I walk sideways in the game world

The cave entrance was much wider than expected, like the gaping maw of a giant beast, waiting for its prey to fall into its trap. Stepping inside, a damp, decaying odor washed over me, like the nauseating musty smell of an ancient creature that had slumbered for millennia.

"Watch your step." Ren Xiaoyao reminded in a low voice, and the fire starter in his hand lit up. The dim light barely dispelled some of the darkness, but it also made the surrounding environment seem even more eerie and terrifying.

The uneven ground is covered with rubble and unknown bones. Stalactites are jagged overhead, and water drops drip down the stone tips, beating out an unsettling melody in the silent cave.

"This place... seems like no one has been here for a long time." Xia Lin's voice trembled a little. She held Ren Xiaoyao's sleeve tightly and looked around vigilantly.

"Well, Elder Yan said that this mine has been abandoned for hundreds of years." Ren Xiaoyao shook Xia Lin's hand, reassuring her. "However, it is precisely because of this that there may be rare mineral materials left here."

They groped forward cautiously and walked for about an incense stick of time. The surrounding environment still did not change much, only the air became more stuffy, as if carrying some invisible pressure that made people breathless.

Suddenly, Ren Xiaoyao felt his feet were empty. Before he could react, a series of "clicking" sounds of a mechanism being activated rang in his ears. Then, countless cold lights shot out from the stone walls on both sides!

"Be careful!" Ren Xiaoyao reacted very quickly, pulling Xia Lin into his arms and quickly retreating, barely avoiding the fatal attack.

"Ding, ding, dang!" Sharp, piercing sounds echoed in his ears, as the cold lights pierced the opposite stone wall with a grinding sound. In the dim light of the fire, Ren Xiaoyao could clearly see the true nature of those "hidden weapons"—sharp metal spikes, flashing with a faint cold light, clearly imbued with a deadly poison.

"That was a close call..." Xia Lin patted her chest in shock, with a hint of fear in her tone.

"This is just the beginning, everyone, be alert!" Ren Xiaoyao's face was solemn. He knew that this was only the first test of entering the mine, and the real danger was still to come...

As they continued to go deeper, a faint purple mist filled the air, carrying a strange sweet fragrance...

"This mist is poisonous!" Ren Xiaoyao covered his mouth and nose, feeling dizzy. The sweet aroma penetrated his nose, as if paralyzing his nerves. Charlene reacted quickly, pulling out a few emerald green pills from the medicine pouch at her waist. "These are detoxification pills, take them quickly!"

The three of them each took a pill, and a cool breeze flowed through their bodies, slightly alleviating the discomfort caused by the poisonous fog, but not completely eliminating it. "This poisonous fog is a bit strange. The antidote pills are only effective to a limited extent. We must get through this area as quickly as possible." Xia Lin's face was solemn. The emerald green pill in her hand flickered faintly like a firefly, illuminating her worried face.

The toxic fog permeated the air, reducing visibility to a crawl. They could only grope their way forward. Ren Xiaoyao led the way, while Xia Lin followed closely behind, constantly reminding him to watch his step. The surroundings were completely silent, with only the gentle sounds of their breathing and the rustling of clothing adding to the oppressive tension.

"Be careful!" Xia Lin suddenly screamed, but it was too late. Ren Xiaoyao's feet were empty and he fell down.

"Xiaoyao!" Xia Lin exclaimed, rushing to the edge of the pit, but saw only darkness. "Xiaoyao, how are you?"

"I'm fine..." Ren Xiaoyao's weak voice came from the bottom of the pit, "It's just... I think my leg is sprained."

Xia Lin was extremely anxious. The pit was several feet deep, with smooth and steep walls, making it impossible to descend. She looked around anxiously, searching for a way down.

"Use this." Elder Yan handed over a long vine from behind him. "This is the 'Iron Wire Vine'. It's extremely resilient and can bear your weight."

Xia Lin took the wire vine, tied one end securely to a protruding rock, and slowly slid down the vine. At the bottom of the pit, Ren Xiaoyao sat leaning against the wall, his face pale, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. His left leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly seriously injured.

"Let me see." Charlene gently lifted up his trouser leg and saw that his ankle was swollen and a horrifying purple color.

"Hiss..." Ren Xiaoyao took a breath of cold air. The severe pain almost made him faint.

"Bear with it." Xia Lin took some medicine from her medicine bag and carefully applied it to his wound. After treating the wound, she looked around and discovered that this deep pit was not naturally formed. Strange runes were engraved on the bottom of the pit and the surrounding stone walls. They emitted a faint fluorescence, which looked particularly eerie in the dim environment.

"These runes... I seem to have seen them somewhere..." Xia Lin frowned and tried hard to recall, but she couldn't remember.

"Let's go up first." Ren Xiaoyao endured the pain and tried to stand up, but found that his left leg was completely powerless.

Xia Lin supported him, and together they grasped the wire vines and climbed up with difficulty. The poisonous fog was still thick, making it difficult to breathe, and coupled with Ren Xiaoyao's injuries, their movements were even slower.

Finally, they climbed out of the deep pit. Elder Yan hurried forward to support Ren Xiaoyao, "How is it? Is the injury serious?"

"It's okay, it's just a sprain." Ren Xiaoyao smiled casually, but the sweat beads on his forehead revealed his pain.

"This mine is more dangerous than we imagined." Elder Yan said solemnly, "We must find a way out as soon as possible."

"Wait..." Xia Lin suddenly pointed in the direction of the deep pit, "Those runes..."

