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Chapter 262 The Inner World and the Outer World

On the mountaintop, a cold wind howled past.

The crowd, some sitting and some standing, discussed the matter with solemn expressions.

Treasure hunters from other teams also put aside their past grudges and joined in groups of three or five.

At this moment, all the past deceit, treachery, and fighting seem insignificant.

Everyone racked their brains, trying to figure out how to save their lives and escape safely in this near-desperate situation.

A glimmer of hope appeared in someone's eyes as they whispered:
"Why don't we wait until dawn? Maybe the fog will dissipate on its own, and then we'll have a clear view and be able to see the way out of the mountains."

Some people immediately shook their heads in rebuttal, saying with concern:
"This fog is very ominous. It won't dissipate so easily. We might not even get to see dawn."

Some people rummaged through their backpacks for signal flares or wireless devices, trying to send out distress signals in hopes that outside rescue teams would send planes to pick them up.

Everyone chimed in with their opinions, but none of them seemed very confident.

Fang Cheng, Lin Chuqiao, and others also gathered together, communicating and exchanging ideas privately.

"Judging from the current situation, we are not trapped by a simple formation, but are in a special space that connects reality and consciousness, which is the so-called 'inner world'."

Through the mental link, the professor's thoughtful voice rang in Fang Cheng and the others' minds.

"The Other World? What is that?"

Upon hearing this, Da Chui and Bai Ling widened their eyes, clearly seeing this novel and unfamiliar term for the first time.

"The Otherworld is a supernatural dimension parallel to reality, corresponding to the surface world we live in."

The professor patiently explained:

"In such mysterious spaces, strange creatures that have long since disappeared from the real world and could never exist, or some supernatural phenomena that defy common sense, often appear."

"Simply put, if the surface world is what people perceive as the world through their shallow consciousness, then the inner world is the hidden dark corners reflected by the deep consciousness."

"You've all heard the folk tales about ghosts disappearing into the underworld, right? Those ghost stories about children getting lost for no reason and being kidnapped by mountain demons are mostly about them accidentally entering the underworld."

After hearing the explanation, Bailing blinked and couldn't help but ask curiously again:
"Professor, if that's the case, then the ghost wall we encountered before was a process of accidentally being drawn into a mysterious otherworld? No wonder everything around us felt familiar, but we just couldn't get out no matter how we walked. This is too eerie."

"Yes, the other world does indeed have many strange aspects."

The professor responded softly, then added:
"When we get caught up in it, the spatial dimension has already subtly changed, but our senses are still limited to familiar appearances, which is why we have the illusion that the target location is very close, but we can never reach it."

"This is exactly what the other world is like. It can overlap real-world scenes with the supernatural realm without our knowledge, plunging us into chaos."

"but……"

At this point, the professor paused briefly, a hint of contemplation in his voice:

"The existence of the inner world cannot be directly perceived by our five senses alone. We must rely on special means such as meditation and dreams to make some contact with it."

"If you deliberately seek it out and actually step into it with your body, it is a very slim chance, probably about the same as winning the lottery."

"Wow, we've won the lottery?!"

Big Hammer's mouth was slightly open, and he interjected with a look of astonishment, clearly feeling extremely unlucky.

"In a sense, you could say that."

Upon hearing this, the professor sighed slightly, seemingly expressing some longing:

“In ancient times, the world was filled with powerful supernatural forces, which, through millions of years of wondrous effects, gave rise to many parallel-dimensional inner worlds.”

"These places are the blessed lands and grottoes mentioned repeatedly in Taoist scriptures. Legend has it that they contain endless mysteries and opportunities, but as time goes by, most of them are hidden in the long river of history and are little known to people."

"Nowadays, there are very few of these special spaces left. Even if they are lucky enough to remain, they are basically controlled and occupied by various major families."

"Clearly, the Misty Mountain still retains supernatural power. The Lu family must have used a mysterious formation to open this inner world for some ulterior motive, trapping all of us inside..."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

The professor's voice continued to come:
“In essence, the secret realm of aristocratic families is actually a relatively stable inner world, but the current situation in Misty Mountain is so turbulent and completely out of the ordinary.”

"Could it be that the Lu family has mastered some unique method and is preparing to open a second secret realm of inheritance..."

His tone was full of doubt, and after a long pause, he sighed helplessly:
"No matter what, since the Lu family has gone to such great lengths, using the Golden Benba Bottle as bait to trap us here, finding a way out will probably not be an easy task."

