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Chapter 260 A Way Out and an Exit

Under everyone's gaze, the Golden Bamba Bottle suddenly underwent a strange change.

The bottle, made of gold, originally emitted only a faint glow, like a candle flame.

At this moment, it was as if it had been connected to some mysterious source, with endless energy flowing into it.

The golden light intensified rapidly, becoming exceptionally dazzling and dispelling the darkness and mist.

Although it was so bright that it was impossible to look directly at it, the light did not completely dissipate in all directions.

Instead, it continues to converge, twist, and surround the bottle.

Before long, a sphere of light formed, exactly the same as the one seen on the stone platform in the underground vault.

Buzz-buzz-

The sphere of light trembled violently, emitting a deep and extremely powerful roar.

A halo of light spread out like ripples on water, causing the air to vibrate and the ground to tremble slightly.

Fang Cheng's pupils contracted slightly as he caught a glimpse of something unusual.

Then, looking down, he could vaguely see mysterious and complex patterns seeping out from the ground and emerging.

The interplay of deep blue runes and golden light added to the eerie atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the corpses on the ground, as if exposed to the scorching sun, were rapidly shriveling up at a visible rate.

The skin lost its luster, the muscles atrophied, and the once full body collapsed.

These corpses, which had not even come into contact with the light sphere, were inexplicably having their essence and blood extracted.

It was as if invisible tentacles were reaching out, greedily sucking away at it.

Sensing the intense danger involved, Fang Cheng immediately warned him:

"Everyone, step back!"

Lin Chuqiao, Bailing, and Dachui also noticed this horrifying scene, their faces showing fear, wondering what had happened.

As the surrounding corpses were mercilessly swallowed by the golden light, the Golden Benba Bottle appeared increasingly sinister.

On the surface of that sphere of light, the light surged like a raging golden torrent, roaring and rushing.

Each pulsation of light seemed to explode continuously, containing unimaginable, immense energy.

It seemed ready at any moment to break free from its confinement and destroy everything in its path.

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, the sphere of light, enveloping the golden Bamba bottle, seemed to break free from the constraints of gravity and began to float up.

Immediately afterwards, it flew at an extremely high speed to a great height, skimming over the treetops, climbing continuously in the air, and finally turning into a distant point of light.

Everyone looked up and saw the golden bottle, which had transformed into a point of light, disappear into the dark clouds overhead and vanish in the blink of an eye.

Only the deafening resonance still buzzed in my ears.

As the golden peony bottle flew high into the sky and disappeared, the surroundings were plunged back into deep darkness.

Call ~
A chilling gust of wind suddenly howled up, whipping everyone's clothes wildly and disheveling their hair.

Is the wind picking up again?

Fang Cheng quickly averted his gaze from the night sky and cautiously looked around.

The wind seemed to be picking up, and as the fog rolled in, a pungent sulfur smell filled the air, making people almost nauseous.

"Fang... White Ghost!"

Lin Chuqiao suddenly spoke up: "Look at that black mist over there, isn't there some movement?"

She pointed to a spot not far away, her voice still trembling slightly.

Fang Cheng looked intently in the direction she pointed.

The black mist over there was even darker and thicker than the one they were on, like a surging, materialized tide, accumulating some kind of extremely violent power.

Within the black fog, an eerie and terrifying scene was revealed.

Distant, twisted ghostly figures could be seen moving about and swaying, some with hunched backs and others with long, thin limbs.

Others had enormous heads with empty eye sockets, staring resentfully at the people on the other side.

They drifted erratically in the black mist, rushing forward as if they couldn't wait to break through the barrier in their path and pounce.

Every now and then, a shrill scream would come, sharp and piercing like fingernails scratching glass, making one's scalp tingle and every hair on one's body stand on end.

It seems that this barrier separates the realms of Yin and Yang, with the other side being the infernal hell that imprisons wronged souls and suppresses evil spirits.

Lin Chuqiao said with lingering fear:

"We were trapped in the fog and couldn't get out. Then the black fog suddenly surged in and swallowed many people."

Bailing and Dachui nodded in agreement, their eyes still filled with fear.

Fang Cheng frowned slightly, and made a decisive decision:
We have to get out of here right now!

The three of them were taken aback upon hearing this, and asked in unison:

"Which way to go?"

They looked completely bewildered, having been wandering around in circles for some time and completely lost their way.

Fang Cheng quickly explained:

"Let's go back to the manor first. It should be relatively safe there for now. I marked it when I came."

Seeing that the situation around them was becoming increasingly dangerous, and unable to think of a good solution, they nodded helplessly and agreed to try again.

