Chapter 508: Desperate Moment

"Zu'an, what do we do now?" Pei Mianman's usual radiant smile was gone, her small face now utterly pale.

As cultivators, death wasn't usually something to fear that much. However, there were many ways to die. Being killed by a more skilled opponent was one thing, but being swarmed and bitten to death by countless snakes was simply too horrifying to accept. She finally understood why the skeletons they had observed earlier showed no signs of injury. They had clearly been poisoned by these strange snakes. The snakes' small size meant their teeth wouldn't leave significant marks on bones. After poisoning their victims, the snakes must have burrowed into the bodies to devour the flesh… The thought of countless snakes inside her, crawling in and out of her eye sockets, sent a shiver down Pei Mianman's spine.

Zu'an's mind raced. They clearly couldn't defeat the dense swarm of strange snakes in a direct confrontation; they had to find another way. However, they had already circled the entire pit and found no exit. It made sense. The pit was clearly designed to trap and kill these people. Not only were the surrounding walls made extremely smooth and hard to prevent climbing, but a seal had also been placed at the top to prevent anyone from escaping. How could there possibly be a way out?

Zu'an couldn't help but feel a pang of despair. How had they accidentally fallen into this pit? Wait, he thought. The seal wasn't there when they fell down. Surely this seal wasn't a one-way mechanism, allowing entry but not exit? It shouldn't be that sophisticated. He quickly scanned their surroundings. The four walls were perfectly straight, yet he was absolutely certain they had rolled down a slope when they fell, even if it was very steep, it definitely wasn't vertical.

"Zu'an?" Pei Mianman called out, seeing him in a daze, while simultaneously using her Black Flame to repel strange snakes lunging nearby.

Zu'an snapped back to reality and quickly told Pei Mianman, "Let's go back."

"Go back? Where to?" Pei Mianman was confused.

"To where we first fell," Zu'an replied. "There should be an exit there."

"But we just checked," Pei Mianman quickly said. "The walls around there were all straight and solid, with no exit." They had only moved on to search elsewhere because they hadn't found an exit in that initial area. Now, they had traveled a distance equivalent to several football fields, and going back would mean facing strange snakes all the way.

Zu'an quickly explained, "What we see isn't always real. There might be some mechanism or illusion around that made us think it was just a wall."

Pei Mianman was still puzzled. "But we checked the surroundings thoroughly, and there were no mechanisms." She wasn't stupid; in fact, she was quite intelligent, otherwise, she wouldn't be a top cultivator among her peers at such a young age. Before they left that area, she had specifically examined the walls, confirming there were no mechanisms.

"We only checked the section closest to the ground," Zu'an replied. "What if the mechanism is higher up on the wall?"

He pulled Pei Mianman and ran back, hacking at the approaching strange snakes with his sword as he continued to analyze, "If you think about it, there's a contradiction here. Since there's a seal at the top, why bother making the walls so smooth and hard that they can't be climbed?"

"Huh?" Pei Mianman had instinctively thought the seal was for powerful cultivators and the smooth walls for ordinary people. But with a seal in place, designing the walls like that was completely redundant.

Zu'an quickly said, "We checked earlier, and the victims showed no signs of having been bound when they died, so they should have been able to try escaping at any time. If they were thrown in and then the seal was applied, it would be troublesome if they escaped during that interval. So, the seal was most likely put in place first. That raises a question: if the seal was already in place, how were they put in? Clearly, there must have been another passage specifically for bringing people in. Most likely, they were drugged when brought in, so they had no idea about this passage."

Pei Mianman immediately questioned, "If that's the case, they could have just drugged everyone, thrown them in, and then calmly applied the seal from above. That way, there would be no fear of them escaping."

"There are three reasons!" Zu'an explained. "First, there are too many skeletons down here. If they were all brought down at once, it would be an immense undertaking. And as I observed while we ran, these skeletons also differ. They aren't uniformly scattered across the pit floor but are in groups, maintaining a certain distance from each other, indicating these groups likely didn't know each other. We accidentally stepped on some bones earlier; some were still very hard, while others crumbled easily, suggesting the latter had been there for a much longer time.

