Er Mao instinctively followed Tiah's pointing finger, seeing only the carcass of a "Black Luo," from which something wriggled—semi-translucent, resembling a bamboo shoot, and the size of a water vat.
"What in the world is that thing?" Makxin felt a wave of nausea and unconsciously grimaced. (8 Degrees Mobile Site WP..C)
The others did not immediately answer her question. They were still observing.
"Could it be a larva of the 'Black Luo'?" Elena frowned.
Zhong Shenxiu's earlier hypothesis seemed to be confirmed here. These wriggling things bore a certain resemblance to the demon worms they had slain on their journey. Could it be that those worms were actually the juvenile forms of the "Black Luo"?
Heavens, did that mean this place had become a breeding ground for the "Black Luo"?
"W-what should we do now?" Scott immediately tensed up seeing the solemn expressions on Xia Luo and the others' faces.
"We eliminate it, of course!" little Xia Luo murmured, glancing toward Zhong Shenxiu.
The situation had turned out far worse than they had imagined. If the "Black Luo" was already reproducing in massive numbers here, what about the other demon worms? Were they all like this?
Furthermore, could there be demon worms even more terrifying than the "Black Luo" appearing in other regions?
The mere thought of these questions made it clear that disaster had already arrived silently. It was just a matter of knowing which place would suffer first, or perhaps some places were already undergoing the baptism of the demon worms, and the news simply hadn't spread yet!
The moment of reckoning for humanity had arrived!
Gandalf conjured a small fire magic, incinerating both the corpses of the demon worms and the wriggling things. Although the immediate threat was cleared, compared to the entirety of the "Dense Forest Valley," this was merely the tip of the iceberg.
To cleanse this place of all demon worms, the ultimate reliance would still have to be Zhong Shenxiu!
Just as they were contemplating the current state of affairs, a blinding light suddenly erupted from behind them, illuminating the surroundings brilliantly!
"What's happening now?" Scott tried to see clearly, but the light was too intense, forcing his eyes shut.
His companions were in the same predicament, even suffering brief bouts of blindness! These successive strange events had utterly stripped them of their ability to think. All they desired now was safety.
Xia Luo and the others were different. The moment the intense light flared, they sensed a surge of powerful True Essence energy. Knowing that Zhong Shenxiu must be conducting some experiment, they were not surprised.
Just as they suspected, Zhong Shenxiu was currently stimulating that "Access Point," seeking to make its mutation more pronounced to reveal the hidden mystery within!
This intense light lasted for about a quarter of an hour before finally dissipating, and Zhong Shenxiu returned to the group. The "Access Point" had vanished; it was clear Zhong Shenxiu had shut it down!
"Young Master..." Makxin and the others looked as if they wanted to speak but held back.
"I already know what just happened," Zhong Shenxiu replied, then began surveying their surroundings.
The others were confused by his actions, but they would soon understand.
They watched as Zhong Shenxiu walked toward a relatively spacious clearing. In his hand, which they hadn't noticed before, was an object—a cube resembling a small box.
As Zhong Shenxiu tossed the small box out, a plume of smoke materialized from thin air and instantly diffused. Then, in the next moment, a colossal structure appeared before them—a tower dozens of meters high, quite similar to the "Insect Repelling Tower," yet distinctly different!
The "Bear Bone Mercenary Group" was startled, staring blankly at the high tower, unable to speak for a long time. Having been isolated from the outside world, they were unaware that the "Dark Trade Guild" had recently released a similar product, hence their astonishment!
Xia Luo and her group were also seeing this tower conjured by Zhong Shenxiu for the first time. They knew it wasn't the "Insect Repelling Tower," so what was its function?
Zhong Shenxiu seemed to perceive the doubt on everyone’s faces and stated calmly, "This is the 'Insect Luring Tower'!"
It should be noted that this "Insect Luring Tower" (8 Degrees Mobile Site WP..C) was conceived even earlier than the "Insect Repelling Tower," but Zhong Shenxiu had never brought it out. Moreover, this "Insect Luring Tower" had been designated as a non-sellable item the day it was conceptualized!
This "Insect Luring Tower" might seem innocuous, but upon careful consideration, one would realize it was an incredibly dangerous artifact. To draw an analogy, it could be likened to a nuclear weapon. If wielded by someone with ill intentions, this device could result in mass slaughter, perhaps even the destruction of an entire nation!
It was the perfect instrument for killing by proxy, making its classification as non-sellable entirely understandable!
Hearing Zhong Shenxiu's explanation, Xia Luo and the others immediately grasped his intent, but Scott and his men remained partially bewildered. Finally, unable to contain their curiosity, someone asked, "What exactly is an 'Insect Luring Tower'?"
