Chapter 48: Mysterious deceased man
As they traveled deeper, the tunnel gradually sloped downward, forming what felt like a natural staircase beneath their feet. Bit by bit, they descended into the earth. The air grew colder and damper with every step. It also grew quieter too, eerily so.
In such a narrow space, even the smallest sounds became magnified. Langtian could hear everything: his own heartbeat, the soft rasp of their boots against the stone, and somewhere deeper within the mountain, the faint trickle of underground water. Occasionally, a droplet would fall and land with a quiet plonk against the rocks, sounding much louder than it should have.
But as they went further, he began to notice something strange.
The glowing Crimson Dawnlight Crystals that had lit the upper part of the tunnel began to thin out. Fewer and fewer of them appeared along the walls, until the tunnel grew dim, the shadows stretching long and heavy around them.
Soon, the red glow faded almost entirely, and it became hard to see.
Without a word, Yue Ling reached into her Qiankun pouch and pulled out a small torch. It was no treasure or mystic artifact, but merely a rough stick wrapped in cloth, soaked in demonic beast fat. Holding it steady, she conjured a small flame with a flick of her fingers, using some of basic alchemist’s fire control art.
The flame flared, then settled into a warm, steady glow, casting flickering light across the rough stone walls.
"Wait a minute..." Langtian said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. "The demonic energy... it’s gone!"
Yue Ling gave a small nod. "Yup. Feels good, doesn’t it?"
"Yeah!" he said, breathing in deeply.
He could feel it. That thick, heavy pressure that had wrapped around the entire valley—the kind that clouded thoughts and weighed down the spirit—was no longer present. With each step they took, it felt like the air itself was becoming lighter, clearer... almost purified.
His chest didn’t feel tight anymore. The dull ache in his mind had lifted. Even his limbs, which had felt sluggish since falling into this cursed valley, now moved with ease.