Ch 1091 - Ch 1095
Chapter 1091: 1091
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Domain! If not because of your Domain, you'd just be a nobody, Mu Ningxue!" Hannah screamed hysterically .
Hannah had inflicted quite some damage on Mu Ningxue with her Lightning, yet it was still not enough to secure them the victory…
The group of them had failed to take out a single Maga . Hannah felt like she was going to breakdown mentally from the overwhelming shame .
The power of a Domain was unmatched . Having a Domain or not turned out to be the deciding factor in a battle between Advanced Mages . Hannah was extremely regretful that she did not try her best to get her own Domain .
If she actually had one, they would not have ended up in the current situation!
"I won't lose!" Hannah nursed a great grievance . She waved her lightning whip and pursued Mu Ningxue .
Ayleen immediately drew in the air rapidly with her finger upon seeing this!
A Water Curtain appeared, separating Hannah and Mu Ningxue .
Ayleen drew another spell again . The Water Curtain turned into a sphere enveloping Hannah . As the woman was using her lightning recklessly, the water immediately conducted the lightning right back to her .
Hannah had lost her calm . She simply assumed that the lightning would not do any harm to her, yet her hair totally stood up from the shock, and black smoke rose from her scorched body . She looked utterly miserable .
Mu Ningxue ignored the madwoman . She had a relieved smile when she saw Mo Fan coming toward her .
"We are all injured; should we leave, or continue?" Mu Ningxue asked .
They did not have a Healer with them, and they could not tell how long they would need to treat their injuries . If they stumbled into some other team in their current state, the team would surely rob them of their loot . If they decided to leave the place, they could still hold on to the loot they had acquired so far .
"Have we really gotten enough resources?" Mo Fan asked .
"There are surely places that aren't explored yet in this space . If we leave now, the rest of the teams are going to earn more than us," Ayleen said .
Ayleen was not too satisfied with the outcome . They had wasted too much of their energy in this battle, just to get a Soul-grade Seed . The loot was not really that impressive compared to the gold scattered across the place waiting to be discovered .
"Mu Ningxue and I aren't going back like this . Ayleen, if you want to leave, we'll split the loot with you," Mo Fan said .
Mo Fan was covered by wounds and bruises, the claw marks left by the undead, the burns from being attacked by spells of different Elements, and his face was covered in filth and smeared with blood…
He had won against six people, but his injuries were the price he paid . None of them would cost him his life, but they were certainly a burden . Some of the wounds had poison that would slowly spread and penetrate into his body . If he could not receive treatment in time, it would endanger his life . The medicine he brought along was only enough for some basic treatment…
"If we're thinking of staying, we'll need to find a Healer . Who's the Healer on your team?" Ayleen was not willing to give up and let the others claim the remaining loot .
"Oh, she's with the group that was scared away by Jack earlier," Mo Fan answered calmly .
Ayleen could only smile wryly .
"How about yours?" Mu Ningxue asked .
"That guy isn't trustworthy, either . How about this? We'll see if there's any Healer who's alone with the Observer Eagles, and we'll trade some loot with the Healer and ask the person to heal us…" Ayleen said .
"Mmm, that might work," Mo Fan nodded .
"What are we going to do after that?"
"We can no longer rob the others, as they are surely going to be on the alert by now…" Mo Fan said .
"There should be more loot hidden in remote places . Only students with a strong sense of smell and great experience when it comes to searching for treasure in the wild can find that loot," Ayleen said .
"Our team doesn't have a Finder like that . "
Finder was a common role in a group of Hunters . A group of Hunters roaming in the wild normally consisted of an experienced leader commanding the members in emergency situations; strong Fighters to battle against the demon creatures; a person that was good at healing teammates with medicine supply or a Healer; and a Finder with an impressive sense of smell, instinct, and experience, who was usually in charge of searching for the treasure that the others missed . It could be a spring, an ore vein, crystals, Elemental Seeds, herbs, or rare loot…
A capable Finder was the key factor to deciding the profit of a group of Hunters that set out on an expedition . As such, most groups would rather have a reliable Finder than strong Mages .
Since the Hunter Union was in charge of the treasure hunt, the places they hid the loot would surely be testing the skills of the students…
Mo Fan was a pure Fighter . He had acquired the title of Hunter Master through fighting alone, since his companion Lingling was an outstanding Finder and Commander .
Mo Fan believed if Lingling was here, they could easily find lots of treasure in a matter of seconds . Lingling's unmatched intelligence could make bold speculations from even the smallest clues, and her speculations had always been on point .
