Chapter 114. The snake cave [3]
Lin Xuan was currently locked in battle against a group of spirit beasts deep within the Yew Woods.
As for how he had gotten to this situation, it all happened a few days ago.
He had been waiting in Violet Log City for the children to arrive, but several days passed without any sign of them.
He even began to wonder whether Lin Zhaoyue had deliberately given Lin Zhaoxi a false destination.
That suspicion vanished when a group of exhausted children suddenly came running into the city.
After listening to their frantic explanation on what had happened to Zhaocao and zhaofeng and how Zhaoyue went back to rescue the two, Lin Xuan immediately rushed toward the cave they had described.
However, what awaited him there left him greatly alarmed.
A large pack of spirit beasts had already surrounded the cave entrance.
Without hesitating, Lin Xuan charged straight into the encirclement.
He unleashed the Lin Family’s Trojan Spear Technique while simultaneously executing the Cloud Chasing Technique.
The combination of the two techniques allowed him to weave effortlessly through the beast pack, cutting down one spirit beast after another as though they were made of tofu.
Only one beast managed to halt his advance.
It was an enormous ape-shaped spirit beast.
Its strength was comparable to Lin Xuan’s own, perhaps even slightly greater.
"A spirit beast comparable to the Nascent Soul Realm... What kind of insanity is this?"
Lin Xuan’s expression turned grim as he faced the towering ape-shaped beast.
Even so, he had no intention of fighting every spirit beast gathered outside the cave.
His only objective was to enter the cave and confirm that the children were safe.
Everything else could wait.
Meanwhile, deep within the cavern, Lin Zhaoyue, Lin Zhaofeng, and Lin Zhaocao cautiously advanced through the winding passages.
Their footsteps echoed softly against the stone walls as they carefully explored their surroundings.
From the moment they had entered until now, every corridor they passed gave them the same unsettling impression.
The entire place resembled an enormous ancient tomb.
Moreover, everything within it seemed to revolve around snakes.
Serpent carvings covered the walls and stone pillars had been sculpted into the shapes of coiling snakes.
Even the archways resembled enormous serpent mouths waiting to devour anyone who approached.
Lin Zhaofeng glanced around before breaking the silence.
"Young Miss... do you think this could be the tomb of a naga?"
The moment the word naga left his mouth, the atmosphere among the three immediately turned heavy.
Nagas were among the most feared races recorded in ancient texts.
They possessed the upper body of a beautiful human and the lower body of a massive serpent.
Their human appearance was more than simple coincidence.
It was a natural lure, allowing them to attract prey with extraordinary beauty and irresistible charm.
Even more frightening was their innate strength.
Every naga was born as a Spirit General, making them comparable to Golden Core cultivators from the moment they entered the world.
Lin Zhaocao immediately shot Lin Zhaofeng a glare.
"Shut your mouth."
Her tone was unusually serious.
There was an old saying: Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true.
Lin Zhaofeng’s face stiffened.
Without uttering another word, he tightly sealed his lips and silently followed behind the two girls.
The three continued deeper into the cavern.
Before long, the narrow passage gradually widened until it opened into an enormous underground garden.
Majestic trees with silvery leaves stretched toward the cavern ceiling, while strange flowers of every color bloomed across the ground.
Lin Zhaofeng’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"It’s like... an entire city down here."
Lin Zhaocao immediately shot him another stern look.
She was genuinely worried that he would accidentally say something ominous again and somehow make it come true.
Both of them suddenly felt Lin Zhaoyue seize their hands.
Her grip was so tight that it almost hurt.
"Close your eyes."
The words left her lips in a strained whisper.
A bead of sweat slid down her temple and dripped onto the stone floor.
Her breathing had become noticeably uneven, and the hand holding theirs trembled despite her obvious effort to keep it steady.
"And absolutely do not look."
Lin Zhaocao had never seen Lin Zhaoyue like this before.
Even when facing a Golden Core spirit beast, she had remained calm.
Now, however, her fingers were ice-cold, yet her palm was damp with sweat.
"Y-Young Miss... what’s going on?"
The question came out little more than a shaky whisper.
Lin Zhaoyue tightened her grip even further, silently urging them to obey.
"Don’t speak either."
She swallowed with difficulty before forcing out another sentence.
"Just trust me blindly..."
Both of them obeyed and slowly closed their eyes.
Lin Zhaoyue bit down hard on her lower lip until she could taste blood.
She could see a colossal serpent slowly slithering into the garden.
Its massive body was covered in dark emerald scales that scraped against the stone floor, producing a chilling sound that echoed throughout the cavern.
Its head alone was several times larger than the three children combined.
The serpent’s eyes were nothing but empty, scarred sockets.
Yet Lin Zhaoyue knew that made it no less terrifying.
She silently circulated her spiritual qi, maintaining a concealment technique that enveloped all three of them.
The technique erased their scent, masking every trace of their presence.
Controlling it over three people at once demanded tremendous concentration.
Even so, she dared not let the technique falter for even an instant.
Running was never an option.
There was no chance the three of them could ever outrun a creature of this level.
The giant serpent gradually came to a halt only a short distance away.
Its enormous head slowly swayed from side to side.
Its forked tongue flicked through the air again and again, tasting the surroundings as though searching for something.
Lin Zhaoyue didn’t dare blink.
Neither did she dare breathe too loudly.
Time seemed to come to a standstill.
Three agonizing minutes passed.
Finally, the serpent gave a low hiss before turning away.
Its massive body slowly disappeared into another passage.
Within only a few seconds, even the sound of its scales scraping against the stone floor had completely faded into silence.