Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

The cave entrance was hidden in a dense forest halfway up the mountain, with vines hanging down like curtains. If it weren't for the Zhu family leading the way, it would have been impossible to find. The entrance wasn't large, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It was pitch black inside, with a cold, damp wind seeping out, which felt like a snake's tongue licking your face.

Lu Mingfei was inexplicably afraid of this kind of place. Ironically, he had claustrophobia, which might be due to reading too many novels like "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles." He found this kind of place eerie and terrifying, and he really didn't want to go in.

Zhu Ling'er had changed into a neat hiking outfit today, but she still couldn't hide her gentle and graceful temperament from the Jiangnan water towns. She pointed to the cave entrance and said, "This is it. According to the family's ancient records, there is a palace of the dragon clan hidden deep in this Longquan Cave. It is full of traps and mechanisms, so everyone must be careful."

The Zhu family's exploration team behind her consisted of five people. The leader was Zhu Ting, a man with a buzz cut and a square face, whose eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. The other four were also skilled fighters, named Zhu Yu, Zhu Yan, Zhu Lin, and Zhu Ying, all of them B-grade mixed-race individuals. Adding Lu Mingfei and Frilian, as well as Zhu Ling'er and her maid Yun'er, made a total of ten people.

Today, Frilian had tied her silver hair into a high ponytail and was carrying the cloth bag she had never parted with since arriving in Yunnan; it was bulging and its contents were unknown. She stood at the cave entrance, her emerald eyes slightly narrowed, and whispered, "There are traces of magic. Be careful."

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard, his heart pounding. If it weren't for Frilian's insistence on coming to see for herself, he would never have ventured into a place like this.

"Let's go," Zhu Ting gestured, and took the lead into the cave. He held a powerful flashlight in his hand, the beam of light tracing a path in the darkness.

The cave was initially very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious area.

The winds of the underground world, carrying the unchanging smell of decay, drifted from the depths of the caves, stirring the tiny particles suspended in the air under the illumination of the emergency fluorescent lights. The beams of light pierced the darkness, but could only illuminate a limited area ahead; further away, there was an impenetrable, all-consuming inky blackness.

Footsteps echoed in the enormous, surprisingly empty cave, distorted and amplified before falling silent again, only making the surroundings seem even more deathly still.

After exchanging greetings with Zhu Ting, Lu Mingfei took the lead, walking at the very front of the group with uneven steps. His tactical boots made a soft "crunching" sound as they stepped on the gravel and dry, bone-shard-like material.

He seemed somewhat absent-minded, his hands in his coat pockets, only the powerful beam of his flashlight steadily casting a scan of the jagged, bizarre rock walls in front of and to either side. The walls were covered with large, dark, dried-out marks, like blood spilled and solidified over countless years, interspersed with occasional, indistinct, menacing ancient carvings depicting twisted dragon shapes and incomprehensible symbols.

“Stay alert. Something feels off here, and there’s a fishy smell.” Frillie’s voice came from behind him.

She wore a dark, hooded robe that allowed for easy movement, with a few strands of silver-white hair peeking out from the hood. Instead of a conventional light source, she carried a staff, its tip emitting a soft glow that, though not intense, dispelled the unsettling chill in the surrounding area.

“A living thing? Miss Frilian, what do you mean?” Zhu Ling’er followed half a step behind Frilian and immediately gripped the hilt of the short sword at her waist.

The maid Yun'er was very uneasy, almost walking close to her mistress's back. Her big eyes looked around anxiously, and she tightly gripped a finely crafted crossbow in her hand.

“Kamaitachi,” Lu Mingfei replied without turning his head, his voice carrying a lazy tone, but his hand in his pocket twitched slightly. “Judging from the sound of the wind, there are quite a few of them, and they are very hungry.”

As if to confirm his words, a dense, teeth-grinding flapping sound came from the depths of the cave, growing louder and louder, like countless thin sheets of iron rubbing against each other at high speed. The sound grew louder and louder, gradually converging into a tide of death.

"Defensive formation!" Zhu Ling'er reacted quickly, issuing a short command.

The four skilled members of the Zhu family she brought immediately sprang into action. Two, armed with specially made thick shields, advanced forward, while two others, wielding repeating crossbows, positioned behind them, instantly forming a simple yet effective circular formation. This protected Frilian and Yun'er in the center, slightly behind. Their movements were perfectly synchronized and well-trained, and their faces showed no sign of panic.

