749 The Qinling Sacred Tree (Part 2)
Lin Yu and his companions anxiously searched the forest for Professor Chen's whereabouts. The surroundings were as quiet as a vast graveyard, the only sound being the rustling of fallen leaves beneath their feet. This hushed silence seemed particularly abrupt, like a prelude to an unknown horror. Lin Yu was consumed by anxiety, his heart flooded with self-blame. "It's all my fault! I was so focused on studying the ancient tree and those strange images that I neglected Professor Chen's safety. If anything happened to him, how could I face the archaeological team and explain myself to his family?" Every thought hammered at his heart, intensifying his anxiety.
Ouyang Zhenghao shouted not far away: "Lin Yu, nothing is found here. Could he have been captured by something?" His voice echoed in the silent mountains and forests, with a hint of trembling and fear, as if countless pairs of eyes were hidden in the darkness, watching their every move, ready to drag them into the endless abyss at any time.
Lin Yu frowned and responded, "It's possible. There's something weird around this ancient tree. Everyone should be careful and pay attention to whether there are any abnormal signs around. Maybe we can find Professor Chen's whereabouts from these clues." As he spoke, he carefully scanned the ground and the surrounding trees, not missing any possible clues.
Just then, a team member discovered some strange footprints in the grass ahead. The footprints were peculiar in shape, unlike those of humans. The outline of the footprints was vague, but they had sharp edges, as if left by some creature with sharp claws. Lin Yu hurried over to investigate, squatting down to carefully examine the footprints, puzzled: "What creature left these footprints? Could there be other unknown dangers in this mountain besides the strange power of the ancient trees? How does this connect to Professor Chen's disappearance?" A series of questions swirled in his mind, making him increasingly feel that there was a huge conspiracy behind this.
Following the footprints, they arrived at a hidden cave. Hidden by vines and weeds, it was difficult to spot without careful observation. A faint smell of dampness and decay emanated from the cave entrance, as if it were a mysterious, forgotten space, filled with the sediment of time and unknown secrets. The odor, a mixture of the fishy smell of earth and the musty odor of rotting leaves, was nauseating.
Ouyang Zhenghao covered his nose and frowned as he said, "Lin Yu, this cave looks eerie. Could Professor Chen be in there? Why do I feel like there's something waiting for us in there?" His eyes revealed a hint of hesitation and fear. He gripped the weapon tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Lin Yu said with a firm look in his eyes: "No matter what is in there, we have to go in and take a look. We must find Professor Chen. Professor Chen is the key person to solve this series of strange events. We can't give up any chance to find him." He took a deep breath and stepped into the cave first. Although his heart was full of worries and fears, as the captain, he had to lead by example.
Everyone walked into the cave carefully. The light inside the cave was dim, and they could only grope forward with the help of the weak light of the flashlight. The walls of the cave were engraved with all kinds of strange symbols and patterns, which seemed to have some similarities with the patterns on the ancient tree. Those symbols were strange in shape, some looked like distorted human figures, and some looked like mysterious eyes, as if watching them in the dark. The patterns depicted some strange scenes, ancient sacrificial rituals, mysterious creatures, and some incomprehensible abstract graphics. As Lin Yu walked, he carefully observed these symbols and patterns, trying to find some clues from them. His eyes were full of concentration and confusion, and he thought to himself: "What do these symbols and patterns mean? How are they related to the ancient tree and Professor Chen's thoughts?"
Suddenly, a faint groaning sound came from the front. Everyone was delighted, thinking they had found Professor Chen, and hurriedly quickened their pace. However, when they reached the source of the sound, they found a strange man lying on the ground. The man was in tattered clothes, his face was haggard, and his eyes were filled with fear. His clothes were tattered, as if they had been torn countless times, and there were some strange scratches and bruises on his body.
Lin Yu squatted down and asked softly, "Who are you? Why are you here? Have you seen Professor Chen from the archaeological team?" He tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible, trying to comfort the frightened man in front of him.
The man looked at them in horror, his voice trembling as he said, "Run! There's a monster here! That tree will eat people!" Then he fainted. His words were like a cold electric current, instantly spreading through everyone's body and sending chills down their spines.
Ouyang Zhenghao said in surprise: "What does this mean? Ancient trees can eat people? Could it be that Professor Chen was really killed by the ancient tree..." He didn't dare to think further, his heart was filled with fear and worry.
Lin Yu stood up and said with a serious expression: "Don't guess blindly, the situation is not clear at the moment. But what is certain is that all this is closely related to the ancient tree. We will continue to go deeper and must find out the truth. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must not retreat." His eyes revealed a firm determination, which injected a bit of confidence into the team members.
Just as they were about to continue, heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from the depths of the cave, accompanied by a deep roar. The footsteps were like muffled thunder, hammering at everyone's heart, while the roar was filled with anger and hunger, like the roar of a ferocious beast. Everyone was immediately alert, gripping their weapons tightly and staring nervously into the darkness. Their hearts raced, their breathing quickened, and each could hear their own heartbeats pounding, as if they were about to burst through their chests.
A massive figure slowly emerged from the darkness. It was massive, covered in scales, and gleamed coldly in the flashlight. Its eyes shone with an eerie red light, like two balls of burning flame. Its mouth bared sharp fangs, each the size of a dagger, gleaming with a chilling coldness. Its body was the size of a small mountain, its limbs thick and powerful, and every step it took shook the cave floor.
"What...what kind of monster is this?" a team member shouted in horror, his voice filled with fear and despair.
Lin Yu shouted, "Everyone, stay calm! Follow my instructions, find its weakness, and prepare for battle!" He tried to keep his voice calm, trying to steady the team members. Yet, he was also filled with anxiety and worry. Facing such a powerful and terrifying monster, whether they could successfully defeat it and rescue Professor Chen was uncertain. But he knew that he had to remain calm at this moment; only by staying calm could he find a solution.
The monster roared, shaking the cave's stone walls to dust, and then pounced on the group. Its speed was so fast that it closed the distance between them in an instant. A thrilling battle unfolded in the narrow cave, and the fate of the team members, as well as Professor Chen's safety, depended on it...
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