Chapter 18

The information on the noticeboard clearly stated that it was erected by someone from the Lost City... Why didn't this uncle know?

Was it put up by another team? A teammate the uncle had been separated from?

Right, that sign itself was strange. It was already in the outer area of the primeval forest, which meant the person who put up the notice was about to leave the mountains.

That didn't fit the dungeon's setting.

The Lingjing Xingzhe's introduction clearly stated that the people in the city were trapped, and those who entered the mountains to explore had encountered a major crisis. In theory, they shouldn't be leaving the mountains so quickly. Otherwise, this setting would seem pointless.

Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, not stopping his words:

"You just said that a human face grew on the tree, the one that belonged to your missing teammate. What happened after that?"

The middle-aged man replied:

"We were all terrified at the time. We had never encountered anything like that before. In the end, the captain suggested cutting down the tree to see what was going on."

You guys are just asking for death... Zhang Yuanqing grumbled inwardly. As expected, he heard the middle-aged man say with a look of horror:

"The result was a disaster. As soon as the captain chopped it with his axe, the tree trunk started bleeding, bleeding like a person. That human face suddenly opened its eyes, crying and shouting in pain. That voice was so miserable and terrifying, I still can't forget it.

"The captain was also frightened and didn't dare chop again. Just as we were at a loss, the teammate in the tree trunk suddenly looked at us with resentment, muttering: Eat you all, eat you all..."

"Then, the surrounding trees suddenly seemed to come alive. Even though there was no wind, the branches moved like hands, scaring us into running away."

Zhang Yuanqing said, "So, you scattered?"

The middle-aged man shook his head:

"That was later. That night, we didn't even dare to camp. We traveled all night, and at dawn, we encountered a group of monkeys."

"Monkeys?"

"Yes, monkeys that eat people." The middle-aged man's voice was low, with fear mixed with hatred:

"One of the team members didn't escape in time and was eaten by the monkeys. I saw it with my own eyes. The beasts swarmed up like jackals preying on their prey. My companion and I were separated during the escape."

Zhang Yuanqing looked at the dead branches under the uncle's feet, trying to get as much information as possible:

"Uncle, what do you know about this forest?"

The middle-aged uncle shook his head:

"This forest appeared out of nowhere. I only know it's very dangerous. Before us, some people tried to cross this forest to escape the cage."

"But none of them returned. I hope they have found a way to leave."

Speaking of this, the middle-aged man said:

"Young man, I'm leaving. I need to find my companions and look for a way out of the mountains. I hope you can leave here as soon as possible too. Remember, the trees here eat people. Be careful. They are afraid of knives and fire. Remember to protect yourself when you are in danger.

"Also, be careful of the monkeys!"

Watching the middle-aged man leave, his figure disappearing into the depths of the forest, Zhang Yuanqing retracted his gaze and summarized the conversation just now.

"Outer area, known dangers: trees and monkeys. According to the uncle, that member was bewitched by the call before disappearing and appearing in the tree. Does that mean that the call is actually coming from the trees?"

"Summary: Ignoring the calls can avoid the crisis. Trees are afraid of fire and knives. If you encounter monkeys, you can only fight head-on."

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes suddenly lit up.

Can cutting down and burning trees get you points?

If so, with the vast area of this primeval forest, he could make a fortune.

"Obviously not, it's too simple. Maybe not all the trees are dangerous. The man-eating trees are hidden in the forest. Killing them will get you points..."

Zhang Yuanqing frowned suddenly as he thought:

"The noticeboard was erected by someone from the Lost City, telling me not to use knives and fire in the forest, but the uncle from the Lost City told me that the trees are afraid of knives and fire, implying that I can use them to protect myself when necessary. They contradict each other."

In his experience, contradictions meant there was a hidden plot to explore.

With too few clues, further thought was useless. Zhang Yuanqing continued into the depths of the dense forest, with Blood Rose leading the way. Although using knives was not allowed, scouting the way had lost its meaning.

But when danger came, Blood Rose in front could take the hit for him.

