Jade Swann quickly lowered her head for a closer look. At her feet lay a handle-shaped black object, seemingly made of some kind of metal, covered in dark red mottled rust. Scattered nearby were several greenish-black round "stones," which looked especially odd—each was inscribed with dense, tadpole-like runes.
"Oh my god..." Jade Swann was utterly shocked. She squatted down for a closer look and was startled—those rune-carved "stones" were actually human skulls! They'd been treated in a special way to look just like stones.
Shawn Young also raised his eyes for a closer look, and he too was startled. All those weird "stones" scattered around were actually human skulls! Many were already cracked and smashed—crushed by the falling Dragon Blade. That huge "pile of rocks" from before was actually a pyramid-shaped tower made entirely of human skulls.
"Oh my god! What kind of freaky magic circle is this..." Jade Swann groaned, clutching her forehead. "This place is just way too trippy—totally off the charts!"
"This might be some kind of formation or trap set by the Nine Chrysanthemums Society..." Shawn Young guessed, scratching his head. "Those guys really have a thing for creepy setups."
Just then, a series of "ka-ka" noises sounded ahead. The two whipped their heads in that direction and saw the hexagonal crack that had bounced them away begin to open wider, revealing a hole about two meters in radius. A stream of greenish-blue mist slowly rose from the hole, shimmering with an eerie glow.
Suddenly, Shawn Young and Jade Swann realized it—the "formation switch" they'd been searching for all this time was hidden right beneath the tower of human skulls, and the thing Jade Swann had tripped over was the control lever.
Once they figured that out, the two exchanged a look. Worried about Fiona Nangong's safety, they didn't have time to overthink it—they dashed together toward the newly opened hole.
As soon as they jumped into the hole, the opening quickly closed up again, just like a monster snapping its jaws shut and swallowing its prey.
"Crack!" A sharp sound echoed above their heads. The two looked up and saw that the opening had sealed itself again, completely blocking their way back.
Shawn Young and Jade Swann exchanged glances, then gripped each other's hands with determination. They had no choice but to accept the situation—they needed to figure out where they'd ended up.
Inside the huge hole, a thick, misty blue fog filled the air. It was so dense that nothing could be seen through it, and it glowed with an eerie blue light, making everything feel cold and spooky. Jade Swann was startled to see the floor paved with massive blue stone slabs, and all around were strange geometric buildings—huge and ominous, their age indiscernible, but clearly arranged in neat order. It was obvious this place wasn't naturally formed, but built by human hands.
To get a better look, Shawn Young summoned his true energy. With a flip of his hands, he cast the "Radiant Goldlight Technique."
Whoosh! A ball of golden light flickered in his palms. He brought it to his chest, illuminating an area more than ten meters around him. Only then did he see that they were in a semi-enclosed stone chamber. Behind them was a massive blue stone wall, and ahead was a two- or three-meter-wide, shadowy passageway. The passage looked deep and was filled with misty blue fog—no telling where it led.
"Fiona—Sis, we're down here now! Where are you? Are you hiding in here?" Jade Swann hollered down the passageway, not giving a damn about the architecture—she was way too worried about Fiona Nangong to care.
"Rustle, rustle..." Instead of a reply, a strange sound echoed from deep within the passage.
"Who's there? Fiona—Sis, is that you?" Jade Swann called out, instantly on guard, her voice echoing with a mix of sass and worry.
But still no answer. The "rustle, rustle..." noises only grew more intense, spilling out of the passage as if a bunch of little creatures were scurrying across the floor. Then, just as suddenly as they started, the sounds vanished without a trace.
"Uh... why did it go quiet again? Don't tell me something freaky happened to Fiona Nangong!" Shawn Young blurted out, his nerves on edge. He grabbed Jade Swann, and together they crept into the passageway.
No sooner had they entered the passage than they heard a heavy "crack!" as something fell.
The two quickly turned around and saw a huge, strange blue stone door sealing the passageway exit. Shawn Young was startled. Instinctively, he raised his left hand, gathered his energy, and blasted the stone door with a lightning spell.
Boom! The powerful lightning spell struck the blue stone door, erupting in a burst of blue and red flames. The passageway shook as chunks of stone were blasted loose—but the door didn't budge. Shawn Young paused, then fired off another lightning spell, this time pouring in even more energy.
Boom! Another flash of dazzling blue and red light, followed by a wave of backlash that made Shawn Young's blood surge. He looked up and saw a strange blue aura surrounding the stone door—a mysterious barrier.
In the glow, Shawn Young could vaguely make out uneven engravings on the stone door—some sort of script. Jade Swann could sense the powerful energy coming from the barrier, radiating from those strange, rune-like patterns.
Just as Shawn Young was about to step forward for a closer look, another round of "rustle, rustle..." noises echoed behind them. This time, the sounds were even denser, as if countless creatures were rapidly gathering.
"Looks like something's about to crawl out..." Jade Swann said, her tone half curious, half freaked out. Shawn Young spun around, ready to see what kind of weirdness was coming.
A chilling wind surged out from the depths of the passageway, blowing away the thick blue fog. Suddenly, Shawn Young and Jade Swann saw a patch of white appear on the stone floor—what was even creepier, the "white" was moving. Or rather, it was writhing...
As the things drew closer, Shawn Young and Jade Swann finally saw what they were. Their scalps tingled with shock—the writhing white mass was actually a swarm of countless white worms.
...