kvmb Chapter 527
Chapter 527
Dongfang Wan'er was frantic, watching Lin Yan trapped in his predicament, yet unable to spare a moment to help. She looked down at the silver needles in her hand, suddenly remembering the power of the fox fur. Legend had it that this fox fur was the incarnation of the White Fox Fairy, possessing the power to purify evil spirits. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently prayed, "White Fox Fairy, please grant me the power to save us from this dire situation!"
As if hearing her prayer, the light emanating from the fox fur suddenly intensified, and a white phantom flew out from within, transforming into a gigantic white fox, head held high, letting out a clear, resonant howl. Dongfang Wan'er felt a warm current rise from the soles of her feet, instantly spreading throughout her entire body, and the silver needles in her hands became scalding hot. She opened her eyes, a resolute light flashing within them, and rushed towards the leader.
Sensing the threat, the leader turned and swung its claws at Dongfang Wan'er. Dongfang Wan'er dodged to the side, her speed several times faster than usual, as if she were walking on air. Seizing the opportunity, she leaped into the air, the silver needle in her hand flashing white light, piercing straight for the leader's heart. A deafening roar followed, and the leader let out a painful howl before crashing to the ground, turning into a huge cloud of green smoke, filling the air with a pungent stench.
Seeing this, the monsters cried out in terror and turned to flee. Lin Yan and Dongfang Wan'er exchanged a smile and wiped the sweat from their faces. The cave returned to silence, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water, as if recounting the harrowing experience just moments before.
“Let’s continue.” Lin Yan picked up the torch from the ground and relit it, the flame even brighter than before. Dongfang Wan’er nodded, gripping the silver needle in her hand, her gaze fixed resolutely on the depths of the cave. There, more secrets awaited them to uncover, more challenges awaited them to face. But at this moment, they held only one belief: no matter how many dangers lay ahead, they would forge ahead and unveil the mysteries of the Netherworld Cave.
The two walked side by side, their footsteps echoing through the cave like the beating of a drumbeat of hope. The phosphorescence on the stone walls seemed less eerie, instead radiating a softer glow, as if guiding their way. Ahead, the faint sound of flowing water could be heard in the darkness—was it a source of hope, or the beginning of another danger? But they knew that whatever awaited them, they would face it hand in hand, never retreating.
Footsteps and heartbeats resonated, weaving a fine sound network through the damp cave walls. Lin Yan's boots crushed a pile of broken bones, the crisp sound startling bats roosting in the shadows. They fluttered their wings across the torchlight, casting shimmering black shadows before Dongfang Wan'er's eyes, much like the "Night Demon Spreading its Wings" depicted in ancient texts. She instinctively gripped the edge of her fox fur coat, her fingertips touching a half-rolled tattered page hidden in the lining. It was the page she had just picked up from under the monster leader's corpse—on the yellowed paper, blurred vermilion strokes outlined a totem resembling a spring.
"The sound of flowing water is getting closer." Lin Yan suddenly stopped, his sword sheath lightly tapping the stone wall to his right. A ghostly green phosphorescence spread along the uneven texture, casting a cold blue spot of light on his shoulder armor, like moonlight falling into a cold pool. Dongfang Wan'er also stopped, her sharp ears catching a faint metallic scraping sound mixed in with the sound of flowing water, much like the sound of some kind of mechanism turning. She took out a silver needle from her sleeve and drew three arcs in the torchlight. The silver needle hovered in mid-air, its tip pointing to the stone wall about ten feet to her left.
“There’s a hidden door.” She lowered her voice, and the white fox phantom on her fur coat suddenly twitched its ears, transforming into a stream of light that disappeared into her palm. Lin Yan followed her gaze and saw that the phosphorescence on the stone wall was sparser than elsewhere, with faint traces of diamond-shaped patterns pieced together. He brought the torch closer, and the firelight reflected the wax that had congealed between the patterns—clearly, someone had used wax to seal and conceal the mechanism.
As Lin Yan's fingertips touched the slightly concave, diamond-shaped stone brick, Dongfang Wan'er suddenly caught a faint, unusual fragrance. The scent was a mixture of pine resin and rust, yet also carried a hint of cool, herbal aroma, strikingly similar to the spiritual fragrance she had smelled in the White Fox Shrine. She abruptly grabbed Lin Yan's wrist: "Wait! This scent... it's like a mechanism sealed with 'Soul-Guiding Incense.'"
Before the words were finished, a deafening roar of collapsing rocks suddenly echoed from the depths of the cave. Before Lin Yan could withdraw his hand, the stone bricks had already caved in under the pressure. Then, the entire stone wall creaked and groaned as if gears were turning, and a half-person-high crack slowly appeared on the left side. A chilling aura, mingled with water vapor, rushed out, extinguishing half the torches. Dongfang Wan'er staggered back half a step, only to see that the eerie light seeping from the crack was not the phosphorescent green of phosphorescence, but a warm, silvery-white, like mercury soaked in moonlight.