“What? We still have to enter?”
After hearing Liao Wenbing’s order, the students immediately wailed and their expressions showed some resistance. Everyone was dilly-dallying; all of them didn’t want to crawl.
Earlier, the situation was too dangerous when they were chased by the large boa. They truly didn’t wish to experience that again. Honestly speaking, if it hadn’t been for Liao Wenbing taking the lead and blocking that large snake while keeping the signal tubes away, there would have been people who involuntarily used it under the pressure.
“Stop wasting time with nonsense. Quickly move, with the students from the Central Province Academy as cannon fodder, we can save much effort.” Liao Wenbing urged. As long as he calculated well, he could use the Central Province Academy’s students to attract the snake away.
“Group leader, you are overestimating those students from the Central Province Academy. Since we failed, how could they succeed?”
“That’s right. I think they will run out while peeing their pants ten minutes later!”
“I’m too tired, I haven’t even drunk a mouthful of water!”
The students started grumbling.
“Everyone, get up!”
Liao Wenbing berated, his tone turned strict.
“Group leader, I understand your plan, but it’s impossible given the current condition of our group.”
The vice group leader persuaded from his perspective as a doctor.
All of them had just experienced being hunted by the snakes, their physical and mental strength hadn’t recovered. If they entered now, it would be even more dangerous. Liao Wenbing frowned and swept his gaze across the group. Ultimately, his gaze landed on the hole the Central Province Academy’s students had entered. After pausing for a few seconds, he decided to compromise.
“Forget it, you guys should take a rest!”
“Oh yeah!”
The students cheered.
Liao Wenbing then started to walk toward the cave.
“Group leader?”
“That Li Ziqi seemed to be a very cautious and meticulous group leader. Why didn’t she send a scout to check the cave? Going in right after receiving the snake repellent powder, isn’t this a little too brash?”
Liao Wenbing pondered. Wait a minute, could it be that she was trying to prevent him from leading his group and following her?
After he thought of this, Liao Wenbing bitterly smiled. They had wasted so much time, and it was impossible to catch up with them anymore. Besides, his group members would surely not want to move.
“Sigh, the quality of a ‘D’ grade school’s students are really bad. If it was ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade school here, they would definitely grab the chance regardless of how tired they were.”
Liao Wenbing was very disappointed.
At this moment, he had an impulse to change school. In the past, he registered for Zhoushan Academy because it was a famous school in his country and he felt a sense of belonging.
In the Ten Thousand Snake Caves, it was pitch-black.
Luckily, they had prepared torches earlier. The orange glow of the torchlight could illuminate the surroundings to a certain extent.
The tunnel in the cave was much larger than what Li Ziqi had imagined. Hence, that tense stifling feeling from being in a narrow place was alleviated by quite a lot. However, there was a flaw. Because everyone had spider mounts, this led to the gap between each person being slightly larger. Hence, the line of their group was longer. “Everyone, pay attention to your surroundings. Once you feel that something is wrong, just shout!”
Li Ziqi reminded them in a low voice, “But if there’s no need to, try your best to remain
quiet.”
“Ziqi, the people of Zhoushan aren’t following
us!”
Chu Jian, who was responsible for the rear, reported after 15 minutes. This was a task Li Ziqi got him to handle.
“Understood, continue to monitor.”
Li Ziqi took out her pocket watch and glanced at it. After that, she recalled the map of the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave. They would roughly need three hours to walk out of it.
Pitter patter
In the cave, it was dark and cold. On the cave’s roof, water droplets would drip down and make the pitter-pattering sound, causing others to feel a bone-chilling sensation.
After Tantai Yutang surveyed the surroundings, he suddenly revealed a smile. However, he abruptly frowned as he sniffed the area.
“Ziqi, the snake is here.”
After Tantai Yutang’s reminder, roughly about a minute later, a slithering noise could be heard. Something was rapidly moving toward them.
Everyone raised the torches and glanced at the ground in the surroundings. Right now, a large number of grey-spotted snakes had appeared. The poison of this type of snake wasn’t great. Humans and animals wouldn’t die immediately after being bitten. Their bodies would turn numb, and they would lose their strength. However, if they were bitten too many times in a short period, they would die quicker.
The atmosphere of the group immediately turned nervous.
“Quickly!”
“Quickly!”
Li Fen urged. However, given the current terrain of the cave, it was impossible even if they wanted to speed up.
“Tantai, is your snake repellent powder any useful?”
Zhao Zhi wanted to cry.
“If it is not useful, these snakes would have rushed us.”
Tantai Yutang’s lips curled. He was still as calm as ever.
(Damn him, he is a mad man!)
After seeing the sickly invalid’s expression, Zhao Zhi was cursing him in his heart.
“Ziqi, many snakes are blocking the path ahead!”
Ying Baiwu’s voice rang out.
“Tantai, we will leave them to you. Don’t tell me you can’t handle this!”
Li Ziqi instructed.
“How can you command a terminally ill person like me?”
Tantai Yutang mumbled. However, he obediently moved forward. After that, he took out a little ball made from a combination of various herbs. After lighting it on fire, he tossed it out.
The little ball was the size of a quail. But after it was ignited, it immediately produced a vast amount of white smoke.
Zhang Yanzong hurriedly covered his mouth and nose.
“Don’t worry, the smoke isn’t harmful to humans,” Tantai Yutang chortled. “Alright, we can continue on.”
