noffsinger Chapter 528
Chapter 528
After crossing the bridge, the mountain slopes steeply downwards. Dongfang Wan'er, stepping on loose pebbles, suddenly noticed that the cliff face was covered with claw marks of varying depths, each as long as an adult's arm, with barbs at the fingertips—clearly not the footprints of ordinary wild animals. When the vermilion eaves finally pierced the clouds, the two had been trekking through the twilight for some time. The runes on the temple gate gleamed a cold blue in the moonlight, bearing the same origin as the wolf-head totem on the coffin in the ancient tomb.
Suddenly, the jade clasp on the fox fur cloak emitted a buzzing sound, and the entire cloak transformed into a stream of light, swirling around Dongfang Wan'er and projecting a fox's phantom image in front of the temple gate. When her fingertips touched the door panel, the ancient runes seemed to come alive, piecing together the words "Only foxes may enter." The Regent placed a compass on the door knocker, and the copper needle suddenly broke, its tip pointing towards the crack in the door—where half a piece of jade, identical in shape to the fox fur clasp, was embedded.
When the temple doors were pushed open, the dust that rose up was mixed with white fox fur. Inside, instead of the Three Pure Ones, was a stone statue of a half-human, half-fox. In its palm, a jade plate held seven jade pendants, identical to those in Dongfang Wan'er's hand. Suddenly, the fox-fur-clad phantom leaped into the hall, circling the statue three times. The statue's eyes then glowed with a ghostly blue light, and a celestial map, identical to the one in the Taoist temple, appeared on the ground, except the center was empty, with only seven beams of light pointing towards the seven jade pendants.
“It’s the key point of the Nine Stars Alignment Formation.” Dongfang Wan’er gripped the jade pendant tightly in her hand and noticed that the broken edge had somehow begun to emanate a fluorescent glow, perfectly matching the nearest beam of light. As she embedded the jade pendant into the star map, the entire temple began to tremble, and the stone wall behind the statue slowly cracked open, revealing a deeper cave. The faint howls of wolves and the low murmurs of foxes could be heard in the wind, weaving together a mysterious melody.
The Regent gripped his sword hilt, only to see that Dongfang Wan'er's fox fur cloak had completely transformed into a stream of light, condensing into a white fox phantom on her shoulder, its amber pupils reflecting the light from the depths of the cave. A mountain wind suddenly rose, blowing aside the dust-covered curtains at the corner of the hall, revealing a mural covering the entire wall behind it—in the painting, a woman in a fox fur cloak stood side by side with a wolf-headed, human-bodied warrior, their feet on a land covered with star maps, and in the sky, nine stars aligned to form the Big Dipper, hanging above their heads.
“It seems our mission has only just begun.” Dongfang Wan’er gazed at the white fox’s phantom and suddenly remembered the fragments of the ancient book in the tomb. As the first star appeared in the night sky, she and the Regent exchanged a glance, then stepped into the cave hand in hand. The temple door behind them slowly closed in the shimmering light of the fox fur, leaving only the soft tinkling of the copper bells in the night wind, as if telling a secret forgotten for a thousand years.
The damp mist, like an invisible spiderweb, coiled around everyone's ankles, each breath carrying the sweet, pungent smell of earth and decaying leaves. Lin Yan gripped the torch tightly; the flame flickered erratically in the draft, twisting their shadows into grotesque monsters that danced eerily on the uneven stone walls. Phosphorescent light fell from the walls like scattered stars, and in the eerie green glow, glimpses of long-dehydrated skeletons occasionally appeared, their empty eye sockets seemingly telling the cave's horrific history.
"Watch your step," Lin Yan whispered, a hint of tension in his voice. His boots landed on a loose pebble, the sound of it rolling away echoing clearly in the silent cave, as if triggering some forbidden switch. In the distance, the howls of wolves and the low growls of foxes mingled, like a prelude to death, growing ever closer, making everyone's eardrums ache.
Dongfang Wan'er subconsciously pulled her fox fur coat tighter, the silver needles beneath the soft fur slightly warm to the touch within her sleeves. Her gaze swept over the phosphorescence on the stone wall, and she suddenly recalled the ancient texts' description of the Netherworld Cave: "The cave has phosphorescence, which is the manifestation of evil energy. Those who see it must hold their breath and concentrate, and must not look directly at it." She quickly closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and when she opened them again, the phosphorescence before her eyes seemed less dazzling, but possessed a more eerie and alluring quality.
Just then, the ground suddenly trembled violently, as if a slumbering beast was awakening. Lin Yan's torch nearly went out; he staggered and clung to the stone wall for support. From the shadows on either side of the cave, countless pairs of eerie green eyes slowly lit up, like will-o'-the-wisps. The low growls of the wolf pack grew closer, interspersed with the cracking sounds of bones dislocating, sending chills down one's spine.
"It's a monster with a wolf's head and a human body!" Dongfang Wan'er exclaimed, her silver needles already drawn. The monsters were hunched over, on all fours, yet possessed human arms, gripping rusty blades tightly. Their skin was grayish-green, covered in coarse fur, their mouths wide open, revealing sharp fangs, saliva dripping from their lips and sizzling on the ground.
Lin Yan drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the phosphorescence. He took a deep breath, his eyes hardening: "Protect yourself, watch out for their claws!" Before he finished speaking, the foremost monster pounced, its claws whistling as they hurtled towards his face. Lin Yan dodged to the side, swinging his sword towards the monster's neck, only to find its skin as hard as iron; the blade left only a shallow mark.
Seeing this, Dongfang Wan'er immediately realized she couldn't fight them head-on. Recalling the ancient texts' descriptions of the wolf demons' weaknesses, her gaze fell on the crescent-shaped birthmarks on the monsters' chests. "A silver needle to the heart will break their defenses!" she shouted, and the silver needle in her hand shot out like a meteor, accurately piercing the heart of one of the monsters. The monster let out a scream, its body instantly turning into a puff of green smoke and disappearing into the air.
The battle was at a stalemate. Lin Yan and Dongfang Wan'er stood back to back, their clothes soaked with sweat. Just then, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the cave, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing. Everyone looked up and saw a gigantic figure slowly emerge from the darkness. It was a wolf-headed, human-bodied monster the size of a bear, its sharp horns gleaming coldly, its scales shimmering with a metallic sheen, and the ground trembled with every step it took.
"Leader!" Lin Yan gripped the sword hilt tightly, the muscles in his arm taut. The leader opened its blood-red maw and roared, a stench-filled gust of hot air nearly extinguishing the torch. With a swipe of its claw, a beam of azure light shot out like lightning. Lin Yan hurriedly raised his sword to block, but the powerful impact forced him back, his hands going numb, and he almost lost his grip on the hilt.
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.