"Don't worry, Lord Hao! Because we Everlovians are designated members of the Allied Forces by the Realm of Spirits, we also have a divine energy shield granted by the Realm of Spirits. Although various factors have significantly reduced the strength of our shields, they can still ensure our survival in such deep waters for a long time," Captain Tie Zhu answered.
"In that case, Tie Zhu, come with us! After all, you are more familiar with the area, and your presence will help us find the entrance to the dark passage." Since Captain Tie Zhu had made his case, Dao Lao couldn't refuse his request. Haoyun and his group of four then used the ejection escape device at the back of the escape pod, and like inadvertent farts, they were ejected into the river one by one with a "pop, pop, pop."
("Oh my! That comparison is way too disgusting! Haven't you considered how readers might feel if they read this while eating? Oh! Wait, does anyone even read your stuff?!" Haoyun complained as he was ejected from the escape pod, displeased with being compared to a fart.
"Hey! Why are you pretending to be dead? You clearly hear me talking; why don't you respond? Are you feeling guilty?" Haoyun asked, feeling a bit off since the author didn't retort as usual.
The author, watching Haoyun's blatant provocation, resisted the urge to retaliate and reminded himself repeatedly, "No! Stay calm! I must control my temper! Absolutely no more unnecessary words!")
With the author's inexplicable refusal to "communicate" with Haoyun, the scene shifted back to the riverbed outside the escape pod.
Due to the scattered warship wreckage and dense aquatic plants at the riverbed, Haoyun and his group had to clear the riverbed while searching for the entrance to the dark passage that Captain Tie Zhu mentioned. Since Haoyun and his companions were physically stronger and better able to move underwater, the task of clearing the riverbed fell to them, while Captain Tie Zhu focused on locating the entrance based on his information.
"Mm! Mm!" Captain Tie Zhu could only make simple sounds in the communicator to communicate with Haoyun and the others underwater. However, his excited tone and the constant waving of his arms quickly caught the attention of Haoyun and the others, who were clearing the riverbed on the other side.
"Tie Zhu, did you find something?" Dao Lao was the first to ask and swam towards Captain Tie Zhu.
"Mm!" Captain Tie Zhu responded with a simple sound and a forceful downward-pointing gesture. Haoyun and Dream Jia quickly dropped what they were doing and swam over to Captain Tie Zhu.
When they reached Captain Tie Zhu, they found him holding a large, particularly lush aquatic plant, within which was a metal chain. The rest of the chain was deeply buried in the riverbed's plants and mud, making it impossible for Captain Tie Zhu to pull it out by himself. From his gestures, it was clear he wanted Haoyun and the others to help pull out the chain, as he believed the entrance to the dark passage was hidden below.
Although Captain Tie Zhu was a tall and strong moose-man, it was normal that he couldn't move a chain presumably crafted by his own people for the secret passage. Otherwise, this special emergency passage would become a public thoroughfare anyone could enter.
However, Haoyun was different. As a genuine priest of the Realm of Spirits with unique powers granted by divine energy, pulling the heavy metal chain was a simple task for him. Haoyun took the chain and prepared to pull it.
"Huh? What is this—" Haoyun's eyes lit up. As he took the heavy metal chain, a miraculous thing happened. The rusted chain suddenly glowed with white runes and quickly restored to a shiny, new appearance.
"What is going on?" Haoyun asked.
Since the runes on the chain were written in the Realm of Spirits' script, Haoyun knew the energy in the chain wouldn't harm him. He didn't drop the chain when it changed but continued to examine it closely.
"These are divine energy recognition runes. It seems this chain has been blessed with divine energy, and when you took the chain, the divine power in you resonated with the runes on the chain," Dao Lao said.
"Exactly. This means this isn't just the entrance to the dark passage but also an entrance reinforced by a priest. They've added an extra layer of protection, ensuring that while enemies can't easily enter, Everlovians or priests who know how to open the entrance can do so by confirming their identity," Dream Jia added.
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"So what should I do now?" Haoyun asked.
"Since you've been recognized by the divine runes on the door, you should be able to pull the chain and open the door," Dao Lao guessed, stepping back slightly with Dream Jia, clearly wanting Haoyun to test if pulling the chain would trigger any danger.
Haoyun rolled his eyes in annoyance but, believing that the runes resonating with his divine power wouldn't trigger any hostile mechanisms, boldly began to pull the chain.
Due to the divine power infused in the chain, combined with Haoyun's great strength, he easily pulled the chain buried in the aquatic plants and mud. Soon, he felt the chain below getting stuck, making it harder to pull. To better manage the increasingly obstructed chain, Haoyun stood directly on the riverbed, which was churned up by his efforts. He then focused his divine energy, mustering greater strength, and with a sharp pull, he finally dislodged a large segment of the nearly stuck chain from the riverbed mud.
"Crack!"
