Chapter 20: Lost
As soon as Linley entered the Nether Mountain, he felt a heart-shaking pressure spreading out.
"Such a strong pressure!" Linley's expression instantly turned serious. "Even when I was in the Infernal Realm, facing the Blood Peak Sovereign, the pressure wasn't this terrifying!" Entering the Nether Mountain, oppressed by this pressure, Linley felt... like when he was still a child in Wushan Township, the first time he saw the magical beast 'Black Dragon'—that same fear.
Heart-pounding! The pressure acted on the soul!
"Boss, I can't even extend my divine sense." Bebe turned his head to look at Linley. "This pressure is too strong, even stronger than the Blood Peak Sovereign's pressure last time."
"That's because the Blood Peak Sovereign who descended was merely an energy clone, not his true body." Linley carefully surveyed his surroundings.
Behind them was the mountain gate of the Nether Mountain, and the Deities who had entered didn't dare to venture deep immediately. They all carefully familiarized themselves with the environment. The Nether Mountain had a fearsome reputation; even Seven Star Fiend-level experts could die within it. Such a dangerous place... how could they be careless?
"Within this Nether Mountain, there's not even gravity. It's as if it's completely cut off from the outside world." Linley floated there.
"This white mist also makes one's head dizzy. But for me and Bebe, the effect is negligible." Linley continuously calculated their surroundings.
The Nether Mountain was covered with a large amount of vegetation, trees, and the like. The white mist completely shrouded the surface layer, and at the outermost edge of the white mist were the 'Heavenly Chains'. Linley had long heard of the power of those endless lightning chains. He had no desire to touch them and test that lightning's might.
"Whoosh!" Linley's body sank, and he dropped directly down to stand on the mountain rocks.
"Bebe, within the Nether Mountain's range, stick close to the mountain surface and advance." Linley sent a solemn mental message. "If we fly, the white mist completely obscures direction. If we accidentally touch those lightning chains, it'll be disastrous."
"I kind of want to try it," Bebe said with a laugh, but he still dropped down to stand on the rocks.
"Remember, be careful of the snakes and the trees!" Linley sent a mental message, also warily glancing at the large trees beside them. The trees growing in this special environment on the Nether Mountain's surface were all relatively short and oddly shaped. "These trees might attack people."
Linley didn't dare to be careless.
"Don't worry." Bebe also looked at the surrounding trees. "These trees can't hurt me."
At this moment, the other Deities had also assessed the environment and began to set off one by one.
"Let's go." Linley gave the order.
Immediately, Linley and Bebe, sticking close to the Nether Mountain's surface, began to dart forward. However, they didn't dare to move too fast... for fear of a sudden attack from the trees along the way. And as for the 'snakes' the red-haired woman had warned about, Linley hadn't seen a single one.
A moment later—
"Swoosh!" Linley and Bebe stopped, both with confusion in their eyes.
"Boss, which way should we go now?" Bebe looked around.
"This damn place." Linley was also troubled.
All around Linley was endless white mist. Even with Linley and Bebe's eyesight, they could at most vaguely see a few dozen meters. And under the terrifying pressure of the Nether Mountain, their divine sense couldn't extend beyond their bodies. Added to that, the Nether Mountain was in a state of zero gravity.
All of this led to—
They couldn't tell direction at all!
Although the mountain body had slopes in some places, once in a zero-gravity state, even if Linley stood at an angle on the mountain, he wouldn't know he was standing at an angle. The trees growing under zero gravity were also twisted and strange in their growth direction.
"Within this Nether Mountain, I can't even tell direction. I don't know which way leads up the mountain and which way leads down!" Linley carefully looked around, but all he saw were those oddly shaped large trees, some vegetation, and the thick, boundless white mist...
Bebe made a bitter face. "All I know is that if I leave the mountain's surface and fly upward, I'll run into the Heavenly Chains. As for front, back, left, right... I have no idea where they lead."
