"Here it is... the way to the Forbidden Mountain."
The moment the words left Old Lady Shen's lips, a suffocating wall of spiritual pressure rolled up from the depths, heavy enough to make everyone's Qi churn.
Hei Zun stared into the dark, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his face. So this is the passage... he thought. The legendary land that high-stage cultivators of the past tried to force their way into before ascending, only to fail. And now, it lies open in my hands.
"You seem exceptionally pleased, Fellow Daoist," Old Lady Shen noted, her eyes tracking his expression.
"Should I not be?" Hei Zun asked smoothly.
Old Lady Shen didn't answer openly, but her internal alarms were screaming. I must keep my eyes locked on this man every second.
Suddenly, a sharp, localized ripple of energy bypassed the others, striking straight into Doctor Lu Cheng's mind. It was Old Lady Shen's Voice Transmission.
"Do not let your guard down, Lu Cheng. These are the exact types of demon cultivators Xinyi warned us about when we first met her. They are vipers. The moment we cross the threshold, I am going to fan out my spiritual sense to search for Wang Fang. It will take a massive amount of my concentration, leaving me partially exposed. You must watch them. If they twitch, signal me."
Doctor Lu Cheng didn't turn his head, but his eyes narrowed slightly, giving a microscopic nod. Understood.
"Well, Fifth Elder Hei Zun," Old Lady Shen said aloud, gesturing toward the yawning maw of the staircase. "Why don't you lead the way?"
Hei Zun looked at her, his smile never wavering. "Ah, you should lead us, Senior Shen. I have never set foot in this region, let alone this mountain. It is only fitting that the local master guides us through the dark."
Old Lady Shen let out a cold snort in her mind. Hmph. A Peak Core Formation expert who can scan a twenty-mile radius with a thought, yet he wants to play the cautious coward.
On the outside, her face remained an unreadable mask. "Fine," she said, her voice dripping with artificial calm. "Since Fellow Daoist Hei Zun is so modest, this old woman will lead. But do not lag behind; the spiritual pressure down here plays cruel tricks on the mind."
After stepping across the threshold and into the narrow cavern, the environment changed instantly. The air grew dense, pressing against their chests like solid iron. The stone walls didn't look like normal rock; they glowed with a faint, ominous crimson Qi that pulsed slowly, mimicking the rhythmic heartbeat of a colossal, buried monster.
Behind her, Doctor Lu Cheng kept his hand resting casually near his medical pouch, ready to draw his needles or explosive talismans at a microsecond's notice. His gaze was locked firmly onto Hei Zun's shadow. Every step they took deeper into the earth echoed with a tense, suffocating silence.
Hei Zun followed close behind, his long sleeves swaying. His eyes gleamed with hidden malice as he felt the subtle, almost imperceptible ripples of Old Lady Shen's spiritual sense beginning to bleed into the surrounding tunnels, desperately searching for the boy, Wang Fang.
Search all you want, old hag, Hei Zun thought, his fingers twitching against the dark seals hidden in his robe. Waste your energy and Exhaust your mental here. The moment we reach the inner chamber, your precious spiritual sense won't save you from what I have waiting