Forge a path to success

"You lot, keep your voices down!" Chongming shouted at the top of his lungs. "Loud noise will attract sandworms!!"

"You're the loudest one here, Mr. Chongming," Chu Hengkong said expressionlessly.

Chongming raised his hand to shade his eyes: "Ah, sandworms."

"What the hell? You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

A whooshing sound, like a draft, echoed through the sand, causing the ice deer pulling the cart to halt in unison. There was no need for binoculars; the signs of the approaching monster were clear to the naked eye. A magnificent column of wind ripped through the sand, like a giant whale spewing steam from the bottom of a sand sea. Within the column, a worm-like creature emerged—the very same Sky-Piercing Sand Worm that Shaks and Gulibo had encountered a day earlier, possessing an extreme sensitivity to sound!

"A level 3 alien beast, corresponding to the Path of Unity point 3, Xu Lie Xin, is probably the result of being nurtured in this awful environment," Vande concluded first. "How long do you plan to take?"

Ji Huaisu rubbed his hands together, eager to try: "Start the timer from the moment you make your move... one second, I'll say."

The sandworms roared to the sky, their noise sweeping across the sand and causing several columns of wind to rise in succession. All seven sandworms burst from the ground, their petal-like mouths opening as they attacked the noisy group!

"Now?" Van der squinted.

"No difference."

Ji Huaisu leaped nimbly from the deer-drawn cart, her leap sending up a massive tidal wave of sand that swept across the desert. The knight stood atop the wave, the unique environment allowing the steel-armored warrior to reach her peak speed. In an instant, she met the sand worm's gaping maw. Her punches were as swift as a bee's, a faint chill swirling around her knuckles. The punch grazed the giant sand worm's skin, the cold seeping into her body, which she then concentrated with her inner strength and unleashed.

The icy air bursting out of their bodies formed a transparent ring, freezing the seven sandworms into ice sculptures at the same time!

Ji Huaisu's fist pierced straight through the frozen insect's body, and she confidently shouted, "Invincible Ice Fist!"

The ice-melting sandworms exploded simultaneously, sending massive amounts of ice shards flying like stardust drifting in the sand. Chu Hengkong and Fan De both covered their faces in unison, the sound of their slaps being extremely loud.

The knight lady passed by just a second as she slid back to the deer cart, a smug look on her face: "How about that!"

"Could you explain why our knights, who pride themselves on justice, would come up with such a vicious name for a move?" Van der said.

"I developed this move myself," Ji Huaisu said. "And how is it vicious! It's all about being simple yet powerful!"

"You are not allowed to name yourself from now on." Chu Hengkong said expressionlessly, "Your ultimate skill will make the souls of the defeated writhe in hell."

"Why?"

Being killed by the Infinite Sword is understandable, and being imprisoned by the Holy Trinity Array can also be attributed to the enemy's superior skills. However, if the sandworms that just died had spirits beneath the sand, they would probably scream that they could not accept the humiliation of being blown up by the invincible Ice Fist.

At this moment, Chu Hengkong actually felt a little fortunate for the Demon of Misfortune. Olek's luck was actually quite good. If the final move to defeat its split spirit had been something like a "Super Fire Sword"...

That great demon would probably have to throw away all shame and chase him to the desolate wilderness to avenge his humiliation...

"Hmph, what an aesthetically challenged fellow." Ji Huaisu tossed her ponytail and stood in front of the researchers. "Well? Do you believe me now?"

The researchers exchanged views thoroughly and deeply through eye contact. They nodded in unison and said:

“You have absolutely nothing to do with knights.”

"What's the point of you guys not believing this?! I'm the last knight personally certified by the old devil!"

The hooded woman stretched out her hands and stroked the fur in the air, trying to calm the person who was in a bad mood: "We all understand your longing for the seniors, but we must also admit the objective reality... Miss Ji, you only have two legs, how can you be a knight?"

"What does this have to do with the number of legs?!"

The hooded woman said matter-of-factly, "Knights have four legs; that's common knowledge."

The researchers nodded in agreement, but Ji Huaisu couldn't hold back any longer: "Four legs? What exactly do you think a knight looks like?!"

"The knight was strong and robust, and his height was at least four meters or more."

"The very first sentence is inhuman."

"The knight's fighting style is quite valiant; he can bite off a sandworm's head in one bite," the frog-faced man said seriously.

"Where did this terrifying beast come from?!"

Mohican nodded in agreement: "Knights laugh horribly as they run, and the sounds of battle can make a child faint."

"The child is unconscious! What is this knight protecting?! You must be talking about the enemy's centaur demons!"

Vande was struggling to suppress his laughter. He patted Chu Hengkong's arm and said, "That sounds familiar."

