Beast Taming Star Journey

Chapter 360 The Evidence Gradually Emerges

I gripped the map tightly and walked side-by-side with Su Yao into the deep, dark passage. The passage was cold and damp, filled with a nauseating stench of decay. Strange patterns were carved into the walls, appearing particularly eerie in the dim light.

Little Whitey whimpered anxiously at my feet, its fur standing on end as if it sensed some danger. I gently patted its head, signaling it not to be afraid. Su Yao also summoned her tamed beast—a phoenix engulfed in flames. The phoenix's light illuminated the path ahead, dispelling some of the darkness, but also making the eerie patterns appear even clearer before our eyes.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the passage suddenly opened up, and we arrived at a spacious underground space. It was even darker here than in the passage, and we could only vaguely see some blurry outlines. I slowed down and cautiously observed my surroundings.

"Be careful," I whispered to Su Yao, "something doesn't feel right here."

Su Yao nodded, and the longsword in her hand emitted a crisp ringing sound.

The traces left by the beast tamers vanished here, as if they had evaporated into thin air. I frowned, a sense of unease rising within me. Where should I look next?

I racked my brains, trying to recall the clues I'd found earlier, hoping to find some trace. Suddenly, a thought struck me—I remembered the runes I'd seen on the stone pillar. Those runes… seemed somewhat similar to the pattern marked on the map at the entrance to the forbidden area!

"Xiaobai," I pointed to the location of the forbidden area entrance on the map, "let's go take a look over there."

Little White immediately understood what I meant and ran in that direction. It circled in the air once, then landed in a secluded corner and scratched at the ground with its paws.

"Found it!" I was overjoyed and immediately ran over with Su Yao.

Xiao Bai dug away the soil and revealed a hidden stone door. The stone door was carved with the same patterns as on the map, only more complex and mysterious.

"It really is here!" I exclaimed excitedly.

Just then, several dark figures darted out of the darkness and surrounded us.

"Who are you people?" I shouted sternly.

"Hmph, you meddlesome brat, prepare to die!" one of the shadowy figures said.

I recognized their voices; they were Strategist Jin's men! It seems Strategist Jin has realized we've discovered his secret and has sent men to stop us.

Seeing that we had discovered a new clue, the shadowy figures became visibly flustered. They hadn't expected us to find this place.

"Protect the clues!" I shouted to Su Yao.

Su Yao nodded, and the longsword in her hand emitted a dazzling light, dispelling some of the surrounding darkness.

"Kill!" The shadowy figures swarmed forward and launched an attack on us.

I took a deep breath and channeled my spiritual energy into Xiaobai. Xiaobai let out a deafening roar and pounced towards the dark figures… “Su Yao, watch out!”

Xiao Bai's roar shook the passageway, and like a white lightning bolt, it instantly engaged in battle with Brother Jin's strategist's men. Its sharp claws lashed out, creating gusts of wind that forced the dark figures to retreat. Su Yao's phoenix circled in the air, occasionally spewing out scorching flames to form a wall of fire, keeping enemies trying to approach us at bay.

I drew my dagger, my eyes blazing as I fixed my gaze on the enemy before me. These shadowy figures, though numerous, were not particularly strong; they were clearly cannon fodder sent by Brother Jin's strategist to hinder us and destroy the clues. I understood that the key to this battle was not eliminating the enemy, but protecting the secret behind that stone door.

"Nong Yu, be careful!" Su Yao's voice came from beside me.

I dodged a fierce attack by sidestepping. Looking back, I saw Su Yao locked in a fierce battle with a burly man in black. The man in black was clearly much stronger than the other shadowy figures, and although Su Yao was brave and fearless, she was finding it difficult to gain the upper hand for the time being.

"I'll help you!" I shouted, brandishing my dagger and charging forward.

"Don't worry about me, just protect the clues!" Su Yao said through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with trust.

A warmth filled my heart as I felt her love for me, which strengthened my resolve to protect the clues. I took a deep breath, channeling my spiritual energy to its limit, the dagger gleaming with a dazzling light. I moved like a ghost among the enemies, each strike precise and deadly, quickly felling several shadowy figures to the ground.

The battle grew increasingly fierce, the passageway filled with shouts of battle and the clashing of weapons. I felt waves of pressure, but I knew I couldn't fall; I had to persevere, for Su Yao, for the truth, and for all those who had been deceived.

I glanced at the stone door behind me, my heart filled with anxiety. Those dark figures clearly knew the importance of the door; they were desperate to rush through and destroy it. I had to stop them!

I roared, concentrating all my strength into the dagger, and stabbed at the dark figure closest to the stone door. The figure fell to the ground with a thud, and I seized the opportunity to rush to the stone door, using my body to block the attacks of the other dark figures.

"Nong Yu!" Su Yao's voice carried a hint of anxiety.

I looked back and saw her surrounded by several dark figures, in grave danger. My heart tightened; I wanted to rush over to help her, but I couldn't leave the stone gate even a step.

Just then, Little White let out a sharp cry, and a dazzling white light suddenly burst forth from its body, blasting away several dark figures around it. Then, it quickly rushed to Su Yao's side and fought alongside her.

With Xiaobai's help, Su Yao's pressure was greatly reduced. She seized the opportunity and pierced the chest of a dark figure with her sword.

Seeing the enemy gradually being suppressed, I breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed we had a chance to protect the clues.

I looked at the stone door again, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed it open. Behind the stone door was an even narrower passage, and at the end of the passage, something seemed to be shimmering with a faint light.

I went in without hesitation, with Su Yao following closely behind.

The passage was silent, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing. After walking for about a few minutes, we finally reached the end of the passage.

This is a small stone chamber. In the center of the chamber stands a stone table, on which rests an ancient stone slab. The slab is covered with densely packed symbols, shimmering with an eerie light.

I stepped forward and examined the symbols closely, a strange sense of familiarity suddenly welling up inside me. These symbols... I feel like I've seen them somewhere before?

"What are these?" Su Yao asked.

I shook my head and said in a deep voice, "I don't know, but I feel... these symbols are important."

I reached out and touched the symbols, and a strange power emanated from the stone slab, flowing into my body. Suddenly, blurry images flashed through my mind, showing strange symbols identical to those on the stone slab…

“Wait…” I pointed to a peculiar symbol on the stone slab and said, “This symbol…”