After moving forward for half an hour, Zhang Yuanqing heard a dense "squeak" sound coming from his left, accompanied by the "rustling" of the wind blowing through the treetops.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the forest was constantly shaking. He could vaguely see agile monkeys leaping and climbing among the treetops, chasing the prey below.

The prey was running through the primeval forest overgrown with bushes and hanging vines, its speed surprisingly fast. The complex terrain didn't seem to affect its pace.

The monkey troop was already extremely agile leaping among the treetops, but for a moment, they couldn't catch up with the prey.

So fast and agile, is it a wood sprite? Zhang Yuanqing didn't see the person, but he had already made a judgement.

Finally, as the rustling sound grew closer, he saw a tall, beautiful woman emerging from the bushes on the left.

About thirty years old, wearing loose black trousers, a cyan windbreaker, her hair in a bun, and a pair of running shoes on her feet.

She had a pretty and charming oval face, long legs, a full chest that strained against the windbreaker, but with a slender waist.

After the woman emerged from the bushes, the two sides met. Her expression changed abruptly. She stopped abruptly, staring at Blood Rose and Zhang Yuanqing, adopting a defensive posture.

"Hua Ye."

At this time, the monkeys on the treetops took advantage of the situation to chase after her. Some rushed directly at the oval-faced woman, while others continued to leap among the treetops, arriving above Zhang Yuanqing and Blood Rose, pouncing down aggressively.

They were a meter long, covered with coarse, stiff black hair, with stocky bodies and long, muscular arms.

Damn, collateral damage... Zhang Yuanqing half-turned his body, bent down, and kicked upwards with his right foot.

"Bang!"

The sole of his foot collided solidly with the black-haired monkey's chest. He only felt that the other's chest was as tough as leather and as heavy as a boulder, without that satisfying sense of impact.

He knew that this kick hadn't done much damage to the monkey.

Sure enough, the monkey got up immediately after falling down, propping itself up on its arms and pouncing over, half-jumping and half-running.

Zhang Yuanqing calmly took out the Bloodthirsty Blade, pinched the tip, and threw it with all his might.

"Pfft!"

The Bloodthirsty Blade turned into a silver light, nailing the black-haired monkey in the chest.

Deng deng deng... Zhang Yuanqing ran forward, leaped up, and kicked the hilt, sending the forty-centimeter Bloodthirsty Blade completely into the monkey's chest cavity.

The black-haired monkey crashed to the ground, its legs twitching a few times before quickly losing its vital signs.

Although the noticeboard said not to use props, Zhang Yuanqing believed that as long as he didn't use knives to cut down trees or vines, nothing would happen.

[Ding! You have killed a mountain monkey and gained 1 point.]

On the other side, Blood Rose grabbed the throat of the monkey pouncing at her with one hand, slammed it hard on the ground, then knelt on its chest with one knee, raising her right fist high.

A straight punch downwards.

Ka cha... The black-haired monkey's head exploded instantly, its brain tissue and blood-stained bone fragments splattering everywhere.

[Ding! You have killed a mountain monkey and gained 1 point.]

The yin corpse's battle record is counted on its master.

Blood Rose's pupils turned crimson. She took a light breath, and a cloud of blood mist rose from the black-haired monkey, pouring into her nose.

The aura of this yin corpse surged, seeming to have become stronger.

"Squeak squeak~"

The monkeys in the trees seemed frightened, screaming non-stop. Several monkeys who had wanted to pounce on their prey frantically grabbed onto the branches, barely stopping themselves from falling.

Then, in the midst of "squeaking" screams, they reached an agreement and retreated in the direction they had come from, quickly disappearing into the distance.

More than a dozen points just ran away like that. I still haven't figured out this dungeon yet, so I won't rush to kill indiscriminately... Zhang Yuanqing watched the shaking treetops receding into the distance, confirming that the monkeys wouldn't return, and then looked at the tall, buxom wood sprite woman.

She seemed a little embarrassed, but she hadn't been hurt in any way. With the wood sprite's agility, as long as they weren't surrounded by monkeys, they wouldn't be in danger.

"Sorry, you got caught up in this."

The wood sprite woman patted the dirt off her body and smiled. "No problem!"