—
The three left quickly, not daring to stay at the lower reaches of the river any longer, since they had no idea if there was someone else hiding in the dark still .
After finding a remote place, Mo Fan sat below a cliff to treat his wounds .
The medicine he had brought was fairly expensive . Mo Fan even used the special ointment that Xinxia had given him . It was quite effective when he applied it to the wounds, but there were simply too many of them . The ointment was nowhere enough, and the medicine he bought from the marketplace was too ineffective…
"The wounds are worsening too . Damn it, I'm going to lose my arm at this rate," Mo Fan cursed .
Jack's scorpion had dealt the most damage to Mo Fan . He had only touched the creature's poison a little, yet it had already spread across Mo Fan's arm . If he could not find anyone to treat his arm soon, it would no longer be curable .
Mu Ningxue and Ayleen went ahead to take a bath . Both girls were obsessed with cleanliness and surely had the urge to clean themselves after the intense battle…
Some time later, the two girls regrouped with Mo Fan . Mu Ningxue was surprised to see Mo Fan, who was usually strong like an ox, had a pale face, with cold sweat on his forehead . She asked, "Your injuries are too serious, why don't we call it a day?"
Ayleen discovered that Mo Fan's palm had turned black . She quickly rolled up his sleeve .
The two girls were shocked to see Mo Fan's entire arm was black . The poison was worse than they thought!
"I can still hold on for a little longer, did you find a Healer?" Mo Fan asked .
"I did, but the Healer is quite special," Ayleen said .
Ayleen had been controlling the Observer Eagles to fly in all directions . She had been expending the energy of her Psychic Element to acquire information from different corners in the space .
"How special?" Mo Fan asked .
"The guy hasn't fought since the start of the treasure hunt . He simply found an obvious spot and set up a booth to sell his services," Ayleen said helplessly .
"A booth?"
"Yeah . "
"You can really find all kinds of birds in a huge forest . I have to say, that guy is pretty smart, too . He knew that since every team is split up when the people are teleported here, many participants would eventually be injured, and would have a hard time finding their Healer…" Mo Fan shook his head with a wry smile .
If a Mage was unable to treat their injuries in time, their strength would decline rapidly . Meanwhile, time was of the essence in a treasure hunt like this . No one was willing to let the injuries be a burden to them . They would be more than willing to pay just to get their injuries treated… it was true that wherever there were fights, there would be a business opportunity too! Mo Fan wondered which country was the Healer from, since the person was bold enough to open up a private clinic to make some great profit in the middle of the treasure hunt!
—
—
On a mountain, a huge roar echoed into the sky!
"Asshole, even us bandits weren't so black-hearted!"
"Mo Fan, clam down, calm down, let's just pay the money . The poison is too deadly, a normal Healer might struggle to heal you too," Ayleen tried to convince Mo Fan .
If they did not stop Mo Fan, he would really take the black-hearted doctor down with himself .
Mo Fan had totally lost his temper .
Getting healed once was going to cost him a hundred million!
One hundred million!
Mo Fan had never heard anyone asking for a hundred million just to heal his injuries . He simply had the urge to blast the asshole's skull open with a bolt of lightning!
"Friend, calm down, just calm down, it's only one hundred million, and I can guarantee that you'll fully recover from your injuries . I believe you can easily earn a hundred million from the treasure hunt . Why do you even bother making things difficult for a small business like me? You have to understand that I have to endure the shame of being looked down upon by the world, too . It's not easy for me," the Healer from Sweden was surprisingly proficient in different languages . He was extremely fluent in Chinese!
"Not easy my ass! Ten million at most; treat my injuries now, or I'll rob you too!" Mo Fan said impatiently .
"Mo Fan, I really respect you, I watched your match against the Spanish team . I'm well aware of how strong you are, and I believe you're one of the strongest in this World College Tournament . However, to be honest with you, acting on impulse won't do you any good . The reason I've asked you to stay a certain distance away was because I've set up a barrier . Even the strongest Advanced Mage would need more than four seconds to break through the barrier, and within the four seconds, I can crush the teleporting scroll and run away . Judging by your injuries, you'll need to use the teleporting scroll soon too… in other words, let's not make it difficult for the both of us!" the Sweden Healer, named Tony, replied calmly .
It was not like Mo Fan did not have the money, but he found it extremely unfair when he learned the plump Healer was able to earn so much money when all he did was sit here and cast a few Healing Spells, while his Fan Xue Bandit Group had to work so hard!