Linley and the others had encountered the first problem within the Nether Mountain—
Lost direction!
"Forget everything else. Just keep moving forward." Linley gritted his teeth. "The white mist area has a diameter of only a few hundred thousand meters, less than a thousand miles. We'll just barge through blindly... maybe we'll make it out." At this point, this was the only desperate measure—relying on speed to charge through randomly.
"Yeah." Bebe agreed.
Immediately, the two began to advance in what they thought was 'forward'!
But along the way, Linley didn't dare to run at full speed. They still had to be wary of the trees and the 'snakes' that hadn't appeared yet. Naturally, this slowed them down.
"Someone's there!" Bebe sent a mental message.
Linley and Bebe immediately stopped. In the white mist not far ahead, there was a blurry human figure. The figure also moved closer, and Linley and Bebe could finally make out who it was. It was the black-robed, purple-haired young man. The black-robed, purple-haired young man also saw Linley and the others, gave a low snort, and continued forward.
Suddenly—
"Boom!"
A bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, striking directly a large tree about ten meters away from Linley. The tree was instantly reduced to ashes.
"What's going on?" Bebe was startled.
"You two, be careful!" The purple-haired young man, who had already walked some distance away, said coldly. "Within the Nether Mountain, lightning occasionally strikes. This lightning comes from the 'Heavenly Chains' and is extremely powerful! When you fly, pay attention to what's above you. If you get hit, hmph..."
His voice gradually faded away until it was inaudible.
The Heavenly Chains constantly maintained an endless supply of lightning energy because they were always absorbing lightning elements from the world, continuously strengthening themselves. When the internal energy of the Heavenly Chains exceeded their capacity, they would randomly strike down to release some energy.
So, in other words...
Even if you didn't touch the Heavenly Chains, the Heavenly Chains might sometimes strike you.
Linley and Bebe couldn't help but look up.
"This damn place." Bebe gritted his teeth. "For no reason, lightning just falls out of the sky. If I get hit by accident, that would be a really unjust death."
"Anyone who dares to come to the Nether Mountain must be prepared to die." Linley said with a faint smile. "Let's go. We'll keep moving forward."
Whether it was those seeking the Netherworld Fruit or Linley and his group, since they chose to enter the Nether Mountain... they couldn't blame anyone if they died. The Nether Mountain was the residence of the 'Overgod of Death', the strongest of the seven Sovereigns of the Netherworld. How could it be so easy to penetrate?
Linley and Bebe both felt that the path they were taking was a straight line.
After advancing for a long time, "Huh? Why haven't we reached the end yet?" Bebe asked in confusion. "The distance we've traveled should be over a thousand miles by now."
"It seems we've gone in the wrong direction," Linley said.
There was no other possibility. If the direction were correct, they would have left the white mist area long ago.
If they were in an ordinary place, even with their eyes closed, Linley could have advanced in a straight line. But within the Nether Mountain, the terrifying pressure radiated everywhere, and the white mist also had some effect on the soul. Linley's senses were inaccurate, and without realizing it, their direction had deviated. Once they deviated, they started going in circles.
"Forget it. Let's just keep going," Bebe said.
Linley nodded. The two continued forward through the vast white mist. Along the way, Linley didn't find any aggressive 'trees' or 'snakes'. Aside from the occasional lightning bolt from the sky, the Nether Mountain, apart from 'getting lost', didn't seem that dangerous.
"Hmm, the white mist is thinning." Linley was overjoyed.
The Nether Mountain's three-colored mist was divided into three distinct areas. At the boundaries between the areas, there was a small zone with no mist. The sudden thinning of the white mist meant they had reached the boundary!
"We're here!" Bebe was overjoyed, but then his expression changed. "How is this possible?"
Linley and Bebe had already reached the edge of the white mist, but within their field of vision appeared the Heavenly Chains—thick, waist-like lightning chains separated by transparent membranes. Through the transparent membrane, Linley could see the other side... an endless expanse of land.