Chu Hengkong's expression was strange: "Even when she's not here, she can still challenge the limits of my understanding..."

“Dude, you can’t reason with an egg,” Vande said sincerely. “Besides, this place has been fucking crazy for a while now. We can’t survive if it doesn’t go crazy sooner or later. We should all go crazy together.”

"Hey you guys in the back, buckle up and hold on tight!" Chongming whipped the ice deer. "We're almost there!"

While they were rambling on, the ice sleds were still speeding across the desert. No one ordered them to change course, so the sleds continued forward, entering the area where the sandworms had leaped out.

After the giant sandworms died, their supporting bodies crumbled, and the already unstable structure caused by the sandworms' movements collapsed. The white sand swirled and collapsed into the hollow earth, like a thousand times larger antlion's burrow. The sand cave at the center of the vortex drew closer and closer to the group, so close that they could hear the terrifying wind howling from underground.

"Commander Chongming, shouldn't we consider taking a detour?" Fan De said timidly.

"I summoned the sandworms to take a shortcut." Chongming placed one foot on the carriage railing and pointed forcefully at the sand cave. "Let's go, men!"

"Oh, oh," everyone politely agreed.

"Oh my god! So this whole trip was basically suicide!!"

The ice-covered chariot plunged into the sand pit, and in an instant, the world was plunged into darkness!

Sand. Sand. Sand. As far as the eye could see, there was only sand and gravel, the tightly packed white sand forming the cave walls, leading from the top of the desert straight down to an unknown depth underground. The sounds of sandworms moving in the distance traveled through the layers of sand and gravel, the sound waves sending shivers down one's spine, as if they were the breath of a giant creature from the earth. By the dark moonlight cast behind him, Vande could vaguely make out the strange object in the sea of ​​sand.

Those are corpses, weapons, and the remains of ancient buildings. Countless people once roamed the desert, and countless others perished in the sea of ​​sand. The traces they left behind were buried by the wind and sand, layer upon layer sinking into the ground, like being framed in a cruel picture.

Pressure emanated from all around, and Vande trembled at the thought; it wanted to scream, to flee, to get out of this damned place immediately. Suddenly, a shockwave struck, and they crashed into the hard ground.

"Oh, damn it! Damn it! Ah!"

Vande tumbled off the sled, bouncing several times on the ground, his curses growing louder and louder. The ice deer had completed their task, turning into streams of cold water. Ji Huaisu leaned on her partner's shoulder, her face also looking rather pale.

"Ah Kong, I'm feeling a bit carsick..."

Chu Hengkong gently patted her back: "Don't throw up on me."

"I really will beat you up."

“You’ve regained your energy; this is speech therapy.”

"The landing method is so hardcore..." "I think my head fell off." "Holy crap, the gears in my stomach are stuck." The researchers screamed in the carriage, each sounding as if all their ribs were broken.

Chu Hengkong surveyed this strange space. There was a white ceiling, which was the sand sea they had been in not long ago. Occasionally, black light would fall from the holes in the sand. Looking back along the light, one could see a full black moon on the sea.

The underground space was filled with mist, reminding him of Yingluo Mountain. Faintly, he could hear panting coming from the mist, and a man lying prone on the ground walked up to Vande, his face ashen and his demeanor ethereal.

"A newcomer? A newcomer?"

"Ah, you're the unlucky newbie here..." Vande said irritably, then immediately rolled away as he looked up. "And what are you?!"

The man could only crawl on the ground, because his lower body was that of a dog, a ferocious and terrifying black dog! Its canine teeth were deeply embedded in his waist, blood mixed with saliva dripping from between them. The man's original half of his body had long been devoured; he seemed to have grown out of the vicious dog's mouth, dragging the dog's body across the ground with his own hands.

The dog-bodied man scanned the new faces, laughing as if howling.

"Did you bring any stories?" it asked. "What stories did you bring?"

Chapter 160 A Hundred Tales of Fog and Moonlight (1)

"A new intruder?" "How pathetic!" "What a misfortune..."

Ghostly figures surged from the depths of the mist, one after another, deformed forms crawling out. Some had their upper bodies shredded by seashells, their exposed flesh covered in barnacles; others had bodies fused with decaying trees, leaving only weeping faces; still others had their entire bodies melted by deadly poison, crawling like fleshy mud… Each “person” was utterly terrifying, a multitude of twisted lives gathered together, like a nightmare brought to life.

Vande had stopped screaming and started gagging, even Chu Hengkong's expression wasn't good: "What is this?"

"Heh... It's ugly, isn't it?" the dog-man chuckled, drooling blood as he gnawed at the dog's body. "Be prepared, this could be your tomorrow..."