"Second, for a massive pit requiring such an enormous amount of work, if I were the one in charge, I would never make it a single-use item. It would definitely be used repeatedly over a long period, which supports the idea of the secret passage I just mentioned.

"Third, and most importantly, we were conscious when we fell into the pit and distinctly rolled down a large slope. This is the basis for my entire theory."

Pei Mianman's beautiful eyes sparkled as she listened. She had been on the verge of despair, but after hearing his analysis, she suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. Although she hadn't seen the secret passage herself, she clearly believed him. "Zu'an, you're truly amazing!"

Praised by such a beautiful and sweet-voiced girl with adoring eyes, Zu'an felt a warmth in his heart. "I am amazing, so try not to accidentally fall in love with me."

"Hmph, you conceited fool!" Pei Mianman scoffed, her face blushing, yet she was still quite impressed. This guy seemed to maintain an optimistic attitude at all times, which was infectious and gave others a sense of security.

However, they soon had no energy left for talking. On the way back, the strange snakes became increasingly numerous, making it almost impossible to find a place to step. At first, it was manageable. Pei Mianman could use her Black Flame, and the strange snakes were wary of fire, not daring to get too close. But Pei Mianman was severely injured; she couldn't maintain the Black Flame continuously and needed long rests before igniting it again.

Zu'an could only swing his long sword to clear the strange snakes along the way. Fortunately, his "Evil-Ward Dispel Swordplay" didn't consume much vital energy, and its straightforward style was well-suited for a situation where enemies were everywhere. However, his "Sunflower Phantasm" movement technique was useless. Its primary function was to evade enemies, but now, with strange snakes everywhere, evasion was out of the question.

Looking at the densely packed strange snakes on the ground, Zu'an could only use the tips of his feet to step on the skeletons for leverage, maneuvering to avoid them. Several times, strange snakes hidden within the bones nearly lunged out and bit him. If not for his quick reflexes and Pei Mianman's timely use of Black Flame to save him, he would have died on the spot.

Driven by desperation, Zu'an devised another method: directly leaping onto the adjacent wall. Although the wall was smooth and offered no grip, he could alternately stab his Tai'a Sword and Death's Edge Dagger into it. No matter how hard the wall was, it was no match for the Tai'a Sword, which could cut through metal like mud, and the Death's Edge Dagger.

Zu'an breathed a sigh of relief, patting Pei Mianman, who was clinging to him. "Now we finally don't have to be as dangerous as we were down there." He intended to move step by step, alternately stabbing the two weapons into the wall, to return to where they first fell.

Pei Mianman hummed in acknowledgment, her face slightly flushed. With her arms hooked around his neck and her entire body pressed tightly against him, she could feel the warmth of their skin through their clothes. No matter how bold she usually was, she felt a little shy and embarrassed now. Zu'an also felt uneasy. Smelling the subtle fragrance of the beauty in his arms and feeling the magnificent softness against his chest, he felt a warmth spreading through his body. The perilous pit, which he had initially hated so much, didn't seem quite so bad anymore…

Just then, he suddenly felt the woman in his arms slowly sliding down. Startled, he quickly released one hand to support her thigh. "Mianman, don't let go! It'll be big trouble if you fall." Below them, the strange snakes had gathered, craning their necks, their single vertical eyes fixed on the pair, hissing and flicking their tongues, an utterly chilling sight.

Pei Mianman bit her lip, also feeling very embarrassed. "I'm weak all over; I can't quite hold on." However, she knew he was trying to save her, so she didn't say anything.

"Then wrap your legs around my waist; that way, you'll be more secure," Zu'an said, lifting her legs and placing them around his waist.

"No!" Pei Mianman quickly refused. Even as an inexperienced young woman, she knew such a position was highly improper and couldn't bear it.

Zu'an, sweating profusely, said, "My lady, I'm not trying to take advantage of you. I need both hands to alternate stabbing into the wall to move forward. If I hold you with one hand, we'll just be stuck here."