Only Lu Mingfei remained standing, completely unaware of the rapidly forming formation behind him, facing the deathly sounds surging from the darkness.

The first to break through the darkness were a few pioneers, about half a meter long, resembling giant, skeletal bats, but with grayish wing membranes, long, pointed snouts revealing a row of fine, sharp teeth, and the edges of their wings making a subtle, razor-sharp sound as they flapped. Their eyes were pure blood red, frighteningly bright in the darkness.

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"

The Zhu family guards fired their repeating crossbows first, sending specially made steel-tipped arrows hurtling towards the charging weasels. Several of the leading weasels were hit, letting out sharp screechs as they tumbled to the ground. But more weasels followed closely behind, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly filling the space in front of the cave passage, the noise of their flapping wings almost shattering eardrums.

"Too many!" Zhu Yan, the man from the Zhu family, roared as he held the heavy alloy shield firmly against it. The weasel crashed into the shield with a series of muffled thuds, its wing edges flashing and sending up a trail of dazzling sparks.

Frillie moved. She took a small step forward, holding her staff horizontally, and chanted short, ancient syllables. The tip of the staff burst forth with a light as intense as the midday sun.

"Radiant Ring!"

A halo with a radius of approximately three meters suddenly expanded outwards from her center. Wherever the light passed, the weasels that rushed into the area were like snowflakes thrown into a steel furnace, letting out extremely shrill screams. Smoke instantly rose from their bodies, their movements became sluggish and stiff, and some even disintegrated completely. The halo remained stable, forming an absolutely safe zone.

However, the number of sickle-weasels was simply too great; they charged forward relentlessly, fearless of death. Beyond the halo, an endless array of flapping-winged monsters continued to pound against the Zhu family's shield-bearing guards, creating a dense, rain-like thud. Some agile sickle-weasels even attempted to bypass the halo from above or to the sides of the rock face, attacking the flanks and rear of the formation.

A weasel skillfully skimmed along the cave ceiling, found an opening, and pounced like a gray lightning bolt towards Yun'er, who appeared to be the weakest member of the formation. Yun'er screamed in fright, frantically raising her crossbow, but her fear caused her to lose her aim.

Just as the weasel's sharp teeth were about to touch Yun'er's neck, the whole world seemed to be put on slow motion.

Chapter 277 The Mysterious Dragon Spring Cave (Part 2)

The howling wind, the screech of the weasel, the shouts of their companions, and the beating of everyone's heart were all stretched out, distorted, and twisted into a strange, slow murmur. Everything, including the dust swirling in the air, was engulfed in a viscous, almost stagnant stillness.

There was only one exception.

Lu Mingfei.

His figure had appeared silently in front of Yun'er, his movements fluid as if he had never been bound by this slow world. He even had time to turn around, and lazily tugged at the corner of his mouth at Yun'er, who was pale with fright and had dilated pupils, as if to say, "Don't be afraid."

Then, he casually raised his hand, his index and middle fingers together as if holding an invisible willow leaf, and gently swiped at the weasel that was suspended in mid-air, less than half a foot away from Yun'er.

There was no sound, no earth-shattering force. The weasel's body silently split apart along its central axis, breaking into two neat pieces that fell to either side. Only when the pieces hit the ground with two soft "thuds" did the slow-motion world abruptly return to normal.

The sounds of wind, hissing, and shouting returned to my ears.

Yun'er gasped for breath, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground, but Zhu Ling'er caught her.

The Zhu family guards hadn't seen what happened at all. They only saw a blur before their eyes, and Lu Mingfei's position seemed to shift. The attacking weasel was inexplicably split in two. Their eyes, looking at Lu Mingfei, were instantly filled with horror and disbelief.

"Time zero," Frilian whispered, maintaining her Radiant Aura.

Upon hearing Frillian's whisper, a knowing glint flashed in Zhu Ling'er's eyes. She knew something about this legendary power of words, but witnessing it firsthand still left her deeply shocked by its terrifying effect, which was almost like manipulating time.

