Chapter 79 Trapped in the Formation
So Lei Zhen is a disciple of Longhu Mountain, Chen Cheng thought to himself.
The two started talking as they walked, and soon they realized something was wrong!
It turned out that when the two encountered the tunnel demon, they had already walked for about ten minutes, which was halfway through the journey. Chen Cheng had only taken two minutes to deal with the demon. Logically, they should have been able to get out of the tunnel in another ten minutes. However, they walked and talked for more than twenty minutes without realizing it and still hadn't made it out. The two stopped talking and Lei Zhen concentrated on driving. Another ten minutes passed, and they still hadn't made it out of the tunnel.
The two realized they had encountered the supernatural event the survivors had described. Could it be a case of being trapped in a ghost wall? Chen Cheng didn't think so. His ghost eyes could see through all evil spirits, including the minor ghost wall. The two of them were either trapped in some kind of grand formation.
Sure enough, the car accelerated but still couldn't see the exit. Helpless, they had to stop. The two got out of the car, lit a cigarette, and although they weren't afraid, they were extremely anxious. Wen Miao had mentioned that this formation might have a time limit or be located on the edge of the formation. Now, figuring out how to get out was the most important thing. The car had already gone back and forth several times and was less than half full. If they drove aimlessly, running out of fuel would be the biggest headache. Even if the time limit passed, they wouldn't know how long they would have to walk without a car. What if they didn't get out of the tunnel and were affected by the formation again?
Chen Cheng could set up some simple formations, but they were a major gap in breaking the formations, and Lei Zhen was just as worried.
After finishing their cigarettes, the two decided to get in the car and drive a bit further. Chen Cheng got into the passenger seat, while Lei Zhen went around to the back of the car to prepare to drive off. However, Chen Cheng waited in the passenger seat for a while but Lei Zhen didn't get in. He wondered if Lei Zhen was urinating. But two minutes later, he still hadn't gotten in. Chen Cheng got anxious and hurriedly got out of the car to check, but Lei Zhen was nowhere to be seen.
"Brother Lei, Brother Lei!"
Chen Cheng hurriedly called out twice, but his voice echoed through the empty tunnel without any response. Chen Cheng panicked. He wasn't afraid, but he was afraid that something had happened to Lei Zhen. He hurriedly ran to the back of the car. He sat in the passenger seat and didn't see Lei Zhen, which meant that Lei Zhen had left from the back. As for why he left, Chen Cheng didn't know.
After running more than ten meters, I strained my eyes to see, but the darkness was eerily quiet, and there was no sign of Lei Zhen.
Turning his head to look again, even this Taoist master couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat—the car was gone!
Chen Cheng hurriedly ran back to where he had parked earlier. The car with its headlights on was gone. If Lei Zhen had driven away, Chen Cheng would have heard the sound. But how could Lei Zhen and the car have disappeared in an instant?
Chen Cheng took out a talisman, burned it with Taoist energy, and then launched it out. He shot several talismans in the east, west, south, and north, but nothing happened. He was still trapped in darkness, with nothing but himself!
Chen Cheng took out a peach wood sword from his bag and walked forward, wanting to see if he could get out of the tunnel.
After walking about 300 meters, Chen Cheng was delighted. He saw someone ahead also groping forward. Who else could it be but Lei Zhen?
"Brother Lei, what are you doing here?"
Chen Cheng quickly ran up to Lei Zhen, who was groping around, and said something.
Lei Zhen remained silent, continuing to reach out and feel around on the stone wall.
"Brother Lei"?
Chen Cheng leaned closer to him and whispered.
Lei Zhen seemed not to hear him, not even turning his head, and continued to do as he pleased.
Chen Cheng was very surprised, so he reached out to touch him. To his horror, his hand seemed to touch Lei Zhen's body, but it passed right through him. Lei Zhen seemed to be a phantom, without any substance!
Chen Cheng was shocked and hurriedly reached out to grab him again, but it was all in vain!
Is Lei Zhen's body an illusion, or is his own body an illusion?
Chen Cheng hurriedly reached out to touch the wall. The icy touch made him realize that he was not an illusion, but Lei Zhen, whom he could see but could not touch!
"Master, this seems to be a formation within a formation. You appear to be with him, but you two are actually in two different timelines!"
Lu Xiachan's voice came from Chen Cheng's mind. Yes, he was so concerned that he didn't think about it this way. Lu Xiachan was right. At this moment, Lei Zhen was probably in another formation. He couldn't see or hear himself at all. Maybe he fell into this formation in a different time and space when he was about to get into the car from the back.
What should I do?
Although his own Taoist skills were quite good, he was helpless in this strange formation. Looking at Lei Zhen in front of him, he must be unable to see anything in the dark tunnel and could only grope his way forward.
Chen Cheng could only stay by his side in this time and space, watching him slowly disappear!
Chen Cheng plopped down on the ground. This was the first time he had ever felt so helpless. If his master were here, he would definitely have a way.
After a period of despair, he rallied again. He couldn't give up like this, he couldn't destroy his Dao heart. He stood up and walked forward. The darkness couldn't affect his vision, but it could affect his mood. He felt a sense of loneliness and helplessness.
He walked for nearly two hours. If things had gone smoothly at his pace, he would have already exited the tunnel. But looking ahead, all he could see was endless darkness. Just as his anxious heart began to flutter again, he suddenly heard Lü Xiachan say, "Master, there is movement behind you!"
Chen Cheng hurriedly turned around to look, only to see a small passage appear in the wall, with light shining through it. He hadn't noticed it when he passed by earlier. Could this be another formation?
Chen Cheng turned around and walked back to the suddenly appeared passage. He found that there were no lights inside, and strangely, it was all white, as if he had walked out of a tunnel. He was not fooled by appearances, but driven by curiosity, he couldn't help but go in.
This was a long passage, like a corridor. Chen Cheng took a few steps forward and looked back, and was surprised to find that there was no entrance. In other words, the entrance to the tunnel he came in through was gone. He knew that he was still in the great formation. When he turned around, an even more amazing scene appeared before his eyes. What was a long passage had turned into a paradise with mountains, water, flowers and grass in the blink of an eye!
This is a place that resembles a fairyland, with towering mountains and crystal-clear lakes at their foot, surrounded by lush greenery, creating a picturesque landscape. The beauty here is different from the real world; it is more three-dimensional and vibrant, like something filtered through a mobile phone camera lens.
Since he was already there, he decided to make the best of it. Although he knew he was trapped in the formation, it was still better than being in a lonely, dark tunnel. Chen Cheng comforted himself, but at the same time, he wondered where Lei Zhen was at the moment, and when Daoist Xu Gongyi and Wen Miao would be able to break the formation. Then he might be able to get out!
Chen Cheng walked around, stopping and starting, looking around, then closing his eyes to rest for a while. When he opened his eyes again, the scene was still the same. Could this be the final form of the great formation? Was the ever-changing formation in the tunnel based on this great formation? Could this place also change? For example, what if he walked a bit, turned around, and found himself back in the tunnel, or somewhere else? But after trying several times, the scene before him remained the same.