An underground limestone cave.
Gu Qing Shan, Laura, and Liao Xiao Pao were walking along a limestone cave as they made their way up the silent underground.
It was completely silent around them, not a single noise to be heard.
Laura looked up at the cavern ceiling and couldn’t help but whisper: “Gu Qing Shan, I’m scared”
Gu Qing Shan and Liao Xiao Pao looked up.
The two of them looked up and once again examined the stone ceiling.
——-ever since the start of their journey, they’ve discovered a few statues hanging upside down on top of the ceiling.
These statues included humans, beasts, elves, elementals, and various other species of the void. All of them had shocked expressions on their faces, clearly struggling to run towards the small path the trio were walking on.
However, their feet were solidly stuck to the top of the limestone cave, making it impossible for them to move, being forced to remain still.
If it was only that, Laura wouldn’t have been scared. The main issue was that they’d already been walking for a few hours already, but there wasn’t a single living creature in sight. The only thing above their heads were these statues, and the further they walked, the more of them they saw, making it impossible for her to not be scared.
“Say, do you think they used to be alive or were they carved this way?” Liao Xiao Pao asked, feeling a bit interested.
—-as a Combatant who had awoken Realm Force, he wouldn’t feel scared just because of some eerie statues.
“Since they were all making the motion of fleeing, they must have experienced the same thing” Gu Qing Shan commented.
Corpses, souls, dead people, ghosts—–
All of this was so mundane for Gu Qing Shan, in fact, he was the one who governed over them in two different world systems, so he didn’t really feel interested in them at all.
It was only now when Laura felt a bit scared that he intended to take a closer look.
“——-What exactly did they experience then?” Liao Xiao Pao asked.
“These statues are already too old, we wouldn’t be able to guess what happened to them in the past”
Gu Qing Shan put Laura back down on the limestone cave then jumped up, silently hovering in the air in front of one of the statues.
The man’s facial muscles were heavily distorted due to extreme fear, his mouth was opened wide as if screaming or crying hysterically.
He was using both his arms and feet, making a mad dash downwards, trying to land on the limestone cave on the path.
——-but he had already been frozen completely still.
Gu Qing Shan reached his hand out to touch the man’s statue.
A line of glowing text appeared on the War God UI:
[Human remains, left behind 30,000 years ago]
So it was a real corpse!
Gu Qing Shan looked down at the two below.
Liao Xiao Pao had his arms crossed, obviously bored.
But Laura was still shaking a bit, even her face had gotten a bit pale—–
“They’re only statues, but they look very lifelike!”
Gu Qing Shan praised, then flew back down.
Putting Laura back on his shoulder, he smiled: “I’ve seen some carve marks, their knife skills were seriously impressive, conveying such clear emotions”
Hearing that, Laura patted her chest and sighed in relief.
“It’s a mystery, who would be so bored that they would carve such things in a cave? Some huge pervert for sure” she muttered.
——she was no longer shaking.
Gu Qing Shan silently winked at Liao Xiao Pao.
Liao Xiao Pao was about to ask something, but immediately stopped after seeing that.
His expression became serious.
“So they were statues, I’m quite interested in statues as well——- alright, I’ll take a look at them as well”
Liao Xiao Pao casually said.
Gu Qing Shan looked to see a line of text in common human language appearing above his head:
[This path gives off a very uncomfortable feeling, and there’s no telling where the exit would be—– let’s try digging a path straight to the surface and take a look]
——these were Liao Xiao Pao’s thoughts.
He flew up, examined those statues for a little bit first, then moved through the statues and pressed his ear against the ceiling.
“What are you listening for?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
“I have an ability to hear any sound in the ground, so I’m just giving it a try” Liao Xiao Pao replied.
Another line of text appeared above his head:
[This great one’s ability can bypass all obstacles to hear anything on the surface——– but I’m not going to tell you about it, lest you keep relying on this great one for everything, hmph!]
Gu Qing Shan: “…”
He and Laura silently stood on the limestone cave to wait.
