Chapter 517: Strange Form and Red Hair

Boom—

The desert began to violently collapse, and at its center a mysterious power awakened in this barren land.

Sand and stone flew through the air, the earth trembled, as if even the sky had lost its color at that moment.

Four huge Sand Persons slowly rose from the dust, their silhouettes like ancient guardians, solemn and dignified, each grain of sand flashing with a mysterious light.

These Sand Persons stood tens of zhang tall, formed from the purest sand of the desert, their faces ancient and blurred, as if bearing endless ages.

Their arms were thick and powerful, each swing raising a gale that swept up the sky‑filled sand.

The Sand Persons began to form complex seals, their palms tracing mysterious trajectories in the air, each seal emitting a faint light, as if containing the secrets of the universe.

From their mouths came unceasing divine tones; the Sand Persons' voices were low and powerful, like an ancient summons and also like the resonance of the stars.

These sounds echoed across the desert, shaking people's hearts and minds, as if even their souls were stirred at that moment.

As the divine tones continued, strange changes appeared in the sky; Heavenly Flowers fell from heaven, each with different shapes and variegated colors, exuding a faint fragrance that made people feel refreshed and delighted.

Through the joint effort of the Sand Persons, a mysterious Teleportation Array quickly took shape in the air.

This Teleportation Array was composed of countless intricate runes and patterns, which intertwined in the air to form a huge circle.

At the center of the Teleportation Array, a complex diagram began to emit a faint light; these lights gradually brightened, eventually forming a vortex of light.

Within the vortex, variegated lights intertwined.

As the light intensified, the Teleportation Array began to emit a low humming sound, like the chant of an ancient spell and also like the resonance of distant stars.

The ground began to tremble slightly, as if the whole world were preparing for the imminent teleportation.

Longling and the others stood in the desert, witnessing this magnificent scene, their hearts filled with shock.

They had never seen such a vast and majestic scene, nor felt such a mysterious and grandiose power.

The appearance of the Sand Persons, the falling of the Heavenly Flowers, and the formation of the Teleportation Array—every detail felt unbelievable.

"What on earth is happening?" a cultivator said, trembling, his voice tinged with awe.

"These Sand Persons, these runes—they seem to be guiding us to some place." Longling said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with determined light.

"How utterly strange!" another cultivator said anxiously, his eyes fixed on those Sand Persons.

"There is no choice." Longling's voice carried a hint of resolve: "No matter what lies ahead, we must face it."

With the Teleportation Array fully activated, an intangible force surged from the vortex, carrying an ancient and mysterious aura that made people involuntarily feel reverent.

This force gently drew everyone into the Teleportation Array; their figures blurred in the light and finally vanished above the desert.

When they opened their eyes again, they found they had arrived in an entirely new world.

This world differed from any place they had known before; it was filled with mysterious and strange qi, every corner hiding unknown secrets.

They stood on an endless plain, the sky a deep blue, as if it contained boundless wisdom.

The plain was covered with strange plants, each of different shape and variegated color, emitting a faint glow. A breeze blew by, bringing fresh fragrances that made people feel refreshed and delighted.

At the edge of the plain lay a towering mountain range, continuous and stretching into the clouds.

On the highest peak of the range lay perennial snow that sparkled with dazzling light in the sunshine.

On both sides of the range were bottomless gorges, through which rushed rivers ran; the water was clear to the bottom, emitting a roaring sound.

"Where exactly is this?" a cultivator exclaimed, his eyes fixed on this strange land.

"Be careful, everyone." Longling said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with determined light.

Everyone began to explore the plain, discovering many mysterious relics.

These relics were scattered across the plain's corners: some were ancient stone tablets inscribed with dense text; others were ruined castles whose walls were overgrown with vines, as if recounting past glories.

As they went deeper, they discovered a huge lake.

The lake's water was clear to the bottom, with lotus flowers floating on its surface, their petals white as snow and emitting a faint glow.

At the lake's center lay a small island on which grew a giant tree, its branches and leaves lush, shading the sky.

"This tree seems somehow connected to the divine tree we saw in the desert." a cultivator said in astonishment, his eyes fixed on that tree.

"It seems this world hides many secrets." Longling said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with wary light.

Everyone began to explore around the lake, discovering many mysterious caves along its shores.

The entrances of these caves were covered by vines and weeds, as if no one had set foot in them for a long time.

Inside the caves lay winding, complex passages, their walls covered with strange mushrooms that emitted a faint glow.

As they went deeper, they discovered a huge underground palace.

The palace walls were carved with various strange patterns, similar to those on the relics they had seen on the plain, but more complex and mysterious.

At the palace's center stood a huge pool, its water deep blue, as if containing boundless wisdom.

"These patterns, this pool, seem to be guiding us toward some ritual." a cultivator said in astonishment, his voice tinged with reverence.

"We must be careful, lest this be a trap that tempts the heart." Longling warned, his eyes flashing with wary light.

They found that the patterns in the palace and the water in the pool indeed concealed an ancient ritual.

The ground began to tremble slightly, as if the whole world were preparing for the imminent teleportation.