"If it has to turn out like this, I'd rather die," Ji Huaisu said softly.

"You've reached the desolate wilderness of despair, how can you still think you can die happily?" the kobold howled at Chongming. "You should teach the newcomer some common sense!"

“I already said it,” Chongming shrugged. “After spending four days here, the nightmare will become reality. This is what happens when you live with a dream that has become reality.”

Vande retched even louder, for it suddenly understood Chongming's explanation. To be devoured by wild beasts, assimilated by trees, become food for parasites, or be melted away… these were all nightmares for some. When those dreams that had tormented people for years became reality, it meant that the dreamer had been assimilated by the nightmare, and from then on, had become this twisted and hideous monster.

This place is truly insane; even if you try to survive cautiously, you can't escape the torment of evil gods.

As they spoke, monsters fused with demons appeared one after another, numbering over a hundred, their sheer numbers resembling a chaotic dance of demons. Chongming glanced at them: "A few more have disappeared."

"Rotting like this, neither dead nor alive, will eventually become unbearable." A monstrous, fleshy mass crawled forward, its flesh trembling as if laughing. "And you? How many times is this? 30?"

“35 times,” Chongming said calmly.

"Thirty-four failed counterattacks! You've been driven off the battlefield again, haven't you? No wonder you and your minions came this way!" the tree monster sneered loudly. "Seriously, how long do you plan to repeat this farce? Are you going to drag these living beings to hell again? Are you going to stand by and watch them be tortured into madness?"

Chongming remained silent, as did the other researchers. It was the dog-man who turned and roared, "Enough is enough! At least they still have courage, don't they? They're much stronger than us!"

These words seemed to strike a nerve with the monsters, silencing them completely. The monsters slumped back into the mist, while the dog-bodied man panted like a real dog, then looked up at Chu Hengkong.

“Let’s go, let’s go. Those idiots have all gone mad… If you stay too long, it’ll always end up like this…” the dog-man mumbled. “I am Volka, come with me. Are you prepared?”

“We have prepared a story,” Chu Hengkong said.

On the way there, Chongming gave a brief explanation: they were going to a "must-pass path" for newcomers, where they could obtain food, materials, relics, and even special powers, but all goods had to be exchanged for "stories." No currency or barter was accepted; only stories were accepted.

“Stories are wonderful things,” Wofka said, his spirits lifting. “Hope may fade, light may dim, but a good story is always a good story… In the long, long days of fear, all that remains to comfort oneself is a story!”

"What kind of story do you want?" Ji Huaisu asked with slight interest; she had never seen such a deal before.

"Anything is fine, as long as it's interesting... You can make the story more interesting! That way, people will vote for you more..."

The dog-bodied Volka led the group into the mist, with a small group of monsters following behind. The fog was so thick that they had to hold onto each other's sleeves, or they would easily get lost.

Chu Hengkong was the second in the group. He held Ji Huaisu's hand and tugged at Volka's tail with his tentacles. As they walked, his ears twitched. The mist didn't obscure sound, and amidst the chaotic footsteps of the group, several unfamiliar footsteps quietly blended in. The footsteps of the outsiders grew louder, and it seemed that a large figure had joined the group, as the footsteps at the end of the line were particularly heavy.

"The line has gotten longer," Ji Huaisu reminded him.

“There will be other people joining us,” Volka said. “Please don’t turn around, and remain respectful.”

A vast, empty cave emerged from the mist, its dark expanse resembling the gaping maw of a monster. None of them turned back, following Volka into the cave. Inside, many grass mats were arranged in a circle, and a circular hole opened in the ceiling. This hole seemed to lead directly to the top of the sand dunes, and a full moon hung above it, casting its dark light into the cave.

Volka led the group around the cave, and when they finished, each person was positioned in front of a straw mat. To his left was Chu Hengkong, and to his right was the person who had joined them at the back of the group. The darkness inside the cave was even deeper than outside; even though the ascendants sat side by side, they couldn't see each other's faces clearly.

Only the Volka could be seen by everyone because its seat was right under the moonlight hole, where the dark moonlight served as illumination.

It cleared its throat and said in a low voice, "First of all—Chongming, get out of here."

"Ha! Why should I?! I've prepared an incredibly exciting adventure!" Chongming protested loudly, completely ruining the eerie atmosphere with his shout.

“Everyone’s heard your story countless times, let’s try something new.” Volka stuck out his long tongue. “You, the bespectacled friend tucked in your pocket, will have your turn.”

"Very well, I would be happy to! I am a learned scholar of the Eye Demon, and my vast knowledge will surely broaden your horizons!"