Laura had relaxed, so she took out a bag of snacks and began to eat.
She first gave Gu Qing Shan a piece——
“Gu Qing Shan, open your mouth”
“Is it good?” Gu Qing Shan doubtfully asked.
“It’s very good” Laura affirmed.
Gu Qing Shan took a piece.
Laura took out another piece and put it into Gu Qing Shan’s mouth.
Gu Qing Shan ate it.
——she then gave him another piece.
While eating that, Gu Qing Shan turned to her.
She was smiling happily: “Is it good? Eat some more”
A line of text in Bramble Bird language appeared above her head:
[Whoa, why does this feel like feeding a pet? It’s nice!]
Gu Qing Shan silently read it and didn’t even want to respond to that.
——however, I can now clearly see anyone’s thoughts at any point in time, this [Overlooking Soul] ability that the Devil of True Antiquity gave me is truly potent.
While chewing on the snacks, Gu Qing Shan turned to Liao Xiao Pao.
Only to see that Liao Xiao Pao continued to stick close to the ceiling, silently listening to any noises on the surface.
Various lines of text in common human language continued to appear above him:
[Fucking hell, what kind of noise is that?]
[…Motherf***… that can’t be right…]
[!!!!!]
Liao Xiao Pao landed back down on the limestone cave right next to Gu Qing Shan.
“What’s the situation?” Gu Qing Shan sent his voice and asked.
Liao Xiao Pao used telepathy to respond to him: “I’m not sure, but I feel like we should keep moving along this path, it’s safer this way”
He seemed to be full of worry and walked ahead of them following the underground path.
Gu Qing Shan looked at his back, only to see another line of text:
[Such a terrifying place… it’s a good thing that there was an underground passage like this…]
This statement gradually faded away.
This time, Gu Qing Shan was thoroughly concerned.
——-even Liao Xiao Pao with his strength felt that it was terrifying.
But Liao Xiao Pao hasn’t said anything at all.
For what reason?
Gu Qing Shan followed Liao Xiao Pao and sent his voice again: “Are you not telling me something?”
Liao Xiao Pao just laughed it off: [It’s nothing, I just feel that there’s something not right on the surface, so it’s best that we continue following this path]
Another line of text appeared above him:
[I can’t say it]
[…I can only endure for a bit longer and see if there’s a way to change the situation]
Gu Qing Shan’s eyebrows twitched.
What exactly can’t be said?
All of a sudden, Liao Xiao Pao abruptly stood still after a few steps and declared: “Holy heroic spirit, fight along my side!”
A holy glow began to appear around his body.
The heroic spirit girl Tear appeared.
As soon as she appeared, she frowned:
『 Hm? What happened to the two of you? 』
“Who?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
『 Them! 』
Following Tear’s words, he saw that Laura and Liao Xiao Pao’s expressions were slowly becoming solid as they turned into grey statues.
Gu Qing Shan’s expression changed.
It’s not strange for only Liao Xiao Pao to be affected, but why has Laura been affected as well?
——what triggered this?
『 Anti-demon Holy Wings! 』
Tear uttered a curt shout and wielded her scepter.
The holy light erupted in the darkness to illuminate Laura and Liao Xiao Pao’s bodies, enveloping them like a pair of wings.
“What exactly is going on?” Gu Qing Shan couldn’t help but ask.
Tear maintained her spell and answered with a solemn expression: 『 This is most likely a highly potent curse, or a kind of power that not even I can comprehend 』
“Can you help them?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
『 I can only make sure that their vitality doesn’t disappear, but I don’t know how to turn them back to normal 』Tear answered.
Gu Qing Shan drew the Heaven sword.
Even if it’s impossible for other solutions, the Heaven sword would definitely be able to!
“Bing Li——” Gu Qing Shan silently called out.
“I’m ready!” Luo Bing Li responded.
Gu Qing Shan swing the sword——–
A sword phantom manifested, passing through Laura’s and Liao Xiao Pao’s bodies.
