Soon, Zhang Shi finally dug a passage large enough for him to pass through. He carefully climbed up, afraid of disturbing some unknown creature. After all, he was in a completely unknown environment, so it was right to be cautious.
When he finally crawled out of the cave, he found himself in a spacious area with obvious signs of human carving, but it wasn't new and looked like it had been abandoned for a long time.
Zhang Shi took out an oil lamp, and by its light, he suddenly discovered a person lying prone in front of him. Upon closer inspection, Zhang Shi immediately recognized the golden armor. Just in case, Zhang Shi removed the person's helmet, confirming that it was indeed Zhao Feng, before finally settling down to check on him.
Judging from the condition of this enclosed cave, Zhao Feng must have been here ever since he was swallowed by the earth beast, and has been in a coma.
Zhang Shi shook his head vigorously, then took out a bottle of purified water and fed it to him, finally waking Zhao Feng up. After waking up, Zhao Feng observed his surroundings, then sighed heavily.
"Stone, this is goodbye until the underworld!"
Zhang Shi was exasperated. He then recounted his experiences after waking up and inquired about Zhao Feng's condition, learning that Zhao Feng had indeed been unconscious and knew nothing about anything. Helpless, the two ate some food and drank some water, then used this space as a starting point to begin digging aimlessly upwards.
The digging continued for several hours, with the two taking turns to conserve their energy. Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng both understood that they had to find a way out as soon as possible, otherwise, even with enough food and water, they would be trapped due to lack of air.
As they dug deeper, they discovered that the underground space was far more complex than they had imagined. They had been digging upwards for a long time, but all they saw above was soil, and they made no progress whatsoever.
Suddenly, Zhang Shi struck a hard object. He stopped shoveling and carefully dug away the soil around it. It was a huge, round stone slab with an eye-like symbol in the center, surrounded by many small patterns that looked like a scene from some kind of ritual or sacrifice.
“Brother Feng, look at this pattern, doesn’t it look familiar?” Zhang Shi said to Zhao Feng, pointing to the pattern.
Zhao Feng leaned closer for a closer look, and after examining it carefully, he exclaimed in surprise, "This... isn't this the pattern we've seen in historical records? But why is it here?"
Zhang Shi nodded, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. The historical record was vaguely related to the secrets of the Fog City, and was very likely intricately connected to the earth beasts and the strange changes in the entire city.
“It seems we are getting closer to the truth,” Zhang Shi said in a deep voice. “However, this also means we may face greater danger.”
Zhao Feng took a deep breath and said firmly, "No matter what lies ahead, let's just do it. We have to find a way out eventually. Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll deal with them!"
The two continued digging, but this time they were much more cautious, afraid of triggering any mechanisms or traps. As time passed, they finally dug to what appeared to be an exit. It was a narrow passage, the entrance blocked by a huge stone slab. Zhang Shi noticed that the material of the slab was exactly the same as that of the buildings in Fog City, so he became extremely careful.
Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng pushed aside the stone slab together, and a rush of fresh air entered from the passageway, instantly invigorating them. They knew that this passageway likely led to the outside world.
The two cautiously proceeded along the passage, which was lined with various strange plants and rocks, and the air was filled with a mysterious and ancient atmosphere. Zhang Shi's eyes lit up; plants meant hope, so it seemed they were on the right path.
They walked for a long time before finally seeing a glimmer of light ahead. When they emerged from the passage, they found themselves in a vast underground palace. The palace's roof soared high, seemingly piercing the clouds. The palace was filled with various precious artifacts and works of art, each exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng stared in astonishment at their surroundings, surprised to find that the palace's architectural style and materials were exactly the same as the City Lord's Mansion. They decided to search the palace thoroughly; if their teammates managed to escape, they would likely find this place as well. They pinned their hopes on finding clues to unravel the mystery here.
However, just as they were about to enter the depths of the palace, a deep roar came from a corner of the palace. The sound was deafening, making their hearts tighten.
Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng exchanged a glance, both able to read the tension and vigilance in each other's eyes. A deep roar echoed within the palace, as if some enormous creature was lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.
"Be careful, there might be danger," Zhang Shi whispered to Zhao Feng, while gripping Lao Duan tightly, ready to deal with any possible attack.
Zhao Feng nodded, gripped his battle axe tightly, and followed closely behind. The two cautiously advanced in the direction from which the sound came, trying their best to make no noise.
As they ventured deeper into the palace, the light gradually dimmed. Zhang Shi took out an oil lamp, attempting to illuminate the path ahead. However, the light was insignificant within the vast palace, illuminating only a small area beneath their feet.
Suddenly, a huge figure leaped out of the darkness, heading straight for Zhang Shi. Zhang Shi reacted quickly, rolling to the side to dodge the attack. However, the figure didn't stop, continuing its charge towards Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng reacted swiftly, raising his battle axe to meet the attack. The massive figure collided with the axe, producing a deafening roar. Only then did Zhang Shi realize that it was a huge, jet-black snake, far larger than any snake they had ever seen.
"Damn, how can it be so big? It looks terrifying!" Zhao Feng said in surprise, his voice filled with shock.
Zhang Shi didn't answer; he stared intently at the black snake before him. This snake had no eyes, clearly a result of its long underground life causing organ atrophy, but this also meant its other senses were more acute; they had to be careful.
The black snake attacked again, and Zhang Shi used a Shadow Slash to force the snake back, but the sword energy was completely blocked by its scales and did not cause it any damage.
Zhang Shi frowned, realizing that the black snake was of a high grade. He prepared to find an opportunity to fight it up close, thinking that with Lao Duan's sharpness, he should be able to inflict damage on it.
Just then, a low chanting sound suddenly came from a corner of the palace. The sound seemed to possess some kind of magic, slowing down the black snake's movements. Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng seized the opportunity and quickly launched a counterattack.
Zhang Shi was the first to flash behind the black snake and cleaved it in two with a single strike.
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