Chapter 42: The Brilliant Strategy to Break the Deadlock

In the dim underground space, a faint scent of blood lingered in the humid air.

The figure of Strategist Qian flitted through the shadows like a ghost.

On his emaciated face, a sinister arc curved at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes gleamed with a venomous, serpent-like light.

The surrounding darkness seemed to serve him, enveloping him like an emissary of the dark, about to bring evil to those who had just emerged from battle.

Strategist Qian cautiously avoided the bodies strewn across the ground, his footsteps so light they were nearly silent.

He was like a lurking leopard, slowly closing in on its prey.

The object he held tightly in his hand, exuding an eerie glow, seemed to pulse in the darkness, emitting an unsettling whisper.

With every step he drew closer, the oppressive weight in the air increased, as if the entire space was shrouded beneath his conspiracy.

His shrewd eyes continuously scanned the surroundings, confirming that no one had discovered his trail.

Meanwhile, back at the stronghold, Chu Feng’s heart suddenly gave a violent lurch.

An inexplicable sense of crisis, like a tiny needle, pricked at his nerves.

He frowned slightly and took a deep breath.

This sensation was not unfamiliar to him; it was the precursor to impending danger.

Yet, he could not determine where this danger originated.

Was it the retaliation of Leader Zhao?

Or some other latent threat?

His gaze swept across the room. Pan Yue was gently tending to the wound on his arm, Liu Yong was still wiping down his mechanical tools nearby, and Sun Yue and Chen Kang were cheerfully discussing the recent battle.

Everything appeared completely normal, but the vigilance deep within Chu Feng’s heart did not relax in the slightest.

He rapidly weighed his options internally: should he launch an attack immediately and actively seek out the source of the threat?

Or should he remain static and wait to see how events unfolded?

Taking the initiative might allow him to seize the upper hand, but it also ran the risk of walking right into an enemy trap.

Defending and waiting might let him catch the enemy exposing a flaw, but it could equally cause him to miss a golden opportunity.

This dilemma caused a fine layer of sweat to bead on his forehead.

The sensation unsettled him, yet it also stirred his fighting spirit even further; this unknown challenge filled his heart with a fierce desire for exploration.

He looked toward Pan Yue, on the verge of speaking, but swallowed the words back down.

He knew that any rash movement at this moment could trigger unpredictable consequences.

At that very moment, a faint, chilling aura—reminiscent of a venomous snake darting its tongue—seeped in from outside the stronghold, causing Chu Feng’s heart to contract violently once more.

His gaze hardened, his muscles tensing instantly, and he spoke in a low voice, "Something is wrong..."

Chu Feng abruptly stood up, grabbed Pan Yue by the wrist, and pulled her behind him.

Almost simultaneously, the ground began to tremble slightly, and a chilling aura spread rapidly. The air grew thick with a faint smell of blood, mixed with the pungent odor of some kind of corroding metal.

"It's a trap!" Sun Yue exclaimed. His form as agile as a civet cat, he leapt onto a high vantage point in a few swift bounds.

His gaze blazing like torches, he rapidly scanned the surrounding environment, keenly capturing several subtle anomalies—tiny cracks on the ground, black powder drifting in the air, and fragments of runes glowing with an eerie green light.

"It's a runic trap!" Sun Yue's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "Once triggered, the power of these traps is enough to blow us to pieces!"

Chu Feng’s expression darkened. He looked around and realized they were already surrounded.

These runic traps had been arranged with extreme cleverness, covering virtually the entire perimeter of the stronghold, leaving no room to evade them.

Strategist Qian’s figure slowly materialized from the darkness. A cold, sinister smile hung on his face, as if he could already envision Chu Feng and the others being blasted into smithereens.

The runic stone in his hand flickered with a bizarre glow, as though mocking their helplessness.

"Didn't expect this, did you, you ants?" Strategist Qian’s voice was sharp and piercing. "This is the price of crossing me!"

However, Strategist Qian’s smile quickly froze on his face.

Because he saw Sun Yue leading the squad, threading through the gaps in the traps in an unbelievable manner.

Sun Yue’s figure flickered unpredictably like a phantom; he seemed able to foresee the exact locations of the traps, evading danger with pinpoint precision every single time.

"How is this possible..." Strategist Qian widened his eyes in disbelief. The traps he had meticulously laid out were being dismantled with such ease.

While dodging the traps, Sun Yue observed their layout.

He discovered that although the traps were densely packed, they followed a certain pattern.

Once the pattern was mastered, a safe path could be found.

"Follow me!" Sun Yue shouted in a low voice. His figure moved like lightning as he wove through the traps, carving out a safe route for the team.

Chu Feng and the others followed closely behind, stepping carefully in Sun Yue’s footprints, inching closer to Strategist Qian.

The astonishment on Strategist Qian’s face gradually morphed into fear. He had never imagined that the trap he had painstakingly planned would become his own death warrant.

He wanted to flee, but found that he had already been surrounded.

"Chu Feng..." Pan Yue’s voice sounded in Chu Feng’s ear, gentle yet firm, "Be careful..."

