193: Where am I?! Where have all my men gone?

Continuing on their way,

Whenever Su Chen found an opportunity, he would control a few flying snakes to launch sneak attacks.

This time, the effect was quite remarkable: the venomous snakes ambushed from the water, biting and injuring their targets, followed by the flying snakes finishing them off from the air, seizing the chance to drag them into the water.

Once in the water, it was a situation of nine deaths and one slim chance of survival.

And the root cause of this situation was the Heavenly Fiend Cult themselves.

They simply didn't care about the life or death of their own companions.

The Fourth Elder and the Enforcers maintained a hands-off attitude towards the attacks of the strange beasts.

As long as the situation wasn't severe, they would let their subordinates handle it themselves.

Not only did they have this mindset, but the ordinary members of the Heavenly Fiend Cult were the same.

As long as they themselves weren't threatened, and as long as intervening might endanger their own safety, they would all choose to stand by and watch.

It was precisely because of this point that Su Chen basically succeeded every time, allowing these venomous snakes to escape unscathed each time and look for another opportunity.

Although a few snakes were also lost.

But compared to the losses of the Heavenly Fiend Cult, this casualty count was negligible... After dealing with another 30 people in this way, within this seemingly endless flooded palace, the group finally found the entrance to the next level.

Wen Hemo used his earth element technique to create a solid foothold here.

Under the light, they saw two massive stone doors, thirty meters high, with several snakes carved on them.

They were so lifelike, as if they might come alive at any moment.

At the front, Wang Xiaoting was first to worry in her heart: 'Are strange beasts sealed inside? What if they eat us as soon as we enter?

These carved snakes look so fierce; they must be warning us.'

Yang Junlong offered his own insight: 'They should be Hook Snakes. Ancient texts say, Hook Snakes, with forked tails, hooks on the tail tip attached with potent venom, can hook people and objects on the shore to eat.

Snake skin removed, wrapped in flour, fried until golden, crispy on the outside; snake head marinated with chopped chili peppers, sweet and fragrant on the inside.'

'What time is it for you to be joking around!'

Xia Weiyu came over to comfort her: 'It's okay, we'll be rescued.'

'Stop chatting, let's go up and push the doors open.'

Long Hanjie gave the order, and over a dozen people all moved, first trying to push the massive stone doors open together with all their might.

But they ultimately underestimated the strength of these stone doors. No matter how hard they tried, the doors remained completely unmoving.

Long Hanjie poked the stone doors twice with his long spear, but they didn't even get a scratch.

With this level of hardness, trying to break them open by brute force was impossible... Watching from behind, Su Chen saw that Xia Weiyu and the others hadn't made any progress for a long time and turned to remind them.

'Fourth Elder, it's your turn to step up.'

The Fourth Elder showed no intention of acting himself and casually pointed at someone:

'You, go try.'

This person was a seventh-grade Strength-type, 1.6 meters tall, skinny with dark skin. No one would take him for a Strength-type.

It was only when he reached the stone door that his body swelled dramatically, becoming a five-meter-tall giant. His gaunt frame was now wrapped in muscles, incredibly robust.

With a beast-like roar, he exerted force with both hands. Wen Hemo activated his Earth Element Ability to reinforce the ground, lest he shatter it underfoot.

A minute passed, and the stone doors remained completely unmoving.

The seventh-grade Ability User, unwilling to accept this, swung his fists and smashed them against the doors a couple more times, but not even a speck of dust fell from the stone.

Su Chen pondered briefly and shouted: 'Hey buddy, maybe try pulling outward instead.'

'Pull? Where are the handles? How am I supposed to pull?'

'Try pushing left and right...'

The idea offered by Little Black made this seventh-grade think it was worth a try.

The carvings on the stone doors provided good handholds. He pushed against two leverage points and once again exerted his full strength, pushing the left half of the door to the left.

'Rumble...'

This time, the stone doors finally moved. With a loud noise, a gap finally appeared in the doors.

Su Chen kicked Little Black: 'Still saying you haven't been here before?'

'No, I guessed.'

Su Chen didn't believe a word this snake said. He looked back at the Heavenly Fiend Cult members:

'Don't just stand there. Strength-types, go help. Do you really expect these few pathfinders to push it open for you?'

The Fourth Elder also wanted to find the Spirit Pearl quickly to avoid complications. He immediately ordered over a dozen people to go help.

Many hands make light work, and the gap in the stone doors grew larger and larger.

It was at this very moment that Su Chen, using his Piercing Eye, saw something abnormal inside the stone doors—a snake was approaching from within.

He didn't mind it, thinking it was an opportunity. He immediately stopped acting one by one.

Instead, he controlled all the flying snakes and venomous snakes, preparing to launch an assault on the Heavenly Fiend Cult members behind him at the same time the giant snake inside emerged.

The dozen or so Heavenly Fiend Cult members pushing the door were completely unaware. Before they could react, they were ensnared by the Hook Snake inside and dragged in by its tail.

Even the five-meter-tall giant wasn't spared, struggling a few times before also being pulled inside.

Immediately after, the stone doors slammed shut instantly, giving no one a chance to rush in and rescue them.

Little Black looked at Su Chen and asked:

'Did you know there was a problem inside, that's why you told the Heavenly Fiend Cult to go push the doors?'

'No, coincidence.'

The sudden change of events made the Fourth Elder frown deeply.

It wasn't that he cared about the life or death of those dozen or so people, but rather the strange beast inside.

Something capable of easily dragging in a seventh-grade Strength-type must have strength of at least the eighth tier. Looking at the carvings on the door, it was likely a Hook Snake.

With such a venomous creature, the most troublesome thing in a fight is the potent poison. Getting hit by it would definitely cause a lot of suffering.

He would need to intervene himself when the fight started later.

But he couldn't be the only one acting; he had to make this person help a bit too.

'Ah!'

With a scream, a member of the Heavenly Fiend Cult was dragged into the water.

Su Chen immediately shouted: 'Be careful! Watch your backs, don't get ambushed from behind by these flying snakes!'

A verbal warning, but inwardly he felt a bit annoyed.

He had been reckless. Dealing with multiple targets simultaneously inevitably led to some mistakes, but in terms of results, it was still quite good.

Enforcer Mu turned back, intending to reprimand a few words, but then noticed the numbers seemed off.

What's going on? Where are my men?! Where have all my subordinates gone?

'Take a headcount!'

A sixth-grade subordinate obeyed and immediately took a count. This count was no small matter—only 200 people remained.

'What? Only two hundred left?!'

Even the Fourth Elder, who didn't care about his subordinates' lives, now clenched his fists until they creaked.

They had entered with nearly 650 people!

Now, without even a glimpse of the Spirit Pearl's shadow, casualties had already exceeded half!

With this mortality rate, even if they returned, the Cult Leader would definitely punish him.

On the upper level, plus the casualties from the recent flying snake attack, it had just reached around a hundred.

They had been ambushed sporadically on the road, a few at a time. The Enforcers didn't care, thinking there couldn't be many deaths.

But the result! The casualties were even more terrifying than the two large-scale attacks by the strange beasts!

Enforcer Xiong questioned Su Chen:

'It must be your doing!'

Su Chen spread his hands, feigning innocence: 'You're wronging me. I've been staying at the front the whole time; how could I have acted?

Besides, what attacked you were snakes. My Ability is water element, not snake element.'

'Your people were just careless, so it's my fault?

If you're going to falsely accuse someone, at least bring some evidence. Anyone can just open their mouth and talk.

I could also say you're the traitor, a thief crying 'stop thief' right here!'