Chapter 127. A Mysterious Abyss...

In the following days, Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi protected Tian Mier and followed her guidance as they struggled through the contaminated area.

The three of them seemed to carry a mark of hatred; every few hundred meters they walked, they would be met with a large wave of pollutants/polluted beasts.

At this moment, the fist-sized black energy ball landed among the polluted beasts, which were entirely black, covered in pustules, and had slimy tentacles, creating a silent explosion with annihilation energy.

Lin Xiaoxiao stood to the side, protecting Tian Mier, calmly watching Xiao Weizhi clean up the contaminated entities, and occasionally raising her lightsaber to patch up any remaining contaminated beasts that managed to pounce when they had a chance.

Because her skills are so loud, they will attract other (polluted beasts/polluted entities) during the battle.

Therefore, only Xiao Weizhi could deal with this large group of suddenly appearing polluted beasts.

With a few skills, the thousands of polluted beasts in front of them were instantly reduced to ashes, leaving behind a ground littered with crystal cores.

After collecting all the crystal cores, the three of them once again embarked on their journey to find Yuan Tai.

They traversed mountain after mountain, clearing away wave after wave of polluted beasts/polluted entities. The deeper they went, the more polluted entities they encountered that had turned into skeletons.

The flesh of these contaminated bodies had mostly rotted away, leaving only yellowish-white skeletons, like the skeletons of the undead legion in a game.

They move slowly, their empty eyes hold two clusters of deep purple flames about 2 centimeters long. They can be broken in the limbs or even the spine without dying; only a shattered skull will render them immobile.

This is because these skeletons have a crystal core the size of a little fingernail hidden inside their skulls.

Most of these skeletons have very low attack power and rely entirely on their instincts from their previous lives to move around; occasionally, you can encounter a few high-level skeletons that can unleash some powerful skills.

Although they couldn't harm Lin Xiaoxiao or Xiao Weizhi, their sheer number was overwhelming.

Every time a skeleton is discovered, there are hundreds of thousands, hundreds of thousands, hundreds of thousands... The highest number ever was over ten million. No amount of energy could possibly be enough to create them all.

Lin Xiaoxiao threw out another experience coin, blasting away thousands, even tens of thousands, of skeletons in one go. She sighed helplessly, "There are just too many skeletons."

Xiao Weizhi waved his hand, and several hundred black orbs of light, each about 2 centimeters in size, appeared.

With another wave of his hand, the ball of light flew out and landed among the skeleton soldiers, forming hundreds of silent annihilation explosion zones about 3 meters in size in a 360-degree, all-encompassing manner, instantly eliminating hundreds of thousands of skeleton soldiers.

He said calmly, "If we keep going forward, there will probably be more."

Judging from the tattered cloth and decaying, almost-worn equipment still remaining on some of the skeletons.

Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei speculated that these skeletons were ordinary professionals or civilians who were unable to evacuate during the first few years or more of the cataclysm.

Only in this way can we explain why these skeletons are so weak.

Lin Xiaoxiao sighed in agreement: "Indeed."

Thousands of years ago, before the catastrophe, the number of people living on the planet had already exceeded 10 billion, but the total number of professionals and ordinary people who evacuated to the interior was only about 700 million.

The rest will either turn to ash or become skeletons.

After spending more than an hour clearing away the millions of skeletons in front of them, the three continued forward according to the contract's guidance.

Several hours later, they reached the edge of a cliff and looked down at a brightly lit town.

The town, as far as the eye can see, covers an area of ​​more than 400 square kilometers. It is surrounded by high walls, and the buildings inside look like they were built thousands of years ago.

You can still vaguely see that most of the tall buildings are covered with vines and moss.

Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi exchanged a glance, and a sense of vigilance flashed in their eyes.

Deep within the contaminated area, there was a brightly lit town. The two of them simply couldn't believe that humans lived there.

However, it is unreasonable to say that they live in pollutants/polluting beasts.

All the contaminated living beings can only act on instinct, driven by their habits from their previous lives and their craving for flesh and blood; they are simply incapable of performing a difficult operation like turning on the lights.

Tian Mi'er pointed to the brightly lit town below, her eyes glistening with tears: "Atai, he's inside."

Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze swept over the eerie town, and she said in a deep voice, "Let's go, let's go down and take a look."

After saying that, she took Tian Mi'er and flew away, with Xiao Weizhi following closely behind.

A few minutes later, they hovered over the town, about 200 meters above it.

After observing for a while, just as we were about to plan our landing, we discovered that the once quiet town had suddenly come alive.

Many strange-looking creatures, like those from fairy tales, include beautiful elves, hot succubi, werewolves that walk upright like humans, and some strange species that are half-human and half-creature.

Their eyes were lifeless as they mechanically pushed open the doors of the houses, like pre-programmed dolls, stiffly wandering through the town, shopping, strolling, and entering bars...

It added a touch of eerie vitality to this otherwise deserted town.

Just as Xiao Weizhi was about to find a corner to land, Lin Xiaoxiao scanned the hidden barrier with her eyes that shimmered with a faint golden light, and reached out to stop her: "Weizhi, don't go down yet, there is a very hidden barrier down there."

Only the Age of Gods could set up such a barrier, so it is highly likely that the area below is the stronghold of the new organization under the command of Nuenro.

Xiao Weizhi frowned slightly: "There's a barrier? How do we get in?"

Lin Xiaoxiao held Tian Mier's hand, who was looking down anxiously. Their gazes darted rapidly across the barrier below, trying to find the weakest point and where to enter.

A moment later, she found a very secluded corner where the barrier energy was weakest. If she went in from that spot, the chances of being discovered would be much lower.

She pointed to a spot several meters away from that corner: "Go in from there."

After landing, Lin Xiaoxiao drew upon her faith power and combined it with the energy within her body to create a thin protective shield that wouldn't hinder their movements and would fit their body shape.

With this protection, as long as they don't make any big movements, the monsters in this town shouldn't be able to detect them.

They scaled the town wall, which was over ten meters high, passed through the barrier, and walked for a long time in a zigzag pattern. They emerged from the alley and arrived at a main street about three meters wide.

This street is not only decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, but also lined with stalls of all sizes.

The stalls looked old and dilapidated, some even so rotten that only two small wooden poles remained.

In front of each stall stood a stall owner, and they, regardless of gender, all looked exceptionally beautiful and handsome.

Even though the orcs were covered in hair, they looked exceptionally heroic.

The stalls were filled with a large number of things that were still on the verge of decay, as well as many broken props, and some stalls even had piles of white bones.

As Xiao Weizhi watched the orcs, dragonmen, and snakemen approaching, he instinctively shielded Lin Xiaoxiao behind him and quickly conjured a purplish-red energy staff in his hand, gathering it in front of him.

The tip of the staff was already glowing faintly, gathering energy to prepare for releasing skills.

Just as the staff began to charge up, all the humanoid creatures on the street mechanically turned their heads to look in the direction of Lin Xiaoxiao, Xiao Weizhi, and Tian Mier, their empty and silent eyes seeming to be determining the location of their prey.

Lin Xiaoxiao tugged at Xiao Weizhi and, through telepathy, told him to stop gathering energy immediately: "Weizhi, put away your staff. With the protective shield, they can't see us."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Weizhi squeezed his hand slightly, dispersing the energy staff in his hand.

Then, those humanoid creatures, who were like puppets, turned their heads back after losing their sense of energy and went about their business, some buying things, some shopping...

Tian Mier tugged at Lin Xiaoxiao's sleeve and pointed in a certain direction, indicating that they should walk this way.

The three of them held their breath and quickly crossed the street full of stalls, passed through the block of dilapidated bungalows, and arrived at the villa area that looked quaint and luxurious.

Among these villa areas, there is a very special Western-style castle-like manor.

The manor looked exceptionally new, as if it had just been built recently, and the gardens inside were filled with colorful flowers, while the water spouting from the fountains was clean and clear spring water.

Furthermore, one can faintly hear melodious classical music emanating from inside, making it seem like a manor where a banquet is being held.

'gazi.gazi……' The exquisitely carved iron gate at the entrance of the manor slowly opened.

A beastman dressed in a black suit, with a lion's head and a lizard-like tail behind him, raised his white-gloved left hand to his lower abdomen and bowed to Lin Xiaoxiao.

