novelraw Chapter 269 Strange Sounds in the Cave
Chapter 269 Strange Sounds in the Cave
Chapter 269 Strange Sounds in the Cave
"Is this the place where the Fire Calamity Fruit was born?" Xinxia murmured softly, gazing at the towering volcanic pillar.
Mo Fan surveyed the surroundings, then asked Chen Ying, "Are you sure there are Fire Calamity Fruits in this kind of place? Even if there are, how are we going to get up there? And don't tell me we have to fly up."
"The inside of this pillar of fire is hollow. My mother told me that there's a fissure at the base of this mountain that leads directly inside. If we find that fissure, we can get in," Chen Ying said.
So, led by Chenying, the group searched for the crack she had mentioned. After circling most of the massive Fire Pillar Mountain, they finally found the crack that led into the mountain. Compared to the colossal Fire Pillar Mountain, the crack was pitifully small; to humans, it was like a cave torn open by a giant.
As you walk along the crack, it becomes wider and wider. The inside of the crack clearly shows a winding upward trend. The deeper you go into the crack, the reddish-brown rocks inside are in a state that is half crystal and half rock. Moreover, there are quite a few fragments of spirit seeds inside. If you dig carefully, you might even find one or two spirit seeds.
"Clang! Clang!!"
A sound like metal clanging suddenly came from the pitch-black cave. In the otherwise silent mountain crevice, the sound was eerie.
The metallic clanging sound wasn't the crisp, clear sound you'd usually hear elsewhere; it was a slightly abrasive, grating noise that sent chills down your spine. Imagine walking through a winding, dark cave and hearing this eerie sound – even the most composed person would feel a little uneasy.
No, Zhao Manyan did not release any light to illuminate the area; rather, the sound was coming from something too far away to be identified.
"I'm sure I'm not the only one who heard that sound," Zhang Xiaohou asked, his teeth chattering slightly.
"What do you think it could be?" Zhao Manyan asked.
"What's there to be afraid of? No matter what it is, we just need to keep moving forward. Even if there are some demons lurking in the shadows, Jiang Han and I will be there to protect us," Mo Fan said nonchalantly.
"It would be a disservice to you not to let you go first and clear the way," Jiang Han said with a smile.
"No, I was just joking. I'd better stay in the team," Mo Fan quickly said.
"What are you afraid of? You've awakened your Shadow element, what do you have to be afraid of in a place like this?" Jiang Han said irritably.
"I'd completely forgotten about the Shadow element if you hadn't mentioned it," Mo Fan said with a chuckle.
The group continued cautiously deeper into the cave. Along the way, they heard the eerie sounds many times, but no demons came out to attack them, so they didn't think much of it.
The eerie sounds emanating from the shadows of the cave belong to a demon called the Crimson Flame Rat. These demons prefer to inhabit caves with lava, and their favorite food is Fire Essence Stone, the reddish-brown, semi-crystalline, semi-rocky stone found on the cave walls. Of course, if anyone enters their territory, they will tear apart any creature that steps into it.
As Jiang Han and his group entered the cave, the Crimson Flame Rat noticed them. The Crimson Flame Rat then began to rub its sharp claws against the rock wall, creating that chilling sound.
Walking in the dark, accompanied by those unsettling, chilling sounds, is the easiest way to fall into the spell of fear.
Logically, after Jiang Han and the others fell into the demonic possession of fear, the Crimson Flame Rat lurking in the shadows should have attacked them. However, the intimidating aura emanating from Xue Ling, who was nestled in Ling Ling's arms, frightened the Crimson Flame Rat into not daring to rush out. Although their Crimson Flame Rat clan was numerous, their strongest members were only advanced-stage War General level demons.
They were afraid of Xue Ling's power, but they didn't want Jiang Han and the others to pass by easily, so they would scratch the cave walls from time to time to put some psychological pressure on Jiang Han and the others who stepped into the cave.
It's unclear how high the group climbed on the mountain, but scalding lava began to flow from the cracks in the cave walls. It gathered in the ravines and flowed slowly in the lava streams. Although the firelight emitted by the lava could provide natural illumination and allow everyone to see their surroundings, it also raised the temperature considerably, making it extremely uncomfortable for everyone.
"Xinxia, are you hot?" Jiang Han asked with a smile.
"It's alright," Xinxia said softly.
Jiang Han glanced at the girl in the wheelchair who didn't want to trouble him, shook his head helplessly. She was sweating so much but didn't say anything. Then, a chill emanated from Jiang Han, lowering the surrounding temperature.
"Brother Jiang Han, you don't need to waste your magic energy," Xin Xia whispered after sensing the change in temperature.
"It won't cost much magic power," Jiang Han said with a smile.
As soon as Jiang Han finished speaking, Zhang Xiaohou, who was walking in front, said, "This North Corner of Zhuoyuan isn't so bad after all. Look at the lava streams around here, don't they look like streetlights and red carpets?"
The further they went in, the higher the temperature of the magma became. The scorching heat was unbearable. In order to speed up everyone's progress, Jiang Han had to release his Absolute Zero Domain to alleviate the scorching heat.
Lava streams are beautiful in caves, but if an ordinary person falls in, they will be burned to ashes in an instant. Ordinary mages may be able to withstand the heat, but they will eventually be burned to bone dust. Fire mages may be able to barely withstand the high temperature of lava, and powerful fire mages can even bathe in lava.
Just then, Chenying, who was walking in the middle, suddenly spoke up about her discovery: "By the way, have you guys noticed that the lava stream is getting wider and wider?"
After Chen Ying finished speaking, Jiang Han and the others also noticed the situation. The cave's interior was a winding, meandering underground river, with varying widths, and lava occasionally flowing slowly from the rock walls. The crimson lava was like a guiding light for them, but now the low-lying areas on both sides of the path were already filled with lava, and in some places, the lava was even spreading upwards from time to time.
"There's probably more lava up here. It's alright, the lava will always flow downwards. The space below is so big, it shouldn't be enough to fill up our path," Zhao Manyan said.
"That's one thing, but what if there are other reasons?" Jiang Han raised an eyebrow and said.
"What's the reason?" Zhang Xiaohou asked, puzzled.
P.S.: Please vote for me!
(End of this chapter)