Chapter 347

Chapter 347: Into the Shadow

Irene’s sudden “Killing intent!” nearly made everyone jump out of their skin—especially Yu Sheng, whose recent lifetimes had not been very long. His whole body tensed in an instant, and he practically planned where he’d die in the next second.

A sheet of foxfire rose around Foxy. Luna clicked once and pulled fingertip blades from a hidden compartment in her thigh—Yu Sheng had never seen her react that fast. Xuan Che dropped his qi, set his stance, and sank his hips. One hand dug a medicine gourd out of his robes while the other struck the opening pose of—

Medical Brawl Exploding Fist.

Then the group formed an “immortal-mystic combo Yu Sheng dies horribly” battle formation at the Ling Xi Mine Park door, squared off against empty air for half a minute, and drew more and more onlookers.

Yu Sheng poked Irene on his shoulder. “Where’s the killing intent you’re talking about?”

Irene answered righteously, “It’s gone!”

A vein bulged at Yu Sheng’s temple. “You little—”

“But there really was!” Irene insisted. “I felt it. Something swept its gaze over me. When I tried to sweep back, I felt something malicious nearby—just for an instant.”

Yu Sheng had been ready to grab her and spin her like a windmill, but her face didn’t look like she was pranking him. His brows tightened. “Really?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

“I did not sense any malicious probing,” Xuan Che said, shaking his head. “But Irene’s perception in this area is stronger than mine. It’s possible she detected ill intent others could not.”

Luna put away her fingertip blades and spoke slowly. “No. Scan. Found.”

“…Either way, stay alert,” Yu Sheng said, voice low. “Let’s go to that Otherworld entrance first. Don’t draw attention here.”

Xuan Che nodded, noticing the crowd. With a casual flick of a talisman, he dispersed the idle onlookers, then led the way, taking Yu Sheng and the others quickly through the mine gate and deeper into the “mine scenic area.”

Yu Sheng didn’t know the way, so he followed as Xuan Che led them through turn after turn, past woods and paths. They crossed a wide geological landscape zone that had clearly been developed later, then passed many halls and courtyards displaying old mechanisms and machinery. Gradually, the surroundings grew quieter and more desolate.

Farther in, Yu Sheng felt as if they’d crossed some kind of boundary. There were no random visitors in sight anymore. Only a faint oppressive pressure lingered around them.

“We’ve entered the sealed zone,” Xuan Che said quietly. “My sect left restrictions here to keep idlers away from the dangerous Otherworld entrance. It’s down the slanted shaft ahead.”

Yu Sheng nodded while studying the landscape.

This so-called mine ruin was far larger than he’d imagined. The immortal who once came to this colonial moon to mine spiritual ore must have centered their work on a massive ore belt, then built vast refining facilities and residential areas around it. What they had walked through earlier seemed to be old residential and processing districts—plus mechanism exhibit zones. What lay ahead now was the old ore belt itself.

A bleak range of hills stretched before them. Even with centuries of development—an artificial atmosphere and a complete ecological cycle—these hills remained almost primitively barren, with an alien desolation. Strange pale boulders streaked with faint blue sat everywhere amid cracked ground. Old rails for hauling ore and large machines of unclear purpose lay scattered between the stones. In the distance, several slanted shaft entrances led underground. On both sides of each entrance stood fierce, imposing statues of alien beasts, likely tied to local tradition on the Grand Void Spiritual Axis.

Yu Sheng headed toward one of the shafts. After only a few steps, several streaks of rosy light flashed through the air. Young men and women in blue Daoist robes landed in front of them.

At their head was a beautiful woman holding a chilling light sword. Her aura was cool and steady. After landing, she bowed deeply to Xuan Che. “Senior Brother.”

Xuan Che returned the salute. “Mm. Su Yun. You’ve worked hard.”

The other young cultivators also saluted. One even snuck a cautious look up, curiosity flickering in their eyes as they studied Yu Sheng’s group—especially the silver fox high immortal with nine tails.

Foxy bared her teeth at one of them, because she thought it was funny.

Everyone jolted and immediately looked away.

Su Yun lowered her head at once. “High Immortal, please forgive us!”

Yu Sheng hurriedly waved. “Don’t be nervous. She’s just messing around—she doesn’t bite.”

“They are guests invited by Master from borderland,” Xuan Che said. “This is Mr. Yu. And these are Foxy, Luna, and Irene.”

He lifted a hand and gestured toward the woman leading the group. “This is my Junior Sister, Su Yun. Before I returned, she was responsible for guarding this Otherworld.”

