As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

Chapter 141: First Dangerous Journey

The dazzling sunlight faded, replaced by an eerie silence.

The purple leaves crisscrossed overhead, casting mottled fluorescent light, as if countless pairs of cold eyes were peeping at them.

There was a strange fragrance in the air, sweet with a disturbing hint of decay, which caused a slight tingling sensation in the nose when inhaled.

The fog was swirling all around, covering the entire dense forest like a veil, making the already unfamiliar environment even more mysterious and dangerous.

Ding Chen's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, staring closely at the surroundings, not missing a single swaying leaf or a single wisp of drifting mist.

He raised his arms slightly, like open wings, protecting Xiaoxuan firmly in front of him. His body was tense, and his muscles were like a cheetah ready to pounce.

He could feel the danger lurking deep in the forest, and the invisible pressure was making him breathless.

Xiaoxuan snuggled up to Ding Chen like a vine clinging to a tree, feeling the perseverance and strength he conveyed, and felt a little relieved.

She didn't say anything, but communicated with him with her eyes. The tacit understanding between the two of them without words was better than a thousand words.

They tried to take a step forward and slowly moved forward.

However, the ground beneath our feet is not calm.

Some tiny vines cleverly conceal bottomless traps, like the open mouth of a giant beast, waiting for its prey to fall into the net.

These traps are so well hidden, blending in with the surrounding vegetation, that they are practically invisible unless you look closely.

Every step you take is like walking on thin ice. If you are not careful, you will fall into a place from which there is no return.

The two of them moved cautiously, like dancers walking on the edge of a knife, being extremely cautious.

Fine beads of sweat oozed out of their foreheads, crystal clear, and sparkled with tension under the fluorescent light.

Every step must be carefully surveyed. If you are not careful, all your efforts may be wasted, or even your life may be lost.

Suddenly, Ding Chen stopped. He turned his head slightly, a look of determination in his eyes, and whispered to Xiaoxuan, "We..."

Ding Chen's throat rolled slightly, eager to break the suffocating silence.

He stared at the front. The traps hidden under the vines were like silent mockeries, challenging his patience.

"We can't keep groping around like this. We don't know how long it will take to find a way out!" His tone was filled with unquestionable determination, like a volcano about to erupt, hot and impatient. "We must speed up!"

Xiaoxuan's heart sank suddenly, as if it had been soaked in ice water, freezing cold to the bone.

She could understand Ding Chen's desire to leave as soon as possible, but taking such a risk was tantamount to seeking death.

"No, Ding Chen!" She grabbed his arm, her fingertips trembling slightly. She tried to lower her voice, but her anxiety was undeniable. "These traps are too dangerous. If we fall, there's no chance of survival! We must be more cautious!"

Her dissuasion was like a bucket of cold water poured on boiling magma, instantly arousing Ding Chen's displeasure.

He frowned, "Be cautious? We've already wasted too much time! If we continue like this, when will we be able to leave here?!" His voice rose involuntarily, sounding particularly abrupt in this dead silent forest, as if challenging the danger lurking in the dark.

Their argument was like two hard stones colliding with each other, breaking the original tranquility.

The surrounding fog seemed to be shaken by the sound and became thicker, like a huge spider web, tightly wrapping them.

The purple leaves made a rustling sound in the wind, like a low whisper, which made people feel creepy.

The sweet aroma in the air seemed to become stronger and more nauseating.

Xiaoxuan took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She did not refute Ding Chen's impatience, but turned her eyes to the hidden traps on the ground.

After careful observation, she found that these traps were not randomly distributed. There seemed to be some kind of pattern between them, like carefully arranged chess pieces with hidden mysteries.

"Ding Chen, look here!" Xiaoxuan pointed to the ground, her voice filled with surprise and excitement, "The distribution of these traps seems to be arranged in a special pattern!" She moved her feet carefully, carefully identifying the distance and angle between the traps.

Her eyes were focused and bright, as if she was looking for light in the darkness.