Zhang Yuanqing wore Wang Tai's face and pretended to be Fu Qingyang, replying coldly.

"I'm from the Five Elements Alliance, Lingjing ID, Peony Fairy. What about you?" she introduced herself.

Peony Fairy? The ID sounds familiar... Oh, it's that female colleague who kept sucking up to me during the online meeting... Zhang Yuanqing was stunned at first, then somewhat surprised.

He didn't expect that the first Lingjing Xingzhe he met in the killing dungeon would be a colleague.

However, directly revealing my background would make me seem too unguarded. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, still cold on the surface:

"Wang Tai!"

"Wang Tai..." Peony Fairy chewed on the name and smiled charmingly:

"You're a Night Wanderer from the Taiyi Sect, right? Wood sprites are very sensitive to the aura of life. I know that's a yin corpse."

As an official member and a Saint candidate, she had enough knowledge and experience.

She thought I was from the Taiyi Sect, so she revealed her identity? Okay, I take back what I just said... Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: "I'm a rogue cultivator."

There were only thirty-eight official members participating in this killing dungeon. The number wasn't large. If you tried to remember the IDs, you would know that Wang Tai wasn't among them.

If he admitted to being from the Taiyi Sect, it would be like revealing himself. Of course, it wouldn't matter if he did reveal himself.

Peony Fairy said "Oh," not knowing whether she believed him or not. She hesitated slightly and invited:

"The dungeon is full of crises. Orderly factions should help each other. If you don't mind, would you like to travel together?"

Before Zhang Yuanqing could answer, she offered another condition:

"I plan to find Yuan Shi Tian Zun and other colleagues. If you come with me, you'll be our companion."

If you knew I was Yuan Shi Tian Zun, I wonder what your expression would be! Zhang Yuanqing had this intention, saying:

"Sure!"

Gathering his colleagues was one of his goals, and gathering his colleagues as Wang Tai could avoid the schemes of the traitors to some extent.

After reaching an agreement, Peony Fairy quickly said:

"We'd better leave quickly. It would be troublesome if the monkeys brought reinforcements."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded, kept a relatively safe distance from Peony Fairy, and said as they walked together:

"Those monkeys aren't very strong."

Peony Fairy's expression was serious: "No, that's because you haven't seen the Monkey King."

"Monkey King?" Zhang Yuanqing resisted turning his head to look at the woman almost ten years older than him.

"Yes, a white monkey, no, more like a gorilla. It's about three meters tall, very scary. I suspect it has a power level of weak level 4." Peony Fairy's face was filled with dread.

Weak level 4 was stronger than Transcendent, but slightly weaker than Saint.

This kind of vague combat power would only appear on props and dungeon bosses.

The first little boss has appeared... Zhang Yuanqing waved away a few thick vines and said:

"This dungeon is a bit strange. I haven't figured it out yet. Why don't we share information and see what we can find."

Peony Fairy nodded slightly and said:

"After entering the dungeon, the task prompted me to start from the outer layer and head towards the middle, using the noticeboard as a guide."

Zhang Yuanqing echoed:

"It seems that everyone's side quest is the same. Um, what does the noticeboard say?"

Peony Fairy recalled as she spoke about the precautions on the noticeboard.

The first three were exactly the same as what Zhang Yuanqing saw, but the fourth one had a problem.

"Four: Be careful of animals, especially monkeys." Zhang Yuanqing raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you sure?"

Peony Fairy asked in surprise, "Isn't that what yours says?"

"Mine says: If you see other people in the forest, please do not make eye contact with him (her)." Zhang Yuanqing told her his precautions without hiding anything.

From Peony Fairy's micro-expressions, he couldn't see any signs of lying. She shouldn't be lying. Otherwise, this woman would be a movie queen.

Peony Fairy frowned: "Why is that?" Zhang Yuanqing walked forward, vigilant about his surroundings, and said:

"Two possibilities. One, the dangers encountered in different areas are different. Your noticeboard prompted you to be careful of monkeys, so you encountered monkeys. And my noticeboard prompted me not to make eye contact with people, so I encountered people in the dungeon.