“That Otherworld is truly strange,” Su Yun said, visibly relieved to be addressing familiar ground. “Now Master won’t let ordinary disciples go in to test anymore. He only has us guard the entrance and wait for you to handle it, Senior Brother. We’ve also set up restrictions around the old mining zone and arranged four teams to patrol and keep watch.”

Xuan Che nodded, then seemed to remember Irene’s earlier shout. His expression tightened. “Has anything unusual happened today?”

“No.” Su Yun shook her head immediately. “I kept my eyes on the entrance. Aside from the shadow swelling and shrinking now and then, nothing has changed.”

Xuan Che inclined his head. Then he had Su Yun lead the way, bringing Yu Sheng and the others to the slanted shaft entrance where the strange thing occurred.

It was an extremely wide mouth. The same fierce guardian beast statues stood on both sides. Inside, a gentle slope vanished beyond sight. Along the walls were abandoned rails and hanging-track devices. Though the shaft had been abandoned, there was still lighting near the entrance—unknown bright pearls set into beast-mouth pedestals along the walls, casting a cold, clear glow.

Yu Sheng stood at the top of the slope and looked down.

Below was a muddled haze. The lights extended downward along the walls, but the deeper they went, the more the illumination seemed suppressed by something, growing dimmer, heavier, swallowed by shadow.

“This uncanny secret realm’s entrance is quite obvious. It’s that indistinct darkness down there,” Su Yun said. “As you go down the slope, the lights will grow dimmer and dimmer. The shadow beneath your feet will become clearer and thicker, until the surroundings are all shadow and the wall lights can no longer guide you. That’s when you’ve entered Otherworld.

“But if you turn back then, you can still see the path you came from. If you return the same way, you can still get out. If you keep going forward, you’ll step straight into the depths of Otherworld.

“Deeper in, you’ll see all kinds of strange scenes. It won’t feel like a mine shaft at all. The path you came from will vanish, and you won’t be able to return the way you came. If you want to get out, you can only keep walking toward any place with light or wind until you find a road that goes up—stairs, a dirt slope, a mountain path, anything. When you find it, you follow it. If nothing goes wrong, you’ll gradually return to darkness again. When the road under your feet becomes the mine’s slope once more, you can walk back out.

“According to the senior brother disciple who went down earlier, there aren’t any entities or ghostly demonic creatures inside. It’s just a gloomy environment, and there’s always a chilling presence moving through the air. It affects the mind greatly. If you stay too long, even without meeting enemies you’ll feel your spirit unsettled and your dao heart wavering. You’ll even feel violent intent rising, and start thinking everyone around you wants to harm you. You can fight it with willpower, but if you get trapped inside and can’t leave… I fear something terrible will happen in time.”

Yu Sheng and Xuan Che exchanged a look.

“Go down together and take a look?” Yu Sheng asked casually.

Xuan Che smiled slightly. “Gladly.”

“Good.” Yu Sheng nodded, then glanced at Irene on his shoulder. “And help me check something.”

Irene blinked, not understanding at first. “Huh? Check what?”

Yu Sheng’s face turned grave. “Check whether I’m going to have a bloody disaster today.”

“Oh. Oh, okay.” Irene answered dumbly.

She cupped Yu Sheng’s face in her little hands and examined him with solemn seriousness. After a long moment, she nodded with absolute authority. “Yes. But not much blood.”

Yu Sheng’s mouth twitched. “Wow. Thanks for that incredibly precise diagnosis.”

Xuan Che stared, utterly confused, having no idea what the two of them were doing. He could only assume it was some mysterious pre-mission ritual from Hotel.

He instructed Su Yun and the guard disciples to keep watch around the entrance and keep random people away from the mine. Then he stepped forward with Yu Sheng, walking down the endless slope.

The light dimmed with every step.

The atmosphere began to change.

Yu Sheng couldn’t describe what kind of change. He only felt a boundary drawing closer. Staring at the slope ahead—gradually swallowed beyond what the wall lights could reach—he felt as if a bottomless abyss waited below. Some vast existence seemed to lift its head from that abyss and watch him with calm indifference.

The feeling vanished in an instant. Yu Sheng shook his head, and it was just ordinary darkness again.

Otherworld held no good or evil, no reason. It simply waited in silence for intruders to approach.

Foxy walked at his side. Luna had already equipped her fingertip blades. Xuan Che pinched a talisman between his fingers. Faint arcs of light danced at Irene’s fingertips.

Then darkness came from all directions.

In that hazy instant, Yu Sheng seemed to hear countless distant, authoritative shouts rolling like thunder. He couldn’t make them out, only caught a few words—

“…Activate… the grand formation!”