Liu Liuhai followed the path drawn by Yang Shou’an and arrived at their destination — a cave in the middle of the mountain.
This cave was in the center of a cliff along one side of White Sun Mountain. It was hot and humid and was like a separate world from the freezing cold air outside. The hot air rose rapidly and melted the ice on top. A fountain was formed and the water flowed non-stop.
Liu Liuhai and six Qinggong experts entered the cave and was hit by the waves of warm air. It warmed their cold bodies up and they felt very comfortable.
“I didn’t expect there to be such an interesting place on this White Sun Mountain!” Liu Liuhai exclaimed and instructed the rest to do a search.
They found a pool at the deep corner of the cave.
“Based on what Yang Shou’an said, if we enter the pool, we will be able to reach the Living Dead Clan,” said Liu Liuhai in excitement. He immediately instructed two soldiers with the best Qinggong skills to inform Liu Erquan about the discovery.
After another hour, Liu Erquan had been informed about the safe arrival of Liu Liuhai. He was extremely surprised.
“Liu Dahai shall stay here to handle any emergencies. The rest shall follow me!”
Liu Erquan ordered for Liu Dahai and three other family members to stay back as he brought the others to follow behind the two Qinggong experts to the cave safely.
They entered the cave and felt extremely surprised when they felt the warm air. They began to look around.
Liu Erquan looked at the pool.
Suddenly, his gaze froze.
He found a black scale at the side of the pool. There was also a mark that it had been scratched by a pail.
This scratch mark came from outside of the cave and disappeared in the pool.
“Is this mark made by some strange hydra?” Black-Handed Zhang said with a deep tone.
The expressions on the rest’s faces changed slightly and they became anxious.
Scorpio Island was surrounded by water. There were many plants, and the forest had been around for countless years. Nobody knew how many beastly creatures were hidden there.
That was the forbidden area of the martial arts experts.
Through all these years, countless experts had entered the area to look for opportunities. However, nobody had ever walked out of it alive.
The four major martial arts clans were powerful and had the weapons from the mysterious spaceship to suppress the rest. However, they merely moved around Scorpio Island and did not step foot into the forbidden area.
At this moment, the trace on the ground was as thick as a bucket. One could imagine how gigantic the creature was. Everyone began to wonder if the creature had left the White Sun Mountain to hunt for prey.
The scales it had shed was as hard as steel and gave off a dark shade of light, exuding a cold and eerie feeling.
Those who saw it felt fearful.
“No wonder nobody from the Living Dead Clan was guarding this pool. There were hydras around!”
Liu Sanhai said strictly, “Perhaps the Living Dead Clan really does not know about the existence of this place. The hydra might have been around for just a few days. Or else, the Living Dead Clan would have been killed by it!”
Liu Liuhai’s expression changed when he heard that. “That means the Living Dead Clan might perish anytime!”
Liu Sanhai and Liu Erquan nodded. The rest fell silent.
“What shall we do? Erquan? You make the decision. Shall we retreat?” Liu Liuhai asked.
Liu Erquan frowned and kept silent. They had reached this stage and could not continue. The unknown hydra was an unsolvable question mark.
However, if they gave up now, Liu Dongdong would be in danger. He and Yang Shou’an would definitely be killed by the furious Living Dead Clan experts. After that, the Liu clan would face an attack from the Living Dead Clan.
Moreover, there was the existence of a hydra.
Suddenly, Liu Erquan was caught between the choices.
There seemed to be only one choice. That was to let the Living Dead Clan know about the existence of the hydra and exchange it for Liu Dongdong.
However, at this moment, ripples were suddenly seen in the pool. Bubbles started to emerge from the water too, as though the water was boiling.
“Oh no, the hydra is coming out!”
Liu Erhai’s expression changed drastically as he shouted in surprise. The rest turned and saw two thin and long feelers protruding from the water surface.
The speed at which the monster came out from the water was too fast.
Everyone ran for their lives.
Liu Liuhai carried Liu Fan’s spiritual tablet. He looked around and saw a crack at the top of the stone wall of the cave. He immediately turned and jumped into it.
Liu Erhai saw that and squeezed in.
Liu Erquan was faster. Liu Sanhai also found a crack and hid inside.