Pei Mianman looked up and saw the veins bulging in his arm gripping the sword, clearly bearing a considerable weight. She wasn't one to be overly delicate, so despite her embarrassment, considering their predicament, she agreed. "Alright, but you're not allowed to tell Chuuyan about this. No, don't tell anyone."

Zu'an's face darkened. "Why would I tell her something like that?"

Pei Mianman finally sighed in relief, biting her red lips. Hooking her arms around his neck, she strained to lift her legs and clamp them around his waist, clinging to him like a sloth. Feeling his masculine presence, with their bodies now intimately pressed together, Pei Mianman, usually fiery and playful, grew shy. She buried her head in his chest, her body trembling slightly, not daring to utter another word.

Even though Zu'an initially had no improper thoughts, seeing her body's sensitivity made his heart stir. However, the hissing of the strange snakes around them pulled him back to reality, reminding him that the danger had not yet passed.

He quickly freed one hand, gripping the Death's Edge Dagger, just as he was about to move forward, when suddenly several blue lights shot towards them. His hair bristled. He swiftly brought his dagger down, deflecting the blue lights. He recognized them as the strange snakes themselves, shot like projectiles. On the ground, the strange snakes coiled their bodies, then suddenly launched themselves, flying directly towards the two of them in mid-air.

Zu'an parried with his dagger, secretly grateful that he hadn't yet fully stabbed his sword into the wall to move. Otherwise, in that instant, with both hands embedded in the wall, he would have been completely defenseless. And now, being in mid-air, far fewer strange snakes could propel themselves up compared to being on the ground, so he could still barely manage. Unfortunately, he couldn't feel happy at all. Being entangled by these strange snakes meant he had to focus entirely on defense, making it impossible to move.

Pei Mianman saw his predicament and quickly said, "Give me a moment. Once I've recovered a little, I'll use Black Flame to help you, and you can take the opportunity to move forward."

"Okay!" At this point, they could only cooperate. Zu'an focused intently on slashing at the leaping strange snakes.

After about five minutes, Pei Mianman finally spoke. "I can barely use Black Flame now, but only for about three breaths. Hurry and move forward as quickly as possible, and make sure to switch to a defensive stance immediately when the time is up."

"Understood!" Zu'an nodded, then concentrated, preparing himself.

Pei Mianman thought for a moment, then took a pendant from her neck and placed it around his. "Wear this."

Zu'an was surprised. "What is it?" He had actually noticed a red string around her neck earlier, but the object attached to it was always buried deep in her cleavage, so he had no idea what it was. Watching her slowly pull the object from her chest at such close range, with her fair skin peeking in and out of view, nearly made him get a nosebleed.

"This is a protective amulet my mother gave me," Pei Mianman explained. "It makes you immune to Black Flame's damage. My condition isn't great right now, so my control over Black Flame isn't as good as usual. And we're so close; it would be troublesome if I accidentally burned you."

"Ah?" Zu'an was deeply moved. He couldn't help but say, "This must be your most precious item. If you give it to me, won't you be defenseless against me later? What if I had malicious intentions? You wouldn't be able to resist." One had to understand that most of Pei Mianman's cultivation power lay in her Black Flame. If this pendant made someone immune to her Black Flame, then her life would be entirely in someone else's hands.

Pei Mianman gave him a resentful look, her eyes full of playful indignation. "If I were really afraid of that, why would I give it to you? Focus now; we need to move."

"Okay!" In this critical moment, Zu'an dared not be distracted.

"Now!" As soon as Pei Mianman spoke, a fierce Black Flame erupted from one of her hands. The strange snakes shooting towards them instantly burst into flames, screaming, and fell. The black snakes below were wary of the eerie flame and dared not make a move for a while.

Zu'an seized the opportunity, stabbing his dagger into the adjacent wall and moving forward rapidly, like Tarzan. Throughout the process, he felt the Black Flame had changed. He used to find it terrifying, filled with destructive power, but now he suddenly felt it was quite warm, even somewhat comforting. He figured this was all thanks to the pendant. He could now feel a warmth radiating from his chest, though he wondered if it was from the pendant itself or the lingering body heat of the beautiful woman.

"Quick, defend!" Pei Mianman urgently reminded him.