Suddenly, a blinding light burst from the Teleportation Array, shooting straight to the heavens and illuminating the entire palace as if it were daytime.

This light was so intense that people had to shield their eyes with their hands to avoid being burned by this holy radiance.

The scene shifted; without realizing when, they had stepped into a cavern, a cool breath blowing upon them, forming a stark contrast with the outside air.

Inside the cavern the passage twisted and turned, droplets of moisture on the walls occasionally falling and producing a clear echo.

The torchlight flickered within the cavern, stretching their shadows long.

As they went deeper, strange patterns began to appear on the cavern walls, like remnants of some ancient civilization.

Among these patterns, the ghostly faces were especially prominent, their eyes seeming to flicker with an eerie light in the darkness, as if watching every person who entered the cavern.

Suddenly, a young cultivator stopped at a turn; before him lay a small platform built from stacked pottery jars.

The surfaces of these jars were rough, carved with ghost‑face patterns similar to those on the cavern walls; in the firelight these faces looked even more ferocious and terrifying.

"These pottery jars look rather aged; I don't know what they contain." The young cultivator said curiously, he stretched out his hand, wanting to touch these mysterious jars.

"Be careful, things here might all be cursed." Longling reminded, but before his words finished, only hearing a "Crack!", a pottery jar had already been knocked over by the young cultivator accidentally, shattering to pieces.

From the shattered pottery jar, a milky-white silkworm cocoon emerged, lying still on the ground with no sign of life.

The cocoon's surface was smooth and lustrous, as if wrapped from the purest silk.

Everyone gathered around, using torches to illuminate the cocoon, observing it closely.

The cocoon had no cracks or openings; it was like a perfect egg, silently waiting for the moment to hatch.

"It seems this is just a dead object, possibly used as a burial offering." A cultivator said, his voice tinged with a hint of disappointment.

Everyone nodded, losing interest in the cocoon, turning to prepare to leave.

However, at that moment, a cultivator with exceptionally strong curiosity couldn't help but reach out his hand, wanting to touch the cocoon to feel its texture.

As his finger just touched the cocoon's surface, an abrupt change occurred.

The cocoon seemed to be activated, its surface suddenly splitting open to reveal a greedy mouthpart.

In the instant before the cultivator could react, the cocoon leapt violently and burrowed into his mouth.

"Ah!" the cultivator let out a terrified scream, he fell to the ground, his body beginning to convulse violently.

He felt a cold force spreading within his body; the cocoon seemed to be rapidly growing inside him, devouring his vitality.

Everyone was stunned, they gathered around, trying to help the cultivator.

But everything happened too fast; the cultivator's body had already begun undergoing strange changes.

His body began to swell, as if something was wriggling beneath his skin, his bones emitting a "click-click" sound, as if being reassembled.

"Save me. Save me!" the cultivator's voice became hoarse and distorted, his eyes turning pitch black, as if losing all luster.

Metallic-luster patterns began to appear on his body's surface, these patterns spreading across his skin and eventually covering his entire body.

A few minutes later, the changes stopped.

The cultivator was no longer his former self; he had turned into a monster covered entirely in metallic luster.

The monster's skin was hard and lustrous, as if forged from the hardest metal.

Its body lines were smooth and powerful, its muscles appearing more pronounced beneath the metallic sheen.

The monster's head became more ferocious, its eyes turning into two deep red points of light, flashing with savage radiance.

Its mouth widened, filled with sharp teeth, as if capable of tearing anything apart.

A pair of sharp metallic wings grew from its back, the edges of the wings flashing with a cold light, as if able to cut the air.

"What... what is this monster?" a cultivator trembled as he spoke, his voice tinged with fear.

Longling gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes flashing with determined light. "We must be careful; this monster could be very dangerous."

The monster slowly rose to its feet, its body emitting a "click-click" sound, as if adapting to its new form.

Its eyes swept over everyone present, finally locking onto the nearest cultivator.

"Ulu lu" — the monster's voice carried a hint of pain; it seemed to still retain the cultivator's consciousness, but soon that consciousness was devoured by the savage power.

The monster let out an earth-shaking roar, its body lunging forward to pounce on Longling.

Its speed was like lightning, bearing great power, as if it wanted to tear Longling to pieces.

Longling reacted swiftly, his body turning into a light-shadow, easily dodging the monster's attack.

He waved his Light Sword in hand, tracing mysterious trajectories in the air, forming a powerful sword qi that struck straight at the monster's vital point.

"Boom!" The sword qi collided with the monster's body, producing a thunderous roar.

The monster's body was blasted away, slamming heavily into the cavern wall, causing the entire cavern to tremble.

However, the monster's body was extraordinarily hard; Longling's attack left only a shallow mark.

It quickly rose to its feet, its eyes flashing with even greater savagery, as if stirred to unleash stronger power.

"Be careful, this monster's power is continually increasing!" Longling shouted, his eyes flashing with vigilant light.

Everyone immediately reacted, beginning a joint attack; various spells and magic treasures intertwined in the air, forming a powerful attack net that trapped the monster within.

