Chapter 556: Battlefield Abyss

"However."

Tan Lang continued, "The underground tunnels have baleful energy several times thicker than the surface, and they often breed 'Baleful Earth Yin Demons,' 'Ancient War Remnant Souls,' and even some strange existences born from the anomalies of baleful energy and earth veins."

"The environment is more treacherous, and perception is more limited, even more so than on the ground. What we need to guard against even more is that the Beast God organization may not have failed to notice or utilize these underground passages. Choosing this path means placing ourselves in a more unpredictable darkness."

Chen Mu pondered.

Tan Lang’s analysis was not unreasonable.

With three Heaven Palace Beast Gods joining forces to blockade, a head-on collision was definitely not a wise move.

Although the underground tunnels were dangerous, they might be an unexpected path.

It was just that, as Tan Lang said, the underground environment was more unknown, and the Beast Gods might also have arrangements.

"How much do you know about that tunnel? Are you confident in avoiding the Beast Gods' possible underground arrangements and finding a path to the core of Burial Soldier Valley?" Chen Mu asked.

"About 50% confidence."

Tan Lang was frank, "Deep in the tunnel, I have never reached the end. There are many forks, the flow of baleful energy is chaotic, and we need to constantly survey the earth veins and baleful energy nodes to judge the direction."

"I have some insights into earth vein surveying and baleful energy sensing. If we act as each other's support and proceed cautiously, the confidence might increase to 70%. As for the Beast God's arrangements..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes, "If there are any, we will remove them. The underground is narrow, which is actually favorable for sneak attacks and concealment; we might not be at a disadvantage."

50% to 70% confidence, in such a dangerous place, was already not bad.

Moreover, Tan Lang clearly had considerable understanding of the underground environment and the Beast Gods, and his experience and combat power were an important guarantee for this cooperation.

"Okay."

Chen Mu no longer hesitated, nodded in agreement, "Where is the entrance to the underground tunnel?"

"Follow me."

Tan Lang no longer spoke, his figure turned into a dark red blood light, diving straight down toward the abyss under the cliff that was surging with thick baleful energy.

His figure appeared at ease in the violent gale and chaotic baleful energy turbulence, as if he had long since adapted to such a harsh environment.

Chen Mu also turned into a green stream of light, following closely behind.

The two, one after the other, were like two meteors moving against the current, plunging into the dark abyss that seemed capable of swallowing all light.

The further down they went, the light quickly annihilated, and only by relying on spiritual sense and special pupil techniques could they see things.

The cold, bone-chilling, thick baleful energy that seemed capable of freezing the soul surged from all directions like tangible tides, frantically eroding their protective true essence and soul.

Their ears were filled with the shrill whistling of the gale, the hissing sound of baleful energy friction, and the faint, mournful wailing of lost souls that seemed to come from the Nine Nethers, disturbing their minds.

Chen Mu used true essence to protect his body, completely isolating and purifying the spiritual erosion and negative emotions in the baleful energy.

He could feel that the baleful energy deep in this ancient battlefield was not only cold and bone-eroding, but also contained a tragic, unwilling, and destructive battlefield will, which had a great impact on the martial artist’s mind.

In front, Tan Lang’s figure shuttled like a ghost in the thick baleful energy black mist, his speed neither fast nor slow.

Yet he could always avoid the suddenly appearing, high-speed rotating baleful energy vortexes at the last possible moment.

Or the extremely sharp spatial rift remnants hidden in the mist.

His familiarity and control over the environment were evident.

After descending nearly two thousand zhang, the surroundings were already absolute darkness and dead silence, with only the faint sound of baleful energy flowing and their own heartbeats.

On the cliff walls, large areas of traces that seemed to have been torn by great force or scorched by some terrifying energy began to appear, as well as some huge weapon remnants and strange bone remains embedded in the rock layers, silently telling of the tragedy of the ancient war.

"We’re here."

Tan Lang’s voice came, appearing exceptionally clear in the dead-silent abyss.

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes and looked, only to see a black hole about five zhang high and over three zhang wide, with irregularly torn edges, appearing on the steep cliff wall in front.

The entrance was not static, but was constantly and slowly breathing—

Streams of purer, colder, gray-black baleful energy carrying a strong scent of blood and decay surged out rhythmically like a giant beast’s breath, forming swirling air currents outside the entrance.

The rocks around the entrance presented a dark, blackened color, as if they had been stained by some filthy power for eternal ages.

"Baleful Earth Tunnel, the real entrance."

Tan Lang’s gaze stared at the deep black hole that seemed to have no end, "After entering, all five senses and spiritual sense will be greatly suppressed. Follow me closely, and do not easily use spiritual sense to probe areas where baleful energy is abnormally concentrated, for fear of startling the fierce things lurking within. Some things underground are extremely sensitive to spiritual sense fluctuations."

Chen Mu nodded slightly, indicating he understood.

He could feel that the baleful energy emitted by this entrance was several times purer and more erosive than what was outside.

That strong scent of blood and death seemed capable of penetrating directly into the bone marrow.

Tan Lang no longer spoke, his figure flickered, turning into a dark red thin line, plunging into the black hole that was constantly spewing baleful energy, and in an instant, he was swallowed by the darkness, his aura also suddenly becoming barely perceptible.

Chen Mu restrained his aura to the limit, then his figure flickered, following closely behind Tan Lang, plunging into the deep tunnel that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

Once inside the tunnel, it was as if they had stepped into another world.

The light disappeared completely, and they could only rely on spiritual sense and special spiritual perception.

The thick gray-black baleful energy that had almost turned into liquid filled every inch of space, cold and bone-chilling, carrying strong corrosiveness and spiritual pollution, frantically impacting Chen Mu’s protective force field and soul defense.

Underfoot was not solid ground, but a soft, sticky "ground" that seemed to be a mixture of bone powder, blood mud, and metal rust accumulated over countless years, making a teeth-aching "squelch" sound when stepped on.

The air was filled with an indescribable, strange odor mixed with rust, rotting flesh, sulfur, and some kind of strange fishy sweetness, which was nauseating.

The tunnel was not straight, but twisted downward, and was exceptionally wide, both high and wide over ten zhang, as if drilled by some giant creature.

The rock walls were rough, covered with various claw marks, chisel marks, and huge, dried, blackened stains like splashed ink.

Spiritual sense probed out, but after only a few dozen zhang, he felt bursts of needle-like stinging pain and stagnation, as if being weakened and interfered with by invisible forces layer by layer.

In his ears, besides his own faint heartbeat and breathing, there was the omnipresent, overlapping, resentful, and painful whispering of countless fragmented voices, drilling straight into his brain.

Tan Lang was a few zhang ahead, moving silently like a ghost in the darkness.

The earth-yellow crystal in his hand now emitted a brighter, more stable light, not only illuminating a small area in front but also seeming to resonate with some hidden pulse underground, guiding the way for him.

The speed of advance was very slow, and from time to time, he would stop, place his palm on the ground, or inject a trace of dark red true essence into the rock wall, carefully sensing something, before continuing to move forward.

Chen Mu followed closely behind, maintaining a distance that neither affected the other party’s actions nor prevented him from providing support at any time.