Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 96 Shark

Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue walked side by side in the dark, damp and cold secret passage. Although their steps were steady, their hearts were full of uncertainty and vigilance. In the secret passage, only the echo of their footsteps reverberated between the four walls, accompanied by the sound of dripping water and unknown strange noises in the distance, forming a deep and strange symphony.

The deeper they went, the stronger the miasma in the secret passage ahead. The green gas filled the secret passage like a thick curtain, blocking people's sight. The miasma was highly poisonous. If an ordinary person inhaled a trace of it, they would probably fall to the ground immediately. But fortunately, the Phoenix Red Gold Armor that Lu Xiuyuan was wearing seemed to have a natural defense mechanism. The miasma dispersed on its own as soon as it touched the armor and could not get close. Wen Lingyue relied on her deep spiritual power to form a transparent protective shield to isolate the miasma from the outside.

They relied on each other and walked carefully through this maze-like secret passage. Every step was extremely difficult because they knew that any carelessness could lead to an abyss of no return.

Suddenly, a horrifying scene appeared in front of them. On both sides of the secret passage, there were piles of bones, some intact, some broken, as if telling how fierce a battle had taken place here. Along with the bones were bursts of ghost lights, the dark blue flames swaying in the darkness, like the call of the dead, or the mockery of the god of death.

These bones and ghost lights made the already eerie secret passage even more mysterious. Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue could clearly feel that the blood and resentment here were surging, as if every inch of the air was filled with the breath of death. Their instincts told them that the road ahead was full of unknown dangers, and every cell in their body was clamoring for them to turn back and not move forward.

But Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue were not ordinary people. They knew that since they had come this far, there was no turning back. They looked at each other and saw determination and courage in each other's eyes. They held each other's hands tightly, as if they could draw more strength from each other.

"We have to be careful." Lu Xiuyuan whispered, his voice echoing in the secret passage with an unquestionable firmness. He looked around sharply, as if looking for potential threats. The dim light in the secret passage shone on his resolute face, adding a bit of mystery and majesty to him.

Wen Lingyue nodded gently, her eyes revealing her trust and reliance on Lu Xiuyuan. "Yes, it's a bit tricky ahead. So many people died here, there must be traps ahead." Her voice was low but full of determination. She was not someone who would back down easily. She had fought side by side with Lu Xiuyuan many times and was already accustomed to facing all kinds of difficulties and challenges.

Lu Xiuyuan frowned slightly, knowing that the road ahead would not be easy. But as an experienced adventurer, he knew that calmness and wisdom were equally important when facing unknown dangers. He pondered for a moment, then said, "The most urgent task is to clear these miasma and extinguish those will-o'-the-wisps. I have a good idea."

A sly smile flashed across Lu Xiuyuan's face. He already had a plan in mind. He knew the composition of miasma and will-o'-the-wisp. Methane, hydrogen sulfide and white phosphorus were all flammable substances, and they could be easily solved with just a fire. But he also understood that this fire must be controlled just right, otherwise it might cause greater danger.

He took out a homemade grenade from his backpack. This was his secret weapon, which had helped him resolve crises during many expeditions. He turned to Wen Lingyue and said, "We have to hide behind the rocks to avoid getting hurt. This grenade is quite powerful."

Wen Lingyue didn't ask any more questions, she trusted Lu Xiuyuan's judgment. The two quickly found a huge rock as cover and clung to it. Lu Xiuyuan pulled the fuse of the grenade and counted the seconds silently in his mind.

"Three, two, one..." As he finished counting in his mind, the grenade was thrown fiercely towards the place where the miasma and will-o'-the-wisp were densest. Then, a loud bang echoed in the secret passage, making the two men's ears buzz.

After the explosion, the miasma and ghost lights in the secret passage disappeared without a trace. The originally eerie and terrifying secret passage became clearer, and the bones and debris became even more shocking. But no matter what, they have successfully overcome this difficulty.

Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue walked out from behind the stone and smiled at each other. They knew that the road ahead was still long and difficult, but as long as they had each other by their side, they had the confidence to face all challenges and difficulties.

"Good job!" Wen Lingyue praised sincerely, "Your method is really effective."

"Of course." Lu Xiuyuan smiled proudly, "But we can't let our guard down. There may be more traps waiting for us ahead."

The two continued to move forward, taking every step carefully for fear of triggering some mechanism. They both understood that any negligence in this strange secret passage could lead to irreversible consequences.

They walked around piles of bones, trying not to touch anything to avoid unnecessary trouble. The secret passage seemed to be getting narrower and narrower, and the air was becoming more and more stuffy, as if there was an oppressive atmosphere hanging over their heads.

Suddenly, there was a sound of a mechanism turning. Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue immediately became alert. They looked around for the source of the sound but found nothing except the torches on the stone wall.

"Be careful!" Lu Xiuyuan suddenly shouted and grabbed Wen Lingyue to avoid to the side.

Almost at the same time, a row of sharp arrows suddenly shot out from where they were originally standing. If they had not dodged in time, the consequences would have been disastrous.

"That was close!" Wen Lingyue exclaimed, feeling a little scared as she looked at the arrows deeply embedded in the stone wall.

Lu Xiuyuan also breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Wen Lingyue and said, "It seems that the mechanism here is indeed unusual. We must be more careful."

"It seems that some of those people were poisoned by the miasma, and some were injured by hidden weapons." Lu Xiuyuan observed the scattered bones and broken weapons around him and said in a deep voice, "We have come this far, and it is impossible to go back. We have no choice but to go on and see what secrets this secret passage hides."

Wen Lingyue nodded. She knew that Lu Xiuyuan was telling the truth. Now that she had embarked on this adventure, she could not turn back. Moreover, deep in her heart, she was full of curiosity and desire for adventure, wanting to uncover the truth of this mysterious secret passage.

The two continued to move forward, carefully avoiding various mechanisms and traps. The secret passage became narrower and narrower, and the air became increasingly hot and humid, as if there was an oppressive atmosphere hanging over their heads. But they did not stop, but walked forward more firmly.

Finally, the long and narrow passage ended in front of them. At the end of the passage, a small house appeared. This house was completely different from the surrounding stone walls, as if it was artificially carved out. The two walked into the house and found a large pool in the middle of the house that did not match it.

The pool had long since dried up, leaving only a pile of bones in the middle. The pile of bones was scattered in the middle of the pool, the upper body still looked like a human, but the lower body was barely pieced together like a fish's tail. This scene made Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue gasp at the same time.

"Could this be the corpse of the legendary South China Sea mermaid?" Wen Lingyue said in astonishment.

Lu Xiuyuan also revealed a solemn expression, "Someone actually raises mermaids here. They use the mermaids' beautiful singing voices to attract and seduce the monks, lure them into the passage and kill them. What a powerful method!"

They had heard of the legend of the South China Sea mermaids, a mysterious half-human, half-fish creature with a beautiful singing voice that could attract and confuse people. But now, they saw the corpse of this creature with their own eyes, and they couldn't help but feel a palpitation.

"Who is the master of this place? Why use such cruel means to kill these monks?" Wen Lingyue asked puzzledly. Her voice echoed in the stone chamber, filled with deep confusion and anger.

"Who is the master of this place? Why use such cruel means to kill these monks?" Wen Lingyue asked puzzledly. Her voice echoed in the empty stone chamber, filled with confusion and anger.

Lu Xiuyuan frowned and looked around with a deep gaze. "I'm not sure, but it must be related to the secret in this secret passage. We have to continue to investigate in depth to find the answer." His voice was firm and powerful, as if setting the tone for the next adventure.

He paused, and then continued, "When the moon shines in the South China Sea, pearls shed tears; when the sun shines in the Blue Field, jade emits smoke. According to legend, mermaids can shed tears, and their tears can turn into pearls. This kind of pearl is made of natural water spirit, and is a perfect water-repellent pearl. Not only can it be used to cultivate magic weapons, but even if you carry it on your body, it has the effect of lightening the body and calming the breath, and assisting in cultivation."

