Chapter 278: Did Satan Make This?

Yu Lin arrived at the foot of the mountain that had just suffered a collapse, his gaze precisely fixed on a vine‑half‑covered opening at the base.

The opening stood about four or five meters high and three or four meters wide; its edges bore clear signs of artificial excavation, and the soil at the entrance still bore several distinct shoe prints that did not belong to ordinary hikers.

Without hesitation, Yu Lin pushed aside the vines and stepped into the cave.

The interior was not dim, contrary to his expectation.

Every few meters along the stone walls of the passage hung an oil lamp, its wick burning a steady flame that emitted a dim, warm glow, barely lighting the way ahead.

Yu Lin's eyes swept over the lamps, noting that the oil was still plentiful and the lamps fairly clean, clearly tended to regularly replenish the oil, indicating the cave was no ordinary place.

He followed this artificially marked passage inward for several hundred meters, and the view suddenly opened up!

At the narrow tunnel's end lay a huge natural cavern.

From the cavern's ceiling dripped countless stalactites, while stone pillars rose from the floor; under the oil‑lamp light they refracted a gorgeous, hazy brilliance.

In the center of this cavern, the most eye‑catching feature was a small pool roughly the size of a basketball court.

The pool's water was a deep, clear blue, crystal‑clear to the bottom; standing at its edge one could feel a bone‑chilling cold seeping from the water, as if it connected to the Nine Netherworld.

The footprints that had stretched in from the entrance ceased here, extending straight to the pool's rim before abruptly ending, as if those people had all stepped into the water.

Yu Lin walked to the pool's edge, crouched, and reached into the icy water, his spirit sense like invisible tendrils spreading toward the depths.

Yet the water seemed to contain a strange power that kept his spirit sense at the surface.

"Spatial Fluctuation…" he murmured, a flash of understanding crossing his eyes.

He rose, made no elaborate preparations, simply stepped back a few paces, then leapt upward like a swimming fish, assuming an extremely precise and graceful posture, and plunged straight into the cold pool!

Splash!

The entry sound was slight, barely splashing any water; the movement was clean and crisp, worthy of a perfect score.

And the instant his body was fully submerged—

An abrupt anomaly erupted!

The previously calm surface suddenly lit up with a soft, moon‑like glow!

Immediately, the water began to ripple and spin violently, as if turning into an unstable portal.

Yu Lin's figure blurred and twisted in the wavering water, and the next moment he vanished completely within the pool, as if devoured by the light.

When his vision cleared again and his senses steadied, the surroundings were entirely different.

No longer the dark, cold cavern, it was replaced by a vibrant, ancient‑tree‑filled dense forest.

The air was scented with fresh foliage, and crisp birdcalls of unknown species rang in his ears.

The next moment.

Yu Lin shot straight upward, taking in everything of this space with his eyes.

Not far away, a cleared‑ground area could be seen, and in its center lay a sparkling little lake.

Within the lake, five sharp‑eared, white‑skinned, quintessentially Western elves were playing.

"Arthur King's lake where the King's Sword was obtained is here?"

"No wonder they can't find it."

"Hmm, let's first look for the missing squad."

Yu Lin flickered, landing directly at the lake's edge, and called out to the elves playing in the water:

"Excuse me, have any of you seen any outsiders these past few days?"

Elf: "..........."

"Pervert!"

Boom!

One elf raised her hand, and with a Magic Array appearing in her palm, a column of water surged straight toward Yu Lin!

Yu Lin raised his hand to disperse the water column, saw they were about to act, and simply grabbed them, placing them before him.

"Hey hey, why the look of humiliation on your faces?"

"I have no defeat‑CG trigger here, don't worry."

The five elves bit their lips, and the older‑looking White-haired Elf stepped forward, gritting her teeth:

"Who are you? What business do you have with us? Don't trouble my sisters!"

Yu Lin repeated his question: "Have any of you seen any outsiders these past few days?"

"Three men, two women, looking similar to me."

"I mean no harm."

Hearing this, the White-haired Elf's expression suddenly changed, a hint of anger flashing: "So those were your people?"

"They came to us, and at the first word they injured several of our clan members!"

"Just now our clan members were fighting them over there, then they ran to the Dark Elf side! They must be Dark Elf people, right?!"

"If you're also working for the Dark Elves, then come on, we won't say a word!"

She turned her head aside, letting her long hair hide her face, crystalline tears sliding down her cheeks.

She looked utterly humiliated, as if Yu Lin was about to do something to her.

Yu Lin: ".........."

"Do I really look like that kind of person?"

The elves gave no answer, but their expressions told him.

They thought so.

"Sigh, alright, being a good person is hard." Yu Lin sighed, untied their restraints, then said:

"Do you know who the current Christian Saint is?"

Hearing this, the few of them all turned toward Yu Lin, and one whispered softly:

Could it still be you............

She hadn't finished speaking when she saw Yu Lin take the Silver Coin from his neck, accompanied by a flash of Holy Light.

They all opened their mouths wide, faces full of disbelief: 'You, you, you are a Saint?'

That's right.

Then, why didn't you say so just now?

You didn't give me a chance either; you came up and hit me with a water column.

...... Who told you to peek at our bath?

I came openly and aboveboard; how could that be called peeking? Alright, let's not talk about that.

Yu Lin waved his hand, then asked:

Where are the Dark Elves you mentioned now?

The White-haired Elf raised her hand and pointed to the west: 'Dark Elves are those who have been tempted by the King of Hell Satan and thus chosen to accept Hell's power.'

They live over there.

If they knew you were a Saint, they would summon Satan over; are you sure you can handle that?

Another mess caused by Satan; this guy is really bored out of his mind in Hell.

But that's fine; it makes things easier.

"I understand." Yu Lin nodded and gave them a grin:

"Who says Satan can't also be my friend?"

"I've had a meal with him."