1875 We Have No Choice But to Squeeze Through
Fortunately, Lei Zongchao still left behind scarlet afterimages.
They were like shining beacons in the endless night that guided the rescuers forward.
For the rest of the journey, the rescuers climbed very carefully.
They stared at the Battle Godâs vitality magnetic field as long as they could and drew a burning path in the darkness.
They didnât want to pry into the cracks that might absorb their souls.
They would stop every five minutes even if there were no abnormalities. All of them would conduct a self-examination and check each otherâs physiological parameters to see if there were any problems.
Just like that, they continued to climb down for about half an hour. They had already climbed to a depth of about four to five hundred meters from the exit of the rift.
If they were near the Earthâs core, such a depth would be enough to produce a high temperature of nearly one hundred degrees and suffocating pressure.
However, the air here was still cool. The wind whistled in the darkness from time to time. It gently scraped and wetted the rescuersâ skin, flesh, and bones. It made them feel like they were wearing diving suits and gradually sinking into the deepest trench on the planet.
At this moment, Wu Haibo, who had descended to the deepest part, stopped abruptly.
Before him, the scarlet shadow that represented the Battle Godâs movement trajectory crawled into a narrow crevice after a series of dazzling movements on the rock wall.
Everyone stopped in front of the crevice. The lights from their headlamps intersected as they watched the scarlet shadow be swallowed up by the darkness within the crevice.
Everyone looked at each other in shock and fear.
âWhatâs going on? Has the mighty Battle God also been tempted by the Ancient Ruinsâ Summon and turned into a twisted monster?â
The terrifying thought was like a python covered in thorns. It coiled around everybodyâs hearts so tightly that their eyes bulged out, and they could hardly breathe.
Something else made them even more conflicted.
âIf the Battle God has really crawled into the crevice and turned into a monster like Zhao Liwei, should we keep chasing after him and save him?
âEven if we manage to save the Battle God, he would be a monster. Could he still turn the tide and take charge of the situation?â
Thirty-two hearts thumped in the dead silence.
No one could make such a difficult decision.
âI sense that Master Leiâs situation is different from Zhao Liweiâs.â
Meng Chao climbed up and down without giving up. He carefully observed Lei Zongchaoâs afterimages and the traces of his passage on the rock wall. Then, he closed his eyes and constructed a three-dimensional model of Lei Zongchaoâs movements in his mind.
âDid you guys notice that Master Lei never stopped for even a moment after he jumped into the abyss? He sprinted into the depths of the darkness like he was on a hundred-meter dash,â Meng Chao said.
âThis is the first time Master Lei has stopped to observe and think. He even turned back a few times and left red afterimages on the rock walls within a hundred meters around him. What do you think this means?â
âThis means Lei Zongchao isnât bewitched by the crevice. Rather, this crevice already bewitched him more than ten years ago before the ancient ruins were sealed,â Lu Siya immediately replied.
âAfter more than ten years, he has returned to look for this crevice.â
âThatâs right.â
Meng Chao gazed at Lu Siya and continued. âI think that when Master Lei entered the crevice, he was clear-headed. He knew what he was doing, and he should have known the consequences of doing so. After thinking about it rationally, he believed that he could bear the consequences and it would be beneficial to Dragon City.â
âSo?â Shen Yupeng frowned and asked.
âIs this a different and harmless gap? Should we follow Lei Zongchaoâs footsteps and dive into the darkness, into the endless unknown?â
Meng Chao frowned slightly. He leaned against the edge of the crevice and subtly adjusted his posture until his body completely merged with Lei Zongchaoâs last scarlet afterimage at the entrance of the crevice.
Then, he stuck half of his body into the crevice to spy on the movements in its depths.
âThis crevice seems to be wider than all the other crevices weâve encountered.â
â Also,â Meng Chao said, âits inner walls are incredibly smooth, and there arenât many sharp edges protruding out. Maybe we can pass through without turning our bodies into deformed and twisted forms.â
âThe entrance is spacious, but that doesnât mean there arenât any twists and turns inside.
âNo.â Shen Yupeng shook his head. âJust because we wonât be scratched by the sharp rocks doesnât mean that the mysterious force within the crevice has no other way to modify our flesh and blood into weird substances such as rubber, crystal, and foam. It also doesnât mean that we wonât be tempted by its ancient mysteries and completely forget our mission.
âBut Iâm afraid that we canât turn back now.â
Meng Chao responded, âI know that the deeper we go into the ancient ruins, the easier it is for us to encounter all kinds of strange and unpredictable dangers. But if we think about it from another perspective, who can guarantee that weâll return to our starting point without incident if we turn back now?
âWho can guarantee that weâll still be 100% âusâ when we return and that we wonât be corrupted by the mysterious power in the depths of the ruins?
âWhat I mean is, since all of us have probably been affected by the mysterious force, itâs also quite risky to return to the surface. At least, if we continue moving forward, weâll know when itâs time to die!â
âThereâs one more thing, and itâs very important.â
Lu Siya added, âI studied the information and logs of many pioneers who had explored the ancient ruins, and I discovered an interesting phenomenon. There were many occurrences where the ancient ruins seemed to have free will or a life of its own. Itâs best not to go against its will.
âLook, we have a total of thirty-three rescue team members. Weâve only lost one member after diving three to five hundred meters deep into the ruins.
âIn previous explorations of the ancient ruins, half of the group or even the entire army would be killed. What we have is simply a stroke of good luck.
âOne possibility is, weâve been cautious and lucky enough.
âBut could there be another possibility? Weâve been following Battle God Lei Zongchao in this exploration mission. Maybe, we obtained the recognition and approval of the ancient ruins. Is it possible that the ancient ruins opened the path for us and allowed us to charge here without any danger?
âIf thatâs the case, wonât we anger the ancient ruins if we turn around now and give up halfway? We would put our entire team in a situation where we would definitely die.â
The possibility raised by Lu Siya made everyone shiver.
They seemed to sense an enormous eye slowly opening in the darkness beneath their feet.
It was unblinking as it stared at them and waited for them to make the decision to live or die.
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