Holding a dagger, Fang Cheng, relying on his memory, led Lin Chuqiao and the others cautiously forward through the mist.

He walked at the front, taking each step with extreme caution, his ears alertly picking up any subtle sounds around him, his eyes constantly scanning, maximizing the sensory abilities of his five senses.

They were afraid of being misled by the illusion array and going astray.

Even with such meticulous attention, Fang Cheng's heart sank as he looked down to search for the markings on the ground.

The markings that should have been clearly visible had disappeared, leaving only a mess of mud and withered grass on the ground, as if they had been deliberately erased.

He crouched down, rubbing his fingers on the ground, trying to find even the slightest trace of something, but his brows gradually furrowed.

"What happened? Has the marker disappeared again?"

Big Hammer couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, breaking the brief silence of the team.

Fang Cheng stood up and looked around with a serious expression.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, enveloping them layer by layer as if it were alive.

The visible range was getting smaller and smaller, and even each other's faces began to become blurry.

Everyone felt as if they were in a misty void, where they could hardly see their own hand in front of their face.

Fang Cheng activated "Eagle Eye Vision," attempting to pierce through the fog and observe distant scenes as much as possible.

However, no trace of the marker was found.

"I have a feeling that the terrain of the entire Misty Mountain is constantly changing."

Fang Cheng spoke in a deep voice, his gaze profound:
"So no matter which way we go, we can't find a real way out, unless..."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his head, looked at the faintly shimmering points of light in the dark clouds, and uttered the second half of his sentence.

"Unless we can fly."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

Big Hammer scratched his head, muttering helplessly:

"What are we going to do? We're not bird people, we don't have wings. Are we just going to wait for the fog to dissipate on its own?"

Lin Chuqiao bit her lower lip tightly, leaving faint marks on her lips from her pearly teeth.

After thinking for a moment, he shook his head softly and said:
"No, the black fog seems to be closing in, shrinking the safe zone. We need to find a way out as soon as possible, or we might be trapped here."

A hint of worry lingered in her eyes as she looked around at the vast fog, trying to find a clue, but all she could see was darkness.

Bai Ling clung tightly to Lin Chuqiao, her little hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, and said timidly:

"Could it be that something is hiding in this mountain, secretly manipulating the terrain, deliberately erasing the markings, and preventing us from leaving?"

Her voice trembled, like that of a frightened fawn. The scene before her was like a real-life ghost story.

Fang Cheng frowned slightly, then said:
"Xiao Chu, contact the professor again and see if he has any other ideas."

At this moment, the fog not only obstructed visual perception, but even the mental connection was disrupted, becoming intermittent.

In order to reduce energy consumption, Lin Chuqiao was forced to stop when it was not necessary.

Upon hearing Fang Cheng's suggestion, she took a deep breath, then closed her eyes tightly, furrowed her brows slightly, and concentrated her mental energy.

They tried to penetrate the fog and re-establish contact with the professor.

"Hey, Xiao Chu, Bai Gui, how are you doing?"

The professor's voice echoed in everyone's minds, and his familiar, gentle voice invigorated them.

Lin Chuqiao quickly recounted what had happened before and the predicament she was facing in a simple and clear manner.

The professor was silent for a moment, seemingly considering a solution, before speaking:
"You all stay where you are for now. I'll have the monkeys fire signal flares to see if they can light up the woods and show the way."

The calm voice came through the mental link, which calmed everyone's somewhat panicked hearts a little.

The monkeys, lying in ambush at the observation point on the hilltop, received instructions and immediately responded in the consciousness channel, beginning their operation.

however.

Fang Cheng, Lin Chuqiao, and the others waited for a few seconds.

The surrounding woods and the night sky above remained deathly silent, with no light appearing as expected.

"Didn't you see the signal flare launched?"

The professor's voice came again, tinged with surprise.

Big Hammer then shouted:
"No, it's pitch black here, we can't see anything!"

"That's strange, what exactly is wrong..."

The professor muttered to himself, his tone full of confusion.

Everyone was at a loss.

Fang Cheng's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if he had been locked onto by some dangerous aura, and he instinctively turned his head to look.

Upon seeing this, his hair stood on end. A gust of wind carrying mist rushed towards him, its chilling force feeling like steel needles piercing his face.

The black fog that had been isolated in the distance now seemed to be surging and gathering momentum like a tide.

At first, it was just a slight undulation, but in an instant, it rushed in with overwhelming force, as if it wanted to devour everything in its path.

Fang Cheng's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately shouted:
"Run!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sound like a thousand horses galloping came rushing in, making one's eardrums ache and drowning out his shout.