The others tried to copy them and found cracks to hide in.
However, there were too few cracks and some people were unable to hide. They were scared to death as the hydra was almost out of the water. They followed some of the Qinggong experts and rushed out of the cave to return to the original path.
Some people panicked and slipped from the path, causing them to fall off the cliff. Their shouts echoed throughout the mountain and attracted the attention of the Living Dead Clan.
“Enemies are attacking the mountain from behind!”
“Watch out!”
The shouts were heard from the hanging bridge. Sharp whistle sounds were used to pass messages and fire torches swayed in the dark, forming an entire line of light that lit up the mountain like the sun.
“They are in the cave, rush over and catch them alive!” one of the commanders ordered.
The switch was activated and the hanging bridges were set up. It expanded across the mountains, and sounds of hurried footsteps were heard.
The disciples of the Living Dead Clan were rushing over.
They were carrying all sorts of weapons and were approaching with a killing aura!
However, at this moment, a deep growl was heard from the cave. The growl was so powerful that the hanging bridge began to swing and the metal cables began to make noises.
“What is that?!”
The experts from the Living Dead Clan began shouting on the hanging bridge. They were grand masters, and they shouted with their powerful voices.
The response was a gigantic head that poked out from the cave. It took a bite, and more than ten disciples were swallowed by it. It broke the hanging bridge as well.
The hanging bridge fell because the cables broke. The disciples on the bridge leaped up using their Qinggong and attempted to run away. However, they were swallowed by the hydra.
“What creature is that?! Kill it now!”
“Inform our head, hurry! Ask for assistance!”
The voice of the grand masters were trembling. Although they were grand masters and had a superior rank, they were fearful now.
That was because a gigantic head had peeped out from the cave. It looked like a python and a crocodile, which was extremely terrifying. Its eyes were as huge as a basin, and its teeth were three inches long. Bloody bodies hung from its teeth.
Two long feelers extended from its head like two long snakes. When it curled its feelers, the disciples on the hanging bridge were caught and swallowed.
Knives and swords hit its feelers, and loud metal clanging sounds were heard, but they did not cause any injuries at all.
A commotion broke out among the Living Dead Clan. Screams and cries, accompanied by whistling sounds and the roar of the hydra, echoed through the mountain.
This was the darkest and most terrifying night of the Living Dead Clan.
The disciples died in batches. Although the Living Dead Clan shot poisonous arrows and fire arrows, the hydra was not harmed at all.
The hydra dashed out of the cave. It was like a snake that was several hundred meters long. It also had sharp claws which it used to crawl along the cliff. Looking like a gigantic version of a lizard, nimble but cruel, it killed everything in its way.
The hanging bridges fell, and the sarcophagi were turned over. The metal cables broke, and one could hear cries from the Living Dead Clan.
In the chaos, a few people who’d escaped from the cave fell down the cliff after being hit by the hydra’s swinging tail.
Meanwhile, the people who’d hidden in the cracks of the caves turned pale and began to tremble.
When the hydra came out of the pool, its gigantic body and its black scales moved across them. The strong killer aura almost caused them to lose their souls.
Hearing the chaos caused by the hydra, Liu Erhai said with a trembling voice, “What do we do? If the hydra comes back, we are doomed!”
“We cannot stay here, we have to leave!” Liu Erquan said in a determined voice.
“Where do we go?” The rest were worried. The shouts outside were decreasing. The hydra might return anytime.
“There is only one way out!” Liu Liuhai suddenly said.
He jumped down and pointed to the pool. “The only way out is the bottom of this pool!”
The expressions on the rest’s faces changed.
From what Yang Shou’an had told them, there was an opening at the end of the pool that would allow them to enter a sarcophagus of the Living Dead Clan after they opened it. However, the pool had now become the hydra’s habitat. Nobody could be sure whether or not the opening was still there.
“This route is extremely risky! Liuhai, are you sure?”
Liu Erquan took a deep breath and looked at Liu Liuhai.
Liu Liuhai was extremely certain. He patted Liu Fan’s spirit tablet and said, “Before I came, I paid respects to our ancestor.”
“Our ancestor is watching from above — he will make sure that we are safe!”