While Tang Xiaoqi formulated a new split-force plan in the limestone cavern, deep beneath the Ten Thousand Poisons Swamp near Thousand Weeping Pond in the southeast, another silent infiltration was underway.
Unlike the perilous environment encountered by the overt team, this was a world completely ruled by darkness and icy waters. Mu Qingfeng, Liu Yun, and the Shadow-Breaking Alliance members Stone, Falcon (before splitting forces), formation master "Elder Fu," trap expert "Ghost Hand," and herbalist "Mister Cao"—seven in total—were struggling upstream through a surging underground river.
The river's entrance was hidden beneath a rock fissure on Thousand Weeping Pond's edge, covered by thick water plants and corrosive vines, extremely well-concealed. The water wasn't clear but presented an ominous dark green, bone-chillingly cold, containing intense poison and chaotic yin-evil qi that constantly eroded everyone's protective spiritual light. Even having taken anti-poison pills in advance, that yin cold still drilled into their bones like fine needles.
Each person bore a "Water Breath Talisman," enabling them to breathe and speak underwater, but the tremendous water pressure and turbulent undercurrent made progress exceptionally difficult. At the team's front was Stone, short and sturdy, with an aura steady as a mountain. His earth-element cultivation technique was greatly suppressed here, but relying on his powerful body and a shuttle-shaped artifact emitting faint yellow light, he forcibly carved a relatively stable path through the torrent.
Mu Qingfeng followed closely, his entire body emanating pale blue water-nourishing spiritual light that not only resisted the poisonous water's erosion but also quietly soothed and guided the surrounding turbulent currents with his pure, gentle water-element spiritual power, reducing pressure on the entire team. His expression was focused, holding a constantly rotating positioning compass, ensuring the team wouldn't lose direction in the labyrinthine underground river network.
Liu Yun was positioned mid-team. She hadn't cast any spells, only retracting her sword intent to the extreme, her entire being like a peerless sharp sword hidden in its sheath. Her cold gaze constantly swept the dark waters around them, alert to any possible danger. Her very presence was a powerful deterrent.
Elder Fu, Ghost Hand, and Mister Cao were at the rear, each performing their duties. Elder Fu constantly cast concealment and reinforcement talismans; Ghost Hand moved like a fish, deftly probing for potential traps and underwater formations ahead; Mister Cao constantly monitored water quality changes and teammates' conditions, ready to handle sudden poisoning.
"Turn left, enter the third branch passage," Mu Qingfeng transmitted via spiritual sense, consulting his compass and map. His voice was somewhat muffled underwater.
The team turned accordingly, entering a narrower branch with relatively gentler currents. The rock walls here displayed an eerie dark red, covered with luminescent moss emitting ghostly green light that barely illuminated the path ahead.
Suddenly, Ghost Hand made a gesture indicating an anomaly ahead.
Everyone immediately stopped, looking intently. About thirty zhang ahead, suspended in the water flow, were dozens of fist-sized, jellyfish-like semi-transparent creatures. Their bodies flickered with faint rune light, long tentacles swaying gently with the current.
"Those are 'Secret-Peeking Jellyfish'!" Elder Fu transmitted gravely, "Underwater monitoring creatures placed by the Shadow Snake Pavilion, with extremely keen perception. They can capture the most minute spiritual power fluctuations and life aura. Once touched by their tentacles or sensed as abnormal, they'll immediately send alerts to the monitoring center."
"Can we go around?" Mu Qingfeng asked.
Ghost Hand carefully observed for a moment, then shook his head: "The passage is too narrow, and they're distributed densely, nearly blocking the path ahead. Plus there are warning runes on the rock walls—touching them would also trigger alerts."
"Then we force through!" Liu Yun's eyes turned cold, her hand already on her sword hilt. Her sword, once drawn, must see blood—but acting here, the spiritual power fluctuations might also expose them.
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, a nearly imperceptible silver stream of light, like a shadow merged into the water, silently emerged from the darkness behind the team, quickly approaching.
It was Aunt Su!
She made a silencing gesture toward everyone, then formed a unique hand seal. A faint but uniquely frequency-bearing demonic aura rippled outward.
This aura swept over those Secret-Peeking Jellyfish. These sensitive monitoring creatures' internal rune lights flickered a few times, their tentacles' movements becoming sluggish as if falling into a confused state, blind to the infiltration team so close at hand.
"Follow me, quickly!" Aunt Su transmitted, her figure moving like a silver fish, leading the team rapidly through between those now "dull" Secret-Peeking Jellyfish.
Mu Qingfeng and the others' hearts tightened; they dared not dawdle, immediately following. Having Aunt Su, a former insider, guide them allowed many potential crises to be quietly resolved.
After passing through this monitoring area, the underground river's current became even more turbulent. Black flocculent matter emitting a fishy stench began appearing in the water—highly concentrated poison deposits.
"Ahead is the 'Poison Miasma Corridor'," Aunt Su explained while leading, "The river water here connects through fissures with the poison miasma swamp above, allowing poison gas to seep into the water, forming highly toxic water mist. Protective spiritual light consumption will intensify—stay close to me; I know a path where toxins are relatively thin."
She led everyone through the complex, maze-like underground rivers and limestone caverns, sometimes diving into deep pools, sometimes climbing slippery rock ledges, sometimes squeezing through narrow water passages only wide enough for one person. Her familiarity with this place was astonishing, as if she could find the way with her eyes closed.
"This passage, even within the Shadow Snake Pavilion, is known to fewer than five people," Aunt Su said softly during a brief stop at a relatively spacious underground river bend, "It was privately discovered by an elder responsible for exploring earth veins many years ago. Later, that elder 'disappeared' for some reason, and records of this passage were deliberately erased. I only learned of its existence during a chance mission."
Hearing this, everyone grew even more cautious. This passage was both a path of hope and full of unknown risks.
After traveling about two more hours, the underground river's sound gradually changed from the previous roaring to a low, rumbling sound, as if there was a massive drop ahead.
"We're almost at the exit," Aunt Su signaled everyone to slow down and be even more careful. "The exit is hidden behind a waterfall; outside is the base area of the mountain where Ten Thousand Souls Hall is located, also a relatively weak point in the outer perimeter defensive formation. But near the exit, there must be hidden sentries."
She looked at Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun: "Next, it's up to you. I must leave first to wait at the agreed location to meet with you, and... with Xiaoqi."
Mu Qingfeng nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Senior Su. We'll proceed as planned."
Aunt Su said no more. Her silver figure flashed, merging into an extremely concealed rock fissure on the side and vanishing.
The team was once again led by Mu Qingfeng, carefully approaching the source of that rumbling sound. Light gradually became brighter; through the dark green river water, a massive water screen could be seen ahead, the deafening sound of the waterfall echoing.
The exit was right before their eyes! And the true challenge, after leaving this passage beneath the dark currents, was only just beginning. Whether they could successfully infiltrate the Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters' outer perimeter, meet with the overt team, and execute that crucial spearhead mission remained unknown. But at least this hidden passage had torn open the first line of defense for them.