Chapter 369 The Mysterious Place

Early in the morning, Li Xi took Hong Ying to the dense forest where the scout had gone missing.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled patterns on the winding path, adding a touch of mystery and unease to the deep, secluded forest.

Li Xi gripped the longsword tightly in her hand, the tip of the sword lightly touching the ground, each step she took was extremely cautious.

As they ventured deeper, the fog around them grew thicker, blurring their vision, forcing them to slow their pace.

After walking through the woods, a valley came into view, shrouded in mist, like a fairyland, yet with a touch of eeriness.

Unidentified bird calls and animal roars echoed through the valley, seemingly warning others not to trespass.

“Grandmother, the atmosphere here is strange. What are those animals calling?” Li Xi brandished her sword, cutting through the weeds blocking her path.

She frowned, puzzled by the sounds.

Hongying replied with a smile, "They are warning us not to go any further."

"Oh," Li Xi replied, but her hands didn't stop moving.

She focused intently on clearing the mountain path ahead, seemingly unaffected by the warnings.

They took another path, which seemed to be deserted and untouched for a long time.

The ground beneath my feet became soft and damp, and each step left a deep footprint.

The surrounding trees grew denser, their trunks covered with moss and vines.

A faint musty smell permeated the air, mingling with the occasional fragrance of wildflowers, creating an indescribable and complex atmosphere.

Li Xi looked up at the sky and saw a few rays of sunlight struggling to pierce through the dense canopy of trees. Like tiny golden scales, they scattered and added a touch of life to the dark forest.

As they ventured deeper, they discovered a hidden stream, its water crystal clear, flowing gently and making pleasant sounds.

Various unnamed wildflowers grow along the stream, their colors vibrant and vying for attention, like a palette of nature's own.

Several butterflies fluttered among the flowers, occasionally stopping to lightly touch the petals before quickly flying away, leaving behind a trail of beautiful trails.

Spending some time here will surely purify the soul and help one forget worldly troubles.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows that add a touch of warmth and mystery to the tranquil scene.

"Xiao Xi, come over here and take a look." Hong Ying's voice rang out.

She stood on the other side of the stream, her fingers gently stirring the water, creating delicate ripples.

Li Xi looked up in response and saw that her grandmother had somehow acquired a flat stone with a peculiar shape in her hand.

"What's so special about this stone?"

“This is hematite, and it’s top-quality iron ore.” Hongying had seen it in Xuan Yue Kingdom years ago.

Xuan Yue Kingdom is rich in this type of ore, so their weapons reserves are the strongest among the seven kingdoms.

Li Xi was taken aback: "Then this piece of ore must have been washed and polished over a period of time."

She turned and looked into the distance; it must have been swept down from upstream.

So the two decided to explore upstream.

As you walk upstream along the stream, the path becomes even more rugged.

As the altitude gradually increases, the stream's flow becomes increasingly rapid.

The surrounding environment gradually became deep and mysterious, with dense trees blocking out the sun, and only occasionally a few rays of sunlight pierced through the dense leaves, dappling the ground.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and moss, and occasionally the chirping of birds and the rustling of unknown small animals moving through the bushes could be heard in the distance.

"Xiaoxi, watch your step!" Hongying's voice rang out.

Li Xi looked down and saw a venomous snake attacking her. She grabbed the snake by its vital spot, her movements swift and decisive, as if it were an instinctive reaction after countless practice sessions.

The venomous snake's eyes were wide open, its tongue flicking, but it was unable to move under Li Xi's grip, only able to emit a weak hissing sound, threatening but powerless to resist.

"That was close!" Hongying quickly stepped forward, took a delicate little cloth bag from her waist, took out a small silver dagger from it, and handed it to Li Xi. "Use this to quickly cut off its head, just in case."

Li Xi took the dagger, and with a swift and clean motion, the venomous snake instantly lost its life and fell limply to the ground.

She took out packets of realgar powder from her backpack and hung them on her and her grandmother's waists.

Every time she went on a long trip, Lan'er would prepare a lot of medicine for her.

After passing through a dense forest, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a waterfall cascading down from a great height, hanging like a white ribbon on the cliff face.

Beneath the waterfall lies a hidden cave entrance, and the sound was coming from deep within the cave.

After some effort, the two finally entered the cave.

As you go deeper, the light gradually dims, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the gaps at the edge of the waterfall and dappling the damp rock face.

Li Xi took out a luminous pearl for illumination.

Deeper into the cave, the echoes grew clearer, carrying an inexplicable attraction that guided them to continue forward.

"There seems to be something ahead." Li Xi quickly stepped forward.

Previously, there was a pile of strips of cloth, and the color was not visible in the dark cave.

She picked it up, and a strong smell of blood hit her nostrils, causing Li Xi to frown.

The strips of cloth were soaked with dried, dark red stains, indicating that they had been there for several days.

The two searched the area but found no useful clues.

Just as they were about to give up and continue their exploration, a faint but clearly audible sound of wind came from the other side of the cave, seemingly mixed with the sound of flowing water.

The sudden sound was particularly striking in the silent cave.

"There seems to be a breeze over there. There might be another exit or other caves," Li Xi said to Hong Ying in a low voice.

They exchanged a glance, then cautiously followed the direction from which the sound came.

As the distance shortened, the stench of blood gradually faded, replaced by a fresh and slightly damp scent that invigorated the spirit.

After rounding a narrow bend, the view suddenly opened up before us.

They had arrived at a secluded natural stone chamber. In the center of the chamber was a clear spring, the surface of which reflected the soft glow of a luminous pearl, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.

The stone chamber is surrounded by stalactites of various shapes, which are like works of art sculpted by nature and are breathtakingly beautiful.

After searching, they unexpectedly discovered a hidden mechanism behind what appeared to be an ordinary rock.

Gently press the mechanism, and a hidden door slowly opens in the stone wall, revealing a secret passage leading deeper into the stone.

Inside the secret passage, the air was slightly damp, yet unusually fresh.

After passing through the secret passage, the two emerged from the cave.

Outside the cave lay a completely different world...