Ding Chen was slightly stunned. He looked at Xiaoxuan in disbelief, "Pattern? How is this possible?" He thought these traps were randomly distributed, but he didn't expect Xiaoxuan to discover the secret.

Xiaoxuan did not answer. Instead, she squatted down and gently drew her fingers on the ground to mark the position and spacing of the traps.

"Look, here, here, and here. The distances between them are the same, and they all have the same angle! If I'm not mistaken, we can follow this pattern and pass through here safely!"

Ding Chen looked at the marks circled by Xiaoxuan on the ground, his eyes changed from confusion to shock, and finally to a hint of admiration.

He knew Xiaoxuan was smart, but he didn't expect her to be so sharp and able to find the pattern in such a short time.

He took a deep breath, and the anxiety in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by an anticipation for the unknown.

"Okay, I believe you!" he said firmly, with a hint of relief in his tone.

He knew that Xiaoxuan was right to be cautious, and her intelligence might be their hope to leave here.

Xiaoxuan smiled slightly and took her first step cautiously. Every movement she made was extremely slow and cautious, like an elf dancing on the tip of a knife, light and graceful.

She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, taking every step safely and avoiding the bottomless traps.

Suddenly, she stopped, with a hint of doubt on her face. She slowly raised her head and looked at Ding Chen, wanting to say something, but——

Xiaoxuan tapped her toes and nimbly crossed a trap.

Just as she was about to land, something strange happened!

A huge spider, completely black in color, with eight hairy legs thicker than human legs, suddenly jumped down from the dense purple tree canopy and pounced on Xiaoxuan!

Its scarlet compound eyes flashed with bloodthirsty light, and the sharp claws in its mouth opened and closed, making a creepy clicking sound.

Smelly mucus dripped from its mouth, corroding the fallen leaves on the ground and making a sizzling sound.

"Xiaoxuan!" Ding Chen's pupils suddenly shrank. Without thinking, he rushed forward and protected Xiaoxuan tightly behind him.

The long sword in his hand flashed with a cold light, and the tip of the sword pointed directly at the ferocious giant spider.

Xiaoxuan widened her eyes in horror, her heart beating wildly as if it was about to jump out of her chest.

She could feel the fishy wind from the giant spider blowing towards her, as well as the warmth and strength emanating from Ding Chen.

Ding Chen's eyes were sharp as he calmly observed the giant spider's movements.

He discovered that although the giant spider was huge in size, it was extremely agile and its silk threads had a strong paralyzing venom.

He can't fight head-on, he has to use his wits.

Ding Chen seized the opportunity, dodged the giant spider's attack, and at the same time swung his sword to cut off the spider silk it spewed out.

The spider silk fell to the ground and corroded a small pit that emitted white smoke, which shows how toxic it is.

Ding Chen took advantage of the dense trees around him to deal with the giant spider.

Sometimes he flew into the air to avoid the giant spider's attack; sometimes he rolled on the ground, went around behind the giant spider, and waited for an opportunity to attack.

The giant spider was dizzy from Ding Chen's agile movements. It roared angrily and waved its eight huge legs wildly, but it could not touch Ding Chen at all.

Ding Chen found the right opportunity, jumped up, and stabbed the giant spider's abdomen with the long sword in his hand with a sharp sword energy.

The giant spider let out a shrill scream, and its huge body fell to the ground with a bang. It twitched a few times and then became motionless.

Xiaoxuan let out a long sigh, and her tense nerves finally relaxed.

She looked at Ding Chen, her eyes full of admiration and gratitude.

"Ding Chen, you are so awesome!"

Ding Chen put away his sword, walked to Xiaoxuan, and smiled gently: "It's okay."

However, just when they thought they were safe, a low roar came from the distance, shaking the ground slightly.

This sound is more terrifying and more heart-wrenching than the roar of the giant spider.

Ding Chen's expression changed. He grabbed Xiaoxuan's hand and said in a deep voice, "Let's go!"