Ch 18: Entering The Cave

It was the day!

Today, Eryx left the Silver Moon Sect with Lin Ning'er. They were going to the White Cloud City.

Unlike the previous time, Lin Ning'er was carrying a sword and a whip with her. She also had a storage bag hanging down her waist, however, it was not eye-catching, for it was hidden beneath a layer of cloth.

On the other hand, Eryx's storage bag was hidden under his robe.

Before long, they could see the sight of big city walls. Because they were far away, people appeared tiny.

"There they are!"

As they closed the distance, Leon and Mira soon appeared within their line of sight. They were clearly waiting for them.

Lin Ning'er and Eryx walked to Leon and Mira, who greeted them. Before Leon could ask anything, Lin Ning'er said two simple words: "Let's go!"

A wide smile appeared on Leon's face. There was no need for another word. Everyone soon left the city and entered the forest, walking eastward.

This forest was called the Dark Iron Forest. The name was so because this forest only produces one mineral, and that is Dark Iron. Even the soil of this forest is mixed with Dark Iron.

Dark Iron might not be a high-level material, but it can still be used to create equipment, weapons, and other items of Ordinary and Profound Rank. People even use Dark Irons to create doors, secret vaults, and several other things.

Due to even soil having a high percentage of Dark Iron, people were strictly forbidden from taking away soil without authorization. This forest was under the jurisdiction of White Cloud City and the neighboring Black Cloud City. They control everything about this forest.

Of course, people were not forbidden from entering and exiting the forest. They were allowed to hunt, look for herbs, and do whatever they wanted inside this forest. They were only forbidden from taking out Dark Iron.

The point worth noting is that the soil of this forest is only one of many sources of Dark Iron.

As for why this forest can produce an unlimited amount of Dark Iron, no one knows. It is a mystery no one has solved since the Dark Iron was discovered.

Dark Iron Forest was huge, covering an area of tens of thousands of miles. Inside this forest, there were several mountains, one of which was the location of the Silver Moon Sect.

In the east, however, was only one tall mountain. This mountain was called Hundred Beast Mountain. This was where the Hundred Beasts' Cave was located.

Currently, hundreds of people can be seen gathered in front of a cave, which is also the entrance to the Hundred Beasts' Cave.

Some courageous people entered the cave and many were hesitating.

Just the rumors about the dangers of Hundred Beasts' Cave were enough to stop even Golden Core Realm warriors from entering, let alone those Core Formation Realm warriors and below.

Among the people who already entered the cave and were entering, the majority came from powerful forces.

Two days ago, the news about the appearance of Dragon Rain Herb inside the Hundred Beasts' Cave had already spread everywhere. Even if some forces didn't believe the rumors, they still sent their people to explore the cave.

Even Red, Blue, and Green Dragon Towers sent a few people. Each of them had sent two Golden Core Realm warriors. All of them were young, about eighteen or nineteen years old.

The two people from Red Dragon Tower had arrogant expressions on their faces. They were haughty and saw themselves above everyone else.

The two people from Blue Dragon Tower had indifferent attitudes. They were standing alone, not bothering with anyone.

The two people from Green Dragon Tower had mischievous smiles on their faces. However, no one can see them. It was as if they had fused with shadows of surrounding objects. Although no one can see them, their eyes were filled with killing intent that was well-controlled and hidden.

It was at this moment that Eryx's group arrived.

Truth be told, among everyone ready to enter and explore the Hundred Beasts' Cave, Eryx was the weakest.

Other than him, the weakest of all were First Layer Core Formation Realm warriors.

"There are so many people here. What do think we should do? Should we enter the cave directly or wait?" Lin Ning'er frowned and asked.

Leon looked at the people present and then turned to face the cave's entrance. Thinking for a few seconds, he opened his mouth, "As expected, after the words of Dragon Rain Herb spread, people have started coming to explore the Hundred Beasts' Cave. But this wouldn't affect us, so there is no need to wait. Let's enter directly."

Everyone nodded and stepped forward. Leon was in the front, followed by Lin Ning'er and Mira. Eryx was at the back of the group. The four of them walked to the entrance, stopped for a moment, then entered resolutely.

They did attract some attention, but none of them thought anything. After all, warriors were entering the cave occasionally. Eryx's group was just one of many.

As they entered, a long tunnel appeared before them. They could see the tunnel stretching out far in front of them, disappearing into the distance. It felt like the tunnel would never end. The air inside was cool, and it smelled damp, like a place that had been untouched for a long time.

The tunnel wasn't completely dark though. There was a soft pale light coming from crystals placed along the walls. The crystals were glowing faintly, just enough to see where they were walking. The light from the crystals was not very bright, but it helped them see clearly enough. The walls of the tunnel were rough. They appeared to be made of stone, and the ground under their feet was uneven, with patches of moss growing here and there.

The air was still and quiet inside. The only sounds were their footsteps echoing through the tunnel, as if the cave was alive and listening to them.

They walked for a few minutes, but the tunnel didn't seem to end. It kept stretching on and on. The further they went, the darker it got, but the glow of the crystals kept them from getting lost in complete darkness. There were no other signs of life, no sounds except for their own movements.

Then, after walking for what felt like a long time, the narrow tunnel began to open up. The walls of the tunnel started to widen, and the space in front of them grew larger. The group stopped for a moment and looked around.

Before them, a large, open area appeared. It was much bigger than the tunnel they had just walked through. The space felt huge, and the air was cooler here. The ground was smooth, but there were cracks in the stone that ran across the floor. The ceiling was high above them, and they could see large stalactites hanging down like sharp teeth.

The group didn't step into this spacious area immediately. They remain standing at the mouth that opened up in front of them, looking around. At the same time, everyone felt a strange sense of wonder and unease.

"This place feels... strange,"

It was Eryx.

The moment they came to this place where the tunnel suddenly opened up into a large area, he felt strange. He could not define how he felt, he just knew what he felt was bizarre. He looked around, trying to find the source of this sensation he just felt.

Unfortunately, he found nothing.

Finally, everyone looked at each other and nodded.

The group stepped forward and entered the large area.

After stepping into the large open area, Lin Ning'er turned to Leon and asked, "So, what now?"

Leon thought for a moment and said, "Let's keep walking. We need to pass through three more open areas like this one."

At the far end of the space, they could see another tunnel leading forward. Their goal was to reach that tunnel, but something felt off. Everyone had a strange and uneasy feeling in their hearts, as if something was very wrong.

As they started walking, the air suddenly started growing heavier. The silence in the cave became more unsettling. The faint glow from the crystals on the walls seemed dimmer all of a sudden.

"Grrrr~"

Unexpectedly, they heard a low growl echoing through the space.

"What was that?"

Everyone was stunned and hurriedly looked around, only to find nothing. But that sound still sent shivers down their spines.

They no longer moved. They stopped and continued to look around. But no matter how they tried to find something, they failed to see anything.

In the end, they started walking again. But as they walked, the sensation of danger suddenly rose in their hearts. They felt like danger was walking towards them step by step, closing the gap between them.

And then, in the next minute, glowing eyes appeared from the dark areas. They didn't have to wait even a few seconds when one pair after another, several glowing eyes appeared in their view.

Soon, they were surrounded by dozens of such pairs of eyes.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The sounds of light footsteps echoed in the air, and they, the owners of those eyes appeared in everyone's sight.