Chapter 1752 - 1749: Dark Field Mouse
After hastily traveling tens of thousands of miles, Li Chen and the others arrived at a stretch of sea.
This sea region was extremely strange!
Strictly speaking, there wasn’t any light here at all.
Above their heads, there was only a disc resembling a solar eclipse, with a ring of red light around it, looking very bizarre.
Well-read as she was, Li Mengjiao immediately sensed something was wrong and cried out in alarm.
"This is bad, this seems to be the Sea of Darkness!"
Hearing the words "Sea of Darkness," everyone present couldn’t help but have a change of expression.
The Sea of Darkness, as the name suggests, was a Death Forbidden Land filled with darkness, with no light whatsoever.
According to legend, it connected to the Nine Netherworld, and for millions of years, it had never seen the light of day.
There was only one kind of living creature inside.
And that was the Dark Field Mouse!
The Dark Field Mice were not particularly strong in individual combat, but their number was simply too terrifying.
For other types of creatures, if their numbers reached the hundreds or thousands, that would already be considered a large colony.
But the Dark Field Mice numbered in the hundreds of millions.
Legend had it that these Dark Field Mice were born from the vortex at the very center of the Sea of Darkness.
Although they were born in darkness, they possessed a heart that yearned for the light.
Thus, from the day they were born, these Dark Field Mice did only one thing: like devout believers, they migrated toward the lands of sunlight.
However, these Dark Field Mice had lived in darkness without sunlight for years on end and simply could not adapt to sunlight.
As soon as they were exposed to sunlight, they would, like dew, quickly dissipate into nothingness, their souls scattered.
Yet despite this, these Dark Field Mice showed no fear at all; they chose to embrace sunlight through death.
No one knew why these Dark Field Mice did this.
Because, of all who entered the Sea of Darkness, basically none could come out unscathed.
After pondering for a brief moment, Li Chen used his consciousness to communicate with the Dragon Soul, asking if it knew why the Dark Field Mice migrated like moths to a flame.
Very soon, the Dragon Soul gave an answer.
"Because they want to leap the Dragon Gate and transform into dragons!"
Hearing the Dragon Soul’s words, Li Chen couldn’t help but feel a jolt in his heart.
"Field mice transforming into dragons?"
The Dragon Soul solemnly nodded, replying with absolute certainty.
"Correct. Only by transforming into dragons can they break free from the curse placed upon them!"
Li Chen pursued the question: "A curse? Who laid this curse?"
The Dragon Soul shook its head and replied, "I don’t know either. I only know that previously this Sea of Darkness was just an ordinary race’s territory. The field mice were not Dark Field Mice, but Bright Sea Mice. It’s just that their ancestors, because of certain matters, violated a Great Power’s taboo and were thus cursed, becoming what they are today."
Li Chen paused briefly and asked, "Then do you know if any Dark Field Mouse has successfully transformed into a dragon?"
The Dragon Soul thought for a moment, then shook its head and said, "As far as I know, none!"
After a while, its voice, tinged with a slight tremor, urgently reminded him: "I can sense those terrifying things are right nearby. We’d better leave quickly, or else we might never escape this Sea of Darkness in this lifetime!"
Hearing the Dragon Soul’s warning, Li Chen also realized that the situation was somewhat dire.
But it was pitch-black before their eyes, and they simply couldn’t distinguish directions. If they moved rashly, they would likely lose their way within.
Just as everyone was at a loss, a roaring surge suddenly came from the sea ahead, as if countless troops and warhorses were galloping and bellowing.
Hearing this sound, everyone present was instantly struck with terror.
Li Mengjiao’s expression changed drastically, and she was the first to cry out in warning.
"This is bad, the Dark Field Mice are coming!"
At Li Mengjiao’s warning, the more timid female cultivators were so frightened their faces turned pale with fear.
Even the male cultivators fared little better; their bodies were trembling uncontrollably, and even their tongues stumbled as they spoke.
Only Li Chen still maintained sufficient calm.
Snow Princess looked toward Li Chen and asked, "Do you have any way to deal with these Dark Field Mice?"
Staring at the rolling, surging roar that was gradually closing in ahead, Li Chen said, "We’re likely right on the Dark Field Mice’s migration route. Let’s circle around first, then decide what to do!"
Hearing Li Chen’s words, Li Mengjiao, Snow Princess, Master Jingkong, and the others exchanged glances and all nodded one after another, indicating their agreement.
However, the number of Dark Field Mice was simply too great. Their migration front alone stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles, making it impossible to avoid them.
Helpless, Li Mengjiao, Master Jingkong, and the others could only huddle together to form a protective barrier, temporarily severing their connection with the outside world, planning to wait until the Dark Field Mice had finished migrating before leaving.
But to their despair, these Dark Field Mice seemed endless.
They waited a full three days and three nights and still did not see the end of the Dark Field Mice.
And the energy of the protective barrier they had cast was already more than half consumed.
At most, it could only hold for another day and night before completely shattering.
Li Mengjiao had no solution for this.
Master Jingkong also had no solution; he simply pressed his palms together and silently chanted the Buddha’s name.
Thus, everyone’s gazes once again all turned in unison toward Li Chen.
They hoped he could come up with an idea.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Li Chen said, "I’ll go ahead and take a look first; you all wait here!"
At Li Chen’s words, Master Jingkong, Li Mengjiao, Snow Princess, and the others all couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.
After a dead-silent pause, someone suddenly let out a sharp rebuke.
"You’re not planning to abandon us and leave on your own, are you?"
Having been shrouded in Death God’s shadow all this time, with nerves stretched taut, everyone exploded at this rebuke, each one showing an indignant expression as they fired questions at Li Chen one after another.
Looking at their righteous indignation, Li Chen couldn’t help but let out a cold sneer.
"If that’s the case, then how about you go ahead and scout the way?"
At this retort from Li Chen, they all instantly turned into deaf mutes.
They exchanged glances, you looking at me and I at you, all at a loss for words.
With so many Dark Field Mice outside, the moment they stepped out of the Forbidden Barrier, they would likely be annihilated on the spot, body and soul.
Seeing them all remain silent, Li Chen’s gaze fell on the one who had first rebuked him.
"Weren’t you shouting quite loudly just now? What, lost your nerve already?"
This man had a naturally irritable temperament, and being provoked by Li Chen like this, he flew into a rage on the spot.
"Fine, I’ll go, who’s afraid of who?"
After speaking, he summoned his strongest defensive technique and resolutely stepped out of the Forbidden Barrier.
In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned toward him in unison.
No sooner had he stepped out of the Forbidden Barrier than the Dark Field Mice, as if smelling fresh blood, surged in like a rolling tide, sweeping over him like a sky-covering wave. The scene was terrifying to the extreme...