"I just find you too much of an eyesore, I don't care if the both of us are going to be disqualified, since I've already earned quite a lot," Mo Fan was as stubborn as an ox .
The guy was out of his mind . If healing someone actually cost a hundred million, he could easily carry Xinxia, who was now a Healer of the Parthenon Temple, around instead of trying to make a living by putting his life in danger!
"Don't be like that, we're all trying to survive in our own way, we all want to make a profit… How about this, I can heal you for free," Tony said .
"No but," Mo Fan harrumphed coldly .
The Sweden Healer grinned like a mischievous businessman, "But, I'll make a deal with you . I've learned some interesting information from the last group of people that came to me, and I believe someone like you will be very interested in it…"
The man continued when he did not receive any response, "Do you know that the Hunter Union has actually prepared something huge for the treasure hunt, like hiding a huge diamond in a pile of gold sand, waiting for someone to dig it out?"
Chapter 1092: 1092
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mo Fan looked at Mu Ningxue, Mu Ningxue looked at Ayleen, and Ayleen pondered for a moment before she finally said, "I did hear something about it, but I'm not too sure, either . "
"Hehe, so it turns out that you guys are the well-behaved ones . The truth is, before the treasure hunt, many students were collecting information about the greatest treasure through their factions or third parties, since any information will give them a head start over the others . Some teams did not even bother searching for the other treasures after the treasure hunt started . They are all focusing on finding the greatest treasure," the plump businessman from Sweden went on .
"Does that mean the treasure is more valuable than everything else?" Mo Fan said excitedly .
"Absolutely!" Tony chuckled . His eyes would occasionally sweep across Mu Ningxue and Ayleen in a perverted way .
"Say, do you know where this treasure is?" Mo Fan asked .
"I only know something about it, I only learned it from eavesdropping on the team that came to me . They weren't aware that I'm a Sound Mage," Tony chuckled .
Mo Fan looked at the man . He was having trouble understanding why a plump, greedy man like Tony was a representative of the Swedish team, when most of their members looked well-educated with an imposing appearance . Somehow, whenever the man smiled, Mo Fan had a strong urge to beat him up!
"So tell us about it…" Mo Fan said .
"Everyone likes good stuff, and my small business here isn't going to bring me much profit, so I was thinking, if you're willing to help me get the treasure, I'll split the profits with you . Of course, as your teammate, I'll be more than happy to heal your injuries for free…" Tony smiled .
"So how are you going to split the profit?" it was what Mo Fan cared about the most .
"I'll be taking half of the profit, and you can split the rest however you want," Tony said .
"Then I guess I would prefer to disqualify the both of us," Mo Fan summoned a flame with his other hand and waved it in front of Tony .
"(sigh) Why do you always have to use violence? We can negotiate further if you don't agree…" Tony obviously did not want Mo Fan to force him to use the teleporting scroll, since he had not earned as much as he had hoped for .
"If you join us, it means our team is going to have four people . Once we acquire the treasure, we'll split the profit evenly!" Mo Fan said .
"Brother Mo Fan, don't you know the person with the information is supposed to take… alright, we'll do it your way, but you all will have to try your best to retrieve the treasure . Since it's the greatest treasure that the Hunter Union has prepared, it's going to be difficult to secure it if we don't work together . Besides, we're competing against other maniacs too, who won't hesitate to fight us over the slightest conflict," Tony said .
"That's more like it, you should just have said that right from the start, look at the time we've wasted," Mo Fan lowered the fist that he was initially going to throw out . He glanced at Ayleen and said, "Sign a contract with him with the Psychic Element, just in case he's trying to set us up . "
Ayleen nodded . They could not guarantee that the cunning Mage was not plotting against them, thus it was necessary to sign a Spirit Contract .
A Spirit Contract was fairly simple . It involved a Psychic Mage planting a Psychic Spell in the mind of the person after obtaining their consent . The spell would only activate when the person violated their promise . Only those from the ancient, renowned clans in England like Ayleen knew how to cast the spell . Not every Psychic Mage had learned it .
"If you lied to us, or do anything to betray the team, the Spirit Contract will reveal your location to me, meaning that I can hunt you down no matter where you run to," Ayleen warned Tony .
"Don't judge a book by its cover! I've sincerely offered you a chance to be rich, and I do understand the importance of teamwork . I won't go against my own words!" Tony said seriously .
—
Tony did resolve the desperate situation that the trio was in by joining the team .
