Chapter 260: No one has ever walked out alive from inside

The horses that had been lying quietly at the cave entrance suddenly rose up on their hind legs, letting out frightened whinnies, anxiously pawing the ground with their hooves, as if fearing something.

Everyone instantly woke up.

Tuan Tuan was still dazed: "Who's shouting?"

Xiao Ningxun held Tuan Tuan tighter: "It's fine, don't move."

Xiao Ran jumped up with a swish, drew his waist knife and pointed it at the cave mouth, eyes not fully open: "Who?"

Lu Qi and Xiao Er silently darted to the cave entrance, peering out through the gaps in the vines.

In the moonlight, the forest was dotted with drifting ghost‑green flames, flickering on and off, growing ever more numerous and dense as they drifted toward the cave.

And the earlier heart‑pounding sharp whistle had not ceased; instead it rose and fell from all sides, growing clearer as it closed in on their position.

Surrounded on all sides!

Xiao Ningxun made a swift decision, scooping up the still eye‑rubbing Tuan Tuan: "Retreat inside!"

Lu Qi's face grew grave as he quickly retreated deeper into the cave: "There's no way out! I've checked thoroughly—we're trapped here!"

"Not necessarily."

Xiao Er spoke in a low voice, his sharp gaze fixed on the rock wall at the innermost part of the cave, covered with thick, tangled dead vines.

This scene instantly reminded him of when they searched for the treasure cave of the Zhenguo Hou Wei family—the entrance then had also been concealed by such natural camouflage.

He hesitated no more, drew his waist knife and shouted low: "Brother Lu, help me!"

A flash of cold light—he swung hard at the thick layer of vines.

Lu Qi instantly understood, drew his blade and followed suit.

The blade's light swept like a silk ribbon, shattering the dead vines in all directions.

The thick vine layer was quickly cleared away.

A black, narrow opening just wide enough for one person suddenly appeared in the rock wall!

"Quick! Go in!" Xiao Ningxun hissed, holding Tuan Tuan as he led the way inside.

The others followed closely behind.

In the depths of Heifeng Ao, a dimly lit stone chamber.

A figure in black robes stared at a smooth water‑mirror set into the stone wall, which showed the vines being torn apart and several people slipping into the cave entrance.

He gave a cold snort: "Hmph, you're lucky to have found a way."

"Besides, no one has entered there in ages—let's see if you can keep being that lucky."

The group moved slowly through the narrow, damp passage; not far ahead, three branching paths suddenly appeared.

Xiao Ran asked: "Who has any copper coins?"

Xiao Ningxun wondered: "Why do you need copper coins?"

Xiao Ran declared bluntly: "Guess! Whichever you guess right, you take that path—it's fate!"

Xiao Ningxun gave him a white‑eye look.

Tuan Tuan also glared at him: "Obviously go right! Auntie told us—don't you remember?"

Xiao Ran exclaimed: "Right, right! Honestly, these jianghu folks always speak half‑and‑hide half, never thinking that if the other person doesn't recall, it's just wasted words!"

Without hesitation, the group turned into the right‑hand passage.

The passage started narrow, then gradually widened a bit.

At the front, Lu Qi suddenly spread his arms to block everyone: "Stop!"

They came up beside him and saw the road ahead suddenly unnaturally flat, paved with square blue‑stone slabs each about a foot wide.

The gaps between the slabs were clearly visible, starkly different from the natural roughness of the surrounding rock.

The blue‑stone road stretched so far that its end could barely be seen.

Such a road would be perfectly ordinary elsewhere, but its sudden appearance here—transforming a dusty, uneven track into a spotless, unnaturally flat blue‑stone path—is utterly bizarre, sending a chill down one's spine.

Lu Qi cautiously extended a foot, choosing the nearest square brick and stepped on it.

"Crack!"

That brick gave way, flipping down instantly and leaving a black hole in the flat road.

Peering closer, they sucked in a breath of cold air: the pit was over two persons deep, its bottom glinting with countless upside‑down sharp blades.

Obviously, anyone who fell in would have no chance of survival.

Xiao Er, face grim, selected another brick and stomped down just as hard.

The result was identical—the brick flipped over, revealing the deadly blade pit below.

Tuan Tuan shouted: "Let me try! I can do it!"

The four men stared at him simultaneously: "Don't mess around!"

Tuan Tuan pursed her little lips and humphed.

Xiao Ran grabbed Xiao Er's hand, tiptoed to press down on a brick in the row ahead.

"Crack!" answered him—still the cold gleam of blades.

He stared at the long stretch of bricks ahead, his face paling: "How are we supposed to get across? Do we have to fly?"

Lu Qi and Xiao Er both shook their heads—evidently, even lightness skills wouldn't work.

Tuan Tuan sighed like a little adult, tugging Xiao Ningxun's hand: "Third Brother, I told you I could do it—just follow me!"

They hesitated a moment; with things as they were, there truly was no other option.

Xiao Ningxun gently set her down and solemnly warned: "Tuan Tuan, you must be extremely careful—hold my hand and never let go."

"Got it!" Tuan Tuan nodded, set her short legs moving, and without hesitation stepped onto the first brick.

Xiao Ningxun pulled hard on her, his palms breaking out in a thin sheen of sweat.

Tuan Tuan's small foot landed steadily.

Not a thread moved! It's solid!

"Look!" Tuan Tuan proudly turned her head and smiled, "Follow me! Step where I stepped!"

Then, she seemed to walk an ordinary path, hopping and jumping, casually heading forward, sometimes straight, sometimes diagonal, her landing points utterly without pattern.

Xiao Ningxun's heart rose to their throat; they never dared let go of their sister's hand, closely following behind, each step precisely landing where she had just stepped.

Xiao Ran, Lu Qi, and Xiao Er followed in turn, not daring to misstep even a bit.

Only see that tiny figure nimbly weaving; every brick she stepped on was rock solid.

Everyone followed her with bated breath, quickly passing through this chilling death zone.

Just as they stepped out of the last square brick, in the dim stone chamber.

The black-robed person suddenly sprang to their feet, fiercely staring at the small hopping figure in the water mirror:

"What's going on? Why is the place that girl stepped on unharmed? Could the mechanism have completely broken?"

The subordinate beside him trembled all over, voice shaking: "The mechanisms are all normal! You also saw, those few people ahead stepped down and triggered the mechanisms."

"Only, only that little girl! We also don't know what's going on! Could it be that she has divine protection?"

The black-robed person's eyes flickered: "Divine protection? Fine, then let's see how long this divine being can protect her! This mechanism has swallowed countless people, and no one has ever walked out alive from inside."