The monster let out an angry roar, its body suddenly erupting with great force, bouncing off all surrounding attacks.

It swung its sharp wings, launching a fierce counterattack against everyone.

Yet the crowd did not retreat; they knew that if they did not defeat this monster, they would never be able to leave this cavern.

The attacks fell upon the monster like a rainstorm, each strike carrying great force, attempting to break its defense.

The battle lasted a long time, both sides paying a heavy price.

Although the monster's body was hard, under the combined assault it began to show signs of damage.

Its wings were torn, its body covered in wounds, yet it stubbornly kept fighting, each attack still bearing savage power.

Finally, after a fierce attack, the monster's body was completely shattered, turning into countless fragments that dissipated in the air.

The cavern returned to calm, but the crowd's hearts could not find peace.

The appearance of this monster might merely be the tip of the iceberg of the mysterious powers of the Ancient Pagoda World.

"We must be even more careful; there may be more dangers hidden." Longling said solemnly, his eyes flashing with determined light.

Everyone nodded, knowing that only by standing united could they survive in this world full of unknowns and dangers.

As they went deeper, the cavern's scenery became even more eerie; the patterns on the walls grew more complex, as if telling some ancient tale.

On the cavern floor, strange symbols began to appear, these symbols seeming to be an ancient script recording the history of this world.

In the depths of the cavern, they discovered a huge underground lake.

The lake water showed a deep blue, as if containing endless wisdom.

A thin layer of mist floated on the lake surface, the mist seemingly hiding countless pairs of eyes, peering at everyone who entered the cavern.

"This lake seems to have some connection with the silkworm cocoon we saw earlier." A cultivator exclaimed, his gaze fixed tightly on the lake surface.

"The pottery jars in the lake and the smudge in the cave are both wearing ghost-face masks." Longling said solemnly, his eyes flashing with vigilant light.

Everyone began exploring around the lake and discovered many mysterious caves surrounding it.

The cave entrances were covered with vines and weeds, as if no one had stepped foot there for a long time.

Inside the caves lay a network of intricate passages, their walls covered with strange mushrooms that emitted a faint glow.

Rumble…

The air trembled, sending out a huge humming sound, like the roar of ancient machinery or the resonance of stars in a distant starfield.

This sound was low and powerful, shaking people's hearts to tremble.

However, at that moment, several cultivators near the pool's edge suddenly screamed in terror.

Their bodies began to undergo a strange change, quickly growing dense red hair on their skin, their figures continually swelling, limbs becoming thick and powerful, and their fingertips sprouting sharp claws.

"What is happening?!" one cultivator shouted in terror, his voice already hoarse and distorted, no longer sounding human.

The others quickly retreated, keeping distance from the mutating cultivators.

They horrifiedly discovered that the cultivators' facial features were beginning to blur, noses flattening, mouths widening, revealing sharp teeth.

Their eyes turned scarlet, flashing with violent light, as if they had lost their reason.

"Look quickly, their bodies……" one cultivator pointed at the mutating cultivator's body, his voice tinged with fear.

Only to see that on the cultivators' bodies, the red hair grew denser, their backs began to arch, and their vertebrae emitted a "crack-crack" sound, as if being reassembled.

Their shoulders became broader, muscles bulging beneath the hair, displaying great strength.

A few minutes later, the mutation was complete.

These cultivators were no longer their former selves; they had turned into monsters resembling huge baboons.

The monsters' bodies were tall and strong, their hair dense and bright red, as if dyed with blood.

Their eyes were scarlet, flashing with violent light, saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths, and they emitted low growls.

"These monsters…… are they still our companions?" a cultivator trembled as he spoke, his voice tinged with sorrow.

Longling gripped his Light Sword tightly, eyes flashing with determined light. "No matter who they once were, they are now our enemies; we must respond carefully and not let them harm others."

The mutated cultivators, or rather the monsters, began to lunge at the others.

Their movements were swift and violent, each leap able to cross several meters.

Their claws were sharp and powerful, capable of tearing through the hardest rock.

"Watch out!" Longling shouted, his body turning into a light-shadow, easily dodging the monster's attack.

The Light Sword in his hand swung, tracing mysterious trajectories in the air, forming a powerful sword qi that struck straight at the monster's vital point.

"Boom!" The sword qi collided with the monster's body, producing a thunderous roar.

The monster's body was blown away, slamming heavily into the cave wall, causing the entire cave to tremble.

However, the monster's body was unusually hard; Longling's attack left only a shallow trace.

It quickly rose to its feet, eyes flashing with even more violent light, as if stimulated into greater power.

"These monsters' power keeps increasing!" Longling warned loudly, his eyes flashing with vigilance.

Everyone immediately reacted, they began to attack together, various spells and treasures intertwining in the air to form a powerful attack net that trapped the monster.

The monster let out a roar, its body suddenly erupting with great power, bouncing off all surrounding attacks, waving its sharp claws as it launched a fierce counterattack against everyone.

However, the people did not retreat; attacks fell like a rainstorm on the monster's body, each strike carrying great strength, attempting to break its defense.