Chapter 233: Treating a Dead Horse as a Living One!

Zhang Chulan looked around, suddenly spotting some unusual patterns on the cliff face, a flash of keen light in his eyes: "Since a frontal breakthrough won't work, we have to think of another way. Since these patterns are an Array for guiding Qi, perhaps they can give us some inspiration."

Meanwhile, led by Jinfeng Popo, Gong Qing and his group had already arrived before a hidden cliff wall. The old woman gently pushed aside a rock that looked ordinary, revealing a deep, dark entrance that exuded an eerie aura.

"This is the entrance to the secret passage," she said, turning to the group, her tone grave. "Entering from here may allow us to avoid the eyes and ears of those two Golden Silk Monkeys, but the dangers inside may be even more terrifying than those two monkeys."

Gong Qing took a deep breath, a flash of resolve in his eyes: "At this point, we have no choice but to treat a dead horse as a living one. Everyone, be careful and stay close. No one knows what kind of perils are hidden in this ancient secret passage."

On the other side, Zhang Chulan stood on a protruding rock, holding his phone high to search for a weak signal. The terrain here was complex, and the signal was intermittent, much like his anxious state of mind at that moment.

Finally, after the fifth attempt, the call went through.

"Fourth Brother," Zhang Chulan's voice carried a hint of helplessness, "the situation is a bit complicated. The danger in the valley is much trickier than we anticipated."

"Tell me the specifics." Xu Si's voice remained calm.

"At least a dozen Golden Silk Monkeys, each with the strength of a first-class expert. And..." Zhang Chulan paused, as if organizing his words, "they aren't ordinary beasts. They have tactics, coordination, and can even completely immunize themselves against our power."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds: "Are you saying that a group of Temporary Workers can't beat a few monkeys?"

"Yes," Zhang Chulan gave a bitter smile, "my Lightning Method is the same. In front of them, it's like we're hitting air."

"I understand," Xu Si's tone became serious, "stay where you are and don't act rashly. The Company will think of a way."

Hanging up the phone, Zhang Chulan returned to the camp. Several tents had already been set up, and Wang Zhenqiu and Heiguan'er were setting up perimeter alert devices. These specialized sensors could detect any abnormal activity within a hundred-meter radius.

Feng Baobao sat on a flat rock, focused on dealing with the snacks in her hands. Her carefree demeanor, indifferent to the world, actually made people feel a sense of inexplicable peace.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from the direction of the mountain path. Everyone was instantly alert, only relaxing once they saw who it was.

"Lu Lin? Lu Linglong?" Zhang Chulan was somewhat surprised, "You only just arrived at this time?"

Lu Lin looked weary, his clothes covered in dust: "The car broke down halfway, so we had to hike up. This mountain path is not easy to walk." He looked around, noticing the group's vigilant posture, "It seems you've run into trouble too?"

Zhang Chulan detailed their previous encounter, including the astonishing combat power of those Golden Silk Monkeys and their bizarre immunity. After listening, even the usually steady Lu Lin couldn't help but frown.

"This is indeed unusual," Lu Lin mused, "ordinary beasts couldn't possibly have this kind of strength; this has completely exceeded the scope of Nature."

"Zhang Chulan!" Lu Linglong suddenly interrupted their conversation, pulling a pile of snacks from her backpack, "I brought you all something to eat. I bought these specially at the foot of the mountain."

Feng Baobao's eyes immediately lit up, and she took the snacks happily like a child. Wang Zhenqiu couldn't help but lean in: "Give me some too."

Watching the group in this rare moment of relaxation, Zhang Chulan couldn't relax at all. The pressure those Golden Silk Monkeys put on him was too strong, like a great mountain that could collapse at any moment, pressing down until one couldn't breathe.

Meanwhile, in that dark secret passage, Gong Qing and his group were facing an even more dangerous situation.

"Watch your step!" Gong Qing's voice echoed in the narrow passage. Another mechanism was triggered, and sharp stone spikes suddenly shot out from both walls, like a bloody maw ready to tear the intruders to shreds.

Although Chai Yan was agile, there was too little room to dodge in such a narrow space. He barely avoided the fatal points, but his right arm was still slashed with a deep wound. Warm blood flowed down his arm, leaving a trail of dark red marks on the ground.

Xia He's situation was not optimistic either. Her clothes had already been torn in several places, revealing the wounds underneath. Although these wounds were not fatal, the pain they brought was constantly draining her stamina and willpower.

"These mechanisms..." Shen Chong said while panting, cold sweat sliding down his forehead, "not only have astonishing power, but they also carry some kind of special energy. I feel like my own Qi has become somewhat disobedient."

Jinfeng Popo walked in front, her expression more grave than anyone else's: "These are all Death Gates left behind by ancient Practitioners. They not only sense the cultivation of the intruders, but also automatically adjust the intensity and method of their attacks." She paused, "The more powerful the Practitioner, the more severe the test they face."

The group continued to move forward carefully, each step taken with extreme caution. However, just then, a faint rustling sound reached Xia He's ears.

"Wait," she suddenly raised her hand to signal everyone to stop, "did you hear any sound?"

Everyone held their breath. In the deathly silence, that eerie rustling sound became clearer and clearer, and it seemed to be coming from all directions, as if countless tiny lives were stirring.

Suddenly, Gong Qing's pupils contracted sharply: "Not good! Look at the ground!"

The group looked down, and the sight before them made everyone gasp. Countless pitch-black ants were pouring out from the cracks in the rock wall. They were three times the size of ordinary ants, their bodies shimmering with an eerie metallic luster, and most terrifying of all were their eyes, which flickered with a kind of intelligent, ghostly light.

"This is..." Jinfeng Popo's voice was trembling, "Corpse-Eating Ants! The terrifying creatures of legend that can devour the essence and energy of Practitioners!"

Before she could finish speaking, those black ants had already surged forward like a tide. Their speed was astonishing, and they were clearly highly aggressive. Most terrifyingly, they seemed able to sense everyone's weaknesses, always launching attacks at the most lethal points.

"Scatter!" Gong Qing shouted, simultaneously circulating all his Qi to form a protective barrier. However, these Corpse-Eating Ants seemed to have a strong attraction to Qi; the more powerful the Qi aura, the more violent the attacks they drew.

Xia He immediately unleashed her Charm Technique, attempting to influence the ants' actions. However, these creatures, which had long since gained intelligence, were clearly unaffected by this ability; instead, they attacked even more fiercely, as if mocking her insignificant attempt.