Despite how unreliable the man seemed to be, his Healing Spells were fairly impressive . Mo Fan's hand that needed to be healed recovered in no time under the man's Healing Spells .
Mu Ningxue and Ayleen fully recovered from their injuries, too . The trio soon found themselves in healthy condition . As for their energy that was depleted, they could only wait patiently for it to regenerate .
Tony's primary Element was Healing, his second Element was Sound, and his third Element was Poison . He had managed to obtain useful information from the people that asked him to treat their injuries, including the information about the greatest treasure .
"I heard it's located in a lake valley . Unfortunately, I haven't been exploring, so I have no idea where it's at," Tony said .
"Can you find it, Ayleen?" Mu Ningxue asked .
"I'll need some time, you guys can meditate to try and recover some energy while I look for the place that Tony mentioned," Ayleen said .
This time, Ayleen did not try to get the information from the Observer Eagles . She simply cast Mind Control and turned every Observer Eagle nearby into her eyes . She ordered the Observer Eagles to fly in different directions and transmit the images they were seeing to her!
Mo Fan saw Ayleen's pupils flickering rapidly, as if she was observing different views like a projection of slides…
It was Mo Fan's first time seeing someone using Psychic Magic in such a manner . However, Mo Fan had to admit that it was very practical, since it allowed the Psychic Mage to acquire lots of information about the demon creatures' territory across a huge area .
Ayleen could only control twelve Observer Eagles at the same time . The Observer Eagles continued to fly into the distance, and Ayleen maintained her focus on the views that the Observer Eagles were providing .
—
Some time later, after Mo Fan had recovered more than half of his energy, he heard Ayleen waking them up .
Tony had almost fallen asleep . He rubbed his eyes and said, "Great Duchess Ayleen, have you found the lake?"
"I've checked many places, but I think the only place that fits the description is toward the end of that mountain range . The whole place consists of valleys, creeks, basins, and ravines, but there's no sign of water . There's nothing there that resembles a lake, but there is a black miasma floating above the place . When I tried sending an Observer Eagle to go through the miasma to investigate the place, it died instantly… I can't tell if it's the place we're looking for," Ayleen said .
"I remember, now that you've mentioned it… those people said they have to find a safe entrance because the place is shrouded by some natural, poisonous miasma… I think it's the place we're looking for!" Tony said .
"Are you sure?" Mo Fan asked .
"Yeah, I'm fairly curious at the start too, because the place they were describing didn't sound like a lake to me, either . A lake must be filled with water, but none of them mentioned the water . They kept mentioning the poisonous miasma instead . I initially thought the miasma was preventing them from entering the lake valley, but now that I think about it, the miasma might be looming over the valley . I believe it's the place we're looking for!' Tony claimed confidently .
"It's quite a distance from where we are now, and we can't stay in this space for much longer . Let's make our way there at once," said Ayleen .
"Sure!"
—
Without further ado, the four immediately headed for the valley that Ayleen found .
The mountain range did not seem huge, but as they were sprinting across it, they realized that the space had been compressed . As they traveled to the end of the mountain range, they finally saw a huge sunken area covered by a thick, black miasma, and from afar, it did resemble a black lake…
The black miasma lake was not the usual, flat lake formed in a basin . Some of its areas were flat, some consisted of narrow cracks, and some were separated into pieces by the mountain tops . The giant lake was connected to a small lake that flowed like a river along the mountain . The sunken area was made up of lakes of different sizes joined together, and they had all dried up . It was quite a spectacular view as they were looking down from the top of the mountain!
"It's such complicated terrain; it's like scooping up a needle in the ocean trying to find the treasure here!" Mo Fan was lost in thought as he glanced across the place .
"The people of the Hunter Union wouldn't come up with an unsolvable question . I'm sure there are hints down there, but the question is, how are we supposed to go down there with such a thick, poisonous miasma lingering above it?" Ayleen said .
"Hehe, have you forgotten what my Elements are? Poison is nothing but a mere appetizer to me!" Tony chuckled .
Tony found a relatively gradual slope leading down to the valley . The poisonous miasma was floating at a certain altitude . Speaking of which, it was weird that the miasma was only staying at that height, and it did resemble the calm water of a lake…
However, it was obvious that the valley under the miasma was their destination!
"Come, I'll open up a gap, it's only going to last a few seconds . Let's head down there," Tony was pretty quick with his actions . He immediately opened up a gap in the layer of poisonous fog .