"We're back at the foot of the mountain?" Linley couldn't help but smile bitterly.
They had entered through the Nether Mountain's gate, wandered around inside like blind men for a long time, and ended up back at the mountain's base. However, this wasn't the mountain gate.
"Let's go. It's only a total of one or two thousand miles. An hour is enough to go back and forth dozens of times. I don't believe I can't get out in an hour." Linley turned around and walked back into the white mist. Bebe followed him in. "Boom!" Another bolt of lightning struck not far away.
Linley and Bebe didn't slow down as they advanced.
Linley had originally thought that getting out of the white mist area would be relatively simple, but he had ended up back at the mountain's base three times in a row. Even with detours, it was only a few thousand miles. With their speed, each attempt was quick. Linley had enough patience to keep going.
"Someone's ahead." Bebe's eyes lit up.
Linley also saw the person ahead. It was a golden-haired, burly man. The burly man was advancing cautiously. As if sensing something, he turned his head to look back, but was startled—Linley's draconic form made him think he had encountered some kind of monster. He quickly realized what it was.
He had already seen Linley in his draconic form at the mountain gate.
"You two haven't made it out either?" The golden-haired, burly man actually approached them and spoke.
"This damn place. Can't even tell direction," Bebe said.
"The white mist area at the very bottom of the Nether Mountain is the least dangerous place," the golden-haired, burly man said with a faint smile. "It's just hard to tell direction, right? Try a few more times, and maybe you'll get lucky and make it out. It just takes a little more time. If it doesn't work once, try ten times, a hundred times... there's plenty of time."
Linley smiled. "I wish you luck getting out. We won't disturb you. Bebe, let's go."
Linley and Bebe immediately walked forward.
A flicker of disappointment passed through the golden-haired, burly man's eyes. He had approached Linley hoping to travel with them, because he knew from the hotel that Linley and Bebe were super experts. Following them inside the Nether Mountain would be much safer.
"Ignoring me?" The golden-haired, burly man's eyes lit up, and he actually chased after Linley and Bebe, saying, "You two came from the Infernal Realm, so you're not familiar with the Nether Mountain. I know a bit about this place."
As he spoke, he caught up.
Linley and Bebe turned their heads to look at the golden-haired, burly man.
"Boss, this guy is annoying," Bebe sent a mental message.
"Let him follow if he wants," Linley said, unconcerned. Suddenly, Linley caught a flash of green from the corner of his eye. It shot out from a tree beside them like lightning. This instantly put Linley on alert. He held the semi-transparent divine sword 'Afterimage' in his hand. But that green flash shot straight toward the golden-haired, burly man behind them.
Linley and Bebe immediately turned around.
"Ha!" With a roar, a war blade suddenly appeared in the golden-haired man's hand, and he slashed directly at the green shadow. A black light shield flowed over his body, heavily protecting him.
"Swish!" The green shadow twisted in midair, dodging the golden-haired, burly man's slash.
The green shadow slammed directly into the black light shield. The black light shield couldn't withstand it at all. The green shadow instantly pierced through the light shield and shot straight into the golden-haired man's body. Strangely... the green shadow seemed to merge into the golden-haired man's body. The light shield on the man's body dissipated, and the war blade in his hand fell.
"Ah, ahh~" The burly man let out a terrifying sound, his whole body trembling. But in an instant, his body went rigid, and the sound stopped.
"Thud!" The man fell, crashing into a nearby tree. His body then began to float, drifting aimlessly.
Linley and Bebe stared intently at the man's corpse.
"Sizzle sizzle~" A hole suddenly appeared in the forehead of the golden-haired man's corpse. A slender green snake, only the length of a palm, crawled out from within. Then, the green snake's body trembled, a flash of green light streaked by, and it vanished into the white mist.
Linley and Bebe's expressions turned serious.
"Snakes!" A shock ran through Linley's heart.