His movements were as stiff as a puppet's, and his voice was flat: "Welcome to the host's banquet, esteemed guest."

The sound startled Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi. They simultaneously raised their hands, pointing their weapons at the strange orc in front of them.

But after waiting for a long time, the orc's bowing posture remained unchanged, and he kept repeating the same phrase: "Welcome to the master's banquet, esteemed guest..."

The orc made no other move, as if welcoming the guests to the banquet was its job.

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Xiao Weizhi, then at Tian Mier, who was desperately suppressing her restlessness and trying to get inside.

She telepathically instructed Xiao Weizhi beside her: "Weizhi, let's go in. If anything seems amiss, we'll blow up the manor immediately and leave quickly."

Xiao Weizhi nodded solemnly and replied telepathically, "Okay."

The two cautiously escorted Tian Mi'er inside. Lin Xiaoxiao held several experience coins in her left hand, while Xiao Weizhi clenched his fists, his muscles tense.

Entering the garden, safe; walking through the corridor, safe... until pushing open the 6-meter-high banquet hall doors.

The interior was lavishly decorated, with magnificent crystal chandeliers, dazzling wine towers, humanoid creatures dressed in various gorgeous retro dresses wandering around, and melodious classical music playing...

In the dance floor, there were many tree people, werewolves, elves and others dressed in gorgeous costumes dancing. Their dance moves were agile and graceful, and they changed their movements constantly in response to the music.

One of the familiar figures was dressed in a gilded suit, dancing passionately with a beautiful succubus in his arms.

When the figure moved and turned towards the door, they were astonished to find that it was the dead Mishu, who moved as if he were still alive.

But just one glance at his deathly pale skin and empty, lifeless eyes was enough to tell that he was completely dead.

Lin Xiaoxiao, Xiao Weizhi, and Tian Mier stood at the edge of the banquet, looking like beggars who had accidentally wandered into a glittering party.

'da.da.da.da……' Amidst the melodious classical music, the sound of leather shoes hitting the marble floor was particularly noticeable.

Lin Xiaoxiao looked up warily towards the innermost part of the banquet hall, down the winding staircase, where Nu Enluo, dressed in a silver tuxedo, slowly descended.

With a gentle smile on his face and graceful movements, he said, "Welcome to my puppet ball, Miss Lin."

Lin Xiaoxiao, standing a dozen meters away with a lightsaber in her hand, watched Nuenro slowly descend the stairs and said coldly, "Puppet ball? Nuenro, I didn't know you were so childlike and liked to play house."

Nu Enlu chuckled as he walked through the venue, stopping three meters away from Lin Xiaoxiao. He bowed slightly and nodded: "Playing house? That makes sense. After all, there are very few creatures that can survive in the depths of this Black Abyss. Only these puppets have been with me all year round."

The moment Tian Mier saw Nu Enluo, her face turned deathly pale, and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably, as if she were recalling many unpleasant memories from the past.

Nu Enluo's gaze swept over Xiao Weizhi and landed on the trembling Tian Mier. He chuckled, "Long time no see, Mier. The floral dress I prepared for you back then is still well hidden in the basement."

Upon hearing this, Tian Mi'er's eyes revealed deep fear, and her face turned as pale as paper.

Lin Xiaoxiao conjured a lightsaber, flew forward, and slashed at Nu Enlu: "Stop talking nonsense."

Nuenro chuckled and gracefully stepped back. The next second, a woman covered in gray and black, whose hair, facial features, body, clothes, and jewelry were all made of stone, stood in front of Nuenro.

He raised his hand to block Lin Xiaoxiao's lightsaber. The lightsaber made a long 'ci' sound when it came into contact with the stone, and sparks flew out.

The moment Lin Xiaoxiao saw this stone woman, her pupils dilated and contracted rapidly in shock. It was Shi Taichu, the agent of the God of Minerals.

In the moment of her distraction, she was blasted several meters away by Shi Taichu's punch.

It was Xiao Weizhi who noticed something was wrong and leaped behind Lin Xiaoxiao, grabbing her waist to stop her from being blasted against the wall.

Nuenro stood next to Mishu and chuckled, reminding him, "Dazedness is not a good habit during battle."