The others quickly followed Tony through the gap . To their surprise, the space under the poison mist was a lot bigger than they thought…
The layer of poisonous mist was around three meters thick, but the four kept sliding down the slope and eventually reached some muddy ground at the bottom after traveling for more than eighty meters!
Mo Fan only raised his head after reaching the bottom . He glanced at the miasma high up that had blocked off most of the sunlight, and his heart was soon filled with terror . It felt like he had fallen to the pitch-black bottom of a deep ocean, and he was surrounded by icy darkness full of the unknown!
Chapter 1093: 1093
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"This place really gives me the creeps," Mo Fan had been to quite a few spooky places so far, yet he still felt uncomfortable coming down here, implying that the Poisonous Miasma Lake Valley was indeed scary in its own way .
Ayleen and Mu Ningxue did not seem to enjoy the scenery too . Their breathings were heavier, as the place was indeed very creepy as Mo Fan had mentioned . They were surrounded by pitch-black mountain walls, and the paths were narrow and craggy .
Most importantly, the poisonous miasma was looming above them . According to Tony, if he had not opened up the gap, an Advanced Mage could only survive a few seconds in it . The poisonous miasma was like a natural barrier protecting the pitch-black valley, so they could not imagine what kind of eerie creatures would be here .
Even Mo Fan had a bad feeling about it . He suddenly suspected that the Hunter Union was trying to get the participants killed by hiding the treasure in such a place . The Observer Eagles were unable to see through the poisonous miasma, and if anything happened, he was no longer confident that the teleporting scrolls would be able to bring them out of this place!
To their relief, Ayleen had the Light Element . Otherwise, Mo Fan would really have struggled to find the courage to advance in such a sinister place, without any light to guide them .
"Tony, where do we go now?" Mo Fan glanced ahead with the help of the light that Ayleen had brought forth .
"I heard them mention the treasure is located at the Seven Serpents Dragon Pond . I was standing high up observing the valley before, and I did find a small lake formed by seven rivers . From afar, it did resemble seven giant serpents surrounding a pond . I believe that must be our destination, so I've purposely kept track of our whereabouts . I'm confident that this is the right way . Come, we're about to be the brightest stars in the treasure hunt!" Tony said confidently .
Tony had mentioned that the Poison Miasma Lake Valley was like a world sealed off by the layer of poisonous mist, and the miasma closer to the center was thicker than in the rest of the places . It might be ten, or even twenty meters thick . Therefore, it was impossible to fly in and drop down right on their destination . Even a Ruler-level creature would die trying to traverse the poisonous miasma if it was over ten meters thick .
Therefore, the only way to the center was reaching the bottom from the edge of the miasma, and slowly making their way to the center through the darkness at the bottom!
Since the whole lake floor was immersed in darkness, it felt like they had fallen into a complicated maze . As such, the wise move was to observe the place from high above and use the mountain tops, ridges, and walls that were higher than the poisonous mists as landmarks to remind them where they were .
Mo Fan had to admit that this place was a lot spookier than the demon creatures' territories he had been to before . At the same time, he was even more confused…
However, humans would die for riches, just as birds would die for food . Since they had already come, there was no turning back now . They could only follow Tony as he led them to the Seven Serpents Dragon Pond!
—
—
To the south of the mountain range, two men wearing white robes with golden silk were riding their flying beasts close to the shore of the lake . They were looking down at the poisonous miasma shrouding the sunken area .
"Damn it, we came as quick as we could, but those students still went down before we could stop them!"
"We have to alert the governor about it . "
"It hasn't been too long since they went down there . Let's head down there now and find them," one of the Mages proposed .
"How are we going to make it to the bottom? We can't even drive the poisonous miasma away . The terrain down there is extremely complicated . Even if it's only been ten minutes, it's unlikely that we can track them down… damn it, why didn't anyone tell them they aren't supposed to go down there!?"
——
The stadium in Venice…
Fabio, the governor of Venice, was wearing a black Jazz hat pulled down to his face, only revealing his tall nose bridge and sharp chin .
A judge came and said to Governor Fabio seriously, "Governor, four students have gone into the Poison Curtain Lake Valley . "
"Didn't we already appoint two assistant judges to guard that place so that the participants wouldn't go in there?" Fabio frowned .
"The two assistant judges happened to see some students injured nearby, so they went to lend a hand . They didn't expect the four students to go into the valley while they were away," the judge said .
"How long has it been?" Governor Fabio asked .
"Around twenty minutes . "
"My God, can they still make it back? Tell the advisors of those students the truth right now!" Fabio ordered .