Lu Mingfei flicked his fingers, as if he had only brushed away a speck of dust. He looked at the endless swarm of Kamaitachi ahead and frowned slightly: "This is never going to end. We need to find something to control them, or just wipe them out."

He took another step, this time heading towards the area where the weasels were most concentrated.

"Mr. Lu, be careful!" Zhu Ling'er couldn't help but shout.

Lu Mingfei did not respond. His figure blurred again, flickering like a ghost among the overwhelming swarm of Kamaitachi. Wherever he passed, the flow of time seemed to be severed, and the Kamaitachi's movements became clumsy and slow. He strolled leisurely, and with each light tap of his finger and the brush of his palm, one or more Kamaitachi were accompanied by their bizarre disintegration or fall.

There were no intense collisions, no dazzling light effects.

Frilian's magic changed accordingly. She no longer merely maintained a defensive aura; with a wave of her staff, blazing arrows of pure light energy shot out, sniping the weasels that attempted to attack from the sides and rear.

The Zhu family members felt much less pressured and were able to catch their breath. They looked at Lu Mingfei, who moved through the swarm of weasels as if they were nothing, and then at Frilian beside them, whose magic was shining brightly as she calmly cast spells. They were filled with deep awe.

Is this the true strength of Mr. Lu Mingfei and Miss Frilline? These two people invited by our young lady are no ordinary people! Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi will have a hard time competing with the young lady for power!

The battle, or rather the one-sided cleanup, didn't last long. When Lu Mingfei's figure solidified for the last time in the core area of ​​the Kamaitachi horde, accompanied by a slight snap of his fingers, the last few dozen Kamaitachi seemed to be simultaneously gripped by an invisible force, stiffening in unison before falling to the ground like raindrops.

Silence returned to the cave, broken only by the heavy breathing of the group and the acrid, bloody smell emanating from the mountain of sickle corpses piled on the ground.

"It's over?" Doctor Zhu Lin murmured incredulously.

Lu Mingfei returned, his face even paler than before, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply brushed nonexistent dust off his coat. "For now. These things are like captive watchdogs."

Zhu Ling'er took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and commanded: "Check for casualties, replenish ammunition, and rest in place for five minutes."

She walked up to Lu Mingfei and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Lu, thank you for saving my life." She was referring to the moment when Yun'er was in danger.

Lu Mingfei waved his hand, "Just doing it."

Yun'er, still shaken, walked over, her face pale, and bowed deeply to Lu Mingfei: "Thank you, Mr. Lu!"

Lu Mingfei simply grunted in response, his gaze drifting deeper into the cave. There, at the edge barely visible to the light, appeared the outline of a man-made entrance.

After a short rest, the group continued forward, this time with increased caution. Passing through the area littered with the corpses of weasels, they arrived at the entrance. It was a massive bronze door embedded in the rock wall, covered with enormous dragon-patterned carvings. At its center was a ferocious dragon head relief, its mouth gaping open to reveal a deep passage. On either side of the door stood two strangely shaped stone statues, resembling subspecies of dragons, crouching on the ground, their forms menacing.

“There’s a mechanism.” The light from Frilian’s staff swept across the ground in front of the door and the stone statues on either side of her. “The stone slabs on the ground have signs of being pieced together and have a load-bearing capacity. These two stone statues have complex alchemical circuits inside, and they are activated.”

Zhu Ling'er carefully observed the ground, then looked at the two stone statues, and pondered, "It seems to be a chain trigger mechanism. Incorrect ground pressure will activate the stone statues to attack. Yun'er, try 'Bone Probing Technique'."

"Yes, Miss." Yun'er took out a leather pouch from her bag, untied it, and poured out some fine, phosphorescent white powder.

She carefully blew the powder onto the ground in front of the door. The powder fell and mostly spread evenly, but on a few specific stone slabs, it seemed to be repelled by some force and could not adhere, clearly outlining several unusual areas.

“Miss, here, here, and there, those are trap panels,” Yun’er pointed to those areas.

"Can we go around it?" Zhu Ling'er asked.

Frillie shook her head: "No, the trap panels are cleverly placed, covering all possible paths to the gate. We have to find the right step."

Zhu Ling'er intently observed the position and arrangement of the safety stone slabs, her finger hovering in the air as if calculating something. "Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen... No, this is the reverse Bagua. The Gate of Life is here."

