Chapter 1391: Aftereffects

Wu Liang was so terrified he nearly wet himself. He stammered, "Could it be a zombie? A thousand-year-old one? No, at least a ten-thousand-year-old zombie!" Having raided tombs for years, he had encountered reanimated corpses multiple times. Any tomb he considered worthwhile typically belonged to someone extraordinary in life, meaning that when their corpse reanimated, they were often far more formidable than even cultivators. These monsters existed between life and death. A combination of death aura, corpse energy, and elemental energy from heaven and earth often transformed them into unique creatures. Every time he encountered one in a tomb, it was a near-fatal experience. The ones he encountered in ancient tombs were, at most, thousand-year-old zombies. But this was the most mysterious Unknowable Land in the world. There was no telling what kind of terrifying entity resided within, and if it had turned into a zombie, it would undoubtedly be a death sentence.

Even Crown Prince Jinwu felt a shiver down his spine. "Father, I think there's some truth to what Wu Liang is saying. As the saying goes, 'A wise man avoids a crumbling wall.' We should steer clear of this area first and then make a long-term plan."

The Demon Emperor calmly replied, "No matter. I'm going to see what's playing tricks ahead." Previously, with only a few days of life left, he had acted with extreme caution. But having just replenished three years of his lifespan at the Spirit Spring, his confidence was significantly bolstered. A dying man, suddenly granted a continuation of life, would naturally harbor more aspirations. Even as the Demon Emperor, finding the Unknowable Land once in his lifetime was an immense stroke of luck. He could not waste this opportunity and was determined to find the secret of immortality there.

So, he resolutely stepped into the mist ahead. The ethereal voice echoed again, "Excellent. Truly worthy of the Golden Crow bloodline. You certainly have guts."

Wu Liang and Crown Prince Jinwu were both startled. Did the entity within this Unknowable Land actually know about the Golden Crow bloodline?

The Demon Emperor's brows furrowed slightly. "Who exactly are you?"

"Just come..." The distant voice seemed filled with a demonic allure.

The Demon Emperor scoffed, "Playing tricks!" With a flick of his sleeve, a powerful surge of energy burst forth, scattering the dense mist to either side. Far in front, a towering mountain could be seen, its grandeur no less than that of Feather Mountain they had encountered earlier.

Crown Prince Jinwu quickly moved to his side and said, "Father, that voice is truly strange. We must be on guard."

The Demon Emperor calmly stated, "It's fine. Feather Mountain gave me a sense of trepidation, but this mountain feels normal; in fact, there's a slight feeling of familiarity, perhaps indicating a great opportunity." Moreover, for the sake of immortality, taking a little risk was worthwhile.

Wu Liang groaned inwardly. *You might feel an affinity, but I feel danger. Can I not go?* However, recalling the Demon Emperor's ruthlessness, he dared not voice his thoughts and could only follow with a long face.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Zu An and his companions were even more tense, as massive tentacles were slowly gliding near them. They were so close that they could clearly see the dense array of suckers on the tentacles. Each sucker seemed to have a small hole, continuously secreting mucus that made the entire tentacle slick. No wonder Zu An's full-strength strike earlier hadn't even scratched its skin. Furthermore, they could distinctly smell the disgusting fishy odor emanating from the tentacles, which made the women nauseous. They all turned their heads and buried their faces against Zu An's chest.

Zu An was in despair; he found the smell equally disgusting. *Where can I hide? Can I bury my head in your chests?* Of course, this was just a thought; with so many people around, he dared not act on it. Zu An's attention was primarily on guarding against the tentacles. He subtly shifted his position according to their movements, knowing that if they were touched, even if the sea monster couldn't "see" them, it would detect something amiss. Fortunately, his "Dark Stealth" skill was highly reliable, and the giant octopus sea monster ultimately did not detect their presence.

After hovering around for a long time, the giant octopus reluctantly departed. It had arrived quickly, and it left just as swiftly. Before long, they could no longer see its figure. However, given its immense power, they feared it might just be a feint. Therefore, they didn't rush to move, remaining motionless in their spots.