Zu'an was already prepared. He swung his Tai'a Sword, blocking the strange snakes that shot towards them. Compared to the Death's Edge Dagger, the longer Tai'a Sword was more effective at this moment. At this point, the strange snakes stopped attacking, as if realizing their previous assaults were futile and suicidal.

Zu'an breathed a sigh of relief. They hung in mid-air, resting, waiting for Pei Mianman to recover again before their next leap. Smelling the delicate scent of the woman so close to him, Zu'an was about to tease her when his gaze suddenly sharpened. He noticed many strange snakes below, coiling together. At first, he didn't pay much attention, but as more and more strange snakes coiled together, they gradually formed a large ball. Seeing their relentless formation, it was clear this ball would grow larger and higher, bringing it closer and closer to them. Previously, because they were in mid-air, only a few strange snakes had the jumping power to threaten them. But once they formed a large ball, many snakes could climb onto it, shortening the distance and allowing them to jump up and attack.

"Hold on tight to me. We need to move to the next spot immediately," Zu'an said grimly. Staying here meant waiting to be attacked.

"Huh? But I haven't recovered yet." A layer of delicate sweat glistened on Pei Mianman's temples; the previous effort had clearly exhausted her, and she had no strength left to use Black Flame for cover.

"You don't have to. I can teleport a short distance," Zu'an said. He had intended to save this for a critical moment, but staying any longer was genuinely dangerous.

Pei Mianman suddenly understood, recalling his teleportation ability from earlier battles. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly clung to him. Zu'an summoned Gale. His maximum teleportation distance with Gale was currently about a hundred meters. Since the pit was several football fields wide, he couldn't teleport to the other side in one go. He roughly estimated they would need at least five teleports. Unfortunately, three consecutive uses of Gale was his current limit, and the distance was still insufficient. But he couldn't dwell on that now; they needed to get out of there first.

The next second, he appeared a hundred meters away. Since they were in mid-air, to prevent accidental falls, he had targeted the wall directly. The instant they materialized, he quickly stabbed his sword into the wall with one hand and turned his body sideways to brace against the wall, preventing the weakened Pei Mianman from crashing into it. However, the immense impact still caused Pei Mianman to be pressed deeply into his embrace.

With a soft moan, Pei Mianman's face instantly flushed. It was important to remember that they were already holding each other in a very intimate position, and this forceful impact made their bodies tremble even more. Pei Mianman bit her red lip, her eyes glistening, and whispered into his ear, "You scoundrel, does Chuuyan know how perverted you are?"

"This really isn't my fault; it's a natural bodily reaction, I can't control it," Zu'an said, almost weeping. He was, after all, trying to save her in good faith.

"I know..." Pei Mianman paused, then quietly added, "I'm not blaming you."

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. What did she mean by that? But he had no time to ponder; the colossal snake ball was rolling towards them, and as it moved, its accumulation efficiency was much higher than before, making the ball increasingly massive. He cursed inwardly, quickly warned Pei Mianman, and then summoned Gale again, teleporting forward.

After summoning Gale three times in a row, Zu'an gasped for breath. He wouldn't be able to summon Gale again for a while; these three teleports had been at maximum range, consuming an immense amount of energy. Watching the massive strange snake ball relentlessly pursue them, Zu'an was fortunate that Pei Mianman had somewhat recovered and used her Black Flame to cover him again. Zu'an seized the opportunity to move another few tens of meters forward, but after that, both of them were at a loss.

Zu'an stared unwillingly at the remaining few tens of meters. He was eighty percent sure the secret passage was on the wall high up there, but unfortunately, they couldn't reach it now. He continued to swing his sword, fending off the strange snakes constantly launching themselves from below, while watching helplessly as the enormous snake ball in the distance drew closer and closer. He roughly estimated that they wouldn't have enough time to recover before the snakes caught up. Yet, the instinct for survival kept him relentlessly swinging his long sword, cutting down the approaching strange snakes. But when the snake ball reached their feet, they truly despaired.

Just then, a section of the nearby wall suddenly cracked open, and a massive tongue shot out, plunging directly into the horrifying snake ball below.