A strong sense of unease washed over her, and she realized they might have touched something they shouldn't. Just then, the ground began to shake violently... "Oh no!" Elder Yan's face changed drastically. "The mine is about to collapse!" He quickly pulled a crystal from his chest, gleaming with a crimson glow... "Retreat!" Elder Yan shouted, and the crimson crystal in his hand glowed brightly. A wave of scorching energy spread out from him, forcing the surrounding poisonous fog back several feet. The ground trembled violently, rubble fell, and the rock wall above them was covered with startling cracks, as if it would collapse at any moment.

"Boom——"

There was a loud bang, and the pit collapsed, stirring up a cloud of dust that enveloped them. Amidst the choking smoke and dust, a faint rustling sound was heard, making people's hair stand on end.

"Oh no, it's the crypt spider!" Xia Lin's face changed. She recognized the disturbing voice.

When the smoke and dust cleared, huge black spiders, as big as millstones, crawled out from the collapsed pit. Their eight scarlet eyes flashed with bloodthirsty light, and green venom dripped from their sharp mouthparts, which was chilling.

"Quick, use fire!" Elder Yan, experienced and knowledgeable, could tell at a glance that these poisonous spiders were afraid of fire. He quickly formed seals with his hands, and the crimson crystals burst into a dazzling light, condensing into flaming balls that roared and smashed towards the burrow spiders.

"I'll help you!" Xia Lin was not to be outdone. Silver light flashed between her slender jade fingers, and silver needles shot out like lightning, accurately piercing the poisonous spider's eyes, causing bursts of shrill roars.

Ren Xiaoyao endured the severe pain and took out several thunder and fire talismans from his storage ring. After infusing them with spiritual power, he threw them towards the area where the poisonous spiders were most concentrated. "Boom boom boom!" The thunder and fire talismans exploded, forming a sea of fire, forcing back the poisonous spiders that tried to approach.

"His-"

Although the crypt spiders were afraid of fire, they were numerous and fearless, surging forward one after another like a black tide, determined to devour them completely.

Amidst the fierce battle, an exceptionally large burrow spider circumvented the sea of fire and silently pounced upon the injured Ren Xiaoyao. Its sharp claws raised high, its fangs gleaming coldly, about to pierce Ren Xiaoyao's chest...

"Xiaoyao, be careful!" At the critical moment, Xia Lin noticed the danger. Without thinking, she pushed Ren Xiaoyao away, but was pounced on by the crypt spider and fell to the ground...

"Xia Lin!" Ren Xiaoyao's eyes were bloodshot, and the thunder and fire talisman in his hand flew out and hit the body of the burrow spider hard, causing a deafening roar... He rushed towards Xia Lin desperately, with only one thought in his mind: she must not be allowed to get hurt!

The shockwave from the explosion knocked Ren Xiaoyao to the ground. He ignored the pain and scrambled to his feet, rushing to Xia Lin's side. He saw the giant crypt spider had been blown to pieces, its green venom splattering everywhere, and a sickening stench filled the air. Xia Lin lay motionless on the ground, her body covered in venom, her life or death uncertain.

"Xia Lin!" Ren Xiaoyao reached out his hand tremblingly and felt her breath. Fortunately, she was still breathing faintly. He quickly took out the detoxification pill from his storage ring and fed it to her, then used his spiritual power to help her dispel the toxins in her body.

After a long time, Xia Lin slowly opened her eyes and asked weakly, "I... I'm still alive?"

"As long as you're alive, it's good!" Ren Xiaoyao held her hand tightly, feeling relieved.

Elder Yan also came over and checked Xia Lin's injuries. He said, "It's okay. The poison isn't too deep. She'll be fine after some rest."

After surviving the disaster, the three of them couldn't help but feel a little scared. This mine exploration was far more dangerous than they had imagined.

"The dangers in this mine are far beyond our expectations," Ren Xiaoyao said solemnly, "Should we continue to go deeper?"

Elder Yan pondered for a moment and said, "The purpose of this trip is to find the 'Mysterious Fire Essence Gold'. It would be a shame to return empty-handed. Moreover, we have come so far. If we give up now, wouldn't all our efforts be wasted?"

Xia Lin also nodded in agreement. "I believe that as long as we are careful and cautious, we will be able to find the 'Mysterious Fire Refined Gold' and return safely."

Ren Xiaoyao looked at the two men's determined eyes, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, let's move on! But we must be more careful and not miss any clues."

After a brief rest, the three continued deeper into the mine. Along the way, they became even more cautious, taking every step with care, fearing they would trigger another trap. The mine was completely silent, with only the soft rustle of their footsteps and breathing echoing, adding to the oppressive and tense atmosphere.

As he walked, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly stopped. He felt a weak energy fluctuation coming from the front.

"What's wrong?" asked Elder Yan.

Ren Xiaoyao pointed ahead and said, "There seems to be something over there."

The three of them held their breath and slowly approached. Deep within the mine, a huge rock was embedded with a strangely glowing ore. The ore was crimson red, like a burning flame, emitting a fiery aura.

"Could it be... this is the 'Mysterious Fire Essence Gold'?" Elder Yan's eyes widened, his tone filled with disbelief.

Ren Xiaoyao stretched out his hand and wanted to touch the ore, but suddenly felt a powerful force pushing him away.

"Be careful!" Elder Yan grabbed Ren Xiaoyao and said in a deep voice, "There seems to be a powerful barrier protecting this ore."

Ren Xiaoyao steadied himself, carefully observing the barrier, his brow furrowed. This barrier seemed even more complex than he'd imagined... He slowly extended his hand, gathering a trace of spiritual energy at his fingertips, and probed towards the barrier...