Qin Fang warily surveyed the surroundings. "The passage is so narrow. If we run into an ambush, it'll be hard to maneuver."
He took several Smoke Bombs from his Storage Bag. "If we encounter danger, we'll use these to cover our retreat."
Lin Taichu nodded, keeping his divine sense extended as he probed the activity ahead.
The spiritual energy within the passage was sparse, yet he could sense faint fluctuations of demonic qi deeper inside. It left him vaguely uneasy.
After walking for about half an hour, they reached the first fork in the road. Meng Qi compared it with the map. "Take the middle path."
The moment the three entered the middle passage, countless poisoned arrows suddenly shot from the stone walls on both sides. The arrows glimmered with an eerie blue light, clearly coated in a deadly toxin.
Lin Taichu raised the Bronze Cauldron fragment before him. Xuanhuang Qi formed a shield, and the poisoned arrows shattered one after another upon striking it.
Qin Fang unleashed his longsword, its sword qi sweeping across the passage and knocking down the arrows from the other side. Meng Qi swiftly carved Runes on the ground, setting up a defensive formation to guard against further traps.
"Bai Xuan should know this secret passage exists. He most likely arranged an ambush here."
Lin Taichu looked at the poisoned arrows on the ground. "The demonic qi on these arrows is identical to that of Soul Severing Valley. This is the Myriad Treasures Merchant Guild's handiwork."
Qin Fang inspected an arrow. "Bone-Rotting Poison. Anyone struck by it will have their bones turn into pus within half an hour. The Myriad Treasures Merchant Guild really has joined forces with Bai Xuan."
The three continued onward with even greater caution. The passage grew narrower and narrower, allowing