"Two, each noticeboard gives different precautions. This is implying to us that we can use the rules to trick enemies. People who enter the dungeon have two rules for living in the jungle. These are weapons we can use.

"Of course, based on the number of people, there shouldn't be that many rules. Many people's rules are repeated. Based on this idea, maybe gathering all the rules is one of the main quests of this dungeon."

Peony Fairy's eyes were full of astonishment. She sized up the young man named Wang Tai and realized something. I've found a treasure.

Being able to analyze so much from such crude and simple information, whether it's right or not, she didn't have this keenness of thought.

It can be seen that this young man named Wang Tai is good at strategizing dungeons.

What a talent.

Peony Fairy was surprised and disappointed. She admitted that she couldn't reach top talents like Yuan Shi Tian Zun and Zhao Chenghuang, but she didn't expect a chance encounter with a Night Wanderer to have such outstanding abilities.

There may be many such people in the dungeon.

Peony Fairy felt like a small-town student coming to a big city exam hall, only to find that everyone here was a high-IQ genius.

"By the way, the reason I was chased by the monkeys was because I overheard them talking. I have a prop that allows me to understand the language of animals. Those monkeys said that another human has entered the forest and they can't let them get close..."

"Get close to what?"

"I didn't hear clearly. I was quickly discovered by the monkeys."

She didn't hear clearly or didn't want to say, can't get close to the central forest...? Zhang Yuanqing didn't pursue the matter, but instead actively changed the topic:

"There should be a fifth precaution, right?"

His noticeboard had five rules.

Peony Fairy said "Um," "The fifth one, if you see a mountaineer claiming to be from the Lost City, do not talk to them and leave immediately."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Wang Tai, five meters away, suddenly stop, his face stiff.

Don't talk to mountaineers from the Lost City, leave immediately? The word "crap" floated back and forth in Zhang Yuanqing's mind!

At this moment, he felt a chill down his spine and an inexplicable sense of horror in his heart.

Just a short while ago, he had a conversation with an uncle from the "Lost City."

Peony Fairy was obviously a smart woman. Seeing this, she frowned and said, "You, you've met a mountaineer?"

And chatted for about ten minutes... Zhang Yuanqing nodded with a heavy face and told her about his conversation with the middle-aged uncle.

Peony Fairy's face changed slightly and she quietly moved a few meters away from him.

This woman! Zhang Yuanqing twitched his lips and said calmly, "At least I'm fine now, nothing has happened."

He didn't think that violating the precautions would cause him to fail. In the case of unequal information, he would make mistakes, and others would make mistakes too.

Based on his understanding of dungeons, this kind of trap with a high probability of stepping in would not bring direct, fatal damage.

Either it would accumulate, or it would only explode under specific conditions.

If this brought a fatal crisis, then half the people in the dungeon would be dead by now.

Thinking this way, Zhang Yuanqing stopped and opened the scoreboard.

He first glanced at the total number of people and found that there were only 174 Lingjing Xingzhe left in the dungeon. Since the last time, another six people had died.

Only an hour into the dungeon, and almost 10 people had already died. The mortality rate was a bit high... Zhang Yuanqing didn't become complacent because he had been going smoothly.

One hundred and seventy-four Lingjing Xingzhe were wandering around in the primeval forest. Who knew when they would run into each other, or when they would run into a boss.

Peony Fairy suddenly stopped, listened intently, and after a few seconds, looked over and said in a deep voice:

"About fifty meters to our left, there are Lingjing Xingzhe fighting."

In the forest, the perception of a wood sprite could be maximized, comparable to the insight of a scout.

Fifty meters? Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said:

"I'll go invisible and take a look. You and my yin corpse stay here."

After Peony Fairy nodded, he entered Night Wandering, carefully avoiding the bushes, dead branches, and overhanging vines at his feet, and quickly approached the left.

Half a minute later, Zhang Yuanqing silently arrived at the battle location.

Before he had time to take a closer look at the two sides fighting, he heard a sinister laugh:

"A female high school student from the island nation, let's do her in."

ps: I will correct the typos after updating first.