C13 Mutation

Although the snake had realized it had been duped, it was already too late. An aggressive horde of demons was hot on its trail, and a single misstep would mean being trampled to death on the spot. With no other choice, the snake hastily abandoned its pursuit of Qin Biao and slithered swiftly toward the safety of the cave.

Meanwhile, as soon as Qin Biao stepped into the cave, he was enveloped by a peculiar aura. It made him feel as though he was stripped bare, leaving no secrets concealed. He instinctively tried to resist, but the force only grew more rampant, denying him any chance to fight back. Qin Biao even experienced a stinging sensation all over his body, as if he were being pricked by countless needles.

In the midst of this, Qin Biao couldn't manage a stable landing and ended up face-planting onto the ground in a most undignified manner. "Ouch!" he yelped in pain, scrambling to his feet, ready to unleash a tirade of curses. But as he looked up, he saw the green snake at the cave's entrance, half of its body already inside, its vertical slit-shaped pupils fixated on him. If looks could kill, Qin Soong would have perished dozens of times over.

A chill ran down Qin Biao's spine. He instinctively reached for his dagger, only to realize that it had been lost in the fray. Now, he was left to confront the threat with nothing but his bare hands. As the snake prepared to advance, Qin Biao's desperation turned to reckless bravery. Clenching his teeth, he charged at the snake, shouting, "I'll take you on!"

Suddenly, a thunderous "Boom!" erupted before Qin Biao, plunging the surroundings into pitch darkness. Stunned by the abrupt turn of events, he stood motionless, unsure of what to do next. Then, lamps along the walls sparked to life one by one, casting azure flames that illuminated the entire cave.

Startled, Qin Biao shivered and hastily took cover behind a nearby stone pillar, warily scanning the area for any signs of danger. Time passed, and with no further disturbances except for the quiet burning of the azure flames and his own heavy breathing, Qin Biao finally mustered the courage to step out from behind the pillar. He saw that the cave's entrance was now blocked by a massive stone door, beneath which lay the very snake that had been pursuing him.

At that moment, the venomous snake's head was nowhere to be seen. The ground around was covered in green slime and vivid red blood, with only a red snake tongue peeking out from beyond the stone door.

Qin Biao finally exhaled a huge sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground to catch his breath. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to ponder why the stone door had shut so abruptly; the recent events had left him immensely shaken.

Now, with a moment to steady his nerves, Qin Biao took the opportunity to take a good look at the cave dwelling before him.

Apart from the entrance marked by the stone door, the rest of the space was enclosed by walls. Spaced at regular intervals, sapphire flames flickered, casting light around the room. On the barren floor, there were footprints likely left by those who had ventured in before him.

Once he had rested, Qin Biao got to his feet and headed towards the most peculiar feature of the cave dwelling: the stone pillar he had frantically hidden behind earlier.

He approached the stone pillar with caution, extending a small claw to graze its surface. Instantly, a chilling sensation surged through Qin Biao's mind.

The stone pillar seemed identical to the materials around it, but for some reason, Qin Biao sensed it was extraordinary. Even though he couldn't identify the material it was made from, the mere presence of such a massive pillar in the otherwise empty room was eerie enough.

Adhering to a cautious approach, Qin Biao refrained from making direct contact with the pillar. Instead, he began to search the room. The Tiger Man's team had come in before; they couldn't have just vanished. Qin Biao's claw probed every nook and cranny, and eventually, despite his revulsion, he climbed up the stone door to inspect it thoroughly.

Half an hour later, Qin Biao found himself sitting on the ground once more, staring blankly at the stone pillar. He realized he had no choice left. Exiting was out of the question; who knew if some formidable figure was lurking outside, waiting? Leaving now would be tantamount to surrendering his life.

Remaining inside wasn't an option either. Setting aside the lack of food and water, Qin Biao had struggled to enter the cave dwelling. To now sit idly by as others possibly claimed the treasures was unthinkable. It was better to face the situation head-on.

After much hesitation, Qin Biao finally stood up and made his way slowly toward the stone pillar.

He cautiously touched the pillar with his claws, and once he was sure it was safe, he climbed up with increasing boldness, feeling his way inch by inch along the stone.

The cavern wasn't very tall, barely three meters, with the pillar stretching from floor to ceiling. Starting from the base, Qin Biao quickly discovered a movable brick about halfway up.

"I found it!" Qin Biao exclaimed with delight. He pushed hard with his claws, and instantly, the sound of gears turning filled the air as the pillar began to rotate rapidly.

Qin Biao tried to leap off, but his claw, which had just shifted the brick, seemed glued in place, causing a sharp, piercing pain. He could feel the blood flowing from the wound.

As the pillar whirled, the whole cavern trembled slightly, eventually sinking into the earth. Qin Biao felt the world spin around him, and as the vibrations continued, he peered into the abyss below—nothing but endless darkness.

After a moment, the pillar came to a halt. Before he could take a good look around, the claw that had been stuck suddenly came free. Qin Biao had been contemplating his next move when his grip loosened, and he failed to react in time, plummeting into the void.

"Whoa!" Qin Biao couldn't help but scream as he dropped into the boundless dark.

In the darkness, Qin Biao lost track of time, aware only of the intense pain that felt as if someone had stomped all over his body.

When Qin Biao's eyes fluttered open once more, he saw a dim light. With effort, he pried his eyes open and massaged his throbbing head, exclaiming, "What in the world is this place? I nearly got killed from that fall."

Looking around, he found himself in a room much like the one he had left, the main difference being a wide path ahead, with the same deep blue lights and stone walls surrounding him.

Emerging from the path with a sense of bewilderment, Qin Biao allowed his eyes a moment to adapt to the bright lights. Once adjusted, the sight before him nearly elicited an audible gasp.