Not long after, a few advisors of the English, Chinese, and Swedish teams were informed of the matter . They gathered at the governor's location .
The Chinese team had sent Han Ji . He was looking grim . He initially thought Mo Fan and the others would return from the treasure hunt after their intense battle, yet not only did they stay in the treasure hunt, they ended up entering a forbidden area!
The place was beyond the bounds of the stage that the Hunter Union had drawn for the treasure hunt . Many people had raised objections of using the place as the stage for the treasure hunt, mainly because there were lots of areas that were not fully explored yet . The mysterious valley shrouded by the poisonous miasma was considered to be the most dangerous among them!
-Did Mo Fan seriously have to go to a place like that?…-
"Isn't someone going to explain to us what's going on? Are we just going to remain silent?" an old English Mage named Paulson snapped furiously .
"It's indeed our fault that the assistant judges didn't manage to stop the students… but if it wasn't for your student Ayleen controlling the Observer Eagles, we would have learned what they were up to earlier and prevented it from happening . I've organized all Hunters that are familiar with the place to form a rescue team, but it might take them some time to reach the place . Let's just hope the kids don't venture too far into the valley," Governor Fabio said .
"Mister Governor… there's one other thing that we just discovered . " Another judge arrived in a hurry . He was hesitant to speak when he saw the representatives of the other countries .
"Just say it!" Governor Fabio ordered sharply .
"Another group also went into the valley before them, led by Senior Hunter Felmon's nephew, Kelly!"
"What?!…" Fabio was stunned .
The faces of Han Ji, Paulson, and the representative of the Swedish team sank upon hearing this .
What were they doing? They had already allowed two teams to enter a dangerous area that was not meant to be part of the treasure hunt . Their lack of responsibility was unacceptable!
"Ask Felmon to come here, now!" Governor Fabio demanded .
Senior Hunter Felmon was the main organizer of the treasure hunt . He was responsible for finalizing the stage for the treasure hunt . If his nephew Kelly was involved, things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface!
—
Not long after, Senior Hunter Felmon arrived . He was astounded when he learned that two groups of participants had entered the Poison Curtain Lake Valley .
"Are you sure my nephew Kelly is the one leading them?" Felmon asked quickly .
"Yes, it's indeed him, and judging from the information we've gathered through the Observer Eagles, Kelly's team headed for the Poison Curtain Lake Valley first, and the group of four seemed to be following their trail…" the judge informed him .
Felmon had a puzzled look . He stayed quiet for some time .
A while later, Felmon said, "I believe Kelly must have mistaken it as the place where the grand treasure is . "
"Senior Hunter, what do you mean by that?" Fabio asked .
"Basically, I researched the areas that were used for the treasure hunt in the past when I was finalizing the options here . I learned that this space was used as the stage for the treasure hunt during the World College Tournament over thirty years ago . I did thorough research on it, and figured out that the twisted space is indeed quite suitable to be used as a stage for the treasure hunt . "
"The truth is, a long time ago, the place used to be just a normal lake . The place is quite huge too, but for some reason, the lake dried up due to the presence of some strange energy . The water vapor lingered in the air above the lake and absorbed some deadly poison over a long period, and eventually turned into the poison curtain that only a few people could get close to . "
"The poison curtain was already there during the World College Tournament thirty-two years ago . The organizers had hidden the grand treasure in the lake valley, since it was meant to be hidden at a relatively difficult spot . The main organizer didn't want the students to find it so easily, so he decided to hide the treasure in the lake valley . No one found the treasure in the end," Senior Hunter Felmon said .
"But I'm afraid the Poison Curtain Lake Valley is going to be a lot more dangerous compared to thirty years ago?" Han Ji asked .
Han Ji was actually quite shocked… the reason being that, he used to be one of the participants when the space was used as the stage for the treasure hunt back then! It had been thirty-two years, meaning that this World College Tournament was the sixteenth after the one he participated in!
"But there's something you wouldn't know… the grand treasure of the treasure hunt thirty-two years ago was never retrieved!" Felmon continued .
Han Ji was startled . -Never been retrieved?-
Impossible, the grand treasure was usually extremely valuable, since it was the greatest prize in the second round of the World College Tournament . It simply did not make sense that the organizer did not retrieve it even if the participants failed to find it!
Han Ji still remembered that the loot during the treasure hunt was quite shocking, as he had improved greatly with the resources he had acquired during the treasure hunt . It allowed him to achieve great things, eventually granting him the opportunity to achieve the Super Level . Therefore, the grand treasure thirty-two years was surely something valuable too!