Lin Chuqiao frowned slightly, then took over the conversation and expressed her own opinion:
"To safely enter and exit the inheritance secret realm, it usually requires guidance from someone of the direct bloodline of a noble family. We now have two options: one is to find the person in charge of the Lu family manor and force him to lead the way for us."

"But this method is extremely risky. Right now we are trapped on the mountain, and there are only the professor and Crow in the manor. Moreover, the Lu family leader must be unfathomably powerful. If we are not careful, we will fall into an even more dangerous situation."

"Secondly, we should try to find the connection between the Golden Bamba Bottle and the spatial energy fluctuations. Starting from here, we might be able to discover the flaws in the Lu family's array and crack the exit from the inner world."

"After all, since the Lu family used the Golden Bamba Bottle as bait to lure us into this situation, it's impossible that it wasn't connected to changes in the surrounding environment."

There was a moment of silence on the professor's end, followed by a voice:
“Xiao Chu, I understand your thinking. Using the Golden Bomba Bottle to break the formation is indeed a method worth trying.”

"But it's currently suspended high in the air, surrounded by black mist below. The real challenge is how we can get close to it and manipulate it."

After a pause, the professor let out a rare wry smile, and emphasized as he added:
"Unless one of us can fly."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the glimmer of hope that had just been ignited in everyone's hearts.

"Sigh, if I could fly, I would have smashed it down with a hammer long ago..."

Big Hammer scratched his head and muttered helplessly.

This is clearly unrealistic.

Let alone these people, you probably can't find many experts with the ability to fly in the entire Xia Kingdom.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, with only the sound of the wind whistling in their ears.

Fang Cheng stood on the edge of the hilltop, the cold wind like a knife, cutting painfully into his face.

He was completely oblivious, his eyes fixed on the golden Bamba bottle that hung high in the air, emitting a mysterious light.

The light flickered rhythmically, and the surging black mist around it seemed to follow its guidance, exhibiting an indescribable rhythm and forming a vortex-like black sea of ​​clouds.

Fang Cheng's gaze narrowed slightly as he continued to observe through his eagle-eye vision, the thought in his mind growing stronger.

The Golden Benba Bottle and the strange changes in Misty Mountain are intricately linked and could very well be the key to breaking the current predicament.

Just as everyone was racking their brains, a startled exclamation suddenly came from the consciousness channel:
"Oh no! A fight has broken out inside the manor!"

The speaker was Li Dingjian, who had been deliberately silent like Fang Cheng.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's heart tightened, and he immediately asked through the mental link:

"What's going on? Who did this?"

"I...I can't see clearly either..." Li Dingjian, seemingly running with the professor to avoid the aftermath of the battle, described the situation haltingly:
"I heard a loud bang, and then I saw a thin old man in a black robe and a man dressed as a lama crash through the wall of a nearby building and jump out."

"They fought like madmen, their momentum was terrifying. The old man could summon a large clump of branches and vines to lash out at the lama, while the lama was even more ferocious, his whole body seemed to be on fire, and he kept emitting light to bombard the opponent."

"In just this short time, many trees and buildings in the manor have been damaged and are in terrible condition..."

Li Dingjian's voice carried a hint of panic and shock, as he relayed the situation from the scene via a mental link, much like a war correspondent.

Then, the professor added, somewhat calmly:
"The old man in the black robe should be the head of the Lu family. As for that lama, I recognize him; he is Venerable Roger from Lingquan Temple."

"These two are both prominent figures. For them to start fighting at this time, there must be a hidden reason, which may be to our advantage..."

On the hilltop, Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao quickly exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing surprise and confusion.

Just then, the professor, with his exceptionally keen hearing, caught the key information and said:

"Wait, I think I heard them mention the Golden Bamba Bottle."

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and they held their breath, listening intently to the sounds coming from the manor.

Meanwhile, the battle inside the Lu family manor had reached a fever pitch.

As Lu Shihua moved his hands and chanted incantations, the vines sprouted from the ground like bamboo shoots in spring.

Then, like pythons, they twisted and writh wildly, coiling around Roger with bared teeth and claws.

Roger was not to be outdone. He shouted loudly, and the phantom of the demon god behind him became even clearer.

Each of the three heads and six arms wielded a magical weapon; some defended against the vines that attacked like pythons, while others emitted black and red light.

