Great Demon Leader: Start By Refining Flying Zombies

Chapter 24: Mechanical Puppets

On the great river, the turbid flood surged like an army passing through, vast and mighty.

Soon, it spread to where Liang Xiao and the others were staying.

With a crashing sound, a large wave rolled in, carrying hundreds of pounds of force. If an ordinary person were here, they would surely be swept into the water and perish on the spot.

However, everyone present were cultivators and not afraid. Each of them stood firm as if rooted to the ground.

Gurgling sounds!

The hole dug by the ground mole was now frantically swallowing water, creating whirlpools on the surface.

"Sure enough, the miasma has been pushed away!"

Liang Xiao's eyes were fixed on the pit, and he indeed saw strands of purple miasma being expelled.

Fish brought by the flood could swim in the pit, proving that this method was feasible.

"I hope none of you can't swim!"

Luo Dongbao made a joke, then said seriously, "Follow closely behind me later, these underground tunnels are quite complex."

After speaking, he plunged into a water pit, swimming towards the depths like a nimble fat fish.

The others didn't hesitate and followed suit.

Liang Xiao took a deep breath and also entered the water. A stream of mana circulated in his eyes, isolating the sand and stones carried by the turbid water.

He could see the underwater scenery clearly.

He saw that at the bottom of the pit, many plants had grown over the years, swaying like seaweed under the current.

The scene was quite strange, but it wasn't his main concern at the moment.

Liang Xiao focused his vision and penetrated the water flow.

Soon, he spotted the figures of the people ahead, so he moved his limbs and swam over.

Although this hole was not large on the surface, the internal space was not small.

It was like a honeycomb, almost hollowing out the underground. There were more than a dozen large and small passages in front of everyone.

Liang Xiao followed the lead of Luo Dongbao and entered a narrow passage that could barely accommodate one person.

After swimming for about ten steps, it suddenly opened up, revealing another underground space.

This underground space had not yet been filled with water, and there was a several-meter drop in the water level.

Liang Xiao had just swum out of the passage when he was washed down by the water, exposing his upper body to the air.

He instinctively held his breath but found that there was no purple poisonous barrier in this underground space.

The people ahead were already wading through the water and climbing up the walls of the underground space.

Luo Dongbao was the fastest and had already climbed to the top, waving his hand excitedly.

There were also several large and small holes in the top of this underground space.

Beams of sunlight shone down from the holes, illuminating the surroundings.

"It seems that we have reached the inner area underground."

Liang Xiao had a sudden realization and didn't hesitate. His figure began to manifest strands of black aura.

Stepping on the Ghost Shadow Step, he lightly exerted force on a few protruding rocks with the tips of his toes.

His whole body seemed weightless, and with a few leaps, he climbed near a hole at the top.

Crack!

Liang Xiao's five fingers curled like hooks, radiating a sharp light as they directly pierced into the rock wall above his head. His whole body hung above the underground space.

Alternating between his hands, he inserted them into the top of the rock wall and advanced a few steps before performing a carp jump, leaping out of the hole.

"If only I had a Law Weapon for flying!"

Note: The translation provided is a faithful representation of the original Chinese text. Some sentences may be rephrased to improve readability in English.

Liang Xiao shook off the dirt and stones on his hands and stared at the pit in front of him, thinking to himself.

Although he had magical powers and was not an ordinary person, he still couldn't resist gravity at this stage.

"Fellow Daoist Guiying, this is the internal area recorded on the map!" exclaimed Luo Dongbao in surprise, glancing at Liang Xiao. It seemed that he didn't expect Liang Xiao to be so agile and be the second one to climb up.

Liang Xiao nodded at him and looked around. There was a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

They were now standing at the foot of two connected peaks, and the concentration of spiritual energy here was obviously higher than outside.

Although the main body of the peaks was still as charred as the outside, there were some strange plants present.

Liang Xiao surveyed the terrain and discovered that on the other side of these two peaks was a cliff that stretched for thousands of feet.

On the other side, close to the plain, was the place they had come from, enveloped in a thick purple poisonous barrier.

It was indeed a hidden natural deathtrap.

Suddenly, Liang Xiao took two steps in a certain direction and bent down to pick up a piece of green jade tile carved with cloud patterns.

Although it was already broken and unrecognizable, one could still see its exquisite carving and excellent quality.

Luo Dongbao walked over and took a look at the green jade tile in Liang Xiao's hand, his face filled with excitement.

"There are remnants of buildings, which means that these two peaks were most likely the site of the Heavenly Sun Mountain sect's construction in the past, not just ordinary barren mountains!" he exclaimed.

"Maybe we can find some treasures!"

But soon, when Luo Dongbao saw Liang Xiao, his expression became more restrained.

He was the employer and the leader of this expedition, so most of the gains would naturally belong to him. He couldn't show too much joy, lest he provoke jealousy for no reason.

Soon, the other four people - the Guan siblings, the female swordsman Qin Long, and the dark-faced man Yu Guang - climbed up one after another.

Looking at this rarely seen mountainous area, they all marveled.

When Luo Dongbao saw that everyone had gathered, he greeted them and started walking up the mountain.

According to the construction rules of sect buildings, if there were possible ruins, they would not be at the foot of the mountain but at a higher location.

In a corner dozens of steps away from them, a strange statue covered in weeds and plants suddenly flickered twice in its eye sockets.

Crackling!

After a series of mechanical sounds, this strange statue actually came to life. The layers of compacted soil on its body almost turned into a layer of cracked stone, which fell down with a crash, revealing its golden and iron-like interior.

Only then could the full appearance of this strange statue be seen. It was a humanoid mechanical puppet, cast entirely in gold and iron, wearing armor and holding a bronze halberd.

Previously, it had been crouching on the ground, buried by weeds and soil, but now it stood up, towering over twenty feet tall.

The expressionless face made of gold and iron, with dark eye sockets, suddenly ignited a faint blue flame.

Then, the neck of this mechanical puppet rotated in a strange and eerie manner, turning towards the direction of the exploration team.

On the other side, the six members of the exploration team continued to move forward. There was no path on the mountain, and there were some strange plants blocking their way.

Everyone used their own methods to clear a path.

Qin Long's Law Weapon, the spiritual sword, was extremely sharp, and the Guan siblings occasionally spewed out spiritual fire.

Luo Dongbao also revealed his Qi Refining Late Stage ability. He activated a circular blade in his hand, which buzzed and shot out, instantly clearing a large area.

The speed of clearing was not slow.

Liang Xiao and Yu Guang, on the other hand, were just paddling along. They occasionally released a strand of spiritual energy to cut off the obstructing plants, but their efficiency was less than satisfactory.

Suddenly, Luo Dongbao retracted his blade, paused for a moment, and just as he was about to say something, a gust of evil wind attacked from his side.

A bronze long halberd shot out with a terrifying momentum, accompanied by thunder-like power.

(End of this chapter)