She frowned slightly, having encountered a problem.

Zhu Yan, the taller guard from the Zhu family standing nearby, perhaps feeling a bit oppressed by being too close to one of the stone statues, took a small step to the side, wanting to move closer to the safe path in the middle. His foot landed on the edge of a stone slab marked as abnormal by Yun'er's powder.

"Click".

The sound of machinery rattling, enough to stop everyone's heart, came from underground.

"Watch out!" Zhu Ling'er shouted sharply.

Chapter 278 With My Blood

But it was too late.

The two silent stone statues on either side suddenly blazed with a scarlet light in their eye sockets, as if they had been instantly infused with life. Their massive bodies creaked and groaned as they rose from their crouching positions, swinging their enormous stone arms with a crushing force, and slammed them down on Zhu Lin, the doctor standing near the trigger point, and Zhu Ling'er, who was closest to her!

"Miss!" Yun'er screamed.

Zhu Lin, who had triggered the mechanism, turned pale and stood frozen in place.

"Barrier - Light!" Frillian reacted with lightning speed, slamming her staff into the ground, and a solid, semi-transparent wall of light instantly appeared in the path of the falling stone statue arm.

"boom!"

The stone statue's arm slammed into the wall of light with a dull thud, causing the wall to flicker and ripple violently, scattering fragments of light, but ultimately managing to withstand the devastating blow. However, an attack from another stone statue followed immediately; its massive stone fist bypassed the wall of light and slammed into the ground, attempting to use the shockwave to knock everyone over.

At the very moment Frilian erected the wall of light, Lu Mingfei disappeared.

Time Zero Domain Expansion.

In that almost frozen moment, Lu Mingfei first appeared beside the terrified Zhu Lin, grabbed her by the back of her collar, and flung her backward toward his companions in the safe zone behind. Then, as if teleporting, he appeared beside Zhu Ling'er, put his arm around her waist, and, to her astonishment, carried her with a speed beyond human perception, flashing several times before stepping onto the safe stone slabs, escaping the statue's attack range.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye. To the others, all they saw was a wall of light appearing to block the attack, then Lu Mingfei and Zhu Ling'er's figures blurred for a moment, and in the next instant they were already safely behind them. Zhu Lin, who had triggered the mechanism, also inexplicably flew back and was caught by her companions.

The statues' attack missed, crashing to the ground with a deafening roar that shook the earth. The red light in their eye sockets flickered a few times, then, having lost their target, slowly, with a sickening scraping sound, returned to their crouching posture, the red light in their eyes gradually fading.

The crisis is over.

Zhu Ling'er leaned against Lu Mingfei, still shaken, her cheeks slightly flushed. She quickly straightened up and whispered, "Thank you again, Mr. Lu."

Lu Mingfei released his grip without saying anything, only looking at the now silent stone statue and ground, and said, "The mechanism hasn't been deactivated, but the target is missing. We need to proceed in the correct order."

Zhu Ling'er composed herself and looked at the stone slabs on the ground again. Combining this with the points Lu Mingfei had stepped on when he led her, a flash of inspiration struck her: "I understand! It's 'Reverse Seven Stars Stepping,' the steps correspond to the Big Dipper moving in reverse. Everyone, follow me!"

This time, she was full of confidence, taking the first step onto the first safety slab, then the second, the third... The others followed closely behind, carefully following her footprints. Lu Mingfei and Frilian brought up the rear.

The last person stepped onto the platform in front of the gate, and no more mechanical sounds came from behind.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and turned their gaze to the massive bronze door. There were no obvious door knockers or handles on the door, only a ferocious dragon head relief with its gaping maw.

Frilian's staff beamed at the dragon's head: "A very powerful alchemical seal, requiring a specific key."

Zhu Ling'er stepped forward and carefully examined the inside of the dragon's mouth, discovering a small, needle-like protrusion surrounded by fine dragon runes. "It seems to require blood. The dragon blood must reach a certain purity level to open it."

She looked at Lu Mingfei. Among everyone present, he theoretically had the highest bloodline.

Lu Mingfei said nothing, stepped forward, and gently pressed his left index finger on the needle-like protrusion. A stinging pain shot through his fingertip, and a drop of bright red blood seeped out, dripping onto the intricate patterns inside the dragon's mouth.