Her voice flowed into his ears like a clear spring, carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, yet filled with absolute resolve.

Her eyes were brimming with trust and encouragement, as if telling him that no matter how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead, she would stand by his side.

Looking at Pan Yue, Chu Feng felt a warm current surge through his heart—a surge of trust, reliance, and an emotion that transcended mere friendship.

He squeezed Pan Yue’s hand tightly, feeling the warmth of her palm, and seemed to draw endless strength from it.

While Strategist Qian was still panicking over the failure of his meticulously laid traps, Liu Yong quietly completed his own plan.

He silently rolled out a box wrapped in tattered cloth from an inconspicuous corner. The box looked battered and worn, as if it contained nothing more than worthless junk.

Inside the box, however, concealed within, was the "bait" Liu Yong had painstakingly crafted.

This bait was not actual runic material, but a device that mimicked runic energy fluctuations.

It emitted a faint energy pulse, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a real runic stone.

Liu Yong gave a gentle push, sliding the box to a relatively prominent position.

The energy fluctuations emitted by the bait appeared particularly glaring in the dead silence of the air, resembling fireflies in the dark night, luring the gaze of a predator.

Sure enough, Strategist Qian’s attention was instantly captured by the suddenly appearing box.

A flash of greed crossed his cold eyes.

Believing he had stumbled upon new resources, he failed to realize this was a trap set by Liu Yong.

Without a moment's hesitation, he rushed toward the box with hurried and frantic steps, completely forgetting he was still in extreme danger.

"Hahaha, these resources are mine!" Strategist Qian laughed wildly, reaching out to grab the box.

However, the moment his hand touched the box, the anticipated runic energy did not materialize. Instead, a violent surge of energy erupted.

It was the activation of the very runic trap he had set himself!

With a deafening explosion, the ground collapsed instantly. Before Strategist Qian could even emit a shriek, he plummeted deep into the earth alongside the shattering debris.

The trap he had meticulously designed had now become his own grave.

Sun Yue watched the scene unfold before him, the corners of his lips curving upward into a cunning smile.

Having long anticipated Strategist Qian’s greedy nature, he had cooperated fully with Liu Yong’s plan.

Chen Kang gripped his shield tightly, his gaze resolute, standing ready to respond to any sudden contingencies.

Wu霞 (Wu Xia) rapidly recorded the shifting environment, transmitting the intelligence directly to Chu Feng.

Chu Feng’s gaze locked tightly onto the collapsed crater on the ground, where billows of dust obscured everything within.

He knew Strategist Qian would not perish so easily; a greater danger might still be brewing.

"He... will come out," Pan Yue said softly, a hint of worry coloring her tone.

As the dust gradually settled, a bottomless giant pit was revealed on the ground.

The anticipated explosion had not occurred; only a few wisps of black smoke rose slowly from the bottom of the pit, carrying a pungent odor of sulfur.

"He's not dead!" Chu Feng shouted in a low voice, shadow runes surging around his hands as he readied himself to strike.

Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed from the depths of the pit, followed by a battered figure crawling out from the darkness.

Strategist Qian’s clothes were in tatters, his face smeared with dust, looking utterly wretched, yet he was still alive.

"Take him down!" Chu Feng commanded, and the members of the adventure squad sprang into action instantly.

With agile movements, Sun Yue took the lead, the cold light of the dagger in his hand flashing.

Chen Kang followed closely behind, his shield acting like an impenetrable copper wall that cut off Strategist Qian’s retreat.

Wretched though he was, Strategist Qian retained his formidable strength.

The runic stone in his hand flashed, and a wave of black energy shot toward Sun Yue.

Having anticipated the move, Sun Yue dodged the attack with a swift sidestep, his dagger simultaneously slicing across Strategist Qian’s arm, leaving a deep gash.

Strategist Qian let out a miserable scream as the runic stone dropped from his hand.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Feng wove his shadow runes into a massive black claw that firmly pinned Strategist Qian to the spot.

"It's over," Chu Feng said coldly.

A search of Strategist Qian’s person duly yielded more clues regarding runic resources, along with several precious runic stones.

The members of the adventure squad cheered, having successfully neutralized the crisis and reaped a bountiful reward.

A sense of glory washed over them like a tide, filling the heart of every single member.

"Cheers! To victory!" Pan Yue raised her water flask high, a joyful smile blooming on her face.

"To victory!" everyone shouted in unison, the crisp clinking of their toasts echoing through the underground space.

Yet, just as they were celebrating their triumph, Wu Xia’s expression suddenly grew heavy.

The communicator in her hand flashed with a red light, and its urgent alarm shattered the joyous atmosphere.

"Emergency message! A powerful, mysterious force is rapidly approaching!" Wu Xia’s voice trembled, her face as pale as paper.

The sounds of celebration ceased abruptly, replaced by a tense atmosphere thick in the air.

Chu Feng sprang to his feet, his gaze burning like torches as he said in a deep voice, "Prepare for battle!"