With a dull sound as the chain was pulled out, a strong suction force appeared at the riverbed, creating a whirlpool around Haoyun and his companions. The dense aquatic plants and mud were sucked into a five-meter-wide black hole formed by the swirling mud.
"Damn! It's a trap!" Haoyun shouted.
Because Haoyun had grabbed the chain tightly the moment the whirlpool appeared, he wasn't sucked into the suddenly appearing black hole. Dao Lao and Dream Jia quickly leaped backward, distancing themselves from the whirlpool's center and clinging to the nearby escape pod to avoid being dragged into the hole by the flowing river water. However, Captain Tie Zhu, who was close to Haoyun, wasn't as lucky. Lacking the reflexes and strength of the three divine officers, he was directly sucked into the black hole when the whirlpool appeared.
"Damn it! Tie Zhu's been sucked into the black hole! Dao Lao, take the others and retreat! I'll find a way to close this trap!" Haoyun shouted into the system, trying to push the chain back down. However, despite the whirlpool pulling water into the mud-formed black hole, the chain Haoyun gripped continued to float in the vortex, preventing him from pushing it back.
"Hey? Can anyone hear me? This is Captain Tie Zhu. Respond if you can hear me!" Tie Zhu's call suddenly came through Haoyun's system.
"Tie Zhu? You're alive?! How are you?!" Dao Lao immediately asked, having also received Tie Zhu's call through the system.
"Dao Lao, is that you? Great! I thought we had lost contact! I'm fine! I've entered the dark passage! Lord Hao didn't trigger any traps; he opened the door to the dark passage! Everyone, come in quickly! The waterway here is spacious! Old Jones, you can drive the escape pod in directly!" Captain Tie Zhu excitedly reported.
Since Captain Tie Zhu wasn't in danger and had entered the dark passage, Haoyun abandoned the idea of pushing the chain back and continued holding the chain floating in the whirlpool. "Dao Lao, Dream Jia! Return to the escape pod and enter the dark passage through the black hole! I'll handle the door!"
Worried that the prolonged whirlpool might attract any Mastanians near the Eternal River, Dao Lao and Dream Jia didn't hesitate. They immediately returned to the escape pod and ordered Old Jones to drive the pod into the black hole at the bottom of the whirlpool. As the escape pod entered the black hole, Haoyun mustered his courage and let go of the chain, instantly being pulled into the black hole by a strong suction force.
As soon as Haoyun entered the black hole, the chain floating in the whirlpool seemed to receive a command. The runes engraved on the chain flashed brightly before it quickly retracted into the black hole. At the same time, the whirlpool that had churned up the riverbed cleared, with the chain and mud returning into the black hole like water down a toilet. Eventually, as the stirred-up mud settled back onto the riverbed, all traces of Haoyun and his group disappeared, leaving the riverbed in dead silence, save for the haunting warship wreckage, as if nothing had disturbed it.
Once Haoyun and his group entered the black hole, they were engulfed in brief darkness. They were swept through what felt like a sewer by powerful currents, eventually being dumped into a large pool-like space where everything returned to normal.
"Haoyun! Tie Zhu! Where are you? Can you see us?" Upon entering the dark but calm waterway, Dao Lao immediately called out while instructing Old Jones to turn on the escape pod's searchlight to guide Haoyun and Captain Tie Zhu.
"We see you!"
"We're coming! We're right behind you!"
Captain Tie Zhu and Haoyun responded, swimming towards the escape pod's light. Captain Tie Zhu swam along the light path from the pod's front, while Haoyun reached the escape pod's side and knocked on the shell, signaling Old Jones to open the door.
Reuniting with Haoyun and Captain Tie Zhu, the group continued exploring the dark passage in the escape pod. This passage was home to peculiar fish with transparent bodies and bones that emitted a faint white glow. Dao Lao ordered Old Jones to turn off the pod's searchlight and rely on the fish's light to avoid exposing the pod's location.
Although the fish's light was faint, their sheer number illuminated the passage enough for Haoyun and his group to see the general environment. The passage was indeed wide and spacious, allowing the escape pod to navigate without fear of collision. The passage appeared meticulously crafted, with walls on all sides made of uniformly large stones.
As the escape pod continued deeper into the dark passage, the river water became increasingly clear, yet noticeably swifter than before. However, this acceleration worked in their favor, as it reduced the propulsion force needed for the escape pod to stealthily advance, thus conserving energy for future use.
"Phew! This is indeed the legendary dark passage! We can finally enjoy a temporary sense of safety!" Captain Tie Zhu exclaimed with relief after thoroughly assessing their surroundings.
"How can you be so sure?" Despite the previous chain infused with divine power being evidence enough that this was the passage leading to the Eternal Star Palace, Dream Jia couldn't help but question cautiously upon hearing Captain Tie Zhu's confident assertion.