The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, as if announcing the opening of the gates of hell.

Hidden within the rolling black waves were countless ferocious eyes, emitting a chilling light, staring intently at them.

Everyone immediately realized what was happening and ran away.

Without a clear direction, they could only desperately stride forward, trying to get as far away from the ever-present, terrifying threat as possible.

However, the mountain path was rugged and uneven, filled with thorns and loose rocks, adding many obstacles to the escape route.

Lin Chuqiao was already exhausted, and after running only a few steps, she was panting heavily, staggering, her face as pale as paper, and her clothes were completely soaked with sweat.

Seeing that she was running slower and slower and was about to be caught by the black mist, Fang Cheng turned around without hesitation, picked her up, and continued to run forward as fast as he could.

Seeing this, Da Chui followed suit, picking up Bai Ling, who was also lagging behind, and carrying her under his arm as he ran after Fang Cheng.

Bai Ling was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly, gripped Da Chui's arm tightly with both hands, and kept chanting prayers to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

The moment Lin Chuqiao was picked up by Fang Cheng, her cheeks flushed, and she shyly buried her face in his broad chest.

In this hellish environment, surrounded by howling winds and billowing black fog, her heart strangely calmed down.

Fang Cheng's strong arms gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

It was as if hiding in this man's arms would allow her to escape all the dangers of the world.

Lin Chuqiao's delicate body, soaked with sweat, pressed tightly against Fang Cheng, and she could clearly feel the warmth emanating from his body.

The heat spread from her skin all the way to her heart, making her heart beat even more violently, like a drumbeat echoing in her chest.

Fang Cheng had no time to think about these things; his mind was racing as he pondered a way to break the deadlock.

The black mist waves behind him could not keep up with his speed.

However, driven by the strong winds, it was clearly more ferocious and lasted longer than the last time, seemingly constantly shrinking the safe zone.

If things continue like this, Fang Cheng and the others will eventually find themselves trapped in a deadly predicament with no way out.

During their run, they encountered a group of treasure hunters who were also lost and being driven by the black mist.

They were all terrified and joined the fleeing crowd in a panic.

Footsteps, shouts, and screams mingled together in the mountains and forests, creating a chaotic scene.

Fang Cheng suddenly had a flash of inspiration, looked down at Lin Chuqiao nestled in his arms, and said to her:

“You must establish a spiritual connection with me and the monkey right now.”

Lin Chuqiao was secretly looking up at that moment, her heart stirred with emotion, and she couldn't help but be taken aback when she heard what he said.

He immediately suppressed his complicated emotions, closed his eyes tightly, and did as he was told.

Before long, a mental link pierced through the dense fog, connecting Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao, who were in the forest, with the monkey, who was far away on the mountaintop.

Fang Cheng immediately issued orders:

"Monkey, keep shouting 'one, two, three' in the channel."

"Xiao Chu, don't worry about anything else. Focus all your attention on sensing the direction the monkey is in and give me directions."

Then, he turned to look at Big Hammer behind him, who was holding Bailing and panting heavily:
"Stay close to me, don't get separated!"

Da Chui and Bai Ling trusted Fang Cheng and immediately nodded in agreement.

After all, Fang Cheng had just led them out of danger, and he would surely be able to lead them to safety again.

Those treasure hunters they encountered on the road subconsciously chose to follow behind them.

Fang Cheng slowed down and ran at a leisurely pace, allowing Da Chui and the others to keep up.

Focus your attention on finding a safe route hidden in the fog.

When he first contacted the professor and others, he realized a key issue.

Logically speaking, the monkeys should also encounter the same black mist as the other treasure hunters, or be directly trapped in the "poison circle" formed by the black mist.

But he remained unharmed at the observation point, awaiting the professor's instructions.

Moreover, the professor, who was in the manor, could see the signal flare that was just fired, but Fang Cheng and the others, who were lost in the forest, could not.

This indicates that the monkey's location was unusual.

At least, like the manor, it is a temporarily safe area.

It might even be the exit point of the entire mist formation!
Even though I don't have wings and can't fly away, what if I climb to a high place?

With Lin Chuqiao's efforts to sense and guide him through the mental link, Fang Cheng continuously searched using his eagle-eye vision.

Finally, they found a relatively steep hillside.

Without hesitation, he climbed up the steep slope.

The group followed closely behind, and despite being exhausted, their will to survive unleashed astonishing strength.

as predicted.

The higher you go, the thinner the fog becomes, and you can vaguely see the mountain peaks in the distance.

"You really found this place?"

A surprised voice immediately followed.

(End of this chapter)