The two of them instantly returned to normal.
“Scared me to death” Laura patted her chest, and commented, still frightened.
“Me too” Liao Xiao Pao also sighed in relief.
“What exactly happened to the two of you?” Gu Qing Shan asked in a heavy voice.
Right as Laura was about to say something, Liao Xiao Pao shouted: “Don’t tell him!”
Laura was stunned, then realized something and quickly handed something to Gu Qing Shan.
But the situation didn’t turn better——
The greyish hue that had just disappeared once again appeared and spread all over their bodies.
They had turned into statues again!
Gu Qing Shan was stunned.
He looked at the Heaven sword in his hand.
Luo Bing Li had fallen into slumber.
In other words——
[Chaotic Flow] did, in fact, work just now.
But they were instantly affected by the same thing after returning to normal!
They had been traveling with me this entire time, why were they the only ones who suddenly got affected by something?
『 Anti-demon Holy Wings! 』
Tear shouted and wielded her scepter to once again release holy power to protect them.
Gu Qing Shan calmed himself down and looked back at Laura’s hand.
Laura was carrying a pair of yellow glasses.
When Gu Qing Shan touched it, lines of glowing text appeared on the War God UI:
[Rare Artifact: Mind Vision Glasses]
[While wearing this, you will also be able to see what others sense through their abilities]
Gu Qing Shan realized what had happened.
Laura must have used these glasses on Liao Xiao Pao just now, thus seeing what Liao Xiao Pao had seen.
——that’s why she was affected as well.
The issue lies with what Liao Xiao Pao had sensed!
『 Gu Qing Shan, I can only keep them alive temporarily, hurry up and think of something! 』Tear urged him.
Right as Gu Qing Shan was about to speak, he looked up.
The statues above were returning to life one by one.
“Not dead?”
“Not dead?”
“Not dead?”
“How come…”
The statues moved their bodies and ferociously glared towards the trio on the limestone cave.
They were gathering from every direction.
Gu Qing Shan sheathed the Heaven sword and quickly considered his options.
——the surface is definitely off-limits.
Laura and Liao Xiao Pao had both fallen into this deathly situation because they saw something on the surface.
Liao Xiao Pao had even stopped Laura from telling me what it was.
Furthermore, there were no clues in the path behind me.
Then the only option is——-
Forward!
“Shannu”
“Gongzi, I’m here”
“I can see that these remains cannot use Realm Force. Remain here to protect Tear, Laura, and Liao Xiao Pao”
Shannu appeared from the void of space.
She wielded the Six Paths Great Mountain sword and stood shielding the group, quickly asking:
“I’ll protect them, but what about gongzi?”
Gu Qing Shan replied: “——I’ll find a solution”
As soon as he said that, his figure flew like a bolt of lightning towards the end of the passage.
Only Shannu remained here, protecting everyone with her sword.
Tear looked at Gu Qing Shan who had disappeared into the distance, then turned to Shannu.
『 There are too many enemies, I can only maintain Laura and Liao Xiao Pao’s vitality, so you will have to fend the enemies off 』Tear said.
At this point, more and more statues were coming to life on the ceiling all around them.
“DIE!”
“DIE!”
“DIE!”
They all screamed out loud as they gathered around the small passage, surrounding everyone within.
They were all ready to attack!
Suddenly, Shannu reached her hand up and clenched her fist.
“Sacrifice!”
She uttered a single word.
Three skeletons descended from the sky and fused together onto her back and sides.
The skeletons each drew a sword and prepared themselves for battle as well.
“——Don’t worry, leave the battle to me, we will wait right here for gongzi to return”
Shannu swung her sword and shifted into a stance.
…
On the other side.
Gu Qing Shan only flashed forward a few times in the passage before he reached the end.
——it turns out they were already close to the exit.
A large metal door stood at the very end of the passage, solemnly blocking the way forward.
Gu Qing Shan wielded the Earth sword as he flew forward.