He was surrounded by circles of humanoid creatures. Looking at their faces, he could vaguely recognize them as familiar faces: Li Feng, the agent of the God of Gale, whose entire body had turned bluish-green and was surrounded by many wisps of wind...

These humanoid beings were all agents of deceased gods, many of whom were people Lin Xiaoxiao knew, some were friends, and some were enemies.

She gritted her teeth, raised her lightsaber, and glared at Nuenro: "Bastard, how dare you turn them into puppets!"

Nuenro, with one hand in his pocket, moved with composure and elegance, a gentle smile on his face: "Isn't it good? As puppets, they can live forever even without becoming gods. Isn't that wonderful?"

Lin Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, leaped forward, and pointed her lightsaber directly at Nuenro's neck.

'Snap--' Nuenro snapped his fingers.

The originally mechanical puppets seemed to come to life as if guided, and rushed directly towards the location where Lin Xiaoxiao, Xiao Weizhi and Tian Mier were.

Lin Xiaoxiao swung her sword more than a dozen times in succession, striking the puppets, but not only did she fail to harm them, her lightsaber was shattered by the impact.

Her face turned ashen, and a lightsaber materialized once more in her hand.

Nuenro chuckled and took Mishu's hand, his expression suddenly realizing something. He chuckled and explained, "Sorry, I forgot to introduce them. These are my masterpieces, which I have poured countless efforts into. They are much better than those failed attempts that roam the Black Abyss."

"I hope you have a great time at this banquet, Ms. Lin Xiaoxiao, your agent for Lady Luck."

After saying this, he took Mishu's hand and left without looking back, heading up the stairs.

Only the menacing puppet and Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi, struggling to defend themselves against the attacks, remained at the banquet.

Standing behind the two of them, Tian Mi'er was trembling with fear, but she still managed to quietly follow Nu Enluo ahead when Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi weren't paying attention.

Xiao Wei punched the werewolf and snake woman in front of him, then braced himself on the ground with one hand, spun around and kicked, and then added a few more skills.

Through the thick smoke of the explosion, Lin Xiaoxiao saw that Tian Mier had already gone up the stairs, following closely in the direction of Nu Enluo.

She slashed away a puppet covered in green scales, resembling a lizardman, and said urgently, "Honey, don't go, come back."

When Lin Xiaoxiao called out to her, Tian Mier glanced back, then gritted her teeth and continued climbing upstairs, muttering to herself in a voice only she could hear: "I'm sorry, Xiaoxiao, Atai's breath is almost gone, I can't wait any longer."

Lin Xiaoxiao immediately changed the form of her lightsaber into a staff.

He unleashed hundreds of energy blades in succession, blasting away more than a dozen puppets around him. Then, he created a special energy shield that blocked the wind blades, ice blades, and other skill attacks.

She cursed under her breath, "Damn it! How am I supposed to kill these things?"

Xiao Weizhi threw out several annihilation energy balls with his backhand. After the silent explosion, the puppets were not even scratched.

Quan Zhi, who hadn't appeared for a long time, suddenly spoke up inside Lin Xiaoxiao's body, calmly commanding: "The succubus in front of you, attack three inches below its heart and take out the fragment of the divine core inside."

"Xiao boy, attack the turtle man in front of you, two inches from its neck! Then twist its neck."

...

A series of targeted commands were issued, and Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi immediately followed Quan Zhi's instructions to attack the puppets' vital points.

Any puppet that attacks under the command of Quan Zhi will collapse limply after having its core fragment removed, its nerves severed, and a piece of its spine broken, and will never be able to get up and attack again.

Half an hour later, the puppets in the banquet hall were almost completely cleared away.

The ground suddenly began to shake, and the walls of the banquet hall slowly rose, revealing more than a dozen dark passageways from which countless puppets poured out...

Meanwhile, far away outside the town, a group of mysterious figures dressed in black cloaks moved skillfully through the contaminated area, heading towards the puppet town.

Four people among them carried a huge sedan chair that occupied about 20 square meters, with dense white curtains hanging all around, giving it an eerie feel, like a funeral.

When the foul-smelling wind lifted the curtains, one could vaguely see a woman with a lithe figure sitting inside, and a figure with chains around its neck and covered in pustules.