

Nothing was found in the ruins.

There were quite a few buildings, but they were all collapsed and shattered, and not a single living creature could be seen.

of course.

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist; you still need to be extra careful.

As for inside the crack.

Looking down, all you could see was darkness; you couldn't see very deep inside.

Bai Lingyu also withdrew her gaze.

After a moment's thought, he pointed in a certain direction and said, "I've decided to go in that direction. Do you have any different opinions?"

"It is entirely up to the elders to decide."

Chen Lin responded immediately.

He failed to see the clues; it didn't matter where he went, there was no need to go against the grain.

"Qu Mingyuan, Lian Zizhang, what do you two think?"

Qu Mingyuan was a tall man, while Lian Zizhang was a woman wearing a mask; both had previously expressed their objections.

"I have no objection."

Qu Mingyuan immediately said.

The woman named Lian Zizhang did not respond immediately, seemingly hesitant. After a moment, she gave a slight bow and said, "I'm sorry, since Elder Bai has already lifted the mission, I will not follow you. I wish to find a way to leave on my own."

Bai Lingyu narrowed her eyes.

For quite a while.

She nodded coldly.

"Sure, anyone who wants to leave is free to do so, we won't force anyone."

Although he sensed Bai Lingyu's anger, Lian Zizhang did not change his mind. After bowing again, he flew in another direction and soon entered a group of dilapidated buildings.

No danger was encountered along the way.

"Let's go too!"

Bai Lingyu waved her hand, her figure soaring low into the air, and carefully moved towards the chosen location.

Chen Lin unfolded his soul wings and followed.

His soul level is high, and his energy control is more stable. He can use the Soul Wing Technique to minimize energy fluctuations and avoid being attacked by invisible things.

The remaining three.

Qu Mingyuan hesitated for a moment, but still chose to follow behind Bai Lingyu, while the woman in black robes stayed closer to Chen Lin.

The white-bearded old man, who had been rather unremarkable, hung at the very back.

The five of them flew cautiously through the cracks, and just as they were about to breathe a sigh of relief, a sudden change occurred.

Two shimmering, yet strangely dry, threads shot out from the crack, attacking Bai Lingyu and Qu Mingyuan behind her with incredible speed, instantly wrapping around them.

"open!"

Bai Lingyu's body shone with a bright white light, which momentarily slowed down the silk threads.

Take this opportunity.

She suddenly sprang up, breaking free from the entanglement of the silk threads, and swung her sword down with a backhand motion.

But the sword light passed through the silk thread without causing any damage, as if it were nothing, leaving only a sword mark on the ground.

Qu Mingyuan was not so lucky.

He tried every trick in the book, but no matter what method he used, he couldn't stop the silk thread in the slightest.

It was just a quick pass through.

But Qu Mingyuan's body stiffened after the silk thread passed through, his life force vanished instantly, and he fell straight into the crack.

"what!"

The woman in the black robe exclaimed in surprise.

With a swift movement, he leaned against Chen Lin's side and said urgently, "If Elder Chen can help me out, I can give you ten bottles of variegated crystal marrow, plus a top-grade rune spirit!"

Chen Lin's eyes flashed.

He didn't care about the colorful crystal marrow, as he didn't lack it now, but top-grade rune spirits were rare. The ones Lu Ming gave him back then were only of the high grade.

This item can help deduce the arrangement of his natal runes, which is exactly what he needs.

"Give me the rune spirit first, and I can consider helping you, but I can't guarantee that I can get you out of here. I can only do my best."

Chen Lin spoke frankly.

After a slight hesitation, the woman in black took out a uniquely shaped bottle and handed it to Chen Lin.

"We hope that Master Chen will keep his promise."

"rest assured."

Chen Lin grabbed the bottle cap, sensed it briefly, and then put it into the gourd.

Just at this time.

Two more threads flew out, one heading straight for the white-bearded old man, and the other coiling towards the woman in black robes.

"break!"

Drink lightly.

A beam of red light flew from Chen Lin's palm, and the Purple Heart Sword slashed through the void, meeting the silk thread in front of it.

The badge's 'tit-for-tat' ability only works when he is attacked. For something tangible like this, there are no other means but to use the Purple Heart Sword to deal with it.

I'll just have to try it out and see how it goes.

The two beams of light intersected at one point, and a faint sound seemed to emerge.

The silk thread trembled twice and snapped in response. The thing in the crack seemed to feel pain and instantly pulled the thread back, thus saving the white-bearded old man from disaster.

Chen Lin's mind raced.

Manipulate the Purple Heart Sword to change its shape and try to collect the severed parts of the silk thread.

The silk thread, enveloped in red light, returned to his hand, much to his delight. The fact that his mental power could restrain tangible objects greatly reduced the level of danger.

But there was still no way to take the silk thread away.

He can't keep the Purple Heart Sword wrapped around his body forever. He still needs to use the energy, and leaving the heart aperture is a continuous drain on it. He can't waste it on this.

I thought about it.

Chen Lin took out the red handkerchief and tried placing the silk thread on it.

His eyes lit up immediately.

The silk thread did not pass through the handkerchief, but was held intact. He immediately wrapped it up and sent it into the gourd cave, placing it on the boulder.

really.

Even a giant rock can support this object.

So Chen Lin stopped paying attention. If the owner of the embroidered shoes wanted to devour it, so be it; if not, he would study it slowly after leaving the secret realm.

"Thank you so much, Venerable Chen, for saving me!"

The white-bearded old man thanked him and took the opportunity to stay by Chen Lin's side.

Upon seeing this.

Bai Lingyu's face turned gloomy.

But he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked into the depths of the crack and said to Chen Lin, "Should we go down and take a look?"

"Let's forget about it."

Chen Lin immediately refused.

Bai Lingyu pondered for a moment, then said, "This thread reminds me of a legendary creature called the Six-Star White Jade Spider. If so, it is something that can change one's destiny and perhaps even reveal some secrets of this world."

"in addition."

"The exit from here might be below the crack; we can check that out while we're at it." (End of Chapter)