"I did ask someone who was a judge back then . He told me that it's not because they forgot to retrieve it, but because they weren't able to retrieve it!"
"The poison curtain had become extremely deadly in just a few days, forming a barrier that no one could break through . On the other hand, it's extremely challenging to enter the valley from the edge of the poison curtain and look for the treasure . A few people that went to retrieve the treasure died! A Super Mage also went, but he almost died after losing his way inside the valley…in the end, the treasure has been left there for thirty-two years . I believe my nephew Kelly must have looked at the information when I was organizing the stage, and mistook it for the place where the grand treasure is!"
Chapter 1094
Chapter 1094: A Hole Worn Down by Dripping Blood
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
—
—
"Look, they must have left those water bottles behind . What did I say? They won't be too far ahead . We are definitely on the right track . Have some more faith in me, will you? Besides, if it wasn't for me, you guys would have no idea where to find the treasure, either!," Tony said happily .
They had been walking along the pitch-black valley for some time, and they had seen lots of forking paths . They were starting to feel uncomfortable, as they were afraid they were walking to their deaths .
Luckily, they did discover traces of the other group . Otherwise, they all had the urge to retreat!
"Speaking of which, do all Sound Mages have sharp ears?" Mo Fan was suddenly intrigued by Tony's Sound Element .
"What does it have anything to do with our ears? Ever heard of bats? They use echoes to learn their surroundings . Similarly, those of us with the Sound Element don't necessarily have sharp ears, but we can interpret our surroundings with sonic waves, too . My Sound Element is pretty good at searching for living things, so just follow me and you'll be fine . I can perfectly avoid the creatures here…" Tony said .
Among the Elements, the Sound Element had the strongest senses . They could capture the slightest movement a few kilometers away with sound waves . If the Sound Element was not one of the rarest Elements, most Hunter groups would surely want to have a Sound Mage among them, since they could easily learn where demon creatures were, determine if a path was leading to a dead-end, or track down a target easily!
—
Silent, the whole place was deadly silent . Mo Fan could not hear a single thing, yet Tony kept saying that Kelly's group was just ahead of them .
Mo Fan was rather confused too . Normally, there would be some rare demon creatures in such a pitch-black environment . After all, the poisonous miasma looming over the place was the perfect breeding ground for many dark or poisonous creatures . They could easily breed a few generations here…
However, they had yet to see a single demon creature after coming so far, not even the smallest worm or bug . They could only hear their footsteps on the muddy ground… but the quieter it was, the stronger the bad feelings they had were!
"It seems like we'll reach it soon . The journey was a lot smoother than I expected," Tony chuckled to the others .
"They are still holding onto the treasure . We can't go back empty-handedly after tailing them for so long, right?" Ayleen said .
"Of course not; it's obvious that we're going to rob them . The three of you have robbed so many teams, so one more won't hurt!" Tony agreed .
"You really know a lot, don't you?"
"If I didn't, why would I be willing to share the information with you… mmm? They seem to be fighting something," Tony straightened his face and leaned against the wall to focus on listening to the noises ahead .
Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, and Ayleen kept quiet . Even they could hear some noises coming from ahead in the lake valley…
The problem was, it did not sound like a fight to Mo Fan .
"Is the Seven Serpents Dragon Pond right ahead?" Mu Ningxue asked .
"Mm, it's just past the two walls . Strange, why is it quiet all of a sudden?" Tony said .
Mo Fan frowned . He smelled blood coming from ahead . The scent was stronger than usual .
Mo Fan felt that something was not right after a while . He immediately said, "Fatty, what did you hear?"
"I couldn't tell . Let's move forward, it's not too far anyway," Tony said .
The group of four started moving forward . They initially planned to wait until the other group secured the treasure before they snatched it away by utilizing the dim environment, but for some reason, they no longer heard any sounds from the other team…
—
"I'll summon some light!" Ayleen said .
The place ahead was the Seven Serpents Dragon Pond that Tony mentioned . It was a fairly deep pond, since it had seven rivers flowing to it . If there was still water, the pond would surely be incredibly deep!
The light dimly lit up the surrounding area . The air was rather cloudy . Their vision was very limited even with the light . It felt like they were holding a little torch, and the furthest they could see was a few meters away…
The path gradually became more spacious . They were currently at the bottom of the pond, the poisonous miasma above them over ten meters thick .
"Where did they go?" Mu Ningxue glanced around in the pitch-black bottom of the lake, yet she did not see any sign of the other team .