Lu Xiuyuan's voice was distant and mysterious, as if he was describing a fascinating legendary world for Wen Lingyue. He paused, a trace of yearning flashed in his eyes, and continued: "There is also a legend that mermaid fish oil can be used to make an ever-burning lamp. After an emperor died, thousands of pounds of mercury were used to form a river in his tomb, and mermaid lamps were used to make a sky full of stars. His coffin floated in the river, as if he was still patrolling his territory and the starry sky."

Wen Lingyue was deeply attracted by Lu Xiuyuan's words, as if she was in a mysterious and magnificent world. She couldn't help but ask: "Where did you hear these anecdotes?"

Lu Xiuyuan laughed and said lightly: "I also heard it from others." He did not directly answer Wen Lingyue's question, but the light in his eyes revealed his love and pursuit of these legends.

The two continued to explore the hut carefully, taking every step cautiously, eager to find more clues about this mysterious secret passage. Lu Xiuyuan's eyes swept across every inch of the stone wall, not missing any possible details, as if looking for some special mark or mechanism. Wen Lingyue followed him closely, with curiosity and exploration in her eyes. She kept looking at this mysterious place, her heart full of expectations for the unknown.

They passed through several stone chambers, each of which was empty. Apart from the obscure ancient runes on the stone walls, there seemed to be no other valuable clues. However, Lu Xiuyuan did not give up. He knew that the more ordinary a place seemed, the more likely it was to hide unknown secrets.

Just when they were about to lose their patience, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly stopped and fixed his eyes on an ordinary stone wall. There was an inconspicuous mark there, which could be easily overlooked if one did not observe carefully.

"Look here!" Lu Xiuyuan's voice revealed excitement that was hard to conceal.

Wen Lingyue heard this and immediately moved closer. She saw that the mark was actually an ancient rune. Although she didn't recognize this kind of rune, she could clearly feel the powerful power contained in it. That power seemed to be able to penetrate the stone wall and reach her heart.

"This is..." Wen Lingyue looked at Lu Xiuyuan in surprise, waiting for his answer.

Lu Xiuyuan took a deep breath and tried to calm his excitement. He carefully observed the rune, his eyes flashing with wisdom. "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the entrance to the next area."

Hearing this news, Wen Lingyue's eyes also flashed with excitement. They have gone through too many difficulties and challenges along the way, and now they finally see new hope.

The two wasted no time and immediately began to work together to study the rune. They tried to activate the rune by touching and sensing it to open the portal to the next area. However, after trying many methods, the rune still did not respond.

Just when the two were about to fall into despair, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly remembered something. He took out a mysterious jade pendant from his arms - it was the mysterious jade pendant he got from the Beidong statue in Beiya Cave. He always felt that this jade pendant had some mysterious connection with this secret passage.

He placed the jade pendant close to the rune on the stone wall, and then tapped it gently at a certain rhythm. Surprisingly, as he tapped, the rune began to glow and rotate. Then a dazzling light gate slowly appeared in front of them.

"Great! We succeeded!" Wen Lingyue couldn't help but cheer. Lu Xiuyuan also smiled with relief. "Let's go," he turned to Wen Lingyue and said, "Let's go to the next area to see what treasures are waiting for us there."

Wen Lingyue nodded in agreement. "Okay," she said, "Let's go explore the new world together!" So the two of them went through the dazzling light gate hand in hand.

The moment they passed through the light gate, a brand new world suddenly appeared before their eyes. It was an extremely vast hall, more like a small ecological kingdom than a house. The hall was lush with various strange plants, some of which were peculiar in shape and colorful, while others exuded a faint fragrance that made people feel relaxed and happy. There were even some creatures that Wen Lingyue had never seen before, wandering around in it, adding a bit of vitality and vigor to this mysterious hall.