With the octopus monster gone, the situation was no longer as tense. As soon as they relaxed, they realized the awkwardness of their current positions. Because of the intense tension, even in the cold seawater, they had broken out in a hot sweat. Their bodies were now steamy, and their close proximity suddenly gave rise to a strange, inexplicable feeling among them.

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen struggled to pull away, but Zu An quickly stopped them. "If you move out of range, I won't be able to conceal your aura. If the octopus monster finds us, we're finished."

The two women knew he spoke the truth and didn't insist further. Still, it was awkward. Yun Jianyue couldn't help but say, "Little Anzi, you're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Even Yu Yanluo stared at him with a strange expression. Zu An quickly explained, "How could I be someone who takes advantage of others in their time of need? I was genuinely worried about the octopus monster."

Mi Li's sneering voice echoed in his mind, "Keep pretending. Now that it's safe, I'm going to sleep. *Yawn*." In his mind, Mi Li's figure stretched, revealing her graceful curves, then opened a door and disappeared without waiting for Zu An's reply.

Zu An wondered if this woman had created a space within his mind. Thinking of someone moving in and out of his head, it felt rather strange. Fortunately, it was Empress sister, so it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

Seeing the clarity in his eyes, the women finally let him off. Yan Xuehen bit her lip lightly and said, "This place is truly amazing. The spring eye just now actually connects to such a vast sea below."

"Indeed, it lives up to its name as the Unknowable Land. I've never encountered such miraculous terrain in other secret realms." Yun Jianyue echoed her sentiment, a hint of anticipation appearing on her face, for as the saying goes, danger and opportunity often coexist.

"But it's a bit too thrilling. We've just entered the secret realm and already encountered so many terrifying entities." Yu Yanluo's face was still pale. If even the slightest mistake had occurred, they probably would have been devoured by that disgusting octopus monster.

Zu An's expression was peculiar as he recalled Mi Li's assessment, wondering, *Could I really have a disaster-prone constitution?* Conan's 'Reaper' constitution causes others to die, but with my constitution, I'm the one constantly in danger...

At this point, the women ignored him and began chattering among themselves about the recent close call:

"Ice Stone Woman, wasn't my move just now cool? I withstood the Heavenly Rush Soul attack without a scratch."

"Hmph, that was a reckless approach. In my opinion, it wasn't as elegant as Sister Yu's 'Flower Grafting' move, which successfully allowed her to escape the tentacles' encirclement."

"Sister Yu's move was indeed beautiful. Oh, Ice Stone Woman, have you done something to feel guilty about? Why are you always trying to butter up Sister Yu?"

"Demoness, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Sisters, please stop arguing. Don't you think those tentacles smelled awful just now?"

"They certainly did. Just thinking about it makes me sick."

Seeing the women chatting animatedly, whether from their heated discussion or something else, their cheeks were flushed, making them appear even more charming. Moreover, their voices grew increasingly sweet and soft, sounding as if they were sweetly cooing.

Zu An's heart suddenly tensed. *Something's wrong. Given Yun Jianyue's domineering personality, how could she speak in such a tone?* And Yan Xuehen, who had always been as pure as ice and snow, would never use such a seductive tone.

At that moment, the two women also realized the problem. Yun Jianyue's phoenix eyes widened. "Something's not right!"

Yan Xuehen exchanged a look with her and immediately said, "That pink mucus!"

Simultaneously, the two women instantly broke free from Zu An's embrace, their cheeks flushed fiery red.

Yu Yanluo was startled by their actions. "What's wrong with you two?"

Yun Jianyue quickly replied, "It has nothing to do with you." Anyway, she and Zu An were already a couple, so even if she was affected by this poison, it wouldn't be a big deal. But it was different for her and Yan Xuehen. She quickly sat cross-legged on the seabed and began to regulate her breathing to expel the poison. Yan Xuehen sat down to regulate her breathing almost simultaneously, and the surrounding seawater visibly froze.