"Tony, they weren't even here, were you trying to trick us?" Ayleen asked furiously .
Tony blushed immediately and said, "That's impossible! I swear I heard them talking… they were right here, how were they gone so quickly?"
Mo Fan, who was slightly more courageous went to the center of the pond . He noticed a huge shadow looming over the place in the faint light . He was quite scared at first glance, as he thought it belonged to a monster, but after a closer look, he realized it was the shadow of a boulder with an odd shape…
Mo Fan saw a box covered in dust close to the boulder . The box was clearly man-made, and the decorations on it were in the Italian style .
"Did I just find the treasure so easily?" Mo Fan was quite surprised .
He was not in a rush to open the box . He flipped the box over and gasped when he saw a bloody handprint on it!
-The handprint… it's still fresh!-
The blood had not dried yet, meaning that it had been left on the box mere moments ago!
"Watch out!" Mo Fan warned the others .
Ayleen and Mu Ningxue regrouped with Mo Fan instantly, and observed their surroundings on full alert . Tony was frightened by how serious Mo Fan was, and quickly hid between the three .
"What…what's going on?" Tony asked in a trembling voice .
"We've found the treasure, but I'm afraid the person that was holding it just then is in deep trouble!" Mo Fan flipped the box over and showed the handprint to the others .
Tony's face instantly turned pale when he saw the bloody handprint . He said nervously, "I wasn't able to hear them just then… does…does that mean…"
Drip, drip, drip…
A clear sound came from the side all of a sudden . It sounded like water drops falling to the ground .
Mo Fan looked up at the boulder and saw liquid dripping continuously into a hole on it .
Ayleen had noticed it, too . She cast a Brilliant Light to light the place up, including the liquid that was dropping onto the boulder… and it turned out to be bright red!
The liquid was none other than fresh blood!
The viscous blood was dropping onto the boulder at a constant rate . Most shockingly, the top of the boulder where the blood was falling onto had fully caved in, as if it was a huge bowl .
A hole worn down by dripping blood!
For some reason, a terrifying thought crossed Mo Fan's mind .
There was a saying that even the smallest drops of water would eventually wear out a rock if they continued to fall over a long period . After realizing that the top of the boulder where the blood was falling was the only part that had caved in, Mo Fan immediately assumed that the boulder had only caved in after blood drops had been falling on it for a very long time!
The question was, how long and how much blood would it take to wear down such a huge boulder?
"There…there are people hanging above us!" Tony shivered in fear, even his voice sounded different .
The light slowly rose, allowing them to look higher up . However, they immediately witnessed a shocking sight . A few people, not sure if they were dead or alive, were hanging upside down above the boulder, and the blood was dropping from one of them!
"It's Kelly and his team!" Ayleen said .
"Are they dead?" Mu Ningxue was shocked too . Where was the thing that hung them up like sausages?
"Let's leave this place!" Mo Fan frowned . He was deadly serious .
"So we're just going to leave them?" Ayleen was still trying to learn the truth, yet Mo Fan was already leaving the Seven Serpents Dragon Pond .
Mu Ningxue did not say a word . She quickly followed Mo Fan . Tony had almost wet his pants, and had no intention to stay behind either .
Ayleen bit her lips and withdrew the light . She quickly left with the others .
Mo Fan was walking quickly, as if he did not even want to stay a second more in that place . Mu Ningxue rarely saw Mo Fan in such a panic…
"Fatty, lead the way!" Mo Fan urged .
Tony walked in front and brought the three toward the exit .
After some time, Ayleen who was deeply troubled finally spoke, "Are…are they all dead?"
"Yeah, they were all dead," Mo Fan nodded firmly .
"I didn't hear their heartbeats, either," Tony turned around and said .
Ayleen was lost for words . Her face seemed puzzled and troubled .
"What exactly happened to them?" Ayleen said .
"I don't want to know," Mo Fan replied .
It was not like Mo Fan had suddenly lost his courage, nor was he so cold-blooded that he did not bother checking if the people were dead or not, but it was very easy to speculate what happened by considering the details…
Kelly and his group were all members of national teams . The fact that his group had all died so quickly, without any scream or sound, meant the creature in that place was a few levels stronger than them!
How could they possibly stand a chance against a creature like that?
Mo Fan was an adventurous man, but he was no fan of death, and even he felt threatened in the terrifying Seven Serpents Dragon Pond . He felt a great sense of death from the darkness above him!
Mo Fan strongly believed that the creature that had murdered Kelly and his group was right above them!