"Did we activate some kind of mechanism?" Fatty pondered, looking at the surrounding human effigies swaying like pendulums.
"It's not a mechanism, it's the venomous insects inside!" Hu Bayi's voice was hoarse. Then, from within the human effigies, swarms of black venomous insects began to pour out.
The insects were very small, about the size of a fingernail, but their appearance was not to be underestimated. They had a distinctive look, with two pincer-like appendages and a predominantly green body. They resembled large green glow worms. The insects surged out from the gaps in the human effigies, entering the water, and some even climbed onto Zhang Tian's raft.
"Disgusting things, boss. Let's just burn them," Fatty said, frowning as the insects crawled onto the raft.
A talisman appeared in Zhang Tian's palm. He then threw several talismans into the water, and countless arcs of lightning erupted. Almost instantly, the entire water surface turned black, with visible electrical currents within the dark water. Upon encountering the lightning, the insects let out crackling sounds. Some were struck dead, while others were pulverized.
"Are we done?" Shirley Yang asked, breathing a sigh of relief as the river quieted.
"No," Zhang Qilin suddenly said, waving his hand. The next moment, his Black Gold Ancient Saber slashed forward. A plume of black smoke emerged. A small black insect, sliced in half by the saber, fell from it.
"Why isn't this bug dead? And its color is so strange, it's purple," Fatty exclaimed, looking at the severed insect.
"That's a Gu King," Zhang Tian said, guessing. The bug's unique appearance, coupled with its resistance to his lightning talismans, strongly suggested it was a Gu King formed from the human effigies. It had attempted to ambush Zhang Tian but was no match for Zhang Qilin's superior skill.
"Crackling." As they focused on the severed Gu King, something astonishing happened. The two halves of the Gu King began to move again, one lunging towards Zhang Tian, the other towards Fatty.
"Hmph, its vitality is quite tenacious. A normal insect would be long dead," Zhang Tian snorted, changing his hand movements. The next moment, a more powerful arc of lightning flashed, reducing the half attacking him to ashes. Fatty, on the other hand, clapped his hands together, and the Gu worm was flattened. Fatty's physique was robust, and the Gu worm, having lost its strength, couldn't burrow into him. Thus, a single slap from Fatty was enough to crush it.
"Thought it was so tough, turns out a slap can kill it," Fatty grumbled, flicking away the powdered remains of the Gu worm.
"This must be a legendary Gu worm. Its vitality is truly remarkable," Shirley Yang said in amazement. She had heard of such things, though she had never seen one before.
"These human effigies likely served as breeding grounds for these Gu worms. The one we killed was the Gu King," Hu Bayi mused, looking at the surrounding effigies.
"Boss, there are so many more human effigies ahead. There must be a lot more venomous insects!" Fatty pointed forward, where hundreds of human figures were visible in the beam of the flashlight.
Suddenly, Zhang Tian's raft bumped into something, causing it to sway. At the same moment, the human effigies above began to shake. Almost simultaneously, they started to fall, plummeting like raindrops.
"Oh my god, it's raining! Raining human effigies!" Fatty yelled, frantically paddling to speed up the raft.
"We must have triggered a mechanism within this river channel," Zhang Tian stated, his voice quiet but tinged with a heavy tone. The raft accelerated, and wherever they passed, the human effigies began to fall in earnest. Upon entering the water, the effigies cracked open, releasing their eggs and larvae. Countless insects then crawled out. From above, human effigy 'raindrops' continued to fall, while in the water, a tide of black insects surged towards Zhang Tian's raft, clearly determined to drag them down. As the insects multiplied, they attracted piranhas to the river, their bloody scent being a natural lure.
"Hmph," Zhang Tian snorted, throwing several more talismans. The entire river channel erupted in lightning. Countless venomous insects were killed. However, the dead insects seemed to multiply, as if they were now inexhaustible. The piranhas were also electrocuted by Zhang Tian's lightning talismans, but their sheer numbers meant Zhang Tian couldn't sustain this indefinitely, as his internal energy would run out.
"Damn it, Fatty will fight you all!" Fatty roared, his paddling accelerating wildly. His oar seemed divinely guided, propelling the raft at an increased speed.
"Look over there, there's land!" Shirley Yang pointed ahead.
"Fatty, faster!" Zhang Tian urged. Fatty nodded and paddled with even more vigor. Soon, the raft reached the shore. The water beneath continued to churn with the piranhas and black insects tearing at each other. The piranhas, indifferent to whether the insects were venomous, saw them as a prime meal.
"Phew, we're finally out. So many fish," Fatty said, taking a deep breath.
Zhang Tian surveyed their surroundings. There was a cave entrance at the shore, which seemed to offer a way out. "This should be the route into the valley," he said after a brief assessment.
"Then what are we waiting for? Fatty will lead the way!" Fatty declared, striding forward with his engineer's shovel. Zhang Tian and the others followed. This waterway likely led to a waterfall, and they were fortunate not to have been swept downstream.
They entered the cave. Soon, a bright light appeared. The group saw the long-lost sun. The sunlight momentarily blinded Zhang Tian. Then, a breathtaking sight unfolded before them. At the end of the cliff lay towering mountains, shrouded in a vast expanse of clouds, giving the scene an primordial feel.
"There's a path over there," Hu Bayi said after surveying the area, pointing to a descending cave.
Zhang Tian's gaze swept across the valley. Feng Shui readings were impossible in this state, so their only option was to venture inward and look for clues. Following the cave discovered by Hu Bayi, they pressed on. After passing through another water cave beneath the mountain, they finally reached the foot of the mountain.