Even before the white smoke drifted to the grey-spotted snakes, they already acted as though they encountered their natural predator and hurriedly scattered.
The group continued on their way, but a few minutes later, Lu Zhiruo’s ears pricked as she called out, “Ziqi, a large fellow is about to reach us!”
“Everyone pay attention, speed up!” Everyone immediately grew nervous. Just when Lu Qi and Shi Jiao passed through a tunnel, the head of a gigantic boa emerged from a cave beside them.
Si~
The boa opened its maw as a thick tongue was revealed, wriggling about. Beside its red-colored fangs, green venom could be seen oozing out of them. This caused Lu Qi to be so scared that he almost pissed his pants.
There was no solution to it. Its head was too large, so it wasn’t a problem for it to swallow the two of them in one go. And what was more terrifying is that this was a mysterious species of darkness.
A mysterious species of darkness referred to a powerful species that dwelled on the Darkness Continent. Ordinary rabbits and birds didn’t count. They had to possess immense destructiveness or be extremely rare and valuable.
As expected, at the next instant, a cloud of green mist spray out of the snake’s maw.
Chi
The poisonous mist spread out. “DAMN!”
Zeng Gang cursed. The most troublesome thing had happened. The giant snake suddenly appeared in the middle, directly splitting the team into two.
The people ahead immediately used their weapons to lash out at their spider mounts in panic, wanting them to increase their speed.
The people behind were dumbfounded and started to retreat. After that, when the snake lunged over, they immediately turned and fled.
Seeing this scene, Chu Jian despaired.
“It’s over!”
It wasn’t that they would die, but the plan to travel through the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave would surely end up in failure. “What’s over, quickly flee for your life!”
Zhao Zhi roared loudly. The poisonous mist was about to drift over.
“Don’t panic, the people behind, quickly run toward the right tunnel!”
Because Li Ziqi needed to give commands, she was at the center of the group. The location where the snake appeared was just a short distance away from her. “Eldest martial sister!”
Lu Zhiruo immediately rushed over and protected Li Ziqi by standing before her. “I’m fine.”
Li Ziqi then shouted, “Xuanyuan Po, Ying Baiwu, charge ahead 60 meters before entering the tunnel on the left.”
The map the Saint Gate had given them contained the terrain of the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave.
At this moment, Li Ziqi could only hope that there was no mistake with the terrain.
At such a moment, the majority of people would panic, but the combat addict and iron-headed girl were fine. They were extremely calm and immediately rushed ahead after hearing the instructions.
“Go! Go! Go!”
Li Ziqi urged.
“Ah? Li Ziqi, you want to abandon those behind?”
Peng Kunqi shouted. Because he was rescued earlier, it caused him to feel guilt in his heart, as well as good will toward this group. This was why he wanted to contribute now to repay their kindness.
“Shut up, follow the group!”
Li Ziqi shouted, “Sickly invalid, the group ahead will be handed to you!”
After she spoke, the little sunny egg made her spider mount turn to chase the large boa.
“Eldest martial sister, what are you doing?”
Lu Zhiruo was badly frightened. (Are you sending yourself to your death? What if the gigantic snake attacked you, what would you do? You are the weakest in our group!)
Zhang Yanzong followed the group and continued running. He felt a little nervous, but he could still maintain his calmness. If he was an ordinary member, his performance would be considered not bad. However, he was the group leader.
“Quickly think of a solution to solve the situation!”
Zhang Yanzong hammered his head in vexation because he couldn’t think of anything. A feeling of self-loathing rose in his chest.
After that, he rejoiced because he had Li Ziqi in his group. Honestly speaking, Li Ziqi was able to give out orders in such a composed manner despite being in a chaotic situation. She simply had the air of a general. “I didn’t agree with it!”
Tantai Yutang’s lips twitched. However, he still took over control of the group. “For those ahead, after 70 meters, continue to turn left.”
Only Ying Baiwu and Xuanyuan Po noticed that Tantai Yutang’s order was clear and filled with confidence. Moreover, he didn’t have the map with him.
“Could it be that this fellow has already memorized the map?”
Ying Baiwu guessed.
“Head right, head right!”
Li Ziqi shouted to those behind. At this moment, she also didn’t care if the giant snake would turn and chase her after hearing it.
If those group members fled in the wrong direction, the trouble would be even greater.
Luckily at this moment, due to everyone being too nervous, they couldn’t think anymore. When they heard Li Ziqi’s shout, they instinctively followed the order.
However, there was an unexpected incident. During the second turn around the corner, the giant snake increased its speed. With a loud bang, it directly charged out.
Li Fen was among those behind. She panicked when she saw the snake lunging over and even spitting a cloud of green poisonous mist, blocking the left tunnel. Hence, she subconsciously moved toward the tunnel in the opposite direction.
Chu Jian, who was behind her, had no chance to enter the tunnel as well and could only follow Li Fen into the other cave.
The giant snake slithered rapidly after them. Huge traces of its movement were left on the ground everywhere it passed by.
“Li Fen, Chu Jian, don’t panic. Do what I’ve said!”
Li Ziqi chased after and kept comforting them. She was afraid that Li Fen might suffer a mental breakdown. But after a minute later, Li Fen’s wail rang out.
“It’s over, it’s a dead-end!”
“F***, look at where you have led us?”
Chu Jian cursed. He wanted to retreat, but he discovered that the giant snake was already blocking the entrance.