Wherever it went, bricks and stones crumbled, and smoke and dust filled the air.

Lu Shihua roared as if struck by thunderous fury:
"Roger, don't even think about getting your hands on the Golden Bomba Bottle. It's the lifeblood of the Lu family's resurgence. I think you might as well stay here and become nourishment for the Lu family's ancestral spirits!"

As he spoke, he waved his hands, and a thick vine appeared out of thin air, lashing out fiercely.

With a series of crackling explosions, deep trenches were left in the ground.

Roger's figure flashed rapidly, and he let out a wild and unrestrained laugh:

"Heh, you stole formation techniques from my Black Cult back then, just waiting for this day, weren't you?"

"Now that this sacred artifact has appeared, it should rightfully belong to its rightful owner. What right do you have to monopolize it? I'm going to take the Golden Bomba Bottle right now, let's see how you stop me!"

His words were full of sarcasm and mockery, seemingly deliberately provoking Lu Shihua. He deftly blocked and defended himself while rushing toward the center of the manor.

Lu Shihua's face darkened, clearly stung by Roger's words.

Instantly, more thorny vines and brambles appeared, like a surging green wave, sweeping towards Roger as if to completely engulf him and stop his advance.

"What a brilliant technique of creating a sea of ​​trees! It's a pity I'm no longer the little lama you were back then!"

Upon seeing this, Roger curled his lips into a cold smile and calmly stood still.

Behind him, the phantom of a demon god glared angrily, and the magical artifacts in its six hands immediately began to buzz.

A flash of fire appeared, and raging flames instantly shot out from the magical artifact, sweeping towards Lu Shihua. Wherever it went, the vines were instantly ignited and destroyed, turning into piles of ashes that drifted in the air.

The two chased each other, exchanging sharp words and delivering deadly blows with tremendous force.

The buildings and trees in the manor trembled under the impact of this powerful energy, with bricks and stones constantly collapsing and branches breaking.

A strong wind howled, whipping up dust and sand from the ground and blasting it straight at people's faces.

Such a life-or-death duel between top experts, with its terrifying destructive power and overwhelming momentum, made other guards and treasure hunters tremble with fear.

They dared not approach, and could only hurriedly hide, searching for concealed cover, watching from afar, lest they be caught in the aftershocks and end up being smashed to pieces.

On the hilltop, everyone's eyes widened upon hearing this, gazing in the direction of the Lu family manor.

However, the black fog was like a thick curtain, completely obscuring everything and making it impossible to see what was inside.

Even though Fang Cheng and the monkey possessed reconnaissance abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people, their vision could not penetrate completely.

Listening to the information relayed by the professor and the crow, everyone felt anxious but helpless, and could only act as bystanders.

Just then, a slight tremor came from the ground beneath their feet.

It seems that something has happened to the entire Misty Mountain.

Immediately afterwards, a deep, resonant chant could be faintly heard, like an ancient sigh emanating from the depths of the earth, carrying a mysterious and majestic aura.

Then, in the deeper, thicker fog, the shadow of a towering tree vaguely appeared.

The giant tree soared into the clouds, seemingly piercing the sky, its trunk so thick that it would take at least dozens of people to encircle it.

The branches, like winding giant pythons, stretched out in all directions, forming a massive canopy that covered the surrounding area.

In the mist, shadowy figures flickered, and countless firefly-like points of light drifted and danced in the tree canopy, like twinkling stars in the night sky, emitting a soft glow and giving people a dreamlike feeling.

Everyone who witnessed this scene held their breath, filled with shock and amazement.

It was as if I was in a dream, forgetting the predicament I was in.

At this moment, Fang Cheng suddenly asked a question through the mental link:
"Professor, isn't the most effective way to break the formation the one that's at its core?"

The professor paused for a moment, then calmly replied:

"Under normal circumstances, that's how it is. The operation of a formation depends on the formation eye as its core hub. If the formation eye is destroyed, the formation will lose its foundation and naturally collapse."

Then, as if realizing something, he immediately asked:

"You want to break the golden Bamba bottle?"

"Yes."

Fang Cheng replied with a single word.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuqiao, Bailing, and Dachui were all stunned, jolted awake from their intoxicating reverie.

The professor paused for a moment, then asked the same question again:

How do you plan to get close to it?

Fang Cheng's eyes shone brightly as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly:

"Of course, we'll fly there."

(End of this chapter)