Chapter 172 We Are Just Passing By

This black fur must be some kind of ominous curse. Could it be that my Fortune Spirit Wheel absorbed those black winds and happened to neutralize it? Lin Zhan muttered to himself.

It must be! The seven heads crammed around his body actually replied in unison.

Even so, Lin Zhan did not let pride get the better of him. The good or evil of this matter remained unknown, and the origins of this long-haired monster tribe were a mystery. What if they belonged to some demon clan? That would be a massive blunder.

Lin Zhan searched around for a passage, hoping not to remain stuck in this aperture all the time, as it would be terribly easy for them to be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Moreover, their current cramped posture was somewhat comical. On the left were the heads of three girls—Shui Xinhuan, Qin Qingxuan, and Zhihui—though goodness knew how the rest of their bodies were folded in behind. On the right were Fang Daguang, Lian Ming, Liu Lang, and Fang Tao. Naturally, Fang Daguang was undoubtedly the one crushed at the very bottom.

Ahem...

Prompted by Lin Zhan's cough, Qin Qingxuan was the first to retract her head with a swish, and the others quickly backed away as well.

Lin Zhan was finally able to move freely. He discovered that the phenomenon of restricted cultivation and suppressed spiritual power had completely vanished, which meant that flying on swords and the like was once again entirely unhindered.

Aside from Fang Daguang and Lian Ming, who were still unable to fly on swords, the rest had no major issues. Even Shui Xinhuan was able to deploy her Crimson Refining Palace movement technique, floating away like an illusion, which was a thoroughly pleasing sight to behold.

Carrying both Fang and Lian along on his sword presented no great difficulty for Lin Zhan, so the group promptly descended via sword flight.

Lin Zhan had already become the new leader of this team, succeeding Qin Qingxuan. They had previously agreed that in all actions, they would defer entirely to Lin Zhan's arrangements without raising any objections. This was the fundamental basis for maintaining unity within a team and ensuring strict obedience to orders.

Lin Zhan was quite happy to lead them as well, for his strength here was unquestionably the greatest, and he was never one to content himself with playing second fiddle to others—not even to Qin Qingxuan. A man ought to stand at the very front and shield against all possible dangers.

Down in the plaza, those creatures that had originally been little black-haired monsters were now shedding their black fur in successive waves. The entire center grew brightly illuminated by the radiance of the totem inscriptions upon the cavern roof.

Consequently, the movements of Lin Zhan's group were effectively masked within the darkness. Figuring they would remain unnoticed this way, the few of them successfully reached the bottom shortly after and stepped onto the streets of the village settlements.

The group was captivated by this architectural structure of exotic design. Since the place was completely devoid of life at the moment, they strolled along the streets to take it all in.

This journey felt just like wandering through a long river of history. The outermost perimeter of the architectural complex consisted of rather primitive structures, built and piled together from readily available stones and trees. Crude yet exceptionally neat, one could imagine that the people who lived here back then must have been extremely industrious.

Walking further inward, things evolved from nothing. Various natural objects had undergone some modifications, beginning to form the embryonic shapes of houses, and certain patterns were painted or carved onto stone walls and tree bark. No doubt the people of that era had developed a budding civilization.

The deeper they went, the more it reflected a progression from scattered dwellings to tribal stratification, and finally to a highly centralized social system—something that could naturally be glimpsed through the distribution of the architecture.

Until finally, there appeared the tallest and most solemn structures resembling an imperial palace, showcasing the concentration of power and the prosperity of this ethnic group.

Along the way, Shui Xinhuan, who had previously been half-asleep, was terribly excited. She tugged at Lin Zhan's robe and kept asking him endless questions in a hushed voice. Whenever she went out on experiential training trips in the past, she always went alone to wild frontiers like the Northern Wilderness Forest, so she rarely had the chance to witness such peculiar village environments.

Lin Zhan simply drew upon the human history lessons from his old textbooks, offering approximate explanations one by one, which left her utterly spellbound...

Hah!

This exclamation rang out like a sudden clap of thunder, jolting the group out of their reverie as they drifted along the river of history.

Imagine suddenly finding yourself upon a raised platform-like area, with a plaza directly ahead where countless people had all turned around at the exact same moment, countless pairs of eyes landing upon you, and letting out a collective shout of "Hah!" to express some yet-unfathomed emotion—what kind of situation would that be?

Fortunately, after these people shed their long fur and lifted the curse, the clothing they originally wore had somehow restored itself. Otherwise, what Lin Zhan and the others would be facing was a plaza packed densely with stark-naked people, which would have been even worse.

Putting aside everything else, a profound sense of awkwardness welled up spontaneously. Lin Zhan blurted out, "Hi, everyone, please carry on. We... we were just passing by... Ahem..."

Yet the moment those words left his mouth, even Lin Zhan himself felt they were completely unsustainable. Passing by? What a thoroughly lame excuse; Lin Zhan wished desperately for a chance to take it back.

Shui Xinhuan and the others behind Lin Zhan covered their foreheads in a long sigh, then exchanged glances before secretly readying their respective weapons and gripping them tightly in their hands. It seemed a bloody battle was simply unavoidable.

At that very moment, that giant long-haired monster statue standing sideways to Lin Zhan's direction—oh wait, it could no longer be called a long-haired monster; it should be referred to as a true-human statue—began to turn around slowly as if fitted with a turntable at its base, until it faced Lin Zhan directly.

The facial features of the statue had become remarkably clear. It was the likeness of an adult, extraordinarily handsome, exuding the bearing of a monarch, with an air of supreme dominance flowing between his brows.

Once the royal statue turned around, the people in the plaza turned back around as well, standing sideways in neat formations. Their appearances underwent an instant transformation; overnight, their armor gleamed brightly, their weapons were razor-sharp, their morale soared, and their fighting spirit burned fiercely.

Right down the middle of these soldiers, a wide passage capable of letting eight horses charge abreast was left open.

Lin Zhan stood dumbstruck. Everything before him transcended natural understanding, feeling like some magical transformation that could only occur in a dream.

The Taotie totem inscription on the cavern roof flashed with one final, dazzling burst of brilliance, projecting itself onto the head of the statue before the inscription dissipated entirely. From between the statue's brows, an illusory figure flew out, descended to the ground, and walked toward Lin Zhan from afar.

Behind the illusory figure, the magnificent statue trembled amidst a wave of light, sinking down and dissolving into nothingness. In the very spot where the statue had previously stood, a gleaming, luminous seal was left behind.

Call it bold, or perhaps driven by courtesy, Lin Zhan leaped off the raised platform where he stood and landed upon the ground of the plaza. At that moment, his Fortune Spirit Wheel involuntarily burst out of his body once more, hovering in the air.

As the illusory figure solidified, it revealed the appearance of a monarch commanding these soldiers. Moving with steady steps as if compressing the ground beneath his feet, he seemed far away one moment, yet in the blink of an eye, he was already right before Lin Zhan, wearing a smile that combined majesty with a relaxed demeanor.

"Little fellow cultivator, for breaking the curse upon my people, the remnant clan of the Taotie Divine Spirit Guardians are endlessly grateful..." The monarch cupped his hands and spoke thus to Lin Zhan.