Chapter 1396: Aftereffects

Hearing the sound, Wu Liang nearly wet himself, stammering, "Could it be a ghoul, or a thousand-year-old one? No, at least a ten-thousand-year-old ghoul!"

Having frequently plundered tombs for years, he had encountered reanimated corpses multiple times. The tombs he targeted belonged to individuals who were extraordinary in life, so once reanimated, they were often far more formidable than cultivators.

These monsters existed between life and death, a fusion of death energy, corpse energy, and the elemental energies of heaven and earth, often forming unique creatures.

Every time he encountered such a creature in a tomb, it was a near-death experience.

The ghouls he encountered in ancient tombs were at most a thousand years old, but this was the most mysterious Land of the Unknowable. There was no telling what terrifying entity resided within; if it had transformed into a ghoul, it would surely mean certain death.

Even the Golden Crow Prince began to feel uneasy. "Father Emperor," he said, "I think there's some truth to what Wu Liang is saying. As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a tottering wall. We should avoid this area first and then plan our next move."

The Demon Emperor said calmly, "It's fine. I'd like to see what's playing tricks up ahead."

Previously, with only a few days of lifespan remaining, he had acted with extreme caution. However, having just replenished three years of lifespan at the spiritual spring, his confidence was significantly bolstered.

For a dying man who suddenly gained an extension to his life, his heart naturally held more ambitions.

Even as the Demon Emperor, finding the Land of the Unknowable once in his lifetime was an immense stroke of luck. He could not waste this opportunity; he had to find the secret to immortality here.

Thus, he resolutely stepped into the mist ahead. The ethereal voice echoed once more: "Excellent. Truly worthy of the Golden Crow bloodline; indeed, you have courage."

Wu Liang and the Golden Crow Prince were both startled. How could the entity in this Land of the Unknowable know about the Golden Crow bloodline?

The Demon Emperor's brows furrowed slightly. "Who exactly are you?"

"Just come..." The distant voice seemed filled with a demonic allure.

The Demon Emperor snorted coldly, "Playing tricks!"

With a flick of his sleeve, a powerful surge of energy swept forth, dispersing the thick mist to either side. Far ahead, a towering mountain could be seen, as grand and imposing as the previous Mount Yu.

The Golden Crow Prince quickly moved to his side. "Father Emperor," he said, "that voice is truly too strange. We must be on guard."

The Demon Emperor replied calmly, "It's fine. The previous Mount Yu gave me a sense of trepidation, but this mountain feels normal. On the contrary, I feel a hint of closeness, as if there might be a great opportunity here."

Moreover, for the sake of immortality, a little risk is worth it.

Wu Liang silently groaned. "You might feel a sense of closeness, but I feel danger," he thought. "Can I not go?"

However, remembering the Demon Emperor's ruthlessness, he dared not voice his thoughts and could only follow with a long face.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Zu'an and his group were even more tense because massive tentacles were slowly gliding near them.

They were so close that they could clearly see the dense array of suckers on the tentacles. Each sucker seemed to have a small hole, continuously secreting mucus, which made the tentacles entirely slick. No wonder Zu'an's full-force slash had failed to wound it even slightly.

Furthermore, they could distinctly smell the disgusting fishy odor emanating from the tentacles. The women were repulsed to the point of nausea, turning their heads and burying their faces in Zu'an's chest.

Zu'an wanted to cry but had no tears. He found the smell equally revolting. "Where can I hide?" he thought.

"Could I bury my head in your chests?"

Of course, this was just a thought; with so many people around, he dared not act on it.

Zu'an focused more on guarding against the tentacles. He subtly shifted his position according to their movements, knowing that if they were touched, even if the sea monster "couldn't see" them, it would still detect something unusual.

Fortunately, the "Dark Invisibility" skill was very reliable, and the giant octopus sea monster ultimately did not discover their presence.

After circling the area for a long time, the giant octopus eventually left, somewhat disgruntled.

It had arrived quickly and departed just as swiftly.

Before long, its form was out of sight.

However, given its immense power, they worried it might just be feigning departure, so they didn't rush to move, remaining motionless in place.