"It's the tower used to lure the demon worms here!" Makxin explained straightforwardly.
She was already getting eager. If the hordes of demon worms were drawn over, it meant they could finally let loose and truly stretch their muscles! Having spent so much time in the "Gold Harvest City," they hadn't had a proper bout of excitement in ages!
However, Makxin’s anticipation seemed doomed to be dashed, as after setting up the tower, Zhong Shenxiu took out several Immortal Stones and arranged a "Demon Slaying Formation" around the tower!
After setting up the formation, Zhong Shenxiu made a final adjustment, setting its effective lifespan to three months. After that time, not only would the "Demon Slaying Formation" fail, but the "Insect Luring Tower" itself would instantly collapse.
The "Insect Luring Tower" certainly lived up to Zhong Shenxiu's design; within a short time, noisy sounds began echoing from the surroundings. If all those sounds belonged to demon worms, their number must have been at least in the thousands!
"What is that noise?" Scott asked.
"Don't be afraid, it's the demon worms!" Makxin replied.
Scott was instantly speechless. What did she mean, 'Don't be afraid'? Now that I know they are demon worms, how am I not supposed to be afraid?
They've gone mad, all of them! Why create an 'Insect Luring Tower' in the first place, surely...
"Alright, let's go," Zhong Shenxiu said, his expression still placid. He was still contemplating matters related to the Access Point, showing no interest in the approaching swarm of demon worms.
Zhong Shenxiu and his group didn't travel far, eventually stopping in a more open area to rest.
The members of the "Bear Bone Mercenary Group" were exhausted not just physically, but mentally as well. However, unlike Xia Luo’s group, they couldn't simply rest idly, as countless demon worms passed by right in front of them, one after another. Yet, strangely, not a single worm stopped to attack them; all were sprinting toward the direction of the "Insect Luring Tower"! Simultaneously, continuous "rumbling" sounds echoed, as if something was being shredded apart.
The night passed silently. The next day, sunlight pierced the green mist, casting an eerie glow upon the ground. The entire "Dense Forest Valley" seemed much quieter after the long night.
"Hey, there aren't many demon worms left in this 'Dense Forest Valley' now; you can leave," Zhong Shenxiu told Scott and the others, who were rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
What did he mean? Scott stared blankly at Zhong Shenxiu, his sleepiness instantly replaced by alertness. Did he mean they were being kicked out?
It wasn't just him; the rest of the "Bear Bone Mercenary Group" tightened their chests, looking at Zhong Shenxiu and his party with near-pleading eyes.
When they were stuck wandering aimlessly before, they hadn't felt much fear. But ever since teaming up with the "Ethereal Mercenary Group," their courage seemed to have shrunk instantly! Alas, those poor souls were worn down by the relentless strangeness they had witnessed!
Finally, after repeated requests and assurances from Scott and the others, Zhong Shenxiu said no more.
In truth, Zhong Shenxiu hadn't intended to make things difficult for them; it was just that he needed to remain in the "Dense Forest Valley" for some time longer and didn't want Scott's group wasting their time tagging along. Since they were so eager to follow, he conceded!
And so, in the following days, Scott’s group indeed stuck close to the "Ethereal Mercenary Group," even proactively helping to gather the rare herbs and vegetation Zhong Shenxiu designated!
...
Time flew by, and half a month passed in a blink. On this day, led by Zhong Shenxiu and his companions, the "Bear Bone Mercenary Group" finally emerged from the "Dense Forest Valley," heading toward the nearest small town.
Without further ado, around noon, they successfully reached the small town.
The members of the "Bear Bone Mercenary Group" parted ways with Zhong Shenxiu’s party. Scott and the others felt an inexpressible sense of gratitude toward the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" for leading them out of despair!
In the afternoon, Scott visited the "Mercenary Association" alone. He urgently needed to find out what major events had transpired in the outside world during the months they were trapped!
Luckily, upon reaching the "Mercenary Association," Scott found a familiar acquaintance—a man in his early forties.
"Scott, long time no see! Where have you been all this time?" the man joked.
"It's a long story. We were trapped in the 'Dense Forest Valley' for months and only got out today," Scott said with a touch of emotion.
"You're saying you were trapped in the 'Dense Forest Valley' for months?" The man clearly looked skeptical. "Then how did you get out? I heard that place was completely overrun by demon worms!"
"Ah, with our strength, it would indeed have been difficult to escape. But we were lucky enough to encounter a very powerful mercenary group; they were the ones who led us out!" Scott paused before asking in return, "By the way, have you ever heard the name 'Ethereal Mercenary Group'?"
"What? You said 'Ethereal Mercenary Group'???" The man suddenly shot to his feet. His exclamation silenced the entire association, making the hall unnervingly quiet.