Under everyone's gaze, Zhang Yang once again took out the stone tablet, enlarged it, and placed it beside Hong Tao.
"Elder Hong, I'll go into the swamp to test it first. If you see the stone tablet shrink later, it means my guess is correct and there's no threat in the swamp. You can jump in with the others."
"If the stone tablet remains unchanged, then you shouldn't come in and think of another way to find people," Zhang Yang said with a smile.
This!
Everyone's hearts were filled with awe upon hearing this.
To everyone, everything within the swamp was completely unknown.
The dangers within were immense.
At such a time, Zhang Yang was willing to step forward, which immediately earned their respect and admiration.
Hong Tao's expression moved. He looked at Zhang Yang seriously and asked,
"Zhang Tang, have you thought it through? Do you really want to go in? What if your guess is wrong, and you might stay in the swamp forever!"
"Heh heh, someone has to try, right? After all, we have no other options now," Zhang Yang said with a smile.
His smile was casual, but it moved Hong Tao, who looked at Zhang Yang with great respect!
"Alright! You must be careful," Hong Tao said.
"Heh heh, don't worry," Zhang Yang shrugged indifferently.
In fact, he was quite confident in himself.
If his guess about the swamp was wrong, Zhang Yang would also have a way to escape.
However.
These things naturally couldn't be told to Hong Tao and the others, because Zhang Yang still believed his guess wouldn't be wrong.
Immediately.
Zhang Yang didn't say any more.
Under the admiring gazes of everyone, he leaped into the swamp.
The people on the ground kept their eyes on Zhang Yang until his figure disappeared into the swamp, and then they shifted their attention to the stone tablet.
At this moment.
Everyone was silently praying for Zhang Yang, hoping he would be safe.
At the same time.
Zhang Yang, having leaped into the swamp, fully unleashed his True Dragon Qi, wrapping himself tightly.
The inside of the swamp was pitch black, and Zhang Yang could see nothing.
However.
He could feel his body constantly sinking.
After about ten minutes.
Zhang Yang, who was previously in darkness, suddenly saw a light ahead.
Bang!
Zhang Yang suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness, and then found his feet on solid ground!
This was a tunnel, somewhat narrow, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
"Haha, it seems my guess was correct. There really is something hidden within this swamp!" Zhang Yang laughed.
At the same time.
He closed his eyes slightly and sensed the stone tablet on the ground, quickly making it shrink.
This scene.
Caused the anxious crowd on the platform to cheer!
"Look! The stone tablet has shrunk! Zhang Tang is alright!"
"Zhang Tang is alive, he's not dead! He's making the stone tablet shrink to give us a hint!"
"Hahaha, I knew Zhang Tang wouldn't be in trouble! You scared me to death just now!"
"..."
Everyone spoke one after another, appearing very excited.
The past ten minutes had weighed heavily on their hearts.
They thought Zhang Yang's guess was wrong, and he was forever lost in the swamp.
Who would have thought.
Zhang Yang's guess was actually right, and there was a path beneath the swamp!
Hong Tao's face lit up with joy.
He quickly collected the stone tablet Zhang Yang had placed on the ground, then called out.
"Go, everyone follow me down!"
With that, Hong Tao took the lead and jumped into the swamp, followed by the others one by one.
About an hour later.
Everyone had entered the swamp.
The place was very narrow, and everyone had to squeeze through in single file.
Zhang Yang and Hong Tao stood at the front, leading the way.
Before long, they arrived at a much larger space.
The space was shaped like an inverted bowl, with over a dozen tunnel entrances on the surrounding walls, leading to different places, though where exactly was unknown.
Whoosh~
Upon reaching the spacious area, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
The narrow tunnel they had just passed through was too oppressive and uncomfortable.
"I didn't expect there to be such a place beneath this swamp. Was it artificially excavated or naturally formed?" Hong Tao looked around, puzzled.
"The soil layer of this swamp can move freely, so the possibility of artificial excavation is unlikely," Zhang Yang shook his head.
When he first arrived here, he had also carefully examined the surroundings and found that the structure was extremely rough, with no signs of artificial excavation.
Suddenly.
Someone shouted.
"Everyone, look quickly, I found a mark left by A Kang!"
A Kang?
Zhang Yang remembered the name; he was one of the missing individuals.
Immediately, he hurried forward and looked at the spot on the wall indicated by the person who had just spoken.
There was a newly carved mark, resembling a flower.
"Are you sure this symbol on the wall was left by A Kang?" Zhang Yang asked.
"Yes, A Kang has a tattoo of this flower on him, so it must have been left by A Kang," the discoverer replied.
Hearing this, Zhang Yang immediately commanded everyone.
"It seems our missing people did indeed come here. Everyone quickly search near these tunnel entrances and see if there are any other discoveries."
The others immediately sprang into action, looking very excited.
After a whole day of searching, there was finally some news.
Soon, those who went to the other tunnel entrances also reported back.
"I found footprints here!"
"I have footprints here too, and scratches from weapons, all newly made!"
"There are traces of elemental energy attacks here, someone definitely entered this tunnel."
This!
Zhang Yang and Hong Tao frowned instantly upon hearing this.
There were traces in every tunnel?
This was not good news at all!
This indicated one problem: the missing people from yesterday had dispersed.
They hadn't gone to the same place, so it was highly likely they hadn't entered here at the same time.
"Elder Hong, what do you think we should do now?" Zhang Yang asked.
"Thirty people are already missing. If we split up to search, and if we encounter powerful enemies, it won't be good," Hong Tao frowned.
"Indeed, I think the same. To be safe, we should search together. Although it will be slower, at least our current manpower won't get lost due to dispersion!" Zhang Yang said.
"Alright, it's decided," Hong Tao nodded.
The two agreed instantly.
Then they immediately gathered everyone.
They proceeded into the tunnel where A Kang had left his mark.
The reason for choosing this one was that Zhang Yang was worried the situation here would be the same as in the Zhang family's ancestral house.
After entering the entrance A Kang had marked, there would be other forks. It would be easy to go the wrong way.
But the exit A Kang had left from would not have that problem.
Because, since the other party had left a mark on the wall.
If there were forks later, A Kang would definitely leave more marks.
Therefore, starting from A Kang's path would definitely not lead them astray.
In the oppressive tunnel that A Kang had left from.
As Zhang Yang had guessed, there were indeed more forks in the path ahead!
Fortunately, they had found A Kang's mark and followed the tunnel inwards.
This walk.
Lasted for nearly an hour.
In the narrow, dark space, even though everyone carried flashlights to illuminate the tunnel, it still felt very oppressive.
Fortunately.
This feeling of oppression did not last long, and they saw light coming from ahead.
"Quick! We're almost at the exit, everyone speed up!" Zhang Yang shouted.