With the octopus monster gone, the situation was no longer as tense as before. The moment they relaxed, they realized the awkwardness of their current positions.

Due to the earlier tension, despite the surrounding cold seawater, they had all broken out in a hot sweat. Now, with their bodies steaming and being so close to each other, a strange, indefinable feeling arose within each of them.

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen struggled to move away, but Zu'an quickly stopped them. "If you leave the range, I won't be able to conceal your aura. If the octopus monster discovers us, it will be over."

The two women knew his words were true and stopped resisting, but the situation remained awkward. Yun Jianyue couldn't help but say, "Xiao Anzi, you must be enjoying taking advantage of the situation, aren't you?"

Even Yu Yanluo stared at him with a strange expression. Zu'an quickly explained, "How could I be someone who takes advantage of others in distress? I genuinely worried about that octopus monster."

Mi Li's sneering voice echoed in his mind: "Keep pretending, keep pretending. Since everything's fine, I'm going to sleep. *Yawn*."

The image of Mi Li in his mind stretched, revealing her graceful curves. Without waiting for Zu'an's reply, she pulled open a door and vanished.

Zu'an wondered if this woman had created a space within his mind.

The thought of someone entering and exiting his mind felt rather odd.

Fortunately, it was Empress Sister, so it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

Seeing his clear eyes, the women finally let him off. Yan Xuehen lightly bit her lip. "This place is truly amazing. Who would have thought that beneath that spring earlier, there would be such a vast ocean connected?"

"Indeed, it lives up to its name as the Land of the Unknowable. I've never encountered such miraculous terrain in other secret realms." Yun Jianyue echoed the sentiment, a hint of expectation now on her face. As the saying goes, danger and opportunity often coexist.

"But it's just too thrilling. We've only just entered this secret realm and have already encountered so many terrifying beings." Yu Yanluo's small face was still a little pale. If there had been even a slight mistake earlier, they might have been eaten by that disgusting octopus monster.

Zu'an's expression was strange as he recalled Mi Li's assessment. Could he really be a jinx?

Conan's 'Grim Reaper' constitution only causes others to die, yet his own constitution puts himself in danger...

At this point, the women set him aside and began chattering among themselves, discussing the recent dangers:

"Ice Stone Woman, wasn't my move cool just now? I directly withstood a Heaven Rushing Soul attack without a scratch."

"Hmph, that was a reckless fighting style. In my opinion, it wasn't as elegant as Little Sister Yu's 'Flower Transferring, Wood Grafting' move, which actually allowed her to successfully escape the tentacles' encirclement."

"Little Sister Yu's move was indeed beautiful. Oh, Ice Stone Woman, have you done something wrong? Why are you trying to curry favor with Little Sister Yu all day?"

"Demoness, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Sisters, stop bickering. Don't you think those tentacles smelled really bad?"

"They certainly did. Just thinking about it makes me sick."

Seeing the women chatting happily, whether it was from their lively debate or something else, a blush crept onto each of their cheeks, making them appear even more charming.

Moreover, their voices became increasingly soft and sweet, sounding almost like Taiwanese girls playfully pouting.

Zu'an's heart suddenly tightened. "Something's not right," he thought. "With Yun Jianyue's domineering personality, how could she speak in such a tone?"

And Yan Xuehen, who had always been pure and ethereal like ice and snow, would certainly not use such an alluring tone.

At that moment, the two women also realized the problem. Yun Jianyue's phoenix eyes widened. "Something's wrong!"

Yan Xuehen exchanged a look with her and immediately said, "The pink mucus!"

Simultaneously, the two women instantly pulled away from Zu'an's embrace, their cheeks flushed like fire.

Yu Yanluo was startled by their actions. "What's wrong with you two?"

Yun Jianyue quickly said, "It has nothing to do with you."

Anyway, she and Zu'an were a couple, so even if she was affected by this 'poison', it wouldn't be a big deal. But it was different for her and Yan Xuehen.

She quickly sat cross-legged on the seabed and began to regulate her breathing to expel the toxin.

Yan Xuehen sat down to meditate almost at the same time, and the surrounding seawater visibly froze.