Fan De waved his tentacles excitedly; he always acted like a madman whenever he could show off his knowledge. Chongming clicked his tongue loudly and gave his seat to the Eye Demon. The cave fell silent once more. Chu Hengkong looked down and noticed a black wooden stick had appeared beside him.

“We have new members joining this time, so let’s talk about the process,” Volka said. “The upcoming ‘Moonlit Tales’ is a monthly event in the Undersea Valley… Whoever is illuminated by the moonlight begins to tell a story, and after telling the story, they must end with a fixed phrase.”

"The first story is over. I am Wofka—like this."

"After the story is finished, if everyone thinks it's good, they move the wooden stick forward and throw it. After everyone has expressed their opinions, Moonlight will choose the next storyteller. If someone tells a particularly good story, they may be chosen again. After 100 stories are told, the person who shared the good story, as well as the person who participated in the Hundred Stories for the first time, can receive a 'gift'... This is the newcomer's gift package."

Earning a gift simply by telling a story—you couldn't find such a foolproof deal anywhere. Perhaps in this eerie borderland of the Heavenly Prison, a story is more valuable than physical currency. However, the process sounds far too much like a ghost story ritual. And then there's the constant emphasis on moonlight…

Chu Hengkong considered leaving, but Chongming and his group were, after all, the only people he could talk to at the moment. Judging from the tone of Vofka and the others, these people had indeed fought against Vansalar. Ji Huaisu gently patted his hand, his partner suggesting that they wait and see, and he also decided to trust Chongming this time.

"There are three rules in the Hundred Tales."

1. Do not interrupt when others are sharing their stories.

2. You may not refuse a gift.

3. Show respect to everyone.

Participants are strongly advised to strictly adhere to the rules here. Otherwise... you will be solely responsible for the consequences.

The atmosphere was somewhat eerie, but no one spoke up or objected; everyone remained quietly in place. Since none of them knew the terrain in the fog, leaving the cave at this moment would actually be the more unsafe option. Volka wagged its tail contentedly.

"Tonight, the full moon shines on the deep valley, and a hundred voices murmur in the eerie mist. The first story begins..."

Once upon a time, there was a country called the Kingdom of Lennar. It was a country with many mountains and little vegetation, and it was famous for its mining and processing industries. The people mined ores to export in exchange for resources from other dust islands, and lived a simple and frugal life.

But one day, fog began to rise over the mine. The fog disoriented everyone, and terrifying beasts roamed within it. Mining work came to a sudden halt, and life became unsustainable. The monks who had been called in to help surveyed the area and declared that death was imminent, urging everyone to flee their homeland.

The miners were all men with families. Who would willingly leave their homeland? Who would dare risk everything to embark on a perilous voyage across the sea? After investigating, they discovered that the wild beasts and the fog always appeared together. The foreman said that the fog must be brought by the wild beasts, and that if they were eliminated, their hometown would be safe.

The miners, full of youthful vigor, shouldered their tools and vowed to fight the beasts to the bitter end. But once inside the fog, they would inevitably drift apart, searching left and right for their companions. Turning back, they would find the wild beasts so close they could barely touch. Their bright orange vertical pupils hung like lamplight in the fog; the tall beasts stood upright, their hairy faces silently watching…

The miners were terrified, especially the foreman, who turned tail and ran. A wild beast chased after him, its cavernous mouth filled with sharp teeth. He managed to escape back to town, but was so frightened he never recovered and never succumbed to illness.

Whether the foreman was just a coward and hallucinating, or whether there really was a ghost in the fog, he couldn't tell. From that day on, he could always see the beast's face in the vicinity. Stepping out of his house, the beast would silently watch him in the alley. At the market, the beast would stand in the crowd, watching him. Hiding in the deep alleys, the beast would reappear behind the windows of high-rise buildings. The beast would walk towards him, its jaws wide and gaping, ready to devour those who deserved to die that day.

The foreman hurriedly fled home, sealing the doors and windows, daring not to step outside. No matter how his wife and daughter questioned him, he remained silent. These ghostly tales were absolutely forbidden to be told to anyone else; if they knew, they would become like him!

However, the strange occurrences in the Kingdom of Lennar continued; the fog grew thicker, spreading from the mountains to the town. One day, the foreman woke up to no avail. He drew back the curtains and found the streets shrouded in fog. Within the fog shimmered countless yellow lights, all with the vertical pupils of wild beasts. They stared at the foreman's house, slowly opening their mouths…

The foreman rushed out of the room in terror. He finally understood that the monk's warning was right; this place was no longer habitable. But he couldn't find a single person inside or out. In the kitchen stood long-haired wild beasts, and in his daughter's room lay small wild beasts. Their gazes were exactly the same as those of the beasts outside, exactly the same.